Chapter 19: The Dawn of a New Era

Voldemort's body hit the ground heavily, one more casualty in a day that had seen thousands.

The dread and disquiet it inspired took far longer to pass, however, as Seamus and Goyle approached his unmoving form warily. Had Hermione not been the only thing allowing him to stay standing, despite the agony that the arm hanging limply at his side was putting him through, Harry would have joined them. As Goyle took Dumbledore's wand away, Seamus had to prob the body a few times before everyone could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

It was over.

After terrorising the country for nearly forty years, Lord Voldemort was finally dead. And there would be no coming back this time.

The dust had settled and the rest of Hogwart's defenders had joined them, some sharing their relief while others looked at them with suspicion.

In the crowd, faces that Harry would have expected to see were nowhere to be found. Professor Sprout, Madam Hooch and many others were not standing behind McGonagall and Amelia Bones. No matter how long he searched, he could not see Oliver Wood nor Remus partake in the accolades with Tonks, Bill and Fleur.

Sirius rushed out of the crowd, ignoring the Aurors still debating whether there were friends or foes, and embraced him as carefully as his eagerness allowed him.

"What the hell were you thinking, going alone like that?"

"I had to." Despite the pain and Sirius' glare, Harry could not contain the smile born from seeing him alive. Injured and dishevelled, but alive. "It was the only way"

"You're lucky you're still alive or you would have been grounded until you reached Dumbledore's age."

"He never will if you don't let go of him." Hermione interrupted sternly.

"Right, right..." Sirius stepped back. "We should get you inside."

"Is Dumbledore there already?"

"Dumbledore..." Sirius' smile faltered as he searched for the right words. "He never made it to the castle. With the fire he rained from the sky and everything else going on ... I didn't see what happened, but some say he vanished in a flash of light."

A flash of light?

But then...

"I'm sorry, Harry."

"No. No, it's alright." Harry ignored the looks of pity and looked up to the castle, a faint smile on his lips. "It's all gonna be alright."

The next few days went by in a flash, what with everyone running around, taking care of the injured and cleaning up the worst of the battle.

Food, blankets and other necessities were conjured liberally and distributed both in Hogwarts and the Muggle world, easing some of the worries of the relief efforts. So great was their need and gratefulness that no one dared to pry into the origin of the supplies these strangely dressed teenagers kept bringing in, for fear they would stop.

The sudden disappearance of Voldemort and most of his forces did not put an end to the fighting, however. Many of his followers remained in positions of power across the country and took the news of his defeat poorly, barricading themselves or going on a rampage.

Amelia Bones was not one to sit around and waste a tactical advantage, however. Before the news of what had happened at Hogwarts could spread, she spearheaded an assault on the Ministry, retaking the building from the skeleton crew that had been left behind.

Not that Harry had witnessed any of it, mind you, what with being stuck in the infirmary with Ginny in the next bed over being determined to make sure he would never try to walk to his death ever again.

Declaring herself provisional Minister, Amelia Bones got to work reigning in the chaos raging across the country. Her first official act saw Azkaban emptied, freeing all the dissidents who dared to speak against the previous administration. While the Ministry welcomed back some much-needed manpower, families across the country were reunited, the Lovegood first among them. Yet, despite these joyous reunions and Voldemort's demise, the skies remained clear of the fireworks and celebrations that had lit the night sixteen years prior.

Aurors still combed through the countryside, hunting the dementors that had yet to return to Azkaban, while what remained of the unspeakable researched a better way to contain these unkillable monsters. The idea of sealing them in a big box deep underground and throwing away the key seemed quite popular after their role in the war.

Capturing rogue Death Eaters and repelling insane laws quickly became the least of the new Minister's problems, however, when her Muggle counterpart and the ICW stepped in, demanding an explanation for the many massive breaches of the Statute of Secrecy.

Despite their efforts to bulk up their rank—including offering an Auror position to Harry—there was not much of a government to speak of to tackle this new political turmoil. The months under Malfoy's regime and the terror of its last day had cost a great number of lives, and many more had fled the country. Entire families had been wiped out and the Ministry had been gutted out, leaving Bones with only a handful of aids to deal with the rebuilding.

