What? You didn't really think I was going to LEAVE you there, did you? LOL!
CQ
Chapter Twenty Two: The REAL Final Chapter
"Harry? Harry, it's time to wake up," the soft voice roused him from sleep. He felt the hand on his arm and opened his eyes. The redhead sitting on the bed next to him smiled.
"Mum?"
"It's time to be up, love," Lily said softly. "Petunia has breakfast almost ready. You don't want to be late."
"No..." Harry sat up sleepily, then threw his legs over the side of the bed, suddenly remembering. "Mum?"
"Yes?"
"Ginny...?"
"Molly has flooed through twice this morning," Lily chuckled. "Ginny is a bit of a wreck, apparently."
"She's okay?"
"She's insisting on seeing you. Molly is horrified... the bride shouldn't see the groom before the wedding, apparently. Hermione flooed back with her to calm the waters a bit."
"Ginny and Molly together can be a bit..."
"Like fireworks?" Lily smiled. "Yes. I had noticed. Come on, love... your aunt has your breakfast almost ready."
Harry yawned as he watched his mother leave the room. He ran a hand through his messy hair and then laughed.
Today he was going to marry Ginny Weasley. And she was giving her mother hell.
He stumbled into the kitchen five minutes later to find his mother and aunt there, fussing at the counter, his mother telling her gently to relax, that Harry would appreciate whatever she prepared, and James looking on fondly as he read a copy of the Prophet at the table. Harry sat down heavily and his father grinned at him.
"Rough night?"
"Why did I let you and Remus talk me into it?"
"Did you?" James said innocently. "I seem to remember the Weasley boys had something to do with it as well."
"Harry?"
He looked through bleary eyes up at his mother.
"Yes?"
"There's a lesson to be learned here, you know."
Harry groaned.
"Never," Lily continued. "Trust your father and Remus when they tell you that there are no aftereffects."
She set a small bottle down in front of him and he looked at it through reddened eyes.
"That's a hangover cure, love," Lily said softly. "And the last one I expect to have to brew for you."
"I swear I'll never go out drinking with him again," Harry agreed, glaring good-naturedly at his father, who merely grinned.
"Now that I doubt," Lily laughed. "But from now on, it's Ginny's problem. I hope she's good with potions."
"Doesn't matter..." Harry grumbled, uncapping the bottle.
"Why not?" James chuckled.
"Because if I ever come home in that state again, she'd be so angry she wouldn't brew it for me anyhow," Harry admitted. "As Ron would probably be involved, it'll probably be a better idea to go to Hermione, anyhow. It would be worth the lecture we'll get."
"A lecture from Hermione rather than a lecture from Ginny?" James laughed.
"Hermione's lectures are... quieter," Harry laid his head down on his folded arms, waiting for the potion to work.
At that moment, Petunia approached the table, two plates in her hands. The first she set before James and then looked down at Harry.
"Are you ready for this?"
"Potion is working," Harry nodded. "Thank you, Aunt Petunia."
Petunia smiled and put the plate down in front of him, then retreated to the counter to get her own and Lily's servings.
"Harry," James was suddenly much more solemn as he responded to the look his wife shot him and folded up the paper.
"What's wrong?" Harry eyed him suspiciously, a forkful of eggs halfway to his mouth.
"Nothing, nothing," James was reassuring. "We do have to discuss something, though..."
"What?"
"Living arrangements, Harry," Lily said softly.
"Living arrangements?"
"Yes."
"What about them?"
"Harry..." James began. "You and Ginny are going to be newlyweds and... as such... you're going to want some privacy."
"Dad..."
"Now, hear me out, okay?"
Harry nodded.
"You and Ginny are going to need some privacy, and you're not going to get it with your mother and I... and your aunt... underfoot."
"Underfoot?" Harry said. "There are fourteen bedrooms in this house."
"Yes... and one kitchen. And one dining room," James said softly. "Harry, trust me. I know what those first few weeks of marriage are like, and you don't need us around."
"But..."
"I've been over to check out the second guest house," James said. "There are four bedrooms... it's quite spacious. Your mother and I have decided to move over there."
"Dad, if anyone is moving out of Potter Manor, it ought to be Ginny and I," Harry said. "It's your home."
"Actually, it's yours, Harry," James said. "You inherited it... I wasn't here, remember?"
"But you're here now," Harry said.
"And imagine the legal wrangle that that is going to be," Lily commented, standing to pour more coffee.
