This chapter is properly name since it is in fact . . .the end. I hope you have all enjoyed this fic as much as I've enjoyed writing it. If you keep a good look out, you'll find more of Harmony coming very soon. (I hope.) Thanks for sticking with it and reading my fic and as a final request . . . please review.
The End
Harmony awoke and all she could see was white. She thought that she must've died in the struggle and she began to worry. Was Harry alive if she was dead? Had someone found them? She decided she would be brave and look around more.
When she did she discovered that she was in the hospital wing and saw Albus Dumbledore standing on the other side of the room. When Dumbledore saw she was awake he walked over to her.
"Good afternoon, Harmony," He said.
"Professor, where's my brother?" Harmony asked, her voice weak.
"Harry," Dumbledore said, Harmony thought she knew what was coming. Harry was dead, she knew it, he had died and she had lived.
"He's gone isn't he?" Harmony said feeling tears start to build in her eyes.
"No," Dumbledore said and laughed a little. "He's right over there, sleeping."
Harmony followed Dumbledore's eyes and saw a lump in the bed to her right. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief and the tears backed off.
"Has he woken up yet?" Harmony asked.
"Not yet, but I expect he'll be up soon enough. You've been here for three days." Dumbledore said his eyes full of kindness and a little concern.
"What? No way. It hasn't been that long." Harmony said.
"Ah, but it has, Harmony." Dumbledore answered simply. "Now you better rest, I'll tell you more of what has happened when both you and your brother are awake."
With that Dumbledore went over to where Harry was sleeping. Harmony laid back on her bed. Three days, there was no possible way it had been that long. They were both okay though, that was the important thing.
She heard moans from the direction of Harry's bed and sat bolt upright. She got up and ran over to her brother's bed. When she got there Dumbledore simply smiled as if he knew that would happen.
"Harry?" Harmony said in a soft voice as she sat on the bed next to him.
No answer.
"Harry, come on, you've slept three days already. You cannot possibly want to sleep anymore." Harmony said in a voice that hinted of annoyance.
"Harmony?" Harry said.
"Yeah, it's me." Harmony said and hugged her brother.
"Are we dead?" Harry asked.
"No, we're fine." Harmony answered and let go of Harry.
Harry suddenly bolted upright.
"The Stone! Quirrell, he got the Stone!"
"Calm yourself, dear boy, you're both a little behind the times," said Dumbledore. "Quirrell does not have the Stone."
"Then who does?" Harmony asked looking concerned.
"Both of you, please relax, or Madam Pomfrey will have me thrown out."
Harmony calmed herself and began to look around a little bit more. There was a table between their beds that was piled high with what looked like half the candy shop.
"Tokens from your friends and admirers," said Dumbledore, beaming. "What happened down in the dungeons between both of you and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret, so, naturally, the whole school knows. I believe your friends Misters Fred and George Weasley were responsible for trying to send you a toilet seat. No doubt they thought it would amuse you. Madam Pomfrey, however, felt it might not be very hygienic, and confiscated it."
"How long have we been here?" Harry asked.
"Three days." Harmony said.
"Mr. Ronald Weasley and Miss Granger will be most relieved you have come round, they have been extremely worried." Dumbledore said.
"But sir, the Stone—" Harry said.
"I see you are not to be distracted. Very well, the Stone. Professor Quirrell did not manage to take it from you. I arrived in time to prevent that, although you were doing very well on your own, I must say."
"You got there? You got Hermione's owl?" Harmony asked.
"We must have crossed in midair. No sooner had I reached London than it became clear to me that the place I should be was the one I had just left. I arrived just in time to pull Quirrell off you both—"
"It was you." The twins said together.
"I feared I might be too late."
"You nearly were, we couldn't have kept him off the Stone much longer—" Harry said.
"Not the Stone, you—the effort involved nearly killed you both. For one terrible moment there, I was afraid it had. As for the Stone, it has been destroyed."
"Destroyed? But your friend—Nicolas Flamel—" Harmony said.
"Oh, you know about Nicolas?" said Dumbledore, sounding quite delighted. "You did do the thing properly, didn't you? Well, Nicolas and I have had a little chat, and agreed it's all for the best."
"But that means he and his wife will die, won't they?" Harry asked.
"They have enough Elixir stored to set their affairs in order and then, yes, they will die."
Dumbledore smiled.
