Endings and Beginnings

by The Katanna Twins

Something always needs to end before you can begin.

Endings and Beginnings

By: Ryu Katanna

Beta:

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

One-Shot

Harry took a deep breath to steady himself as he waved a hand in front of his mouth to cast a breath-freshening charm, banishing the taste of bile as he left the bathroom, and walked down the hall to enter the parlor where everyone had been gathered for the last several hours. Neville, Ginny, and Fluer were sorting through stacks of boxes and items laid on and around the table near them and along the wall. Luna would take the boxes from them before shrinking and storing them into one of several wizarding trunks. Draco sat nearby as he sorted through the contents of his bottomless bag and made the final checks of his personal possessions to ensure he hadn't forgotten anything. Bill and Hermione stood a few feet away as they consulted with each other about the preparations over the notebook that hadn't been found far from his best friend's reach in months. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley stood in front of the window talking in hushed whispers with Ron and George as they went over details written on a scroll of parchment while Mrs. Weasley swayed with a sleepy Teddy and George cradled his niece Victore.

Harry stood quietly in the doorway as he watched them all. He tried not to let his shoulders slump, and swallowed back the burning feeling of bile in his throat that crept up his throat once more. He could feel grief clawing at his heart and his empty stomach churned as he watched them make these final preparations. They had been preparing for this day for over a month now after a few months of research, and today all those preparations would be completed.

As his gaze turned toward Teddy, Harry cursed his own fate once more, as well as the majority of the wizarding world for both their continued stupidity and prejudice. It was because of them that Teddy had lost his grandmother only shortly after the deaths of his parents. The babe had lost almost everyone who should have been there to care for him as he grew up. Well, everyone other than Harry. As inept and ill-equipped as Harry felt to care for himself, much less an infant, the responsibility was his now.

Still, Remus, Tonks, and Andromeda had entrusted him with the task in their absence. As his godfather, Harry was determined he would do the best he could for the child. Teddy had been the only reason Harry had to pull himself together when his life, as messed up as it had always been, had imploded again and most of their world had turned on him once more shortly after the war ended.

It had been only a few months since Voldemort's final defeat. They had all been so hopeful for the future during that first week of shock that the war was over at last. That they had survived. That they had won. Harry had thought he was finally free of the prophecy which had dictated his life since before he was born. Free to live, love, and rebuild his life.

How naive he had been.

In the wake of Voldemort's final defeat and death, a power vacuum had been created with their government in shambles. Power hungry witches and wizards who had done nothing more than sit on their arses during the Dark Lord's reign of terror had suddenly found opportunities to rise in the ranks of the Ministry and spread their vitrial. Many who had held higher positions that had opposed Voldemort's rule had lost their lives in the take-over after Dumbledore's death, and with the Death Eaters in their government being arrested, many were promoted to fill the vacant positions after barely clearing suspicion of involvement. Many of them had taken advantage of the situation to push their personal agendas. This included one Delores Umbridge who had claimed her actions during the war to be a result of the threat to her life. It had only been because the ministry was already in shambles that she had managed to escape prosecution.

The Ministry had fallen into madness even without Voldemort around any longer, and there had only been so much Kingsley could do with as limited as his allies within the Ministry had become after the deaths of so many in the Order of the Phoenix who had Ministry ties.

Narcissa Malfoy had contacted Harry mere days after the battle at Hogwarts. Lucius had just been publicly arrested, but not before managing to get a message to his wife to warn her. Narcissa knew they would be coming for both her and her son as well, but her only concern had been for her child. To repay the life debt owed, Narcissa had called on Harry and asked that he protect Draco. Anyone bearing the Dark Mark were being arrested and sentenced to the Kiss without so much as a trial and she feared for his life above all. The corrupt Ministry were taking no chances that they would escape again in the future and just having the mark was being considered enough to prove their guilt.

Harry and Draco had never had a good relationship, but he couldn't stand by and see the blond subjected to the Kiss without a trial simply for bearing the Dark Mark. Draco had been forced into the position of taking the mark due to his father's mistakes. At the time, he had thought it an honor, but he had learned quickly what a mistake it had been. Draco had done what he could to protect himself and his family, but he had helped Harry as well even with as terrified as he was. It was because of this and the debt he owed to Narcissa that Draco had come to live in Grimmauld Place in hiding while Harry tried to figure out the best course of action to keep him from being Kissed.

Harry and Draco had both tried to convince Narcissa to stay behind the wards of Grimmauld Place until they could figure out a solution, but she had denied them and left. A packed trunk had been delivered barely an hour after by Narcissa's house-elf. She had managed to withdraw what remained of the Malfoy fortune from the bank and handed it off to her house-elf to be delivered to Draco with his things and as many family heirlooms as the elf could pack into the trunk before she was arrested at the doors of Gringotts and taken for questioning.

There should have been no grounds to hold her. Narcissa Malfoy had stood by her husband, but she had never taken the Dark Mark. That hadn't stopped the corrupt Ministry officials as she had been held for several days before she was sentenced to the same fate as her husband when she refused to give up her son. They only knew of her fate thanks to Kingsley who had tried to stop it. The Ministry had moved to seize the Malfoy assets shortly after only to find their home and account lacking anything of value as the house-elves had continued bringing anything and everything they could to their young master.

The Ministry couldn't even gain possession of the Malfoy elves as Draco had freed them and sent them to Hogwarts when he had been told what had happened to his mother.

