Chapter 2 – Through The Years

2013

"Mum, dad," called twelve year old Archie Potter as he stepped out of the Floo. "Grandma Weasley sent over - "

"Got you."

Archie sighed, resigned to his fate. It was not uncommon for Aunts Susan and Daphne to be here. They were always here. He loved them carrying him between them when he was younger, but now he was older and taller. Although secretly he still loved it.

"Alright, one, two, three."

And with that he was swung onto the long couch in the sitting room.

"What was that you were saying Archie?" asked his dad. His mum was snoozing and lying on his dad. It was common to walk in and see his parents snuggled up together.

Even all these years later, Harry and Luna Potter never left the honeymoon stage of their relationship. Each day was a new day for them both. They had three kids, Archie being their eldest at twelve who was about to start second year at Hogwarts. Lorcan James had recently turned ten and Lily Pandora was seven. And now they had a fourth one on the way.

"Grandma Weasley sent over a few slices of Aunt Ginny's birthday cake."

"Cake," screeched Daphne. "Where?"

"In the fridge, leave a few slices for us," he called to his godmother as she practically ran to the kitchen.

"How is it possible she was a Slytherin?" asked Lily, looking up from her book from her corner.

"I don't think we'll ever know," laughed Susan. "Do you like your book?"

"I love it Aunt Susie," said Lily. "You're my favourite godmother."

"I'm your only godmother."

A few days later Ron and Tracey Weasley came by with their two kids Hugo and Sarah. The crush Ron developed on Tracey seventeen years ago had developed into marriage and kids. He had gotten over his judgement on Slytherin, as he and Tracey were hoping Hugo would be sorted into Slytherin once he started in two years time.

It wasn't long before Hermione showed up with Viktor Krum. The two of them decided to focus on their careers before they had kids. They had their daughter Diana two years ago and now she was pregnant with their second child.

Just as they were all sitting down there came a crash from the Dining Room.

"Oh for god's sake," grumbled Harry. "I told Neville and Hannah to stop using the Floo. Why can't they just Apparate here."

Just as he said that Daphne popped in right in front of him. "BOO!"

He fell back on the carpet.

"I've told you to stop doing that Daphne," he growled.

She shrugged. "Where's the fun in that?"

She helped him up.

"Hey, Daphne," said Hannah, walking into the room with Neville. "Have you found a man yet?"

"What's the point?" shrugged Daphne. "Besides my man is right here."

She sauntered up to Neville and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Besides it's much more fun to be a crazy aunt," she finished.

Neville and Hannah were introduced through Harry and Susan, as both had observed the two shyly looking at each other secretly back in sixth year. The two also got married young and had three kids. Ironically Harry's son Archie and Neville's son Frank were just a day apart, just like he and Neville. The two kids were best friends.

The nine adults made their way to the garden.

Every year before Hogwarts started Harry and Luna always hosted a big barbeque for everyone. Ten kids littered the garden, a few playing Quidditch and another few playing other games like Hide-And-Seek. Although Teddy Lupin, Harry's godson, at aged fifteen was going between the adults and the kids.

Harry, Ron and Teddy were grilling away at the sausages and burgers when there came a shout.

"Looks like I missed the beginning," called Susan. "I'm always fashionably late."

"Just how the hell did she get into Hufflepuff," chuckled Ron. "She's far too Gryffindor in my opinion."

"Hey, Susan," called Harry.

"My favourite men," she called, coming over and giving Harry, Ron, and Teddy hugs. "I've got some Ogden's and Firewhisky for later, unless you want one now."

"I'll take a swig," said Ron. Susan handed him one and he took a drink.

"Is Conor coming by?" asked Harry.

"You know how he loves his driving," said Susan. "He's driving the kids here."

After a bad break-up in ninety-nine (1999), Susan had apparated to Loch Ness to relax and landed on top of an Irishman named Conor Lennon who had come over to Scotland on a driving holiday following a classic car rally and visiting relatives. Instead of going back to Ireland, he got a job in London and started dating Susan. They got married in Ireland a few years later and had five children, all of whom displayed magical ability.

It wasn't long before Conor showed up, driving in in his prized '76 Land Rover. It was a car Harry loved himself. He had bought a beautiful classic Rolls-Royce five years ago, and had recently purchased a '65 Triumph TR6 Trophy motorcycle he was looking forward to show Conor.

It wasn't long before Molly Weasley showed up too with three cakes, two treacle tarts and chocolate brownies.

The adults all took one table while the kids took another. They all had fun chatting with each other and catching up.

Susan and Connor spent the night with the Potter's as they were driving a long way the next day back home to Manchester. The Potter and the Bones-Lennon kids were delighted at this. They were all so close.