To make matters worse, they would have to make do without the support of the Boy Who Lived.

Some might consider his unwillingness to help them rebuild society selfish, a dereliction of the responsibilities brought by his status in the eyes of the people. Abandoning them in their time of need while he embodied the fight against the previous regime and the hope for a better tomorrow would only weaken their efforts, as Minister Bones had put it.

Yet, as far as Harry was concerned, he had done his part.

The Ministry would have his help, in the form of manpower and conjured supplies, but politics and hunting dark wizards was not something he was willing to dedicate his life to. Not when there was a whole universe just waiting to be explored.

More than that ... Dumbledore, Remus, Mr. Weasley ... So many had fallen, and the wondrous magical world that Harry had discovered six years ago had become a shadow of its former self.

Time would do its work and the world would heal, but for now, the people and building carried with them the scars of a war he would rather forget. There would come a time when he would walk the Earth once more, instead of looking down at it from the stars.

But for now ... There was nothing for him down there anymore.

"In all my years in this castle, I have never found a better view. And believe me, I tried."

"It is pretty great."

Beyond the treetops, the rays of the sun pierced the horizon and bathed the grounds in their golden light. The Black Lake glistened as students braved its cold waters to play with the Giant Squid, giving a spectacle to those who enjoyed a morning walk. Cheers and jeers could be heard in the distance, spurring on the Quidditch team practising on the pitch.

Sitting in a swivel chair on a balcony overlooking the grounds, Harry took a slow sip of his tea, enjoying the view. A far too long and unevenly knitted multicoloured scarf was draped around his neck, keeping him warm despite the cold morning air.

"I'm gonna miss all of this."

"You could always stay." His companion hovered his hand over the plate filled with baked goods, hesitating momentarily before picking up a glazed jam scone. "You still have a year left before your graduation."

"I can't. After everything that happened..." Harry shook his head. "It wouldn't be the same."

"Hogwarts will not be the same without you either."

"I'm almost tempted to come back in September to see McGonagall's face when she realises she only has a dozen NEWTS students."

"Come now, Harry." Despite his reproachful tone, his smile and the twinkle of mirth in his eye betrayed the laugh he was holding back. "She already has her hands full and does not deserve you laughing at her like this."

"She's whiskers-deep in troubles, you mean."

They sat there, chuckling, content on enjoying their breakfast and view as more students woke up and came out of the castle to enjoy the first beautiful day after a long and dark winter.

"I'm sorry it ended like this." Harry put down his empty cup, the last of the tasteful tea failing to wash away the bitterness nested in his throat and laced in his words. "That we couldn't save you."

"I am not." Serenely, Dumbledore picked another scone. "I enjoyed a long and full life. And thankfully, so will you now."

Unwilling to break the moment, Harry snuggled up in his scarf with a weak smile. Knowing his voice would crack and betray him, he instead looked down upon the grounds once more.

His first friends. His first kiss. His first death.

All the most memorable moments of his life had taken place here.

He had lived and died on these grounds. And now it was time to let them go.

"Will I ever see you again?"

"That is ... unlikely. We both have our own journeys to embark on, with very different destinations."

"Yes..." Harry sighed. "I suppose so."

"Then again..." Dumbledore smiled fondly. "You showed me just how vast and mysterious our universe truly is. How it keeps surprising us at every turn by making the impossible come true."

"I could do without these surprises sometimes."

"I'm sure you would." Dumbledore chuckled. "Yet we can only hope that fate will bring us together again."

Abandoning the horizon, the sun rose in the sky, drowning the world in its warm embrace as it faded away.

"Goodbye, Harry. Live well."

Harry opened his eyes to the dim light of the stars shining through the window of his room on the Requirement, tears streaming down his face as he sat up in his bed.

After a long and beautiful ceremony, the marble tomb was sealed with only a wand resting within.

The new Minister had hoped the event would help the country move on from the past year and her staff had spared no effort to rebuild the grounds and castle to prepare for it. Witches, Wizards, Goblins, Centaurs and Merepeople from every corner of Europe had come to pay their respects and witness Britain standing strong.

