A/N Second (and last) chapter in 24 hours... so if you're not sure what happened to Amadeus, back up one ;)

Forty-Two

On To New Adventures

It had been just over six weeks, and no one had heard from Bagman. Not a single clue was left, nor any of the countless interviews with Peter, Jeffers, or the society members revealed anything, even under the scrutiny of Aurelius. Wherever he had gone Bagman had gone alone, and Severus was quite certain wherever he had ended up, it was comfortable and well supplied. Perhaps he had taken on a new identity and had given up the idea of vengeance all together but there was no way anyone could know for certain.

After time went on and nothing else happened, the newspapers turned to more trivial matters; the Oracle talking mostly about Longbottom's plan to "reorganize" his companies into something more centralized, while the Prophet was mainly interviewing legal specialists about the upcoming Black vs. Snape lawsuit. Even local bookies appeared to be getting into the act, rating the outcome 8-1 in favor of Black.

Severus scowled at the mention of it in one of the letters to the editor and promptly wadded up the paper and threw it into the fire. He then walked into his sitting room, taking the pipe out of the smoky crystal ashtray and dumping the ashes out. The curtain from the study parted, and Jennifer walked in with some papers in hand.

"I have the recent tests for you to look over. You're not planning to smoke in here with him in here, are you?" Jennifer said, pointing over at Quintin. He was standing with the help of the crib bars as support and was chewing contentedly on the rail.

"No, I just thought I would clean it, is all," Severus said distractedly, getting out a clean cloth. "Is that the test data on the time distortion field?"

"I just said it was," Jennifer said with a sigh, watching him clean the ashtray. "I don't suppose you've tried simply apologizing to Sirius?"

"I did," Severus said irritably. "He told me it was too late for that."

"Well, I suppose it is," Jennifer decided. "But I do admit the whole thing seems rather silly now, considering everything that's happened since the night you saved him from that Plague spell. If I got anything out of this whole mess, it was not to think of any spell as 'harmless.'"

"Or any other type of magic, for that matter," Severus said, meticulously polishing the ashtray. "Such as the Stone, for example… it is a useful tool if not abused, but it is also rather easy to get used to its presence and the Elixir that one can craft from it. It keeps us young but by no means is any guarantee of extended life. And even that might have been a curse had you and the others been Erased."

"You would have by no means been alone, Severus," Jennifer reminded him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Corey, Lucky and Leu would still be there for you, instilled with those same Snape values and every bit a part of family as the rest of us."

"Yes, that is true," Severus said distantly, holding up the crystal ashtray to the light. "So, are we ready to give this thing up?"

"The smoking, or the ashtray?" Jennifer asked with a chuckle as Severus turned the Philosopher's Stone back into its original form. "Besides, you can't be too sure that you're going to lose tomorrow, can you?" Severus gave her a dirty look.

Arnold Jeffers had had a positively miserable month filled with LE officers breathing down his neck in hopes of getting information. But as interest in the case picked up in the papers, Abraxus and some of the other wealthier members of the society began to get interested in him again, and he found himself well taken care of with plenty of time to study before the case.

Tim Weasley looked as if he barely slept at all, and seemed quite anxious, especially when he realized that the courtroom (although much smaller than the council chamber) was packed with spectators. A great many of them were people who hated Snape with only a small support group behind the Headmaster.

But Severus was used to this sort of reception any time he was a defendant in the courtroom and was quite calm and collected. Nor did he seem to regret his decision in hiring Tim, despite the number of snickers the boy had gotten when he came into the courtroom with items falling out of his crumpled jacket and papers flying out from unkempt folders he had stacked on several books in his arms. Rob March came in behind him, quickly picking up the papers and quills without a word and helping him unload at the table where Severus was already waiting.

"Sorry," Tim said sheepishly, quite conscientious of the jeering still going on from the other side of the room.

"For what, being a Weasley?" Severus asked expressionlessly. "Simply do whatever you can with this case to the best of your ability… and don't apologize to me again."

"Right… sor… right, sir," Tim said, taking the folder that Rob handed to him.

