Epilogue

August-2015

Danica made her way through the Ministry, her heels clicking on the stone floor. Her long dark hair was in a neat bun at the base of her neck, added to the skirt suit she was wearing she looked very professional.

Several people greeted her as she walked past, sometimes stopping to say a few words of small talk, often congratulating her.

She took it all in good grace, pretending that today wasn't a hugely important day for her would have been ridiculous. Apart from anything else her success had been reported in the Daily Prophet, let alone having spread around the Ministry.

Checking her watch, Danica noted that she had over an hour for lunch before the ceremony, something she was very grateful for.

After a quick stop at the cafe on the ground floor of the Ministry she popped up in the lift to the fourth floor, where her department had now spread over the entire left side of the floor, covering over thirty rooms.

"Hi Georgie." Danica said, smiling to her secretary, "I picked you up a sandwich and slice of coffee cake."

Georgie smiled, taking the paper wrapped bags that Danica handed her. She was only young, two years out of Hogwarts but she'd proven herself several times over the last eighteen months. She was smart and quick thinking, remembering just about everything that anyone had ever said to her, "Daniel already brought up cream cakes. I've popped yours in your office."

"Aww he is good." Danica grinned, "Is he still coming later."

Georgie nodded, "Yes. In fact he told me to tell you that he, and the kids, would be there at two on the dot."

Danica nodded, giving a small sigh of relief. She wondered through to her office, adjusting the succulent that was growing lopsided on her window still.

The in box on her desk was pleasantly empty, with only a few papers laying there waiting to dealt with. Danica settled herself down at the large desk and pulled the bottom letter from the file, also opening her tuna salad roll and munching absent mindedly.

Two congratulation letters, one objection that had been sent four months late according to the date in the corner. Danica wrote a polite but firm reply, telling them that she would pass on the complaint but as it had been sent so late it was unlikely to even be looked at.

Once the inbox was emptied, her outbox overflowing slightly, she tucked into the cream cake Daniel had brought her, making sure to clean her hands thoroughly to prevent covering her office in sugar.

There was nothing more for her to do but touch up her make-up and pull on her formal outer robes.

At half past two, grabbing her speech and putting it firmly in her pocket, she made her way to the atrium.

The place was packed.

Chairs had been set out for select guests that filled the middle front of the floor but every spare space had someone standing in it.

Danica felt butterflies flutter in her stomach, making her wonder if coffee cake and a cream doughnut had really been such a good idea.

She peeked round the door, seeing Harry, Cho, Lily and Severus sitting in the front row. Harry and Cho's three daughters sat neatly next to them. The youngest, Susannah-Lily was now six and a half and was the spitting image of her mother, with a slightly red tinge to her hair.

Next to them was William and Danica's on children. Dylan and Bertie, aged five and almost three sat on their own chairs, trying to look very grown up in their smart suits. Little Mirielle was only a year and a half and sat in a neat green lace dress on her father's lap, currently fast asleep.

Tonks and Remus also had pride of place right at the front. This was an immensely important day for their family. A day that meant their children would never have to suffer as Remus had over the years. Their youngest, Ethel, would be starting Hogwarts next year, her future more open than it had ever been before.

Nikka leaned forward to whisper something to Lily. Danica could see Lily laugh at whatever had been said, Sirius rolling his eyes. Dora, at fifteen was desperately trying to pretend she wasn't there with her mum and dad. She also kept shooting flirtatious looks at a first year Auror standing behind her. These looks hadn't gone unnoticed by Sirius, who was considering making her swap with her little brother.

The next row mostly consisted of Harry's school friends. Daphne and Ron sat together, Ron resting his hand on Daphne's swollen stomach. Their second child due in a few months. Pansy, William, Neville, Corvus, Draco, Luna, and Thomas were all sitting with their families.

The next generation of their families all waiting for Danica to speak.

She took a deep breath and stepped through. As soon as she was spotted the crowd erupted in a standing applause.

Danica gave them all a small wave before sitting in her seat just behind the podium where the Minister was standing.

Kingsley smiled as the crowd settled back down into something close to quiet, "I shan't bore you with a long speak. It is clear who you are all here to hear from and, for once, that isn't me. Danica has made such huge changes to our way of life, to our laws and our attitude. I thank you all for being here today to help us celebrate. And without further ado, I give you Mrs Danica Phelps."

Danica stood up, swapping places with Kingsley and smiling broadly as there was another round of cheering.

"I can't tell you how grateful I am to you all for coming today." Danica told them, her magically enhanced voice echoing against the walls, "And how thankful I am for your support, not just now but in all the years that have lead up to this groundbreaking moment. In case anyone doesn't know why they are here today, when a new department is formed in the Ministry it is temporary. There are many reasons for this and it has worked very well for the last eight hundred years and with any luck will continue to do so. At the end of last year, it was agree that the department for werewolf and other minority magical groups' rights, would no long be temporary but permanent. The first permanent department to be formed in over two hundred years."

There was another huge cheer around the room, several people going as far as to stamp on the floor and whistle in celebration.

Danica laughed slightly, waiting for the noise to clear, "I feel much the same," she laughed, "Getting here has taken a huge amount of work, and if I thanked everyone that I wanted to, that so deserved to be thanked, we'd be here for a week or more. So I have had to narrow it down. A quick thank you to my family. To my mother who has always believed in me, like wise my father, who not only believed and fought for me but literally saved my life. To my brother who, while being the famous Harry Potter to everyone else, to me was always just my big brother. All his friends who never looked differently at me once I was hurt and all those who called my name as someone to fight for during the Battle for Hogwarts." Danica paused for a moment, taking a quick sip of water, "I would like to make a special mention to Daphne Weasley and Luna Malfoy. While yes, this department was built by me, they started this fight for werewolf rights in the Ministry. A fight that I carried on, only through their help. Their work telling me that there was work to be done and that the work could be done. I would like to thank the entire staff in the department that I have worked with. Especially Paul and Ashley, my first two employees who have helped build the department into what it is today."

