I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.

Hello all, hope all are doing well. Next chapter will be the end of this fic and I will add a longer note as I typically do at the end of a fic with a state of writing and some thoughts. Hope you all are enjoying. Have a lovely weekend.

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Harry Potter and the Stone's Heart

Chapter 16 – After the Fall

"He wasn't wrong," Kingsley said quietly. "Losing Hogwarts like that would have caused so much panic and chaos. One of our biggest symbols of Wizarding Britain, one of our icons, destroyed so openly. It would've caused so much damage with lasting repercussions. It predated the Ministry by centuries."

Once again, they were meeting in the Minister's office. Harry, Ron, and Susan had returned to the Ministry and Auror offices with Dennis' body. Harry then led an investigation team to Dennis' home and after some digging, found all of his notes about his operations and the Slow-Go. The notes led them to other places where he stored material and things he had obtained. After collecting it all, they went through it, working through the night.

Now it was the next morning and Harry had compiled an initial report and was presenting it to Kinglsey, Gawain, Percy, Saltina, and Rita.

"Centuries of knowledge, teaching, and our cultural and historical icon," Saltina agreed. She looked down at her copy of all the notes about the Slow-Go. "Pity. This fellow would have done well in me Department."

"If he succeeded, it would have been a lot worse," Gawain said bleakly. "The Purebloods would have taken it as a sign to go back to the old ways of Muggle and Muggleborn hate. It would've ignited a lot of old grievances and fears we've spent years stomping down on and slowly repairing over. Lowered our international standing. Hurt relations with the goblins. Just wholesale destruction."

They stood and sat in uncomfortable silence.

"How do we present this?" Gawain asked. "Dare we present this?"

"You expect us to keep this completely quiet?" Percy asked, eyebrows raised.

"No, we can't," Kingsley said. "Records become public eventually and you know the types that go looking for trouble when we say there isn't any. We don't mention the why, or the who even, can just say an individual was caught and dealt with."

"That's it?" Harry asked, staring at Kingsley.

"Telling everyone everything that happened would cause a riot just like we're trying to avoid," Kingsley said, giving Harry a look. "So we give a version of the truth and handle it that way."

"That's not good enough," Harry said, voice growing heated.

"You want us to tell everyone everything?" Gawain asked incredulously. "That this person managed to create a criminal undertaking that almost destroyed things for a personal vendetta? Are you out of your mind?"

"If we don't say why he did it, then we're no better than what caused him to do this in the first place," Harry said, eyes glinting dangerously. "It was his lack of faith in the government, in others, that prompted this. If we don't learn from this and help others understand why this happened, and how to not do it again, then we're just going to have to deal with it again."

He pointed at the files on Kingsley's desk. "It's all there. How he tried to get justice on those that hurt him and his family, that attacked the others. How he petitioned for change. How he was ignored. He kept the records of how he was failed, time and again. How desperate he got for the change that he needed, that we need."

"And what message would that send? Try, get denied, and then take matters into your own hands?" Gawain snorted.

"We show how we failed and how we intend on changing so that it doesn't happen again," Harry said.

"Which we can do without showing our entire hand here," Kingsley protested. "We can make the changes without people knowing why."

"So we lie," Percy said with some discomfort.

Harry shouted and threw the files he was holding into the wall, making a loud thump and shocking the others in the room. "I'm tired of it!" Harry shouted angrily, his eyes burning. "Don't you see?! We're doing it again! We have the results of the last time we did this right in front of us and we're doing it again?! If we lie, no one learns!"

He slammed his hands down on Kingsley's desk and clenched them tight, the scars on his right hand showing clearly. "When does it stop? When the next person succeeds and we're completely ruined?!"

"He's right." Everyone looked at Rita. "We can't completely hide this, and for me, that's saying something. We've worked hard these last years and things are a lot better, but you said it yourself, it wouldn't be hard for everything to go back to how it was before. If we don't do this right, right now, we're just setting things up for a harder time the next time."

"Like Tom and the last two Wars," Saltina said quietly.

