HBP HBP HBP!!!!! WoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoT!
The time is finally here! YAYYYYYY!
ETA: POTENTIAL SPOILER!!!Fudge is a death eater. Well, working for Moldieshorts anyway, just have a looksee at the back cover of the Deluxe Edition of HBP recently released by Scholastic. It's obviously him entering that sketchy-looking shack with the blatant snake on the door. Opinions, anyone? /POTENTIAL SPOILER!!!
And that means it's also time to end this story. Forewarning, not 10,000 words, it's 8,000. Sorry. I tried, but I couldn't do it. It will be longer than all of my other chapters, but I really have lost my touch for making 27 page chapters. I'm not entirely sure how you all are going to like the ending...I think Ahn Na Blue will like it, which to me is what matters the most, since it is her story that this is the sequel to. There is a part of it that's a little A/U, as it goes against something that JKR has directly said isn't true. I won't say what it is, but I bet you'll know anyway.
I want to make it clear to everyone right now, that I'm not planning to write another story after this one for quite some time. I'm moving to Los Angeles in just over two weeks, and I have packing, driving across the country, unpacking, and by that time school to do. I have a concept for what my next story MIGHT be, and I'll give you hints about that in the end author's note. Don't expect anything aside from an occasional one-shot from me for a long time though. That being said, welcome to the finale!
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Chapter 12: Fawkes' Gift
Harry's eyes darted around the hall quickly and saw that several death eaters were standing in various places, wands drawn and pointed at the students and teachers who had been herded against the side walls.
"I have to admit," Voldemort said. "I don't know whether to be impressed that you managed to fight your way out of the village, or dismayed at the fact that it took you so long."
"Tom Riddle praising my abilities?" Harry asked with a mirthless laugh. "Since when do I have any skill in your book?"
"Oh trust me, Potter, you still are no match for me," Voldemort said. "As I am about to show you."
Harry prepared himself for a spell to be cast at him, but instead Voldemort merely raised his right hand and flicked it upwards. Harry, not knowing what to be ready for, was helpless to stop his wand being pulled from his grip and into the outstretched grasp of his enemy, causing a round of laughter to ring through the hall.
"You see?" Voldemort said, holding Harry's wand up high. "He is still but a child." Harry felt his heart sink as Riddle grinned and snapped his wand in two. "Seize Potter's friends."
A swarm of death eaters from either side engulfed Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Luna. Quickly overwhelmed, Hermione, Ron, and Luna were dragged off and forced to sit next to some students on the left side of the hall. Harry noted, however, that Hermione had managed to shove her own wand into his pocket right before she was taken.
"So that there's no interference," Voldemort explained with a smile as Lucius and Pettigrew went over to guard them. "I don't want anything getting in the way when I kill you."
"You say that every time, Tom," Harry said. "And you haven't been able to kill me yet."
"Better lucky than good, I suppose," Voldemort said with a smirk.
"How did you get into the school?" Harry asked, trying to buy some time for Dumbledore to get back from the village."
"People make the task out to be so hard," Voldemort said. "They forget that it's only difficult to enter Hogwarts undetected. We caused quite a ruckus coming in here and apprehending everyone, didn't we Lucius?" Malfoy gave a small nod. "All that I wanted was for you and the mudblood to be gone so there was little interference. As you can see, my plan worked out quite well."
"Except for the fact that just about every death eater you sent to Hogsmeade is dead," Harry said. Voldemort arched a grey eyebrow at this.
"All of them?" he asked.
"Everyone that I laid eyes upon," Harry said. "And I'd guess that was over a hundred."
"I confess to being impressed," Voldemort said. "But it is of no concern. I'm quite positive you didn't overcome my minions by yourself, and you surely won't get any help right now. But enough chit-chat. I'm here to end this once and for all. Avada Kedavra!"
Harry barely had time to whip out Hermione's wand and cast a disarming spell, which he hoped would be enough to deflect the killing curse. The result of this was unexpected by everyone in the hall. The jet of green light rebounded on Voldemort and hit his wand, causing it to explode and take several of his fingers with it. The disarming spell rebounded back at Harry impacted on the tip of Hermione's wand, blowing it to pieces and opening a gaping wound on his hand. Both duelists looked shocked, but Harry was easily the more surprised of the two when Voldemort's hand regenerated to perfected condition.
"A useful side effect of the potion that Bella gave me," Voldemort said. "I seem to possess some interesting regenerative powers now."
"Bugger," Harry muttered as he heard Voldemort's high cold laugh. "Now what do I do?"
As if in an answer to him, a loud bang was heard overhead and Harry looked up to see Fawkes right before he dropped something long and shiny. Harry's reflexes allowed him to catch the object, and he noticed that it was the Sword of Gryffindor.
"Albus is in trouble, I have to help him," Fawkes cried from above. "Good luck, Harry." Without another word he was gone.