Two weeks had passed as Harry and Draco adjusted to the new situation where they were pressed into living in close quarters under the same roof. The situation had been stressful but the two had eventually come to a truce and decided to move on from the childish rivalry of their past; a tentative friendship forming in its place. Harry had started making quiet arrangements for Draco to get him out of the country to one of the other Malfoy properties since the British Ministry had been unable to claim any assets held in other countries. Hermione had started contacting others from the DA and the Order to contest the injustice of the Ministry's actions as soon as she had heard what had been done to Draco's father and many others.

They hadn't had enough time before the next hit came that left them all scrambling.

Laws that had been passed during Voldemort's take-over should have been placed under review or discarded altogether, but instead, new laws and restrictions were being pushed through even faster in response to the public's uneasiness after the war. A law had been pushed through calling for the children of 'dark creatures' to be taken from their homes to be registered, separated from the rest of the population, and monitored for the so-called 'safety' of the rest of the wizarding world. If that hadn't been bad enough, the law allowed for 'testing' to be done on these children to supposedly create a cure if one could be found. The entire thing had sent alarm bells going off for Harry and Hermione as they recalled the concentration camps Hitler had created to segregate the jewish people during World War II they had been taught about while attending muggle schooling.

The children of creatures already registered with the Ministry had been targeted first.

Andromeda's home had been attacked by Aurors trying to take the, at the time, barely two-month-old Teddy Lupin mere hours after the law had been passed. She had been able to get him to safety with his godfather at Grimmauld Place by summoning Kreacher, whom Harry had instructed to answer her calls in case she ever needed help with anything, and ordering him to take Teddy to Harry just as they managed to break through the wards on her property. She hadn't managed to get away herself, and had been badly injured during the duel that ensued as she was captured by the aurors and taken into custody. She had been threatened with Azkaban, and worse, if she didn't tell them where to find her grandson and hand him into Ministry custody.

Andromeda had remained silent and steadfast as she refused to answer or reveal any information just as her sister had done. She had, just barely, managed to get a message to Harry through Shacklebolt. In that message she'd told Harry to do what he must to protect her grandson. To disappear, if he must, and keep her grandson safe in any way possible.

She had implored him not to worry about her as Teddy's life was the most important; even if that meant she would never see him again. All she wanted was for him to be safe, and she knew that Harry would do what was needed to protect her grandson. Harry had agreed with a heavy heart, and sworn he would do whatever it took as he concentrated on caring for the infant.

They learned from Kingsley four days later that Andromeda had joined her husband, daughter, and son-in-law in death's embrace. Her injuries, obtained during the duel within her home to protect her grandson from the Aurors, had remained untreated against Kingsley's protests. Her magic had been suppressed by the cuffs the Aurors had used so it had been unable to aid her healing. She had become fevered, but her interrogators had refused to allow treatment under the presumption that she would break and give them the information they wanted. It had been highly unethical, as most of their actions since the end of the war had been, and she had died of infection within the dirty Ministry holding cell without revealing anything they wished for.

Shacklebolt had almost quit that day in a rage, and had only remained in the hope he would be able to fix things or pass along information.

Ron and Hermione had gone to Andromeda's home two days later to find the place had been ransacked either during or after her capture. They had managed to save a few of Andromeda's photo albums and keepsakes left from Tonks and Remus for Teddy when he was older, but the little boy's bedroom had been completely destroyed. The furniture had been in pieces, burned by spell-fire, and all of the toys and books had been blasted with what had looked like several bombardas from the state of the walls and windows. They had told Harry that the damage to the house had reminded them of what they had been told about the Death Eater raids during the war.

Knowing that the Ministry were already looking for him with questions on Teddy's whereabouts, Harry had left his godson in the care of his cousin Draco at Grimmauld that same day and left for Gringotts. Harry had tried to make amends with the goblins over the break-in so he could withdraw money from his vault and get both Teddy and Draco out of the country, but had been told at spear-point that his business with the bank was no longer welcomed after their break-in during the war. He'd had an expanded chest with the contents of the both Potter and Black vaults thrown at his feet before he had been escorted outside by armed guards and threatened to never step foot on Gringotts property again under pain of death.

He had known he would need to get Teddy and Draco out of the country as quickly as possible. It wasn't safe for either of them to remain. He knew that his friends would help protect his godson, but he didn't want to have them risking themselves for him again. The responsibility for both Teddy's care and his and Draco's safety fell to Harry. He'd made a promise to Remus, Tonks, and Andromeda as well as Draco's mother. If Harry had known then that his supply run to Diagon Alley would lead to what it had, then he would have just taken Teddy and Draco by muggle transportation, and picked up supplies in France.

That had been the day that had changed every plan they had come up with. Word of what had happened had quickly spread through the wizarding papers with a special evening edition. Accusations of dark magic and fear mongering had spread quickly, and only continued to grow as the days passed afterward. While Harry could deny what they thought he had done, he could not deny what had happened that day in Diagon Alley, or the result.

He could not deny that he should have died, again.

Harry had been forced to admit to Ron, Hermione, and Draco upon returning to Grimmauld immediately after fleeing Diagon Alley that he should have died that day and why he believed he hadn't. Whatever power had kept Harry alive had healed not only the wound that should have been fatal, but had caused other changes. His eyesight had healed to the point that he no longer needed his glasses which had been left behind where they'd fallen in the Alley. It hadn't been until Harry had fled Diagon, returning home with robes soaked in his own blood, that he noticed he must have lost his glasses in the attack but that he could still see just fine. Another surprise greeted him after sneaking into the bathroom and showering before his friends could see him covered in his own blood.

