"For Harry Potter, the Chosen One!"

Hundreds of glasses were raised throughout Great Britain upon hearing the news of Voldemort's death. Everywhere, large groups of wizards celebrated, laughed and sang.

It was not known how, but the news had spread so quickly that in just a couple of hours everyone knew what had happened.

The Daily Prophet printed a special edition, like the other newspapers and magazines, telling over and over the little news that had transpired: The towns and cities that had been attacked by Voldemort's creatures were already under the control of the Ministry, and dozens aurors and unspeakables tried to get everything back to normal as soon as possible, repairing the damage and erasing the memories of the surviving muggles.

Hogwarts had withstood a fierce battle, defended by the citizens and the aurors, led by Albus Dumbledore. There was a rumor about a strange woman with wings and a snake's tail that had taken the Inferi, but no one believed that.

The support that professor Snape had provided, and his loyalty to Dumbledore, had also come to light, but the headmaster, true to his word, had not revealed anything more about the reasons for his loyalty.

The stolen photograph had been published, but the news was relegated to a small corner, hidden by what was currently occupying everyone's attention.

That day, what filled the front page of the major newspapers was the final fight between Harry Potter and lord Voldemort.

The dark wizard's body had been recovered, identified and destroyed by the Ministry, but there was no official version of what had happened. Therefore, the most coveted thing was an interview with the Chosen One.

Dozens of journalists had besieged Hogwarts, or crowded at the doors of St. Mungo's, trying to speak with the great Harry Potter, without knowing that the boy was a few streets down, in a muggle hospital.

The most absolute silence had been decreed in the hospital. Dr. Lester, director of the hospital, had personally taken it upon himself to cast the necessary spells to protect the privacy of his most precious patient while he recovered from his injuries.

Harry was moved to a special area of the hospital, with restricted access, where he could be more isolated, but where he could also receive special visitors without raising suspicions.

The first to arrive was Dumbledore, accompanied by Ron and Hermione, but they could not speak to Harry until the end of the day, because the boy was still sleeping, recovering from exhaustion and the effects of the most dangerous curses he had received.

But Ginny was awake, and she found herself wrapped in a tight hug from her brother. For once, she and Ron did not argue as they so often did, but instead reunited with relief and joy. Excited, Ron gave her news of the other members of their family.

"Dad is at St. Mungo's. He was burned by one of those blue fires created by the dead vampires. Charlie was also there, and he told us the strangest story of all. Do you know who is the friend that he always tells us about in his letters?"

"Ron! I don't think that's important now, Ginny's been kidnapped," Hermione scolded. "How did you manage to escape? Did Harry save you?"

"Actually... it has been much more complicated than that," Ginny looked at her brother with a mysterious smile. "You won't believe who came to rescue me..."

While they were catching up, Dumbledore approached the room where Snape was resting. The wizard was still under anesthesia, but Astrid and Celine were able to answer his questions and summarize what had happened at the Riddle mansion.

"It's an amazing story," confessed the director, noticing the traces of the wounds that both sported. "But you shouldn't have put yourselves in danger like that."

"Do you mean that only Severus is expendable?" Astrid asked, raising her eyebrows.

"I didn't say that," he sighed. The woman stared at him for a few seconds, before her expression softened. She was too tired to continue showing resentment towards him.

Celine discreetly slipped out of the room while the two remained in an awkward silence, broken only by the faint sound of the machines. Finally, Astrid sighed, running her hands over her face, and Dumbledore looked at her with a tired expression.

"I also do worry about his well-being, Astrid. I have never wanted him to suffer any harm."

"And yet, here he is," she pointed to the motionless figure on the bed.

"War always harms those who participate in it. Even I can't help it."

"But the war is over, and he has kept his word. Promise me you'll leave him alone," she asked, looking at her husband.

"I have never forced him to do anything," the wizard earned another glare, but he did not flinch. "Severus is a brave man and has always done what he believed was right. His role in this war has been invaluable, and you should both be proud of all that has been achieved thanks to him."