Then Severus leaned back and became rather quiet, listening quite intently to the proceedings with an expression that gave no hints whatsoever to how he felt about it. In fact, he was more focused on his counselor's efforts rather than on the case itself. Tim had gone into a long spiel about how many the Stone had saved over the years. Quite a number of them mentioned were people that Dumbledore had saved; some that Severus had never even realized it had been used upon, such as Arthur and Molly (although it did explain a lot), while others (such as Tonks, Lupin, and especially Olympe Hagrid,) that Severus was quite surprised Tim had managed to find out about. All of the ones that Dumbledore had saved other than Jennifer happened in the dark years before Voldemort had died, and it brought back harsh memories and curious feelings.

It had been a long time since the sharp, stabbing pain that used to happen when he thought of them had faded away; they had been replaced by strong feelings of regret for the missteps he would never be able to atone for completely. But as deep as they were, he had come to realize that everyone had some of those in their past… the echoes of one's conscience that drives an individual to a new level of awareness that all actions had their consequences. He glanced up briefly to see Jennifer smiling warmly at him in understanding. Such a road they had traveled… even since that fateful day that she had revealed that the Stone still existed… fate, such as he now believed in. And yet, as much as they had accomplished so far, there was yet so much to do… so much left that it overwhelmed him to think of trying to get it all done in a single lifetime…

"And consider this, Magistrate," Tim said, his tone so much louder than it had been a moment ago that it pulled Severus out of his thoughts. Tim was pacing a bit as he tried to stay one step ahead of his own argument, but his anxiety had eased and his expression was one of determination. "Those who oppose the Stone and the Elixir because they believe it goes against the balance of nature fail to acknowledge the fact that the dark wizards and creatures of this world have dozens of ways to prolong life; most of which involve harming others to do so. Other than the luck of having the right ancestry, we who fight those forces have but one method; the Elixir of Life, which exists to save those who defend against those dark wizards and creatures such as Voldemort, Ciardoth, and so many other threats that have plagued us… none of which could have been defeated without those saved by the Elixir in the past."

Sirius, who had been leaning back quite casually in his chair with his arms folded for most of the proceedings (with facial expressions and eye rolls that proved much more revealing to Rob) suddenly stomped on Jeffers' foot, making him leap up suddenly. But the counselor quickly recovered.

"Magistrate, what the young Assistant Counselor has spoken is all quite true, and although my client played a part in that, his motives were driven only to look after his godson and later his family, and perhaps to put to rights some matters inflicted on him in the past by this very court system. He has not now, nor ever acted solely for the 'good of all wizard kind' and has had no wish to become anything other than a contractor and a family man. And despite the omission, the Elixir does exact a price; an obligation to live on for the very purpose of fighting for the so-called 'good' side for their extended lives."

"Sir, that is a self-imposed condition, not a true obligation," Tim said. "The truth of the matter is that those saved by it already have dedicated their lives to serve… what they do with their lives is their choice. The item may have been created so that one man could finish more than a lifetime worth of work to further our knowledge of alchemy, but that doesn't mean everyone chooses to use it that way."

"Assistant Weasley, do you believe that your client would knowingly use the Elixir on anyone who was not a person of good conscience?" Jeffers asked.

"Of course he wouldn't," Tim said.

"And wouldn't any man of good conscience who had drank it, whether voluntary or not, feel obligated to use such borrowed time for something greater than one man can normally accomplish? And what about the burden and hardship they bear when they must watch others around them age naturally while they stay the same, what of that? It is not a potion without dire consequences, and not one to be taken lightly… certainly not something that should be squandered. Magistrates, my client made it clear on more than one occasion that he did not want this burden. That it was forced upon him without any thought to his wishes is nothing short of irresponsible," Jeffers said. "I have plenty of testimonies that show that on more than one occasion, my client made it perfectly clear that he did not want this to happen to him."

"Is it really such a crime to save a man's life?" Tim immediately rebutted. "My client's sister and Black's wife had pleaded with Severus to save Black if it was within his power. Who truly would do less under the circumstances? I dare anyone here put themselves in that same position and attempt to choose anything other than saving him. If anyone is a man of good conscience, I believe my own client has proven time and again that he is. How can any man of good conscience walk away from a dying man knowing that is in within his power to stop it?"

"We are all dying, Magistrate, from the moment we are born. Is he then going to give potions to us all?" Jeffers said. "I think not, though in some ways it may be fairer, it is not only unfeasible, but even more dangerous to the balance of nature than a thousand vampires could be. People would line up for miles just for a taste of it, and the majority of them having no better reason to continue living than their own fear of death. Such an object should not be taken lightly, and should never be used against someone's will. That is why my client wishes for the Stone to be removed from Headmaster Snape's hands."

