I hope you got who Death was. I've never read the comics myself but apart from the tattoo on her face she's pretty much the spitting image of my missus.

I own nothing

Godric's Hollow

Voldemort apparated straight to Godric's Hollow, several pops behind him signified what remained of his inner circle had followed him. Seeing the masses of people before him made his lip curl up, all of them sheep, just waiting to be culled. Wondering how he should do this he decided on shock and awe. He was Lord Voldemort after all! Casting "Morsmordre" into the sky the crowd turned around and screams rang out as a they quickly moved out of his way as he made his way to the gate. "Come Nagini" he hissed as he walked forward. Waiting at the gate was Albus Dumbledore. How he loathed that man, he would die here today and the world will bow down and accept their future with him on top, the rest underneath him

"Greetings Albus" he said with a mock bow "there I was not ten minutes ago planning on how to get you into the open when my faithful yet inept servant told me to switch on the wireless. Imagine my surprise when I heard you were at the Hollow, the very scene of my enforced hiatus from the wizarding world not so very long ago. Our friend here" he said waving at Snape "tells me you are dying? Tell me it isn't so" he finished questioning with mock sincerity as whispers broke out amongst the crowd that had stayed. Albus was dying?

"Greetings to you as well Tom" Albus said cheerfully as if they were discussing the weather "Alas we are all dying in some manner since the very moment we are born. Some of us are lucky enough to choose the manner of dying, some aren't. As for myself, it seems you were sadly misinformed"

"Is that so" Voldemort said icily "well we can soon rectify that can't we?" he said brandishing his wand

"Little Tommy Riddle" came a voice from behind Albus as Gellert walked out wand in hand "is that really you? Why it must have been at least fifty years since I last saw you. You haven't aged a day! No, I tell a lie, you look like shit Tom. You should get more sleep; I hear it's good for your skin"

"A friend of yours I presume Dumbledore?" Voldemort asked anger etched on his face "only a friend of yours would be so bold to address Lord Voldemort in such a way. I don't know who you are old man but I will not suffer you to live another day if you continue to speak to me in such a manner"

"Lord Voldemort?" Gellert asked laughing "Lord? Oh, my dear boy, are you still using that pathetic name you made up in school? You can make up as many names as you want Tom, you'll still never be a pureblood with that muggle father of yours"

"Lies! You will pay for spreading such lies about the Heir of Slytherin!" Voldemort said "now tell me your name!"

"Why Tom I'm hurt" Gellert said with mock sadness "don't you recognise me?" turning to Albus he said "Maybe it's the angle Albus, after all the last time I saw Tommy here, he was flat on his back looking up at me"

"Who the hell are you?" Voldemort asked frothing at the mouth "to speak about me in such a way"

"You still haven't guessed?" Gellert asked "such a pity. Maybe this will ring a bell" he finished as he waved his wand over his body and the glamour fell away

"Grindelwald" Voldemort said with shock on his face causing screams to ring out among the crowd "you're still alive. How?"

"Well it has something to do with me never dying in the first place Tom" Gellert said mockingly "something we both seem to have in common, eh?"

"Well let's rectify that shall we?" Voldemort said brandishing his wand and casting an exploding curse. Gellert batted it away contemptuously "still magically pathetic I see, and you call yourself a Dark Lord. You're a disgrace to the very name"

With that they started slinging spells at each other. Albus had seen it coming and warded the entire area to try and contain as much of the damage as possible. Bellatrix seeing her master was occupied opened up on Albus with a killing curse, with Snape joining in. Seeing the curse headed his way he conjured a marble slab which took the hit breaking into pieces, sending them back at Bellatrix he began transfiguring as much as he could and sent them to her. He knew he was at a slight disadvantage having to cast with his off arm but he also knew he had more power to back up his spells so they were virtually even. Albus was more than a match for them both, and he knew he had to win this one so he didn't hold back. The two separate fights went on for what felt like hours but in reality, was only twenty minutes. The entire road was destroyed along with several gardens. A brief lull in the fight had Gellert and Voldemort stop firing spells at each other as they looked around at the carnage. Snape was laying against a car, missing a hand holding a stumpy bleeding arm while Bellatrix was looking particularly beaten up too. Albus hadn't come off unscathed either it seemed as his robes were charred and half his beard had been burned off but he was still clearly able to fight.

