-.-

Chapter 24

The Beginning, Part One

-.-

The Wizarding World was in an uproar. Parties sprang up in every country and a massive victory celebration was held at Hogwarts. It seemed as though everyone in the magical community was in attendance. Singing, dancing, and screams of happiness filled the school. One would believe that the one responsible for such an event would have been present. Harry, however, was nowhere to be found. He stood atop the Astronomy Tower, gazing down at the celebrations below. A group of people on broomsticks shot overhead, releasing fireworks as they went. A gentle hand came to rest on Harry's shoulder.

"What are you doing up here, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Just thinking." Harry said simply, not turning to face her.

"About what?" Hermione pressed, leaning casually against the railing.

"About what Catherine said yesterday… That maybe, after all we've been through, we still aren't done. That this is just the beginning." Hermione sighed very deeply.

"Maybe it is," she said lightly. "Paige's friend Zook said that when everything is over and it seems you've won, that's when your true enemy will reveal himself. It could be that we're in for another fight. If there is another great evil out there, then we'll find it. Find it and stop it, just like Voldemort. So... let's not worry about it right now, alright? This is what we've wanted, what we've always wanted. Peace. We've got it, so let's enjoy it. Kat saved her future, our future. All we've got to do is make sure it stays that way."

"I suppose you're right, Mione." Hermione grinned and nodded.

"I usually am." Harry laughed at that.

"Yeah, well... You know, I guess I'm just...concerned that we're going to let our guard down. We think we've won and... it's possible that we're actually at our weakest point now."

"That's tomorrow's problem, Harry. Let's go down to the party." Hermione took Harry's hand and led him toward the door.

-.-

"Today is a day of freedom. A day of victory. Lord Voldemort is gone and we are free from his iron rule. Today is also a day of sadness. Many good men and women fell in the battle against Lord Voldemort. The death toll was incredibly high, far too high. Despite our victory, the war against the forces of evil is far from over. If what my daughter believes is correct, an evil far greater than Lord Voldemort lies in wait. Whatever it is, whatever awaits us, we will defeat it."

Harry's speech ended with thunderous applause. This was, perhaps, the best day in Harry's entire life. Voldemort was gone, the world was a safer place, Catherine could return to a good future, and he and Hermione could live happy, peaceful lives.

Despite what would or wouldn't come, Harry was determined to be happy until that time came, and besides, maybe it wouldn't be He and Hermione who would have to face it, but instead, Catherine and Elizabeth might rise in their place.

-.-

"Well, this is it." Catherine said, leaning against the railing of the Astronomy Tower. "My last night here..."

"Yeah, I suppose it is." Hermione said sadly. Catherine smiled and wrapped her arm around her mother's shoulders.

"Hey, don't sound so sad. The war is over, you should be happy."

"I know, it's just... I'm... really going to miss you. You've changed my life over the past few years in so many ways. Now you're leaving, and... I don't know where to go from here."

"To be honest, I wish I could stay," Catherine admitted. "These last few years have been the greatest years of my life. So much has changed... I don't even know what I'll be going back to."

"You're going back to a future that you always wanted. You saved us all, Kat. You really did."

"I didn't do it just for the future, I honestly only came back for myself... to give my own family a better life."

"Maybe so, but in doing that you saved many people from a horrible fate, and for that I am very proud of you."

"Well, I... um... thank you... for loving me like you do, for giving me the strength to come here in the first place. But… of course, could always summon me back..." Catherine said idly. "You know… from time to time."

"I'm having a hard enough time letting you go now," said Hermione. "I wouldn't be able to do it on a regular basis."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," She cast a glance around the Astronomy Tower. "I wonder what this place will look like seventeen years from now? Mum, I… I'm scared. What… what if I get back and everything's wrong? What if it's worse than what I tried to change?"

"Then we'll have to find a way to fix it," said Hermione warmly.

"What if we can't?"

"Oh, Kat…" breathed Hermione. "We'd be able to fix it… we always do. Don't worry."

"How do you know that?" Catherine asked her.

"Because I'm holding on to the only thing that gets me through everything that's happened. The only thing that got me through the war."