"Well, well, well, this does bring back a few...memories," Voldemort said with an evil smile. It must've been...oh...nearly ten years ago now that you had no chance of survival, and then Dumbledore's songbird came and brought you the Sorting Hat...and consequently the sword. You even managed to kill my basilisk with it. Well, you know what they say...if you want something done right - " Voldemort paused and drew a long sword from a sheath at his side, only instead of having a gold hilt that was encrusted with rubies, this sword's hilt was platinum and covered in emeralds. " - do it yourself." He held the sword up and Harry could barely make out the name 'Salazzar Slytherin' inscribed in the blade. "I found I remembered many more things than just my own past when I recovered my memory. Including the location of this very special blade."
He saw Harry's slightly concerned look and laughed one of his most vicious laughs.
"Scared, Potter?" he asked. "You should be. While they may not teach weapons combat in Defense Against the Dark Arts anymore, they did when I was in school. I feel that you're at a disadvantage."
"Good for you," Harry said, regaining his confidence.
"Let us duel then," Voldemort said, walking around from behind the head table and coming out onto the middle of the floor. "What say you, Harry Potter?"
"Have at you, old man," he replied, charging full force at Voldemort.
Riddle was expecting this, he quickly parried Harry's attack and tripped him as he went by, sending him flying face first to the ground. Hearing quick footsteps behind him, Harry rolled blindly to his left, and just barely missed being impaled on the tip of Voldemort's sword. He quickly regained a standing position, and swung the Sword of Gryffindor hard at Voldemort's throat. Voldemort brought his own weapon up to block, and the two swords clashed together with a loud metallic crash, accompanied by red and green sparks flying from where the two blades touched.
A sickening smile in his ancient face, Voldemort pushed off from Harry with strength not generally exhibited by people over the age of seventy-five. Both of them stepped back and assumed a fighting stance, watching each other to see who would make the first move. After about thirty seconds of this, Voldemort grew impatient and flew forward, spinning from a crouch and swinging his blade at Harry's waist.
Harry quickly blocked and using all of his strength, forced the two swords upward from his right side, over their heads, and down to the floor on the left side with a crash. Seeing that his enemy was exposed due to the fact that he was still crouched, Harry brought his knee up to meet Voldemort's face. There was a sickening crunch as he connected, and Voldemort stumbled backwards from the force of the blow. Blood was running down the Dark Lord's face, his nose clearly broken. A moment later, however, the bleeding stopped and Riddle's nose righted itself.
"Damnit," Harry muttered as Voldemort (who was grinning madly) came in to attack him once again, this time with an overhead swing.
Instead of blocking the strike, Harry stepped aside and let Riddle's momentum carry him forward, leaving him vulnerable again. Quickly lowering his sword, Harry brought the blade up parallel to the ground and sliced open Voldemort's torso.
There was a gasp from the assembled students, teachers, and death eaters as a splash of blood hit the stone floor, but a moment later, Voldemort was facing Harry again, fully healed.
"As you can see Potter, I cannot be destroyed," Voldemort said with a grin.
"As you can see, you're not a very good sword fighter," Harry retorted with a smile that made the look of glee on the Dark Lord's face fall instantly. "What's the matter, Tom? Disheartened that we finally found something I'm better than you at?"
"I'm hardly concerned with swordplay skills," Voldemort replied. "The power to cast the Avada Kedavra...now there's something to be proud of."
"Sure, if you're a deranged hermit who thinks he's all powerful but is really years past his prime," Harry retorted with a grin.
"Very much like Remus when I drove the dagger into his heart," Voldemort said viciously. "Though he obviously didn't think he was all powerful. He didn't even put up a fight. I stunned him before the wand was even out of his robes."
Harry growled at this.
"Or perhaps like Sirius when Bellatrix cursed him through the Veil," he continued. "What kind of man simply allows himself to get hit in the chest by someone while they're dueling? He was always an arrogant prat."
Harry's fury was starting to build.
"Or maybe..." Voldemort said with a smile. "Your father when I killed him."
"Don't you dare talk about my father," Harry said in a deadly whisper.
"Hit a nerve, have I?" Voldemort chuckled. "He was pathetic. Do you know one of the spells he cast Potter? Do you? He tried to cast a shield charm to block my killing curse!" A round of laughter was heard from the death eaters at this. "I'll tell you, James Potter may have been Head Boy in his day, but that man couldn't duel to save his life. Or your mother's, for that matter."
The air around Harry was starting to crackle with the energy that was building up inside of him. He was emitting a low guttural growl, his teeth bared.
"What's the matter, Potter?" Voldemort asked with a smile. "Does the truth hurt?"
That was it. Harry let out a roar and flew at Voldemort, his sword raised. Riddle was ready for him, and blocked the first few strikes but quickly started to succumb to the speed and fury with which Harry was striking. He forced Voldemort backwards towards the staff table, and soon Riddle found himself pinned against the table. It took only three more attacks before Harry drove the tip of his sword through Voldemort's chest. The Dark Lord's eyes widened and he slumped to the ground. Harry pulled the bloody sword from his foe, then stood on the table and turned to his right, facing a few death eaters.