"Harry... Gringotts doesn't appreciate things like wizards... and witches... coming back to life after they've already been declared dead for seventeen years," James explained with a smile. "It's going to take a while to sort it all out. If we claimed Potter Manor... or anything, for that matter, as belonging to us, it could be seized and held until such time as everything is sorted. This way, it's still all yours... the way it should be."
"But..."
"No buts," Lily said, filling Harry's cup. "It's the way it's going to be. Dobby has already cleaned it all out and moved our few things over there."
"But..." Harry glanced around. "What about you, Aunt Petunia?"
"Well, I'll go with with Lily and James," Petunia said gently. "They're right, Harry. You and Ginny need your space for a bit."
"I don't like it," Harry said. "You've only been back for a few weeks. You..."
He flushed.
"What is it, Harry?" Lily asked softly.
"You're like newlyweds yourself," Harry said. "We have much more room here... Aunt Petunia should stay here, in the main house."
"No, Harry..." Petunia said, a look of concern on her face.
"At least until we get another cottage built," Harry said firmly.
"What?"
"You tell me what you want, Aunt. I'll ask Mr Weasley about a contractor to build it."
"Harry, you can't!" Petunia said, shocked.
"Why not?"
"Because... because..."
"I can't give you the other house, Aunt Petunia, because I've already given it to Hermione. You don't want to stay here... you know you don't want to stay with Mum and Dad... you didn't want to leave, did you?"
"I..." Petunia flushed. "No... I... I don't..."
"Then the solution seems clear enough. A cottage down by the lake. I know you like it there."
"But Harry..."
"This is a family compound, Aunt Petunia. We're a family," Harry said quietly. "It feels good having my family around me."
"Oh, very well..." Petunia stood, taking her plate to the sink. "You'll do just as you wish to, in any case."
"Yes, I will," Harry grinned as he continued eating.
"Hateful child," she said, her gentle touch on his shoulder belying her words.
Harry grinned again.
The back yard of the Burrow was adorned with more flowers than Harry had ever seen in one place before. He was certain that they'd been magicked into existence, because he wasn't quite sure where that many would have come from.
He tugged on his collar nervously, glancing around at the guests. Ron grinned at him.
"Nervous?"
"It's sweltering, and Ginny had to choose this duck suit..."
"Relax, mate. In an hour, it'll be all over," Ron continued to grin.
"No, in an hour it'll only just be beginning," Harry said softly. "Your mum didn't look too pleased with you when I arrived.
Molly had, in fact, been throwing crockery about in the kitchen rather alarmingly and muttering rather nasty things about her youngest son.
"Yeah, well, she didn't take the news about me and Hermione very well," Ron admitted, his ears flushing.
"You told her?"
"Had to," Ron shrugged. "She would have noticed if I just stopped coming home."
"Living together until the wedding in the fall isn't that big a deal, Ron," Harry pointed out.
"To her, it is," Ron said.
"Is she angry with Hermione?"
"Hell, no," Ron snorted. "I'm the one at fault. Apparently, Hermione would never have considered it, she's far too pure and innocent."
Harry and Ron looked at each other and snorted with laughter. Hermione appeared prim and proper on the outside, but she'd been a more than willing participant in most of their adventures up until now. She was quiet trouble, was Hermione.
"Anyway," Ron stopped laughing. "I told Mum, and she's been in a bit of a mood ever since. I'm rather hoping this wedding thing will give her something else to fixate on."
His blue eyes slid slyly to Harry and then away.
"Like?"
"Well, Percy and Penelope are providing a decent distraction... perhaps if you and Ginny...?"
"Ron...?"
"Hermione told me, Harry," Ron admitted.
"Oh." Harry didn't know quite what to make of that.
"Congratulations," Ron continued.
"You aren't...?"
"Angry?" Ron shrugged. "I told you what would happen if you hurt her... not if you got her knocked up. She seems happy enough."
Harry grinned. "It rather came as a bit of a surprise. I mean, we didn't intend..."
"It would appear that she's as fertile as Mum, Harry. You're in trouble, you do realize that, right?"
Harry sighed, the thought of many, many children running about Potter Manor had certainly occurred to him. He found it comforting, actually. They did, after all, have those fourteen bedrooms...
"Harry?"
Drawn back from his thoughts, he looked at Ron, who nodded towards the house.
Turning, he saw the loveliest creature he'd ever seen. And she wasn't even part Veela.
Harry and Ginny danced around the transfigured dancefloor under the stars. There were twinkling fairy lights in the trees surrounding them, and other couples moved around them.