The magistrate held up a hand, both counselors immediately quieting down.

"Counselor Jeffers, I understand your client's concern, but I hope that you understand that I am concerned for what might happen to the Stone if anyone but the current owner has it, even if he has acted irresponsibly in this case. What exactly does your client intend to do with the Stone once it is in his possession?" Magistrate Enoch asked.

"He plans to have it destroyed, Magistrate, so that it can no longer be abused by the Headmaster, or anyone else," Jeffers said. A murmur went up in the crowd, although Severus noticed that few of the society seemed surprised. "Nothing that prolongs life could be considered 'good,' Magistrate."

"Does that include doctors, nurses, hospitals, and any medicine one might take, Magistrate? Are they all evil as well?" Tim said. "This is simply a type of medicine, albeit a powerful one."

"Even when it comes to medicine, the patient has the right to choose whether or not they wish to take it, Counselor Weasley," the magistrate reminded him, straightening all the testimonies and other facts and evidence they had placed on his desk. "I believe I shall take a short break to review all of these before deliberating."

"I don't like that. It sounds like he has already made up his mind," Rob murmured quietly. Severus simply nodded, having observed that himself, as well as the rather deflated look on Timothy's face and the smug one on Jeffers as they went back to their tables.

"Don't say it," Severus warned in a low voice before Tim could even open his mouth. "You did perfectly well."

"If you believe that, Professor, you are seeing something that I do not," Tim sighed, sitting down.

"So when do you plan on taking your test on becoming a full counselor, Timothy?" Severus asked, unconcerned.

"I'm not certain I'm ready for it, if this hearing is any indication," Timothy said with a sigh. "In the fall, perhaps."

"Yes, well, please inform me if you pass it… the school could use a counselor," Severus said evenly. Tim stared at him.

"Sir, you do realize we are going to lose this case?" Timothy asked seriously.

"Yes, I know," Severus said. "But the fact of the matter is that despite everything you said…the same things that I would have said had I been defending myself… I did cross the line that day. It was not my place to decide, nor should I have felt obligated to save him knowing that was not what he wanted. But don't you dare tell him I said that if you want a job."

"No, never," Tim said quickly, too stunned to offer any more and too afraid that he would mess it up to speak again.

Half the court was surprised about how short a time it took for the Magistrate to return. The other half was surprised it had taken so long. As the rest of the court settled back into their seats, Severus and Timothy didn't bother; standing at the desk with the books neatly stacked as they had not been from the beginning and everything ready to be taken home. The other desk was also clear; but Jeffers and Sirius were two of the last in the courtroom, having stopped across the street for a quick drink first before returning. Severus rolled his eyes, but after that he simply sighed and gazed towards the front emotionlessly. Timothy's expression, however, was quite crestfallen; and strangely enough, so was the expression of the magistrate when he finally settled into place.

"On the surface, this case is quite straight forward; someone is potioned against their wishes, and he seeks damages of some kind. Typically, the offended party asks for the license of the offending alchemist or medical practitioner to be revoked, which of course, would be handled by their ethics committees, or perhaps some monetary compensation, which puts it under my jurisdiction. In this case, it is property compensation, and although that too falls into my job and in petty court… the property in this case anything but petty," Enoch said seriously, glancing between them both and finally landing on Sirius.

"Even though the judgment I must give is quite plain, I am concerned about the item in question. My personal belief is that it should stay with its current owner, regardless of the fact that yes, he did act knowingly against your wishes and he of all people knows the ramifications of such a decision. As much as I am concerned about it leaving his hands, I am also concerned about the idea of destroying it as well. Such things should not be taken so lightly or out of anger. Therefore, it is my personal suggestion that you find a safe place to keep it for the time being, until which time you might come up with an agreement with the original owner to some other form of compensation. Is it of equal balance to your claim? Legally, yes. I only hope that you, who ask for it to be handled responsibly, will handle it responsibly yourself, Mr. Black.

"The judgment is in favor of the plaintiff; but such a powerful item needs certain regulations as to how it is to be handled. The Stone must either be destroyed, or stay with him until which time he may return it to its original owner. If it does not, the Ministry will have the right to confiscate the Stone and prosecute whoever is wielding it for illegal handling of a controlled magical item. I suggest you fill out all necessary licensing paperwork before you leave today, Mr. Black," Magistrate Enoch added.

