18. Back To Where It All Began
So that's how it had all ended, Harry shook his head slowly at the memory of it. Sometimes it all seemed so farfetched and unreal; he wondered if it had ever happened at all. Yet here he was, he had survived along with almost everyone else, and now they all had their chance to live.
Harry was waiting for her by the fire, in the sitting room of the small white cottage in Godrics Hollow, his thoughts slipping back the two and a bit years that separated then from now. That last term at Hogwarts, was it an anticlimax? Of course it was, you have to go a long way to better a battle with a dark wizard, but it was fun never the less, and still held a few surprises for them all.
The Sorting Hat had really put the cat among the pigeons by refusing to acknowledge Slytherin any more, but that hadn't really surprised anybody who had seen that his snake emblem had faded from the school's coat of arms. It was being suggested that Voldemort and Slytherin were more closely connected than anyone had imagined and that the total destruction of Voldemort's soul had an impact on Slytherin himself, even that they may have been one and the same. Hermione seemed to understand it all and that was OK with Harry, theorising made his brain hurt.
Harry had spent the last two years working hard on their pet project. He and Hermione, with help from countless others, had laboured every day to achieve the end result that would be opening its doors in a few days time. He thought the whole thing would have been finished ages ago. Solomon had made it all look so easy, as the creation of Dumbledore House seemed to take no time at all.
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The first few days of that last term had been chaotic and that was putting it mildly.
Harry had marvelled at the speed with which Solomon had worked in sorting out the new House. Dumbledore Tower had been built during the first six days of term and was ready for occupation, like its namesake it was tall and thin, the many windows sparkled and shone in the sun like twinkling eyes, and to cap it all a tall pointed roof clad with dark blue slate was in the shape of a wizard's hat. All that was needed now were students.
At the welcoming meal of that last term Harry had noticed unfamiliar faces, they ranged in age from first to sixth year and for the moment all of them were seated at the old Slytherin table. It transpired that some families so frightened of the threat posed by Voldemort had sent their children away to be educated outside of the country, but now with the danger gone they had been brought back home to finish their education at Hogwarts.
The new students along with the rest of the school had watched in awe as Fawkes became the Phoenix that symbolised Dumbledore House.
There was no immediate announcement but once the new tower was ready for occupation the Headmaster informed the school that all unallocated students would be sorted over the next two days.
It was no surprise that all the ex-Slytherin students were among the numbers queuing to put the Sorting Hat on their heads once more, and with them were the students back from foreign schools who had never been sorted. What had been a shock was that a number of the first and second years that had been squeezed into the three remaining old houses, when Slytherin had fallen out of favour, asked for re-sorting as well.
Harry and Hermione had watched the ceremony held, not in the Great Hall, but in the Headmasters Office. In front of the Governors and senior Professors, with the Head Boy and Girl representing the school, one student at a time was asked to don the Sorting Hat and await the result. Only those watching and the student concerned knew where they had been sorted and this was to be kept a secret until the evening meal the following day.
Hermione had been somewhat distracted during the sorting. Harry could sense that something was bothering her but did not intrude into her thoughts, until they were in bed that night cuddled in each others arms.
'You could tell me,' he thought at her, 'then it wouldn't worry you so much.'
"Oh Harry, I just don't know what to do," she gave a sniff and continued in a shaky voice, "You have said yourself that you always wondered why I was made a Gryffindor, and not put in Ravenclaw."
"Yes that's true," he conceded, "but if you hadn't been in Gryffindor we may never have met and so none of the last seven years would have happened the way it did and ultimately Voldemort would have won."
Hermione smiled at him, "I don't think I have been that important in it all. You would have managed without me."
Harry sat up so that he could look at her properly. "That is absolute rot and you know it Hermione. The two of us, no, the three of us were put together in Gryffindor for a purpose, I think that Sorting Hat always knows more than it lets on and it's not above stacking the deck to get what it wants."
He watched her, now propped up on her pillow, the pale moonlight filtering through the window made her face glow, the simple beauty she possessed made Harry's heart ache. Then he knew where all this was leading.