Out of nowhere Gellert spun around and cast a spell "Lacero" which hit Nagini who had tried to sneak up behind him, straight through her head blowing it apart in a shower of gore and blood. Hearing a rage fuelled yell he cast the strongest shield spell he knew "Protego Horribilis" as Voldemort expelled a wave of magic throwing bits of Tar-mac all over the area. Emerging unscathed from the entire backlash Gellert cast his own spell, a spiral of lightning at Voldemort which threw him back through the remains of a wall of a house causing the exposed ceiling to fall on him.

Seeing this Bellatrix gathered up the remains of Voldemort's familiar and apparated away with Wormtail following suit grabbing Draco before he did. Another faint pop signified that Voldemort had survived and done the same thing. Muttering an expletive under his breath Gellert began walking past the injured Severus, as he did so he made a casual slashing motion with his wand without looking at him and opened up his throat. Unconcerned he made his way towards Dumbledore he asked "Are you ok Albus?"

"Why did you do that Gellert" he asked shocked at the actions of his long-time friend "he was beaten"

"The only good enemy is a dead enemy Albus" Gellert replied unconcerned "I have told you this for years. I have just done the wizarding world a favour. Now, are you ok?"

"Yes, yes I'm fine" he said distractedly looking at the body of Severus. An immense wave of sadness came over him as he thought about the man he once thought of as a son. Walking over to him he knelt down at his side and close his eyes. Muttering the same spell he had used for Florean earlier Severus' body burst into flames. Gathering them into a conjured box he placed it into his robes to bury later.

"You always were a sentimental old fool Albus" Gellert said shaking his head "he does not deserve your pity"

"I've been saying this to him for a long time Gellert" came a voice from behind him. Turning around he saw Harry Potter walking towards him, but he wasn't alone

Riddle Manor

Rage. Absolute rage. That's all Voldemort felt as he apparated back to his house and started throwing curses around his entrance hall. How the hell was Gellert Grindelwald still alive? Where had he been for the past fifty years. And why was he with Dumbledore of all people? He was very angry and confused. Storming his way to his throne room he didn't even acknowledge Bellatrix tending to her own wounds, and he was still far too angry to notice his own just yet. His body had already started magically healing itself, albeit very slowly. Sitting down he brooded as silence reigned. No one dared say a word.

Grindelwald. That name kept repeating itself over and over again. He knew that people thought he feared Dumbledore but that wasn't true, he feared what Albus knew about his past more than he feared the man. Grindelwald on the other hand was a different story altogether. He genuinely feared Grindelwald. He was the only person in his life that had beaten him in a duel. When he had come into his own power years after the altercation in Berlin, he put it down to him lacking experience fighting as the reason for the loss. He felt sure that if they had challenged each other at the height of their powers then he would emerge the victor. He wasn't grateful to Albus for many things. In fact, he could probably count on one hand the things he was grateful for but taking out Grindelwald was number two, right after introducing him to the wizarding world and his legacy.

Albus defeating Grindelwald meant that the spot of Dark Lord was up for grabs. On his way to attaining his power he had taken out many witches and wizards who aspired to be a Dark Lord until he had gained such a mastery of magic that he was unrivalled. It may have taken him thirty years after leaving Hogwarts to reveal himself to the world but he was undoubtedly top dog when he did so, sowing fear amongst the sheep as he did cemented that fact. Only Dumbledore had stood in his way but he was months away from total victory when he heard the prophecy. It halted his plans for a while before he went ahead with them. He was then just weeks away from absolute victory when he was told the location of the Potters by Peter. Eliminating his prophesied downfall as early as possible was important. He couldn't allow either child to grow and challenge him.

James had put up a bit of a fight with wandless magic, which was pretty impressive but it wouldn't deter him from his goal. Ending him was immensely satisfying given the past duels they had had. The mudblood never even attempted to put up a fight. He only offered to spare her for Severus to use as he saw fit. He didn't care what his servants did as long as they remained loyal and did his bidding. If Severus wanted to sully himself with a mudblood then that was his outlook, as long as he still called him master; he really didn't care. And then pain. Thirteen years of pain had cost him dearly. When he returned his followers were no longer the battle-hardened wizards they once were. They had gotten soft and lax. Not only that but those thirteen years had allowed his nemesis Potter to grow into his power. The duel in the graveyard had stunned him. Potter was matching him to the point he had overpowered his spell before escaping. He had put this down to him being in a new body. But then a year later he lost the duel against Albus, others may see it as a draw but as he retreated he knew he had lost.