"Harry?"
"Hmm?"
"What's wrong?"
"I'm considering our future, Ginny," he smiled.
"Oh," Ginny laughed. "Do I get to 'consider', as well?"
"I was just thinking about this fall..."
"Hogwarts?"
"Yes," he confirmed.
"Is teaching what you want to do, Harry?"
Harry sighed. "I enjoyed it this year, Gin... but..."
"But?"
"It isn't... very exciting," he admitted. "I'm only nineteen. I don't want..."
"I understand, Harry," Ginny smiled.
"I know you do," he kissed her forehead.
"Why don't you take some time? Think about it?"
"Ron has decided he's not going back. The Cannons still want him, and..."
"I know. Mum was upset about it."
"That, too?" Harry laughed.
"Yes," Ginny nodded. "She thinks he's ruining his life, and dragging Hermione down with him. He's got a good position at Hogwarts, she doesn't understand why he wouldn't stay there."
"Your Mum just wants security for all of you."
"I think she'd be better served keeping the twins out of jail," Ginny commented dryly.
"What have they done now?"
"You didn't hear?"
"Apparently, I have been living under a rock," Harry admitted. "What did they do?"
"The day after Dad was declared Minister permanently by the Wizengamut, they did something... we're still trying to figure out what..."
"What?"
"Every official in the Ministry had Weasley-red hair for a day," Ginny snorted. "I can't believe you didn't hear about it."
"I've been rather busy, love," he said softly. "And easily distracted. We've had much more exciting news of our own."
"Yes," Ginny smiled. It was a new smile... one Harry didn't recognize. He rather thought it had something to do with her pending motherhood, and he liked it. He liked it a lot.
Harry did a small double take as Seamus danced by, a grin on his face.
"What?" Ginny looked up at him.
"Seamus..."
"What about him?" Ginny's eyes searched the crowd.
"He's dancing with... with Pansy."
Ginny giggled. "You really have been living under a rock, haven't you, Potter?"
"What?"
"They've been seeing each other for a month."
"Seamus and... Pansy?"
"Why does that surprise you?"
Harry thought about that for a moment, then shrugged. "I don't know. I guess..."
"Let it go, Harry." Ginny said softly. "The past is the past. It's gone. We have a future to build."
"I know," Harry said. "I'm happy for them if... if they're happy. I just never thought..."
He snorted with laughter suddenly.
"What?"
"Can you imagine Malfoy's face?" Harry laughed. "To find out that his oh-so-pureblood Slytherin girlfriend was dating Seamus Finnegan, halfblood Gryffindor?"
Ginny smiled. "We've put those prejudices behind us now, I hope."
"Me, too, Gin. Me too," Harry held her close and continued around the dancefloor.
"Congratulations, Harry," Remus held out a hand to shake. "And thank you?"
"For?" Harry looked at his honorary godfather and his wife.
"I know about the changing of the dates," Remus said softly. "Your father told me."
"Oh," Harry flushed slightly. Ginny had had her heart set on marrying on Harry's birthday, but it landed on a full moon, and Harry had point blank refused. He wanted Remus there. It was the only thing about the wedding that he'd put his foot down over, and Ginny was happy enough about moving it up a week.
"Thank you," Remus said again.
"No need," Harry said. "It was more for me, than you. I wanted you here, Moony. You and Tonks.
"Not Tonks... Lupin, Lupin!" Nymphadora smiled. "Or Nymphadora, if you like."
Harry looked at her, surprised.
"Nymphadora?"
She grinned at him. "Marriage mellows you, Harry."
"Right," Harry laughed. "That'll be the day!"
"Thank you," she said softly, moving close and hugging him.
"What on earth for?" he hugged her back.
"For releasing me, Harry... for letting me..."
"I didn't do anything, Tonks."
"But you did. You wished for Remus and I to be together. That's all it took, Harry."
"Really?"
Tonks smiled and took his hand, laying it on her flat stomach. Harry was hugely embarrassed for a moment, before understanding lit his eyes.
"Really?"
"Really," Remus put an arm around Tonks, smiling. "You'll play godfather, won't you?"
Harry swallowed. "Really?"
"Really," Tonks laughed. "I told you, Harry... having our family bound to yours would be no hardship."
"Then, yes... yes I will," Harry said, feeling the moisture in his eyes. He glanced at Ginny. She smiled at him, but shook her head. She was right... now wasn't the time.
"When?" he asked.