"No need for it. My mind is quite made up. It is to be destroyed," Sirius said, claiming his prize as the Magistrate stood, signaling the end of the decision. The crowd began to talk excitedly; some in loud favor of the decision while others expressing outrage. A large group of members from the society, including Coventry and Balmweed hurried over to congratulate Sirius.

"Thank you both," Severus said to Tim and Rob as he stood.

"I rather don't know what to say since you don't want me to apologize," Timothy admitted.

"There is no reason to," Severus said, then glanced back at where Jennifer and Anna were sitting. They were too busy talking at the moment, but neither one of them looked particularly happy. Anna stood up as he approached.

"I really think you're both going too far this time. I tried to talk him out of it but sometimes he can be just as stubborn as we are," Anna said. "Not to mention every time I bring it up he reminds me that I was the one who asked… it's as if sometimes he thinks that it's a crime that I love him."

"Perhaps he does think that way, but I am not going to get involved with that… not at the moment, anyway. We made our decisions and must stand by them whether they were wrong or not, as he must stand by his," Severus said.

"So you're going to get philosophical? You make it sound like you believe it was the wrong thing to do now…" Anna said.

"Yes, it was," Severus admitted. "Although if had I known about all of this before, I probably would have still given it to him. I'd simply have been more discreet," Severus decided, holding out his arm just enough so that Jennifer would take it. She gazed at him searchingly as they waded through the crowd, and with a bit of skill and a dash of luck, the two managed to slip out without either reporter finding them.

Andrew was snoring loudly in an armchair when they arrived back in his sitting room, but he woke up with a start when they stepped into the room. Blearily, he glanced between the crib and the clock before sitting up to stretch his aching back.

"How did it go? Did it get held over?" he asked with a yawn.

"No, it is quite done," Severus said quietly. "Sirius has the Stone now, assuming he didn't have it destroyed while he was still at the Ministry."

"What?" Andrew said, blinking a bit. "I don't believe he'd actually do that. No matter how angry he might be with you, Uncle Sirius wouldn't take it out on something that can't be replaced, especially something Dumbledore entrusted you to keep safe."

"I know. I would have thought he would have cooled off enough that he would have dropped this whole matter by now," Jennifer sighed. "But no matter how much Anna, Harry or the children tried, he wouldn't let it go."
"That part doesn't surprise me so much. If they began arguing with him right away, it'd only have made him more determined to go through with it. But destroy it? Surely you don't believe it, Mum," Andrew said.

"His back was to me all through the trial, but it was obvious he was determined. I know what little I've seen of him while that he's been debating it, but I do agree it isn't like him," Jennifer admitted.

"What about recreating it?" Andrew asked.

"Many of Witolf's formulas were confiscated by Lucius Malfoy at the time of death. No one knows what happened to them after that," Severus said.

"I remember that now," Andrew murmured.

"On top of that, knowing the old man, I doubt any of those formulas were complete. He more than likely simply kept some of it to himself. Even if we were persuade Albus to help us and all of his work were in one place, it would be quite unlikely to reconstruct the exact set of conditions to remake it," Severus said.

"Well, at least you have a decent stockpile of Elixir, right?" Andrew said.

"One might think so," Severus said, getting into a cabinet for a wine decanter. "You should probably head out and get some rest. I'm sure it'll be a long day tomorrow with students nosing about in papers instead of doing their work."

"Thank you for watching Quintin, Andrew," Jennifer said, checking on Quintin.

"No problem," Andrew said, slipping out the side door.

"I'm surprised you didn't tell him," Jennifer ventured, gazing at him fixedly. But Severus was partially turned away from her, pouring a glass.

"Tell him what?"

"The true shelf life of an Elixir after it's finished. You could stockpile all you liked and it wouldn't matter in a week," Jennifer said.

"There's no real reason to worry everyone, is there?" Severus replied. "I have something I need to finish before I go to bed tonight, so I'm going to the study for a bit. Why don't you go on in and get settled and I'll join you in a moment or two?"

"I suppose I could, if you're certain you don't need me for anything…" Jennifer said.

"No baiting," Severus said, opening the door and pulling back the curtain.

"You're right. I'm tired," Jennifer said, playing at a yawn. "I'll probably fall right asleep the moment I'm in bed. Or is that what it is you want me to do?"