"But could you at least...? Could you tell him that you won't be disappointed if he decides to take a break?" Astrid looked at him with pleading eyes. "He's already preparing to return to Hogwarts, and you know as well as I do how much he hates being a teacher. If only he could have a few months to do other things..."

Dumbledore smiled weakly and bowed his head.

"I must admit that teaching is not his true calling. I will do what I can to extend his vacation. I think you both deserve a rest."

Astrid nodded, grateful, and then looked at the headmaster with a mixture of shame and regret.

"You know you are still welcome in our house, right? As long as you call before you stick your head out of the chimney."

The wizard laughed softly, his eyes shining, knowing what she meant.

"That was an unfortunate accident. You have my word that it won't happen again."

OOO

Night was already falling when Harry woke up. He was happy to see Ginny, his friends and Dumbledore at his side, and with great effort, he sat up in bed.

"You've been in all the papers," Ron informed him, giving him a friendly punch on the shoulder. "I've saved them in case Ginny wants to decorate her room with your picture," Ginny stuck her tongue out at him mockingly.

"What are they saying? They can't possibly know what really happened."

"That's the problem, Harry, they're making it up," Hermione said. "Since nothing is known about you, they can say whatever they want. Some journalists are suggesting that you are dead."

"Are you talking about Rita Skeeter?"

"She is the worst, she said she is writing your biography."

Harry shook his head, smiling. For some reason, after escaping death, he found all this ridiculous, even funny.

"But what happened?" Ron insisted. "How did you manage to finish him off?"

Harry was still tired, but he could feel his friends' nervousness, so he recounted very slowly what had happened with Voldemort. It took a terrible effort, as the violent images came to mind again and again, but when it was finished, he felt better.

"You have shown great bravery," Dumbledore broke the silence that had followed the boy's words. His voice showed admiration. "Certainly, I have to say that I am very proud to have been your teacher, and I am sure that your parents and Sirius would be proud of you too."

Harry's throat tightened, and his eyes glazed over for a moment. For some reason, he felt like he needed to hear those words. He felt tired, but also relieved. It seemed incredible to him to be there, hugging his girlfriend, and next to his best friends, when just a few hours before he had been on the verge of dying.

"I knew the spell would work," Hermione was very proud of herself.

"The nonsense you said to You-Know-Who?" Ron asked.

"It wasn't nonsense," she protested. "It was ancient magic. It was supposed to activate what little love was left inside him. Since he had some of Harry's blood in his body, and was also bonded to him, I assumed that any good feelings Harry had would affect him."

"And that's how it worked," Harry confirmed. "For a moment, it seemed like he was being tortured. That spell weakened him. I owe you one, Hermione," she shrugged modestly. "And what happened at Hogwarts? You said that your father was injured by the Inferi-vampire..."

"You won't believe what happened to us," Ron smiled, settling on the edge of the chair.

He proceeded to recapitulate the story of the Battle of Hogwarts, and Hermione corrected him on a few occasions when he got carried away with his enthusiasm, but they both agreed on the most incredible details of the story.

"I didn't know Hogwarts had a room that produced magic," Harry commented.

"If you had read 'Hogwart, A History' you wouldn't be so surprised," Ron told him, earning a smile from Hermione.

"Hogwarts will always be full of secrets, even for those who think they know it the most," Dumbledore smiled. "It is one of its qualities that I find most fascinating."

OOO

Two days later, Astrid came to say goodbye to Draco. The young man had been isolated while the healers were in charge of relieving the curse that Bellatrix had placed on him. He was still marked by the scars that covered his body, but he was out of danger, so the aurors had arrived to arrest him.

Despite his recent help in the war, Draco was still a death eater, and the newly appointed Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, had ordered him to be tried along with his father for collaborating with the dark side.

The woman arrived in front of the door of the room, but the aurors blocked her way.

"He can only receive one visitor at a time."

The second auror knocked on the door, to notify the person who was already inside that his visiting time was over. A few seconds later, the door opened, and Celine hurried out, wiping her face. She stopped in surprise when she saw her mother, but immediately her eyes watered and she ran away.