"Why don't you talk to Solomon tomorrow," he said quietly, "I am sure he will understand."
"Do you understand?" she asked.
"Yes, of course."
"Do you mind?"
"No," he said, and kissed her, "we each need to have our own star to follow, as long as we can follow them together, that is all that matters."
Hermione spoke to Solomon the next morning. "The Hat was talking to me all yesterday, when it wasn't sorting." She glowered at the offending piece of headwear. "It wants me to wear it again, and…," she sighed in resignation, "I feel that despite everything that Gryffindor means to me I need to do it."
"Harry knows?" Solomon asked.
"Yes, he told me I should come and see you."
"Good lad." said Solomon with some satisfaction.
Hermione looked at him sharply "Are we being manipulated again, I thought all that sort of thing would stop now Dumbledore wasn't here."
Solomon raised his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows Hermione," he said, and risked a quick glance at the grinning portrait of the last Headmaster, "and who said that Albus had gone?"
The remaining students sat under the Sorting Hat that day and Hermione went last. The Hat talked long and hard to her and the only other person who knew what it said was Harry. He was linked to her so tightly that the Sorting Hat couldn't exclude him though it tried.
'Alright Potter listen if you must but keep your nose out of it,' then to Hermione it thought. 'I have never been wrong and under the circumstances of your first sorting Gryffindor was the right place for you. Yes,' it was reading Hermione's mind now, 'you are correct you had things to do and Gryffindor was the place to do them. That battle is over so now you can take up you true place.'
'Where?' she asked.
'You will know when the time comes,' with that the Hat fell silent and said no more.
However dissatisfying the hat's answer, that was all they had, and at the evening meal Hermione was in quite a state of nerves.
Solomon's request that night was very carefully worded. He asked that all the students who knew to which house they had been re-sorted should stand and move away from the tables. Ron, Harry and Hermione all sitting together watched as students from all over the hall stood and moved to stand by the doors.
Solomon then asked the ex-Slytherin students to take seats at the table of their new sorting. They fanned out some returned to the now renamed Dumbledore table, but others found themselves sitting at Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and to some amazement at Gryffindor too.
Those still standing were then asked to sit with their new Houses, a few of the newly arrived students walked to take places with the other three, but most headed to the table on the far right and became Dumbledores. The spontaneous cheers caught in throats and fell silent as one other student got to her feet. Hermione stood, acutely aware that everyone was staring at her.
Ron was in total shock. "What's going on Harry?" he whispered urgently.
Harry smiled quite unconcerned, and reached out to give Hermione's hand a reassuring squeeze. She climbed out from the benches and stood facing the Headmaster; Solomon gave her a slow nod.
Suddenly she was unsure what to do, then a very familiar comforting thought slipped into her mind 'Don't think you can't plan this one love. Let you heart lead you, it worked for me.'
Hermione turned and smiled her thanks at Harry, then took her first step away from the Gryffindor table. She walked slowly toward the Ravenclaws, paused and glanced down once at Luna who was sitting near its head, then Hermione walked on and stopped at the top of the Dumbledore table where she reached out and laid her hand on its surface. The stone called Hermione's Tear hanging from her necklace gave a brief flash of recognition and Hermione sat down.
For a moment there was silence, then someone was applauding. It was Harry, then standing next to him was Ron, the whole Gryffindor table and the rest of the school was not far behind. As the welcome to the new house rose to cheering and whistling, Ron leaned close to Harry so that he could hear him.
"SPEW?" he said nodding towards Hermione.
Harry laughed, "Yes Ron SPEW."
Ron groaned, "She'll never let it rest now," then he smiled, "and you mate, you're really stuck with it," and he began to laugh.
……………………………
The excitement of the first days of term soon died down. Although Hermione was officially a Dumbledore now, she made no attempt to move out of her rooms with Harry to the new tower, but did delight on taking Harry and Ron on a guided tour, even if she knew no more about it than they did.
She helped the new Head of House select two fifth and two sixth year prefects then, other than keeping a watchful eye out, left them to run the House as they would be back next year and she wouldn't.
