By Gemin16
Disclaimer: Read the last fourteen something odd chapters and I'm sure you'll get the point. If you money-grubbing lawyers don't then I suggest that you deal with my muse, who knows kung-fu, kendo, magic, kempo, karate, and many other various styles of kicking ass. Thank you.
A/N: Last Chapter of this story…….ahhhhh it feels so good to write it. For those of you who have read the first installment, I thank you for staying till the end I know I have gone on and off with this story and then I returned so I thank you yet again for your patience. More author's notes at the end.
Thanks to:
DramaPrincess: Yes, it was cool wasn't it? I only wished I owned my own animation studio so that I could animate the scene out. Wouldn't that be so cool!
Adnap Nottap: LOL, I'm glad you enjoyed it, you were there from the very beginning to this very last chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.
Xodox: Thank you very much for the comment, although now my friend won't leave me alone about it.
R/Hr Fan: Yes, I would have to say that was one of the weirdest reviews I've ever gotten but I enjoyed reading it. I hope you're not dead by the way……..
Pansy Potter: I never said he died but maybe I should have killed him (ducks as rotten vegetables are thrown at her) but I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.
Gillian: Read above for Crookshanks and like I said before, you guys know that I'm not afraid to kill a character so I probably left you in some suspense.
Ferggirl: Hmmmm, it sounds so tempting too. I guess you'll just have to wait to find out and isn't a protective Ron cute? I hope he does that in the future books.
Zoe McArthur: Welcome to the story and thank you for the comment. Yes this is the last chapter of this story but I'm sure you'll be back if you enjoy it.
Chapter 15: The Last Chapter (or is it?)
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Sunshine poured onto Hermione's eyes as she awoke a week later to a pure peaceful sky and a bright sun. The threat was over and the remaining items were safe and life was back to normal.
"Crookshanks get off of me," she said as she pushed her cat off her bed. The cat rolled off and went to go sit at the end of the bed as Hermione sat up and slid out of bed. Linali had been right; their quest would be over before the changing of the seasons. She swore a forest full of falling leaves had never looked so beautiful, everything seemed wonderful and she would never take it for granted. She had seen death straight in the eye and she lived to tell about it.
But exactly how did Voldemort die in the attack? She thought about it over and over again and came to one conclusion. Kitrina had originally said that the pendant's purpose was for one wizard to use multiple spells at once without using his wand but when Hermione and the others had combined their power and had said the exact same attack, their Cruciatus curse had turned into a full blown kill spell by the pendants power.
Hermione looked at her hands and frowned. It was those hands that were used to kill a person, evil or not, it was still a person whom she had killed. She had never thought about killing a person in her life. It had hit her hard in the last few days, wondering if she had done a terrible crime in doing so. Taking a life was never the decision of another, she had always been taught that. And she went completely against it.
But according to Dumbledore and the other people of the city, Hermione, Harry and Ron had saved them all from what would have been the greatest dark arts rising in almost four centuries and that what they did was wrong, after all they were only defending themselves from the dark lord. In fact they had all been made into honorary heroes of Hogsmeade, getting medals and everything. Even Crookshanks received a medal of honor for his deed. There had been a whole day celebration and everyone was happy.
"But the party would have been better if she were around, wouldn't it, Crookshanks?" Hermione asked her cat as she got changed. He meowed and lifted himself up and went underneath the bed. Hermione looked at what he was doing and watched as he pulled something from underneath her bed. It was a black cloth of some sort. She stood up and went to go see what he found.
"What do you have here?" Hermione asked as she helped him pull whatever it was from under the bed. She gasped as she noticed what it was. It was Kitrina's star blanket wrapped around something huge with a note attached to the top. Hermione slowly took the whole thing within her hands and sat down on the floor with Crookshanks sitting next to her. She picked up the note and read the writing on it.
To Hermione:
"What is it?" Hermione asked as she opened the note all the way. It was about a page in length written in the vixen's bubbly print.
