Harry stood up and blinked as he looked around, trying to find his bearings in this strange, new environment. For this was unlike any world he had yet been in.

For he seemed to be facing a wall of the most impossibly bright light. He shielded his eyes against it with his hand. Hermione had turned Seren so that she wasn't facing it, while Papageno and Marici sat in guard positions either side of her with both their heads turned from the light.

Harry squinted, looked as much as he was able, and then, after a minute or so, a discernible darker shape emerged from the light wall. It was vaguely person-formed, but the edges were blurred and shimmering against the brilliant dazzle.

"Who are you?" Harry called out, still covering his eyes.

The dark shape became more defined and seemed to come closer without moving. "I am the entity with the name of Cavalier Louis. But we, are Dust."

"Cavalier Louis?" Harry asked. "The being that helped Sirius in Ellora? You are Dust?"

"Yes ... we are."

"How many of you are there?"

"Uncountable millions."

"And what are you?"

"Angels."

Harry gasped aloud as the words hung like an echo.

"Angels?"

"Yes. And we are Shadow Particles. And Dark Matter ... and Magic."

"Magic? Are you saying Magic is a living force?" Harry hushed.

"Yes."

"And it is the same as Dust?"

"Yes. But different, also," said Cavalier Louis. "It can guide you and infuse you, but can also obey your commands."

Harry considered that a moment. "Did my Magic help me to use The Subtle Knife so easily?"

"Yes."

"And it brought me here?"

"No ...we brought you here, Harry Potter."

Harry blinked in surprise. The light dimmed slightly so that he could see, or maybe he was just used to it now.

"You brought me here?" Harry queried. "Why?"

"To thank you," Cavalier Louis replied. His voice was like the shadow of an echo. It was so weird. "You fought the demon, Voldemort, and drove him away. You came to the aid of Dust when you had no reason to."

"I had plenty of reason," Harry disagreed, smiling shyly at Hermione. He wasn't sure she could see him ... he rather thought it was just him and Dust and nothing else existed in the universe just then. But he smiled at her anyway.

"She is important to you?" Cavalier Louis asked. There was little inflection to his voice and Harry couldn't fix on his intended meaning. But the answer was the same, anyway.

"Yes, she is. More important than anyone."

"You love her?"

"I don't know ... I'm too young for that, aren't I?"

"Love is love, whatever age you are lucky enough to experience it. So ... do you love her?"

Harry swallowed deeply and looked inside. The answer was the easiest yet.

"Yes. I do."

"Then you are a worthy champion, and she is a worthy equal of you," Cavalier Louis said. "We could not have hoped for better."

"This struggle, against Voldemort and the Magisterium," Harry went on, smiling at the endorsement of Dust flowing all through him. "We will always be fighting it, wont we?"

"For as long as you feel you must," Cavalier Louis replied. "Evil flourishes when good people do nothing. For as long as you feel yourself a good person, there will always be evil to fight."

"Just so long as I'm forewarned," Harry grinned genially. "Thank you, for helping me. For helping us."

"It is us who owe thanks. We are in your debt, Harry Potter. Evil has been thwarted ... this time."

"But there will be others?"

"Always."

"Then we'll always be here to meet it," Harry vowed stoutly. "If we keep beating it back like this, perhaps it will never take hold entirely."

"Hope springs eternal," Cavalier Louis observed. "You have done us a great service, Harry Potter, and your selfless act ... in offering yourself as sacrifice in place of your innocent sister ... deserves reward.

"So .. what can Dust offer to you?"

Harry thought hard a moment. What could he ask of an omnipotent force of the universe? He looked at Hermione, certain that she'd know what to ask for.

Then it came to him.

"Mr Louis, Sir? Dust people?" Harry began uncertainly. "I do have one request."

"Name it."

"Hermione ... my friend over there ... her parents were victims of Voldemort," Harry explained. "Her parents were attacked and their dæmons Separated from them somehow. Is there a way ... I mean, anything you can do ... to fix them?"