Yet, once the ceremony concluded, the sombre mood persisted.

After shaking one too many hands, Harry joined Sirius as he stood on the edge of the Black Lake, his gaze lost beyond the burnt husk of the Whomping Willow. Despite Bones granting him his freedom in the first days of her takeover and spreading the truth of his past far and wide, many who had not fought at Hogwarts still eyed him with suspicion and took offence to his presence.

"I spent the better part of my life fighting this war." Sirius' voice was dry and small. "Even in Azkaban, it was all I could think about. Peter. Your parents. The war."

"And now it's over."

"Is it?" Sirius finally tore his eyes from the horizon to look at him. "Reading the prophet, you wouldn't think so."

"We've fought long enough. It's time for others to clean up the mess now."

"I'd ask when you became so jaded, but I know what you've been through." Sirius said bitterly. "So, what now? You said you wouldn't go back to Hogwarts, but you didn't take Amelia's offer."

"No, I didn't."

"You're welcome to stay at Grimmauld anyhow. It's not the happiest place, but I'm sure we can liven it up a bit now that the Order won't be using it."

"About that ... I kind of made plans already."

"Kid, I haven't been here for you since James and Lily died." Sirius scowled. "I've got a lot to make up for and I'm not gonna let you out of my sight until I do."

"I figured as much." A small smile tugged at the corner of Harry's lips. "And I thought of something that could interest you..."

"So, how did you get hired?"

"Walked into a Trekkie shop in Boston, two overexcited kids gave me a contract and shipped me wherever this is. Same as you, I take it?"

"Da. Though no kids in the Belgrade shop."

Through Portkeys and vanishing cabinets, dozens of Witches and Wizards of various ages and nationalities had been gathered in a vast room made entirely of metal. The place looked more like something you would see in a Muggle amusement park than the proper wizarding business they had expected.

To their irritation, seeing a group of teenagers walk upon the stage with a large curtain behind it did nothing to dispel this image.

"Hello everyone." Said the dark-haired kid standing in front of the others, marking a pause to let the hubbub die down. "I'd like to begin by thanking all of you for your patience with our recruitment process, I know some were not as understanding as you were."

"Is this a joke?" A witch with a strong eastern-European accent shouted from the crowd. "We came here for a job, not to play house with a bunch of kids."

"Just let him speak." A man on the other side of the crowd shouted back.

"Thank you, Sirius. Now, I know you have a lot of questions—like where were are, or what the job you signed up for is—and we'll get to that shortly. However, there are things you must understand first."

The crowd settled, despite the grumbling of a few discontents.

"The journey you are about to embark on is one that will shape the future of everyone on Earth, hopefully for the better. However, our work here, and the very existence of our organisation need to be kept secret until the world is ready for us. It might take years, but I'm convinced that one day, we'll bring our world into a new age. Until then, let me be the first to tell you..."

Behind the podium, the wide curtain vanished into a mist of little stars, revealing Neptune slowly turning in the depths of space. Orbiting close enough for them to see the recognisable elongated Othila rune painted on its hull was the Requirement, displaying its new modifications proudly while crew members on hoverboards flew in formation around it.

"Welcome to the Defensive Space Force."

Author Notes:

The Requirement's crew will come back in "Space Wizards: Alien Legacy".

If you wish to be notified when it comes out, I invite you to follow my account and not just this story.

Unlike this first book, this sequel will venture into the Stargate timeline from a new direction, not a canon divergence, so do not expect a canon rehash or a fix-fic of SG-1. The galaxy is a vast place and the DSF will have their own adventures far from those of the SGC. Do keep an open eye for familiar names or faces, however, as a few might come up.

For those unfamiliar with the Stargate franchise, rest assured that everything you need to know will be explained. Harry and his team are just as new to all of this as you are and will need to learn the ways of this vast universe.

While I finish preparing the sequel, you can pass the time by reading NaomiPhoenix's take on Esama's universe in their D.S.S. Enterprise cont. series (available on Ao3), of which the third instalment is currently being worked on.