A/N: *Hallelujah chorus and BoyzIIMen's End of the Road playing in background* Finally, I have to say finally, it is over. This is it, the last chapter, no more story, yayy!!!
At least something I can celebrate today, England beat my country's team last minute in the World Cup. Heh, at least we put up a good fight before it happened. Dang, now I sound like one my relatives….
Anyhoo, this is the last chapter of this story, so now I'm down to two stories at once. It feels like an interlude, not a complete chapter though, and you know what, I like it that way. Hope you like this epilogue too, it was only when I started writing it that I realised that I suck at endings. Hope it fits with rest of story perfectly, because goodness knows I don't know for sure.
Disclaimer: This story would only be Jo's if she decides to sue for all fanfic written about her characters. I would only get to keep the Weasley, Potter, Krum and other offspring I invented for it. I think we should all be glad that she hasn't decided to do that.
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5 months later…
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Epilogue: Hufflepuff vs. Gryffindor
"FIRST ONTO THE PITCH, AND POSSIBLY THE FIRST TO LEAVE TODAY, HERE'S HUFFLEPUFF! ANDREWS, BLAIR, CHRISTENSEN, DAVISON, POTTER, THORNE, AND WOODS! ANDREWS IS KEEPER, CHRISTENSEN IS A BEATER AND CAPTAIN, AND HOPING TO PULL OFF WHAT HUFFLEPUFF LAST CAME CLOSE TO DOING EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO UNDER CEDRIC DIGGORY! WITH MAIA POTTER ON THAT SILVER ARROW II, THEY MIGHT JUST STAND A CHANCE!"
Much unlike her first Quidditch Cup match, the day of her third, ironically also the final, Maia flew out onto a pitch bathed in sunlight under a sky of clearest azure. Her long black hair had again been separated into pigtails, but this time the ribbons drew them back into a ponytail, her Quidditch uniform had been carefully, specially, pressed by Dobby, and she had barely had any breakfast. She revelled in the warmth of the late May weather though, at least at the end of this match she wouldn't have to worry about damp clothes and catching a cold.
But that was not all that was different.
Both her parents were watching in the stands, she was now her house's star player, and most important of all, she and Aimee were now thirteen.
For the first time since they were a year old, they had shared a birthday with their parents. It was nothing special, just the obligatory cake, ice cream, presents and party, but to have their entire family gathered at Northbridge Manor that last Tuesday…. That was special beyond words.
Well, apart from when the Ministry decided to let their father off with a caution for use of an Unforgivable while he chased Bellatrix, and then issued a special commendation for his "years of relentless pursuit in the name of preserving the peace rightfully gained with the fall of the Dark Lord".
Hermione and Aimee were so relieved they nearly fainted.
For days after Aimee's rescue, the family had remained hidden away in Northbridge Manor while she recovered, awaiting the Ministry verdict and the quieting of the media storm. The papers had had a field day once the news of the incident at the wedding broke. The fact that Ginny and Neville had managed to salvage the rest of the night to go off on their honeymoon and Hermione's pregnancy became a footnote on the end of the page.
The Daily Prophet, as usual, was first, screaming bold, "Every Bride's Nightmare: Weasley Wedding Interrupted by Potter Kidnapping!" It was swiftly followed by the Evening Prophet's "Potter Repays Unforgivable Act with Unforgivable Curse! But What Will the Ministry Say?" And for the rest of the next week both rehashed the details of the wintry night and the speculation over the result until the Ministry finally spoke up.
When he heard it, their father had appeared unaffected by the result to all who knew who knew him. But that night as they prepared for bed, he inexplicably began to cry. Whether for the fact that maybe, just maybe, it was finally over, or that his conscience had caught up with him, they would never know. Their parents chose not to explain it, and "it" went on until they finally fell asleep and heard no more.
School started some days later, and the girls had no choice but to return. Having no one left, or else, to blame, Harry hugged them on the platform until the last whistle. Their mother and Caspar had to forcibly turn him away when finally they were too far to see each other clearly. He could not know how much it hurt them too that they had to let go.
They knew they had spent far too little time together.
Back at school though, after an awkward first few days, life quickly went back to normal. Of course, normal being homework, classes, Quidditch practice and learning of the outside world through the Prophets, Quibbler, Witch Weekly and letters from their family.