"Fine. We'll work on a version that tells as much as we can without causing outright panic and chaos, and implement the changes we need to," Kingsley said. He looked at Harry. "Good work, Captain Potter. Now take some time off. That's not a request."

Harry stood at attention and saluted crisply before he turned and left the office.

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Ron jolted when Harry kicked the door of his office open, nearly falling from the chair. The man had been napping at Harry's desk before being awoken like that. "What the fuck did they say?" he asked sleepily, seeing how angry Harry was.

"They wanted to bury everything in the dirt, say nothing happened, but it's all good," Harry said, pacing around. "Not a word as to how and why this happened and how to fucking prevent it the next time."

"Figures," Ron groaned, rubbing his face. "Please tell me they aren't actually doing that."

"They aren't, they're going to release 'a version'," Harry growled, sitting down in a chair and crossing his arms. "I'm also put on leave and it's not a request by the Minister."

"Probably for the best," Ron said. "You look like shit," he said at Harry's look.

"I feel like shit," Harry sighed, deflating. With his venting anger, he felt a bone-deep weariness take over him.

"I can't believe Dennis of all people did it. I understand why, from what you said and we found out, but it's hard to believe," Ron sighed sadly. He looked at Harry. "You know you did everything right, right?"

Harry did not say anything.

"You don't believe you killed him, do you?"

"I watched him die," Harry said. "I could have stopped him from bleeding out within moments of the wound happening but I didn't. I let him bleed out and die and I watched him do it. I just as well as killed him myself."

"It sounds like he was trying to do the same to you," Ron said softly. "When you point a wand at someone, you better be ready to get spelled back."

Harry buried his face into his hands.

"You did your duty, Harry," Ron said. "You did your job. You saved people."

"I chose others over him," Harry said, his voice muffled.

"Yeah, that's part of the job," Ron nodded. "I'd have done the same thing. So would Susan. So would any Auror in our department."

"I know." Harry rubbed his eyes from beneath his glasses. He finally looked at Ron, eyes red. "I tried," he said softly.

"I know," Ron said sympathetically. "Go on. Get out of here. Take a break."

Harry sighed. "I need to do something else first, something important."

"Then go do that and then take a break. If you don't, I'll send Mum after you."

"Getting your Mum to do your work?" Harry asked, a tiny twitch to the corner of his mouth,

"Damn straight. You've met her. You know she's better at it," Ron said lightly.

-0-

Harry went to St. Mungo's after leaving the Ministry and against the recommendations of other medi-magicals, necessitating Padma to step in and give her permission since Harry was not taking no for an answer, took McGonagall to Hogwarts. He then recounted the events of what happened to McGonagall as she sat in the headmistress' office.

"Oh Dennis," McGonagall said sadly. "I am so sorry. I wish…I wish I knew how much he was hurting."

"Me too," Harry said softly. He sprayed a diluted sleeping potion antidote on the portraits in the office, especially Snape's, misting them slightly. He watched as the subjects of the portraits blinked, as if a veil was being lifted and Snape's form seemed to sleep more comfortably, moving more.

"So he doused them in it as well, after dosing me," McGonagall said, watching him.

Harry nodded. "He found out that it sort of did the same to portrait people too. And he did it to cover his tracks. At first he let it out as a mist to slow you and the others down. He had tested it on himself so much, such a light dose didn't affect him. Then when you were out, he hit every painting with more but left Professor Dumbledore's mostly alone to distract us with him referring to the Elder Wand. He learned about the wand through his other studies and he was hoping to send us off in the wrong direction in case any of the portraits would remember him."

"And this is Hogwarts Heart," McGonagall said reverently, holding the Stone in her hand. It was a small thing, looking untouched by tool or anything man-made. It looked like the stones that made Hogwarts, grey in color, yet oddly soft to the touch. It thrummed with magic, a palpable energy. "It was here, all this time. Even I didn't know about it. How did he learn of it?"

