Epilogue

Harry was now used to port-keys after having to use it to get to Quidditch everyday. The trip wasn't any less unpleasant, the only improvement was in his landing which had evolved from crashing on his rump to letting himself fall. Before he resisted the landing but he found that if you embraced it, it tended to work much better. As a result Harry landed soundly resting on one knee.

He stood up only to be shoved sideways trip over something and fall over. He got up again rubbing his side and evaluated the mess. A few students had fallen over, possibly this was their first port-key ride. Consequently they helped make everyone else fall too.

"Everyone alright?" A mature male voice called over the mess of students.

"Remus?" Harry replied and quickly found the man under the Weasley twins who were fighting over who would get up first. Then they realized they were on someone and carefully got up. Fred or George reached down to help their victim up and upon seeing it was Moony quickly let go. It was quite funny, Remus went down with a resounding thump and said twin looked shocked.

"George!" the other twin exclaimed. "How dare you squash the great Moony and then drop his fuzzy body on the ground!"

"You squashed him too!" George complained.

"Fine, quiet down you two. I'm only asking once, who needs medical attention in here?" A few students complained of injuries but nothing fatal. "Where's Ronald? He was unconscious…"

All the students got up and stood on one side of the room, altogether this idea didn't really work as the room was rather small. Ron was easily recovered and laid out on the floor. Remus examined Ron's head. It had stopped bleeding but he had a rather nice bump. He was about to try waking him when Harry Fred and George yelled in unison "NO!"

This cry was met with silence and strange looks. "Err" Hrry attempted. "I think he's fine like he is, he hasn't been getting enough sleep." The twins nodded in agreement and apparently having remembered something and gave Harry what could be called a significant look.

Remus decided to explain a few things and spoke up addressing the students. "We are at my flat in London; I have to ask that none of you get hungry or get the urge to go to the bathroom. Do not touch anything. I am sure we will be returning to Hogwarts in the morning. Please do not ask to mail your family as I am lacking owls and parchment and writing utensils of any kind. Do not be noisy and so try to relax. Fred, Geroge, help me set up some mattresses here. And get rid of the furniture."

"Sir yes sir!" the twins replied smartly. Fred added "We will keep the kiddos quite for you Mr. Moony!"

"And we will refrain from pranking them too!" George added.

"I'll be back in a moment."

Remus turned to Harry and indicated they go in the next room. Once in the kitchen they sat at the table and Harry stated "wow Moony, that was smooth."

"Well thank you. Before we get to the important stuff, why don't you want me to wake your friend up?"

Harry sighed and thought for a minute. "He wasn't my friend this year really, even though I acted like my old self around him and Hermione. Between running for our lives and fighting we all sat in this clearing to wait it out and we got in a fight see. I have to tell you that isn't that uncommon in itself but this time it was because he figured out who I am. He knows Remus and he isn't too happy about it, we don't want him making a scene. Remus what is going to happen?"

"He'll calm down; he's probably just missed you. But we'll leave him anyway, maybe I can come up with something to keep him out for a bit. Remus became serious and continued "Do you really want to help with the fight?"

"Yes!" Harry said raising his voice. He had already made that one clear hadn't he!

"Alright, I don't believe for a minute we can keep those students calm, soon they'll get bored and start to think. Thinking is the last thing we need right now, some of them might be up for heroics too. And we have to find out how the school is doing."

"We're winning." Harry stated

"Eh? How do you know?" Remus asked confused.

Pointing to his forehead where his scar was hidden he said "Believe me; I'd know if he was winning. A minute ago he was still frustrated." Remus didn't look pleased by his explanation, only worried. "Voldie can't do anything to me through it, its fine." He thought for a moment then said excitedly "we can use my port-key to get to Dumbledore's office then storm the death eaters from behind!"

"No, I can't do that. If you were any other student-" Remus let the thought open. Right, Remus's job was to keep him safe. Well he could always do something rash and go himself. But all things considered, not he greatest idea. In an attempt to change the topic Remus asked "how is your neck?"

