Chapter 6: Three Cups

May 27, 1995 dawned bright and clear. Harry had breakfast with his friends at the Hufflepuff table. He ate light, conscious of the challenge before him that day. There were butterflies in his stomach, of that he was sure. Though this wasn't a 'serious' or 'official' game, there was school honour at stake, as well as personal honour. After breakfast, he and Neville retreated to the fourth year boys' dorm so Harry could ready himself. He pulled out his broom, and carefully prepared it with his broom servicing kit. Then he donned his quidditch armour and the jersey that the Lions had adopted. It was a deep red with gold trim and a rampant lion on the left breast. The back had his number, 7, and 'POTTER' across the back in gold lettering.

With a wordless nod to Neville, Harry grabbed his broom and started down the stairs. In the common room he met Alicia, Angelina, Katie, Fred, and George. With nods all around, they exited the portrait hole and descended to the entry hall where they met Ernie. There was no-one else around.

Then they stepped outside and the world exploded. Harry was blinded by the sunlight, so the noise hit him first. As his eyes adjusted, he could see the entire student body, most of the professors, and what seemed like half of Wizarding Britain on the front lawn surrounding the quidditch pitch. He walked towards the pitch with the others to cheers. Harry spotted Sirius and Remus, and Amos Diggory, and Augusta Longbottom. Looking around, he saw the ramparts of the castle were full as well, as everyone wanted to watch this game. Harry's heart sank as he knew why: the Boy-Who-Lived was squaring off against World Cup darling Viktor Krum. This was far and away the largest group of fans any game had seen.

Harry, who'd been elected captain by general acclaim, led the team up to where Madam Hooch was standing. She'd agreed to continue to referee matches, despite their less than official nature.

"Good luck," she whispered to him. Then she applied a sonorous charm and began explaining the rules. Harry shook hands with Viktor, and retreated to his side. Like official games at Hogwarts in years past, Lee Jordan was announcing. As the designated visitors, the Durmstrang team took the pitch first, with Lee calling out the names as they flew. Krum, announced last, got what sounded like the loudest cheers. Then Lee started calling out the Lions'. Harry mounted his broom, and waited. When it was his turn, he shot into the air and his name was called. The applause erupted around him, dwarfing the acclaim given to Krum by a wide margin. It heartened him to know he was the one most of the spectators were pulling for.

Madam Hooch released the bludgers, followed by the quaffle. The bludgers shot into the air, with Fred getting first whack, sending a bludger directly into the Durmstrang chaser who'd snagged the quaffle. He dropped it, straight into the waiting arms of Alicia Spinnet. As Madam Hooch released the snitch, the quaffle flew through the Durmstrang hoops, ten to nil, Lions. The crowd roared.

Harry quickly lost track of the game going on around him as he searched for the snitch. Harry briefly glanced at Krum, but then disregarded him. Harry didn't pace the other seeker. It wasn't his style of play. Harry narrowly avoided a bludger sent at him by a Durmstrang beater. The score increased to twenty to nil, Lions, when Katie fired the quaffle through the right hoop, just out of reach of the Durmstrang keeper.

Harry increased speed, and flew over to the Durmstrang hoops. Krum saw, and followed, but peeled off when he realized that Harry hadn't seen anything. Harry had decided to always change locations at full speed, hoping this would distract Krum and eventually desensitize him to quick movements from Harry. Harry would need every advantage. He spent a good five minutes near the Durmstrang hoops, searching for the snitch. He didn't find it.

When Angelina upped the score again to thirty to nil, Harry quit the Durmstrang hoops, dodged another bludger, and joined the chaser line as they pursued the quaffle back towards the Lions' hoops. Harry managed to break up the Durmstrang play by feinting a snitch sighting, and the quaffle returned to the Lions'. As the chaser trio advanced down the pitch, Harry remained behind, searching near the Lions' hoops.

Harry briefly checked on Krum, who was circling high above the pitch, looking down. Then he dove quickly towards the grass. Krum followed, but was far enough back that he abandoned pursuit when Harry broke off the dive and circled the bottom of the Durmstrang hoops. Harry noticed, but didn't care. He wasn't trying to execute a Wronski Feint, he was trying to lull Krum into a false sense of security.