It wasn't until after he had stepped out of the shower and looked into the mirror that the other changes had become more obvious. His hair had darkened until it was as black as a raven's wing, and his skin appeared paler than before. One of the more noticable changes had been his eyes. The emerald green inherited from his mother had shifted to the familiar green shade of the killing curse. They almost appeared to glow with how unnaturally bright they were.

The other change Harry had noticed immediately was to the skin of his chest over his heart. He had been stabbed with a dagger there, but it had healed completely at some point between pulling the dagger from his chest in Diagon Alley and his shower after arriving home. It was what had been left behind after the blood was washed away that had given Harry an even greater shock. There wasn't a scar, but what appeared to be a birthmark or tattoo a few shades darker than his skin tone in the shape of a triangle with a circle and a line through it that had appeared over his heart. A mark that he knew the meaning of, and one that hadn't been there that morning.

He'd had to show his friends, to tell Draco about the Deathly Hallows, and to admit to all of them that he'd looked for his father's cloak in a fit of panic after his shower only to find that it had vanished from where he'd left it. It hadn't helped when his holly wand had exploded into shards upon trying to summon the cloak. Harry had stared at his wand hand in shock. The pain from the wounds caused by shards of wood that shredded his hand had gone numb as he pulled them from his skin before a grey mist of magic slowly crept along the edges of the wounds. They slowly healed as the magic stitched his skin together over several moments, leaving only blood behind to show that there had been wounds there at all. It had only been later that he had tried casting wandless, at Hermione's suggestion, to find he had no trouble using his magic though it had taken some practice to learn the best way to direct it to do what he wanted.

Harry couldn't say for sure what had happened to the stone or to the broken pieces of the elder wand since he had discarded them, but he had always been careful of where he put the cloak as it was an heirloom from his dad. An heirloom that was now missing after a mark in the symbol of the Hallows appeared on his chest... A lot of theories had been bandied about after that, but it had been Hermione that theorized that the prophecy had foretold of this. This had led to explaining the prophecy to Draco while Harry paled and stared blankly at the wall. It was a chilling reminder of the prophecy's wording. Especially one specific line.

Either must die at the hand of the other.

Hermione theorized that Harry had only been able to die at Voldemort's hand, but now that the Dark Lord was dead, the Hallows now kept Harry alive. Harry had lived while Voldemort could no longer survive after the destruction of his Horcruxes. It was unknown if Harry would still age and die a natural death, but they did know now that he couldn't die at the hand of another. They would only know as the years passed if there were any other effects from the prophecy and the Hallows.

Unfortunately, they didn't have time on their side to figure anything out.

The display of his inability to be killed when a dagger had been driven through his heart in a public place like Diagon Alley had caused a riot among the wizarding populace, and a manhunt for the 'Next Dark Lord' had begun. Harry had been forced into hiding at Grimmauld Place with Teddy and Draco for months, and everyone doubted he would be safe even if he were to move to another country. Word had spread quickly outside of Britain, and that had been confirmed with a letter Hermione received from Victor Krum when the news hit Bulgaria, from Fluer's sister in France, and Charlie in Romania. There were calls for his capture, and he and his friends worried about what would happen to him should he be found.

There were fates far worse than death, after all.

It had been Hermione, again, who had come up with an idea after they had gathered the rest of the Weasley's, Luna, and Neville to explain what they knew and to discuss the issue. Luna had made an airy comment about nowhere being safe 'in this world' when Neville had spoken his worries about other countries also hunting Harry as word spread if he was spotted. His photo had been spread to other countries like fiendfyre. Their allies were too few when it came to the rest of the world, and Harry was also responsible for Teddy and Draco as well as himself.

Ever the bookworm, Hermione had started researching. She had brought this research to their attention after burying herself in the Black library for a month. After three months more of research with everyone's help they had found a book that described a gateway believed to travel between realms. Ultimately, tThey had decided to risk it as they had found no other options that would let them live freely without worrying they would be discovered. Draco nor Teddy would be safe in England, Harry may not be safe anywhere, and they had not come up with any better ideas.

His friends had all been called in for questioning by the aurors several times at that point, and had gone so far as to make unbreakable vows not to reveal any information on the location, plans, or when they had last spoken to Harry, Teddy or Draco to anyone outside of the others who had also made the vow in order to keep them safe. It had been the vows that had saved them from questioning under veritaserum as the truth potion could not force them to break a vow upon their magic. They simply wouldn't answer the question asked. Even now they were being monitored because of this.

They had all agreed to assist with preparations for Harry to leave with Teddy after tears from Mrs. Weasley and looks of worry and concern from everyone else.

Hermione hadn't been able to find much when it came to other worlds outside of their own, but she had persisted due to the hint Luna had dropped that made them believe it was possible. Eventually, deep in the Black library, Hermione had found a book that had more information on gateways thought to connect to other worlds. The problem was that those who passed through them never returned. It was because of this that it couldn't be confirmed that the people who traveled through had gone to a new world or just died. As such, one gateway in particular had been used in the past as a way to execute prisoners before Azkaban was created.

