A/N: " . . . And in the end . . ." That's right folks, we've come to the end of this story. I'm posting this today, because I promised myself awhile ago that I would have this done by my birthday (which is today, so I finished on time--yay!). As I mentioned before, the sequel will deal with something I have been hinting about, and it will be an explanation of something that's not quite tied up in this story. Anyway, I would like to thank everyone who has been reviewing my story. It really means a lot to me. I hope the ending doesn't disappoint, but keep in mind that I will be revising this story (someday), so things may change a bit. Let's see . . . I'd like to thank Nathan again for his excellent beta work, and I want to thank my friend Nick, who inadvertently gave me the idea for the climax. I have more to say, but I'll wait til after the story. And now for the conclusion . . .

Chapter Fourteen

Love, Sacrifice, and What the Future Holds

The sound of numerous people apparating seemed to surprise and confuse everyone, at least momentarily. But that moment was all that Harry needed to avoid the curse that Voldemort sent his way, which ended up hitting one of his Death Eaters. Ron and Ginny both took a cue from Harry and bolted from the circle for the figures that had apparated. A great many of the Professors of Hogwarts, plus Hermione, Sirius, and about a dozen other witches and wizards faced down Voldemort and his Death Eaters, who had recovered from their surprise. The two sides faced each other for a moment, just long enough to allow Harry, Ron, and Ginny to race to the witches and wizards of the Order of the Phoenix. Once there, they turned and faced the Dark Wizards. For a moment, no one moved, each side sizing the other up. Then, quite suddenly, Voldemort commanded his Death Eaters. "Kill them!" he hissed.

The dark night was lit with a multitude of curses, charms and spells, as each side tried to harm, kill or disable the other. Chaos reigned, with witches and wizards attacking whomever they could. All, that would be, except for Dumbledore and Voldemort, who were locked in their own fierce battle.

The fighting continued, with the occasional witch or wizard being disabled by a curse from the other side.

Harry was currently fighting off Lucius Malfoy.

"Harry!"

He turned and saw Ginny watching him, her eyes lit up as if she had just thought up an extremely good idea.

"Stupefy!" he shouted, his wand aimed at Malfoy, who managed to block the spell just in time. "What?!" he answered a moment later.

"I just had an idea--Impedimenta!--about how we can stop Voldemort!"

Harry narrowly blocked the disarming spell Malfoy had sent his way, and then quickly cast the Tickling Charm. "What is it?" he yelled back at her.

"I can slow time down around him, to the point where time doesn't pass." She paused as she ducked from the Cruciatus curse. "I can do it Harry, but I need time, and I need to have some protection. Petrificus Totalus! And we need something to contain it, so he can't break free."

Harry paused momentarily, considering. They might be able to manage that, as it looked like the Order of the Phoenix had an edge in sheer numbers over the Death Eaters. "Soporus!" he screamed, managing to actually hit Malfoy, which caused the latter to fall into a deep sleep. He turned to her. "Ok, Gin, let's get Ron and Hermione. We just learned a charm in Flitwick's class that might help."

The two of them started to make their way towards where Ron and Hermione were, a bit of the way down the line, in a ditch. They ducked and maneuvered as the battle raged on around them. After a few close calls, the two managed to reach Ron and Hermione.

"Guys," Harry started, ducking into the ditch, Ginny on his heels. "We think we can stop Voldemort, but we need your help." This caught their attention, and when they managed to defeat the Death Eaters they were fighting, they focused on Harry and Ginny. Harry allowed Ginny to explain the plan, and then added that he thought they could use the Bubble Charm, combined with the Infragilis Charm--a charm which only the caster or casters could break--to defeat Voldemort.

Ron looked skeptical, but it was Hermione who voiced her doubts. "I don't know. He's a powerful wizard. He could probably break out of something like that easily."

"Not with the time spell," Ginny spoke up, "he'd have to know time was slowing down. Once time has stopped, there would be nothing he could do about it. He would be effectively frozen."

This seemed to convince Ron. He nodded his assent, but Hermione still looked doubtful. "I suppose it could work," she said slowly.

"Look, it's about all we've got," Ron replied, a bit exasperated.

She nodded. "Ok, let's do it then."

