When All Is Said and Done-Epilogue
The wise old wizard walked to the front of his class as his students filed out single file. He enjoyed teaching again after all these years as the Headmaster of the greatest wizarding school in the world. Hogwarts had been his home for nearly seventy years. He'd seen so many of his co-workers and friends pass on that having these young minds to teach and mold was a blessing.
"Pappy, Pappy, will you play with us?" Four young children came running in to his classroom followed quickly by middle-aged wizard and witch.
"Leave Pappy alone, he is probably tired. We will visit with him later." The witch said very protectively of the old wizard.
"Hermione, don't worry. I'm fine. You're right though, it doesn't get any easier as you get to be my age. How's that wastrel of a husband of yours?" Pappy laughed. "Is he still buying all of those antiques trying to keep that business running?"
"Of course, he is. He loves that you gave it to us to maintain." Hermione said.
"Pappy, will tell us the story of Voldemort again?" The boy asked.
"James, do you ever get tired of hearing that story?" Pappy asked.
"No, it's cool. Tell us the part about when Harry went into dungeons." James said.
"Okay, but you know your sister Ginny gets all upset and has nightmares." Pappy said.
"Oh, you can tell her the yucky love story part after we're done." James countered.
"Why don't you tell us the whole thing, I love hearing the whole thing," Ginny said enthusiastically.
"Okay, I'll start it during the summer when Harry met Hermione." Pappy began the story. For him it had seemed like yesterday that he'd met Hermione. After all the eighty years they'd spent together passed like a late summer night's breeze that had cooled and comforted everyone it touched. They broke for dinner and continued the story late into the night.
The following morning the young middle-aged witch named Hermione brought the children back to see Pappy as they were getting ready to leave. "You should really come with us. You would have a wonderful time. You can relive old times."
"After telling the story last night, I think I would enjoy seeing the old place again." Pappy said.
The trip to Godric's Hollow was a long one for Pappy. He sat next to Hermione on one side and her namesake on the other. "Can you believe sweetheart, that after sixty years we're going to go back?"
"No, Harry, I don't. It was such a wonderful time. It's funny how the name Pappy has stuck with you over the past few years. I think most of the grandchildren find it hard to associate you with Harry Potter, the most famous wizard ever. To them, you're just Pappy." Hermione said with a smile. "You find it hard to respond to Harry sometimes, don't you?"
"Of course, after the past twenty or so years, students, family, and friends calling you Pappy, you tend to not recognize your name." Harry said.
"But I call you Harry everyday at least once." Hermione said with her wrinkled yet still beautiful face scrunched up in a pout.
"As stupid as we were back then, would you change anything? Do you remember everything like I do?" Harry asked in rapid succession.
"I do, Harry. The doubts of our troubled years have passed into oblivion though, darling. It's all been worth every minute." Hermione answered. "Are you okay, honey?"
"I have been a little out of breath lately. I don't think it's abnormal at nearly ninety though, even if Dumbledore and Nathaniel lived to be over one hundred." Harry smiled weakly.
"You should have listened to the doctors and stopped teaching years ago. You know it's just a matter of time." Hermione had a sad look on her face. "I didn't spend my youth hoping to grow old with you to have you squander it."
"My dear, have I ever squandered a moment of my life?" Harry asked. "Every moment I have cherished with you, the children, and the grandchildren. I can't sit still and wait for something that may not happen to happen."
Hermione sat quietly and looked at her granddaughter next to her. "I swear he has become more stubborn the older he's gotten."
Nearly ten years before Harry had been diagnosed with a brain aneurysm that they said would go anytime. He avoided the most dangerous behaviors, but his heart was in teaching and helping people. "How's Bill doing with the antique shop in Little Whinging?" Harry asked.
Little Hermione answered, "Very well, with Mum and Dad's help. They love working there. I wish we had been old enough to remember Pappy Nathaniel."
Little did Harry know that they were going to go to Little Whinging on the return trip to Hogwarts. The most important thing was getting to Godric's Hollow. The late afternoon sun was fading behind the old trees on the corner of the lot as they approached. Harry looked at each one of them with a special memory. They'd each been planted with a specific time, place or person in mind.