"Its fine just bruised up at bit. Actually I'm gunna use the washroom, be right back."

Harry walked back out a little later minus a cloak and a bloody nose (although it was now rather purple). He found Remus in the living room conjuring mattresses with the twins.

"Hey" someone said next to him. Turning he saw Lavender who was teary eyed.

"Hey" he replied. Deciding that this was too awkward he made to go lay down when she touched his shoulder which was slightly lower than hers. Casting aside the fact that they weren't going out anymore he hugged her, she probably lost some friends today. Why aren't you helping with the beds?"

"I lost my w- wand in the forest" she said sniffling. For all that is holy she had better not cry.

"Here, have one of these" Darian offered pulling out some random death eaters wand.

"Why do you have another one? Whose is it?" Lavender asked, curious as she was. Although curious was just a polite word for nosy.

"I stole it off a death eater" At her shocked look he added attempting to keep her from crying "don't worry, I'm sure he doesn't need it anymore." Her lips trembled. "No, no, no, no Lav, don't cry please. We actually aren't that bad off." Her eyes turned glassy and the students were starting to get upset. "Oh fine. We are stuck in my uncle's sad excuse for a house. We can't use the washroom as he has no toilet paper and the toilet doesn't have a lever on it, the sink is broken in the washroom and the only working tap is in the kitchen but even that one is piss poor. The company is not talkative and we don't know each other. The Weasley's are going to prank us endlessly and I smell bad! The ceiling is chipping off so it leaks and-"

Darian had to stop here as everyone was laughing. Maybe it was because he did smell bad. Hopefully it was because they were all stressed out and needed a break.

A while later Harry left the room and found Moony putting some kids to sleep in the corner of his room.

"Where'd Fred and George go?" he asked.

"They went back to Hogwarts a few minutes ago."

"What!" Harry turned around and hopped for the door. He only made it halfway before he got irresistibly sleepy and hit the soft mattress beneath him, not to wake until morning.

"Night Darian." Remus Lupin muttered in apology for hitting the boy whom he considered like a son with a sleeper curse. Technically not a curse as it was used in medicine, Remus reasoned with himself.

He ended up having to do that spell to pretty much everyone. The next morning Fred and George returned with Dumbledore and some backup, more specifically the emergency squad. Remus had been the one who suggested the groups existence. The squad was sent on small tasks and called up for emergencies, so they didn't really get bored. Apparently the numbers had grown a bit as a dozen squad members stood behind the Headmaster.

Remus hadn't slept a wink and it showed. In addition to being battered and worn out, now he was also sleep deprived and hungry. However pleasantries cannot ever be ignored so he welcomed everyone graciously.

"What the fuck are you doing here!" Remus yelled at the greatly esteemed Headmaster Dumbledore. Said Headmaster was rather put out, the Defense Professor was gratuitously rude.

"Why Remus, pleasure to see you. I see you kept everyone in good health. In answer to your, er, question, I have come to collect my staff member and students. How is your, what was it… nephew? I'd like to see it."

Ignoring Dumbledore's request to see Harry (or as Dumbbledore called him, it) Remus said "fine, we are all fine Albus. How is the school?" Remus asked irritated.

"Come now, let's not wake everyone, see if we can't find some wood flooring in this apartment hmmm? We'll have some tea."

Remus Lupin's eye started twitching. Dumbldore refused to think anything of it but the twins who by now knew the former marauder very well rushed over to him and linking their arms around his turned him around and led everybody to the bathroom, the only place that didn't have any beds.

Fred, who was still wearing the orange vest from the night before played the host. "Please try not to step on anyone's limbs, though they are hard to spot I'm sure-", someone on the floor yelped, "that we can manage." The squad members had to wait outside as there just wasn't any room. It was getting a bit ridiculous now.