"I suppose you'll just have to wait until I get in there to find out," he said, pulling the door shut. Jennifer squinted.

"So, he closed the door, did he?" she said to herself, then went into her sitting room to find her Portable Hole.

Severus strode into the Study, waving both doors open before setting his glass on the desk and pouring himself a cup of coffee instead. He took out his watch and calculated the time, glancing thoughtfully at one of the hands as it swept from Ministry to Home. He then looked at his appointment book and at his watch again with a scowl.

"Sirius Black is on his way up, Headmaster," Armando warned him.

"I see that. Stairs or Door Lift?" he asked, and then heard someone humming Scott Joplin. "Never mind, he seems to have taken the Lift," Severus said, glancing up just as a very smug Sirius Black stepped into the office and flamboyantly closed the doors, still humming.

"So… Headmaster Severus Snape had to appear in court and was found guilty of negligence. Everyone in the entire court room… no… everyone in the wizard community in the whole country will know by tomorrow morning that you were wrong and I was right," Sirius said with elation.

"Are you finished gloating yet?" Severus said.

"No, no, still basking in the moment. I should have brought a camera to capture your woeful expression on filn so that Alicia could paint it for me later," Sirius went on, ignoring the testily drumming fingers on the table.

"Did you destroy it already or not?" Severus asked impatiently.

"Yes, it's done. I went straight to Artifacts right after with a whole slew of witnesses from the society with me as well as reporters and a few from the Ministry. It was a beautiful disintegration. Pity that you missed it. And a pity for all of them for not having any time at all to get a closer inspection on that crystal before it was destroyed," Sirius added, putting the real Stone into the hand Severus held out as a not-so-subtle hint. Severus then glanced at it carefully. "Don't you trust me?" Sirius said.

"No," Severus said flatly, then looked around thoughtfully.

"What are you going to change it into this time?" he asked.

"I'm not certain… I'm half tempted to hide it where I had been hiding it before," Severus said thoughtfully.

"Don't you think Jennifer will be suspicious?" Sirius asked.

"She's already suspicious," Severus admitted.

"Actually, so is Anna. She knew perfectly well what I really wanted all along was for you to admit to publicly admit to the world that you made a mistake…"

"Must you go on about it?" Severus snapped.

"Well, you kept your half of the bargain, and I kept mine. And I also agree with you that the less people who know it's not destroyed the better, family included. But I still don't think we can keep it from our wives. Especially from yours."

"Sirius, I do happen to know a touch about Occlumency, you know. I am sure that I can manage."

"I wasn't talking her Truth Seeking ability, Severus. I was talking more about her husband-is-up-to-something seeking, as evident by the fact that half of her seems to be in the room already," Sirius pointed out. Severus immediately whirled around to see Jennifer's top half through the locked door, her arms pushing back the curtains and a rather annoyed expression.

"Oh," said Severus.

"I hate graduating," Gary March declared, as they settled into place the the Owl table. "Now we're going to have to face reality, join the work force, and grind, grind, grind for the rest of our lives."

"But you've spent the entire year talking about going to Enforcer training. Have you changed your mind?" Leu asked with concern.

"No," Gary sighed. "But I am going to miss the luxury of being lazy. Lucky and Ambrose are lucky because they get to go back to school."

"You think school isn't work? College is tough," Lucky said.

"So you're going after all?" Paula asked.

"Oh, yeah. The Professor handed me my acceptance letter right after I finished my NEWTS," Lucky said dryly. "Apparently he's had it for a while and wanted to make sure I finished out well here. I even got a scholarship because my STEP was so high."

"Brilliant, congrats, Lucky," Pimra said with a smile. "Ambrose, you're going to Whitebridge, right?"

"Yes, to take some extra classes, and to assist one of the teachers there as well," Ambrose said. "Gosh, I'm going to miss Hogwarts and Hogsmeade, and being home. But it is a great adventure, all the same."

"Don't worry, I'll be there," Connie said with a smile. Ambrose looked around in surprise.

"You're going to Whitebridge too?" Ambrose asked brightly.

"Well, only for a semester, I'm afraid. My father is getting me a job in the family services department at the Ministry, and he suggested I pick up a couple of courses in psychology," Connie explained.

"Good. Maybe if you're in the Ministry, he won't be pressing me so hard to be in the Ministry too," Lena said with a scrunched up nose.