Then it dawned on her... the Veil of Death. That must be what the book had made a reference to. Hermione had searched for more information, but there hadn't been much more to find. It was because of the unconfirmed nature of the veil that it was kept in the Department of Mysteries to be further studied by the Unspeakables; the Ministry building being built around it. Another book proposed the idea that the Veil led to Death's realm. Not the realm of the dead, but a place where the God of Death dwelled, and to place where one was to be judged by Death itself for if they were worthy. Worthy of what, exactly, was unknown. It was because of this belief, the fact that anyone who passed through the Veil never returned, and the use of it as a death sentence, that it had been named the Veil of Death.

Hermione had brought what little she had found to Harry and the others. When no other options had been found after months of research, Harry had decided to risk it after some subtle gentle prodding from Luna. It had also been Luna who had handed Harry an old book on bonds before she had continued walking past his chair in the library. Two bonds in particular had been bookmarked within the pages.

One was the bond created between a godparent and godchild. It had fallen out of practice, but in the olden days these bonds were created to give the child a third parent sworn to raise and care for the child in the absence of the birth parents. This bond was one of magic that connected the two and made it so that the godparent could always find the child as their magic would lead them to them if anything happened, and would alert the godparent if there was something wrong with the child. The bond also helped support the child's developing magical core until maturity and thus led to less cases of accidental magic. The bond would remain until the death of either the godparent or the child. Were the child to die before the godparent, their magic would punish them for their failure.

Harry had wondered why these bonds had fallen out of practice and the title of godparent had become more honorary. It had been Draco who was able to tell him that they hadn't been needed as much after witches and wizards had separated from the muggles. That the bonds hadn't been needed as much because the danger of the muggles discovering them hadn't been as great. The bond had been used by the godparent mainly to find and protect the child if anything happened to the parents in a time before the wizarding world had become more organized and the Ministry had been created.

There had also been less witches and wizards who were willing to risk the punishment of their magic should something happen to the child they had been bonded to.

The other bond that had been bookmarked had been one of shield brothers and sisters. Another bond that had fallen out of use. It was a bond forged in blood and magic that connected two or more witches and wizards. It would alert the others if one of their number was in need of help if their blood was spilled by someone with harmful intentions. It was a bond meant for those sworn to fight together in the defense of their other Shield-Brothers or Sisters. The term was old norse, but that wasn't surprising when it had been most commonly used by norse witches and wizards of the time when the need to fight and defend their lives and homes had been an everyday reality. A more modern term for the ritual was blood-brothers and sisters.

The first ritual would bond Harry to Teddy while the second would bond Harry with whoever joined him. Passing into the Veil would be a risk no matter what they did, but if even Hermione couldn't find another option then that left them floundering. It was either attempting the Veil or continuing to remain in hiding. After a few quiet days of thought as he poured over the available information, Harry had decided to attempt the Veil.

A life of hiding and running wasn't a life he wanted for Teddy. Harry refused to raise his godson like that. It was unknown what they would find after passing through the Veil, but it was a chance. After Hermione had spent another month looking for other options while the hunt for Harry, Teddy, and Draco continued, Harry decided he would attempt the Veil for good or bad.

It was because of the risks that Draco had taken time to decide if he would be joining Harry and Teddy while Hermione started talking to the others about making a list to help prepare for what they may find after passing through the veil. He had more of a chance to pass under the radar of any other country in the world on his own. He could still make a life for himself outside of Great Britain, or even Europe. Yet, there were still risks if he was discovered and hauled back to Britain. He would need to spend his entire life in hiding while hoping he wasn't found. In the hope for a new life where he could live freely, Draco had decided to go with them.

Surprisingly, Draco hadn't been the only one to decide to go as they were joined in the ritual to become shield brothers by one more three nights before.

"Are you ready to get started, Harry?" Hermione asked softly as she approached and drew him away from his thoughts.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Harry replied with a sigh of resignation as she reached out to grasp his hand comfortingly.

"Then you should start saying your goodbyes. We have less than an hour before we need to leave and we'll need to move quickly to provide the distraction so you can get in. I'll take Teddy around to everyone so they can say goodbye, and then get him ready." Hermione said with a gentle squeeze of his fingers before turning to retrieve the baby from Mrs. Weasley as she gave a nod to George.

Harry took a deep breath to steady himself as his friends were already waiting with grim smiles. He felt like his heart was breaking as it was slowly cut from his chest. It had been a month since the decision to chance this had been made, and they had all started planning and making preparations. Still, it was only in that moment that the reality of what he was doing truly hit him.

If this worked the way they hoped it would then this would be the last time he would see most of those who he cared for.

"We've all packed a few things for you and the others we thought would be useful. We won't tell you now, but there is a list in each of your bags detailing the contents of each trunk." Bill said when he stepped forward and grasped Harry's hand in a firm shake before stepping back as Fluer wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed his cheek.

"My family also 'elped with some of ze supplies. Draco can read ze labels if you are unsure what they are. They send well wishes zo zey do not know what is 'appening. Please, be careful." Fluer said slowly; her time in Britain having helped a bit with her english though she still had an accent.

"Thank you. This is for both of you. Don't open it until after we've left though." Harry said as he pulled one of the envelopes from the pile he'd brought with him into the room.

"We promise. Good luck, Harry." Bill replied with a nod as he accepted the envelope and turned to speak with George.

"We helped with the care packages as well, but I wanted to give you this now." Neville said and picked up a very familiar object from where he'd set it against the wall behind a chair.

"Gryffindor's sword?" Harry asked in surprise as he accepted the blade in a thick leather scabbard that Neville must have had made for it to protect from the venom imbued in the blade.