Remus couldn't help but notice that George had a splint on his left leg and so wasn't walking on it and Fred had a real nice slice through his sleeve on his right sleeve, probably a bandage underneath. So when they went back there was still fighting. Remus observed. No surprise there. The four of them sat on conjured chairs in Remus's bathroom, hopefully Dumbledore brought good news.

Dumbledore got straight to business. Putting a silencer on the door he settled down and put on his authoritative face. "The school has been secured. I placed anti apparition and port-key wards up, anything to keep people from disappearing. The Order is out in the forest looking for any survivors. It doesn't look good. Many of our students have been killed and more injured. We have sent them to St. Mungos, we can only hope it doesn't fall to an attack soon. The auroras are all busy, seems after they were done with the ministry building death eaters took a stroll around London. That can be cleaned up, it is our government that is the problem. All things considered, we don't really have one any more. I believe the school will remain open, if only because there is nobody in power to close it."

Dumbledore sighed and went on "this is a great loss, for both sides. Apparently a powerful thunder storm destroyed a good number of death eaters and many others were killed in fights. The only thing positive about this is the reduction in his ranks. Most of our staff remains alive, the only casualty being Professor Snape. We lost our best spy."

Here Remus had to ignore a guilty conscious, after all he didn't have any proof that Severus had been with the death eaters, Hell the man probably just wanted to kill him. If Severus had been loyal the whole time, well, oooops.

Fred spoke up breaking the depressing silence "Our best spy right? We have others, maybe they'll get promoted." George nodded in agreement. Remus looked at them like they were nuts, Fred made it sound like their spies would simply get a pay rise at the French fries stand. How Remus ever ended up getting the twins as worshippers was beyond him.

"Wake the students, we are returning to the school. Where is erm, your Darian thing." Dumbledore was clearly having a problem calling Harry by his fake name.

"Albus the twins know its Harry. And so does Ronald Weasley." Remus seemed to be thinking, maybe they could just carry Ron back. Harry seemed to think he'd be a problem…

"Least of our problems Remus, apparently a few death eaters got word and I'm sure have wasted no time in telling their Lord." Remus paled slightly. "If they don't know who he was disguised as I am sure they will waste no time in finding out. Young Harry can go back to his normal self any time. I daresay his little jaunt is over."

Ignoring the "little jaunt" part Remus strode to the bathroom door and left leaving it open. Hopping on all the mattresses he quickly woke everyone up. He shooed everyone out of his room and quickly informed Harry of his reappearance at the top of Voldemort's must kill list. How many times had Voldemort been sure Harry was dead, every year but third? It was actually rather hilarious, the boy just keeps coming back, how frustrated the Dark Lord must be.

They banished the mattresses and Remus was left with an apartment lacking furniture of any kind. Well he could always buy new furniture. He had money now.

The squad led them to the nearest connected fireplace and they appeared in the waiting room at St. Mungos. A few students were quickly tended to by nurses and told they could leave, they had more severely injured patients to attend to. People not in mortal peril (like Harry) were to sit in this room to wait for a doctor. Eventually the injured were relocated to their own individual room to wait for the doctor, on after another. Forever later a grumbling Harry sat in a chair across from Remus. A doctor was shoved into the room by one of the squad members who was apparently anxious to leave.

He was given something for his bruised nose and neck, and side, and his right hand, well lets just say Harry had taken it worse than he thought, a few other minor injuries but altogether fine. While they were getting him medical attention they had the doctor counter Mme Pomphrey's work with his bone structure. Dumbledore did say Voldemort knew so he could go back to being himself.

Resisting the urge to ask the front desk if his friends were there they left and using the Floo network again, returned to Hogwarts. They went straight to the Great Hall where they found all the students that weren't sent to the hospital or otherwise dead. The number wasn't as small as it could have been but Harry was frightened to see they were mostly over fourth year. Sod it, we are screwed, Harry thought to himself. It was quite sad. What a coincidence it was that most of the Slytherins remained in the Hall. He could just make out Malfoy laughing with his friends. Laughing, surely he didn't find it amusing?