"From what I could tell, from reading his journals, he was looking for something akin to the Philosopher's Stone," Harry said, sitting down beside her. "He did a lot of research and it led him to the Deathly Hallows, then the Treasures of Britain. By that point, he already had the Slow-Go on the move and was making deals with King and Yaxley. He then happened upon a book of Treasures of England and while learning about the others, he learned about heart stones."

"Oh right, the act of replacing one's heart or protecting it," McGonagall said. "A very old and very risky magic."

Harry nodded. "And apparently, when he was last here taking pictures for the paper and magazines, he took some in here and discovered that his camera flash can cause some funny reactions in magical objects. Like how portraits go still. He noticed while developing the photos that the Stone on your desk reacted very strongly to the camera flash and the picture itself and came to the conclusion that it was something very important. He tested it on future visits and then stole it when he drugged you that night."

Harry shook his head. "He did more tests with it at home and after using a spell in the past to determine if a stone was a heart stone, found that it was. After some more thinking, he surmised it was actually the key to Hogwarts, either a Heart stone or a keystone, and knew that's how he was going to destroy the school."

McGonagall shook her head too. "How was he going to do it otherwise? It sounds like his discovery of the Stone was a more recent finding."

"Something surprisingly mundane. He was building up another of a supply of explosives, magical and Muggle and was going to do it the old-fashioned way," Harry said.

"How desperate," McGonagall said softly.

"He really was," Harry sighed. He looked around at the office. "Just like Hogwarts was. She knew her heart had been taken, but wasn't able to tell anyone. She tried to convey it and I noticed something was off when I visited, but didn't know what it meant until I was here during the attempt at destroying her. She pushed everyone out of the castle when Dennis came, in case he was successful. She then was using half of the statues and armor sets to fight against the others that Dennis was controlling with the Stone Heart."

He patted the pillar next to him. "She helped me. She let me in and helped me fight Dennis. Helped suck out the sleeping potions he threw at me and blew up a column near him to distract him, ultimately deciding things."

"She knows how much you love her and trusted you," McGonagall said proudly. "I always knew the castle was alive in a way, but knowing just how much is humbling and exhilarating." She looked at the Stone in her hands. "You can see the Stone in many of the portraits, but knowledge of it has faded for so long." She looked at Harry. "What should we do with it?"

Harry looked at it for a long time. "I think we should let her decide," Harry said.

"I agree," McGonagall nodded. She carefully gave it to Harry who held it gently, feeling it pulse. He then carefully put it on a small lip on the pillar beside him. Before their eyes, the Stone melded into the pillar without a trace.

"She'll keep it safe, and if we ever need it for whatever reason, she'll lead us to it," Harry said.

McGonagall nodded.

"How are you?" Harry asked.

She looked at him and smiled sadly. "I'm well, all things considered. I have been told that despite my dosage of the potion, there will be no long-term effects. With some physical therapy, I should be back to my full strength."

"I'm glad to hear it," Harry said gratefully. "Are you going to retake the position as school Headmistress?"

She nodded. "Filius begged me to take it back," she said and they laughed. "And…I need to make more proactive change. If Dennis acted the way he did because of the lack of it, then it is my duty to learn from my failings and try to improve things. So that something like this will not, cannot, happen again."

Harry agreed with her.

"Besides, after my brush with whatever I brushed with, however we call it, I find myself with more than enough energy and drive to do more. There's still plenty to do and oversee," she said with finality.

She looked at him. "And you, my boy? How are you?"

Harry sighed. "I'll be fine," he said plainly. "I did what I had to. Only time will tell if I'm right or not about it."

"For what it is worth, you saved lives, Harry," McGonagall said, taking his hand. "You sacrificed for others. As you always have. You did the right thing. Dennis…even if his motives were sound, he did not go about it the right way."

Harry sighed and smiled weakly. "Thank you."

They sat side by side for a long moment.

"Since I will be dealing with students, parents, and government officials again, I will need my claymore back," she said, her eyes twinkling a little.

Harry laughed and after a moment, she joined him.

-0-

"Come in."

Hermione let herself into Harry's office and smiled gently at him. "Hi there."

"Hi," he said back with a small smile, waiting for her to sit down comfortably.