At Christmas a few months later Luna gave birth to her and Harry's fourth child. A girl they named Primrose.

2024

Harry held the baby in his arms. He wasn't really expecting to become a grandfather until at least his fifties, but then again he and Luna had only been twenty one and twenty when Archie was born.

Archie had married his Hogwarts sweetheart Matilda two years ago at only twenty-one, and now had given him and Luna their first grandchild. A boy named Thomas.

"Look at us," Harry smiled at his Luna. "Both only forty three and already grandparents."

Luna looked up at him with a gleeful smile. Neither of them had started showing age. They were both still quite youthful. "At least we'll be able to catch up with him."

Harry put one arm around his wife as he held Thomas in the other arm.

They only looked up when they sensed a flash. Archie had taken a photo of them with their first grandchild.

"That's one for the collection," said Harry, giving Luna a kiss.

The years went on, Harry and Luna seeing their family grow in the process, and not just their own. But their friends families as well. Neville and Hannah were the next ones to become grandparents a few years later, soon being followed by Ron and Tracey and then Susan and Conor. Hermione and Viktor didn't become grandparents until their late fifties.

In 2045, at only sixty-five and sixty-four, Harry and Luna became great-grandparents for the first time. Thomas Potter didn't waste time after Hogwarts. He married the heir to the British throne, who turned out to be a Muggle-born witch. The Royal Family hadn't produced a magical heir for nearly two hundred years, and Thomas had married her.

Harry held the baby boy in his arms. They named him Harry after him. He and Luna couldn't believe that the one-day old baby they were holding would someday be the King of the United Kingdom.

"You know what this means, Harry," realised Luna.

"What?"

"Little Harry's eldest will be the next in line after him," she said. "And it will carry on for the rest of time."

"A Potter ruling the United Kingdom," Harry said wondrously. "Should we pack or bags now, or should we give it a chance."

"We'll give it a chance," murmured Luna, leaning over and kissing him.

It was 2048, and hot tears were sliding down his face.

The woman he had always considered a mother, Molly Weasley, had passed away a few days ago at the grand age of ninety-eight.

He was at the funeral barely holding on to his wife as he watched Molly's casket be lowered. The woman had been everything to him. She was the mother he needed when he was young. She treated him like he was one of her own. She looked out for him. She supported him. She loved him. And he loved her.

The most heartbroken though was Arthur Weasley. The man was still alive at ninety-eight and had to be held by his great-grandchildren, as he had tried to jump into the grave after Molly in his grief. He was openly crying which broke Harry's heart.

At the Weasley house that night the whole family got together. The Weasley elders, their kids, the grandchildren, the great-grandchildren and the great-great grandchildren. But it also had the Potter's and their descendants. Molly Weasley was the unofficial grandmother to them all.

As they sat around talking about the legacy of Molly Weasley, Harry eyed his darling Luna. He never gave any thought on what would happen to him and her, but now that he had lost his unofficial mum, he realised he was getting old. That somewhere over that rainbow he might lose Luna. The thought scared him like no other.

A few nights later Daphne came by with her husband Joe. The two of them didn't meet until their late forties and got married in their early fifties. They didn't have any kids, both considering themselves too old for it.

"How are you doing Harry?" Daphne asked softly, seeing that her brother was looking rather stricken.

"I'm afraid," said Harry. Joe left the room to give the two some privacy.

Daphne moved over and sat next to Harry. She put her hands on his face and turned him to face her. "Talk to me Harry," she said softly.

"I'm afraid I'm going to lose Luna," cried Harry. "Arthur has been absolutely distraught with Molly's passing and I'm afraid I might end up the same."

"Harry, it's okay," said Daphne, hugging him close. "Treasure your moments with her. You got the opportunity to meet her when you were a teenager. The two of you have been married forty-eight years now. You've left a legacy not only with your family, but with your friends."

"Now look at me," she continued. "I didn't meet Joe until I was forty-nine. We have been together for almost twenty years, but we were too old to have kids, to carve out a family. I wish I had met him when I was younger, but I was too wild and crazy to consider settling down and making memories. We're not going to have a legacy, but we have each other, and for that I am eternally grateful."

"And I promise you," she kept speaking. "If Luna does pass away before you, I'll be here to help you meet her again. If you want."

Harry chuckled. Trust Daphne to come up with a dark suggestion.

"No," he said firmly. "When you die, I want you joining us in the Afterlife, not down south with hot temperatures."

"But I'd like to get a tan," added Daphne with a mischievous grin.

"Daphne!"