Cavalier Louis was pensive a moment. "There is a way, but bear in mind that we are only offering one request. You could have this for yourself."

Harry looked at Marici, unmoving like a statue. He knew what she would think if he was as selfish as that. Harry grinned as he imagined the telling off his dæmon would give him.

"No, my dæmon and I will be alright," Harry replied bracingly. "Besides, Hermione made the sacrifice for me, then gave everything she had to make sure I'd survive my own Separation. It's only right that I adapt the same as she did.

"But her parents needn't suffer if there is a way to help them. So, I ask you for that."

"Very well."

A glass plinth slowly rose from the floor at Harry's feet. On top of it was a box of rich oak. He opened it slowly as it stopped at chest-height. Inside were four ruby pendants on fine gold chains. Harry looked up in confusion.

"Take these pendants," Cavalier Louis explained. "Two each are for the humans, two for the complimentary dæmons. It will create a temporary reunified link between them. It will not be an immediate fix, but it will allow the green shoots of recovery to begin, then the connecting cords will heal themselves. Eventually, the pendants will become nothing more than handsome jewellery, unless they choose to pass them on to other needy souls."

"Like the witches in Serafina Pekkala's clan!" Harry cried. "That's what they'll do then. We'll give them to Serafina. She can heal her witches then keep the pendants to help any new witches who suffer Separation Shock. Thank you, Cavalier Louis."

"No, thank you, Harry Potter, for being the human you are. Our future is safe in your hands."

"I'll do my best," Harry smiled. "But now, we need to get home."

"Help will always be given to those who ask for it," Cavalier Louis replied.

Harry grinned and drew his wand. "Help us, Fawkes. We're ready to come home."

There was a flash of fire and the entire scene dissolved like the embers of a dwindling fire.

When the world reformed before Harry's eyes he found himself standing on a hilltop, looking down into a snowy valley full of white-dusted trees, where numerous wooden huts surrounded a vast, dark lake that reflected the light of a million stars above. The moon was full in the sky, a brilliant, silver orb hanging there as if to welcome Harry to this beautiful new place.

But where was he?

It was Hermione, coming up on his shoulder, who answered this most pertinent question.

"Harry! We're at Lake Enara!" she hushed in awe. "How did we get here?"

"Lake Enara?" Harry frowned. "Isn't that where -"

"Yes! It's the home of Serafina Pekkala and her clan of witches!" Hermione went on wildly. "But how in the world -"

"It was nothing from this world that brought you here ... nor from any world,"

"Serafina!" Hermione cried, spinning on her heel in the snow before embracing her great-grandmother warmly. Harry noticed Buckbeak prancing around behind them in high frivolity. He seemed to like the snow. "It's so good to see you! But how are we here? What can you tell us?"

"Very little, only that I was told to wait on this hill, at this time and on this day," Serafina replied, cryptically. "The ones who gave the instruction are not the kind of authority to ignore."

"Was it Cavalier Louis? Was it Dust?" Harry asked ... then he suddenly began to panic. "Seren! Where is she! Where is my sister?"

"Calm yourself, dear boy," Serafina smiled, calmly. "Your sister is quite safe. Right now, I imagine, she is in the arms of your mother, sleeping safe and sound."

"How do you know that?" Harry demanded impatiently.

"For I have solid intelligence to the fact," Serafina went on. "For you see, not only was I told to be here at this date and time, but I was also told to send Kaisa, my dæmon, to that other world ... specifically, to the school of Hogwarts. He is with your parents right now, explaining that you are safe and well and with me, and that you will be returning to them soon.

"So that's my part explained. Now, if you please, it is your turn. Tell me why Dust insisted that I be here tonight?"

Harry first breathed a deep sigh of relief. Seren was safe, his parents weren't worrying about him ... so they'd done it! They'd thwarted Voldemort again and lived to tell the tale. Now it was simply time to cash in the reward. He looked up at the sweep of the Northern Lights in the distance, faint against the golden glow of the Moon.

