Harry wrapped his arms around his fiance's waist, pulling her close. "It's been a long few months, eh?"

She chuckled. "You could say that. Teddy with his parents?"

"Saying goodbye, yeah." Harry sighed, nuzzling into Ginny's hair. "This has been a crazy ride."

He released her and tapped his trunk with his wand, shrinking it before placing it into his pocket. He held out his hand. "Shall we?"

Downstairs, Molly had her arms around Ron as she cried. Her son had a disdainful look on his face as he tried to pull away. "Mum, technically I'm not going anywhere, I'm still at school."

Harry laughed at his friend's predicament. He walked over to where Sirius was huddled with Remus and Tonks, all eyes on Teddy as he sat on the floor with a book. Sirius noticed him first and pulled his godson into a hug, knowing it would be the last.

"I'll do it to protect you, pup."

"I know, Padfoot, I know."

"You're an incredible man, Harry." Sirius held him at arm's length. "James and Lily would be so proud of you."

"Thanks."

Ginny was aiding her brother, though quickly found herself caught up in her mother's teary hug. Harry stepped back, admiring the scene. Remus looked up and their eyes caught one another, sharing a look of sadness and hope.

"He's going to be fine."

Harry smiled. "Shouldn't I be reassuring you right now?"

"I'm not the one raising a child."

"Yeah. I know. Thanks, Moony." His mentor pulled him into a hug and Harry felt his stomach clench, wishing he had never run into Killian in the first place.

Tonks looked up from her spot on the floor beside her son. "Harry, are you and Ron ever going to tell us what happened when you went to find Killian?"

Ron cleared his throat awkwardly, gesturing at Harry who sighed. Crossing his arms, he thought back to the other night...

Opening his eyes, all he could feel was fire. His lungs burned and smoke clouded his vision. His hands were blackened by ash and he could feel angry blisters rise up where the flames has licked him. Crawling forward, he could just barely make out Killian's lifeless form.

He coughed painfully, feeling the burning soot fill his lungs, but he continued to crawl towards the man. The heat was growing stronger and he knew the flames were closing in on their small safe zone.

"Harry!"

Ron.

Muttering the spell, he conjured a spout of water, letting it wash over his face before taking a short sip to wet his mouth. He pushed forward, desperate to reach the man who had flipped his life around and had made happiness after the war impossible. It was all his fault.

It felt like an eternity before he reached the body. His cold eyes remained opened, a despairing laugh etched into his features. He was dead.

Harry glanced down to see a corner of white paper sticking out of his pocket. Ron's calls were getting louder, but the heat was taking over. He was over. He had survived the war just to be toppled over by another mad man.

Grasping the paper, he silently prayed Ron would get out safe.

Harry pulled out the paper he had nearly died retrieving. He had thought at that moment in time that he truly would die, or worse, that Ron would perish in the flames as well. The fact that Ron managed to get them both out safely...was sheer luck.

He held up the aged paper. "Killian had a photograph in his pocket."

Ginny leaned towards him, her eyes widening at the image. "That explains a lot."

"What?" Sirius reached out and took the photo, squinting his eyes at the muggle photograph. "It's two kids, twins by the looks of them."

"Genevieve and Lucien." Hermione murmured, eyes glued to Harry who smiled sadly with a curt nod.

Remus' brow furrowed. "Who?"

Sighing, Harry ran a hand through his hair. "We had a hunch but it was when we were grasping at straws. We didn't think too much of it. Killian's first kill happened six months after those twins, his little siblings, drowned in the river by their home."

Molly gasped, hand flying to her mouth. Her husband wrapped an arm around her, still looking at Harry. "Is that what caused him to lose his mind?"

"Perhaps. Obviously these two were the only light he had in his world, and without them, the evil just kind of swallowed him up. Kinda like Tom Riddle."

Ginny grabbed his hand. "At least he was stopped before he could declare himself a Dark Lord."

Her fiance shook his head. "He was Arthur before, and took on the name Killian after killing his cousin. He never would have made it far and he knew it. That's why he played this game. It was the best terror he could create on the small scale."

Remus gazed at him, his face not different from when he had lectured at Hogwarts, sharing knowledge Harry had always been grateful for. "There will always be evil lurking about. Life ends shortly, so it's important to love while you can." His eyes shifted, resting on his son and his mother, both of whom were looking back at him.

This moment was the hardest for them all. The moment of goodbye.

Hermione walked over to the coffee table and set down four phials. Harry recognized the one he had gotten from Killian in two, and the other two were a murky blue color. "You have to take them both."

He and Ginny downed them both. Harry looked around the room. "This is good-bye, I guess."

Ron shrunk down the last bag and deposited it into his pocket before grabbing Hermione's hand and nodding.

Kissing her son's head, Dora handed him over to Ginny, tears leaking from her eyes. "Bye, baby."

"We're so proud. Of all of you." Sirius touched his godson's cheek briefly, before stepping back with a smile and a nod.

Hermione passed around phials to everyone, helping Ginny feed it to a curious Ted. Harry never even heard his sister-in-law state the incantation. His eyes were on Sirius and Remus, his emotions on what they had told him.

It would be okay.

His eyes hadn't even opened but he could feel the sunlight. His limbs were sore and his head foggy. Was that a dream?

Opening his eyes, he sat up abruptly. He was in the hospital wing, alone. Slowly, everything came back to him. Had the spell worked? Was he back in the right year?

"About time you woke up. Ginny was in a right state."

His green eyes flashed to the doorway, where Neville Longbottom was smiling at him. With his hands buried in his trouser pockets, he walked to his friend's bedside and sank into a chair. "Have a fun trip?"

"Oh, so it was real." Harry muttered sarcastically, rubbing the sleep out his eyes.

"You're the last to wake up for some reason. Madam Pomfrey reckons the traveling just affected you differently." Neville handed him a goblet of water. "You'll be happy to know that nothing shady has gone on. You were all only gone about a week. Hermione did good making sure the spell was exact."

"No Death Eaters mucking about that should be dead?"

His former school mate chuckled. "'Fraid not, mate." He stood up, still smiling. "I'll send Ginny on in. Ron and Hermione left about twenty minutes ago for the ministry to make sure all was well. Glad to have you back, Harry."

"Thanks, Neville."

Stretching his arms, he felt a bit stiff. It took him a moment to get out of the bed and stand up, finding himself dizzy as he did so.

"Ron nearly retched all over the place. Apparently traveling forward in time is rough on the stomach."

A grin flittered across his face for a moment as he watched Ginny walk towards him. She kissed his cheek lightly and let her hands rest on his arms, as if feeling to make sure he was still solid.

"Teddy okay?"

"Back with Andromeda already. She nearly cried when she saw him. That memory of Christmas she said..."

Harry nodded, reaching his arms out and pulling her to his body. He breathed in her hair and sighed. "I'm glad to be back."

"Miss Sirius and everyone?"

He nodded, keeping his face pressed into her hair. "Yeah, but I've got something else to keep my spirits up right now."

Ginny pulled her head back to look at him cheekily. "Oh, really?"

Harry's lips turned up in a splitting grin, his mind at rest for the first time in years.

"I finally get to marry you."