***

The four of them made sure that they were not needed immediately first. It seemed that the other members of the Order had what was left of the Death Eaters well in hand. Ginny sighed as Harry, Ron, and Hermione took up positions around her, their wands at the ready. Ok, breathe in, breathe out. You can do this. She closed her eyes and began to ready her magic. After weeks of practice, she could manage this almost instantly, but the added pressure of battle made her err on the side of caution. She opened her eyes and focused on Voldemort, who was locked in a one-on-one struggle with Professor Dumbledore. This made her a little nervous. She knew she could do it, but she was also worried that Professor Dumbledore might also get caught in the time spell.

Slowly, she began to cast the time spell. She could see time begin to slow down around both Voldemort, and the Professor. It was agonizingly slow work. She was loathe to make the time change too drastic, for fear that Voldemort might begin to realize what was happening and turn his attention towards her, which would be enough for her to lose her concentration. Both Professor Dumbledore and Voldemort were moving at a mere fraction of the speed they had previously. No one seemed to notice, save for Ginny, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. She slowed time further, and saw their motions become even slower, almost graceful in a way. It was an eerie sight to see, particularly among the quick and almost spasmodic chaos that surrounded them. And then, quite unexpectedly, she watched as Dumbledore began to move towards Voldemort. All four of them gasped as they saw what was happening, but Ginny was the most upset. The time spell was almost complete, and she didn't know what to do. There was absolutely no way that she could catch just Voldemort inside the pocket of affected time. She just didn't have that kind of control yet. And then, just before time stopped completely, she saw Dumbledore turn ever so slowly in her direction and begin to close his eye, a mysterious smile on his face.

Ginny was bewildered, but the time spell was almost complete. "Do the Bubble Charm," she managed to say, beginning to feel the power build up inside of her. Vaguely, she could see the others look at her with astonishment.

"What, now?!" Harry asked, sounding incredulous.

"Yeah," she croaked. "I can't hold on for much longer."

"But we can't!" Hermione cried. "Professor Dumbledore will get caught inside with Voldemort!"

And then, all at once, it made sense to Ginny. He already knew this was going to happen! She couldn't believe it. But the tingling in her limbs and the sudden appearance of a small, emerald bolt of lightning overrode her disbelief. "He already knew," she managed to say, trying to hold off the magic that was coursing through her. "Hurry up!"

They needed no more prompting. As if under the time spell she was currently performing, the three of them moved with agonizing slowness, the incantations coming from their lips, and the jets of light coming from their wands.

Emerald light was obscuring her vision, and she distantly began to wonder what would happen if she didn't expel the power soon. But she continued to hold on, fighting to keep time stopped as those around her finished the spells that would effectively kill Voldemort.

The light was flowing around her, just as the power was flowing within her, and it was getting brighter, washing out the world around her. She was beginning to feel as if she were on fire, and she gritted her teeth in response. She could just barely make out that the Charms had been finished, and that Voldemort and Dumbledore were trapped within the confines of the Bubble. All she wanted to do was call out to someone for help--Harry, Ron, Mum or Dad--but before she got a chance, the light around her grew to an intense brightness, and power exploded from her. Then all was black.

***

Harry was distraught, and he could see that Ron and Hermione were also. They had just caused the virtual death of one of the greatest wizards the world had ever seen. He barely realized that the remaining Death Eaters, discovering that their Master was frozen in an unbreakable Bubble, were beginning to flee the Order. He turned to look at Ginny, to ask her how she knew that Dumbledore knew he was going to be enclosed in the Bubble. What he saw snapped him out of his numb shock. She was rigid, her teeth gritted, and then she vanished. Harry blinked. What happened? He turned to Ron and Hermione, and they looked just as stunned as he felt.

Did she just Turn? But that couldn't be right. She hadn't said a word and Harry remembered that he had heard her mutter something the one and only time he had been present for a Turn. Well, the only time I was aware that she was performing a Turn, he amended. He looked around him, hoping that she would just pop out of nowhere, as she had when she decided to face Voldemort. Panic was beginning to set in. Where is she? As if in answer to his question, she reappeared in the spot she had disappeared from, and then promptly collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Harry was by her side in an instant, as were Hermione and Ron, and he gathered her in his arms and began to gently shake her. "Ginny?" he called, hoping to wake her. She remained unconscious, though he heard her moan slightly. He was dimly aware that he was surrounded. His concentration was wholly upon Ginny, and waking her up.