"Cavalier Louis must have sent us back to you," Harry mused. "And sent Seren back to Mum and Dad. I suppose he wanted to arrange for us to be safely met when we returned here."

"Cavalier Louis?" Hermione quizzed. "Isn't that the entity that Mal and Sirius and Will met in India?"

"The same," Harry nodded.

"So when did you meet him? Or it, or whatever the thing is?" Hermione demanded, somewhat suspiciously. It was like she was displeased to have missed out on such an auspicious meeting and was perhaps confused as to where she might have been at the time.

That's when it struck Harry ... Hermione didn't know!

She must have been frozen, or else somehow excluded, from the meeting that Harry had experienced with the beings of Dust. She hadn't seen Cavalier Louis, hadn't heard their conversation ... she had missed out on hearing Harry's big confession. He wasn't sure how he felt about that ... part-relieved and part-restless probably described it best. It was like he'd missed out on something, that was equally as exciting as it was terrifying, and he hadn't made up his mind on whether this was for the best or not yet.

"In the Dæmon's Crucible," Harry replied. "Dust thanked me for what I'd done to help them and offered me a reward. What I asked for is what brought us here, I think."

"I don't understand, Harry," Hermione frowned. "What did you ask for?"

"It'll be easier to show you," Harry said. "Serafina ... can you take me to where you keep your sick witches? The ones who have suffered Separation Shock? I'll explain everything when we get there."

Hermione's eyes went very round with a mixture of hope, suspicion, doubt, and something altogether more profound. She could only follow in silence as Serafina led them down to the shores of Lake Enara, muttering under her breath to Papageno, who was plodding through the snow with Marici some way behind them and couldn't hear her anyway.

She didn't dare to allow herself to think what she wanted to think ... that Harry might have made such a wonderful gesture for her ... though her rampant heart was furiously whispering that whatever it was that he'd done, he'd done it for her. That thought was almost too overwhelming for Hermione to keep steady in her mind, so she simply kept quiet and concentrated on keeping her feet, lest her shaky knees gave way and sent her flying face-first into the snow.

Serafina led them into the triage cabin and that's where Harry took the lead. He wandered along the row of beds until he reached the two at the far end, looking down sadly at the figures of David and Catherine Granger, who were both sat up in bed but looking for all the world like they were made of granite. Hermione squeaked and raced to hug them in turn ... but she might as well have been hugging a tree for all the warmth she received in return.

Harry decided that was the moment to change all that.

"Serafina? Where are their dæmons? Where are Rampula and Beaujolais?"

"There is an enclosure on the other side of the Clan Hold," Serafina explained. "After Separation a dæmon finds it hard to be near their human and distance is sometimes for the best. Why?"

"We need them," Harry revealed. Hermione curled her eyes up, that gleam of hope getting stronger every second.

"We'll get them, Harry," Marici announced, jumping to action. "Come on, Pap."

And the two dæmons hurried away, returning a few minutes later with Marici carrying the limp little fox and Papageno holding the floppy-eared rabbit, both of whom looked grey with age and sickness. Hermione whimpered at the sight of them, but colour flowed back to her pale cheeks when Harry gave her an encouraging smile.

"What is going on, Harry?" Serafina queried lightly. "What are we doing?"

Harry smiled again at Hermione. "We're going to heal them, Serafina."

Hermione exploded with emotion at the declaration. She threw herself at Harry with the blast, tying her arms around his neck and simply sobbed into his shoulder a minute. He stroked her lemon-scented hair softly and lightly laughed in her ear.

"This is supposed to be a good thing, you know!"

Hermione pulled away, her eyes puffy with happy tears. "Oh! It is, it is! But how, Harry? How can you help them?"

"By use of these," Harry grinned.

