The world hung below them, an emerald and sapphire teardrop suspended in the void as it soared through the endless night.

Harry still reveled in the feeling of her hand in his as they pondered the world beneath them with new eyes.

Together, as both orchestra and conductors of the melody of creation, they could feel all. See all. Know all.

They could feel every spark on the crowded planet below, see every soul, know every dream and hope and fear and despair.

It was beautiful, and it was horrifying.

The world was waking up to a new day, a new dawn, as the news from London slowly spread.

They asked of themselves, together,

What do we do now?

They pondered the concept of free will.

Are the gods willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then they are not omnipotent.

But they were.

Are they able, but not willing? Then they are malevolent.

But they were not.

Are they both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?

Prior to their dominion.

Are they neither able nor willing? Then why call them gods?

But they were.

Together, they once again sang in the harmony of the universe. Together, they began to weave new strands into the tapestry of fate.

None shall aspire to violence in the name of Evil.

Those with hate in their hearts and malice in their minds would no longer be able to enact their desires onto others. Those who aspired to commit such violence would find themselves diverted, or events would conspire to remove the opportunity to bring forth their evil into the world.

None who only sought to defend what is Good would be affected, although there would be little for them to defend against.

None would have their free will imposed upon. Their minds would remain their own, it was only circumstances that would conspire to enforce their edict.

Their great wings of silver and gold Light expanded for thousands of miles through the void as they sang with divine authority, their power threaded deep into the soul of the world.

They felt the souls below react as they beheld their glorious majesty in the morning sun, both the awe and horror.

They reached out as one, and spoke to the souls of the world, a gentle whisper in the body, mind, and soul of every mote of cosmic dust.

"Do not despair, if you are afraid.

Do not fear, if you do not understand.

Rejoice, for the Kingdom of Magic has returned at last.

We are Knight and Queen of the Castle,

And we are here with you."

…

The first rays of sun were just starting to light the dim streets when Harry and Hermione touched down in front of Hermione's house. Luckily, their appearance was also within their domain, so they didn't have to advertise their divine providence wherever they went. Plus, the wings would make getting through doorways difficult.

The front door flew open before they reached it, Emma Granger's face streaked with tears as she almost tackled both of them. Only their supernatural strength kept the three of them upright.

"Oh god I'm so happy that you're okay, we were so worried. We… we… the house… and the…"

Hermione squeezed her mother gently as her father joined in the group hug.

"You died?" She asked.

Her mother nodded into her shoulder. "Yes… there were monsters, and they… we were gone, and it was dark, and then there was music, and we were here again, and the house and the city were back to normal, and…"

She pulled back to look at them both. "We saw… we saw the angels in the sky, and we heard their voice…"

Hermione smiled a bit sheepishly. "Our voice, Mum."

"What?"

"The angels are us, Mum. Harry and I. We… Voldemort was the one who destroyed the city, and we… I… ended him. We are the Knight and Queen of the Castle, and we are Ascended."

Her mother looked bewildered for a brief moment before a wide smile split her face.

"I should have known! Of course it's you, it's always you."

She pulled them back in for another tight hug.

"I'm so proud of you, both of you."

Divine tears of gold ran from Hermione's eyes again. Her mother brushed her hair off her face and pulled back to look at both of them again.

"So, do gods still need to eat breakfast? Or, even if you don't need to, do you want to?"

Harry laughed and Hermione gave a watery chuckle.

"I'd love some coffee," she said with a smile.

…

"Welcome back, Mr Potter. Or do we just call you Knight, now?"

Harry laughed and took his familiar chair in what was once the headmaster's office, now headmistress'. He smiled at the stern witch across the desk from him.

"Just Harry would be wonderful, Professor McGonagall. How is everyone settling back in?"

The professor looked over her spectacles at him in a way very reminiscent of her predecessor.

"I suspect that you already know better than I, 'just Harry, the omnipotent god.' I suppose you may as well call me Minerva, given the circumstances."

Harry chuckled. "If you say so, Minerva. But even my omniscience does not always grant me wisdom. I would still hear your insights."

"They are doing better than expected. The student body knows you, or at least knows of you, and are for the most part excited and happy to see you take up your mantle. They are… proud, that the new saviors once walked these halls with them. I daresay that Mr Longbottom and Miss Lovegood will have quite the group of admirers."

Harry laughed again, "Luna will have so many new minions to command."

Minerva's expression didn't change, but he could feel the mirth in her soul.

"Indeed. I also feel obligated to inform you that both the Wizengamot and the International Confederation of Wizards are convening to… determine… your culpability in the greatest violation of the Statute of Secrecy ever to occur."

Harry's smile widened. "I'm heading over to London after this, and Hermione is arriving at the ICW as we speak. I'm sure it will be lots of fun."

…

The bickering crowd of distinguished witches and wizards fell silent as she descended through the ceiling of the wide hall.

She had expected better from the representation of all the magical world. Their sparks were weak.

Her golden wings lit up the room with resplendent Light as she hung over them.

Before she could speak, the cacophony of noise resumed, this time aimed in her direction.