The Head of House was traditionally a Professor who had once been in that house so it was a little difficult for Solomon to choose one for Dumbledore, as there were no old students to pick from. So in the end he decided that as the house was named after a Headmaster then perhaps, for now, the Headmaster should look after it, so that is the way it was.
As the term progressed the members of the Tyr found themselves at a bit of a loose end they had no lessons to attend, and they had no exams to prepare for; much to Hermione's annoyance they were 'not eligible'. Old McGonagall had been very firm on that, they hadn't done the course, they couldn't take the exam. Hermione had left her office mumbling something about "Didn't saving the world count for anything these days" but in her thoughts she was more worried about their future and wondering how they would manage.
The school was running well with Solomon as its Head but it was not just the Professors and the Tyr that realised he was having some problems with the red tape that went with his job. The Ministry was being very restrictive and trying to interfere much as they had in the days of Delores Umbridge. That was until a day about three weeks into the term when there was a joint meeting held in the Headmasters office between the Governors, the Ministry and Solomon. The Governors wanted to back Solomon but they had businesses of their own and they knew what the Ministry could do to them, so their support was weakened, and it looked as if the Ministry would have its way.
No one was really sure what happened in that office, none of those who were there would ever say, not even after they had recovered. But everyone in the castle heard the scream of rage of whatever it was that Solomon summoned and unleashed on the unsuspecting Ministry representatives. Suffice to say, that from that day on, the Ministry left Hogwarts alone and the Governors decided that anything that the new Headmaster said was alright with them.
……………………………..
Harry looked at the clock on the wall. They had bought it the year before from the same wizard who had made Mrs. Weasley's. Hermione's hand was still showing work, she really shouldn't be there in the first place, but she ought to be home soon. At least there were no more problems with the Ministry.
Rufus Scrimegour had only lasted eighteen months in the job, pushed out like Fudge and Bones before him. The new Minister had been elected by public acclamation, not by internal manoeuvring as with previous incumbents of the position, and so far Arthur Weasley was making a good job of it.
All the Weasley's were enjoying the kudos that came with being related to the Minister for Magic, all except Ron and Ginny. All of the Tyr had avoided the limelight and that stemmed from that last term at Hogwarts as well.
……………………………..
The Tyr, despite trying to avoid it, became celebrities in the school, the story of the battle and its aftermath appeared in the Quibbler along with the photograph that Luna's father had taken under the banner headline 'The Hope of the Future'. It had made all of them cringe, but Solomon had seen the mileage in it and arranged for the Tyr to talk to the students in the lower years, sometimes as a group, and sometimes individually. There were a lot of questions and misconceptions that needed to be answered and sorted. The students needed a new direction to move in and they had to realign old prejudices if the same mistakes were to be avoided in the future. It was the Tyr that started the process and the Headmaster was very proud of them.
Harry had not expected it to be any different, but the fame and adulation heaped on the Tyr had no effect on the students it concerned. They remained solidly bolted to the ground. Eventually it dawned on the rest of the school that being a celebrity was not important to them. The Tyr was given respect, it was spoken of with pride, but its members were treated by all the students as friends, and that was the important result.
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Harry heard the clock hand start to move, Hermione was on her way home. He hoped all the tests and checks had gone OK, she hadn't sent a thought to him all afternoon. He had been sent home because she knew he would have been in the way and to Hermione these tests were just as important as OWLS or NEWTS.
………………………………………………………………….
It must have a month after the inauguration of Dumbledore House that the examiners had arrived, if Hermione had been down before about the collapse of her academic aspirations, it had worsened as the old Professors had filed into the Great Hall. They were the same lot that had examined them all for their OWLS. Harry had recognised Professors Marchbanks and Tofty amongst the group of elderly witches and wizards.
"You know I'm leaving the school with no NEWTS to my name." said a rather depressed Hermione the next day. They were all in the Heads Common Room keeping out of the way of all the nerves and worry present on the first day of the examinations. "Not really how I imagined it, still I suppose it could be worse."
"How?" said Harry suppressing a grin.
"Not sure" said an even more depressed Hermione.