As the car pulled up, James, Harry and Hermione's son walked out with his wife Mary and hugged them both. James was particularly proud that his name had been the one each generation had preserved. "Hi, Dad, are you doing okay?" Harry thought it was silly that a seventy-four year old man was catering to his ninety year old father, but James had the constitution of a much younger man. "We have a room set up for you and Mum in the new addition we put on last summer. So this will be your ninetieth birthday party tomorrow. I'm glad you decided to come. We know it's a few months early, but Mary and I will be traveling this summer and we wanted to share the occasion in some way."
"Hermione, you promised there wouldn't be any great to-do about my birthday." Harry said with faint scowl that turned into a grin. "I knew you'd never keep that promise." Hermione smiled back.
As the light faded and the stories of school, grandchildren and heroic deeds of days gone by ended, Harry and Hermione retired to their special little room at the back of the house.
"Sweetheart, isn't wonderful to hear the laughter of children again?" Hermione asked quietly. They had never gotten out of the habit after these long years of snuggling with her head on his shoulder when they first retired for the night. It was their romantic time.
"Why didn't James mention that it's our seventy third wedding anniversary next month?" Harry asked groggily as he faded off. "Or is that another surprise for tomorrow?" He was asleep.
"You know James. He is good at keeping secrets. We won't know what's happening until tomorrow. Just like everyday we've had since Nathaniel passed." She listened closely as Harry's breathing became more rhythmic. He'd fallen asleep.
Harry dreamed that night of a wonderful day in June some seventy three years before. His Hermione stood under the white trellis with red and white roses woven into the slats amongst the greenery with her father handing her off to him as the minister began the ceremony. Harry remembered how beautiful she was as if she were standing next to him today, but for some reason this dream seemed surreal. Every word and feeling came in a rush as the minister finished. "I now pronounce you husband and wife." They'd kissed.
His dream seemed to fast forward to that night in October when Hermione was lying quietly in bed and without a moments notice sat up and said, "Harry it's time. My water's broke." Harry had taken precautions and had set up a means of notifying Madame Pomfrey in a hurry.
Hermione handled herself remarkably well as the racking pain of labor and childbirth ripped her apart. She perspired but her screams were muted by the iron-clad will that Harry loved so much. As James head emerged, Hermione's cries were now very real. Harry held her hand and said, "I love you, Hermione. Just hold on, just a few more minutes, sweetheart." Very soon after, Lily came into the world crying but to his and Hermione's amazement she seemed to smile within moments of escaping the womb.
He dreamt of Ron and Luna's wedding six years later. And, Ginny and Draco finally said their vows a year later. The surprise was the friendship that had developed and lasted until this day between Charlie and Tonks. Tonks would visit Hermione and tell of visiting Charlie in some exotic place "wrestling Dragons" she called it.
Harry dreamt of every moment in his life. The dream was so satisfying that it seemed that it was all he could do. He felt him self-floating as if he were on his broom for one last Quidditch match. He'd snagged the snitch. It was his. The game was over.
Hermione felt Harry move slightly and looked at him tenderly as a smile came across his face as he slept. Hermione knew that the smile could be for the birth of their children, the grandchildren or any one of their hundreds of nights of lovemaking. That's what she loved about Harry. Everything and everyone in life had become special to him. Every moment was to be savored. She lay awake looking at his grizzled old face. Why Hermione picked that night to watch him, she didn't know. Harry woke with a start a momentary smile passed his lips as his gaze met Hermione's and his eyes began to stare blankly toward the ceiling.
Hermione lay still as the tears rushed over her. She knew it had happened. She called calmly for James whose bedroom was next to theirs. James came in and saw the same thing Hermione saw. Harry had passed in his sleep.
"James, leave him with me for tonight." Hermione said as she looked at her clock. It was four thirty in the morning; they would make the call for an ambulance later. She took Harry's face in her hands and kissed him. She looked down and as if he'd known, he had the pocket watch she'd given him so many years before still in his hand and opened.
Hermione got out of bed and opened the single bag she'd brought and took out the music box. The music played. She looked in its mirror and saw Harry. She was confused. It was only supposed to show the living. Slowly it showed her so many pictures of their lives together that she never again felt sadness. At that moment, she realized that the magic of the box and watch had been to show the person they should love most. It was still Harry she should love. He would be with her in spirit for the rest of her life.
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