"Fortunately, we still have a whole year to decide," Mike said. "Speaking of which, when are we going to tally up the votes to find out who the new chairman and vice are?"

"Actually, I already have," Ambrose admitted with a grin. "But first thing is first. Who had the most feathers this year?"

"I rather think that would be obvious," Dirk said proudly.

"So it is," Boulderdash said with a snarling grin. "Your Owl pin, Mr. Atchinson." Everyone immediately clapped and cheered, Dirk getting up and getting his pin with a thin but pleased smile, pinning it onto his tie and sitting back down. "So, who are our new leaders, Mr. Tinker?"

"For assistant chairman, I would like to introduce Hope Willowby!" Ambrose said.

"Well, that ought to keep things shook up around here," Gary grinned, while Hope beamed happily.

"And the chairman, with a unanimous vote, I might add, if you don't count his own vote for Hope, that is… Llewellyn Murphy!" Ambrose said.

Leu blinked in complete shock, while everyone else including Noah and a couple of other observing ghosts clapped as well.

"Me? Why me?" Leu said.

"It was obvious! We wanted someone young and original who would bring in a different perspective and unique ideas," Ambrose said.

"He definitely has a different perspective," Lucky smirked.

"Everyone needs to finish up so you can get to dinner," Boulderdash reminded them.

"Maybe we should just skip," Gary said.

"Oh, no you don't. I don't skip out when Gryffindor wins one, you can stick out a Slytherin win," Dirk said.

"We were overdue if you ask me," Lena said, getting up.

"Come on, everyone is going," Ambrose said, opening the door, smiling at each member one by one as they left. Boulderdash hopped down and waited beside him as everyone went out, Lucky and Connie bringing up the rear and calling out to him when he didn't come out right away. Instead, he was looking over the Owl Room from the feather box to chairs and table, letting out a deep sigh. "Is everything going to be all right when we're gone. Is everything going to say the same?" he asked.

"Stay the same? I think not," Boulderdash snorted. "But if you are wondering about the Order itself, I believe it is here to stay. At least it will be as long as the Headmaster and I are here… and then after that, I think others will pick up the torch. It was a great addition to this campus, Mr. Tinker. As are all of the projects the Owls have added over the years, including the new boathouse."

"I love the new boathouse… pity that Noah no longer seems to care about it now that it's so different. He just wants to stay in Hufflepuff," Ambrose grinned.

"Oh? Oh, well, we needed a new one anyway," Boulderdash shrugged, following him out and walking with him to the Great Hall.

Professor Craw turned and smiled warmly at them as they came in, although most of them were more interested in staring at Quintin, who was getting a very early preview of the Great Hall from his mother's lap. Several of the other staff members were making faces at him to try to get him to react, or casting minor spells when Severus wasn't looking in their direction, making everything from stuffed giraffes to pinwheels and balloons appear in front of him only to poof away the moment he turned to talk to Craw, who was pretending like nothing was going on. Some of the students were chuckling at the antics, while Don was debating if telling his father about it would do any good.

"Exactly what is he doing at the faculty table?" Severus wanted to know as he stepped over to his seat, looking at Jennifer disapprovingly.

"He is a school guest," Jennifer explained with a smile. Severus squinted.

"I didn't approve any guests for this event," Severus said with certainly.

"Actually, according to school policy, in the event that the Headmaster cannot approve such a request in time for an event to take place, a senior staff member need only to clear it through the Deputy Headmaster," Jennifer said smoothly. Severus looked over at Hermione, who was hiding a smile, then back at Jennifer again.

"I don't remember not being available at any point today."

"Actually, you were in the shower when I thought to ask," Jennifer said innocently. "Care to remove him? Although I rather don't see much of a point now that all the students have seen him up here, do you?"

"I'll deal with you later," Severus growled. "That goes for you too," he added, glancing sideways in the other direction at Hermione. But Hermione simply called the students to order, thus ending the conversation. Severus began to wander to the other side of the table.

"I see we have all managed to survive another year," Severus said, wandering past each table before going back over to stand in front of the table. "A rather long one for me, but I know it probably flew by for some of you. It's strange, isn't it? We have always heard that time is relative in a physical sense, and yet sometimes that relativity seems much more personal. You can spend an afternoon on a project and feel as if you've been working for hours and yet the clock hasn't moved more than a half an hour; and yet other times, you find yourself wondering where the time has gone. One moment I'm sitting at a café next to a plate of chocolate pancakes, and then in the blink of an eye, seven years pass before my eyes. The sturdy little thicket of thorns struggling to free itself of the weeds has become the rose it was always meant to be," he said, glancing over at Lucky, who rolled her eyes and shook her head at him with a smile.