"Who's next?" he asked furiously.
"HARRY WATCH OUT!" Hermione bellowed from her spot. Harry did the only thing he could think of and ducked. Glancing up, he saw the blade of Voldemort's sword pass just inches above his head. Turning around, he saw Voldemort standing behind him on the staff table, the same blade coming down on a line that would take it right in between his eyes. Harry brought his sword up, grasping the hilt in his left hand and the blade in his right to block the strike. The force of the blow knocked Harry on his back, and Voldemort continued with his attack, leaning over Harry, the sword less than a foot from his face.
"I cannot be killed," Voldemort whispered, leaning down on Harry with all his weight. "No one, not even your mublood mother can save you now."
Blood was starting to run from the palm of Harry's hand where the edge of his blade was digging into it. The pain was starting to become too much, but he knew that if he let up at all, Voldemort would cut his face open in three places.
"Sad, isn't it?" Voldemort asked, as he started to win the proverbial tug-of-war and began pushing his sword closer to Harry's face. "You've gone through hell and back to save the world, your friends, your mudblood lover, and you're going to die for it, right here on top of this very table."
"Not if I can help it," Harry said, and doing the only thing he could think of, snapped his right leg up and planted the tip of his sneaker in Voldemort's groin.
"Nice shot, mate!" Ron yelled from beside Hermione and Luna. Voldemort doubled over coughing, and Harry took the opportunity to get up and knock the sword from his foe's hand with a solid stroke.
"I can't believe that actually worked," Harry said, nearly laughing. "I never thought you'd have any balls for me to kick in the first place." Voldemort said nothing, he only continued to cough, specks of blood running down his chin. "Funny, isn't it?"
"What's funny?" Voldemort coughed out.
"You, the person who brought you back, and the bird that made the potion that brought you back all suffered the same fate."
"And what's that?" Voldemort sneered.
"Death," Harry said, with a smirk. "By beheading."
He swiftly raised his sword and brought it down in a graceful arc, cleanly severing the Dark Lord's head from his shoulders.
This time, Harry kept his eyes trained on Voldemort's body (both parts of it), until he was satisfied that no regeneration was going to save his foe.
"Now," he said, addressing the stunned hall. "As I was saying. Who's next?"
The death eaters scattered, all running for the exit at the front of the hall. They hadn't even touched the oak of the doors when they flew open with a tremendous crash, and Dumbledore, Snape, Mad-Eye Moody, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Nymphadora Tonks burst through, wands drawn, pointed at the figures in black cloaks and white masks.
"I believe you are trapped," Dumbledore said with a smile, as though he were discussing quidditch over a cup of tea. One by one, the death eaters lay down their wands, and Dumbledore bound them each with ropes as they did.
Harry was now thoroughly exhausted, and realised that his hand, between the shock of the explosion from Hermione's wand, and the slice his own sword opened on it while he was holding Voldemort off, now needed medical attention badly. He barely had time to think about it when Hermione was in his arms, her face buried in his chest.
"Oh my god," she whimpered against his chest. "I...that was...it just -"
"Shh..." Harry said consolingly. "It's okay. I'm fine. I just need to get my hand taken care of."
Hermione looked down at Harry's hand and gasped. His hand was still bleeding profusely, a gaping three-inch cut open across his lifeline. The area around the cut was purple and blue, showing that the wound was deep, probably having sliced the muscles and tendons of his hand.
"Come on," she said wrapping an arm around his waist. "Let's get you helped out."
Harry didn't argue, he was too tired to argue. He just let himself be led by Hermione over to Madam Pomfrey, and slipped into sleep on the way to the hospital wing.
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When he awoke sometime later, the first thing he looked for was Hermione, and thankfully he didn't have to look for long. Barely noticing that he had no feeling in his right hand, he saw that she was curled up beside him on the hospital bed, and though the thought passed through Harry's mind, he restrained the urge to wake her up with a spray of cold water from his wand.
"Hey," he said softly, brushing her hair out of her face and rubbing her cheek with the pad of his thumb. "You there?"
"Mmmm..." Hermione smiled into the sheets before her eyes snapped open and she grabbed him around the waist and pulled him into a heart-stopping kiss.
"I'm glad to see you too," Harry said with a grin when they broke apart a moment later.
"Harry..." she said softly. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," he replied. "Aside from the fact that I'm sore all over and my right hand is numb, I'm fine."
"Harry...you don't have a right hand."
Harry pulled his arm out from under the sheets and looked at it with a mixture of disbelief and horror. Sure enough, he had no right hand. Instead, his arm ended in a bandaged stump right below where his wrist should have been.
"They couldn't fix it?" Harry asked, his shoulders slumping.
"None of the healers could," Hermione said. "Fawkes even tried crying in it, but it was damaged beyond repair."
"No right hand..." Harry sighed. "Well, I suppose it's a small price to pay for getting to be with you." Hermione teared up nearly instantly at this, and started letting out small, quiet sobs a moment later.