Astrid hesitated, wanting to follow her, but thought it would be better to talk to her quietly at home, without awkward witnesses. Right now, she had to focus on Draco, before he was taken into custody.

She entered the room, closing the door behind her. Draco seemed dismayed too and was embarrassed and slightly disappointed when he saw her enter, as if he had expected to see Celine again.

Astrid realized that the boy was holding in his hands a light blue scarf that she knew very well. That garment was part of the Beuxbattoms uniform.

Astrid pretended, looking away as he hurriedly hid the handkerchief and ran a hand over his eyes.

"Did they allowed you to come in?" he asked, hiding the tremor in his voice.

"Word has spread about who I am, and no one dares to contradict me," Astrid moved toward the bed and sat on it. "Also, I told them that Dumbledore has given me permission to see you."

"Has he?"

She shrugged, as if it didn't matter.

"He hasn't explicitly forbidden it," he smiled despite himself, amused by the woman's lack of shame. "I wanted to see how you were doing," Astrid added softly.

Draco sat up too, a lump in his throat.

"I don't want to think about it," he confessed. Astrid looked at him with compassion.

"I heard that your father has been arrested."

"He turned himself in," Draco corrected her. "I think... he didn't want to fight anymore. Do you know that it was him who... who leaked the stolen information about you?" Astrid nodded silently. "My mother died because of that..."

"I am very sorry for what happened. She didn't deserve that ending," Astrid could see how Draco tried to hide his pain.

"They'll let me bury her before... before the trial. I think I'll take her next to my sister."

She took his hand, giving him support.

"You are not alone, Draco. If you need help, you just have to ask for it."

"I don't deserve to be helped," he murmured, looking at the ground.

Astrid did not want to insist, knowing that it was a delicate and painful matter.

"They told me that you will be under house arrest until the trial begins. It is very possible that they will be benevolent towards you for your collaboration."

"We'll see."

"We will speak on your behalf. I'm serious," she insisted, staring at him. "We're not going to leave you alone."

Draco said nothing, struggling to keep his emotions under control. A light knock on the door reminded them that they had to say goodbye.

"Before you go, I would like to give you something," Astrid took a photograph out of her pocket and handed it to him.

Draco could see the image of two smiling babies, sitting on a rug. They were both blonde and dressed alike. The only difference was that the girl was wearing a small diadem with a bow on her head.

"Are... are those us?"

"You and Amelia, the day you turned one year old," she smiled.

Draco blinked hard, fighting back tears, and without saying anything, hugged Astrid tightly. She hugged him back, rubbing his back.

"I'll write to you, okay? You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"I... I'll answer, don't worry," he wiped his face quickly and tried to regain his composure. "I'll be fine."

She squeezed his hand one last time, before saying goodbye and leaving the room. The aurors nodded to her before entering the room to escort Draco out.

Saddened, Astrid walked down the hallway, ready to return to her husband, when a voice called her.

"Astrid! News has arrived from St. Mungo's," Meg was running towards her, with a parchment in her hand. "The Grangers have woken up."

It took a moment for Astrid's mind to understand.

"Have they woken up? But... Are they aware of how they are? Do they know what happened to them?"

"They are still under observation, but the healers say they are able to speak and answer questions," Meg smiled, reading the parchment. "And you know the best? They say there are a couple of patients with similar symptoms who have also recovered."

"But how?"

"Ask your daughter, she was treating them."

Astrid was thoughtful. It was true that Katherine had mentioned something about an experimental treatment, but now she couldn't remember what it was. She would have to talk to her in detail when they had time.

"Do you know if they can receive visitors? Can I tell their daughter?"

"I don't think there are any problems, it is possible that talking to someone familiar will help them recover sooner."

Without wasting time, Astrid changed her course and headed towards the restricted access area. Just as she imagined, Hermione was in Harry's room, accompanied by most of the Weasley family.

"Hermione, can you come for a moment? News has arrived from your parents. It's nothing bad," she clarified, seeing her alarmed expression.