"To ones as young as you, I'm sure it seems incredible, but to Nicolas and Perenelle, it really is like going to bed after a very, very long day. After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure. You know, the Stone was really not such a wonderful thing. As much money and life as you could want! The two things most human beings would choose above all—the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things that are worst for them."
Harmony and Harry just sat on the bed looking at each other, conversing with their eyes. Dumbledore hummed a little and smiled at the ceiling.
"Sir?" said Harry suddenly. "I've been thinking . . . Sir—even if the Stone's gone, Vol--, I mean, You-Know-Who—"
"Call him, Voldemort. Always use the proper name for things. Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself." Dumbledore said.
"Yes, sir. Well, Voldemort's going to try other ways of coming back, isn't he? I mean, he hasn't gone, has he?" Harry asked.
"No, Harry, he has not. He is still out there somewhere, perhaps looking for another body to share . . . not being truly alive, he cannot be killed. He left Quirrell to die; he shows just as little mercy to his followers as his enemies. Nevertheless, while you two may have delayed his return to power, it will merely take someone else who is prepared to fight what seems a losing battle next time—and if he is delayed again, and again, why, he may never return to power.
This sent Harmony thinking so she took over.
"Sir, there is something I've been thinking about as well. Things that we need to know, if you can tell us . . . things I—probably we--want to know the truth about . . ."
"The truth." Dumbledore sighed. "It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution. However, I shall answer your questions unless I have a very good reason not to, in which case I beg you'll forgive me. I shall not, of course, lie."
"Well . . . Voldemort said that he only killed our mother because she tried to stop him from killing us. But why would he want to kill us in the first place?"
Dumbledore sighed very deeply this time.
"Alas, the first thing you ask me, I cannot tell you. Not today. Not now. You will know, one day . . . put it from your minds for now. When you are older . . . I know you hate to hear this . . . when you are ready, you will know."
Harmony knew the discussion had been closed so she moved on.
"Why couldn't Quirrell touch us?"
"Your mother died to save you both. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn't realize that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign . . . to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever. It is in your very skin. Quirrell, full of hatred, greed, and ambition, sharing his soul with Voldemort, could not touch you for this reason. It was agony to touch a person marked by something so good."
Dumbledore now became very interested in a bird out on the windowsill, which gave Harmony time to quickly wipe her eyes on her sleeve and Harry to wipe his eyes on the bed sheet. Harry asked his own question now, but one that had bugged Harmony for a long time.
"And the Invisibility Cloak—do you know who sent it to us?"
"Ah—your father happened to leave it in my possession, and I thought you might like it." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Useful thing . . . your father used it mainly for sneaking off to the kitchens to steal food when he was here."
This had sparked Harmony's memory to a question that she'd been meaning to ask.
"I have another question."
"Fire away." Dumbledore answered her.
"Quirrell said Snape—"
"Professor Snape, Harmony."
"Yes, him—Quirrell said he hates us because he hated our father. Is that true?"
"Well, they did rather detest each other. Not unlike you and Mr. Malfoy. And then, your father did something Snape could never forgive."
"What?" Harmony asked.
"He saved his life."
"What?" Harmony said astounded.
"Yes . . ." said Dumbledore dreamily. "Funny, the way people's minds work, isn't it? Professor Snape couldn't bear being in your father's debt . . . I do believe he worked so hard to protect you this year because he felt that would make him and your father even. Then he could go back to hating your father's memory in peace . . ."
"Sir, there's one more thing . . ." Harry began.
"Just the one?" Dumbledore answered.
"How did I get the Stone out of the mirror?"
"Ah, now, I'm glad you asked me that. It was one of my more brilliant ideas, and between you and me, that's saying something. You see, only one who wanted to find the Stone—find it, but not use it—would be able to get it, otherwise they'd just see themselves making gold or drinking Elixir of Life. My brain surprises even me sometimes . . . Now, enough questions. I suggest you two make a start on these sweets. Ah! Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans! I was unfortunate enough in my youth to come across a vomit-flavored one, and since then I'm afraid I've rather lost my liking for them—but I think I'll be safe with a nice toffee, don't you?"
He smiled and popped the golden-brown bean into his mouth. Then he choked and said, "Alas! Ear wax!"
Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, was a nice woman, but very strict. For a while after Dumbledore had left Harmony and Harry were pleading to see Ron and Hermione.
"Just five minutes," Harmony pleaded.
"Absolutely not." Madam Pomfrey said.
"You let Professor Dumbledore in . . ." Harry said.
"Well, of course, that was the headmaster, quite different. You need rest."