"Repainting one of the sergeants?" she asked, looking at the small model in his hands.

"Reapplying the magic paint to He'stan," Harry said as he gently applied the green paint to the metal Space Marine. "For when I might need him again. That and I'm touching him up for our next game."

"Sounds lovely." She peered at him closely. "And how are you feeling?"

Harry finished putting the last layer of paint on and dipped his brush into water to clean it. "I'm okay," he said and sounded mostly like he was. "For the most part. I still don't love how things ended and I'm mildly annoyed at myself for thinking it was probably the best way things could have ended."

She nodded, waiting patiently.

"I've killed before," Harry said softly. "Seen plenty of action these last years and there were times where I had to kill someone to protect others. Sometimes, I didn't think twice. I knew it was necessary and they were not good people and I lost no sleep. Others, I wrestled with it afterwards. But this one…"

He sighed. "I keep thinking how I didn't really keep up with Dennis, after the Battle and things. Could I have prevented all of this?"

"You know you can't answer that," Hermione said kindly. "Honestly, just going off the journals you found, it really didn't seem like anything would have changed his mind." She continued after his reluctant nod. "And you did check up on people, as much as you could have."

"But it wasn't enough, I didn't make it a priority," Harry said.

"No, you didn't," she said gently. "But that's not necessarily a bad thing. You had other things that were priorities. Could you have changed things if they were different? Maybe. But then everything would be different now. Then you'd be asking the same question to another problem. And that's not fair to you."

"Fair," Harry said sourly. "What's fair? Dennis lost everything and his attempts at personal justice constantly failed him."

"You lost everything too," Hermione said. "And instead of becoming a new Dark Lord or some sort of criminal, you worked hard and tried to make the world a better place. And you have made the world a better place. For so many people. You chose to do that. Much like Dennis chose to go the route he did."

"After having been failed," Harry argued.

"Your path hasn't been all roses," Hermione replied. "I still remember how hard Auror training was for you. How you had to forgo a lot and sacrifice a lot to become. How you overcame what people thought of you and how you went beyond Britain and trained with international officers and earned their respect."

Harry looked at her. "Like you. When you went back to school after working at the Ministry yourself."

She nodded. "I did my best there, accomplished what I wanted to a degree, and left to pursue a career in therapy and mind healing. My path changed due to my experiences, but it's where I am now and I'm happy with it. I wouldn't have had the close relationship with my family again if I didn't learn what I did and put it in practice."

Harry nodded. "Thanks, Hermione," he said. "I know what I did was needed, but, yeah."

"Everyone knows what you did was incredibly hard and it was unfair for you to make the decision in the moment," she said. "And no one thinks less of you for making it."

"You think?" he asked softly.

She nodded. "I know." She handed him a stack of letters.

"What's this?" Harry asked, taking them from her and looking at them briefly, eyes widening.

"Our friends asking about you," she said lovingly. "Parvati, Lavender, Katie, lots of people asked me to bring these to you. To tell you that they care, and that they're sorry for what happened. That they still have faith in you. And wish you well."

He held onto the letters tightly for a moment before putting them into a basket beside his desk. "Thank you," he whispered.

Rita had written a very plain and honest account over the events of everything. It was a description of the Slow-Go crisis, leading into the smuggling, and then how the school was in danger and was narrowly saved due to Harry and the Aurors. While it did not reveal everything, not even the existence of the Stone but that was mostly Harry deciding not to include that in his report and cited some other means of destruction that Dennis attempted, it was still an open observation of what happened.

Rita had included Dennis' name and why he did what he did, even with quotes and pictures of the events that led him to that last fateful encounter. This had led to inquiries and discussions by the Wizengamot and the Department Heads with many clamoring for more ways for things to change, hopefully for the better. As expected, there were some hardliners that claimed that the ruination came from Muggles and Muggleborns, but they were swiftly silenced by the other side arguing that Yaxley had returned to reinstate the Corrupt Pureblooded State and Regime and the worst of the protests were put down.

Harry had been legitimately afraid of the response from people who knew and liked Dennis. Luckily, it seemed they understood the terrible choice that Harry had to make.