"We don't know anything about where you'll end up. It may be useful to you. Plus, some people in the Ministry have been sniffing around asking about it. I don't know why they want it, but the Headmistress feels that it's better that it goes with you then have it fall into their hands. She has replaced it with a fake and sends her well wishes. The scabbard has a few spells to protect it from the venom in the blade, but you may want to have another one crafted. I don't know how long it'll last before the venom eats away at the spellwork." Nevelle explained, and Harry nodded in thanks before smaller hands came up to grasp the sword and guide it to his waist.

"You need to secure it properly. Like this." Luna's softly spoken words had him focusing his attention on how she was securing the sword at his hip with the straps.

"I'll remember. Thank you, Luna, Neville." Harry said, hugging Luna gently before turning and grasping Nevelle's hand firmly with a nod.

"I got something for each of you as well, but they're both upstairs. These are letters I wrote for you to read after we leave. Give my regards to the Headmistress and let her know I'm thankful and will keep it safe." Harry said as he handed them both an envelope each and Luna gave a light and airy giggle as she smiled.

"We'll love them, Harry. Thank you." Luna said as she stepped back to stand beside Neville as he nodded.

"Any last words of advice for me, Luna?" Harry asked knowing that Luna had always had valuable insight that had helped him in the past on some of his darkest days and as they made preparations for tonight.

"Just don't forget to call out to us when the time comes. Everyone will wish to know you are all happy with your choice." Luna said airily, and Harry's brows furrowed in confusion as he didn't know what she meant.

"We'll always be here for you, Harry." She whispered as she raised her hand to rest it gently over his heart; over the mark of the Hallows.

Harry almost choked at the feeling of grief as he was reminded of something Sirius had said to him several years ago, and again right before he had walked to his death just a few short months ago. That the ones that love them never really left them, and he could always find them. That they didn't leave just because they were gone. It was then he understood what she meant. It may not be for a very long time, and he didn't know how he could do it without the stone, but he would be able to see them again in some form.

"Thanks, Luna. I won't forget." Harry said as he stepped away with a smile toward both of them to find Ginny waiting, and she quickly pulled him into a hug that he returned.

"I'm sorry, Gin." He murmured quietly; apologizing because their relationship had ended before it had really begun again once more.

"Don't apologize. None of this is your fault. I don't blame you. It just didn't work out the way that we had hoped. That might not be a bad thing. I've known you had Teddy to consider since you were asked to be his godfather and then Remus and Tonks died. He's not safe here, and you are the only one he has left now that Andromeda can't be here. I still have my family and friends. One day I'll find someone. You will too. Teddy needs you. Well, the three of you will be there to protect him and each other. Remember that, and all of you be careful for his sake." Ginny replied quietly as she slowly pulled away and tried to smile.

"Even so. I'm sorry I couldn't be what you needed. You're going to make some bloke very lucky. I wish you all the best, Gin, I really do." Harry said as he brushed a strand of red hair away from her face as he stepped back.

A part of him greived for what could have been, but another part of him was relieved. She was strong. She would be able to move on. She would be able to find happiness. A future with a man not weighed down by responsibilities and a prophecy that would continue to follow him for however long he lived.

"I hope you find happiness, Harry. Wherever the veil takes you. Don't forget us." Ginny said as she kissed his cheek before stepping away from him, and Harry shook his head in denial.

"I won't forget." He replied as he handed her an envelope, and she smiled as she moved away to let her parents approach; Mrs. Weasley crying as she engulfed him in a crushing hug.

"Now you be safe, and take care of each other. I've prepared a few meals so you don't need to cook for at least a few days, and prepared bottles and some mashed foods for Teddy to eat. Everything is preserved under stasis spells. You just need to heat them up. There's a treacle tart in there for you as well, dear." Molly said, and Harry's heart filled with warmth for the woman as it always did when she expressed maternal affection towards him.

"Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. For everything." He replied gratefully as Molly released him and Arthur pulled him into a hug.

"Take care of yourselves and each other, Harry." Arthur told him, and Harry nodded.

"I will. This is for the both of you. It's nothing compared to everything you've both done for me, but I want you to have it. Just please wait until later to open it." Harry said as he pulled the envelope with their names on it out of the dwindling pile.

"You don't need to thank us, dear." Molly said as she shook her head even as more tears trailed down her face.

"Molly's right. You've been one of ours since the day our boys brought you home." Arthur chuckled at the memory of how angry Molly had been that Ron, George, and Fred had taken the car to go get Harry from his relatives without a word the summer after they met.

It had been nothing to how furious she had been when Ron and Harry had taken that same car and flown it all the way to Hogwarts such a short time later.

"It's almost time to get going. We'll miss you, Harry." Molly said tearfully as she looked at the time and stroked his cheek once more before nudging him over to where Ron and Hermione were waiting, Hermione handing Teddy to George so they could say goodbye.

"This is it, mate. Are you ready?" Ron asked as he clasped his hand before drawing away for Hermione to hug him tightly.

"As ready as I'll ever be. I'm going to miss you guys the most." Harry said as he squeezed Hermione back before they let each other go.

"We're going to miss you too. Don't worry about us, though. We'll all have each other. I just hope that you'll all find people to care for who can accept you guys just as you are. The wizarding world really didn't deserve you." Hermione said with a small scowl at the thought of everything those idiots had been saying and doing since the war ended, and even during the years before.

