Chapter Five

Epilogue

"He was killed while trying to sneak out of the castle grounds," said Voldemort, and there was relish in his voice for the lie, "killed while trying to save himself —"

But Voldemort broke off: Harry heard a scuffle and a shout, then another bang, a flash of light, and a grunt of pain; he opened his eyes an infinitesimal amount. Someone had broken free of the crowd and charged at Voldemort: Harry saw the figure hit the ground, Disarmed, Voldemort throwing the challenger's wand aside and laughing. "And who is this?" he said in his soft snake's hiss. "Who has volunteered to demonstrate what happens to those who continue to fight when the battle is lost?"

Bellatrix gave a delighted laugh. "It is Neville Longbottom, my Lord! The boy who has been giving the Carrows so much trouble! The son of the Aurors, remember?"

"Ah, yes, I remember," said Voldemort, looking down at Neville, who was struggling back to his feet, unarmed and unprotected, standing in the no-man's-land between the survivors and the Death Eaters. "But you are a pureblood, aren't you, my brave boy?" Voldemort asked Neville, who stood facing him, his empty hands curled in fists.

"So what if I am?" said Neville loudly.

"You show spirit and bravery, and you come of noble stock. You will make a very valuable Death Eater. We need your kind, Neville Longbottom."

"I'll join you when hell freezes over," said Neville. "Dumbledore's Army!" he shouted, and there was an answering cheer from the crowd, whom Voldemort's Silencing Charms seemed unable to hold.

"Very well," said Voldemort, and Harry heard more danger in the silkiness of his voice than in the most powerful curse. "If that is your choice, Longbottom, we revert to the original plan. On your head," he said quietly, "be it."

Still watching through his lashes, Harry saw Voldemort wave his wand. Seconds later, out of one of the castle's shattered windows, something that looked like a misshapen bird flew through the half light and landed in Voldemort's hand. He shook the mildewed object by its pointed end and it dangled, empty and ragged: the Sorting Hat. "There will be no more Sorting at Hogwarts School," said Voldemort. "There will be no more Houses. The emblem, shield, and colours of my noble ancestor, Salazar Slytherin, will suffice for everyone. Won't they, Neville Longbottom?"

He pointed his wand at Neville, who grew rigid and still, then forced the hat onto Neville's head, so that it slipped down below his eyes. There were movements from the watching crowd in front of the castle, and as one, the Death Eaters raised their wands, holding the fighters of Hogwarts at bay. "Neville here is now going to demonstrate what happens to anyone foolish enough to continue to oppose me," said Voldemort, and with a flick of his wand, he caused the Sorting Hat to burst into flames. Screams split the dawn, and Neville was aflame, rooted to the spot, unable to move, and Harry could not bear it: He must act —

But he couldn't move. He knew what was about to happen and had to get up and move, but his body wouldn't listen to him. Glancing around below his lashes, trying not to draw any attention from the Death Eaters surrounding him, he tried to signal to his crying friends that he was alive, that he'd join them soon. Just as soon as his stupid body would MOVE!

Running his gaze over the tear stained faces of his friends, his eyes eventually landed on Gabrielle. Her beautiful face was also tear stained and he could make out her repeating his name as though in prayer and he tried even harder to move, to get to her, but his body still refused to move.

As if sensing what he was trying to do, Gabrielle's face suddening cleared and she looked directly into his green eyes, straight to his soul as though she could see he was trying to move, trying to get to her.

"Harry," he heard her say his name, clearly as though she was next to him. "Harry!" He tried once more to move, to go to her, to hold her and tell her that everything was going to be okay, but he still couldn't move. He started to breathe heavily, now not caring if any of the surrounding Death Eaters noticed him, he just had to catch his breath. Sucking down lungfuls of air, his vision started to blur around the edges, his surroundings going fuzzy and he tried to focus on his Gabrielle, hoping just the sight of her would calm him down, anchor him back into himself. Still breathing heavily, he opened his mouth to scream for her when …

"HARRY!"

Jumping up in bed, Harry sat with his head in his hands as he tried to catch his breath. He could feel Gabrielle's slim arms wrapped around his shoulders, her face pressed against his neck as she softly repeated his name over and over. He could feel the tear on his neck as she cried for him, hating himself for putting her through this again. "I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm sorry my love, go back to sleep, I'm okay. I'm okay," he told her gently, wrapping his own arms around her, pulling her against him as he laid them back down on the bed, grateful that Hermione had the forethought of placed strong, permanent privacy charms on all the bedrooms of Grimmauld Place as it's occupants all recovered from the battle, each of them coming to terms in their own way with their actions from over the last year.

He knew he wouldn't be the only one to wake up in such a state tonight.

"Please, you 'ave to go and talk to someone," Gabrielle told him in a whisper as they settled back down in bed, neither of them expecting to sleep again that night. "I know you don't want to tell me what 'appened, and I won't push you, but please. You cannot keep going like this," she told him, stroking her hand over his chest, directly over his still hammering heart as though to reassure herself that it was in fact still beating.

He knew deep down that he couldn't carry on the way he was, the sleepless nights, the staring into space, the panic at loud noises. And he knew that it wasn't fair on Gabrielle either. She might not have been witness to the same horrors as him, but he knew that she had her own mental scars from having to live so far away from him and her sister, knowing just a fraction of what they were enduring. She had told him during their first few nights together when she woke from her own nightmares to find him laying beside her, unable to sleep himself as all the small sounds around them kept him awake and alert, even when he wanted to sleep and logically knew they weren't in danger anymore. Now, she was slowly starting to come to terms with all the panic and fear she'd lived with over the last year and did her best to help him and their friends as they came to terms with it also.