And then today. Grindelwald. He wasn't dead. Where the hell had he been hiding? And for the first time in half a century he felt fear. He hadn't lost a fight in fifty years! And now three times in three years he had been in a duel and lost. Grindelwald had beaten him again, once by a teenager and twice by men in their hundreds. He had felt another drop in his magic during the fight and was sure that was why his shield failed against the Lacero spell. Just what was going on with him?

Looking up he noticed Severus wasn't there "where is Severus?" he asked dangerously

"I don't know my Lord" Bellatrix replied "we were both duelling Dumbledore before I apparated away after seeing your familiar killed. He was bleeding rather heavily against one of those muggle contraptions"

Grabbing Bellatrix's arm, he dug his wand into her Dark Mark making her scream. He didn't care though as he tried to feel the link between his magic and Severus. Finding nothing he let go of Bellatrix and began pacing. "Severus is dead" he said coldly "Pettigrew I have a task for you. Get me Horace Slughorn. I know he leaves the castle often and is therefore unprotected. He has vital information I need. Get me him or do not bother coming back" striding out of the room he incinerated the corpse of Nagini as he did so and went into his bedroom, calling an elf he instructed the creature to heal him. Grindelwald, Dumbledore and Potter. How he loathed their very existence

Harry

Darkness. Well, he mused it was different from everything being white this time. Realising everything was dark because he had his eyes closed, he opened them and the world around him came into focus. It confused him because he wasn't wearing his glasses. Turning his head to the left, he saw they lay at the side of him. Looking upwards he marvelled at the evening sky. As it was Autumn the sky was a beautiful red due to the sunset. He felt lighter too, and his magic seemed to be much more active inside him. All of a sudden, his vision went dark again as a tongue rolled across his face. Spluttering and rubbing at his face Harry rolled away and looked to see what the tongue belonged to. He very nearly fainted when he saw a puppy sitting there with its tongue hanging out looking at him expectantly. It looked like a baby Irish Wolfhound. It was jet black with grey eyes. "Woof" it said as it bound over to him and licked his face again. Standing up spluttering again Harry looked around for an owner before looking back down at the puppy when he saw he was alone

"Are you lost little one?" Harry asked "do you have an owner?"

The puppy got up and sat on a grave two graves to the left and barked again. Harry went to see who it was and was stunned when he saw the name Ignotus Peverell. Looking at the grave he saw the family crest above the name and he felt his legs give way. Realisation hit him. The puppy wasn't an Irish Wolfhound. It was a baby Grim. Didn't Gellert say his ancestors' family was synonymous with the symbols of Death? Hadn't Sirius' animagus form been his dad's protector? And didn't Death tell him he'd receive a gift when he awoke?

"Are you my protector?" he asked the puppy. Receiving a bark in reply he stood up and looked around as if searching for guidance, looking up he asked "is he, my gift?" receiving another bark he looked down at the Grim "well then, we better give you a name little man, hadn't we?" racking his brain he sat down with the Grim and went through all the generic ones he could think of, ultimately though he could only think of one. "Shadow is too boring, anything to do with dark is very beige and generic, same with death. I can only think of one name that springs to my mind. My godfather was called Padfoot and was a Grim animagus protector of my father. But he asked us to call him Snuffles. I loved him and miss him very much. So, in his honour I will call you Snuffles. Is that alright with you?" receiving a glomp to the face he was bowled over by the little puppy. Taking this for a yes, he stood up and said "well, it seems there are still people out there. Let's go meet them, shall we?"

Making his way to the gates he stopped when he saw the utter destruction that had been caused by the duel. Broken whispers started as people began to notice him as he walked towards Albus and Gellert. Hearing the latter half of the conversation he didn't know if should thank Gellert or not for killing Snape or be mad it wasn't him that got that honour. Seeing Albus burn the body he heard Gellert's words

"You always were a sentimental old fool Albus" Gellert said shaking his head "he does not deserve your pity"

"I've been saying this to him for a long time Gellert" said Harry causing them both to look up at him in shock

"Harry?" Albus said standing up and rushing towards him "are you ok? Where are the Hallows, where is Death?" looking down at Harrys side he saw the puppy "and where did you get the dog?"