"How can you say that?" she asked, looking into his eyes with tears in hers. "I couldn't even help you while you were fighting that...that monster. I did nothing for you. How -"
But Harry quickly quieted her with a kiss, and he noted that he could faintly taste the salt of her tears on her lips. He pulled back a moment later and looked at Hermione, who had stopped sobbing, although her tears still flowed.
"I'm not talking about that," he said. "And frankly, I'm glad you couldn't help. I don't even understand why the death eaters didn't charge me after I killed Voldemort. They had us outnumbered five to one. You could have been seriously injured or worse if you had been up there with me."
"But -"
"But nothing," Harry said. "You helped me anyway when you yelled at me to watch out. You easily saved my life there. And what I meant was now that Voldemort's gone, I can finally be with you. Losing my hand to kill him, while disappointing, was completely worth it."
"Thank you," Hermione whispered, resting her head against his chest.
"I don't wish to interrupt," came Dumbledore's voice from the left. "But may I?"
"Of course, Albus," Harry said with a smile. Dumbledore walked over and took a seat next to Harry's bed, pulling out a silver tin as he sat down.
"Sherbet Lemon?" he asked, holding the tin out to each of them. Smiling they each took one and popped them in their mouths, Albus doing the same. "Ah...quite excellent."
"What brings you by?" Harry asked. Dumbledore peered over the top of his half-moon spectacles at him with a smile.
"I should think that would be obvious," he said with a hint of a chuckle. "After all, the defeat of a Dark Lord is bound to cause a bit of attention."
"True," Harry said, wrapping his handless arm around Hermione. "So what news is there?"
"Mostly good," Dumbledore said, leaning back in his chair. "Almost every death eater present at Hogwarts was captured, though Lucius Malfoy was determined to put up a fight and drew a hidden wand from inside his sock as he was being led away. He managed to injure Tonks with a fairly basic curse before Moody decided he was too dangerous and got...er...perhaps a little over-zealous."
"Meaning?" Harry asked, his eyebrows raised.
"As you may or may not know, of all the spells that Mad-Eye Moody knows, he is most gifted in Repelling Charms. I believe he thinks them to be the most useful for an auror. Anyway, he used several of them on Lucius in quick succession which resulted in him being blasted through the castle walls and out into the lake. We quickly surmised thereafter that the giant squid, while kind enough to give Dennis Creevey back to Hagrid when he fell in the lake, does not take kindly to death eaters. I believe that it ate Lucius, though one never investigates things of that sort too closely."
"What about Pettigrew?" Harry asked.
"Didn't really put up much of a fight," Dumbledore replied. "It seemed to me as if he realised at last that he had chosen the losing side, and had given up hope."
"Hmm," Harry said thoughtfully. "And Voldemort's completely gone?"
"While you have been out these past few hours, I personally oversaw the complete and utter destruction of Tom Riddle's remains, though I think he was thoroughly dead as it was when you separated his mind and soul."
"Speaking of that," Harry said, "How and where is Fawkes?"
"Fawkes is currently working with Professor Snape on a way to restore your hand," Dumbledore said. "Do not forget, that it was his brother that originally came up with the recipe that restored Voldemort and gave him regenerative powers."
"I might actually get to have my hand back?" Harry asked hopefully.
"I will not guarantee anything, but yes, it is a possibility," Dumbledore replied.
"Excuse me," Hermione said softly, as though afraid to interrupt the conversation. "But could you tell us how Traethis ended up living with Bellatrix Lestrange?"
"Certainly, Hermione," Dumbledore said. "There may be some parts that Fawkes will have to tell you himself, Harry, but he has told me most of it."
"I'd just like to hear how it came to be," Harry said.
"From my understanding, both Fawkes and Traethis knew the contents of the prophecy that Fawkes keeps. Once you disappeared, they began to formulate a plan to bring you back, knowing that neither you nor Voldemort were gone for good. They decided that the best way to restore your memory was to have Tom Riddle regain his. Since the death eaters were meeting in secret, trying to remember everything, it fit perfectly. Traethis, being the extremely unnatural color that he was, managed to make Bella think that he was a wild phoenix, with no influences towards either the light or the dark. He stayed with her and helped the death eaters make the potion that brought Voldemort's memory back."
"If he was acting wild, how could the death eaters have let him get away with making a potion for a task he should've known nothing about?" Hermione asked.
"While they did not think it was necessary to learn phoenix, they knew that phoenixes understood English quite clearly. I believe they asked if he knew of a way to cure amnesia, and everything went along from there."
"I'm sorry he had to die for the cause," Harry said sadly.
"While it was unfortunate, you must remember after all that Traethis was over a thousand years old - so was Fawkes," Dumbledore said. "I daresay he was ready to move on, especially since he was helping to fulfill the last prophecy."