Harry's next move, following another Lions' goal, was to rocket up across the pitch, breaking up another Durmstrang play, and distracting Krum again. From his ending position, circling above the Lion's hoops, Harry had a commanding view of the pitch. He spent another five minutes scanning for the snitch. During that time, Durmstrang managed to score their first goal, sending the score to seventy to ten, Lions.

The sun retreated behind the clouds, making the seeker's job that much more difficult. Harry responded by diving straight down, blocking the quaffle on his way past, and denying another score to Durmstrang. Krum saw the move and followed for a few lengths, before he realized that Harry was just shooting around again. Harry pulled up short of the ground and hovered near the base of the Lion's hoops.

The cloud passed, and the sun came back out. The quaffle was again near the Durmstrang hoops. Fred and George had successfully kept the bludgers away from Harry and the chaser trio. It was obvious that the Durmstrang team, while good, wasn't at the same level of play that Krum, or even the Lions were at. It made Harry feel a little better. Still, the evasive snitch was starting to bother him. He sped along the rope line that denoted the edge of the pitch, screaming by the fans just below him on his Firebolt. He wasn't really looking for the snitch, just trying to keep Krum occupied.

He shot straight up in front of the Durmstrang hoops, blocking the pass from the keeper to one of his chasers, and deflecting it to Katie, who scored again. Lee shouted, "One hundred twenty to twenty, Lions!" Soon, Harry reasoned, it wouldn't matter who caught the snitch, the Lions would win.

Suddenly, Harry caught a glint of gold near the middle of the field, just below the play going on. Harry was off like a shot, angling to pass right through the Durmstrang chasers. Krum started after Harry, but stopped, assuming it was just another maneuver. Harry did indeed break up the play, returning the quaffle to Lions possession, but he was after the snitch.

"Harry, dive!" cried Fred from just above. Without a thought, Harry pitched even further down, pressing his head against his broom to increase speed. He could feel the woosh of air as the bludger passed right where his chest would've been if he hadn't maneuvered. But when he recovered and looked, the snitch had gone.

Harry resumed searching for the snitch around the Lions' hoops, flying back and forth near Ernie. Krum then decided it was time to up his game. He shot for the ground. Harry was off in hot pursuit. Halfway through the maneuver, Harry spotted the Wronski Feint. There was no glint in front of Krum. Harry aborted the pursuit, and watched as Krum pulled up to resume searching. Krum frowned when he saw Harry circling twenty meters above him near the middle of the pitch. Harry shrugged in response.

Over the next ten minutes of play, Harry continued his practice of zooming from one spot to another, searching for the snitch. Krum continued to ignore him, and refrained from attempting any more tricks. It was from his spot below the play near the Lions' hoops that he spotted it again.

The snitch was following a Durmstrang chaser, pacing his broom, just below the bristles. Harry realized that that was close to the same position he'd seen the snitch in before. Harry quickly maneuvered to a spot from which he could begin pursuit, keeping a wary eye on the snitch the entire time. It never stopped tracking the chaser. To a casual observer, it looked like Harry was setting up to disrupt the play again.

From a position behind and below the play, Harry moved. He exploded forward, urging his broom faster, rolling the broom to escape a bludger that threatened to unseat him. He refrained from extending his hand and giving away the game.

"Potter moves to break up the play…" Lee commentated. He was three meters away and closing fast. The hand came out. "NO!" Lee shouted. "He's seen the snitch!" Without looking, Harry knew Krum was reacting. Harry didn't need the distraction. He rolled again to escape another bludger before bringing the Firebolt into a sharp right turn dive, following the snitch. One meter. The snitch was racing for the ground. Half a meter. Harry put on more speed. The ground was closing in at an astonishing rate. Mere centimeters remained. Harry could almost touch it. In his peripheral vision, Harry saw Krums arm, outstretched as well. The Bulgarian wasn't close enough.

Half a heartbeat before his broom ploughed into the ground, Harry's hand closed around the snitch and Harry yanked back on his broom handle. He felt the grass tickle his knuckle as he flew millimeters above the dirt. A loud crash behind him told Harry that Krum had crashed.