Taking a deep breath Harry replied "yes I'm fine, the Hallows are gone, Death is doing her thing and this is my Grim"

"A Grim?" came the shocked voice of the Minister for Magic as he made his way through the debris followed by his entourage and several reporters "how did you get a Grim? They are a restricted species and are nothing but bad luck! And as for you Grindelwald you will surrender yourself to the authorities. I know not how you are still alive but I will get to the bottom of this! You Potter will also surrender yourself so that we can establish just what happened here today"

Ignoring Rufus Harry turned to Gellert and asked "in your time how many Ministers did you kill? Because if you feel like adding one more, I will happily pay you for it"

"Across Europe maybe twelve, possibly thirteen" Gellert replied looking unconcerned "and if this particular one tries to order me around again it will increase by one so you can keep your money, i'll do it for free"

"How dare you threaten the minister like that" came the outraged voice of Percy Weasley raising his wand "you have the audacity to think you could get away with such a thing?"

Harry started laughing "they must hand Ministry certificates out in lucky bags if you're still around Percy. How much arse kissing did you have to do to stay in this job?"

"You dare..." was all the reply he could get out before he could continue as Harry had disarmed him and removed his lips

"That is a particular favourite of mine, I seem to be using it on a lot of cretins lately" Harry said to Gellert, facing Percy he continued "the next time you raise a wand at me you better be prepared to cast a spell because I will take your head clean off your shoulders. As for you Minister you have just seen this man" he said pointing at Gellert "hand Voldemort his arse while you cowered behind a car. And you have the audacity to try and order him around. Are you forgetting who he is? Do you really believe that your aurors can hold him when they can't even say Voldemort's name without pissing their pants? I may not like the man but I damn well sure do not want to piss him off like you're doing now. But go ahead, sacrifice your aurors" getting into Rufus' face he continued "As for me, I owe you nor anyone else an explanation and you cannot do anything about it. And should you think threatening me with Azkaban will make me comply know this, I will level that place if you try. I might even do it as a pre-emptive strike just to piss you off"

"Peace Harry, you too Gellert" Albus said stepping in between them both "Rufus, I will try and explain what I can later on, for now Gellert, Harry and I need medical attention and this area needs to be repaired"

"Get the ministry to do it Albus" Gellert said with Harry nodding at his side "I believe I have done enough for them today" with that he called Athena to him before turning to Harry and saying "We need to talk; I will send Athena to you at 9pm. Be ready" seeing a nod he flashed away

"Do not forget Albus" Harry said "the wizarding world needs me more than I need them at the moment. You know why" picking up Snuffles he apparated away to his house where he collapsed into a chair and fell asleep. Hours later he awoke to a flash of fire in front of him. He found that a blanket had been placed on him while he was asleep, no doubt Remus's or Dobbys doing. The flash was Fawkes holding a letter from Albus.

Harry

I have managed to smooth things over with the minister under the provision he receives an explanation for what transpired this evening. What you tell him is at your own discretion

I have also explained what happened with Gellert. He is now under the impression that Gellert is a reformed man after years of isolation and reflection.

I shall be joining both you and Gellert at 9pm this evening at Gellert's home where I believe it should prove to be an enlightening conversation

I remain yours

Albus Dumbledore

Shaking his head and looking at the clock he saw it was half eight. Deciding to get some food before Athena arrived, he made his way to the kitchen with Snuffles at his side. As he entered, he found that the kitchen was full of the Tonks family with Remus and Narcissa eating tea. Immediately they all talking stopped. Stifling a yawn, he said

"Hi guys, how are we all?" Harry asked. Before he could sit down however, he was swept up into a hug that everyone joined in on. "Need to breathe guys!" as he was let go Nym was still clinging to him. Patting her on the back he said "there, there" and she hit him in the arm. "Don't you ever scare us like that again Harry Potter!"

Chuckling Harry replied as he sat down "I'll try not to. I take it you guys heard everything that has happened?"

"Yes, Harry" Remus replied "the entire thing was broadcast on the Wizarding Wireless from start to finish. After you left the reporters told us that they had restored Godric's Hollow back to its previous condition and obliviated all the muggles. Rufus was very angry at receiving no information and nearly ordered your arrest. It was only because Albus told him you'd go through with your threat of destroying Azkaban that stopped him"

"The man is a moron" Harry said shaking his head as he fed Snuffles "Well, I'm sure you all want to know what happened but I don't have the time to explain it in full tonight. I'm due to be stolen by Albus and Gellert in less than fifteen minutes. That is a story unto itself. I can give you the highlights, and you can write down any questions and I will give you guys a better explanation tomorrow evening, ok?" with that Harry explained briefly what he could. At 9pm on the dot Athena appeared "well, it seems I am being summoned; can you keep an eye on Snuffles please Remus? I don't want to risk traveling with him just yet" receiving a nod he looked at Athena and said "let's get this over with then" receiving a peck on the head he yelled "Ow" just as he was flashed away leaving a very confused family behind