At this rate it was only a matter of time before there would be another war to follow the last one. Hermione and Ron had both discussed it, and they had agreed that they would be happy for Harry to not be there to deal with it. He'd been through so much already. He'd lost almost everything to the last two wars, and sacrificed himself for all of them. Now they would all be separated; all in a bid to keep them safe and hopefully give them a better future.

"Don't think I don't realize what will happen if the Ministry doesn't change. Just promise me you'll all get out of the country if the worse happens. I've left a chest of galleons in my room upstairs, along with Grimmauld Place, and two properties outside of Britain to you two. Use them, and be safe. It's only a matter of time before they start pressing you both even harder for information on me and Teddy." Harry said as he pressed an envelope into Ron's hands.

"We will. Like Hermione said, don't worry about us. We'll be fine." Ron assured him with a nod as he accepted the envelope knowing that it would be more than useless to deny whatever Harry gave them.

"Kreacher refused to be freed like the Malfoy elves. I've asked him to help those who come here seeking safety. Make sure to talk to him if anything happens."Harry said before turning away as Hermione looked ready to cry.

Harry turned to George as the man handed Teddy back to a tearful Hermione to give her a moment to pull herself together before red-head he turned to pick up a bag he had set on the floor behind his foot. It was one of the leather bottomless bags Hermione had bought for them to carry their supplies. Harry glanced at Draco questioningly only to receive a nod of the head as he slung the strap of his bag over his shoulder.

"Are you sure about this, George?" Harry asked as his throat almost closed up as his name passed his lips and the red-head pulled the strap of the bag over his head.

"I'm not changing my mind, Harry." George said as he used his wand to spell the strap with a sticking charm.

"George... You..." Harry struggled to breath as the quiet murmuring from the others in the room grew silent and he could feel everyone's gazes on the two of them.

"I'm coming with you. I told you when I joined the ritual to become your and Draco's shield-brother that there's no changing my mind." George replied and Harry swallowed heavily as green eyes locked onto blue filled with the familiar grief that had been present in the months since Fred's death, but there was a familiar determination and resolve in the set of George's jaw.

"I know you've tried to change my mind, but it's not going to work, Harry. I've lost one brother. I can't just stand here and let another one go off by himself with only his infant godson and a Malfoy to watch his back. No offense, Draco." George told him firmly, getting a huff from the blonde who knew he didn't mean anything by it, and Harry felt a sharp pain at the reminder of the loss of Fred.

"But, George… You've read the books Hermione showed us. There isn't a way to come back. We're not even sure if it'll work and we're not just walking into our deaths! What about the rest of your family? The shop?" Harry protested only to go quiet as George pulled him into a hug.

"I already talked to them. They all understand and agree with my choice. They'd all come if they could but all of us can't sneak into the Ministry without being discovered. As for the shop…" George said as he pulled away and Harry could see the sadness in his blue eyes that hadn't left in the months since the Battle of Hogwarts.

"That shop was a dream Fred and I shared. We wouldn't have even gotten it started without you." George said and Harry scowled.

"Yes you would have. It may have taken longer but you two have always been brilliant." Harry denied vehemently and a small smile curved George's mouth.

"You were one of the few that always encouraged and defended us. That believed we could do it. Now.. It's not the same without him, Harry. I sold the shop. Put most of the things that could be useful in here. Used the money from the sale for some of the supplies I'm bringing with me." George said as he patted the bag at his side.

At a loss for what to say, Harry turned to look at George's parents. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley looked sad, but both had proud smiles. Looking toward Ginny, Bill, and Ron he could see the same sadness, but they each nodded as they met his gaze. Harry knew from the lack of surprise that George must have spoken to all of them. Yet, not one of them had said anything to Harry about it before three nights ago when George had joined his bloodied hands and magic with Draco and Harry.

"This was George's decision to make,and we couldn't be more proud of our son. Of any of our kids." Mr. Weasley said as he wrapped an arm around his wife who gave a shuddering breath as she attempted to smile.

"We'll feel better knowing two of our boys are together. That all of you will have someone you can depend on in each other. That the two of them will be with you and you aren't alone to raise that adorable little boy." Mrs. Weasley said as tears clouded her eyes once more and George moved to hug her as Hermione and Ron stepped forward with the sling for Teddy.

"There's no changing his mind. He's right though. We'd all come with you if we could, but it'll be hard enough for Kingsley to get you guys in while we all provide a distraction." Hermione said as she helped him put on the sling, and Harry turned to look at Ron.

"George hasn't been the same since… If he wants to go with you guys then we think it might be a good thing for him. At least this way we know you have another person we love and trust to have your back." Ron admitted and Harry nodded slowly in understanding.

George hadn't been the same since Fred's death. They all knew some days had been worse than others. The one thing that had been consistent was the loss of his humor. It had taken George two months before he had reopened the shop, and it had only been because he needed to pay the bills to keep it. Harry knew he had been having trouble running it on his own even with Lee's help.

Even then, the spark of mischief had dulled and George had almost become a shadow of who he had been as he tried to find a path without Fred by his side. Wizarding twins shared magic. Identical twins were believed to share a soul as they were two beings who started as one. Perhaps a new and unfamiliar world, one without all the familiar places and people to bring back the memories and heartache, would be good for him. A change, or at least a distraction, from the loss of his other half.

"Let me help with that." Molly said as she stepped over to help Hermione adjust the carrier for Teddy around Harry's abdomen and chest after placing a small blanket between them, and applying a sticking charm for extra security.