"Potter has the snitch!" Lee called as Harry held up his hand. "The Lions' have won the match three hundred to twenty! Potter has beaten Krum!" The crowd roared. The noise filled every corner of the field and reverberated off the castle walls. "Harry Potter has beaten World Cup seeker Viktor Krum to the snitch!" Harry pulled up slightly for a victory lap around the ad hoc stadium, returning to the ground near Madam Hooch to present her with the snitch. He was instantly surrounded by his teammates.

"I think we'll retire that one," Madam Hooch told Harry when he tried to return the snitch to her. "Why don't you keep it?" Harry beamed at her before being carried away by his teammates and fans. He was carried bodily into the castle. Before he passed the doors, he glanced back and saw the Durmstrang team helping Viktor hobble back to the Durmstrang ship. Harry hoped he'd be ok in time for the final task four weeks later.

The party went on for the rest of the day. The lunch meal was replaced with a sumptuous feast. Professor McGonagall personally awarded him twenty points for "an outstanding bit of flying." Sirius and the other adults all found him and congratulated him as well. He was introduced to a newspaper reporter from the Prophet, to whom he talked for a brief period, but couldn't later remember what he'd said.

He finally found himself seated at the Gryffindor table eating the feast. With their mouths full, most of the students had quieted down.

"You do realize that this means the Lions win the quidditch cup this year," Neville said. "You've won all seven of your games. No one else can match you now."

"It's all informal, Nev," Harry replied. "This isn't an official league. There's no cup. Heck, they aren't even house teams. Ernie's a Hufflepuff."

"Yes, and he seems to be getting all their attention," Hermione observed.

"Well, he did keep out all but two goals," Neville pointed out.

"And Susan isn't going to let anyone get closer than her," Hannah said without looking up. Harry looked over, and saw Ernie at the Hufflepuff table, arm firmly around Susan, whose arm was firmly around him.

"That's the truth," Harry agreed.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you start getting looks—I mean serious looks—from the pros now," Neville said after a brief pause.

"What'd you mean?" Harry asked. "I'm just a fourth year."

"Krum played in the World Cup at sixteen," Hermione pointed out. "He was obviously playing long before that."

"Three years before that," Neville informed them.

"He was playing professionally at thirteen?" Harry asked, incredulously.

"Yep," Neville said. "Some team in Greece. Forget the name. They're not in the British league, obviously."

"I don't think one win over Viktor Krum is enough to get me a look from some pro scout," Harry said, dismissively.

"I think you're wrong," Neville replied. "It wasn't just one win over Krum, was it? It was seven wins this year, and wins in pretty much every match you've played before that."

"But those are school matches," Harry protested.

"So?" Neville asked. "Where do you think scouts go to look for new players? They go to school matches. I know for a fact that scouts have already seen you play."

"When?" Harry asked, shocked.

"Every year you've played," Neville revealed. "There's a pro scout at every game Hogwarts hosts. Not every team sends scouts, but at least one's been at every game."

"They were looking at me my first year?" Harry pressed.

"Not to start," Neville allowed. "I know Puddlemere and the Arrows were scouting Wood. Last year the Harpies started looking at the Gryffindor chaser line. This year they're seriously looking at the Gryffindor chaser line. I'd expect Alicia and Angelina to get contract offers next year and Katie the following year. Reserve to start. But Gwenog Jones isn't getting any younger. The Cannons and Bats have seriously scouted the twins. They'll probably get an offer too. Don't you know how good the Gryffindor quidditch team is?"

"I…" Harry sputtered. "I guess I'd never really thought about it before."

"You're a powerhouse team," Neville said. "A once in a century compilation of talent. The scouts have noticed."

"So, what," Harry asked. "Do they expect me to quit school?"

"No, no," Neville replied. "The pro teams will watch you, and wait until you've finished your NEWTs, unless they're desperate. The Cannons might offer you a spot on their team, with the stipulation that you practice with the Gryffindor team during the school year, and can get off for games. But mostly, they'll leave you alone. It's really only the national team scouts you have to watch out for."

"But Krum…" Harry trailed off.

"Krum wanted to play," Neville informed him. "Krum's dad sought a contract as early as he could. That team in Greece didn't look for him, he looked for them. You're different. You probably want to wait."

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "I don't even know if I want to play professional quidditch. I mean they're gone a lot." He thought back to his previous life where Ginny played seeker for the Harpies. She'd been gone a lot on the road, and before she broke his heart, he'd missed her.