"We are resting, look, lying down and everything. Oh, go on, Madam Pomfrey. . ." Harry argued.
"Oh, very well," she said. "But five minutes only."
And she let Ron and Hermione in.
"Harry! Harmony!"
Hermione looked ready to fling her arms around them again, Harmony knew she wouldn't thought, being in the state they were.
"Oh, we were sure you were going to—Dumbledore was so worried—"
"The whole school's talking about it," said Ron. "What really happened?"
It was one of those rare occasions when the true story is even more strange and exciting then the wild rumors. Harry and Harmony told them everything: Quirrell; the mirror; the Stone; and Voldemort. Ron and Hermione were a very good audience; they gasped in all the right places, and when the twins told them what was under Quirrell's turban, Hermione screamed out loud.
"So the Stone's gone?" said Ron finally. "Flamel's just going to die?"
"That's what we said, but Dumbledore thinks that—what was it?" Harry said looking at Harmony.
"'To the well organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.'" Harmony said.
"I always said he was off his rocker," said Ron, looking quite impressed at how crazy his hero was.
"So what happened to you two?" Harmony asked.
"Well, I got back all right," said Hermione. "I brought Ron round—that took while—and we were dashing up to the owlery to contact Dumbledore when we met him in the entrance hall—he already knew—he just said, 'They've gone after him, haven't they?' and he hurled off to the third floor."
"D'you think he meant you to do it?" said Ron. "Sending you your father's Cloak and everything?"
"Well," Hermione exploded, "if he did—I mean to say—that's terrible—you two could have been killed."
"No, it isn't," said Harry thoughtfully. "He's a funny man, Dumbledore. I think he sort of wanted to give us a chance. I think he knows more or less everything that goes on here, you know. I reckon he had a pretty good idea we were going to try, and instead of stopping us, he just taught us enough to help. I don't think it was an accident he let us find out how the mirror worked. It's almost like he thought we had the right to face Voldemort if we could . . ."
"Yeah, Dumbledore's off his rocker, all right," said Ron proudly. "Listen, you've got to be up for the end-of-year feast tomorrow. The points are all in and Slytherin won, of course—you missed the last Quidditch match, we were steamrollered by Ravenclaw with you two—but the food'll be good."
At that moment, Madam Pomfrey bustled over.
"You've had nearly fifteen minutes, now OUT," she said firmly.
After a good night's sleep, Harmony felt wonderful.
"We want to go to the feast," she told Madam Pomfrey, speaking for both of them. "We can, can't we?"
"Professor Dumbledore says you are to be allowed to go," she said sniffily, as though in her opinion Professor Dumbledore didn't realize how risky feasts could be. "And you have another visitor."
"Oh, good," said Harry. "Who is it?"
Hagrid sidled through the door as he spoke. As usual when he was indoors, Hagrid looked too big to be allowed. He sat down between Harry and Harmony, took one look at them, and burst into tears.
"It's—all—my—ruddy—fault!" he sobbed, his face in his hands. "I told the evil git how ter get past Fluffy! I told him! It was the only thing he didn't know, an' I told him! Yeh could've died! All fer a dragon egg! I'll never drink again! I should be chucked out an' made ter live as a Muggle!"
"Hagrid!" said Harmony, Hagrid was shaking with grief and remorse, great tears leaking down into his beard. "Hagrid, he'd have found out somehow, this is Voldemort we're talking about, he'd have found out even if you hadn't told him"
"Yeh could've died!" sobbed Hagrid. "An' don' say the name!"
"VOLDEMORT!" Harry bellowed, and Hagrid was so shocked, he stopped crying. "We've met him and we're calling him by his name. Please cheer up, Hagrid, we saved the Stone, it's gone, he can't use it. Have a Chocolate Frog, we've got loads . . ."
Hagrid wiped his nose on the back of his hand and said, "That reminds me. I've got yeh a present."
"It's not a stoat sandwich, is it?" said Harry anxiously, and at last Hagrid gave a weak chuckle.
"Nah. Dumbledore gave me the day off yesterday ter fix it. 'Course, he shoulda sacked me instead—anyway, got yeh this . . ."
It seemed to be a handsome, leather-covered book. Harry opened it as Harmony watched. It was full of wizard photographs. Smiling and waving at them from every page were their mother and father.
"Yeh can share it between the two o' yeh. Sent owls off ter yer parents' old school friends, askin' fer photos . . . knew yeh didn' have any . . . d'yeh like it?"