"He was well aware of the possibilities when we embarked on this quest," a voice came from just beyond the doors of the hospital wing, which opened a moment later to reveal Snape holding a flask with steaming, black liquid in it. Fawkes was sitting on his shoulder.
"Potter," Snape said walking over to Harry's bed, though his tone was only slightly cold this time, instead of his trademark icy. "This may help your arm."
Harry took the potion with his left hand and swirled the contents of the flask. He looked over to Fawkes hesitantly.
"Will it work?" he asked.
"Nothing in this life is certain, save death," Fawkes said with a slight wink. "But it should work."
Sighing, Harry looked over at Hermione and pressed his lips to hers for good luck, and downed the contents of the flask. His eyes unfocused for a moment while the potion was absorbed into his body, and then suddenly he felt a very strange sensation from his right arm. It felt like a flower was blooming from his right arm, and he vaguely registered the sound of his bandages ripping off. When all was said and done, he had a fully functional right hand again. Smiling, he quickly turned to Hermione and saw she was smiling back at him.
"It worked," he said, grinning.
"It did indeed," Snape said. "Do you require my presence here further, Albus?"
"No, Severus, I do not believe so," Dumbledore said. Snape nodded and turned to go, but Harry called out after him, causing the potions master to turned around.
"Yes, Potter?"
"Thank you, Severus," Harry said, albeit hesitantly. "For doing this even after remembering."
For the first time in Harry's life, he saw Snape's cold exterior flicker away for a moment before it was back in place. He nodded and turned to go, although Harry would forever swear that the frown Snape always wore hadn't quite reached his eyes that time.
"How come he only remembered when he saw the Dark Mark?" Harry asked, turning to Fawkes once Snape had left.
"It jarred his memory, so to speak," Fawkes said.
"How come he didn't remember everything when Voldemort returned?" he asked.
"I believe that had to do with his superb Occlumency skills," Dumbledore said, looking at Fawkes, who nodded. "As it is, he remembered Voldemort, but nothing else. I have a feeling that because he had learned to keep closed the link that is forced upon death eaters when they take the mark, he didn't remember everything as all the others did."
"That makes sense," Harry said. "But how come Hermione doesn't remember my past now? I just took the same potion that Voldemort did, yet she doesn't remember anything, do you?"
"No," Hermione said, shaking her head.
"It is because she doesn't have the same mental connection to you that Voldemort had with you and his death eaters," Fawkes replied.
"I thought everyone would remember everything once I killed Voldemort," Harry said, his shoulders slumping.
"As I said earlier, nothing is certain," Fawkes said.
"You will forgive me, but I have matters to attend to," Dumbledore said, rising. "The Ministry and media are going to town on what's happened, and so I may need to help Minerva quash any false rumors."
"Okay," Harry said, extending his newly regrown right hand. "Thank you, Albus."
"No, Harry. Thank you." The two shook hands and Albus gave Hermione a quick embrace before departing.
"It is time we had a talk, Harry," Fawkes said when Dumbledore was gone.
"About the prophecy?" Harry asked.
"Yes...time no longer allows me to keep it from you."
"How come?" Harry asked.
"The death of the one who made the prophecy in the first place," Fawkes said. "My brother."
"Phoenixes can make prophecies?" Harry asked.
"Naturally," Fawkes said. "This was, of course, before the Ministry of Magic and the Hall of Prophecy, so I am the only one left alive who has heard the original version."
"He related it to you, then?" Harry asked.
"No, he told it to Rowena Ravenclaw," Fawkes replied. "And the reason she entrusted the prophecy to me was directly because of its contents."
At Harry's puzzled look, Fawkes continued on.
"You need to understand a bit of history about the Founder's War before I tell this to you," Fawkes said. "In actuality, the war began on the day that the three other founders refused Slytherin's request to only grant entrance into the school only to purebloods. Thereafter, Slytherin created the Chamber of Secrets. Godric found out about Salazaar's plan to exterminate all those with 'dirty blood,' and demanded that the Chamber be removed. When Slytherin didn't comply, all hell broke lose. Literally."
"What happened?" Harry asked.
"Hell broke lose," Fawkes repeated, with a slight twinkle reminiscent of Dumbledore's in his eyes. "Godric formally challenged Salazaar to a duel, and the challenge was accepted. During the fight, Slytherin opened a portal to the Æther and let demons not seen in millennia loose on his opponent. Godric was killed almost instantly. Salazaar, however, had overestimated his own prowess, and was not able to force the creatures back into the void. It was around this time that the Imperius Curse was discovered, as Salazaar, desperate to save his own life, used his very deep knowledge of magic and twisted a spell to control the mind of one of the creatures. In turn, that beast told its comrades of Salazaar's 'greatness', and he unleashed them upon the world. That was how the war started."
"So what does all of this have to do with the prophecy?" Harry asked.
Fawkes closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and started to sing a very soft song, though extremely high in pitch.