She could see all of their hearts, could feel their souls within her domain. She did not need to listen to the words.

Her Light flared and they were rendered silent once again.

"The world has changed."

Her voice echoed in the chamber and in the souls of the gathered Mugwumps (which was a very silly name, even for mages).

"The Statute has fallen, never to rise again."

She could feel the outrage and frustration from the members below. They did not like change.

"It is a new dawn. You must prepare your countries to stand sovereign amidst the mundane world. Do not allow Magic to be subsumed by the volume of the mundane voice."

With a flex of her power, she communicated their plan to the minds and souls of every witch and wizard present.

"All memory violations of the mundane must cease. From this day forward, magical people must be held accountable for their actions against the mundane. In return, the magical nations must remain strong and sovereign in the face of mundane pressures. You will find that you already know the rest of the details. Go forth, and let us heal the cracks in the world together."

Her piece said, she let out one last flare of golden brilliance before she flew through the ceiling and out into the open sky.

Bureaucrats. More trouble than they were worth.

…

They met once again at the Pinnacle of Heaven, high above and far outside of the world which tumbled through the void below them.

Harry chuckled internally at the silliness of the ICW even while Hermione smiled at his chat with Minerva.

They reached for the familiar comfort of each other's arms, reveling in their shared rapture as their lips met and their love flowed between their divine souls.

They were beautiful, and they were theirs, forevermore.

They broke apart and shining silver eyes met the melted gold of their Love.

Go forth, and heal the cracks in the world.

They smiled and took off in opposite directions, their divine Wings once again spreading wide to span tens, then hundreds of miles as they flew over the world, endless showers of gold and silver light falling upon their dominion.

They rocketed through the atmosphere, resplendent above a sea of clouds and open blue sky.

They sang together once again, from all corners of the earth. They reached into the high aria of the sky, cleansing it of pollution and poison. They threaded their power deep into the thrumming resonance of the oceans, restoring and purging the contamination and corruption. The soul of the world sang with them in joyous harmony as its rivers ran clear and clean, its forests grew tall and vibrant.

Together, in the light of their divine dominion, from soaring skyscrapers to remote cabins, the world that was their cradle began to heal.

…

One year later

"So, have you thought about where you're going to go to university?"

Hermione almost choked on her coffee even as her mother cackled.

"Just kidding. Unless you want to, of course. Do gods need degrees?"

Hermione just laughed and shook her head. "I don't know. We already presume, well, everything. We altered the fabric of reality without anyone's advice or permission. We did so unapologetically, and unremorsefully. It is interesting, being able to see the souls of the whole world. I guess I could pay attention to some university professors every once in a while."

Now it was her mother's turn to chuckle and shake her head.

"You know, your father and I always talked about what a fantastic doctor or lawyer or scientist or scholar you would be one day, reading high school textbooks and novels in elementary school and ranting about injustice. We should have known, even then, that you wouldn't settle for something so plebeian. We're so proud of you, our little Queen of the earth."

Hermione groaned and put her head on the table. At least this much hadn't changed, for better or worse.

…

"Mr Granger, do you have a moment?"

Daniel looked up at the Silver God, Knight of the Castle, one half of the Divine that governed all of Creation, who was also his daughter's boyfriend, standing outside his office.

"Of course, Harry. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I have something very important to ask of you…"

…

He obviously couldn't keep anything from her. They were two halves of the gestalt divine, two sides of the same coin minted in silver and gold. Nonetheless, he could feel the apprehension and amusement and excitement and happiness in her soul as she flew down to meet him in their clearing by the lake.

They stared at each other across the grass, the silence dragging on as glowing eyes of gold gazed into his own silver orbs.

Harry took a deep breath, though he did not need to breathe.

"I once stood in this clearing and panicked at the thought of you flying away without getting a chance to tell you how I felt. Terrified at the idea of keeping you waiting for something that I wanted more than anything in the world."

She smiled and he couldn't help but grin in return.

"I am no longer afraid, no longer unsure. We are one; you are mine just as I have always been yours. We have brought our dreams into the world through our own power, our own pain, and our own determination. There will always be more to do, and we are eternal and infinite together."

Her eyes sparkled as they walked closer to each other, their souls dancing in a harmonious melody.

"We are already joined to a degree that everything else feels trivial, but it is not. We are already bonded by divine right, yet we were once human. There are things that are still important, even if only because they matter to us."

Golden tears gathered in her eyes as her wide smile lit up the clearing.

Their clearing by the lake, where they once lay on the grass while Harry's magic sang a solo performance and her power still slept. Where they sat and he drowned her soul in his power to guide her to awaken with him. Where their Angel skipped stones and their Squire cast his first Patronus. Where they once ran together before they could fly, and she told him that she wanted more. Where he happily rose to the occasion.

"Hermione, my Golden Goddess, my Queen, my compass and hearth that guides my wayward soul, my partner and equal in all things…

Do you want to get married?"

She threw her head back and laughed joyously before kissing him, smashing their lips together and running her hands through his onyx hair even as he crushed her against him, their lips moving together in familiar harmony as their magic sang in the soul of the world.