IlIlIlI

2050

Harry and Luna had no idea how their grandson Thomas managed it, but he had arranged for their fiftieth wedding anniversary to be held at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire. It was one of the residences of the British monarchy. It was never open to the public.

They were in a massive ballroom. All their kids, grandkids and great-grandkids were there. And it wasn't just them. There were also members of the Royal Family who wanted to meet the family their daughter and grand-daughter married into. The King himself had even sent them a message congratulating them on their golden anniversary, and apologising for not being there.

Harry felt like his life had taken a turn for the surreal being in this grand castle, surrounded by his family and the members of the Royal Family.

Harry and Luna had a meal fit for a king and queen.

After the eating and conversation Thomas stood up clinking his glass.

"Can I get everyone's attention?" The room went silent. "Thank you. I have grown up knowing one of the best couples in the world: my grandparents Harry and Luna Potter. They sit up there looking out over us: their descendants, and I know they couldn't be prouder of the family they created together. It will continue to carry on for generations, and given the amount of men that have come from the family there's no worry about the family name dying."

There was laughter at this.

Harry held Luna's hand as a few more grandkids spoke about them and the love they had for each other.

Eventually their five year old great-grandson Harry stood up. "Grandma, grandpa. I love you. Dad told me to tell you this song is for you."

A slow mournful country song came on. Harry pulled Luna to her feet and they went on to the floor, sharing a dance to an old country song that was aptly named Remember When that sung about a couple growing old together.

Harry looked into Luna's bright blue eyes as they danced. The eyes he had fallen in love with. He leaned down and give his wife a featherlight kiss, wrapping his arms around her. It wasn't long before their elderly couple friends joined them on the ballroom floor.

When everyone else had left that night after the party, Harry and Luna stayed. They had been granted permission by the King to stay there overnight.

After breakfast the next morning they were given a tour of the castle to their surprise. Thomas had clearly gone all out for their anniversary. It was really a beautiful place. When they left in the afternoon, they brought the Muggle gardener with them, as he wanted to see their home when he heard of Harry and Luna's massive garden. He was duly impressed but called a landscaping company exclusive to the Royal Family to come out and make few minor improvements as an anniversary gift.

A month later Harry and Luna sat outside on the swinging loveseat looking over their garden. The adjustments the landscaping company did were minor, but it had a significant difference now.

It was a few days later when Harry got the call. Arthur Weasley had died at one hundred years old.

The night after the funeral they were all once again at the Burrow toasting Arthur and Molly Weasley. The two of them had been married for seventy-eight years before Molly passed away two years ago. They were always the best couple Harry knew.

Despite his age, Arthur had more or less devoted the last two years to his great-great grandchildren. It kept him sane from falling into despair. But everyone in the room agreed on one thing. Arthur and Molly were finally together again.

Harry sat next to his wife and eldest godson Teddy. Teddy was now fifty-two and had two kids and three grandchildren. Harry loved that he had got to know his godson so long.

And his kids too. Archie was going to be fifty next year. And Harry was going to be seventy in two weeks.

Two weeks later his seventieth birthday had been wonderful. There were too many of his grandkids to all fit in their home, so Daphne lent them Greengrass Manor. But it wasn't just his birthday that was happening. He and Neville decided they would celebrate their seventieths together. So there was at least almost eighty people there. The Potter's, the Longbottom's, the Weasley's, the Krum's and the Bones-Lennon's.

There were far too many people he talked with tonight. His jaw was feeling sore from the amount of catching up he was doing with everyone. But he wouldn't have it any other way. It wasn't just his own family he loved after all.

The next year (2051) there was a big party for Archie's fiftieth birthday and his thirtieth anniversary with his wife. The two of them had married on Archie's twentieth birthday. That was also held at Greengrass Manor due to the amount of people invited. And as Archie and Frank Longbottom were just a day apart, they decided to follow their father's examples and had a joint birthday together.

That was also the first time Harry and Luna didn't stay the full night for it. At only fifty, Archie was still quite youthful and had been drinking away with Frank and singing karaoke, getting a big cheer from everyone as the both of them were excellent singers.

But Harry and Luna considered themselves now old to be hanging around for all hours and left at eleven that night. Their kids and grandkids were still going strong though. All the younger kids had been put to bed in the East Wing of Greengrass Manor. There were enough bedrooms in the place for everyone to sleep. But Harry and Luna desired their own home in the Somerset countryside to sleep.

They had moved to Somerset when they got married to the countryside just outside Godric's Hollow. A beautiful, large three story house with six bedrooms. Harry bought the surrounding lands around it so that his kids could build their own homes there. Archie, Lorcan and Primrose built homes there. But Lily had moved up to Scotland as her husband Jack was from Dalbeattie in Dumfries and Galloway. But they still saw her all the time.