Nurmengard

Athena deposited Harry directly into the main chamber, already sat there were Gellert and Albus having a drink. Joining them he sat down and made himself one, and listened to them talking. Albus had shaved his beard, not completely off but it looked very strange to see him with a short beard. He was wincing every now and then whenever he gestured at Gellert who just sat there staring impassively at Albus. Evidently Bella had got in more hits than Harry had originally thought. Gellert, it seemed was unharmed from his battle with Voldemort. Albus seemed to be trying to convince Gellert to talk to the minister, but Gellert was having none of it. Finally having enough, he said forcefully "stop Albus. I will not meet with that man. I am quite happy staying right here at my home. I have no desire to be paraded around like some show pony. I have far more important things to do with my time"

"I second that Albus. Once I settle Blood Feud tomorrow, I won't meet with him again unless I absolutely have to. And even then, it'll be too soon" Harry stated "I had hoped that he would be different from Fudge, but something about that office changes people into self-serving arseholes"

"It is a very difficult job Harry" Albus said chastising him "it comes with a lot of pressure and the Minister is doing the best he can. He has already cleared out eighty percent of the ministry from Voldemort supporters, and has thrown the Death Eaters that were captured during the ministry battle through the veil. Meeting him is the least you can do"

"Why?" Harry asked "For doing something about the corruption in the ministry? For finally getting off his arse and doing something productive? You want me to meet him and thank him for doing his job that he gets paid handsomely for? I've told you before Albus, if it wasn't so much hassle and if I wouldn't get moaned at so much or labelled a Dark Lord, I would burn down the ministry and the Wizengamot with everyone in it and start all over again from scratch. You should have done what he has started to do fifty years ago if you were that worried about the people. You let the corruption plant seeds and fester and created ideal conditions for Dark Lords to breed and succeed. I am not going to be your failsafe after you're gone. I will not lead the people into a Golden Age or some other such nonsense. Don't get any ideas about me taking over your 'noble work' because once I leave Hogwarts, and I have dealt with Tom, in whichever order that happens I plan on leaving Britain to its own fate. I owe the wizarding world nothing"

Sitting back with his drink Harry felt quite cathartic now he had got that out into the open. It was such a relief to finally say those things to Albus. Opening his eyes, he saw Albus staring at him gaping as he tried to process what Harry had just said "But you could do so much good for the world Harry"

"And where has doing good for the world got you Albus?" Harry retorted "after your 'defeat' of lover boy over here you were acclaimed, given a nice shiny Order of Merlin medal and then you were given every single position of power in the wizarding world, where you've done precisely nothing. The Wizengamot who you lead is still hereditary and led by undeserving purebloods instead of being a meritocracy, the heads of the ministry departments still only allow purebloods to lead them, you have let standards slip so much at Hogwarts because the purebloods complained that the exams were too hard for their poor little heirs to the point that outside of Britain the exam results aren't worth the paper they're written on. The ICW only allow British standard tests to exist because you lead them but believe me once you go that won't be the case. British pureblood witches and wizards will be kept isolated from the rest of Europe "for the Greater Good" and will die out in less than five-hundred years due to inbreeding and squibbing their lines because of the segregation and the lack of new blood

The muggleborns that you are said to promote cannot get a job in the ministry without a sponsor, and even then, they'll never ascend to any position of power because they don't have the right bloodline. They are forced to leave the British Wizarding world as soon as they leave Hogwarts just to survive. How long do you think it will be before a Muggleborn revolution happens? There are already very few pureblood lines left in Britain as it is because of Gellert and Tom eradicating most of them in the last two wars. But because you have kept yourself wilfully blind to all this, sitting in your ivory tower up at Hogwarts you are deaf to the real issues that plague Britain. This has all happened under your watch because rather than using your voice and power to make sweeping changes you allowed yourself to be shackled by the weak and worthless. You are far too invested in keeping the status quo than you are to help the masses. Well, I have no desire to let that happen to me. I would much rather go down in history as a Dark Lord for burning Britain to the ground and forcing people to make their own changes than become part of their system. I am not a hero Albus, I have done what I can to survive, nothing more, nothing less. So, if that's what you're after then I suggest you choose someone else"