There was another cheer. Danica could see Daphne dabbing her eyes at the words, Luna's three little ones clapping furiously at the mention of their mother.

"When I was attacked, in 1997, I thought my life was over." Danica said, forcing her voice to stay steady as she addressed the difficult subject, "And worse than that, I felt my life was over. It took me a long time to realise and accept I hadn't died that night. That while what Fenrir Greyback did to me changed something forever, it wasn't me that had changed. That I could still be the same person I had been before I'd opened the door to him, thinking it was my mother. The next year, during the worst part of the second wizarding war, my mother sent me to America. To keep me safe. So she could stand on the battle field next to Harry to fight for our future without worrying about her young daughter. It was the sort of bravery that I aspire to. When we left, we flew, in a plane. I saw the clouds and knew there must be fairies living up there and I was right. I worked incredibly hard at school. Making sure every test and mark I got was nothing short of perfection so that when I left Hogwarts I would be able to take my dream role, working with those fairies. And I did it. I got into the course. The hardest course you can go to after leaving school. But it wasn't enough. Due to the lack of laws protecting werewolves, I was removed from the course. Once again, I struggled to realise that my life wasn't over. However with the help from my wonderful husband, supportive friends and family, I once again fought for not just being alive but living. Living the life that I wanted to, just like anyone else is able to. It wasn't easy, and looking back there are certainly things I would do differently." Danica turned to the final page of her speech, "If there is anything to be learnt from all this, it is that you can never stop fighting. No matter who hurts you, who tears you down or uses those hurts against you, you have to keep moving. My life is not what the child in me dreamed it would be, but maybe that doesn't matter. I have a wonderful family, three children that I wouldn't trade for anything… overall my life is so much better than I ever could have imagined. And on that note, looking at the bright not the dark. At the positive and hopeful, not the negative and despairing, I declare the official and permanent Department for Werewolf and other Minority Magical Groups' Rights is open. I would also like to announce that the first law regarding the protection of werewolf rights has been past. It is now illegal to prevent anyone from any course, job or role based on them being a werewolf."

Danica turned and smiled as the list of departments, all written in gold lettering in the centre of the wall glimmered and blurred for a second. Coming back into focus with her new Department.

There was a huge round of applause, followed by Kingsley informing them all there would be cake and tea on the tables against the back wall.

Danica walked quickly towards the exit. She'd spotted Madam Wormwood-Knott in the crowd and wanted to speak quickly with her before she managed to sneak away.

Madam Wormwood-Knott wasn't surprised to see Danica walking calmly towards her. She smiled politely and made herself a slow cup of tea, hoping that Danica would get bored waiting for her and go and talk to one of the other hundred or so people who actually wanted to talk to her.

Of course, Madam Wormwood-Knott was not to be so lucky.

Danica moved closer to her, guiding her to a quieter place against the wall.

"Congratulations." Madam Wormwood-Knott said tightly, "A new Department is… very impressive."

Danica nodded, "I am so proud of all my team, the work we have done and hope to do. I was wondering if you had time for a quick chat?"

Madam Wormwood-Knott tried to think of an excuse to leave, her mind going frustratingly blank.

"Excellent." Danica smiled, her Slytherin tendencies bubbling to the surface as she took far too much pleasure in the conversation, "I received this the other month and after several, long talks with various Ministry officials, I'm sure you can understand why they are moving your offices to be part of my Department."

"What is it?" Madam Wormwood-Knott asked.

She'd known about the move for a few weeks now, and had been firmly told she could keep her current place and role, but would be working under Danica from now on if she chose to stay. She took the letter Danica was showing her and scanned over it.

It was from the Cloud fairies. They had heard about Danica's work and the new Department and felt it would be more prudent of them to liaise with Danica and her workers rather than their own temporary department as they had been.

They praised Danica at length, saying several times how much they wished she had applied to the old apprentice program.

"Did you tell them?" Madam Wormwood-Knott asked tightly, knowing that if Danica had the Cloud fairies would never take her back.

"No." Danica old her honestly, "I didn't have to, they already wanted me to take over and I didn't think it was fair to twist the knife so to speak. And I wont tell them, they wont find out from me."

Madam Wormwood-Knott nodded, "Thank you. I… I suspect they will find out at some point though. It's common knowledge now."

"That's not my fault." Danica said frankly, shrugging her shoulders.

"No. No it isn't. It's mine, really." Madam Wormwood-Knott sighed, "I know that now. I… I honestly thought I was doing the right thing. You could have hurt someone."

"No, I couldn't have." Danica told her firmly, "That was nothing but your prejudices talking. And I am sorry to hear you still feel that way." she took the Cloud fairy letter back, tucking it away safely.

"Will you be going up to meet the Cloud fairies?" Madam Wormwood-Knott asked.

Danica nodded with a huge smile, "I'm booked to go up next week. And at least once a week thereafter for at least the next year."

"Congratulations." Madam Wormwood-Knott said.

"Mama!" Bertie cried, running up behind Danica and hugging her legs.

"Hi baby!" Danica grinned, pulling Bertie up onto her hip, "Did I do good?"

"You were amazing!" Bertie grinned, "Best mama ever!"

Danica laughed, noticing Madam Wormwood-Knott slipping away out the corner of her eye and ignoring it completely. Choosing instead to focus on her family.

"They want you to cut the cake." Daniel grinned, walking over with Mirielle and Dylan.

"Well if there's cake!" Danica said, wrinkling her nose in laughter, "Lead the way. I wouldn't want to deprive everyone of cake!"