Lixue, Sarmistha and Rosalie became their constant companions, and though they could not be considered friends, Rhiannon Zabini did speak with them. It was not her fault her father's friend was a Death Eater, she wasn't. Nevertheless, Ron returned to his former position as their protector, keeping an extra close eye on all of them with Padma and Professor Theoden. The twins were decidedly unhappy about that development; even Tantie Marie hadn't been that overprotective.
From the Prophets they learned that Bellatrix had been sentenced to the Dementor's Kiss. Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy had been arrested as well, but their positions were exchanged in sentence. Under the headline, "Finally They've Got It Right!" the Daily Prophet detailed how, on review of their roles in the war and involvement in the kidnapping, a magistrate decided to put Snape under house arrest for the next two years, and release Draco immediately. The next day Witch Weekly plastered its front page with pictures of a drunken Malfoy being carried out of a pub in Diagon Alley by Blaise Zabini.
Pansy Parkinson was noticeably absent, sentenced to life in Azkaban with a number of her friends.
It would be two months then before the next attention-grabbing headline would appear. From the Daily Prophet, "And Babies Make Four: Neville and Ginny Longbottom Expecting Twins!"
Suddenly, Maia was violently jerked from her thoughts by Gavin's booming voice exploding across the pitch, "HERE COMES THE FIGHT! BRING ON THE NOISE FOR THE ONE, THE ONLY, GRYFFINDOR! AVERY, CAULDER, FELTON, PHELPS, THOMAS, RICKMAN AND WEASLEY! PHELPS IS KEEPER, GRAEME BYSSHE RICKMAN IS CAPTAIN AND A CHASER, AND BEFORE THE MATCH SAID, 'I HOPE MISS POTTER TOOK ALL THE ADVICE HER FATHER COULD GIVE HER TO HEART; SHE'S GOING TO NEED IT!' PLEASE NOTE MR POTTER, ANY AND ALL VIEWS OF THE PLAYERS DON'T NECESSARILY REFLECT THOSE OF THE REST OF THE HOUSE!"
Looking down from her perch, where she hovered slightly above her house's blinding black, yellow and gold stands, barely catching a glimpse of Lixue among them, she just caught the red and gold Gryffindors as they finally emerged. One by one, as Gavin called their name they flew out onto the stadium, pulled a daredevil stunt and then when altogether, formed a line before their house, and bowed.
That sent them into frenzy, and it was brought to fever pitch a moment later when Gavin announced what their captain had said. Maia made a point of rolling her eyes, though she knew they could not see her, and then casually floated off with the rest of her team as they waited for Madam Hooch to start the game.
"IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE IN FOR AN EXCITING GAME TODAY. TWO BITS OF TRIVIA BEFORE WE BEGIN, ONE, GRYFFINDOR'S CHASER IS PHILIPPE WEASLEY, WHOSE UNCLE, PROFESSOR RON WEASLEY IS MAIA POTTER'S GODFATHER! HE SHOULD BE IN CONFLICT ABOUT WHO TO SUPPORT, BUT REPORTEDLY PROFESSOR WEASLEY GAVE THE TEAM A PRE-MATCH PEP TALK AND TOLD THEM TO SHOW NO MERCY! WE ASSURE YOU SIR, WE WON'T!"
Ron pointedly ignored Hermione's shocked look and Harry's glare.
"ANOTHER, THIS SHOULD MAKE IT OVER ONE HUNDRED MATCHES THAT MADAM HOOCH HAS REFEREED FOR HOGWARTS SINCE TAKING ON THE POST AS FLYING INSTRUCTOR! WE'D JUST LIKE HER TO KNOW THAT WE ARE FOREVER GRATEFUL FOR HER DEDICATED SERVICE AND PROMISE THIS TO BE A MATCH TO REMEMBER! THIS IS WHERE WE SHOW OFF HOW WELL SHE TAUGHT US ALL HOW TO FLY!"
A moment later she was with them, but called the teams down to her in the middle of the pitch when she did. As Maia descended, she couldn't help but notice the Gryffindor seeker… and the strange lurch in her stomach when she did.
Standing beside her "cousin" Philippe, with a considerably slower Nimbus and now settling the goggles on his head, was a tall, handsome, black boy with startlingly bright eyes. It was Garrett Felton, a Fourth Year, and when he looked up at her, sensing her gaze, she discovered why, they were grey. And he levelled them with a piercing, albeit, curious look that made her feel suddenly rather self-conscious.
She was brought back to reality by Madam Hooch speaking and just in time to catch Philippe looking suspiciously between her and his team-mate. She ignored him, and tried to do the same to the stomach lurch as it rippled warm through her.
