Chapter 17: Epilogue

Harry proposed to Pansy on Halloween and she accepted. They were married in a small but beautiful ceremony at Godric's Hollow on Christmas Eve. They were the first married couple to be enrolled in the University program at Hogwarts and Minerva and the staff had to rethink the living situation for them. They revamped the 'forbidden' area of the 3rd floor into married student housing with small apartments for the married students as they realized Harry and Pansy would not be the last.

Pansy became pregnant with their first child after 2 years of marriage and finished her teaching course while battling pregnancy hormones. Their firstborn son was named Sirius James Potter and was the apple of his parents' eyes. He was followed over the next few years by 7 other siblings. According to Harry they decided they needed to beat the Weasley family. They ended up with 6 boys and 2 girls: Sirius, Patrick, John, Sebastian, Lily, Rose, and twins Remus and Romulus.

Pansy and Harry were very happy. Pansy stayed home with the children and taught them their primary school education before they headed to Hogwarts. Harry completed Auror training and got his mastery in DA/DADA. He quickly rose through the rank of Aurors and by the time he was 35 he was the head of the Department for Magical Law Enforcement and was then voted in as Minister of Magic when he was 50. He reigned as the longest ever Minister of Magic after retiring at the age of 175 to travel the world with Pansy and spend time with their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Neville and Luna were married 6 years after Neville graduated Hogwarts as he finished his Herbology Mastery and apprenticeship before they wed. Neville opened his own greenhouse and sold ingredients all over Europe to potions masters and apothecaries. His talent with growing plants earned him much fame and prestige. Luna worked as a reporter for her father's paper the Quibber until she married Neville. Once married she took time off to write a book about the war and chronicled everything that Dumbledore had done. Over the rest of her career she wrote over 50 books, all of which were used at one point in time in classes at Hogwarts.

Neville and Luna had a daughter they named Soleil Astra Longbottom. She was quite the mix of the two and it took the sorting hat over 10 minutes to sort her and finally decided on Slytherin of all places for her. Luna was unable to have children after complications with Soleil and they became foster parents to any wizarding child who was unable to be cared for by muggle parents or relatives.

Draco took his time in proposing to Ginny and her family had almost given up on them dating forever when 7 years after he graduated from Hogwarts he finally asked her. Their wedding was the largest and most elaborate the wizarding world could ever remember. Draco felt content that he had finally shown up Severus and Harry by giving Ginny a fairy tale wedding.

Draco followed in his father's footsteps and became an expert in Politics and Law. He also got his certificate in History of Magic and along with Harry the two were almost single handedly responsible for the reformation of the Ministry of Magic and the laws that govern the magical population. Ginny became a healer and was one of the best and brightest at St. Mungo's.

Draco and Ginny had 2 children, the firstborn boy and heir to the Malfoy fortune Nicodemus Arthur Malfoy who looked the spitting image of his father except for the slight splattering of freckles and a beautiful daughter Ariel Narcissa Malfoy who had long strawberry blonde hair, fair skin and striking silver blue eyes.

Tom and Minerva were together until their deaths but never did marry. Minerva remained headmistress at Hogwarts until her death. During the time of her tenure the school blossomed and once again became the jewel of the wizarding world. Between the University courses and the regular school the ranks of students had swelled to almost 800 by the time she passed away. Tom remained a professor of Dark Arts and taught the mastery classes until his body could no longer handle the strain from his years as Voldemort. Tom was the first to pass away at the age of 150, young for a wizard but old for a once Dark Lord. Minerva followed him 25 years later both glad of the happy times they had together.

Hermione and Severus were blissfully happy being married to each other. Severus began to really enjoy teaching as the university students were talented and wanted to learn. With his guidance the almost lost art of being a potions master was returned in full and many advances were made including a full cure for werewolves which completely cured Remus Lupin along with countless others.

Hermione did as her friends predicted and took all the classes she wanted. She earned masters in Transfiguration, DA/DADA, and Spell Creation as well as her degrees in Magical History and Law & Politics. She became fluent in several different languages throughout her life and at one point in time sat through all the basic Hogwarts curriculum she had missed as a student when it wasn't offered. When she was through with her masteries she was offered the Transfiguration professor position to teach the masters program when Minerva decided to just focus on being Headmistress and no longer teach as well. When Minerva passed on Hermione was unanimously decided upon as her replacement.

Severus and Hermione waited 17 years after their marriage to start a family of their own. Their first daughter Sabrina Minerva Snape married Draco and Ginny's son Nico proving the she was her mother's daughter by marring a man almost 10 years her senior. Both sets of parents were pleased with the match though and were happy their children had found love in one another. Severus was not so happy when his 2nd and youngest daughter fell in love with a Potter. Samantha Hermione Snape fell for Romulus Potter, the youngest of the Potter brood and the two secretly dated throughout Hogwarts and university courses. Hermione thought it was amusing that both her daughters fell for sons of her best friends.

Overall the Wizarding world had become a thriving and wonderful place. The number of wizards was growing and the economy was booming. It was a great time to be a wizard. The fear of danger was minimal and everything seemed peaceful. It would be hundreds of years after all their great grandchildren passed on to the next life before the dark began to seep back into the world but this time they were prepared and never again was a wizard allowed to become as corrupt or power hungry as either Dumbledore or Voldemort.

THE END