"What are you talking about, Harry?" Neville asked. "Most pro quidditch players are home every night. They get portkeys to the games the day before that bring them back that night. The only time they're gone overnight is if the game doesn't end on time."

"But…" Harry said, lost. "I thought they spent the time in hotels when they played on the road."

"Why would you think that?" Neville asked. "Players get a better night's sleep in their own beds. Why would they sleep in hotel beds that are unfamiliar when they can get to the pitch from home with a portkey? That would be detrimental to their rest plans."

"Oh," Harry said sadly, realizing that Ginny had used his muggle roots to help cheat on him. It dawned on him that when she'd claimed to be 'on the road' she'd really been 'on Dean Thomas.' "Still, I'm not sure I want to play professional quidditch. I'm famous enough."

Sure enough, the next day two owls dropped to Harry's place at breakfast. The Chudley Cannons and the Genoa Gattos both offered Harry contracts as not reserve, but starting seekers.

"They're both terrible teams," Neville observed. The Cannons are bottom of the British League, and have been for forever. The Gattos I've never heard of, which can't be good. Plus, you don't speak Italian."

"I wonder why you didn't get an offer from the English national team," Hermione wondered.

"Probably because it's another four years before the World Cup is played again," Neville posited.

"Hmm," Hermione replied, thoughtfully.

"Either way," Harry continued. "I'm saying no to these. I want to wait until I'm done school."

"That's a good choice," Hermione told him. The conversation petered out as the friends finished their meals. Harry noticed Ron sitting nearby with Dean and Seamus, scowling at Harry. He didn't know whether Ron was upset because the Cannons wanted him to play for them and not Ron, or whether by not electing to play for the Cannons he was dooming them to at least several more years of poor results. It seemed to Harry that even Ron didn't know why he was upset.

May passed into June, with the first three Saturdays occupied with more quidditch. The Revenge beat out the Badgers, the Harpies beat out the Ravens, and Slytherin beat out the Beaux Dépliants.

The only major event of the spring outside of the Lions versus Durmstrang quidditch game was the publication of the results of the various investigations by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Despite Dumbledore being forced to flee, and a host of Death Eaters being incarcerated, the investigations into wrongdoing by all parties continued, though additional charges were held in abeyance until such time as additional trials might be beneficial. Most of the Death Eaters were in for life, so it didn't make much difference in those cases. In any event, all the facts were published in several thick bound volumes, the important bits of which were reprinted for all to see in the Daily Prophet. All this really led to was another round of gossip and print attacks on Dumbledore, who hadn't been seen since September 1991.

That second to last week in June was something of a blur for Harry, as he had several end of year tests that fell that week, including Ancient Runes, Astronomy, Charms, History of Magic, and Potions. The next week would see Care of Magical Creatures, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, and Transfiguration.

The night after the last quidditch game, Harry had his nose buried in his Transfiguration text at dinner. During the pudding, McGonagall rose and cleared her throat.

"As many of you are aware, the Hogwarts Quidditch League was suspended this year due to the Tri-Wizard Tournament," she began. "Many of you refused to take that as a final decision, and formed your own intramural league this year. As an avid fan of the sport myself, I took great pride in your resourcefulness, dedication, and ingenuity. Many of the matches this year were on par with, or better than, other matches I've been privileged to see in my years here at Hogwarts. To honour the spirit in which these games were played, I've decided that Hogwarts shall award the Quidditch Cup this year, as in any other. This year, with seven victories and no defeats, the Quidditch Cup goes to the Lions! Will team captain Harry Potter please come up to be awarded the trophy?"

Harry rose in disbelief and padded to the front of the hall. Behind him, the other members of the Lions rose and followed, pursued by applause, especially from the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables.

"It is my great pleasure to award you this trophy," McGonagall said as she handed it to Harry. "I expect it back by the end of the night, so it can be displayed in the trophy room until next year." She winked at him. Behind him, the hall was going crazy. She pointed at the decorations and changed the banners to deep red and gold. The house crests faded away from each and the Lions' logo appeared. Each also bore the name of a different Lions player and their quidditch number.