Harry was very much grateful he was a wizard. Instead of having to drive long-distance all the way up to Scotland like a Muggle, he just had to step into the fireplace and call out Lily's address to see his grandchildren. He felt sorry for Muggle parents for being unable to visit family long-distance.

And because of his role as Britain's representative in the ICW and former Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, he had authority to create an international portkey to anywhere. He also had Susan's backing in anything who was the current Minister For Magic.

In all his time working in Law Enforcement, he had a lot of headaches, but the worst one wasn't because of a Death Eater in exile.

It was Ron. Nearly forty years ago Ron had cheated on his driving test by confounding a Muggle. Harry was overseeing an important law that was to be changed at the time and it was almost a disaster. Susan had helped him cover up Ron's mistake as the possible repercussions for being Harry's friend and using magic on a Muggle would have been astronomical. But Harry and Susan had still been furious with Ron and so was Tracey. Susan had given him a fine though to be paid to a charity of his choice. It was after he had paid five thousand galleons Ron had finally grown up.

But not just grown up, Ron was slowly turning into Albus Dumbledore. His hair had whitened and he was growing a long beard. He was speaking more in riddles every day and had a mystique attitude that was eerily similar.

Harry thought back to Albus Dumbledore with a half-scowl. After he met Daphne back in sixth year he started trusting her with his life, confiding in her about the prophecy and about his lessons. She encouraged him to stand up to Dumbledore and get some answers. But she ended up coming with him to their next meeting and called Albus a coward for foisting the war on Harry's shoulders. She even called him an abuser who was afraid to get his hands dirty and accused him of believing in the fairytale he had created around the Boy-Who-Lived myth.

Albus had not been happy with that. He told them to stay in his office and left, only to come back an hour later with a surly goblin and a shrunken down angry Voldemort stuck in an unbreakable jar. He dosed Voldemort with Veritaserum and went after the remaining Horcruxes that Voldemort reluctantly told him about.

The goblin that had helped Albus catch Voldemort in a ritual also performed a dangerous goblin ritual to rid the Horcrux that resided within Harry. It had been agonising and extremely painful, but he had pulled through.

But he still wanted Harry to kill him. Harry had simply stomped on the miniature Voldemort and ground him out like a lit cigarette.

Albus Dumbledore had retired from Hogwarts after the last captured Death Eater went to Azkaban. Sadly Remus and Tonks were killed by the Lestrange's when they tried to apprehend them, leaving behind their son Teddy. Minerva McGonagall had taken over the role of Hogwarts headmistress for twenty-six years before she died in two-thousand-twenty-four (2024). After her Bathsheda Babbling took over the role. Bathsheda retired from Hogwarts five years ago and now Neville was Headmaster.

Only a few people knew what happened to Albus though. After retiring, he seeked a quiet life and moved to Australia, having had enough of Britain. He died there in two-thousand-and-two (2002) and had a quiet funeral with only a few friends attending. He had sent a long letter to Harry before he died, apologising for everything he had put him through, and asked Harry to come to his upcoming funeral. He was glad he died in obscurity, instead of being fawned over by Britain. Even the name on his grave said Michael Harris. He had chosen the name after two Muggle actors, not wanting his grave to be visited. Harry had visited the grave every year since he had joined the ICW, as their yearly meetings took place in Australia.

Many year later in two-thousand-sixty-six (2066) there was wild fanfare all over Britain.

Now eighty-six and eighty-five Harry and Luna's great grandson Harry who was now twenty-one had his first child, a boy named Daniel, who was also their first great-great grandchild.

Harry and Luna couldn't believe they had come this far in life. Harry smiled at his wife. Not many would get to meet their great-grandchildren let alone great-great-grandchildren.

But not only was Daniel their great-great-grandchild, he was also the heir to the British throne.

One year later (2067) the King of Britain passed away. The role was passed down to the wife of their grandson Thomas. Since the consort titles weren't officially used anymore, Thomas was now King Thomas. Harry and Luna had also been invited to the coronation of their granddaughter-in-law. They were introduced to many people as the new Queen's grandparents-in-law. Hardly anyone could believe that the forty-three year old Queen's husband's grandparents were them. Although Harry and Luna had aged, they were both quite active and looked nearly fifteen years younger than they were.

It took quite a bit of effort to convince the Ministry however not to get involved as their pictures were plastered all over the Muggle papers. Instead a convincing backstory was created for him and Luna.