"Well you've got me"
"That's a bonus is it?" she teased then laughed at Harry's crestfallen expression.
'Just as well I know what you're thinking young lady'
'Oh yeah what's that……………………….'
Harry hadn't known it at the time but Ron was watching them as their conversation fell silent but continued. When they were feeling playful and communicated like this it only ever ended in one of two ways. This time it was Hermione's turn to shriek "MERLIN HARRY" and collapse in his arms. Ron only told Harry later that mental kissing was the only thing he ever envied his friends for; he just wished he could do that to Luna.
They made the mistake of complaining to Solomon that they had nothing to do. So he, as the Headmaster, decided to that all of the Tyr could help the Professors and sit in the examination rooms to invigilate some of the written papers. Then he had them helping with the OWL, and even the NEWT practical tests.
It hadn't been quite what they had expected. There were far too many safeguards in place to prevent cheating to require them to watch all the students, but it appeared that the examiners had another role in mind for them. They were asked ad nauseam, to demonstrate this spell, or that charm, or some of their specialist shield work, to make some point to a luckless candidate. There were occasions when they felt they did more work than those sitting the examinations.
At other times they all chatted informally with the examiners. Professor Marchbanks had been particularly interested in Hermione's study of the crystal pyramid and the books she had read to try and find its secret.
Tofty had found the additional defence and shield work the others had concentrated on fascinating, as it brought into it levels of rune interpretation and Arithmancy not usually seen in school work.
All the examiners seemed a little in awe of Harry. He couldn't understand why, he hadn't even used a complicated spell to defeat Voldemort, but they had never seen anyone who could concentrate magic and use it without following the normal rules, as he could.
So with all this in mind it wasn't so surprising that on the day the examiners were due to depart the Tyr were asked to attend the leaving tea in the Headmasters office.
Solomon asked them to tell the complete story to the examiners and the staff members, all of whom were present. This they did, all the highs and lows, the times of excitement, and the times when things seemed to move so slowly they thought they would never see the end of it. When it was over the examiners looked to one another, then Professor Marchbanks stood and told them that she had never heard a tale so inspiring, and in all her years as an examiner she had never seen students raised to the level of the Tyr in experience and use of magic. That they in the examiners mind were way beyond NEWT level and they were to be awarded a new qualification, the Hogwarts Certificate of Excellence 1st Class. All six of them.
…………………………….
Hermione arrived home looking tired but elated. She had appeared directly into the sitting room, without the normal CRACK of apparation, Harry had taught her long ago to Peragate.
"How did it go?" Harry asked unnecessarily, judging by her expression.
"Great, passed with flying colours, all the Ministry bods were fine, it's a godsend having Ron in the educational department," she looked at her husband, "what have you been up to?"
"Reminiscing actually," he replied, "remembering our last term at Hogwarts."
Hermione sat heavily in the seat next to him, being pregnant like this was becoming a bit of a problem. "How far had you got?"
"Well you had defected to Dumbledore we had been 'manipulated' into helping with the exams and we were at that tea party; Marchbanks had just awarded us our 'Hog.Cert.Exes'. I remember that you were very happy about that." Harry said.
"Gosh yes, but not half as happy as Ron and Neville when they realised that Luna and Ginny could leave school with us and…,"she said, "I did not defect to Dumbledore it was something I had no real control over. Some day I am going to have a head to hat talk with that piece of material it's up to something I know it."
Hermione clambered to her feet again waving away Harry's attempt to help her. "Well I'll leave you to your thoughts; I'm going to have a bath. You could bring me up a cup of tea in a bit."
"OK love I'll go and put the kettle on."
Harry wandered out into the small kitchen. He was getting used to domestic life, they had been married seven months and Hermione was expecting their baby in another three, a Christmas baby they hoped. Her pregnancy was no real surprise. One night, at the height of their passion, the stone on her necklace had burned pink instead of blue.
It had given them a bit of a shock at first then they remembered it had done the same thing that time AH had held it in his hand; and they had taken it as a sign that something was going to happen.
Harry sighed, Hermione still occasionally woke crying when images of the lad appeared in her dreams, he hoped that their new baby would clear her mind of this sadness.