"January," Tonks smiled, back to her normal happy-go-lucky self. "Mid January. Probably arrive in the middle of a bloody snowstorm, but the one thing I do know..."
"What?"
"There's no full moon within a week on either side!"
Later, the guests had separated into small groups, and Harry and Ginny stood with his father, Remus, Tonks and the twins as James related a story of one of their pranks they had pulled off in seventh year, involving three first year Hufflepuffs, Snape and a cauldron full of love potion.
"We have so much to learn," said George mournfully.
Fred nodded, then bowed before Remus and James. "Teach us, oh great ones..."
James laughed. "From what I've been reading in the Prophet, you two have far surpassed us... a red-haired Ministry?"
Fred flushed, George grinned.
"Well..."
"Actually..."
"That wasn't them," said a new voice. The group turned to see Percy Weasley grinning at them.
"What?" Harry looked at the stiff, proper older brother of the Weasley twins... the ex-Head Boy of Hogwarts... "No!"
"Yes, to our eternal shame," muttered Fred. "Big-Head-Boy thought it up and made it happen all on his own."
"No way!" Harry looked at Percy, shocked.
"Hey, it's not my fault," Percy said. "You're the one who showed me the error of my ways, Harry. Besides... they're too stiff and proper down there. They needed shaking up a bit."
"And it had nothing to do with the fact that George and I would be blamed?" Fred asked dryly.
"Perhaps a little," Percy admitted with a self-satisfied shrug. "You know, you two need to understand, others were rather good at Charms, too."
With that, and a very uncharacteristic grin, Percy Weasley ambled away, leaving a stunned group to watch him go.
"Out-pranked by Perfect Percy," Fred sighed.
"The shame of it is almost overwhelming,"agreed George, before the entire group burst into shocked laughter.
Harry sat quietly in the dark, listening to the call of the night birds. Hedwig was out there somewhere, hunting. She spent less and less time at home these days. She loved the countryside around Potter Manor, and was a very content owl. She'd even stopped nipping his fingers.
Harry sighed. So much lost... and so much gained. He still couldn't quite believe the sacrifices that people had made. Nick and the Grey Lady, of course, allowing his parents to remain here. But then there were the others. Blaise, Terry, Colin, Susan, Ernie... and Hagrid. Hundreds of others who had died during the various battles and attacks... everyone fighting for the same thing: peace. Just peace.
Peace was something that Harry was beginning to understand came with a pricetag. It wasn't the standard... it was what you strove for. If left unattended, it went away. They could never take it for granted, because if they did, they might find it gone. And Harry had no doubts that, should what had happened so far during his lifetime happen again, it would be much, much worse. After all, Voldemort had followed Grindewald, and Grindewald had been much less powerful than Tom Riddle had become.
Tolerance of each other must be taught. Old prejudices must be discarded, old fires extinguished, if this world was going to be a decent place to raise the child that Ginny carried. He would do it... and he wouldn't be able to do it from Hogwarts.
He felt a hand on his back and he looked up.
"Couldn't sleep?" Ginny asked, standing next to him on the dark stone balcony, her long white nightgown glowing in the night.
"No," he admitted, pulling her down into his lap. "Just thinking."
"About?"
"About... Hagrid. And the Dirty Dozen, and... the others... all the hundreds of others, Ginny. And about Malfoy, and Tom Riddle, and... and Bertha Jorkins and... everyone, really."
"You can't bring them back, Harry," she said softly, wrapping her arms around him.
"No, but maybe..."
"Maybe?"
"Maybe I can make it so that others don't go through what they did. What we did."
"You've decided? About Hogwarts?"
"Yes."
"You're not going back?"
"I... No. Not right now."
"What, then?"
"I'm going to ask your Dad about jobs at the Ministry, Ginny. I can make a difference there."
Ginny smiled. "Yes. Yes, you can."
"And someday..."
"And someday soon, probably when my dad retires, you're going to be the Minister of Magic."
"Well... we'll see," Harry said. "It's not something I would seek out, but..."
"But you finally recognize that people will follow you, if you lead."
"I suppose so."
"Good. Now follow me," she stood up, holding his hand tightly.
"Where to?"
"Back to bed. I have a few... issues... that require your attention, Minister Potter."
"Oh..." Harry smiled as he stood and allowed his brand new wife to pull him back through the garden doors into their bedroom. "Will it require a committee?"
"Absolutely not," Ginny said with a smile. "This is definitely something to be dealt with... behind closed doors."
The REAL "finis" -- done. Complete. Kaput.