Dear 'Mione,
If your reading this now, then chances are that the note that W.T. sent me was nothing more than a trap and that I'm no longer here. I also hope that if your are reading this letter, that old Voldie is dead and that all the items are safe, if you aren't then please hit Crookshanks on head for me because he was supposed to show this to you after you won. (Did you ever think I would have any other doubts?)
Wrapped in my blanket is a gift that I want you to have. You're a very special girl, Hermione, and without you we certainly wouldn't have been able to gain all of Master's items back. I'm sure in the land that you came from your one of the smartest, prettiest, and clever girls there. I'm so glad we became good friends.
Now do me a favor. Open up the blanket and inside you should find two books. Got it? Good. The top book is the thickest of them both and is a spell book that you should take with you when go home. It's filled with so many spells, charms, and curses that my head almost started spinning after the first chapter. There is a reason why it's called the ultimate book of spells, ya know.
The second book, Hermione, is the most important one. When you read the title I'm sure you'll recognize it and yes it is the very exact book that you read before you came into our world. It's the key to getting you back to where you came from. All you have to do is read the final enchantment at the end of the book and you'll return home. I know how much you want to return and this is the least I can do for you.
I'm extremely proud to have known you and everyone else. Please give them my regards and that I'm eternally grateful for what you, Ron, and Harry have done for my master and me. I have to go know and choke whatever secrets W.T. might have for me about that last item.
Ciao,
Kitrina
P.S. When you and Arrow-boy finally get married and have little Arrowboys and Arrowgirls of your own, name one after me!
Bye-bye,
Kitrina
Hermione wiped the falling tears form her eyes as she slowly closed the letter and looked at the two books that Kitrina had left her. She would leave the book for good and get back to the real world. She could now go home and see her family and teachers but-
Did she want to?
***
"You would have loved it, Kitrina. Everyone was happy that he was finally dead and everyone is at peace now. I hope you are too," Hermione said softly as she laid a bundle of sunflowers at her friend's grave. The burial was only six days ago but it felt like it was yesterday. Knowing that Kitrina would have been happy with the idea, they decided to bury her body right next to Kalvin's. She smiled at the thought of the vixen hugging Kalvin to death wherever they were. At least they were both happy together.
"But what about me?" Hermione said to herself. "Will I stay here or will I go home?" The quest was over but the story wasn't or Hermione would have gone home by now. Would she and Ron be separated forever and never see each other again? She honestly wanted to know. Here she was in a land of paradise for her, full of magic and people she loved. Should she stay or should she go? It was a heart wrenching decision that plagued her ever since reading Kitrina's note.
"Hello, Hermione."
Hermione turned around to see the graceful figure of Rosaline behind her carrying a bundle of flowers. "Hello, Rosaline. Came to pay your respects."
Rosaline smiled softly. "Yes I am. I never did get to pay my respects during the actual funerals." She stepped along side near Hermione and placed flowers on Kalvin's and Kitrina's graves.
"Your paying respects to Kalvin?" Hermione asked. "But isn't he the one who kept you captive? I thought you would hate him."
"Maybe I should hate him for what he did to me but he never abused or harmed me in anyway. It was his father whom I hate, for he was the one who imprisoned me, all Kalvin did was keep the only family member he had ever had. I raised him like a house elf might and I helped him in the years following his adulthood. He had saved my life in many ways, during our missions." She bent down in front of Kalvin's grave and nodded her head down.
Hermione watched in silence as Rosaline finished with Kalvin and went on to Kitrina's grave. In the days following the death of Voldemort, Hermione and the others had gotten to know Rosaline better as a person. She was an extremely beautiful person, in mind and in body. A middle aged woman with long shiny brown hair and beautiful hazel eyes that sparkled, kind hearted, gentle and always willing to help someone. She cried on hearing of Kalvin's death and also cried after hearing about Kitrina's death. Hermione swore she had never met a more wonderful woman than her.