He stepped clear of Hermione and lifted his hand, which was still holding the oak box he'd received from Cavalier Louis. He opened it up, revealing a handsome rosewood inlay that he hadn't noticed before. The four ruby pendants were laying still and ready, their bright golden chains glinting against the soft naptha lamps of the cabin. Harry gave the box to Serafina.

"A gift ... from Dust ... via me," Harry whispered.

Serafina took the box curiously. "How do they work?"

"There are four pendants, two for the humans, two for the dæmons," Harry explained. "Dust told me that they will create a temporary link between them. It wont fix the problem right away, but it will create the basis of a new human/dæmon bond, and then nature will strengthen it over time until the pendants aren't needed anymore."

"And then?" asked Serafina.

"Then the pendants are yours, to treat your wounded witches now and in the future," Harry said.

"That ... that is quite the gift."

"It is ... it really is!" Hermione hushed, her eyes shining with tears and an expression so full of adoration that Harry had to look away from her, so undeserving of it did he feel.

Serafina looked curiously between Harry and Marici. "You chose not to use these for yourself? You have decided not to re-unify?"

Hermione gasped as she suddenly realised that too. Harry cocked a wary eye at her, as she looked ready to throw herself on him again.

"Chi and I we ... we survived," Harry muttered. "We suffered, but we survived. We're fighters and, I think, we'll be stronger for this. We have the best role models in how to be, anyway."

Harry smiled shyly at Hermione, who broke down in a fresh wave of tears and mumbled 'oh, Harry!' through her wobbly, muted sobs, as a sticky trail of moisture clung to her trembling lips.

"Well, in that case, thank you, Harry," Serafina smiled. "I think we should let Hermione do the honours, don't you?"

Harry nodded in vigorous agreement then stepped back to a respectful distance to watch the family reunion. He felt something odd, like he'd done a good thing but was left with a draughty void now that the expectation had been fulfilled. But there was something else too, something subdued and pressing and half-happy, half-painful, so that he wasn't quite sure what it was.

It wasn't helped by the fact that Marici had chosen to stay with Papageno over near Hermione. Her huge foreleg was holding the cat close to her body, the size difference being so comical that the little cat seemed dwarfed by the great lioness. But, despite appearances, they seemed to be the same, to be equals. Marici could be vulnerable and Papageno would be strong for her, and there would be times that Pap needed delicate comfort and the huge lioness would be as soft and gentle as a cloud.

Harry knew all that and more just by looking at them, and he felt happy, and warm, and tinged by a sense of longing that hit him unexpectedly. And then that aching he'd felt in the little grove returned, and he was awash with half-excited, half-terrified feelings, one after the other, each one setting his heart to tremulous beating as butterflies flipped and soared in his belly.

He watched in fluttering silence as Hermione slowly threaded the pendants around the necks of her parents, then ... being extra careful not to touch ... dropped the other two over the heads of the lifeless dæmons. The effect, though not immediate, was extraordinary.

It was the dæmons who responded first. Rampula, the fox, raised his narrow head and looked around as though waking from the deepest sleep. He pulled his body over to Beaujolais, and the little rabbit came to life, rolling onto her back so the fox could lick her belly as she squealed in obvious pleasure. Harry laughed quietly as he watched that, a sort of fond yearning filling up his chest as the dæmons were infused with more and more energy until they were romping and frolicking away without a care as to who might be watching.

The actions slowly stirred David and Catherine, too. They woke groggily, as if coming around from major surgery. They noticed Hermione, but didn't have the energy to embrace her emphatically. So Hermione provided the energy for all of them, vigorously hugging first her mother, then her father, trying to hurriedly explain ... as coherently as she could through alternating laughs and sobs ... just what had happened. The dæmons joined them and began examining the pendants, before settling down at the feet of their humans, the rabbit curled up in the embrace of the fox, who set about grooming her floppy ears with his mouth and tongue.