She didn't have to say it. They were one, and he knew his answer before he had even started to speak.

…

Ten years later

"Sooooo…"

Hermione looked over from where she stood by the half-decorated Christmas tree. She always knew that something… interesting… was about to come up when her mother had that expression.

"...have you given any thought to potential divine grandchildren?"

Hermione laughed and sat down across from her mother, her expression falling slightly as she considered.

"Yes, and I don't know if you'll like our conclusions."

Emma's face softened.

"Harry and I… we won't age, unless we want to. We are eternal, and inhuman. Our souls no longer move through time the way that mortal souls do. Our minds don't change the way that human brains do, and we are no longer young or old. We just… are. While we are definitely capable of creating life, it would feel… hollow. We can create anything. Creating a new human, who was genetically similar to who we once were, feels off."

Her mother nodded, reaching out to take her hand.

"There are also other factors to consider. We could make a fully human child, and give them Magic, but they would forever be overshadowed by divine parents who did not age, did not grow with them. We would one day be forced to watch as they became old, while we appeared to stay frozen in time behind them. Or, conversely, we could make them immortal with us, starting an endless spiral of obligatory immortality as they had children of their own, who in turn had children, sons and daughters with aunts and uncles who did not age, a family of eternal humans whose souls were never designed to last through the eons. They would one day curse us, and one day die all the same."

She looked into the fire crackling merrily in the hearth.

"And the alternative… we could create a godly child, or ascend our human creation when they were ready, and then what? We create a pantheon of divine beings who do not have the wisdom or strength to attain divinity for themselves? Who will be alone aside from their siblings and parents atop the Pinnacle of Heaven? I remember enough Greek and Roman myths to know why that's a terrible idea."

Her mother gave a sad chuckle.

"So, you know the answer. We will not, cannot, have children of our own. The people of the world are our children, and we feel their hopes and their dreams even now. I'm sorry, if that makes you sad."

Her mother reached over and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Oh sweetie, of course it's a bit sad, but it's absolutely fine. All good things must come with a bit of sadness; we can't expect anything to be truly perfect. We can't let Perfect become the enemy of Good."

She pulled back to look at her with shining eyes.

"We're already so proud of you, our Goddess. How could we possibly expect anything more of you, when you've already done so much Good?"

Hermione hugged her again, and let a few divine golden tears fall for the mortal life she would never live.

…

An eternity later

Silver and Gold wings spread wide over the blanket of stars as they soared through the heavens.

Their souls sang their infinite song of love and joy within the melody of creation.

Together, they were free and blissful.

The tapestry of fate was free of unnecessary pain. Free for all to dream unimpeded, no matter how lightly one treads upon the world.

Forever, they were perfect and divine.

Forever, they were loved.

All is well, forevermore.

…

A/N

I hope that everyone has enjoyed the story! I will be continuing to go back through the previous chapters to proofread and fix any errors, as well as rewrite some early chapters to bring them up to my current standard. Reviews and feedback are welcome and appreciated. Some final thoughts now that the story is ended:

All art is referential, which is even more apparent in fanfiction, but I do want to make it clear that many of the scenes and ideas in the story have their roots in others, as many stories have before.

The Bird of Hermes is a reference to a repeated theme in Hellsing Ultimate, which is itself a reference to a fifteenth century Ripley Scroll. The original text is just as esoteric and unclear as it is in this story.

I love Lord of the Rings, both the books and the movies, and I obviously love the description of divine creation as music from the Silmarillion. There are many references to Tolkien in this story, both overt and not. I can't help myself.

I have twisted and changed both the concept of the Others and the Wings from Berserk, although many of the themes of Dreams and what is Good remain.

I love that the prophecy can be interpreted in many different ways in the context of this story. The line 'Either must die at the hand of the other, for neither can live while the other survives.' takes on new meaning in light of the final chapters and the emergence of the Other and the hungry Dark. Additionally, either must die at the hand of the other could refer to Harry sacrificing himself by his own hand. It could also reference in the many fingered Hand on which he stood while he did so, being the Hand of the Other itself. I didn't necessarily plan all of these bits of symbolism and alignment, but I am pleased with how they turned out.

Also, Harry's joke way back on Valentines Day of year two about whether or not he would be able to off himself even if he tried is funnier upon returning to that chapter after writing the finale. Definitely unintentional.

There are also many references and ideas from other works of fanfiction in this story. The Carbon Nanotubes idea comes originally from Methods of Rationality, although quite differently of course, and I'm sure that I have stolen all kinds of lines and metaphors from the many stories out there on the web. If anything feels familiar, it probably is, and it was not done so maliciously.

Additionally, I want to point out that the events of the epilogue are what this version of Harry and Hermione feel is best and is not an end-all-be-all for free will and morality.

Thank you to everyone who has made it this far through my ramblings. There may be more snippets, additional scenes or omakes in the future, but probably not for a while. I don't know when or if I will write another story, but I do plan to, even if I don't know what it will be yet. I hope that you all have a lovely day. Toodles!