They walked toward the general gaggle of people and Dumbledore spoke up, getting their attention. "Students and staff, I have returned to bring you some good news. People at St. Mungos are all being treated and I have recovered some of our missing students and Professor Lupin."

"If you will all take a seat I believe we could all do with some indigestion. Following which you may all mail your families but I have to ask that you do not bring them all to the school. If you wish to visit that can be arranged, however I recommend nobody return home for the year. The school year is almost complete, t'would be a waste to see an entire years worth of effort wasted. The school will remain open for the duration of the school year. Now gather round, brunch will be along momentarily." Dumbledore had banished the house tables to create one long one, acceptable considering the lack of students.

The students sat and for the most part, looked entirely glum. Some laid their heads on the table and cried some just wouldn't stay still, probably worried about someone. This behavior is expected. What was really upsetting was the Slytherins (more specifically Dracoand his crew) who seemed jubilant at the outcome. Harry sat directly across from Draco, not the best luck. There was no doubt they at least knew about the attacks beforehand, duh, why else would they miss the Quidditch match to stay inside? Harry was shocked yet somehow not surprised. Shocked that they were important enough to be informed of oncoming apocalypses, but not surprised at their neglect to at least hint to everyone else of approaching doom. Jerks.

No one really ate a whole lot, the suppressive atmosphere effectively drove away the desire to eat. Instead Harry listened to the conversations, Lupin was telling the staff about his "nephew's identity, which was actually a good idea. Lav was silent, perhaps a new very positive habit, Neville was slightly banged up and was seated directly on his left. It was hard to forget as Neville kept losing his balance on the bench and hitting him. Truly the only interesting topic was Draco's.

"It's only a matter of time now." Draco's boring monotonous voice declared. "This school is finished, hopefully now my mother will allow me into Durmstrang. I wonder if Proffesor Snape is hiding over there, he's not stupid enough to get himself killed you know. Crabbe, was it your father that said he heard Potter was still kicking?" See? Interesting.

"Ummmmm, yes. And more - I - think." Crabbe's brain was a hard thing to understand, his speech even more so.

"Other death eaters too?" Apparently Draco was a good translator. "Well, the Dark Lord will have been told by now. I hope I find him first, they said they didn't know who he was right? I wish we had a description. Hey Darian did you see him?"

Harry made the mistake of looking up when his "name" was called. Draco clearly realized who he was immediately; the understanding part came a bit slower.

He stood up suddenly, goblet still in his hand and pointing at him accusingly screeched "y-you! Potter? How dare you show up here! What, were you pretending to be Darian the whole year?"

"Argh, sit down Draco, please." Harry practically begged. He was starting to get a headache. He was not in the mood for explanations.

"Hell no! Were you here all year? What are you thinking you dumbass, of course the Dark Lord would find out eventually!" Draco was really turning up the volume now. If his exclamation hadn't got their attention from the first then he sure had now. You just don't mention the name of a mass murderer to a table of people under circumstances like this.

At the mention of Voldemort Harry's anger revved up. Draco's goblet cracked loudly and frightened by this occurrence peroxide king dropped it onto the table. In doing so he prevented himself from a trip to the infirmary. It rolled for a moment before it exploded sending pieces across the table.

"What the fuck is that? You did that? You could have blown my hand off! That's not allowed right?" Draco asked looking for backup from the staff. Not likely.

"I could have blown your hand of any time all year Draco, and yes I'm not really a pureblooded Everson. I'm Harry Potter and you were kind of my friend all year."

Very conscious of their audience and the teachers that were now standing, prepared to step in if need be Draco didn't bite back. Instead he went on a power trip "You could have blown it off anytime. Whatever, the Dark Lord already knows your around, it's just a matter of time before he gets you for good." Draco said this very proudly, maybe he forgot about the busted cup on the table, and maybe not so conscious of the onlookers, or not concerned.