Harry spun round and held the cup aloft, and the cheering increased. He passed it off to Fred Weasley, who passed it off again, and so-on until every team member had gotten to hold it. Harry got it back, and noticed it was inscribed. 'Lions, 1994-1995' sat on the last line, below generations worth of 'Gryffindor,' 'Hufflepuff,' 'Ravenclaw,' and 'Slytherin." The Lions would thus be emblazoned on a piece of history forever: distinct and unique. Harry smiled, and handed the cup back to McGonagall.

"Thank you, Professor," Harry said.

The last weekend of June saw exams done. Harry felt he'd done well. All that was left was the end of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. The last Saturday of term, Harry and his friends walked down to the quidditch pitch after dinner to watch the last task. Cedric, Viktor, and Fleur were all there wearing what looked like muggle athletic gear.

Harry actually thought the whole thing was rather boring. All the spectators could see were the walls of the maze and the entrance. One by one, the three contestants entered the maze. Cedric went first, followed shortly by Krum. Fleur entered last. Then there was nothing but waiting.

The audience could see bright lights and explosions, and they could hear noises coming from the hedges, but they couldn't see any real action. Eventually, the sights and sounds faded into the background. Harry and Hermione started playing gin rummy again, while Neville and Hannah discussed herbology.

After about an hour, there was a blood curdling scream from inside the maze that caused everyone to look up, but the excitement faded when nothing else happened. Nearing the two hour mark there was a bright flash near the entrance, and Cedric appeared holding the Tri-Wizard Cup.

Professors on broomstick, who'd been monitoring the event from the air, swooped in and extracted the other two contestants, returning them to the entrance. The professors then conferred briefly with the three school heads. Eventually, they said something to Ludo Bagman, the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, and he walked to the podium. The three contestants were arrayed behind it.

"If I may have your attention!" Bagman shouted, bringing conversations to a standstill. "It is my pleasure to announce that the winner of this Tri-Wizard Tournament is Hogwart's own Cedric Diggory!" There was massive applause, and Cedric stepped forward to hoist the trophy for all to see. As the applause subsided, Ludo continued, "In second place, both by points and by dint of position in the maze, Durmstrang's Viktor Krum!" There was more applause. Viktor nodded curtly, obviously put out by the whole thing. "Finally, in third place is Beauxbaton's Fleur Delacour." Slight applause accompanied this last announcement. "Thank you all for attending this iteration of the Tri-Wizard Tournament."

The official party stuck around for a while, milling about, but with the main excitement over, the students and other spectators made their way back to the castle. Harry went almost immediately to bed. The hell he had seen in his other life had officially been dealt with in its entirety.

The last week of term saw the departure of the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons delegations. Harry was ambivalent about the whole thing. It seemed like at long last, Harry could concentrate on what was important to him and his friends. Suddenly, he didn't know what that was. He'd have to think on it.

The House Cup was awarded during the leaving feast on Friday night. It was an anti-climax. It had been a tight race that year, with Cedric earning a slew of points for good performance during the tournament. Harry had also earned a number of points associated with the intramural quidditch league. Still, the Ravenclaws came out on top that year, which suited Harry just fine. He already had the Quidditch Cup, and Hufflepuff had the Tri-Wizard Cup. Only the Slytherins had been left out that year.

It wasn't until the train ride home that Harry became thoughtful again.

"What should I do with my life?" Harry asked when he sat down. The Hufflepuffs hadn't arrived in the compartment yet, and it was just the three Gryffindors.

"What did you do in your old life?" Neville asked.

"Married Ginny and became an Auror," Harry answered. "I know I don't want to do the first bit."

"What about the second bit?" Hermione asked.

"I don't really know," Harry replied. "I've had enough fighting too last a hundred lifetimes."

"You could pick up a professional quidditch contract," Neville pointed out.

"I've had enough of fame too," Harry countered. "Anything else?"

"Well, there's any number of things you could do," Hermione offered. "There's teaching, like Sirius. There's politics, like Madam Longbottom. There's government service like Mr. Weasley. There's entrepreneurship, like Florean Fortescue…"

"Or you could just live the life of a country gentleman, and do nothing," Neville said. "You've got enough money." There was a pause. "But you'll probably be pulled into politics regardless of what you do, because you've got a seat on the Wizegamot."