It was at that point that Hermione seemed to remember that Harry was still there. It might have been helped by the fact that David and Catherine had reached a state of cogency where they now had intimate need of the other, so began to kiss and hug with abandon. Hermione slipped away in embarrassment and joined Harry in the shadows at the back of the cabin.

"Thank for, for all of this," she whispered, slipping a hand into his. "This is the nicest, most generous, most wonderful thing anyone has ever done ... in my life."

She had meant to say 'for me', but she'd been hit with a bout of that bothersome shyness again and the words had changed on the way to her mouth.

"You're very welcome," Harry muttered back, squeezing Hermione's hand.

They were both quiet for a few minutes. There seemed to be loads to say, but neither knew what any of it was. But there was something they needed to discuss ... something important. They both knew that, but it was like they'd forgotten what it was.

Then Harry's eyes fell on the two sets of dæmons. Rampula and Beaujolais were engaged in an obvious act of deep affection, one grooming the other and both enjoying the attention. Then Harry's eyes moved to Papageno and Marici. Their eyes were closed and they were rubbing their heads together rhythmically, their mouths curled up in very definite smiles of contentment. Indeed, for a while, the only sound in the cabin was Marici's deep-growl of a lioness-purr ... that and the sloppy slapping of David and Catherine's kisses.

Harry felt his chest constrict and his breath speed ... his throbbing pulse was back in his throat again. This pressing sensation was heavier than ever on his chest ... and this aching ... it was almost as difficult to endure as those final few moments before Separation. It was more than he could stand.

"Hermione?" Harry asked quietly.

"Yes, Harry?" Hermione replied.

She was looking straight forward and her body was taut with something like expectancy. There was a tiny smile pulling at the corner of her mouth that Harry could see, and her eye on that side was dancing with the fire of the reflected naptha lamp, or perhaps the Aurora had taken residence there for a while. Harry couldn't be sure, but he found it very hard not to just outright stare at it, for it was very pretty.

"Dæmons, right, they are part of our souls, aren't they?"

"They are. An aspect, we refer to it as. But you know that."

"Yeah, but not all dæmons behave the same, do they?" Harry pressed.

"No, not always."

"Why not?"

"Well, they reflect the person they are part of," Hermione explained. "Or sometimes they respond to the mood of the moment. If a person is happy or sad, angry or in a temper, the dæmon will tend to be that way, too."

"But when they are with other dæmons, I mean," Harry hurried on. "They don't always act the same with them, do they?"

"No, Harry, they don't."

"Why's that then? You were going to tell me."

"It'll be more fun if you try and figure it out," Hermione teased. "But you don't have to do it on your own. I'll help you this time."

"Alright," Harry agreed, scrunching up his eyes to think. "Where do I start?"

"Try by telling me what's confusing you."

"Well, it's just how different certain dæmons are with some than others," Harry began. "I mean, I know I've not met that many dæmons, but even I know enough to have noticed the difference. I wasn't sure, at first, if dæmons were allowed to touch each other, or whether that was another taboo, but then Chi and Pap touch each other all the time, so I assume that's okay?"

Hermione smiled sweetly. "Yes ... that's okay. So where's the problem?"

"The problem is that not all dæmons are like that, I've noticed," Harry went on. "I mean, I've met Asta ... Mal's dæmon ... and she only ever seems to touch noses or do polite things with Pap or Chi or Pantalaimon. She never plays or anything. It might be because she's older ... but then your parent's dæmons don't seem to be bothered by age. And I've seen Padfiette and Pan do the same.

"I just don't understand the difference."

"Perhaps you shouldn't consider what's different," Hermione prompted with admirable patience. "Maybe you should try thinking about what's the same."

"The same?"

"Yes. What is the same between, say, Pad and Pan, Pula and Beau? What makes them the same but, for example, Asta different?"

Harry wracked his brain. Then it hit him.

"Sirius and Lyra ... your parents ... they are married ... and Mal is on his own," Harry hushed out.

"Exactly."