Minutes passed, and his worry increased. Was this normal? Just as worry was giving way to panic, he felt her stir in his arms. He watched her closely, and was rewarded when she slowly opened her eyes. She smiled softly at him, though it was hampered somewhat by the obvious pain she was in. Harry kept her nestled in his arms, unwilling to let her go. All the stress and the worry and the panic of the entire ordeal had finally caught up with him, and he held onto her like a lifeline, burying his face into her hair and breathing deeply, wanting to just feel her. Somewhere on the outer edges of consciousness, he was aware of being helped to his feet and being led away from the prison. But he really didn't care where he went. He was holding onto the most important person in his life, and naturally, that was all that mattered to him.

***

Even later, he was quite unsure of how he managed to get back to Hogwarts. But return there he did, and it was only once he was back and Ginny had been taken to the hospital wing, that he began to realize just what had happened. Voldemort was gone, almost assuredly for good. So was Dumbledore. He was so confused, contradictory emotions besieging him. He was relieved that Voldemort was gone, saddened beyond belief that Dumbledore was, unsure of what the future held for him, and grateful that he still had Ginny, Ron, and Hermione. He just didn't know what to feel.

After a day of pacing around the hospital wing, then his dorm after Madame Pomfrey had kicked him out, he felt as if he needed to get out of the castle for awhile. So, he quickly made his way outside and to the lake. The sun was just setting as he found a nice rock to sit on. To anyone looking on, it would appear that he was taking in his surroundings, but in reality his eyes were unfocused, and his mind was dwelling on the last couple of days.

Dumbledore was, for all intents and purposes, dead, and it was his fault. He should have tried to cast the Bubble over just Voldemort, no matter how difficult that might have been. He should have faced Voldemort instead of Dumbledore. The world had lost a great wizard, and he was sure he would never forgive himself for it.

"Harry?" Startled out of his guilt and remorse, he saw Sirius standing off to his right.

"Sirius," he said by way of greeting.

Sirius took this as a sign to sit beside Harry. Neither spoke for awhile, both lost in their own thoughts. "What happened out there last night?" Sirius asked quietly. Harry turned to look at his godfather, who was now looking back at him. "I was so busy fighting off some Death Eaters, that I didn't know what else was happening . . . ." He trailed off.

Harry sighed, feeling his shoulders sag. He began to tell his godfather the entire story, from when he discovered Ginny's note to when she had re-appeared unconscious from who knew where. "It's my fault Sirius," he said quietly, once he was done relating the entire story. "I could have tried harder to get just Voldemort in the bubble."

Sirius was quiet for a moment. "No Harry, it wasn't your fault. Ginny was right, that Dumbledore knew all along what was going to happen."

"How do you know that?" Harry asked, conveying his disbelief.

"McGonagall told me." Harry gasped, but Sirius continued. "Apparently those two have known for some time that this was going to happen."

Harry was at a loss. "But . . . then why . . . I mean, how . . . ?"

There was a ghost of a smile on Sirius' face. "How did they know? Now that I don't know, but this might hold the answer for you." He held out an envelope that bore Harry's name on it. Hesitantly, he took the letter from his godfather, and opened it.

Dear Harry,

If you have received this letter, then I have been trapped with Voldemort inside an unbreakable bubble. I would hope that you are not blaming yourself. There are more important ways to expend one's energy than on regrets. You did what you had to do, what you should have done. As I've told you before, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.

I'm sure you're curious to know just how I know what has happened to me. I believe Miss Weasley has the answer to that question.

You have grown to become a fine man, one I'm quite sure you're parents would have been proud of, and I know that your godfather is proud of. You still have much to learn, but you now have a full life ahead of you. Take good care, Harry.

Albus Dumbledore.

Harry looked up from the letter, feeling a little reassured, though still incredibly sad. Without a word, he handed the letter to Sirius, a part of him wondering if Dumbledore was right--that his parents would be proud of him. Sirius would know the answer to that.

When Sirius looked up from the letter, he had a sad smile on his face. He was looking out over the lake, but he appeared to be seeing something that wasn't there. "He's right. James and Lily would be proud of you." He turned to face Harry. "I know I am."

It was the reassurance Harry needed, and flashed a grateful smile at his godfather. He wasn't alone, and because of that, he knew he could get through this.