Harry made Hermione's tea. Dobby was better at it but Hermione had made him take a holiday, in case he couldn't have his usual days off as the baby's arrival neared. Harry hadn't told his wife, but Dobby had taken his holidays at Hogwarts, working in the kitchens. He was sure that she imagined Dobby was lying on a beach somewhere, enjoying the sun.
…………………………………………….
The sun shone its best for those last few days at Hogwarts. The school had been Harry's home for the last seven years and soon it would be that no more. In just two days he and Hermione would leave to set up home at Godrics Hollow, it was going to be wonderful but it wasn't going to be the same.
Hogwarts had been more than a home, it had been the place where Harry grew to know himself, became the man he had become, and the place he had found the most precious thing in his life. She was sitting next to him, so like the little girl he had met that day on the train, and so unlike her as well. Their thoughts meshed and they understood each other completely.
Hermione smiled, and then both of them looked out, from under their tree, at another young couple sitting on a rock by the side of the lake. Ron had always been tall, but now it was not just his height that made him rise above those around him. He had also past the boundary between callow youth and young man. His willingness to sacrifice his future for his friends and his love for the girl in his arms had made him grow beyond his years. Ron had agreed to help with their project after the end of term but they knew he had other things on his mind, he had been talking earnestly with his father and both Harry and Hermione thought that Rufus Scrimegour would have another thorn in his side before long.
There was a shriek, then the sound of someone dissolving in a fit of giggles. It seemed that Neville had finally caught Ginny or more likely that Ginny had allowed herself to get caught. Those two had far too much energy, but it was an energy that was going to be put to a very good use before long. They had attached themselves to the star that Harry and Hermione were going to launch into the heavens.
Strangely they launched it in the Hospital Wing. Harry and Hermione entered the ward they knew so well, it was quiet and empty, but they could hear Madam Pomfrey humming to herself as she worked in her office. They walked up and Harry tapped on the door.
"Madam Pomfrey, could we have a word?" asked Harry.
She looked up from her desk "Come in, come in, both of you," she said brightly, beckoning them in with a wave of her hand, "what can I do for you?"
"Its more what we can do for you, actually," said Harry, "are you still interested in opening an orphanage again?"
Madam Pomfrey was a little surprised at the question. "Yes, I am. There were nearly twenty five children who were orphaned by the battle here and at Avalon alone," then she became defensive, "and I'll not have you say they don't deserve our help if their parents followed, err… you know who, its not their fault, they are only children."
"Have others been saying that, Madam Pomfrey?" asked Hermione.
She said nothing but nodded, and they could see compassion get the better of her as a tear rolled down her cheek.
"Well it's not the way we feel, is it Harry?.... Go on ask her," Hermione encouraged.
"No its not," he said answering Hermione's statement, "what we wanted to ask you was if you would accept Black House to use for the orphanage, with only one condition. We would like to combine the orphanage with a school for younger children. It's a huge place, there would be plenty of room."
It was an idea that Harry and Hermione had been thinking about since the raising of Dumbledore Tower. A way to instil into young minds, the tolerance and understanding, that living in a world such as theirs required, to get them ready for Hogwarts, and beyond. Solomon was backing the project, and Harry felt sure that finance wouldn't be a problem.
Poppy Pomfrey couldn't believe her ears but accepted their offer without any hesitation and at that point started crying with happiness. She didn't really calm down the rest of that day, everyone wondered why she sniffed occasionally, and sighed a lot, but then at the leaving feast she locked her eyes on Harry and Hermione and dissolved into another bout of tears.
The leaving feast was very hard for all of them to cope with. Poppy Pomfrey was not the only one crying, there were tears a plenty, and not just amongst the students. Professors who had seen this every year all their working lives knew this was a one-off.
Harry didn't remember eating anything though he was sure he did. He remembered looking round at all the faces and missing the ones that should have been there but weren't. He scanned the staff table, he missed the old man, and surprisingly he missed the one face he never really thought he would. He truly hoped that Snape was happy, wherever he was. Harry could see that Hermione, possibly breaking the rules by sitting next to him for this last time, was going through a similar experience trying to be happy on the outside but crying inside.