Madam Hooch was saying, "Now, I've heard reports of some of the comments being exchanged-"
"We had nothing to do with that," said Graeme, quickly.
"Yeah right," replied Ethan, just as quickly.
"-but I will not stand for it on my pitch," continued Madam Hooch, ignoring them. "I want a good, clean game, no funny business or both teams will be cleaning the Quidditch equipment for the rest of the year. Do I make myself clear?"
Both captains nodded.
She drew her whistle from her robes, backed off from them slightly and said, "Good, now shake hands… (they grudgingly complied) TWEET!"
In an instant they had mounted their brooms again and took to the air.
From their position in the teacher's box, Harry and Hermione had not seen the exchange, but they did see Maia's face when she remounted her Silver Arrow II. According to their Omnoculars she was very nearly scared witless, her skin was as pale as death. And yet, just yet, she had a look of slight disdain and disinterest that would make Malfoy green with envy.
Hermione sighed and turned to Harry. For a moment he tried to ignore her, but when he could take it no more (and especially after her stomach gave a slight hiccup) he asked, "What?"
"What do you mean 'what'? What was that expression?" she asked, indicating Maia sailing above their heads.
"Oh, that… well… she is the daughter of Harry Potter, youngest Seeker in a century, granddaughter of James Potter, Gryffindor Chaser, you can't sneeze at that kind of breeding," he replied.
Hermione rolled her eyes, and turned back muttering something that included the words "cocky", "nutter" and "not for Caspar". Harry looked down to his adopted son and mutely shook his head, knowing the boy had heard her.
There was no way she could possibly expect him and Caspar not to exploit his kind of breeding. After Hufflepuff (and he couldn't believe he was thinking this) decimated Gryffindor today, they would need some kind of morale booster. He had just adopted the boy some weeks before, in preparation for their re-marriage after the baby was born in August, and he wasn't going to go to the Durmstrang Institute, so he had to prove himself Viktor Krum's son somewhere. His son, whose sex they had discovered some days ago when he could take it no longer, wasn't born yet.
At this he put his hand to Hermione's stomach and felt Cedric's kick again. He hoped he was taking good care of his hands in there, Seeker, Chaser, Beater of Keeper, he would need them.
Hermione, having felt the kick too, looked down at his hand and gently covered it with her own. When he looked up at her, she smiled gently and said, "Don't even think about. Don't even dream about it. Two Quidditch players are more than enough per family."
"What? I wasn't thinking about anything… just how wonderful it feels to be with you, our children, here, without fear of anything coming between us," he replied.
She narrowed her eyes at him, and he backed off with his hands in his lap.
He could let it go for now, they were two short of their own personal Quidditch team anyway.
Across in the Gryffindor stands, Aimee had somehow found herself to the front with the clearest view of the field, between Rosalie and Sarmistha.
Since the start of the school year she had been given remarkable leeway by her housemates while she recovered. Through nightmares, just bad days and painful Daily Prophet stories they had been perfectly supportive. At times it had been insufferable, at others, such as now; there were perks she could live with.
She had been alternating her attention for some time now between her parents in the teacher's box, and her parents in the teacher's box. Every now and then she would allow her eyes to be drawn to the Slytherin stands where Rhiannon sat lazily waving a Hufflepuff flag (for, like Gryffindor, they would never support their nemesis in anything) and Lixue lost in the midst of a dazzling Hufflepuff display. They still had the confiscated Slytherin banner, but now it had been further corrupted to include miniscule lions being pounced on by some freakishly gigantic badgers. She could not cheer for her sister if she wished to remain in good standing with her housemates, but the others were more than making up for it.
Of course, her parents were probably positively schizophrenic about now.
She smiled at that thought, and turned her eyes skyward to find her sister. It was good to have parents there and together to have schizophrenic thoughts.
Up in the air, half-watching the Snitch and then half-minding the game, Maia floated in lethargic circles round the pitch. As he had the slower broom, and as was the custom in such a situation, Garrett had taken to trailing slowly behind her. Every now and then he would dart away of course, not to make his actions too obvious, but Maia had already figured him out.
And the somewhat unnatural fact that she may actually… um, well… like him. Just like that, out of the blue, first time in her history she had a crush, and it had to happen today, now, of all days. Concentration was going to be distinctly difficult.
