Chapter 25: Back to Hogwarts

The fireplaces in Umbridge's two offices had been connected together via the Floo Network to allow her to perform her job responsibilities at both the Ministry and the school, which explained how she was able to get an unconscious Harry to her Ministry office so easily. In light of recent events, the connection was to be disbanded. But first, Harry and Uncle Severus were permitted to use it to quickly get back to Hogwarts.

That was how Harry found himself in the disgustingly pink office for the third time in less than 24 hours. He was beyond sick of the place, but at least this time it was his ticket back to the safety of the castle.

"Before we go, could you bring me a bit closer to the vent, Uncle?" Harry asked. Uncle Severus momentarily seemed like he wanted to ask why, but ultimately granted his nephew's request without question. Once he was near the vent, Harry pulled the locket out from beneath his shirt and bent down a bit, staring at the snake carvings as he said, "Simon? I don't know if you can hear me, but we did it. The evil one has been arrested. You're a hero. I can't thank you enough for your help." He stood back up and tucked the locket back into place. "Was that in Parseltongue?" he asked his uncle.

"Yes," said Uncle Severus. "It's a bit unsettling when you do that."

Harry laughed. He'd never been able to hear the snake language the way other people could, but imagined it was a bit weird to hear someone making strange hissing noises.

"Hey, Uncle?"

"Yes?"

Harry hesitated for a moment before answering. He'd been debating the ethics of asking his uncle personal questions while he was presumably still under the effects of the Veritaserum. He greatly appreciated the sacrifice his uncle had made by taking it in the first place, and didn't want to take advantage of his vulnerable state. "I just… wanted to ask if you're really okay with having me live with you or if you'd rather still be living alone."

Uncle Severus's eyes saddened. "Having you move in was the best thing to ever happen to me. And I'm so sorry that I ever made you feel otherwise."

Harry grinned. "Okay. I'm sorry I asked, it's just-"

"You have every right to ask for validation, Harry. For too long I wasn't there for you like I should have been. It's one of the biggest regrets of my life." Harry just nodded. "Now let's get you to the Hospital Wing."

In the safety of the Hogwarts Hospital Wing, Harry quickly fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. He was awakened around dinner time to ensure that he actually got something to eat, as he hadn't eaten since dinner the day before. And he was pleasantly surprised to see his friends around him when he woke. He barely had time to take in their faces before Hermione rushed forward and pulled him into a bone crushing hug. Ron stood behind her, smiling down at him.

"We thought we'd lost you," Hermione said as she pulled away.

"You almost did," said Harry. "Thank you for going to my uncle. I might not be here otherwise."

"There was no way we were going to stay quiet when you didn't come back from the old toad face's office," said Ron. "What happened last night?"

"Ron, he just got back," Hermione lectured. "Give him some time to rest, we can get the story later."

"It's okay, I don't mind," said Harry. "So much happened, it was easily one of the longest night's of my life." So, Harry launched into the story of his night of horrors. He started with his final so-called tutoring session with Umbridge, where she wouldn't stop giving him Weakness Potion and eventually knocked him out. Then he described the feeling of waking up in Umbridge's Ministry office, and the realization that she'd been Voldemort all along. He described Simon's improbable assist when Umbridge left the room, and their journey to the cave by the sea where the Elder Wand was waiting for them. Then Madam Pomfrey brought him some dinner, and he told the tale of Tom's rescue efforts between bites of chicken, potatoes, and buttered dinner rolls. He reminisced about the hours he and Tom had together, talking about anything and everything. Ron and Hermione shifted between different degrees of shock and horror as Harry spoke, finally finding relief when he got to the part where Umbridge left and he was reunited with Tom.

"Did Tom help you meet up with your uncle, then?" Ron asked. They knew Uncle Severus had ultimately been the one to escort Harry back to school.

Harry sighed. "Tom is… gone," he said sadly. He still really hadn't had time to process the loss, and it was a strange loss to process. On one hand, he hadn't even known about Tom for very long, at least not who he truly was. He'd gotten to know him through his memories, but hadn't gotten the chance to properly form a bond with him. But on the other hand, this was a man who had given up everything to keep him safe, who'd loved him his whole life, who'd been his father. It would likely take a very long time for him to sort out his thoughts and emotions about the whole thing.

"Gone?" Hermione repeated, her eyes softening.

Harry nodded. "He didn't want anyone else to be able to use me, or anyone else for that matter, to get the wand. He didn't want anything like this to ever happen again. So…"

"Bloody hell," Ron muttered, catching on without Harry having to finish his sentence. Hermione covered her mouth with her hands. Harry's face fell as he remembered what it was like to only be able to watch as Tom faded away to nothing.

"I'm so sorry, Harry," Hermione said softly.

"Me too," said Harry, though he recalled something that Tom had said to him in their brief time together. "But he wouldn't have wanted it to happen any other way."

A moment of silence passed between them before Ron asked, "So, Umbridge is just out there somewhere? Hiding most likely."