The end of the meal had come and Solomon had said the final words. The students began to leave the Great Hall and head for bed. Harry, Hermione and Ron left together, at the doors Luna, Neville and Ginny were waiting for them. Instead of heading for their rooms, they walked out of the Entrance Hall and down the steps and out across the lawns. In the dusk of that summer evening the Tyr had taken that last walk together, down to the lakeside, to visit a friend who couldn't be with them. The friendship they had forged over all these years was so strong that they knew they would stay together. There would be changes along the way but that was OK, change was natural.
…………………………………………………
Harry carried the tea up to his wife; there had certainly been some changes but their friendship with the Tyr had remained true. Neville and Ginny were starting work at Thrubwell's Academy for Witches and Wizards, that was the name Poppy had wanted for the new school and it was a fitting tribute to Wilhelmina Thrubwell's name.
Ron was at the Ministry much to his mother and father's delight, and Luna was working at the Quibbler, much to Ron's embarrassment, though he never said so. Hermione was part time at Thrubwell's dealing with all the paper work that goes with running a school, but being a mother was going to keep her occupied for a while.
Hermione's parents had decided to remain in Avalon, they had been invited to stay and were now working with the healers there developing painless dentistry.
The only mystery had been Draco Malfoy. He had disappeared, no one knew for certain if he was still alive or not. The Aurors had looked for him, and had even found Malfoy Manor, but it had been completely destroyed.
Solomon had consolidated his position at Hogwarts, he had told Harry that he wouldn't stay there for ever, though he probably could, but for the moment he was quite content.
As for Harry he was glad Solomon was staying at Hogwarts because in a few days time that was where he was going, back to where it all began. He was taking the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor and he was looking forward to it, though he trusted he would last longer at the job than some of his predecessors.
"Tea love, you OK?" Harry asked his wife.
"Fine, these bubbles are really relaxing.… Thanks," Hermione said taking the mug.
Harry looked at his reflection in the mirror and frowned. Hermione watched him
"What are you thinking about now?" she asked.
"Not a what, a who,… Voldemort."
"Oh him, you don't need to worry about him. He's gone, there's nothing left of him in this world, or any other," said Hermione.
"I've no doubt that you're right as usual," said Harry his mood lightening, "nothing left of him at all and only one thing that reminds me of him………this," he said pointing at his forehead, "…… my scar."
The End.
a/n Well that's it, from here on we are sailing in uncharted waters. It has been great fun steering Harry, Hermione and the gang through their last two years at Hogwarts. I do hope that JKR and her associates will forgive the liberties I have taken with the characters. However it doesn't stop here, there is one more trip to get them to the very end. Forever Together Part 3, Life Ever After, is on the starting blocks, and in the fullness of time will see the light of day. Just to whet your appetite:-
"He was frightened, and he couldn't move, not even to turn his head. He couldn't remember how they had caught him, but now he knew wasn't able to get away. He had tried to apparate but something was stopping him, and the straps holding him to the table prevented him from reaching his wand.
By turning his eyes as far as they would go he could see vague shapes on the other side of a glass wall, they seemed to be working some sort of machine. It all looked very strange to him, he had never seen wizards dressed like that before. Then the room was flooded with light and he heard a gentle hissing sound.
The green mist that rose from the floor passed the level of the table and slowly enveloped him in its embrace. There was a strange smell with this mist and he began to feel light headed, then with a loud CRACK a bolt of lightening struck across the room, and the pain began. He screamed out loud, once, twice, then a third time as he could feel something being ripped from his body. Strand by strand it was torn away leaving him alive but empty. Empty of what, he wasn't sure and he still didn't know when they released him on to the streets again. Then he reached into his robes to get his wand, he drew it out but there was nothing, it was just a stick of finely polished Holly, then it hit him, he knew what he had lost, his magic was gone."
If you thought Voldemort was a bad lad, you wait. Harry and the gang have to deal with a threat from a direction they never thought would give them any trouble.
See you soon
Solomon.