"Thank you," Hermione heard Rosaline say as she stood off and dusted her robes.
"To who, Kitrina?"
Rosaline nodded. "Yes, I never got to meet her face to face but I already know that I would have liked her. She truly healed Kalvin's heart by doing whatever she did. Sirius and Remus told me what he did for her and I know for a fact that he would never had done that for anyone else. For doing that, I'm eternally grateful."
Hermione thought for a moment. "Rosaline?"
"Yes?"
"If you had the chance to go home after going to another world that you loved more than anything, would you go back?"
Rosaline blinked. "Sorry?"
"Perhaps I should elaborate," Hermione said. "I'm sure you were told of how I came here right?"
"I think something about you being a foreigner, correct?"
That's about as simple as it gets, Hermione thought to herself. "Yes."
"Well I certainly would like to go home, especially if I liked it there. Why?"
Hermione looked down at the ground. "Well you see I have a chance to go home."
"What's the problem then?"
"I might never be able to return again."
"Oh I see. Well what awaits you at home?"
"My parents, my pro- er friends, and the lifestyle that I was accustomed to and known for the past sixteen years of my life. Basically everything."
"And what awaits you here?"
"Friends and my lifestyle now. It's so much different from what my life was at home, I'm happy here. But I was also happy at home with my parents. I honestly want to stay here but I can't just leave my mother and father to worry sick about me."
"I would have to say that if I were your parents, I would want to see my daughter again. You could think of that but if you are truly torn between deciding then write all the positives and negatives of staying and leaving. Look at them both, weigh all the facts, and make your decision."
Hermione nodded, considering Rosaline's suggestion. She ran over and hugged the older woman. "Thank you so much, Rosaline, you really helped me out."
Hermione ran from the cemetery and back to her room, she would go do that now.
***
Crookshanks rubbed his body against Hermione's leg and purred as his master sat at her desk writing. Noticing that she wasn't responding to his constant purring, the cat jumped on top of her desk and read what she had written. He meowed again and watched as Hermione focused on him.
"This really isn't fair," she said as she rubbed Crookshank's ear. "Both places on my list have equal positives and negatives. If only I could find another reason to add to either side then I could make my decision." She looked out the window and watched as the people of Hogsmeade went on with their daily lives. Adults were laughing, children were playing, everyone was happy.
"I sometimes wish I was this happy back home, you know back to normal except a little more exciting, too bad I couldn't get a second chance." Hermione blinked.
A second chance.
Hermione had just completed her list.
***
"You're going back home?" Dumbledore asked Hermione as she stood before the council.
"Yes. The book has reappeared before me and I'm ready to go home so I can get a second chance," Hermione told the elders.
"I see," Dumbledore said, nodding. "Then you wish to leave in two nights?"
Hermione nodded. "Yes."
Dumbledore stood up and addressed everyone in the hall. "Very well then. Two nights from now, we will have a feast to bid farewell to one of the heroes." The hall roared with cheers and everyone began talking at once. Hermione noticed Harry and Ron standing in the corner and also saw the sad expressions written on both their faces.
She bit her lip and sighed. This is for the best, right? Then why is it so hard?
***
Over the next two days, Hermione did everything she could to spend as much time with the people that she had grown close to over the past months. She went shopping with Ginny and Lisa, some reflection on magic with her professor, McGonagall, and even spent a good half day learning the ways of Quidditch from Harry. She wished many people good-bye and they wished her good luck in retuned. But there was one person that Hermione hadn't seen since she made her announcement.
Ron.
Hermione honestly wanted to spend some time with him but that would be hard if she couldn't find him. There was neither hide nor hair of him at all. It hurt her the most to leave him behind especially with how their relationship grew. But what was their relationship? Was it meant to be?
When you and Arrow boy finally get married and have little Arrowboys and Arrowgirls of your own, name one after me!