"Three actually," Harry said. "Potter, Gryffindor, and Peverell."

"Four," Hermione corrected. "You picked up Slytherin when you triumphed over Tom Riddle. You should probably go see Gringotts about his vaults."

"Those were all confiscated by the Ministry," Neville reported. "Didn't you read the expose in the paper a few weeks ago?"

"Well, the ring should still be around," Hermione suggested. "You should still check."

"Fine," Harry huffed. "Politics, it is. But maybe I'll be a teacher too."

"You'd probably be a great teacher, Harry," Susan said as she came into the compartment with the other Hufflepuffs trailing behind. The three settled down, and the conversation shifted gradually, rolling across topics as the train traveled south.

When the train pulled into King's Cross, Harry was, as usual, one of the last to alight. Hermione was with him as he greeted Sirius.

"Excuse me," came a voice from behind him. "If I may have a word?"

"Yes?" Harry asked, turning to face Molly Weasley.

"Are you happy with yourself?" she asked harshly.

"Fairly," Harry replied, nonplussed. "But I suppose you have a follow-on comment regardless of my answer, and were expecting to put me off guard with your question. Continue."

"Albus Dumbledore…" she began.

"Is being sought by the authorities for crimes against my family and my guardian," Harry finished.

"Only you have the power to call off the search," Mrs. Weasley begged. "Only you can forgive him."

"Why would I do that?" he asked. "He's wronged my family. He shall reap what he's sown."

"Revenge leads to darkness," Molly shot back. "Why not forgive him? That's the light path."

"I don't seek revenge," Harry replied. "And while I might forgive him, even if I do so, I can't stop the manhunt for him. I cannot cancel the arrest warrants."

"But…" Mrs. Weasley sputtered.

"Mrs. Weasley," Harry began. "You see a duality: revenge or forgiveness. I see a sliding scale. Revenge is on one end, and forgiveness on the other. Revenge is vigilantism, extreme punishment for the sake of salving my honour. Revenge brings pain. Forgiveness is knuckling under, allowing a man to walk free without punishment for his crimes. If he sees no consequence for his actions, he continues to break the law.

"The way I see it," Harry continued, "at the middle of the spectrum is justice. Mr. Dumbledore broke the law… many laws; laws we as a society have put in place to protect the less fortunate, the weak, the poor, the children, and the innocent. These laws are enforced by an impartial Ministry, specifically because they're impartial. They reduce the need to seek revenge and prevent people from going down a dark path. At the same time, they ensure that punishment is apportioned, and in the appropriate amount, so that the lawbreaker may learn that actions have consequences. Once Mr. Dumbledore has served his punishment, I will be more than happy to forgive him. Until that time, I can only aid the authorities in their search.

"To be honest," Harry concluded, "because of your words today, I'd recommend to Madam Bones that you be questioned under veritasserum with regards as to Mr. Dumbldore's whereabouts, though I doubt it would do much good. I'm betting that you'd be unable to provide his whereabouts, as I'm almost certain he's hiding under a fidelius charm. Pitty."

Without another word, Harry turned away from a stunned Mrs. Weasley. Harry had seen the minute twitch in her eye that gave the game away. Mrs. Weasley was the secret keeper, or knew who was. Harry would bet the farm on it. He made a mental note to pass that information along to Madam Bones when he saw her the next day.

Epilogue: And the Rest of the Story

Molly Weasley was arrested on Monday for aiding in the flight of a fugitive from justice. She had been the secret keeper, and was one of Dumbledore's last remaining loyal followers. Harry didn't really care. Mr. Weasley, it came out, was completely unaware of his wife's machinations, and was allowed to retain his position. Her children were, likewise, not punished for their mother's actions, to Harry's relief.

Dumbledore was subdued during a nighttime raid on the house he was hiding in. Wardbreakers had deactivated all the wards around the house, and he was stunned while asleep. The trial was perhaps the biggest thing in the living memory of most people. Once subdued, and fed veritasserum, the secrets just came pouring out. The interrogation alone took two weeks, and law enforcement officials were there the whole time recording his confession. Teams were sent out to confirm his testimony and brought back hoards of evidence against the man.