Hermione had bought the carrier in the muggle world. She and Luna had spent some time sewing protective runes into the fabric of both the carrier and the small blanket while Bill had warded them to hell and back. As long as Teddy was in this carrier then nothing would touch him; he would be enveloped with a barrier against any magical or physical attack. The small blanket was just an extra precaution. They knew Harry was unlikely to be permanently harmed if a blade was stabbed through him, as he had lived through a blade to the heart, but Teddy would have been vulnerable. It was an unlikely scenario, but they were all being more than paranoid because they didn't know where they would end up.

If the veil even worked the way the books suspected; none of them would consider any alternative.

"Good idea. We don't know how rough it will be. It's best for Teddy to be securely attached to you. Use sticking charms if you need to." Hermione said as she stepped back to let Molly continue helping Harry as she took Teddy from Bill.

"Make sure their wand arms have free movement. We don't know if it'll be safe wherever they end up. They could land right in the middle of muggles or even worse." Bill reminded them as he double-checked the wards on the baby carrier strapped around Harry's torso once his arms were free, and the others moved to help George and Draco with their things.

"How about this?" Harry asked as he tightened the straps around Teddy and himself after Hermione had helped him get the sleeping baby into the carrier.

Harry shifted the sword so Teddy's leg wouldn't be pressed against the hilt as Teddy was bundled snuggly into the soft fabric of the carrier and blanket. He shifted the sleeping babe more firmly to the left side of his chest so there was no chance Teddy would be hit by it. This left the sword inaccessible, but his wand arm was free. He cast a cushioning charm on the pommel of the sword that was close to Teddy's little leg so that it wouldn't hurt him if they were jostled. He didn't want his godson harmed at all and so he would take every precaution he could.

"I think we're good." Harry said as Luna and Neville double checked that the straps holding the sword around his waist were still secure after he had shifted everything and applied a few charms there as well.

"Have we forgotten anything?" Neville asked as they both turned to Fluer when she spoke up.

"Zeir bags! 'ere." She said as she stepped forward with his and Teddy's leather bags holding all of their supplies before helping get one over Harry's shoulder to rest against his right hip.

"Give me Edward's bag. I'll carry it. If we load Potter down with too much he won't be able to move properly if there's a fight." Draco said as he held his hand out to Fluer to take the bag with Teddy's things and place it over his shoulder with his own.

"Put unbreakables on the straps of your bags as well." Arthur suggested, and Draco let Hermione help him with the spellwork on his and Teddy's bags while George quickly charmed the straps of both his bag as well as Harry's and added a sticking charm to Harry's for good measure; Bill double-checking the spellwork one last time on all of them to be safe.

"Good to go?" Ginny asked as the rest of them started pulling potion vials out from where they'd stashed them.

"I think so. We're out of time, regardless. The others should be taking their potions soon. You'll all need to get changed and head out as soon as they leave." Mrs. Weasley said as she took Victoire from her mother as Fluer would be going the others while she and Arthur watched their granddaughter and waited for them to return.

"Be careful everyone." Harry said as he, Draco, and George gathered by the door to leave.

"Don't get caught!" George told them seriously before they all took one last look at the group and turned away to leave.

"Let's go then." Neville replied as they watched Harry, George, Draco, and Teddy apparate away before turning to change into clothes Harry's size and taking polyjuice.

Harry Potter was about to be sighted all over Britain, Scotland, and Ireland.

123

Harry, Teddy, George, and Draco managed to sneak into the Ministry with Kingsley's help. The task had only been made even easier as the on-duty Aurors who remained overnight after all the other workers went home had rushed out as reports came in of witches and wizards spotting the 'dangerous dark wizard' known as Harry Potter in at least nine different locations. They were all quiet as they managed to enter the Department of Mysteries and locate the room with the Veil.

"This is where I leave you. I need to get back before I'm missed. Good luck." Kingsley said with a nod to Draco as he firmly shook Harry and George's hands.

"Thanks. Stay safe, Kingsley." George said before he and Draco turned toward the middle of the room to observe the Veil.

"Thanks for everything." Harry said as Kingsley paused as he turned to leave.

"Tonks and Remus were friends. I wish I could have done more for Andromeda, but my hands were tied. They put all their hopes on you for a better future. You did your part to get us there, Harry. Now I know you'll do your best to provide that for their son. Leave the mess of this world to us. You just do what is needed for Teddy as well as the three of you." Kingsley said before he slipped out; sealing the door behind him.

Harry took a deep breath before he turned to walk down the stairs to the dias where Draco and George stood looking at the archway. Harry heard the whispers he had heard last time, but still couldn't make out any words. The shimmer of the veil caught his gaze and he almost startled when Draco and George approached him with some rope.

"Got this from Percy. He had the idea to tie it around ourselves so we don't lose each other. It's unbreakable, and the only way to release the knots is a spell once it's tied." George said as he tied one end around Harry's waist before knotting it around Draco in the middle and then himself.

"Are you guys ready for this? No telling what we'll find once we step through." Harry said as his gaze turned back to the veil once they were all tied together.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Draco breathed deeply as he and George stepped close to Harry who had come to stand directly in front of the archway before turning to look back at them.

"Sure. We don't know what's on the other side. It could be death like some of the records say, but we won't know unless we do it. I figure if we die, then at least we're together. If not then a new world might just be waiting for us. It's a spot of adventure, ay?" George said lightly and Harry knew he was trying to lighten the mood though it fell a bit flat.