"And what's that?" Hermione smiled.

"Hope," Catherine shook her head and smiled. Then her eyes widened.

"I forgot! Before I leave, there's something I need to do!" she exclaimed. "I want to transfer my powers."

"Kat..."

"Hey, when I leave the Power of Three goes with me," Catherine reminded her mother. "You're going to need it here. We'll use the same spell we used to transfer your powers to Piper!"

"And just who do have in mind to receive said powers?" Hermione asked.

"Oh," Catherine said with a smile. "I've got someone in mind."

-.-

"No… wait, not just no but hell no," Ginny shouted when Catherine and Hermione cornered her in the kitchen. "I don't want to be Charmed. I'll still with my wand, thanks very much."

"I told you she wouldn't be interested," said Hermione darkly.

"Why wouldn't you want to be Charmed?" Catherine asked in a surprised voice.

"Why wouldn't I want demons hell-bent, no pun intended, on brutally murdering me?" Ginny asked with disbelieving eyes. "Well, let's think about that for a minute… oh, right! Because I don't want to be brutally murdered!"

"You're sure we can't change your mind?" Hermione asked her.

"I'm completely positive. Thanks for the offer, but no…"

"Fine," Hermione said, grabbing Catherine arm and leading her to the kitchen door. "I knew we should've gone with Ronald in the first place," she told Catherine loudly as they walked. "I thought he'd be a better fit anyway…"

"Ron?" Ginny exclaimed from behind him. "You're going to ask Ron? He… he's not Charmed material, he… he's…" What Ron was they never found out. Ginny let out a roar of frustration and stormed past them, wrenching the Book out of Catherine's hands as she went.

"Let's go! Get the power transfer spell ready!" she shouted. "Ron, a better fit?" she muttered darkly as she walked away. "A better git is more like it…" Catherine stared openmouthed at Hermione as Ginny disappeared through the door.

"How did you…?"

"Sibling rivalry," said Hermione airily. "What girl wouldn't want to hold Charmed powers over her brother's head?" Catherine smirked.

"I'll have to remember that…"

-.-

"Okay, that's the potion done," said Hermione, waving the wispy white smoke away from her fresh concoction. She ladled a small amount into a vial and passed it to Catherine who stood by the Book of Shadows' pedestal. "Bottom's up!" she said brightly.

"Is the potion really necessary?" she said, sniffing the bubbling liquid and making a face. "What the hell is in this, anyway?"

"A little nux oil," said Hermione, looking over her ingredients. "Hemlock root, henbane, mandrake root, a dash of gypsy blood…"

"Forget I asked," Catherine muttered, waving her hands to shut Hermione up. "Let's just get this over with." Pinching her nose, she downed the contents of the vial and choked. "Ugh…." She groaned.

"Okay Gin, start chanting." Hermione instructed while patting Catherine's back as she coughed.

"Powers of the witches rise, course unseen across the skies. Come to us who call you near, come to us and settle here," Ginny recited from the Book. Catherine gasped and whimpered as though in pain. After a moment, she stood up straight, breathing deeply.

"That… felt strange." she said weakly. She looked up at Ginny. "Well, give it a go." Ginny looked confused.

"I… don't know what to do," she said nervously.

"Try orbing," Catherine suggested. Hermione shook her head.

"Are you sure we should have her start out with orbing?" she asked. "Remember what happened when Harry first tried to orb and he ended up appearing in the ladies dressing room at the mall…"

"Oh," said Catherine with a grimace. "Right, I forgot about that… although, if he'd brought his Invisibility Cloak that might've been a good day for him. Say, does he still have that twitch he developed after that one woman tased him?" Hermione shrugged.

"It's getting better," she said. "Just don't make electric crackling noises with your mouth… scares the hell out of him."

"Oh, I'm going to get him so good," said Catherine. "Just let me… wait, where's Ginny?" It appeared that, during their conversation, Ginny had disappeared.

"Ginny…?" Hermione called apprehensively. A swirl of bluish light illuminated the attic and Ginny reappeared, holding her arms out to both sides in an effort to keep her balance.