Understanding came like a torrent, crashing over the stones of Harry's mind and unblocking his way to enlightenment. He shivered with this new knowledge, the details of which were just tripping over each other in his overwrought brain to be considered first.

"So, when people have relationships, dæmons do, too?" Harry whispered on. His voice was as shaky as his body. "They are the same?"

"If the relationship is healthy," Hermione nodded. "If the dæmons aren't compatible, the relationship wont likely last long."

"So, if the dæmons are happy together, the people will be, too?"

"In the vast majority of cases, yes."

"And they are happy to touch each other like that?" Harry breathed, nodding over at the intimate pairs of dæmons across the cabin. They all seemed to be holding their breath, waiting, listening, looking for Harry to make this final quantum leap of understanding.

"Yes."

"So is that ... is that what ... what it looks like ... when two dæmons are ... are in love?"

Hermione breathed in, deeply and satisfied. She closed her eyes with the joy of contentment.

At last!

"Yes, Harry ... it is."

Harry sucked in a shocked breath. His pulse was going crazy in his wrists, his neck, all across his sternum. His mouth was open and beyond arid. But he still had another question to ask. Maybe more than one.

"And if the dæmons are happy to touch like that, then their humans are, too?"

"Yes, Harry."

"Hermione ...?"

And she turned her head to face him, and Harry's other hand found her other hand, and eased her gently around so they were fully facing each other mere inches apart. And each could see in the other's eyes that they understood, and were too joyful to speak. Harry felt Hermione's hand tremble in his own, so he brought it up to his face and held it there ... and then neither of them could look ... they were confused ... they were brimming with happiness.

And then, like two moths bumping clumsily together, and with no more weight than that, their lips touched. It stayed that way for seven long seconds ... Hermione was so surprised she kept her eyes open the whole time ... then she realised this was truly happening and a soft mewl of joy escaped her throat.

The sound seemed to set Harry's nerves ablaze. Before either of them knew it, they were blindly pressing their faces towards each other with eager energy. Harry's body was filled with it, and he kissed Hermione's hot face over and over, her cheeks, her chin, that little bit just below her nose, he didn't want to miss a single inch. Then he kissed her lips once more, soft and moist and still tasting of that fruit they'd eaten in the little grove, where all this had finally become real for him, and he thanked Dust for all they had done for him.

Then they finally broke apart, shivery and trembly and breathless with exhilaration. They pressed their foreheads together, just as their dæmons liked to do, and swayed on the spot, as they held onto each other for balance against their twin dizziness ... simply breathing in the air of this, the most glorious new world they had yet discovered together.

And Harry suddenly felt something furry brush up against his knuckles.

He open his eyes to see Papageno standing on his hind legs, his squashed head butting against Harry's hand. He laughed and scooped him up, just as Hermione buried her fingers into the thick fur of Marici's nape as she nuzzled up to her hip. Both of the humans were so full up with love for each other that neither of them noticed at all the usual effect that came with touching the other's dæmon. This would be the new normal for them.

"So this is what you two have been doing all this time," Harry laughed, scratching Papageno under the chin. "You could have told me, you know!"

"It was far more fun trying to watch you work it out," Papageno purred back. "Well, mostly fun."

"There was a lot of frustration in there, too!" Hermione added wryly. "Needless to say, you aren't going within three feet of Sally-Anne Perks once we're back at school!"

Harry hooted out a laugh at that and pulled Hermione close with a one-armed hug. "That's fair. I'm so sorry ... I was an idiot. I didn't know ... well I did, sort of, but I'm thick as two short planks, as you know!"

"Yes, I know .. you are an idiot!" Hermione giggled. "But you're my idiot, and there's merit to be had in that!"

Harry laughed deeply again. "So ... was this what the alethiometer told you would happen?"

"Part of it," Hermione grinned shyly.

"Which part?"