Kissing her on the forehead, Harry settled back and tried to sleep once more. It had been five months since the Battle of Hogwarts and the destruction of Voldemort. He knew that the remaining Death Eaters were being rounded up with the help of information from Draco and Lucius Malfoy, and that Kingsley and Minerva were working around the clock trying to get the Ministry and Hogwarts into working order again, but he couldn't bring himself to assist them and tried not to feel like he was letting people down.

He'd freaking died, surely no one would begrudge him some time to rest!

But he knew that he couldn't carry on the way he was. He needed to talk to someone, someone he didn't need to worry about upsetting or offending. Someone he didn't have any history or future with so he could get everything off his chest and out of his head. Maybe then he'd know what he wanted to do with his life now that his principal task was complete.

What did a lamb to slaughter do when they actually survived the slaughter?

Looking down at the now slumbering Gabrielle on his chest, Harry knew one thing for certain, and that was that his future was with her, wherever it took them. Kissing her softly one last time, he silently vowed that he would take a trip to St. Mungo's in the morning to speak to the healers and take the second step towards healing.

His first step was in his arms and he never wanted to let her down.

2004

The sound of laughter ran through the gardens of Chateau Delacour as Teddy chased Victoire around, the Delacour's family Collie - Oscar - ran around them, being sure to keep the young girl and boy safe, though the parents and guardians knew no harm would come to the rambunctious toddlers.

"Are you excited about returning to Hogwarts Harry?" Bill asked as the two young men stood on the terrace, watching their charges enjoy themselves in the late summer sun. While Bill had returned to Gringotts after the war, Harry struggled to decide what he wanted to do with his life now that it was his own. After a lot of discussions with his friends and loved ones though, he finally decided to continue on the path he'd started in his fifth year to become an Auror, though while he still had his 'saving people' complex as Hermione called it, he made sure he didn't put himself in unnecessary harm's way anymore. The occasionally guest lesson at Hogwarts from time to time also ensured he didn't get too overwhelmed trying to save everyone.

"I am actually," Harry told him as he watched his godson pick his niece up and spin her around, pulling reels of giggles from the little girl as she clung to his arms. "It'll be good to see Neville and Minerva again, they're usually too busy to join us whenever the old gang meet up," he said, referencing the semi-annual get together of everyone who had fought in the Final Battle so they could drink and share any remaining sorrows with each other without fear of reprisal was someone that continually had a steady number of attendees, and he knew that everyone felt the better for it following their meetups.

"Fluer can't wait to get back to one now that Victoire is older and can stay at Mum and Dads without wanting her in the middle of the night. She's already told me she's going to drink her weight in firewhiskey, the first one she goes to," Bill told him with a chuckle.

"Oui, and it will be a lot, as I am still grosse from carrying your child William," Fluer told him as she and Gabrielle joined the two, though Harry knew from the smile on her face that she didn't mean anything by her comment.

"You are beautiful my love and if anything you glow more each day with the love you have for our little Victoire," Bill told his wife, pulling her into his arms and pressing a kiss to her smiling lips.

Wrapping his own arms around his wife, Harry marvelled slightly at just how in love Bill and Fleur still were after seven years, though he supposed that with everything they had been through together, it was bound to strengthen their bond, he certainly knew it had for him and Gabrielle.

He had been going to a weekly therapy session with a brilliant Healer at St. Mungo's now since his silent, midnight vow to Gabrielle six years ago and knew it was one of the best things he'd ever done. He was able to talk to her about anything and everything and over the years they had put a lot of ghosts from his past to rest and allowed him closure and peace that he knew he would never have had otherwise. His second step to healing had put him on the path to true happiness and he'd never felt better.

"Come with me," Gabrielle whispered to him, grabbing his hand and pulling him back into the Chateau. Just as he passed through the doorway he caught a beaming Fluer whisper into Bill's ear but was too far into the house to make out his response. Wondering what his wife was up to, he allowed her to pull him up into their suite of rooms where she pushed him onto the chaise longue and told him to wait for her before ducking into the bathroom. Seconds later, she was back and holding something he couldn't see behind her back, but from the radiant smile on her face, he thought he might just know what she was about to tell him.

Holding out her hands to him, Harry looked down at the small plastic stick that rested there and holding his breath in anticipation, he picked up the test and looked down. There, in black letters and as clear as day, was his future.

Standing, Harry wrapped his arms around his wife and spun around the room as the two of them laughed and giggled at his reaction. When he finally settled her down before she could get too dizzy, Harry gently clasped Gabrielle's face between his hands and placed kiss after kiss all over her before she managed to pull him towards her and finally connect their lips.

With one hand cradling the back of her head and the other gently resting on her still flat stomach, Harry knew that the days of darkness in their lives were well and truly behind them and he was eager to embrace the brilliant light future before him, with his amazing wife, incredible godson, wonderful friends and their miraculous child by his side.

So here's the thing. When I started re-writing this story, I was in a good place. And then like it so often is, life became really hard and pretty shit and I was in rather a dark place for quite a while to be honest. But, now I've had therapy, taken some meds and completely retarted my career with a job I absolutely love. I finally knew how this story should be concluded and this is that. I know I left this as complete when it technically wasn't, but there was a last chapter on the original and a one-shot that could have been considered a final chapter, but hopefully this final chapter is enjoyed by anyone that's stuck around long enough to see it.

Take care of yourselves people and just as a forewarning, I will not tolerate any negative remarks about the content of this chapter. If you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all!