"Whoa…" she breathed, looking at Hermione and Catherine with a wide smile. "Hey, did you girls know that no one's put any spells over either the White House or the Parliament Building to prevent people from entering by magic? We should work on that."

"Ginny, you didn't…" Catherine began, clasping a hand to her mouth.

"I did," Ginny said proudly. "It's amazing how little security there is in those buildings once you're inside. The Houses of Parliament weren't in session, but I walked right passed the President… nobody said a word." Hermione sighed.

"Gin, if Federal agents show up on the doorstep," she said wearily. "I swear I'm letting them take you."

-.-

Later that same evening, Hermione was to be found sitting on the sofa in the living room with the Book of Shadows open on her lap. She just reading the entry on Valkyries, Phoebe gently knocked on the doorframe, causing Hermione to look up at her.

"Can I come in?" Phoebe asked.

"Please," said Hermione, shifting over in her seat and gesturing to the seat beside her. Phoebe sat down beside her and stared rather blankly at her knees and said nothing. Hermione cleared her throat softly. "I'm guessing you want to have that talk I promised before the battle," she said idly.

"I… I'd like to…"

"Well, we don't need to," said Hermione kindly. "It doesn't matter anymore, not to me. If you need to hear it, Pheebs… I forgive you."

"That's it?" Phoebe asked, looking as though she had expected Hermione to be furious. "You're not even mad?"

"Not anymore," Hermione said quietly. "After everything that's happened over the past few days… well, let's just say that dying gives one a different view on things."

"You're a better person than me," said Phoebe. "If our positions were reversed, I'd kick your ass… well, I'd try but you could just blow me up, so…"

"I'd never blow you up," said Hermione with a small smile. "Freeze you, perhaps…" Phoebe didn't reply and Hermione soon returned to the Book. After several minutes, Phoebe reached out and brushed her fingertips over Hermione's cheek. The other girl shivered at the touch and her head snapped around to Phoebe.

"Okay," said Phoebe firmly. "Now I know you feel it too. Why does that happen every time we touch? Every time our eyes meet? What is it?" Hermione shook her head slowly.

"I really… have no idea, Phoebe," she said softly. "It's like… like… I don't know. How do you explain something like this?"

"I don't think you can," said Phoebe. "At first I thought I was going crazy. I was sure you felt it too, but I didn't want to say anything and look like a lunatic if you didn't." She paused, unsure if she should continue. "I knew you were coming back, Hermione. I knew it. I could feel it… and I can't explain that either."

"We're connected," Hermione said simply. "We're linked in some way that we can't understand… and maybe we're not supposed to. Maybe it's just part of who we are… who we're meant to be." Phoebe nodded slowly.

"I can live with that," she said with a smile. "If I have to share a magical link with someone, I can't think of anyone I'd rather share it with."

-.-

The following day dawned bright and warm. The inhabitants of the Halliwell manor spent the most part of the day preparing for Catherine's departure. At seven o'clock that night, everyone gathered in the attic to bid Catherine farewell. A Triquetra was drawn on the wall to be used as a portal for Kat's return trip.

"Good luck," Harry whispered to her as she hugged him. "And thank you. Thanks for all you've done for us." Catherine pulled away from her father and turned toward her mother.

"Enjoy your new life, Kat," Hermione said, pulling her daughter into a tight hug. "You deserve it." Hermione reached into her pocket and retrieved a glass vial filled with a blue liquid.

"If anything doesn't seem right when you get there, use it to get back." She said, pressing the vial into her daughter's hand.

"Thanks, Mum," Catherine said. She turned and looked at the wall. "I guess it's time. Go ahead." Harry, Hermione and Ginny leaned together to read the spell off a slip of paper.

"In this place and in this hour, we call upon the ancient power. Open the door through time and space, Create a path to another place."

A massive swirling wormhole appeared on its surface. Catherine walked forward, stopped and looked back at them all. Harry, Hermione, Ron, Luna, Ginny, the Halliwells. She owed them all so much. She smiled and waved.

"Oh, Kat!" Hermione called suddenly when Harry nudged her. "I forgot, we... we wanted to ask... well, Harry and I were wondering if you... what you'd think about having a baby sister or maybe a brother?"