Down in Surrey however there were old childhood enemies of Harry's who recognised Harry in the paper who were furious and jealous. Dudley however gave Harry a call congratulating him on his first great-great-grandchild.
But down in hell a consort of Satan was amusingly reading the article to an angry Vernon and Petunia Dursley.

2081

Harry and Luna had a quiet night sitting in their living room watching T.V.

They were watching the first film they had watched together when they were seventeen and sixteen: Titanic.

The film came out a year after they had started dating. Back at the start of nineteen-ninety-eight (1998) a number of Muggle-born students were talking about it and how they were looking forward to seeing it the next time they went home.

So Harry and Luna snuck out during a Hogsmeade weekend and went to the cinema in Glasgow. Although a tragic film, they both loved it. They both considered it 'their film'.

Now they were both one-hundred years old. They recently celebrated eighty years of marriage. They didn't want a big event at their ages. Instead they celebrated it for three days with a generation a day of their family.

"You know," said Harry, turning to his wife. "Before we started dating, this is what I pictured."

"I know," smiled Luna. "Growing old with the one you love. There's no greater feeling."

The years did come with sadness though. All but one of their friends had since passed away.

Ron and Tracey both died ten years ago. Ron had a heart attack, and Tracey, in her grief, stopped eating. Despite everyone trying to help her eat, she died a few weeks later. Everyone believed that she died of a broken heart.

Susan had died three years ago from natural causes brought on by age. Her husband Conor died nearly twenty years ago from cancer.

Viktor died eight years ago from dragon pox. Hermione passed away a week after she turned one-hundred last year from natural causes.

Hannah Longbottom died five years ago but Neville was still alive at one-hundred years old. He recently retired from his role as Hogwarts Headmaster. He held the role for forty-three years, longer than even Albus Dumbledore. Neville was still healthy, but he had been depressed ever since Hannah died.

Daphne lost her husband Joe twelve years ago. Not wanting to leave her in her house alone Harry and Luna invited her to live with them afterwards. She stayed with them the rest of her life, only passing away three months ago at one-hundred.

At ten o' clock Titanic finished. Harry held Luna's hand with his own. Together they made their way into the bedroom.

A week later Harry woke up one morning to the sight he prayed he would never see.

Luna was lying next to him. She was dead.

"NO!"

He started sobbing uncontrollably, holding his wife.

"No, please, wake up Luna. I can't do this. I don't want to do this. Please wake up Luna. I can't last a day without you."

Harry stopped talking as he felt a cold grip on his shoulder. He turned and did a double-take.

Cloaked and holding a scythe, Death was in front of him. He was confused. Death never revealed himself to the living.

Death looked into his eyes. Harry felt a memory come on. The Deathly Hallows. Before he left for Australia, Albus made him disarm him so that total power of the Deathly Hallows was returned to a Peverell descendant, even giving him the Resurrection Stone.

The memory ended and words appeared in his head, delivered by Death.

'You're the Master of Death. I offer you to come now and join your wife. This is a one time offer. I ask for the Resurrection Stone and the Deathstick in return."

Harry went into his study and opened the Fidelius protected drawer that had never been opened. He handed the two items to Death.

"What about the cloak?"

More words appeared in his mind. 'The Cloak is incorruptible, I'm happy with these two. Go lay down next to your wife. Death will be with you shortly."

Harry lay in bed looking at his wife, holding her cold hand. "I'll be with you soon."

"You're with me now."

Harry looked behind him.

Looking twenty once again, Luna's spirit was behind him.

"Luna."

He made his way to her, only to realise something. He floated over to her. He looked back at the bed and noticed that he was now dead, his hand in Luna's.

He forgot about it as Luna snaked her arms around him and pulled him in for a kiss.

When they parted they looked into each other's eyes.

"It's time," she spoke softly.

They both shared another kiss as their souls were spirited away.

A few days later Harry and Luna were buried next to each other in the Potter grave at Godric's Hollow.

There was one distinction that the couple had achieved in their long life they were proud of.

At eighty years they had the longest marriage in British Wizarding history.

Among the mourners were two soulful spirits. After the funeral the two spirits, Harry and Luna, shared a kiss as they started ascending to heaven to continue their soulful lives.

Together.

AN: I loved writing this. Going through the years and making memories for Harry and Luna was a true joy. It is rare I come across a Harry Potter Fic that has him in his elderly years and living a perfect life. I had every intention of doing a second chapter to this and showing that life. The hardest part I wrote though was Molly's death. I was crying while writing that. I know some don't agree with me, but I believe she was the mother Harry needed. Harry meeting the Weasley's was not a setup. That was just poor writing.

I hoped you all enjoyed this.
Fin.