"Actually, no," Harry said, a grin spreading across his face. He delighted in telling the tale of Umbridge's impromptu trial, where Uncle Severus had shown a lot of bravery in his willingness to drink Veritaserum, and how it ended in Umbridge being dragged away by detectives while she screamed her head off.

"No way," Hermione said incredulously.

"I can't wait to read about that in the paper tomorrow," said Ron. "Your uncle's a legend."

Harry laughed. "Yeah, he is."

"Wait a second," said Hermione. "If Tom made the sacrifice…"

"I have the Elder Wand," Harry confirmed. "Well, actually, I didn't want it to just be laying around in here, so my uncle is keeping it safe for now."

"What are you going to do with it?" Ron asked.

"Tom said that no one should have that much power, and I think I agree. It should be destroyed."

"A wand that powerful will likely need something pretty strong to destroy it," Hermione said. "I'll start doing some research to see what I can find."

"And we should hide the wand in the Room of Requirement when you're feeling better," said Ron. "It should be safe there until we figure out what to do with it."

Harry relaxed into the pillows that were supporting his back, relief rushing over him. Ron and Hermione were the people who'd been there at his side for everything that Voldemort had tried to do to him over the past few years. And now that that chapter was coming to a close, it was reassuring to finally have them up to speed and ready to help him tie up loose ends.

Later that night, after visiting hours were over and Harry was trying to get some sleep, his ears perked up at the sound of whispering. It seemed that his uncle had come to check on him, and was standing nearby with Madam Pomfrey, neither of them aware that Harry was awake and could hear them.

"How is he?" Uncle Severus whispered.

"He'll be just fine," Madam Pomfrey assured him. "It won't happen overnight, but he'll make a full recovery. The Weakness Potion really is the worst of it. Although, Severus, I feel I should tell you…"

"What is it?" Uncle Severus asked, sounding concerned.

Madam Pomfrey sighed. "I did find that he had traces of the Imperius Curse on him. The Unforgivables, you know, they leave behind a fingerprint of sorts." Uncle Severus let out a frustrated sigh. "It was the only one, and of course you know there aren't any lingering physical effects. But it can still be very traumatic to experience, I just thought you'd want to know."

"Thank you for telling me," Uncle Severus said, his voice slow as if his mind was wandering as he spoke. He moved closer to Harry, who closed his eyes and tried his best to pretend to be asleep. He pulled Harry's blanket up a bit, making sure his shoulders were covered.

"He really scared you, didn't he?" Madam Pomfrey said sympathetically.

"More than anything ever has in my life."

Madam Pomfrey chuckled softly. "That's parenting for you."

Harry spent the next day drinking a whole lot of some potion that was supposed to help the Weakness Potion out of his system faster. And although Madam Pomfrey made it very clear that he was to return to the Hospital Wing twice daily for additional doses, he was allowed to leave the day after that. He was given a cane to assist with walking around, as he still had a way to go before his energy levels were back to normal, but he was already starting to feel better.

The educational ordinances had been removed from the Entrance Hall, and the energy around the castle was much happier and more relaxed than it had been just days before. Ron said cheers had broken out at breakfast the day after Umbridge's arrest as students read all about it in the morning paper. And as Harry joined his fellow students in the Great Hall for dinner, with his friends enthusiastically welcoming him back, a familiar face stepped up to the podium.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your dinners," said Professor Dumbledore. A thunderous applause spread across the room, from both students and teachers. The headmaster smiled warmly.

Ron wasn't so impressed. "It's about time he showed up."

"There wasn't anything he could do after they fired him," Hermione said, trying to be fair. "Umbridge had the entire Ministry backing her up."

"How embarrassing for them," Ron muttered, and Harry was inclined to agree. They had the real Lord Voldemort working under their noses the whole time, and had been the ones who personally granted her so much of her power.

"It is so good to be back here with all of you. I am truly blessed with the best job in the world," Dumbledore said once the applause died down. "We have some housekeeping items to discuss, but first, I would like to apologize to each and every one of you. I will admit that I seriously underestimated Delores Umbridge. I was unaware that she was acting outside of Ministry knowledge and approval, and had no idea how bad things would get. I let you all down. I should have fought harder for her removal. She hurt so many of you, and for that, I take responsibility. We can all rest easy with the knowledge that she now resides in Azkaban, and justice is being served."

Harry smiled at the thought of Umbridge's new home. Ironically, she was now on the receiving end of the effects of the dementors she'd been siccing on Harry earlier in the year, only she would be as defenseless as she'd made the students she tormented.

"I intend to make things up to all of you by proving that your safety is my top priority. Therefore, in addition to being your headmaster once again, I will also be taking on the role of your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for the remainder of the school year." There were some excited whispers at this revelation.

"Defense lessons from Dumbledore himself?" Hermione whispered excitedly. Dumbledore was largely considered to be one of the most powerful wizards alive, and was famous for his defeat of the most notorious dark wizard before Voldemort rose to power. Lessons from him on defensive magic would be invaluable.