"The war that has lasted for thirty years shall not end for a millennium. Though the fighting may stop soon, the blood feud started by the founders will not end until one line is completely dead. Even as the fell monsters roam the world, one from the families will be born as the Son of the Light, and will bring peace and justice to this land. The one who is destined as the savior of the world will bear the mark of his enemy, as will his entire line. The Son of Light is the last hope for the world."
"It means...it means me?" Harry responded for the second time after hearing a prophecy about himself.
"Strangely enough, just like the other prophecy, it might not have meant you at all," Fawkes said. "It could have applied to either you or Voldemort. It meant you when you ended the blood feud started by Godric and Salazaar themselves."
"I don't understand," Harry said. "How did I end a blood feud?"
"You killed the last of the Slytherin line," Fawkes said. "The Gryffindor line won."
"But...I'm not related to Godric, am I?"
"You bear the mark of your enemy, don't you?" Fawkes asked, and Harry touched his scar. "No, not that mark. You had the mark of Slytherin long before you had that scar."
"I did?" Harry asked.
"You did," Fawkes nodded. "You'll notice, as many others already have, that your eyes are an astonishing shade of green."
"But...I got my eyes from my mother," Harry said. "Everyone says that, and my mother was a muggle-born."
"Muggle-born is inaccurate," Fawkes said. "Squib-born is more like it. Her entire family was comprised of squibs for over twenty generations. She was the first in the Gryffindor line in over six hundred years to have the gift of magic."
"So...I'm the heir of Gryffindor?" Harry asked.
"Frankly put, yes. You are the rightful heir to the throne of Gryffindor."
"There's one other thing I don't understand," Harry said. "How did Gryffindor have a blood line if he died in his duel with Slytherin?"
"Who says he wasn't already a father?" Fawkes asked. "He actually wasn't, but his wife was pregnant at the time. She gave birth two months later."
"Who was the mother?" Harry asked. Fawkes smiled at this.
"I doubt you will know her by name, but she was Brianna, one of the children of Gryffindor's mentor."
"Who was his mentor?" Harry asked.
"Merlin," Fawkes replied with a smile.
"I...I'm stunned," Harry said after a moment. "Explain something else to me. How could the prophecy have meant Voldemort? He's not exactly a stereotypical 'Son of Light'."
"The sides of light and dark are merely just points of view," Fawkes said. "From his and Salazaar Slytherin's point of view, they were the side of light, and trying to cleanse the magical world of muggle-borns and half-bloods would have been bringing peace and justice. And just like you, Voldemort bears the mark of his enemy."
"His eyes..." Harry breathed. "Vivid red."
"Quite right," Fawkes said. "So you see, when Rowena heard the prophecy, she knew that she couldn't be its keeper. She was too involved in the war and was susceptible to capture. Therefore she made me the keeper, and had her memory wiped so as not to remember a word of it."
"So why decide to bring me back?" Harry asked. "Wouldn't Voldemort have just died of old age before me if you had left it all alone?"
"We couldn't chance that," Fawkes said. "There were too many things that could've happened to you. You might have gotten into an auto accident, you might've been murdered by some mugger in a dark London alley, or in the long run, you might've done what Hermione tried to do." Fawkes looked discreetly at her for a moment before turning his attention back to Harry. "There were too many risks associated with not bringing you and Tom Riddle back."
"So that's why you and Traethis came up with your plan," Harry said, to which Fawkes nodded. "Tell me, why didn't you think I was ready to hear this before now?"
"The last line," Fawkes said. "The Son of Light is the last hope for the world. What would your reaction have been if I'd told you before the battle that you were destined to fight a blood feud - and that if you lost you'd be dooming the world to an eternity of justice under the rule of the Slytherin line?"
"Didn't the other prophecy say that?" Harry asked. "Either must die at the hand of the other. If I failed, wouldn't Voldemort be immortal?"
"One can be immortal and not rule the world, Harry," Fawkes said. "He could have been contained...eventually. But the original prophecy states that your downfall would have guaranteed his ultimate rule over human existence here on earth."
"Ah," Harry said. They sat in silence for a little while until Hermione got impatient and spoke.
"Well, what do we do now?" she asked, seeing that the conversation had ended.
"You say hello to the two people you saved," Ron said, entering the hospital ward, followed closely by Luna. "Hell of a show there, Harry."
"Thanks," Harry said, without looking up. "It didn't look real nice from my end, though."
"Yeah...your hand," Ron said.
"I see they fixed it up, though," Luna said with a smile. Harry grinned and flexed his regrown fingers.
"Yeah, Fawkes and Snape helped me out with that one," he said. "Thanks, by the way."
"I'm glad to be of help," Fawkes said.
"Well -"
"There is one more thing," Fawkes said, silencing Harry. He turned to the phoenix with a confused look on his face. "I wanted to wait to do this until Ron came along so he wouldn't have to find you afterwards."
"What is it?" Harry asked curiously.
"I told you earlier that I had to tell you the prophecy because circumstances would not allow me to keep it from you any longer," he said. "That is because I am shortly going to leave this plane for the next."
"Why?" Harry asked. "How?"