"Well ..." Hermione began shyly. "It told me I should come to this world ... because here is where I would find the boy I'd love. What it didn't tell me is whether or not he would love me back."

Hermione blinked prettily. There was a sort of nervous expectancy in her words, too. But one word in particular had set Harry's nerves and senses on fire again, and he was eager to share the sensation with Hermione.

"Well, all I can say is that ... you can consider your prophecy fulfilled," Harry whispered. "Because I love you, Hermione, I love you ..."

And then she was kissing him again before he could even get the final word out. He drank in with adoration the scent of her body, the fragrance of her lemon-sweet hair, the searing link that was flowing along the fire of their phoenix connection.

And there was nothing but silence, as if the whole universe breathed out a deep sigh of contented relief.

Harry and Hermione spent much of the next few days joined at the hip, or at least joined at the hands. They would rise early and venture into the forests and woodlands, desperate to be alone with each other and to explore this brand new world together. They climbed hills and played in the snow, journeyed all around Lake Enara with nobody but themselves for company.

Even their dæmons were forced to sit in the cabins and wait for their return.

On these trips they decided several things. The first was the most obvious ... they now considered themselves as boyfriend and girlfriend. And the second thing they decided was that they were the happiest boyfriend and girlfriend that there had ever been, ever, anywhere, in all the worlds and universes that Dust had ever created.

That was just a simple fact as far as they were concerned, and they wouldn't hear of any opposition to the notion.

Next they decided how to be when they went home. Neither of them truly knew what to do with the other in their new roles. How were boy friends and girl friends different from the huge leap to boyfriend and girlfriend? What were they supposed to do now? They didn't know quite yet, but they were joyously happy that they'd get to find out all this together and, as they still had the Time-Turner, they literally had all the time in the world to find the answers.

One thing that they did decide on was to be discreet with their new status. Harry argued that everyone knew anyway, and Hermione eventually agreed that they should just confirm the rumours to shut everyone's flapping jaws, but public displays of affection should be kept to a minimum.

This probably wouldn't be a problem, as after the early burst of euphoric passion, neither Harry not Hermione were quite sure how best to initiate kisses again. Sometimes Harry would stir up his courage and abruptly try, and Hermione would turn away without noticing, to comment on a bird or a waterfall or a shooting star or something.

At other times, Hermione would be feeling playful and fancying a bit of a snog, but when she moved in she'd lose her nerve and end up just giving Harry a random, rather chaste peck on the cheek instead. This made them both blush-filled and silly and shy and it took a long time for them to cool down enough to even speak calmly again.

So they wordlessly decided that it was best to just stick to hand-holding for now, maybe the occasional hug. They could both do that, and they both liked hugs, so it would be plenty enough to keep them going, until they were comfortable in their new situation enough to get a bit more brave with their affections.

After three days of all this hefty decision making, it was time to return home. The Grangers were recovering well, but decided to stay with Serafina and her clan for convalescence and protection, as it turned out that Voldemort had used his new portal-opening magic to break into Bellatrix Lestrange's Azkaban cell and spirit her to the safety of this world, where they could plot whatever scheme Harry and Hermione would be required to try and foil next.

Then the Grangers said hearty goodbyes to Hermione, thanked Harry for the kindness he'd shown to them, before Serafina and a consignment of her best witches prepared to lead the two children back to the cross-world gate of Ice Station Zebra. Harry and Hermione would fly on the back of Buckbeak and, as they were mounting him, Hermione suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, Harry, you never did get round to telling me about that curious mythology of riding a hippogriff," she reminded him.

"Oh yeah, I never did, did I?" Harry grinned. He wrapped his arms around his girlfriend as he clambered aboard the hippogriff, and she folded her own arms over his where they fell into her lap. "Strap yourself in, because it's quite a long story, though we do have quite a long flight ahead of us. Perhaps this will distract you from your fear of heights, because I'm sure you'll like this story ... in fact, I know you will."

End of Volume 4.

Volume 5 coming soon ...