This also meant that, in addition to losing Umbridge, her associate that she'd appointed to teach them Defense Against the Dark Arts was gone as well. Harry didn't know if Professor Crouch had been fired or if he'd simply fled after Umbridge's arrest, but it was clear that he'd been yet another one of Voldemort's followers all along.

"The year got off to a rocky start, but it's only half over. Very soon, we will take a break for the holidays. And then, together, we will make this next term one of the best yet."

The students clapped, Harry along with them. It was good to have Dumbledore back, especially when it meant that Umbridge was gone. But he still couldn't help wishing that his uncle was getting the recognition he deserved for his part in making this happen. Even if he knew his uncle would hate the resulting attention.

As Harry entered the Hospital Wing for his evening dose of medicine, he was surprised to find his uncle sitting in a chair. "Oh, hello, Uncle," said Harry. "What are you doing here? Are you feeling okay?"

Uncle Severus chuckled. "I'm fine, I'm here for you." He held up a cup of what Harry assumed was his potion. "Drink up."

Harry accepted the cup and took a sip. "If you're worried that I'm not taking my medicine, you don't have to worry. Madam Pomfrey wouldn't allow me to skip out on it."

"I have no doubt, but no. I actually want to talk to you about something. Why don't you have a seat?"

Harry sat on the bed that was next to his uncle's chair. "You didn't have to come over here, I could have met you in your office."

Uncle Severus shook his head. "I didn't want you to have to make an extra trip, you need to be resting."

"I am," Harry assured him, though he probably wasn't resting quite as much as he should have been. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"I know you were probably planning on spending Christmas with the Weasleys," Uncle Severus said. This was what Harry typically did during the holidays, as neither he nor the Dursleys were interested in him coming home instead. "However, I've decided that it would be best if we went home so I can oversee your continued recovery. I've already taken leave for the break, so it's a done deal. I hope you're not too disappointed-"

"You want to spend Christmas with me?" Harry asked. A sudden warmth filled his chest. His uncle had referred to his house as Harry's home, was making plans based on what he thought was best for his nephew's wellbeing, and wanted to spend the holiday together.

"I do," Uncle Severus confirmed. "Is that alright?"

Harry nodded. "I'd love that."

"Good," Uncle Severus said with a grin. "Now, finish your medicine." Harry took another sip. "There's actually one other thing I wanted to run by you. What would you think about having a counselor here at the school that you could talk to?"

"Well, I think I'm supposed to be talking to Professor McGonagall later this year about which classes I want to continue taking at the NEWT level. Don't you do the same thing for the Slytherins?"

"I don't mean academic counseling," Uncle Severus said as he wrung his hands. "I thought it might be nice for… students to have someone to talk to. About non-educational matters." And by students, he clearly meant Harry. Admittedly, Harry found it nice to have someone who cared so much for not only his physical wellbeing, but his emotional wellbeing as well. It had been a hard first term in more ways than one. In fact, considering the things that happened in the school every year, it was a wonder that they didn't already have someone employed at the school specifically to help students process everything.

"I think that would be good," said Harry. "After everything that happened with Umbridge I'm sure a lot of students would find it helpful to have someone to talk to about it."

Uncle Severus nodded. "I thought so, too. I'll bring it up with the headmaster."

Harry grinned as he drained the last of his medicine. He was enjoying getting to know his uncle's more vulnerable side.

"It should be safe here," Harry said as he hid the Elder Wand in the same desk in the Room of Requirement where he'd been hiding Tom's journal from Umbridge.

"It will be," Hermione assured him. "And I've made some progress in my research, there are a few things we can try when we get back from the break. Destroying it won't be easy, though. Everything I've read suggests we'll need some obscenely powerful spell, or a deadly substance from some rare magical plant or creature, or an ancient relic with a complex enchantment of some sort…"

"Well, at least we've got time to figure things out this time around," Ron said with a shrug. "Old toad face is in prison, nobody's actively pursuing us. It feels a bit strange, actually. I always thought I did my best work under pressure."

"Is that why you always wait until the last minute to write your essays?" Hermione teased.

"Yes. My Transfiguration essay that I wrote last week was some of my best work, and I didn't even start working on it until an hour before class."

"You know, destroying the Elder Wand is obviously the priority, but I have another low pressure adventure for us, if you're up for it," Harry said. He told his friends about the Chamber of Secrets, and about the secret inscription on the locket that was supposed to be the key to finding it.

"I'll start looking into that too," Hermione said with a shrug. "I've got to have something to do over the break."

"You do realize most people don't spend their free time doing research for fun?" said Ron.

"Don't tell her that," Harry teased. "If she learns that there are hobbies outside of books I'll have to start doing my own research on this stuff."

Hermione rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "You're lucky you're still in recovery, Harry Potter, or I'd show you what hours of research can do for your spellcasting."

"Bold of you to threaten the guy who has the Elder Wand," Ron pointed out.

"No, she's right," Harry said. "She's always been the best at spells. If anyone can defeat the Elder Wand, it's her." Hermione blushed at the compliment but she was grinning from ear to ear.