Hermione gave a small laugh. Kitrina had such faith in them but would her request come true? Those thoughts and more haunted Hermione's mind as she traveled to the one place where Ron could be. The Forbidden Forest.
As she walked up the hill, she saw Hagrid's Cottage chimney give off smoke with Hagrid outside fixing his flute. "Hello, Hagrid," she called out to him.
Hagrid lifted his hairy head up and smiled a her. "Good day to you, 'ermione. What's this I be hearing bout you leaving us to go back home?"
"I am, I'm leaving tonight actually."
"It's a good thing you stopped by, I have something to give you." He ran inside and came back out with a package wrapped in a handkerchief. "It's a batch of my rockcakes that I baked this morning just fer you." He sniffed as he handed them to her. "I'm going to miss you, 'ermione."
Hermione felt herself get emotional as Hagrid swallowed her up into a hug. "I'm going to miss you too, Hagrid." He let go off her and both of them wiped away their tears. Hermione was the first to recover. "Has Ron been by?"
"He went into the forest almost three hours ago, if yer looking for 'im."
"Thank you, I hope I'll see you at the feast."
"Wouldn't miss it."
Nodding and holding her package close, she ran into the forest looking for Ron. Of course given the area of the forest it would have taken her hours to find him and she only had five hours till she had to leave. She ran across the forest hoping to glimpse one strand of red hair. She just wanted a chance to say good-bye and find out what she really meant to him.
***
Two hours had passed and Hermione wasn't any closer to finding him. Tears came to eyes as she leaned against a tree. It wasn't fair.
"Ron," she said crying softly.
"SQUEAK!"
Hermione turned her head up to see a female fairy flying above her. She recognized her to be one of the fairy's of Levira's tribe. "What do you want?" she asked wiping her tears away.
"Squeak."
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "I can't speak fairy. What are you trying to tell me?"
"Squeak! Squeak!"
Hermione whined in frustration. "Would you go away?! I'm trying to find Ron!" She blinked in surprise as the fairy went into a fit of squeaks. "What is it already!" Hermione yelled when her patience had ran out.
The fairy raised her hands up in the air and made a familiar motion. It looked like an archer shooting an arrow.
Hermione's face broke out into a wave of anticipation. "You know where he is?"
"SQUEAK!" Hermione took that as a flat out yes.
"Will you take me to him?"
The fairy flew off with Hermione running behind her as fast as she could.
Up in a tree near by, Levira giggled as she watched the scene below. She squeaked at the person sitting next to her.
"I agree, I couldn't miss this for the world!"
***
Hermione ran and ran, following the fairy to wherever she led her. She hoped that it wasn't a trick, that she was really being led to Ron. She didn't know what she would do if it was but she also didn't know what to do if it wasn't.
Finally the fairy stopped and looked back at her, motioning for her to stay silent. Hermione did as she was asked. Somewhere nearby, she heard the thump of something hitting wood. Her heart skipped a beat. It was the sound of an arrow hitting wood!
"Thank you," she told the fairy softly. The fairy nodded her head and flew away. Knowing what she needed to do, Hermione started walk closer to the sound. She looked through the trees and finally saw Ron, standing twenty feet away from a thick tree full of arrows. She watched as he fitted another one to his bow and raised it up to shoot the tree. He let go and let it fly and hit the tree, dead in the middle like the others. He stopped for a second.
Gathering up her thoughts, she took in a deep breath. "Ron."
He jumped at the sound of her voice and turned to look at her, shock written all over his face. "Her-Hermione?! What are you doing here?"
She stepped out into the clearing. "I was looking for you. I've been trying to find you all day."
He looked away. "Well I've been here all the time."
"I know. Why have you been avoiding me?"
"Why do you want to leave?"
Hermione bit her lip. She was afraid that he would have asked her that, but chances were that he wouldn't understand. "Because I am," she said softly.
Ron looked back at her. "What?"