"I have been working hard since all of this happened to find a way to break the mass memory charm," Fawkes said. "And I am sure it will work."
"What's going on?" Hermione asked, seeing the shocked look on Harry's face.
"He's going to sacrifice himself to restore everyone's memory," Harry said. Hermione turned to the bird with wide eyes, while Ron and Luna looked on in fascination.
"It is okay, child," he said softly, and to Hermione's surprise, she understood him. He turned his head and spoke to both of them at once. "You two have done more than I could ever ask for. You saved this world from endless insanity at the hands of the dark, and you've lived up to the expectations that everyone has had for you. Even Ron and Luna. Ron helped Hermione out when no one else was there for her, and Luna the same for Ron. You all deserve something in return. Therefore, this is my gift to you."
"Thank you..." Hermione said softly, a tear running down her cheek. Fawkes cocked his head to the side and extended a wing to brush the tear away.
"Do not be sad," he said. "I am going to rejoin my brother where we may spend the rest of our eternities with those we truly miss dearly; Godric and Rowena. They were, after all, the ones who raised us from little fledglings."
"It has been an honour," Harry said extending a hand, which Fawkes shook as best he could.
"Goodbye."
"Do not say goodbye," Fawkes said. "For we shall all see each other again. There is another side, and we shall all meet again during the next great adventure. For now though, fare thee well, Harry Potter."
Fawkes flew into the air and stopped about halfway between the floor and the ceiling of the hospital wing. Hovering, he let out a long, solid note and brought his wings up over his head so that every one of his wing feathers were pointing outwards, making a graceful arc. Slowly, the air around him started to glow gold, and several other phoenix voices began mixing with his own, creating a harmony more beautiful than any the four in the room had ever heard before. Finally, when Fawkes appeared to be entirely incased in a golden bubble, his body became one with the air in a brilliant flash of gold, white, and blue, and a tremor spread outward from the point where he had disappeared.
As the shockwave passed them, Harry looked at the spot where Fawkes had gone, and Hermione hugged him, a lone tear running down her cheek.
"Harry..."
Harry turned and saw Hermione looking at him with tears in her eyes, her mouth open in a silent gasp. Without warning she threw herself on top of Harry and promptly began bawling her eyes out, not able to control the sobs that wracked through her body.
"I remember," she said shakily. "It's you. Everything's back....I..."
"You don't need to say anything," Harry said. Turning to Ron he saw the redhead's eyes glistening, as though he also was trying to hold back tears.
"Come here," Harry said. "Both of you."
Luna and Ron promptly were with Harry and Hermione, all crying freely at the restoration of the friendship that had been broken nearly three years earlier.
=====
In the weeks that followed, Harry was swamped with people wanting the story of what happened and how he had coped. Finally growing tired of all the publicity, he gave Luna an entirely truthful interview of what had happened, and stated that it was the only interview he would be giving on the matter.
The restoration of everyone's memory caused some minor setbacks for some, namely one Cornelius Fudge. Everyone still remembered the recent attacks by Voldemort that had left the Dark Mark floating over a squib village, and how Fudge waved them off as a simple set of murders. He was officially impeached by the Wizemgamot exactly one month following the final battle, and after much discussion and debate, Amelia Bones took his place. Dumbledore had, of course, been offered the position, but wished to remain in his peaceful retirement.
Harry and Hermione continued to teach at Hogwarts, though they were much more popular in the eyes of the students and parents now than when they first started teaching. Most of Harry's students couldn't focus on class and instead kept trying to ask him questions about his battles with Voldemort, and most namely the one they had all witnessed as captives.
It was the day before the Christmas break when Harry finally gave up trying to teach his fourth years what the long-lasting side effects of a stunner were, since they kept pestering him with questions.
"Professor?" Melinda asked. "What are you going to do over the Christmas Hols?"
"I don't know," Harry said, wiping the board clean. "Well...there is something on my mind."
"What is it?" she asked.
"I want to propose to Hermione," he said, not facing the class. Many of the girls let out 'oooohs' of giddiness, while the reaction from the boys was mostly a chuckle or two.
"Professor Granger?" Melinda asked excitedly.
"Yeah, you know," Harry said sarcastically but with a smile. "Your head of house?"
"Can we help?" she asked, looking around at some of her friends who nodded anxiously.
"Well I planned on doing it on Christmas Eve..."
"That's so unoriginal," Melinda criticised, sounding more like a empty-headed schoolgirl than the intelligent witch Harry knew she was. "You should do it next period."
"Why? So you can all be there to see it?" Harry asked, knowing full well that the fourth years had Transfiguration next.
"It'd be so romantic, proposing at her job on the last period before the break," she said. "Here's what we should do..."
=====
Hermione walked into her classroom after her free period tired from the long day to find all of her fourth year students already waiting for her. Suspecting something was up, she eyed them warily but said nothing, walking to the front of the room.