"Mum... you do know that I liked being an only child, right?" Catherine asked.

"It's just... Harry's got his heart set on three, so..." Hermione began. "If it's a girl, we've already got a name picked out."

"Well, what is it?" Catherine asked.

"Hope." She said softly. Catherine smiled.

"Of course," she said. With one last wave to the others, Catherine took a deep breath, and stepped into the spiraling vortex which snapped closed behind her.

"Think she'll be alright?" Hermione asked with a sigh. Harry smiled down at her.

"If I know Kat, and I do, she'll be fine. She's a lot like her mother, after all."

-.-

"Voldemort was a fool, and he paid for his lack of vision. I will not be so eager. I will wait until the time is right."

"And just when will that be?"

"To be the Source of All Evil, one would expect you to be a bit more... intelligent." Grindelwald muttered. "We will wait until the time is right. One year, maybe two... give them time to believe that they are safe. Then, and only then, we will strike. You, of course, may do what you wish. I will not stop you."

"My demons are anxious, of course," replied the Source. "We know the Power of Three has been reconstituted. The Charmed Ones will be the greatest threat to us."

"A threat, certainly, but there are many other threats out there," said Grindelwald. "Threats that are far more powerful than your Charmed Ones. In fact, I encountered one of those threats personally not all that long ago. A small, unimposing little thing too… and yet she could have the power to destroy us all."

"Perhaps an alliance…" the Source began, but Grindelwald cut across him.

"Her powers lie dormant for now," said Grindelwald. "Awakening such power for any reason would be… unwise. I'm not concerned about Aurora for the time being, and I do agree that the so-called Charmed Ones have a tendency to be far more trouble than they're worth. In time, your demons will once again be permitted to hunt them down… but for now, I must ask you to wait… until the opportune time."

-.-

"I don't even know where to start. I can't go back to 'll never trust me again. Grindelwald won't accept me either. Anyone who followed Voldemort in his assault on the castle is a traitor in his eyes. You are my last hope."

"Well, maybe I am... maybe I'm not. I'm not certain I trust you any more than Grindelwald. However, we'll see how this goes... for the time being." Zankou gazed at Draco Malfoy, who knelt before him.

"I understand your position, but I hope I can prove myself to you."

"Do as I ask and you will. Grindelwald must be stopped before he begins his plan... and turning to the Charmed Ones for help may be our only option."

-.-

"You don't have to leave, you know." Hermione said as she and Harry walked the Halliwell sisters and Leo to the front door.

"Yeah, we do," said Paige. "Magic's not part of our lives anymore."

"We gave up our powers to lead normal lives," said Phoebe. "We can hardly do that living here. Not to worry you, but this place is sort of like Demon Central." And so they all said their goodbyes and hugs were passed all around. It was Hermione and Phoebe who hugged last and it lasted much longer than most normal hugs tended to.

"I'll miss you," Phoebe whispered as they broke apart. Hermione simply smiled.

"If you ever need any help, don't be afraid to call us." Piper said as she strapped Chris into a stroller.

"We will." Harry said, wrapping his arm around Hermione's shoulders. Leo pulled open the door and stepped outside, the sister's followed him.

"Be seeing you." Piper said with a smile. Without another word, the Halliwells set off across the lawn. At the end of the sidewalk they stopped and waved at Harry and Hermione, who returned the gesture. They headed off across the street and disappeared from view. Hermione turned away and vanished deeper into the manor. Harry made to follow, stopped, and glanced up at the door. He smiled and gave a small wave with his hand. The door swung closed with a small jingling sound.

The blazing sun fell down upon the bustling city of San Francisco, a city whose fate, much like that of every other city, had hung in the balance. Rested on the shoulders of a few stalwart defenders that had held a fortress no one had ever heard of that brought about the end of a war that no one knew was even being fought.

For San Francisco, it was a normal Tuesday afternoon. For the magical world, it was a day of hope, of freedom, and of peace and the inhabitants of the Halliwell manor were relishing it. They had won. They thought the war was over… and although none of them knew it, it was only the beginning…