"They are still in St. Mungo's, aren't they?"

"Yes, there hasn't been time to bring them back. But they are still watched by the same team."

"Can I go with her?" Ron hurriedly asked, standing up.

"I don't see why not."

The boys quickly said goodbye to Harry and followed the woman to the fireplace area. Astrid did not want to give them more details, but she guided them without hesitation through the corridors of St. Mungo's until they reached the Janus Thickey Ward.

There she recognized one of the healers and asked him something in a low voice. He nodded his head and pointed towards one of the curtains.

Without saying anything, and smiling enigmatically, Astrid pulled aside the curtains and let them in. Hermione was stunned. Her parents were in there... talking to the healers.

They were still sitting on the bed, and dressed in hospital robes, but Hermione's mother was reciting the alphabet, while her father made some movements with his arms, following the instructions of a healer.

When they noticed Hermione, they looked at her in surprise, but they recognized her immediately. Mrs. Granger smiled, tears in her eyes.

"My girl," Hermione didn't know what to do, except start crying and run to hug her parents.

The three hugged each other, between tears of joy and incomprehensible phrases. Astrid knew that this was the best time to leave, and nodding to Ron, she left the room in complete silence.

A few meters ahead, another group of healers were crowded around another pair of beds. Astrid could recognize Katherine in the middle of the commotion, trying to put order.

"Be patient, they are still confused. We should not burden them. Has anyone contacted their family?" she heard her say.

Astrid decided not to bother her and return to her hospital. There would be time to congratulate Katherine properly.

OOO

It took Snape several weeks to recover. Although the former death eater woke up immediately, he still showed signs of his fight against Greyback , and Astrid had to argue with him to keep him lying down and not start pacing around the room, like a caged dog.

However, he managed to recover his wand, and with the help of the potions that Katherine secretly brought him, he managed to speed up his healing. Astrid knew that he was communicating behind her back with her daughter and Charles, their childhood friend, but she didn't say anything. She preferred to see her husband immersed in harmless conspiracies rather than helpless and powerless in the hospital bed.

Almost at the same time, Harry was given permission to leave the hospital. The boy had preferred to continue recovering in the Burrow, with his adoptive family. Dumbledore had surrounded the Weasleys ' house with protective spells, to prevent the entry of indiscreet journalists, and Harry couldn't wait to finally be with his loved ones.

Before he left, he had had a brief private conversation with Snape, but neither of them wanted to talk to anyone about it. Astrid hoped that both of them had reached some kind of truce, but with them one never knew.

Over the next few days, the matter of the stolen photograph came to light again. Now that the news of Harry Potter's victory was no longer news, the Daily Prophet took up those stories that had been left aside. Unfortunately, Rita Skeeter was in charge of the gossip column, and true to her style, she had not stopped until she had found the smallest detail.

The journalist had managed to obtain official documents that had remained hidden for years, and those secrets that the Snape family had guarded so zealously came to light without any type of respect or modesty.

Astrid's only relief was that the presence of the press was restricted in the hospital, and therefore, they could not follow them, but that did not free her from having to explain herself to her co-workers. Although she did not share all the details about her private life, she did have to open up, especially with her faithful friends Meg and Mike, who deserved to better understand what had happened in recent days.

However, all that media attention disappeared as suddenly as it had come, when the Daily Prophet published an interview given exclusively by Harry Potter, recounting the events that occurred at Riddle Manor.

Astrid never knew if the boy had decided to break his silence to divert the attention of the press or because he wanted the truth about Voldemort's death to be known, but she felt equally grateful for the timely distraction.

And finally, Snape was discharged, later than he would have liked. He and Astrid returned through the apparition to their home, and as they approached the gate they discovered their friend Charles, who was waiting for them, leaning on his car.

"I have asked him to come," the wizard explained, watching Astrid's questioning and surprised look. "I thought it would be best to have this conversation outside of the hospital."

"Can't you wait even a single day before going back to work?"