Harry didn't speak and Harmony was crying silently, but Hagrid understood that they didn't just like it, they loved it.
The twins made their way down to the end-of-year feast hand in hand that night. They had been held up by Madam Pomfrey's fussing about, insisting on giving them one last checkup, so the Great Hall was already full. It was decked out in the Slytherin colors of green and silver to celebrate Slytherin's winning the House Cup for the seventh year in a row. A huge banner showing the Slytherin serpent covered the wall behind the High Table.
When Harry and Harmony walked in there was a sudden hush, and then everybody started talking loudly at once. The twins slipped into seats between Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table and tried to ignore the fact that people were standing to look at them.
Fortunately, Dumbledore arrived moments later. The babble died away.
"Another year gone!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink out teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it had been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were . . . you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts . . .
"Now, as I understand it, the House Cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor, with two hundred and fifty-two points; in third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw has four hundred and twenty-six and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy-two."
A storm of cheering and stamping broke out from the Slytherin table. Harmony could see Draco Malfoy banging his goblet on the table. It was a sickening sight.
"Yes, yes, well done, Slytherin," said Dumbledore. "However, recent events must be taken into account."
The room went very still. They Slytherins' smiles faded a little.
"Ahem," said Dumbledore. "I have a few last-minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes . . .
"First—to Mr. Ronald Weasley . . ."
Ron went purple in the face; he looked like a radish with a bad sunburn.
" . . . for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor House fifty points."
Gryffindor cheers nearly raised the bewitched ceiling' the starts overhead seemed to quiver. Percy could be heard telling the other prefects, "My brother, you know! My youngest brother! Got past McGonagall's giant chess set!"
At last there was silence again.
"Second—to Miss Hermione Granger . . . for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor House fifty points."
Hermione buried her face in her arms. Gryffindors up and down the table were beside themselves—they were a hundred points up.
"Third—to Mr. Harry Potter . . ." said Dumbledore. The room went deadly quiet. " . . . for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor House sixty points."
Everyone cheered and clapped for Harry, but they were sixty points from Slytherin.
"Fourth—to Miss Harmony Potter . . ." said Dumbledore. The room went quiet again. " . . . for amazing intellect and unfailing bravery, I award Gryffindor House sixty points."
The din was deafening. Those who could add up while yelling themselves hoarse knew that Gryffindor now had four hundred and seventy-two points—exactly the same as Slytherin. They had tied for the House Cup—if only Dumbledore had given Harmony just on more point.
Dumbledore raised his hand. The room gradually fell silent.
"There are all kinds of courage," said Dumbledore, smiling. "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to out enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottom."
Someone standing outside the Great Hall might well have thought some sort of explosion had taken place, so loud was the noise that erupted from the Gryffindor table. Harry, Ron, Harmony, and Hermione stood up to yell and cheer as Neville, white with shock, disappeared under a pile of people hugging him. He had never won so much as a point for Gryffindor before. Harmony looked toward the Slytherin table to see Malfoy, who couldn't have looked more stunned and horrified if he'd just had the Body-Bind Curse put on him.
"Which means," Dumbledore called over the storm of applause, for even Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were celebrating the downfall of Slytherin, "we need a little change of decoration."
He clapped his hands. In an instant, the green hangings became scarlet and the silver became gold; the huge Slytherin serpent vanished and a towering Gryffindor lion took its place. Snape was shaking Professor McGonagall's hand, with a horrible, forced smile. He caught Harmony and Harry's eye and Harmony knew at once that Snape's feelings toward them hadn't changed one jot. This didn't worry Harmony. It seemed as though life would be back to normal next year, or as normal as it ever was at Hogwarts.
It was the best evening of Harmony's life, better than winning at Quidditch, or Christmas, or knocking out mountain trolls, or anything for that matter . . . she would never forget that night.
Harmony had almost forgotten that the exam results were still to come, but come they did. Harmony tied with Hermione for the best grades of the first years, of course. Everyone had come through pretty okay in their exams.
Suddenly, their wardrobes were empty, their trunks were packed; and then Professor McGonagall appeared out of nowhere asking for Harmony.
"Miss Potter I am to take you to see Professor Dumbledore."
Harmony followed Professor McGonagall to a gargoyle and in front of it stood Albus Dumbledore.
"Hello, Harmony." He said as they approached. "Thank you, Minerva."
McGonagall strode away leaving Harmony and Dumbledore alone.