"Alright. Let's do this. Keep your wand hands ready." Harry said before wrapping his other arm around Teddy's back and stepping through.

His steps were silent as he moved a few feet past the entrance to give Draco and George some room behind him. He felt the rope grow taught for only a moment as he turned in the nothingness. He could see nothing through the grey mist as he turned to check on Draco and George. Not seeing them even when he knew they should be so close, he started to panic as the rope loosened. Using it as a guide, Harry trailed his hand down its length until he felt the silk material of Dracos robe.

"You okay Draco? George? Harry asked, his voice echoing strangely in the silence, and his shoulders sagged in relief when the answer came.

"I'm good. Can't see anything past the mist. This place is a bit.. creepy isn't it?" George replied as he tried to see anything through the mist.

He could feel Draco where the blonde had stopped in front of him, but even though they were all so close, he couldn't even see his hand when he held it in front of his face. Reaching passed the blond, George's hand came in contact with the knitted wool of Harry's jumper sleeve where he had grasped the silky material of Draco's robe.

"Thank merlin for the rope." Draco muttered knowing that they would have a hard time keeping track of each other without it though he could hear the movement from Harry and George' clothing shifting though no sound came from the ground as they stepped closer to where he stood between them.

None of this had been recorded in any text Hermione had found. How could it be? Those sent into the Veil would have had no way to report back to those who had remained. They had walked or been pushed into the unknown and there was no way back now. This was only further confirmed as George reached back to see if he could feel the stone arch of the veil. He had been the last to step through, but hadn't taken more than two steps before feeling Draco where he had stopped in front of him.

"The archway disappeared. No going back now." George said and Harry took a deep breath before turning back in the direction he had been facing when they entered.

"Alright. We should keep going. We're not going to get anywhere by staying still." He said as he let go of Draco's robe to wrap his free arm back around the sleeping infant strapped to his torso and leave his wand arm free.

After a few steps, he felt the rope tug a bit before it stopped and knew the Draco had also started moving behind him. They walked on, verbally checking on each other in hushed tones that seemed to echo in the void. There was no way for them to know how much time passed before they noticed a change around them.

The thick mist seemed to move as everything darkened before its form shifted from the appearance of mist to a black nothingness. Harry gasped as he felt the new presence crawl along his skin as the little bit of light left and he lost sight completely. He moved back a step until he could feel Draco behind him. Harry felt the skin of his chest warm even as the space around him felt colder. This new presence felt oddly familiar, and his heart thudded as he realized why. There was only one thing this could be to get such a reaction.

"Death..." Harry choked before realizing neither George nor Draco could hear him just as he could not see or hear them any more.

Worry started to swell in his chest before Harry felt two hands briefly grasp his shoulder as they moved up from the rope at his waist. It unnerved him that they couldn't see or hear each other. Draco and George had chosen to join him, and Harry had been the one to make the choice for Teddy. If anything happened to any one of them then Harry knew that would regret it forever.

There was no way to tell how much time passed as they stood there in the darkness and silence. Eventually, the cold air around them warmed as the presence faded with a gentle caress to Harry's jaw. A dull green light suddenly pierced the darkness. Harry flinched as he turned away to let his eyes adjust before looking back. The light wasn't bright at all, but the sudden shift from complete darkness had blinded him.

Instead, the light was a dull glow in the darkness around them. It provided enough illumination for Harry to see Teddy in his carrier as well as George and Draco's shadowed figures as they moved to stand next to him. There was nothing but darkness behind them, but the light in front of them exposed the sight of several archways.

"They look like the one we stepped through in the Department of Mysteries." Draco observed quietly as the three of them stepped closer to see at least seven archways though there could be more if the dim lights farther away were any indication.

The light was coming from braziers lit with green flames at the top of each stone archway. Like the veil they had stepped through, each of the archways appeared to have a thin film-like cloth that hung over them. Harry couldn't hear the whispers as he could with the one they had come through, but that didn't make him as less wary of them.

"One of these might be our way out. What do you think, Harry?" George asked him as they stopped in front of one of the arches.

"Maybe. It's the first thing we've seen since entering this place." Harry mumbled thoughtfully in response.

"Well we either go through one of them or continue wandering in the darkness. I can't see any indications on where they might lead though. We could end up anywhere." Draco's brows drew together as he looked for any differences between the arches, but was unable to find any.

"It should be a group decision. We've come this far. What do you two think? Should we walk through one or try finding another way out of this place?" Harry asked as he gently rubbed Teddy's back through the carrier.

"I think we should try going through one. We don't know how long we could be wandering in darkness otherwise." George said only for Draco to grumble.

"I agree. I don't like that we have no indication of what we could find on the other side, but the whole plan of going through the veil was daft in the first place. We won't know where they lead unless we chose one and go through it." His blond hair looked to be tinted the same green as the killing curse, as Harry's eyes, from the light of the flame as he turned away from the archway he had been inspecting to look back at Harry and George.

"Alright. Now we just need to choose one to go through." Harry said before pointing randomly.

"That one?"

123456

Alright, this is where the one-shot beginning of this series ends. This is the starting point to where other stories will pick up as different crossovers start based off of the same starting premise. I have written and rewritten this and the starting chapter to the following crossovers a few times over the last year or so. I don't know if they will ever be finished or what will happen at this point as I have so many works in progress at the moment and so much going on in real life since my husband passed away last year. This series just keeps coming back and screaming to be written so we'll see how it goes as new ideas come though it may be a bit slow.

~Ryu