It came out that in addition to his actions towards Sirius, and his scheming with Molly, he'd tipped off the LeStranges as to the location of Neville's parents. The wards he'd placed over 4 Privet Drive had actually encouraged the Dursleys to treat Harry poorly. Dumbledore'd been the one who'd given Riddle the book that told him almost everything he'd known about horcruxes, which caused Tom to begin his discent into madness. Thanks to his legilimency skill, Dumbledore had known who every Death Eater was, and furthermore, did nothing to stop them. He even knowingly encouraged them, hoping to enhance his fame once Voldemort and the Death Eaters were finally defeated. The list of crimes continued for twenty-seven feet of parchment.

In August, Dumbledore was sentenced to be sent through the veil. The punishment was executed with Harry and Sirius present.

The rest of the summer was spent in the company of his godfather and friends. Harry went out almost daily with Hermione, and their relationship blossomed.

In July, the Hogwarts Board of Governors announced it would be cleaning shop. Snape was fired. Binns was fired too, but couldn't be banished from the castle, so they simply directed McGonagall to hire a replacement professor and hold the class in a different classroom. Burbage was taken to task over the out-of-date material she was teaching. She was given a year's notice to update her class or she'd be fired and replaced with a recent muggleborn graduate.

In August, Harry and Hermione received their Hogwarts letters. Sirius had made them both prefects. The OWL year was difficult, but in the end, Harry emerged with all Os, including the highest OWL ever recorded in Defense. Hermione walked away with all Os too, including the highest ever recorded in Transfiguration and Charms. Neville and Hannah also earned all Os, which made them happy. Susan and Ernie didn't earn all Os, but they didn't care, because they did well enough, and were too wrapped up with each other.

Sixth year passed uneventfully for Harry. The biggest blip was when Susan and Ernie broke up at Christmas. They had a huge row, and Ernie ended up distancing himself from the group. Harry tried to make amends, but Ernie politely rebuffed him. Ernie started hanging out with Wayne Hopkins and Stephen Cornfoot. Susan spent the rest of the year casting about for a new beau, feeling left out. Eventually, she settled on Ravenclaw Kevin Entwhistle in May.

In July, Harry turned seventeen, and took up his lordship duties, including his spot on the Wizengamot. Harry opened Potter Manor, which had previously been closed off with strong war wards. He didn't move in, but convinced Dobby, who he'd purchased when the Malfoy Estate was dissolved, to begin cleaning it. He also met the other Potter elves, of which there were four.

Seventh year was perhaps the easiest for Harry, despite never having done it before. The work was focused, and made sense to him. Hermione kept his nose to the grind stone, and he studied hard. He passed his NEWTs with all Os, again losing out narrowly on points to Hermione. Again, his Defense NEWT was the highest score ever recorded.

Following graduation, Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Hannah elected to remain at Hogwarts to pursue masteries. Harry selected Defense. Hermione selected Charms. Neville chose Herbology. Hannah picked Ancient Runes. For two years the four pursued their masteries, teaching first and second year classes. Harry moved in to Potter Manor in the summers. Hermione and Hannah rented an apartment together in Hogsmeade. Neville remained at Long Hall.

After completing their masteries, Harry and Hermione married in a small ceremony at Potter Manor. Harry accepted the position of Defense Professor at Hogwarts after a year of getting his estate in order. Moody had wanted to retire permanently. Hermione became an Unspeakable; a position she held for ten years before becoming the Charms Professor at Hogwarts. They had two sons (James Sirius and Daniel Remus) and one daughter (Lily Emma). Neville and Hannah married the same summer that Harry and Hermione did. They started their own magical greenhouse. They had a son and three daughters, and shared high hopes with the Potters that their children would be as good of friends as they were.

Susan eventually married Eddie Charmichael, who'd been a year above her in Ravenclaw. She went on to work at the Ministry under her aunt. She had two sons.

Ron married Lavender Brown. After three years he told her the whole thing was a mistake. She moved out, but they remained married. He worked for a time in his brothers' joke shop, before quitting to make his own way. He bounced from job to job, eventually becoming a nighttime security guard. He had no children.

Ginny married Dean Thomas. She was a happy young woman, who became a shopkeeper in Diagon Alley. She and Dean had four children.

Draco spent the rest of his life in prison for attempted murder, and accessory to his father's crimes. He had no children.