"Walk with me, will you?" Dumbledore said and stared slowly down the hall, with Harmony keeping pace beside him.
"Harmony," He began. "I've tried to tell myself over and over that it would be best for you if you went back to your foster parents, but I just cannot bring myself to send you back there."
"Why?" Harmony asked.
"Well, because you and Harry have only known each other for under a year and it's crucial for you to have a good relationship with each other. It will be clearer why when you are older and you understand more. So I have decided that you will go with Harry to your aunt and uncle's house this summer." He said.
"Really?" Harmony asked getting excited. A whole summer with Harry, it was an absolutely wonderful idea in her opinion.
"Yes, I sent the owl last night, but it will not always be so. You will go back to your foster parents eventually. I will tell you each year where you will go. That's another reason why I wanted to see you. I wanted to work out a way to get word to you without having to call you up here on the last day each year." Dumbledore said still walking.
"I believe I will send you an owl that will reach you at some time during your journey home from now on. What do you think?" He asked.
"I think it will work." Harmony said.
Suddenly Dumbledore stopped and turned toward Harmony, who stopped also.
"Harmony, I want you to be careful. You can't do anything reckless while you are away. You'll be less protected at the Dursley's and therefore more likely to get into some sort of trouble." Dumbledore said laying his hands on Harmony's shoulders and looking straight into Harmony's eyes. "You must promise me that not only will get into no kind of trouble, but also that once again you will keep where you've spent the last ten years a secret. Can you do that?"
"Yes, I can." Harmony said.
Dumbledore lifted his hands off of Harmony's shoulders.
"Then I will see you next year." He said and began to walk back.
"Professor?" Harmony said and Dumbledore turned back to face her.
"Thank you . . . for everything." She said.
Dumbledore smiled and nodded.
"Remember what you promised, Harmony." He said, then turned and walked down the hall at a brisk pace.
Harmony turned and almost ran back to Gryffindor Tower.
Everything went by so quickly. Soon they were on the Hogwarts Express, speeding toward home, talking and laughing the whole way.
As they were getting off the train Harry said something that jogged Harmony's memory.
"You will write me, won't you?"
"No," Harmony smiled at Harry's stunned look. "I'm coming with you. That's why Dumbledore wanted to see me earlier."
Harry smiled and hugged his sister tightly. Then they both stepped onto the platform. They were being let through the barrier in two and threes so as not to attract attention.
"You must come and stay this summer," said Ron. "all of you—I'll send you an owl. Harmony, I need you're address."
"Ron, all you'll have to do is write Harry. I'm staying with him this summer." Harmony said grinning.
"Great!" said Ron.
"It'll give us something to look forward to this summer." Harry said.
People jostled them as they moved forward toward the gateway back to the Muggle world. Some of them called:
"Bye, Harry!"
"Bye, Harmony!"
"See you, Potter!"
"Still famous," said Ron, grinning at them.
"Not where we're going, I promise you," said Harry.
Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Harmony passed through the gateway together.
"There they are, Mum, there they are, look!"
It was Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister, but she wasn't pointing at Ron.
"The Potters!" she squealed. "Look, Mum! I can see—"
"Be quiet, Ginny, and it's rude to point."
Mrs. Weasley smiled down at them.
"Busy year?" she said.
"Very," said Harry.
"Thanks for the fudge and the sweaters, Mrs. Weasley." Harmony said.
"Oh, it was nothing, dear."
"Ready, are you? She's coming too as I've heard."
It was Uncle Vernon, still purple-faced, still mustached, still looking furious at the nerve of Harry, carrying an owl in a cage in a station full of ordinary people. Behind him stood Aunt Petunia and Dudley, looking terrified at the very sight of Harry and Harmony.
"You must be Harry and Harmony's family!" said Mrs. Weasley.
"In a manner of speaking," said Uncle Vernon. "Hurry up, both of you, we haven't got all day." He walked away.
The twins hung back for a last word with Ron and Hermione.
"See you over the summer, then." Harry said.
"Hope you have—er—a good holiday," said Hermione, looking uncertainly after Uncle Vernon, shocked that anyone could be so unpleasant.
"Oh, we will." Said Harmony, both twins were grinning broadly to the surprise of the other two.
"They don't know we're not allowed to use magic at home. " Harmony continued.
"We're going to gave a lot of fun with Dudley this summer . . ." Harry said.
The twins then went to the Dursley's car and as they sped away Harmony knew that her adventures were just beginning.