"Bravo boy" Gellert said clapping "I told you Albus, I have told you so many times over the years how worthless wizarding Britain is but you've dismissed it because you believe I was being a Dark Lord again. You allowed others to dictate what you can and cannot do to the point that they now own you Albus and they have done so for decades. Well, I have no desire to be a part of that so tell your minister to take his demands and shove them." holding up his hand to Albus he stopped any further comment that was about to be made by him. "We have much more interesting topics to discuss tonight. Tell me Harry, what happened this afternoon"

Leaning back, he swilled his drink around in his glass contemplating how to answer that "I was wearing my cloak while I buried Mr Fortescue when I felt the ring in my pocket. I had forgotten it was there. I went to place it back into my pocket when I felt something else in there. It was the wand. As soon as I pulled it out everything went black and I woke up in what felt like a different world. A house appeared so I entered and found a young girl sitting down watching TV, a muggle contraption kind of like a pensieve that displays moving pictures. As I talked to her, she introduced herself as Dee and showed me memories of my past, times that she had met me or visited me such as Hallowe'en 1981, towards the end she showed me what was happening in real time at Godric's Hollow between you two and Tom. It turns out Dee is Death.

She said she's so disappointed in him and that he could have been great. She plans to correct his behaviour when she has his whole soul again. The snake was the last piece it seems apart from himself so she nearly has him. Before I left, she said I could ask her three questions so I asked her about the Hallows. It turns out every single account in your book Gellert is wrong" seeing his shocked face he continued "She did create them; she did meet them in Godric's Hollow but they weren't created as a reward for thwarting her. As she said to me, she's Death, she could take their souls anytime she liked. They were created to protect Godric's Hollow from invaders and were given by her to the brothers who sought to protect the people in their village. Dee said it was a laudable goal and that she was also bored.

Sadly, she met them on a day when her brother Dream had pissed her off, she didn't tell me what but that it was significant enough that she accidentally poured bits of herself into the Hallows and corrupted them from their original purpose. The wand received her vengeance and fury, the stone her sadness and loneliness and the cloak received her desire to be left alone. It's what powered them, it's why Antioch was killed after gaining revenge on a wizard who had slighted him and then bragged about the wand, it's also why Cadmus killed himself after being sad his true love couldn't be re-united with him except in death and it's why the Cloak has stayed hidden for centuries, it never wanted to be found

My second question was what happened to them after I blacked out. Dee told me that she had been waiting for someone for centuries to unite them all so she could rectify her mistake. She has reintegrated them into herself so they no longer exist. Your plan Albus of their power dying with you wouldn't have worked either as they're bound to Dee, as long as she exists so would they. The last question was a personal one that I will keep between Dee and myself. Suffice to say it pleased her so much that she gave me my Grim when I awoke in the cemetery. You know the rest"

Silence reigned as both wizards digested Harry's story. Gellert was the one who spoke first, taking a drink he said "it explains why you beat me that day Albus. It explains why my spell failed against you. My desire for vengeance had disappeared. Neither of us were aiming to kill for the entire duel anyway, but when I realised I no longer wanted to hurt you the wand betrayed me. It went to you. Harry beat you because he wanted vengeance against the person who attacked him from behind, the wand it seems has always gone to the one who desires bloodshed. It would have stayed with Harry against Tom because Harry desires Toms death just as much as Tom desires Harry's death. It was never fickle. It did exactly what it was created to do. It's a very strange feeling to know my entire life's work has been a lie and all for naught. All that bloodshed, all those plans to use the Hallows to rule the world. All for nothing" knocking back his drink he stood up. "I think I shall go to bed. Goodnight gentlemen, see yourselves out won't you?" with that he left via the door behind the staircase

"Come on Harry. Time for us to go" Albus said wearily "hopefully tomorrow is the end of all the excitement" standing up he placed his hand on Harrys shoulders and Fawkes flashed them both away to Albus office at Hogwarts. Before Harry left via the floo he felt the need to leave with a parting shot "think on about what I said tonight Albus. I have no desire to be the hero you wish me to be. I just want to be Harry" and with that he called for Grimmauld Place and stepped through. Going to bed he found Snuffles already asleep upside down, with his legs in the air and his tongue out to the side. Chuckling Harry shimmied his way into the bed and within minutes was out like a light. Not seeing Dee appear at his side, she planted a kiss on his head and whispered "see you very soon Harry" with that she disappeared making noise or sound. Harry and Snuffles slept on none the wiser