Being understood was more than he could have asked for.

"It really was impressive that Dennis did all that he did," Hermione said softly.

"He worked hard and believed in it," Harry agreed softly. "It was all in his notes and journals. He made the drug after a lot of research and testing. He got his hands on the wands by getting Ministry people addicted to the drug. He learned how to cast the Dark Mark by Prior Incanto. All of it. All through hard work and determination."

He looked at her when she took his hand in hers.

"What are your immediate plans?" she asked gently.

"I'm still on leave for some time," Harry said. "Not sure for how long, technically. This case, it really hit hard and I need time to process it."

"Do you want us to move out? Give you space?" she asked. "The danger is over with after all."

"No, stay as long as you like," Harry said. "I like having you all around, and so does Andi and Teddy."

"Phoebe still thinks she can learn how to be a metamorphmagus," Hermione said fondly. "She's trying her best and Teddy is being patient about it, bless him."

"He likes the ability to practice. It's helping him unconsciously as well," Harry grinned.

"Mum and Dad love it when he changes to look like us," she laughed.

-0-

"You are looking particularly pensive," Andromeda said, sitting beside him. "Share your thoughts?"

"They're a bit jumbled still," Harry said, looking at her. He had been sitting on Grimmauld's rooftop garden and was staring at nothing, enjoying the sun and warmth. The whole of London swirled around them but with the magic Grimmauld housed, they were in an oasis of greenery and peace.

"Understandable," Andromeda said sympathetically.

"I've come to terms with it all, mostly," Harry said, looking down at his hands. "I've looked back and wondered if there was anything I could have done differently, if I missed a clue earlier. If I could have done anything to change things."

He shook his head. "There really wasn't. Nothing I knew at the time would have changed the outcome."

Andromeda nodded, letting him speak.

"Doesn't mean I like it though," Harry sighed. "I'd rather Dennis be alive and screaming obscenities at me from Blackgate or any other prison. He'd be angry and locked up, but alive."

"He made his choice, love," Andromeda said gently.

"I know," Harry sighed.

"And you made yours. And yours were made out of duty and care."

"So was his, in a way. He still cared and loved his family," Harry said. "He just wanted justice."

"Justice for one is not for another, sadly," Andromeda said simply. "That is the way of things."

Harry nodded unwillingly. "We can only move forward, right?"

"Right," she said, looking at him with soft pride.

"I've been thinking…"

"Yes?" she prompted, leaning to him.

"Thinking about what I want to do," he said slowly.

"Oh by all means, share if you feel comfortable." Andromeda shifted slightly, looking to the side at the empty space on the couch for a moment before she turned back to Harry with interest.

"What Dennis said wasn't completely wrong. There's been change, both a lot and not enough. I think the climate towards Muggleborns and others has been a lot more inclusive. There's been new laws passed to protect more people and to move the power around some. Each new year of recruits to the Auror Academy have been different in small ways."

"True. But as we know, sincere and lasting change takes time. Drastic changes have a way to change back just as swiftly and drastically," Andromeda said.

He nodded. "Something Hermione and Saltina said had me thinking. Dennis was capable of so much and did incredible things, but he put his energy into the wrong direction. What if I'm doing the same?"

"Do not sell your accomplishments short," Andromeda said sternly. "You have a stellar record as a law enforcement officer. You have brought peace by defending the public time and again. Do not say that you accomplished nothing."

"Okay, I won't," Harry said, smiling sheepishly at her snort. "But what if I can do more? Or be better at doing it."

"So going for the law side instead of the enforcement side?" Andromeda asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, I mean that would help too, but I don't think I have the patience for it." He and Andromeda laughed together. "That and sometimes, even now, I feel like some people at the Ministry listen to me because of who I am and not what I do."

"Not necessarily a good thing, sometimes," she agreed.

"I was thinking about what Dennis said during our confrontation," Harry said softly. "About things repeating and people never learning. And when the Minister and the Director wanted to do that somewhat. Which then led me to think about my time at school and…well…"

He took a breath at Andromeda's nod of encouragement, "In Defense, we learned a lot about the what and the how, but we never really learned about the why. Why things came about. Why things happened that way."