"Because I am, Ron. I need to get back home to my real life, where my family is and my normal life is."
"But didn't you say that you were happy here!" he said loudly, almost to the point of yelling. "You told me that you were happy here with Harry, Ginny, and me! Why are you going back?"
"Because it's my home, Ron! I need to go back home!" She yelled back at him.
He just looked at her, not knowing what to say next.
Hermione continued. "I am happy and I do love it here but I want to know if I could be as happy back home as I was here. I'm getting a second chance to start over. I could make more friends and try harder to make my life more interesting. I need to leave this book and get back to my reality." She felt hot tears pour down her cheeks. He didn't know how hard he was making it for her, almost making her want to say. She looked back at him. "Why were you avoiding me?"
Ron looked down at his bow. "I didn't want to say good-bye, Hermione. I didn't want to see you leave here knowing that I would never you see you again." He dropped his bow and went to go embrace her in a strong hug. "Hermione, I love you."
Hermione's heart stopped as she heard those three words. How could she possibly leave now?
"You know with the way you two are blubbering, you would think that you would never see each other again. I swear any more sap in this scene and I'll turn into a tree," a cheerful voice said.
"But we-" Ron and Hermione looked up at each other. There was only one person with a voice like that. They looked above into the trees only to see the gray liquid form of their close friend.
There on a tree branch sat Kitrina looking down at her friends with a playful smile on her face. Her robes were exactly the same as they were the moment she had died.
"Kitrina-you're, you're," Ron tried to say but Kitrina cut him off.
"Yepperu, as dead as a doornail. See." She floated through the branch and down to the floor. "I know, I know, I should be sleeping the big sleep now but I couldn't rest until I made sure all of you were okay."
"Oh."
"It's good to see you again, Kitrina?" Hermione said after she got over the shock of seeing her friend again.
Kitrina crossed her arms and leaned against the tree. "Same on this end, 'Mione. So tell this little vixen why you two are blubbering like you'll never see each other again."
"Hermione's leaving!" Ron snapped at her.
Kitrina shrugged. "So?"
Hermione looked at the vixen. "Once I say that passage the story will end and I'll never be able to return inside the book if the story is over."
Kitrina blinked. "You mean you still haven't figured it out."
"Figured what out?"
Kitrina gave a small laugh. "Oops."
"What do you mean "oops"?" Ron said with an annoyed tone. Even beyond the dead she could be annoying.
"I guess I forgot to mention that the book was actually a Portkey activated by the passage."
"Are you serious?" Ron yelled.
"As much as I like to joke, no. I'm dead serious." She laughed at her pun.
"So that means I can come back?" Hermione asked.
Kitrina nodded, noting the hope in Hermione's voice. "Yes, 'Mione. That does mean you can come back." Kitrina almost felt like crying out in glee as she saw the look between the couple. "But there's one little problem-"
Ron looked at her with a hard glare. "What do you mean problem?"
Kitrina smiled sheepishly. "Ya see the Portkey will need some time to reenergize. You know to replace the magic that was used up."
Hermione bit her lip. "How long will that take?"
Kitrina recoiled knowing the reaction to her answer. "Ummmm-three to four years."
"What!" Ron said. "That long!"
Kitrina winced. "Well it makes sense once you think about it. A Portkey to get to another world requires more magic than a normal Portkey. But it'll all be worth it in the end, right? You and Hermione won't be separated for life and you'll eventually get to see each other and get married and have kids and then name one after me….."
A reddened Ron and Hermione looked at her. "Excuse me?" Ron asked.
Kitrina smiled broadly at Hermione. "She can explain it to you. I'll leave you two alone now." She rubbed the back of her head and looked at them with a sad smile. "I guess this is good-bye then," she said softly.
"But aren't you a ghost?" Hermione asked her.
The vixen shook her head. "Only until my business is done. It's time that I get my long needed rest, I'll leave this plane for good once I pay a visit to lightning boy and Crookshanks."