She allowed Gavin's booming commentary to fill her ears, "HUFFLEPUFF IS PUTTING IN A RATHER GOOD SHOWING TODAY, BUT IT IS GRYFFINDOR IN POSSESSION! CHASER WEASLEY PASSES TO CAPTAIN RICKMAN… HE DODGES A BLUDGER TO PASS BACK TO WEASLEY… NEAR COLLISION WITH DAVISON, CONTINUES TO HUFFLEPUFF GOALPOST… SAVED BY WOODS AND IT IS BACK TO THE GRYFFINDOR-OW! WOODS MAY BE OUT OF THE GAME, BLUDGER TO THE SKULL!"
Maia stopped her circling to look down to the flutter of canary yellow and black falling to the evergreen pitch below before he was stopped and floated to Madam Pomfrey and a waiting stretcher by Professor McGonagall. The cheering had stopped, replaced by horrified gasps and concerned looks, but it would not be for long. Even before Woods was to the ground, the substitute, a big-boned, sepia-skinned and henna-haired girl by the name of Madhuri Chandrasekhar had taken his place, and play resumed.
There were after all still points to build and a Snitch to catch.
"CHASER CHANDRASEKHAR IS FRESH OFF THE BENCHES AND READY TO PLAY, ALREADY HAS HUFFLEPUFF IN POSSESSION AND HEADING STRONG FOR THE GRYFFINDOR GOALPOSTS! PASSES TO THORNE… FEINT PASS TO DAVISON, BACK TO CHANDRASEKHAR… AND HUFFLEPUFF SCORES! THIRTY-TEN, ADVANTAGE GRYFFINDOR!"
The roar that erupted then was near deafening, and yet still Maia swore she heard someone yell, "TAKE THAT! THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR TRYING TO CHEAT!"
But she had other concerns, like the Snitch for example, and shaking off the Gryffindor Seeker before he snatched the Snitch right up from under her. The problem was, the Snitch was no where to be found.
No matter where she looked as she went back to searching the skies and around the stadium, there was not even the slightest hint of glittering yellow gold. All she got was hot, sweaty and windblown, and every time Garrett invaded her peripheral vision, miniature heart attacks.
Oh she had to get rid of this before Aimee found out. She would never hear the end of it.
Both teams had built up enough points in their previous games so that it was not really a problem, but it was best not to push their luck. If not their Seeker, the Gryffindors at least had the advantage in terms of ball possession and opportunities to score. She had to get that Snitch, she just had to catch that Snitch or they would be in serious trouble.
"ANOTHER ONE PAST ANDREWS, FORTY-TEN, ADVANTAGE STILL TO GRYFFINDOR! COME ON FELTON, BRING US THE SILVER!"
It would be two hours more before anything changed, and that went for score points too.
Fed-up of her useless circling, Maia decided to dip lower, closer to the players and the crush of the game. It was a dangerous venture; one well-placed Bludger could do irreparable damage to her team's chances at the Snitch.
But then, it also gave an unexpected advantage.
As he had been "surreptitiously" following her around the pitch since the match began, when Maia descended to the level of the stands and into the heart of play, Garrett followed. But that was a mistake. He had not been paying attention to his surroundings as he descended, and jerked awkwardly back when a Bludger shot out of nowhere and nearly slammed into his broom.
Instead of laughing, as she usually would, Maia felt that rippling feeling again, and turned her broom to assist him. Only the sound of Christensen yelling at her as he went by, giving chase to the Bludger with his bat held high, "Forget him, he's fine! Get that Snitch, Potter!" stopped her.
She gave Garrett a feeble smile, shrugged, tore off through the players zigzagging their brooms to the centre of the pitch and once there ascended again to survey the grounds.
And that was when she finally spotted it… or rather, when it finally found her.
She was nearly to her previous perch when something slammed into her back with the force of a cork cricket ball and left a stinging like a hundred infuriated wasps. Alarmed, she turned to see what it was, wondering slightly if she had collided with a bird. She was to be rather shocked instead to find the Snitch falling like a stone behind her.
Without a second thought she dropped into a dive after it.
From the corner of her eye she saw Garrett notice her, and then it, and then shoot off behind the Snitch as well. Being lower, he was closer and in danger of reaching it first. She might have played a hand in its run of bad luck, but he would benefit.
But then, the ball suddenly stopped falling, as if it had been temporarily knocked out and had only just regained consciousness. There was a moment where it hovered, flitting about in a lopsided circle between the two advancing Seekers, and then it shot off to their right. Maia swiftly turned after it, leaving Garrett in her dust with eyes only for the gold.