He looked out over London. "Maybe, if more people understood why things happened, both before and after, then people would know what else we can try and do to not repeat them."

"A laudable goal and mindset," Andromeda said approvingly. She smiled at him. "You know you cannot arrest students."

"Isn't that what detention is?" Harry asked and they laughed merrily. He looked shy when they stopped. "Is that a mad idea?"

"I think it is a wonderful one and I believe you would be an excellent teacher. I believe you already are. You mentor Aurors and recruits and you tutor Teddy and improve his marks. And I know Phoebe speaks to you often about magic and things." She looked at him lovingly. "I think you should do what you want. For too long you did what you had to. Now it is time to do what you want to."

"I want to make sure that this doesn't happen again, not like this," Harry said. "I want things to be better."

"You have done that," Andromeda said. "And you will continue to do so. I know it."

"Thank you," Harry said, smiling and letting out a long-held breath. "I guess I need to ask Teddy what he thinks."

"You want the boy to help you determine a career path?" Andromeda asked dryly.

Harry laughed. "I mean, more like if he'd be okay with me at Hogwarts and being a teacher of some kind."

"I have a feeling he will love the idea, but let us ask." Andromeda's hand shot out and latched onto something unseen.

"OW OW OW GRANDMUM!" Teddy yelped. The air undulated and an invisibility cloak fell off Teddy who was wincing due to Andromeda's grip on his ear. "How did you grab my ear when I was invisible?! Also how did you know I was there?!"

"I felt the couch cushion move when you sat," Andromeda sniffed while Harry laughed. "Also I smelled bacon and butter and there is none here. And finally, I raised your mother who was a lot sneakier than you."

Teddy rubbed his ear ruefully when she let go. "So you twist my ear off?!"

"What have I told you about eavesdropping?" she asked sternly.

"Say that again?" Teddy asked cheekily. Turning his other ear to Andromeda. "I can't hear out of the other one for some reason-aaahhh I was kidding!"

Harry laughed as Teddy narrowly dodged out of Andromeda's grasp and hid behind him. "I can't keep her from you," he said.

"I know, I'm just using you as a shield so I can get away," Teddy said, peeking over his shoulder at a glowering Andromeda.

"So what do you think? Would you be okay if I was a professor?" Harry asked.

"Are you kidding? See you almost every day, get to brag about my awesome Godfather, and not having to worry about getting points taken off in one of my classes? I'd love it!" he said enthusiastically.

"Harry, I give you permission to take as many points off as you need and to assign copious amounts of detention as you see fit," Andromeda said.

"Hey!" Teddy squawked.

Harry leaned back, smiling from ear to ear as he listened to Andromeda and Teddy argue and squabble, which led to him being chased by her around the rooftop garden. He looked out over the city and for the first time in days, he felt peace and something else.

Hope.

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AshokaTheGreat - I did so much back editing and backtracking to get the details how I wanted them and to line things up. Hope people appreciate them on the reread.

mike3308 - Hogwarts endured at least.

alix33 - Nobody won, as sad things go.

choquain - Thank you, glad you liked it.

poka - That's what I was hoping for, understanding why he did what he did, even though it was wrong.

Hands Off MY Wolfie - No, but he latched onto the one thing that made sense to him and he became obsessed with it. To him, working 'with' them was a means to ruin them even further. Thanks for reading.

T.J. Law - I thought it would be interesting and compelling to have him use both means to bring things to ruin. I'm sure your dog had a wonderful life with you. Thank you for reading.

DOOOOOOM Lord of Waffles - Grief really can do terrible things and encourage people to also do terrible things. Dennis was lost and in pain and sought to bring down what he thought was responsible.

odonnellzoo99 - When a few people guessed it before, I was mildly impressed and irritated haha. Wanted it to feel like a surprise the first time, and then on rereads, people can find the clues.

TheSphynx - Yeah, I wanted something less obvious good and evil and something more nuanced and tragic.