Hermione and Ron's expression grew sad as they realized what she had said. "Thank you for everything," Hermione told her, letting her tears fall down freely.
Kitrina smiled broadly. "No, it is I who should thank you. Master's items are safe now because of you three. I only wish there was some other way I could thank you."
"You have," Ron told her, holding Hermione closer to him. "You honestly have."
Nodding, Kitrina started to float upwards. "See ya!" She faded into the tree.
Hermione wiped her eyes, glad to see her friend one last time. Kitrina had never failed to make them smile and this was one of those times where she proved it.
Hermione could come back!
***
"Are you ready, Ms. Granger?"
"I am." Hermione grabbed her things and smiled sadly looking at everyone, waving good-bye. She gave one last hug to Ron and Harry and stepped forward to where the book lay, turned to its last page.
She looked at the words of the passage, written like they were on the first page. Crookshanks jumped next to her and looked at the book as she read.
Welcome back, fair reader for you have survived,
the challenge that weathered your spirit and mind.
Courage was tested,
knowledge proven true,
Faith became present,
And friendship stood.
You proven yourself worthy, to enter our world,
A place where your hair will frizzle and your moustache can curl,
And showed what magic you behold.
You met up with Goblins-
With Giants you laughed -
Seen Mermaids with fins-
And faeries and pixies, whom have danced.
Unicorns of virtue-
Centaurs of secrecy-
Witches full of cleverness-
Wizards solving mysteries.
Adventures you've experienced-
danger being faced,
Surprise and shock have come,
Sadness taking its place.
With the lessons you have learned,
And the new life that you discovered-
It is time for you to return,
Saying good-bye to one another.
But fear not yon reader,
For in a while or two-
The book will reopen-
And "Welcome Back", we'll say to you.
So wave good-bye to the comrades,
So long to those you know,
Give a kiss to some,
And the love you hold.
Until the time when you read again-
It's time to go,
So long, Dear Friend.
For this simple charm, all you do is clap,
Hold your hands together,
Don't put them in your lap.
Now in your mind, count to four-
And out loud, say once again
Transporadore.
Doing as she was asked, Hermione performed the task. The rooms filled with a light and Hermione felt her mind once again go blank.
***
"Meow."
Hermione felt her hand being lick by a rough tongue and she slowly opened her eyes. "Huh, what happened?"
"Meow." Hermione lifted up her head and looked in surprise at her surroundings.
She was back in her old room, sitting at her old desk. Her bed was in the same place, her bookshelf still neatly arranged, her coat still lying in a heap on her bed. Everything was just as she left it.
"Was it a dream?" She asked herself. "Was Kitrina lying?" She continued to think but her thoughts became interrupted by Crookshanks pulling at her clothes.
"Crookshanks leave my robes alone!" She stopped. Did she just say robes? Hermione quickly stood up, realizing that she was still dressed in robes! Not only that but in her lap had sat the bag containing everything that she had taken back with her. The books, the trinkets, Kitrina's star blanket, and even her wand. Everything had come back with her. She looked back at her desk and saw the book lying calmly at her desk.
She slowly opened the book up and looked at the very first page where she had first read the passage, wondering if it was still there.
The page was blank.
Hermione frowned, but noticed something small upon the page. It was the letter "W".
"She said I had to wait three to four years to return," she told Crookshanks, who meowed in return.
She closed the book slowly as she looked outside. The sky was clear blue, with no signs of the fierce storm that she left behind, birds were singing and people were outside. Hermione smiled. She could get a second chance at this life, to make it better and more fun, to make new friends and learn new hobbies.
"And I can't wait till I go back."
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I guess that only means one thing……..
To be continued in Storybook Return!
Three and a half years after leaving the magical world, Hermione reopens the book to return to the life that she once left. Lovelorn foreigners, babies, and even reincarnations- and that's only the good side of her return.