"Don't worry, Astrid, I'll be brief," Charles smiled reassuringly and when they entered the house, he followed them towards the living room.

"So? What is so important that it can't wait?" she asked as soon as they settled down.

"We need to decide what to do with the potion," Snape said. "I spent it all on you, and we should think about whether it is advisable for me to prepare it again."

"And why are you both looking at me?"

"Because you are the only person who has experienced the most extreme effects of the potion," Charles explained. "We want to know your opinion, and it seems right that you have the last word."

"Really?" Astrid looked at her husband skeptically.

"He promised not to get angry if he doesn't like your decision," Charles joked, looking at his friend mockingly.

"You know that I trust your judgment," the wizard kept his expression imperturbable, but his eyes and the connection with his ring revealed that he was telling the truth.

Astrid smiled, but soon regained her seriousness. What she was going to say was very difficult for her, but it was necessary.

"No one should know what we have discovered," she looked her husband in the eyes, expressing that she was totally serious. "I know it seems hypocritical, because if it weren't for this potion, I wouldn't be alive, but it's for the best. No one should have the power to come back to life. We must destroy all the samples and... get rid of the recipe."

"I'm sorry to say that I agree with you," Charles agreed. "This incident has only shown us how easy it is to fall into the temptation of bringing back those we care about. Also, I don't want to think about what would happen if it were known that the star ingredient was unicorn blood. But on the other hand, I feel a little sorry, Severus has been working on that potion for a long time."

"Years," there was no need to explain to Astrid the tremendous disappointment that the destruction of his most recent work meant for her husband.

Snape said nothing, but his serious, resigned expression spoke for itself.

"But the positive news is that, thanks to this project, we have been able to manufacture a compound that moderately imitates the effect of the potion. It has been completely impossible to match its magic, but our drug shows very advanced healing properties."

"How advanced?"

"As I already said, the effects are moderate. It speeds up healing but does not work miracles. Severus has been taking it for the past few days."

"That explains the rapid disappearance of the edema in your lungs," Astrid understood. "But just to be clear, can't it be used to resurrect the dead?"

"It is absolutely impossible."

"And it doesn't have any magic?"

"No. This is 100% muggle technology."

"How could we sell it to muggles? Can the method of action be explained without talking about magic?"

"Of course it can."

"Then make it. I think it will be nice to have something like that."

Charles smiled broadly. Snape and himself had already asked themselves the same questions, and they had not been able to find any problem that would prevent their creation from coming onto the market.

The three shared a few more minutes, immersed in an animated conversation, until Charles looked at his watch and announced that he was running late. After a farewell full of hugs and promises to see each other again soon, Charles got into his car and left.

Severus and Astrid watched him go from the window, and then stood looking at the landscape in silence. It was starting to rain.

For a moment, Astrid had the sensation of having experienced a similar moment years before, the first night they spent in the house, after finishing the move. That silent calm was both comforting and strange.

Then she realized that the man was watching her silently.

"Severus? What's the matter?" she approached him, to take his hand. She was still worried about her decision about destroying the potion recipe, and that's why she didn't expect the wizard's next words.

"Do you know how long it's been since we've been alone?" she frowned, surprised by his question.

"Since Christmas."

"No. You and me, alone."

Astrid understood what he meant. Since the twins had been born, they had barely had a single day in which they could be completely alone. Maybe it was the first time in years that they had the house to themselves. He too must have noticed that strange sensation.

"It won't last long. Tomorrow is Sunday, and everyone will come for lunch."

"We still have a few hours."

A mischievous spark crossed Astrid's eyes as she approached him closer, smiling a playful smile.

"And what do you have in mind?"

He hugged her waist, without taking his eyes off her.

"There are things that cannot be planned."

They melted into an embrace while they kissed each other calmly, savoring each other without haste.

There was no need to say anything because their feelings already spoke for themselves. The twilight enveloped the room, and the sound of the rain cradled their embrace, but they did not move, immersed as they were in the touch of their lips.

They were in no hurry. After all, they had all the time in the world.