"Okay," she said, taking a breath. "We're doing switching spells today, so if each of you could - Thomas, please do not spray chalk at my blackboard again. Five points from Ravenclaw."
Thomas Sanlow had sent a cloud of white dust at the blackboard, which stuck there. Hermione went over and picked up the eraser and wiped it off, failing to notice the writing that had appeared when she did so.
"Now then, as I was saying -"
"Professor?" Melinda interrupted, her hand shooting into the air.
"Yes, dear, what is it?"
"What's that on the board?"
"What is what?" Hermione asked, turning around, and freezing upon seeing 'MARRY ME HERMIONE' in big bright yellow letters on the board. She turned back and saw Harry walking towards her, pulling the invisibility cloak off.
"It was a rather good idea," he said, looking at Melinda. "She didn't even notice that we turned her eraser into a revealer. Ten points for each house, and five more for Ravenclaw to replace the ones they lost."
There was a round of laughter as Harry came up to the front of the room and smiled at Hermione, who was still staring at him with wide eyes.
"Well?" he asked. When she didn't answer, he pouted playfully and sighed. "You're going to make me do this the old-fashioned way, aren't you?"
Without waiting for an answer, he dropped to his knee and pulled out a velvet box, opening it to reveal a silver ring with a single emerald placed in the middle of it.
"Hermione Granger...I had to live two and a half years of my life without you, and I never want to experience something like that again. Will you marry me?"
"I...I..."
"Yes would be nice," Harry said with a grin.
"Of course I will you prat!" she exclaimed pulling him to his feet and into a breath-taking kiss amidst cheers and cat-calls from the students.
"That wasn't so hard, now was it?" Harry asked cheekily as he slipped the ring on her finger.
"Prat," Hermione said again, laughter ringing through the class.
Harry spent the rest of the class with her (as it was now his free period), and thanked each of the students personally for helping him. When they were alone, he scooped Hermione in his arms, causing her to shriek and giggle at the same time.
"You're supposed to save this for the wedding night, you know," she said wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Well technically we're supposed to wait to consummate the relationship until after we're married, but I daresay we've broken that rule many hundred times already."
"And I'm thankful for each and every one," Hermione said as she raised her head and kissed him.
"Hem hem," a voice from the doorway said and they broke away so rapidly a pop was heard from the suction their lips had created.
"Minerva!" Hermione exclaimed, trying to make her hair appear less disheveled.
"You know I do not approve of teachers fraternizing in public, especially in front of the students."
"Yes ma'am," both Harry and Hermione said at once, neither knowing how the Headmistress knew about their snogging during the class.
"But seeing as how you two are celebrating your engagement, I suppose I can overlook that fact this one time," she said with a smile.
"Thank you," Harry replied with a grin. "News does get around fast, doesn't it?"
"Indeed it does, Harry," she said. "Now then, I believe that the fall term is over. Don't you two have something to celebrate?"
"I think we might have something," Harry said pinching Hermione on the bum discreetly, causing her to jump slightly. Minerva either didn't notice or paid no attention to it, because she smiled warmly at each of them before leaving.
"Harry!" Hermione shouted, smacking him on the arm. "That was NOT funny!"
"It was hysterical," Harry said laughing. "The look on your face...oh I wish I had a pair of Omnioculars there so I could see that over and over again."
"You know I'm going to have to punish you for that," Hermione said.
"Yeah?" Harry asked. "And just how are you going to do that?"
"Why don't we go to our 'rooms' and find out," she said mischievously.
"Lead the way, milady."
=====
Harry and Hermione were married eight months later in front of nearly all of England (at least it seemed like it). Ron and Luna were the Best Man and Matron of Honor, but aside from that Harry really didn't pay much attention to the details of the wedding. All he cared about was Hermione being his wife, which she now was. Even though their lives took a turn towards the busy side, they still managed to find time to spend every Sunday with Ron and Luna, so they could reminisce about old days and catch up on present ones.
And every day on the anniversary of the defeat of Voldemort, the four of them would visit the little memorial that they had made by the lake at Hogwarts, and sitting gazing out over the water, they would remember Fawkes and the gift he had given them.
THE END
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Well, here it is. It's finally over, and I have to say I really like the way it turned out. I hope you all enjoyed it too. I want to thank each and every one of you who have reviewed the story for the entire way, it has truly been a wonderful experience.
And now, news on my next work. The first and foremost thing that needs to be understood is that I will not start posting any of it until I have it completely finished. Film school takes precedence, and I don't want to keep myself on a set schedule to write fanfiction. I'll write what I can, when I can.
That being said, it's going to be a HP/Phantom of the Opera crossover with twists that aren't in the musical. Think of it as a double A/U. I don't know how successful it will be, but hey, it'll help pass the time until book seven (I can't believe we're all about to start waiting for book seven to come out ::wink::).
And that my friends, is the end of our little adventure. Again, I hope you all enjoyed the story, and thought that it was every bit as good as the original. Until next time.
Your faithful author,
Greg S.
A.K.A. - TGF2K