***

The day after was when Ginny was released from the hospital wing. Harry had waited for her, and when she left, he walked with her back to the Gryffindor common room.

"Gin?"

"Yeah Harry?"

"How did you know that Dumbledore knew what was going to happen?"

Harry watched as her face assumed a thoughtful expression. "He winked at me."

"What?!"

Ginny had a small smile on her face at his reaction. "I didn't know what he was doing at first, because he was moving so slowly, but right after he walked towards Voldemort, he turned his head and looked right at me. I thought he blinked, but then I realized that he winked."

Harry just nodded. They walked in silence for a little while. Right before they got to the common room, though, Harry stopped. Ginny, surprised, kept walking for a few paces before she too stopped. "Do you remember what you said in your letter? About going on a date?"

Ginny nodded.

"Well, it would seem that we've gotten through the ordeal." He took a deep breath. "Would you go out with me?"

"Oh Harry, of course I will," she answered, throwing her arms around his neck. They both smiled real smiles for the first time in days.

***

The next week passed in a flurry of activity as the seventh years prepared to graduate. The school had been informed of what had happened--that Voldemort was defeated, and that Dumbledore was gone--and many of the students walked around, somber or in tears. Yet, everyone carried on.

Finally, a week after Dumbledore's passing, it was time to graduate. Hermione was top in her class, which was extremely unsurprising, but more of a surprise was the fact that Harry graduated number two, having done extremely well in most of his classes, particularly Defense Against the Dark Arts. Ron also had done well, graduating number seven, after two Ravenclaws, a Hufflepuff, and a Slytherin. Draco Malfoy had done well also, graduating number ten.

The ceremony was something of a blur for Harry, as he was still mulling over all that had happened in the last week. He was finally starting to come to terms with the fact that Dumbledore's death was something that had been meant to happen. He was also beginning to realize that his future was what he wanted to make of it, and that he had plenty of time to do whatever it was his heart desired. What his heart desired most, he reflected as the ceremony ended, was that he could have some time alone with Ginny, as he really hadn't had the chance to talk to her since asking her out.

***

The day after the ceremony was full of good-byes as the newly graduated students packed their trunks and headed down to the Hogwarts Express, and away from their school days forever. All around Harry, as he walked with his three best friends, he heard students calling to each other to owl everyday, or what it was they planned to do with their life, or tears as close friends said goodbye.

For their part, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were trying to make the most of what seemed like limited time, joking, laughing, reminiscing, and consoling with each other as if there were no tomorrow. When the train pulled into Kings Cross Station, the four of them grew silent, each knowing that everything was going to be different now.

They grabbed their trunks and began to make their way out of the train, but Harry was stopped by Ginny before he could disembark. She threw her arms around him and kissed him firmly on the lips.

When she pulled away, Harry looked at her quizzically. She smiled at his expression. "My parents don't know about us yet, and I've been wanting to do that since last week."

Harry grinned down at her, still holding her around the waist. "You know I love you, don't you?"

She nodded, a smile on her face. "And you know I love you too?"

"Yeah," he answered.

"Are you going to come visit us this summer?"

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "I want to though."

She nodded, knowing that would have to be good enough. She began to pull away, to gather her things and meet with her family, when Harry pulled her closer.

At her questioning look, he chuckled slightly. "I wanted to ask you something, but I didn't get the chance."

"What?"

"After you finished the time spell, did you Turn?"

She was a little surprised at the question, but answered it nonetheless. "Yes."

"Where did you go?"

"I'll tell you later," she answered, a grin on her face. "Come on, we'd better catch up with the others before they start to suspect something."

Harry just grinned at her. "Let them suspect something then." He pulled her to him, and kissed her. All of the grief and worry of the last week melted in the face of her kiss. The future is looking very bright indeed.

The End

A/N: OK, this is where you, the reviewer, come in. I'm leaving for merry old England (and I probably won't have internet access) in five weeks and I supremely doubt I'll have the sequel done by then. Therefore, please let me know if you want me to keep doing what I always do, which is to slap chapters up as I finish them (and possibly leave you hanging at a rather precipitous cliff), or wait until the whole thing is done, or I come back (at the end of July)--whichever comes first. So, let me know what you think in your review. Thank you :).