"But then, I suppose it is no surprise. Time does not stand still, no matter how slow it may seem to move; and everything changes. Some of those changes are harder than others; some of them are downright cruel, but without them, we cannot progress. I hope, however, that one of the things you take away from this school is that change is inevitable; how one deals with those changes will determine how well you will fare in life. Even though the year has ended, and for some of you that means also that your time at Hogwarts has come to an end, there will be new adventures around the corner, new trials to conquer, and new beginnings to unfold. Even for those of us who are staying, every year brings some new adventure," he said in a tone that sounded as if he wasn't quite sure if that should be a positive statement or not. Some of the students grinned at his reaction, including Leu and Noah.

"Thank you all for your constant support, and I hope to see you all again soon. Until then, be safe. No getting carried away with spells you shouldn't be casting without supervision and being swept away by brooms or drowned by a common cleaning spell or anything of that sort. Good luck to all of you, I'm sure you'll know where I'll be should you have need of me," he added, walking back over to his seat. He gestured for the meal to begin and sat down, part of him wondering where his cup was. A moment later, he was wondering where his plate was too.

"Perhaps the House Elves didn't see you gesture?" Hermione suggested.

"Let the feast begin," Severus said distinctly, and glanced around, the students staring back at him and waiting for something to happen.

That was when he noticed that some of the floating candles above the tables were looking a bit wobbly. They fell to the floor, snuffing out as they hit, the light in the room dimming dramatically as a result. Quintin pierced through the sudden silence with a hearty giggle. All of the students began talking at once.

"Does this count as a new adventure?" Jennifer asked mischievously above the surprised chatter of the students. Severus propped his head up with his arm in resignation.

"You know, this really wasn't the sort of ending I had in mind," he complained.

"You're the one who pointed out there are no real endings, Severus," Jennifer reminded him.

"Yes, I suppose that's true," Severus said, impatiently waiting for his plate to finally appear.

End Book Six, Series 4

Finally done, and finally time for me to take a break. I don't expect the break to be the two-year that I took before book 7 came out; (I didn't know at that point how I would feel about my series then… unfortunately, I seem to have gotten really attached to my version… aka I like my version of year 5 on better.) but the series will be backburnered, the priority being some of my own stuff that I have been, honestly, working on and off for thirty years or so… some of it ideas that never left the idea sheet or first couple chapters… a trilogy I wrote that I've been ignoring because I originally wrote it on paper and loathe the idea of getting it all on the computer…as well as various other stories I have set in three very distinct detailed worlds (I do mean detailed, being that I gamed D&D since it was in pamphlet form and did quite a bit of mapping.) SO we'll see how it goes. I may send two of those series out and one do a web-based thing so I can have more control over it, still mulling that one over. More than likely, if anything interesting happens with the original fic I'll throw it in my next book, if there is one… I think there will be.

Because I still have many stories in my head… of Leu and Noah and Quintin… of Jennifer needing to rescue Lunette after an unexpected disappearance… of Ambrose coming back to Hogwarts… of the Coventry twins grown up, one Auror…and one quite the opposite. Of Charles the Third hitting the Hogwarts limelight…what happens to Bagman and Amadeus… and then there is Quintin… whom even at birth those who knew the Snapes were putting coins in the age poll of when he'll reach the Chamber of Secrets…

But another book will be a while before coming… I will work on it randomly as I find time, or if I get stuck on the other stories, or sick of editing, or bogged down in the sheer work of original writing. Therefore, the next Jennifer book will most likely be completed before I even contemplate putting it up here, because I'm not going to want to juggle more than one deadline, even if this one is more a personal commitment. I also may do some more shorts similar to Beyond the Walls and Christmas Carol Troll and such. My suggestion to anyone interested in anything new is to keep me on authors alert. Or if you're not, that is okay too… I will still write it, because whether I like her books 5-7 or not, I do love this world, and I also love my own characters, so shall write it regardless.

Thank you all for reading my stories. I hope to see you all again, and until then, take care.

JCWriter.