"The "Dark Lord" can't be that great, we're still here, more to the point I didn't die. I faked it dipshit, I am alive." Turning to everyone else present he made a bit of a formal apology. "I'm sorry I had to deceive everyone, I was just tired of getting shot at." He didn't really get to say much more as Draco pulled out his wand.

"You and me Potter, outside. I'll fix that hair for you." His eyes were full of hate. What a skitso, one minute its "Darian buddy!", next its "Piss off Potter". So feeling fed he was about to retaliate when Dumbldore stepped in.

Nobody got to cure anybody into oblivion as Dumbledore stood up and demanding silence and that they sit down explained everything to the very confused group of people. Technically not everything, just enough to verify that yes it was really Harry Potter, no he wasn't dead, no Darian Everson isn't a real person and that they faked his death for his safety. They weren't about to reveal all the lovely and perfectly illegal stuff.

The next few days were the worst. It was a time of worry and grief, the dead were collected and all that concerned them had to be taken care of. People came and went from Hogwarts and for the most part the students took Albus's advice. As the days went by the hospitalized students returned. The death rate wasn't as bad as they had initially feared and soon classes were underway. Nobody really paid much attention though.

Ronald was fine, just a bump on the head. He had at first leapt from his hospital bed with the intention of strangling Harry. However, during his hours spent suspended in mid air, curtisy of Harry, Ronald revised this plan and forgave him. They became friends again though they will never be as close as before. Everybody from seventh year survived, a sixth year Hufflepuff went missing and has yet to be found, but nobody Harry knew personally. In that he was extremely lucky. Even Duo made it out okay, he did get stepped on though and has the boot print to prove it.

His newer friends couldn't think for a while when they were told who their friend Darian was, in short they reacted quite well. One of his old girlfriends commented that she was shocked Harry Potter could be such a son of a who and is a but that is besides the point. His old friends Miss Lovegood and Miss Weasley burst into tears when they saw him, Longbottom was sad, seemed to think he deserved to let in on the secret or something. Hermione of course knew and got glared at a lot for it.

The press was going crazy with headings like, "Harry Potter Saves Hogwarts", Harry Potter's Fraud, Everson Who?" and this Professors favourite "The-Boy-Who-Lived, AGAIN". He probably would have been brought to court for multiple charges of fraud and myself for falsifying parental documents and guardianship and well, just an extensive list for both of them. Fortunately the Ministry was busy trying to reorganize and pardoned the whole fiasco.

The Weasley twins hired a few extra cahiers and spent much of their time conversing with and stalking their amazing handsome and intelligent hero, former marauder. The rest was spent visiting Molly and Arthur for family time and nagging Harry. He was after all the son of a marauder, a good enough excuse to worship someone. Because of this sad revelation the WWW soon developed an entire section dedicated to Harry Potter merchandise. For some reason Harry was forbidden from ever entering that part of the store, suspicious?

As of yet a new Minister of Magic has not been elected, the vice was temporarily filling in. Umbridge was in locked up somewhere, she had supposedly taken a hit to the arm and the dark mark was revealed on her arm and signs showed that it was recent. In any case, she was a new recruit who easily got caught and trial was pending.

"Harry you coming?" the man who was not currently being watched by overeager twins called. They were back in London and he couldn't wait to flop out on the dusty couch… entirely empty apartment… Damn.

"Keep your pants on Moony, I'm just getting Hedwig." A moment later the squirt was at his side and carrying the bird.

"You had better start sucking up now Harry. You have to live with me all summer."

"I don't know how I'll survive, but the first thing we're doing is getting a new house, a new apartment at least. I don't care if this one is free; the renovation just isn't worth it. My cleaning spells aren't that great."

"You can't use your wand anyway, no magic over the summer remember? If you misbehave I can chuck you out the window." Perhaps a little too happy about the boys disadvantage…

"Who said I need a wand?"

THE END