Her path took her over the teacher's stands, and Hagrid, who had just arrived and taken a seat behind her parents, waved at her. She had no time to wave back.
From a distance she could just hear Gavin calling the scores, "WEASLEY STEALS FROM CHANDRASEKHAR, PASSES TO RICKMAN… RICKMAN IS ADVANCING TO HUFFLEPUFF KEEPER… OH NO! JUST MISSES A BLUDGER BUT RELEASES THE QUAFFLE WHICH IS QUICKLY SNATCHED UP BY HUFFLEPUFF THORNE… THORNE IS HEADING BACK TO THE GRYFFINDOR KEEPER… HE'S PASSING… MAKING AN ATTEMPT TO PASS… FEINTS CAULDER AND SCORES! FIFTY-FIFTY, WE HAVE A DEADLOCK!"
It was music to her ears, and she shut it out to focus on the Snitch. There seemed to be something wrong with it, as if the collision with her back had broken a wing. All the easier for her….
She stretched out an arm, gloved fingers just inches from the little gold ball when….
"CRAA-AA-CK!" a Bludger diverted by a Gryffindor Beater slammed into her broom, bounced off onto her outstretched arm, breaking it, and fell away.
The sudden pain was so intense that Maia cried out and dropped her arm, its fingers already numbed by the blow so that she could not form a fist. Thinking quickly though, she dropped forward onto her broom and with her other arm caught the little treasure as it fell free. And only then, when it was secure, and as Gavin finally noticed and announced her injury, "HUFFLEPUFF SEEKER HURT, THAT WAS A DIRECT HIT TO HER BROOM! LOOKS LIKE HER ARM'S BROKEN… HOPE THEY HAVE A SUB…" did she descend to Madam Pomfrey.
In the stands she could just hear her mother's alarmed cry and the sound of Harry and Ron rushing from their seats to the pitch. They seemed not to care for the pandemonium they caused, pushing people out of the way and calling her name. She was in too much pain to look up though, and give them the reassurance that she was fine.
Aimee had vanished from her place among the Gryffindors too, and was hurriedly coming from the opposite direction. Unlike the adults she had a much clearer path, as everyone had frozen when she got hit and now stepped away to give her way. Hot on her heels were Rosalie and Sarmistha.
But no one seemed to notice that she had caught the Snitch. Had this ever happened to her father?
So she was then very surprised when Garrett appeared beside her, put an arm round her waist and pulled her into an upright position, using his broom to guide them down safely. It was then that both teams stopped playing and looked down at them. And it was then, finally, that Gavin asked, "HEY… WHERE'S THE SNITCH? WHO'S GOT THE SNITCH?"
Garrett, still showing that uncommon sportsmanship, even when he could just easily tear open her fingers and claim the prize himself, simply rose her hand into the air above their heads. The snitch barely peeked out, but its wings fluttered wildly between her fingers.
"OH," replied Gavin, sounding rather dazed, "WELL THERE YOU GO, HUFFLEPUFF'S CAUGHT THE SNITCH…" and then when he realised what that meant, "HUFFLEPUFF W… HUFFLEPUFF WINS… HUFFLEPUFF WINS THE QUIDDITCH CUP! I DON'T BELIEVE IT!"
Their brooms were not yet to the ground when Harry freed her from Garrett with an approving nod, cradled her like an infant in his arms and lifted her arm away from her for Madam Pomfrey to examine. Then he turned to Hermione, finally coming over to them, with a smile, and nudged Maia's head so that she could do the same. When Hermione stopped, relieved, and slowed her pace now that the damage appeared minimal, he looked up to the stands and shouted over their heads, "BELIEVE IT! SHE AND HER SISTER HELPED ME GET RID OF VOLDEMORT, WHAT'S ONE LITTLE SNITCH?"
Gavin went red, the stands went mad, and before they knew it the students began racing from their seats to join them in the celebration on the pitch. The teams slowly descended to the centre of the field, almost forgotten.
But Maia turned to her father then, rolled her eyes and said, "Papa, you're embarrassing me."
He arched an eyebrow at her and said, "A year ago I didn't know if I'd ever see you again, I'll do as I like young lady."
Maia scowled, and then it quickly fell away when she managed to spy Garrett smiling at her through the others.
Somewhere above them, looking down with his friends, a tall, handsome man with long, shaggy black hair and charming grey eyes, laughed.
Fin… I think.
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