Epilogue

Life at Hogwarts more or less got back to normal after that fateful day. No one was surprised or even cared that Harry Potter dropped out about three months before the NEWT examinations. He probably couldn't stand the tension between him and the other students. No one blamed him for being tempted, but everyone blamed him for the way he had dealt with someone else getting the glory for once. Oh, and yes, 'The Hogwarts Band' did perform for one last time.

There were quite a few surprises in stall. Professor Minerva McGonagall was made headmistress and no one could doubt that decision, more surprisingly was that Professor Severus Snape was made Deputy Head. Although, it was difficult to say who was more surprised Snape or the students. Everyone supported him though.

Harry Potter didn't completely loose his life; he managed to get a place on a failing third division Quidditch Team. The team did improve in that they actually won some matches in a season rather than being thrashed at every single one. Due to Harry's past, and his near impossibility to work with he never made it to the national squad. A few years into his Quidditch 'career' he suffered a near-fatal accident, which left him blind in one eye and out of the Quidditch season for life. Since he had no qualifications (save his OWLs) and had no chance of getting an apprenticeship, he ended up taking a dull job with the International Owl Service. Every single day of his life he regretted his choices in life and wished dearly that his old friends were around to at least to talk to.

Ron Weasley had managed to get a place with the MLED, regardless of his flat feet. He discovered that he was naturally talented with tactics and other logic matters, and this meant it didn't take him long to rise through the ranks. He married a wonderful witch on the Rapid Response Team, and together they had three children, all of whom currently attend Hogwarts.

Hermione Krum (née Granger) attended the university in Russia to study Arthimacy and is now one of the forefront runners in research. She holds many prizes for excellence in her subject. Her husband, Viktor, completed his apprenticeship at Hogwarts and is teaching Potions at his old school. Their daughter, Magda, attends to Hogwarts and is a member of Slytherin house.

Neville Longbottom opted in the end to study Herbology, rather than a medical degree as he felt that he would not be able to deal with the every day life of a doctor. He married Ginny Weasley shortly after she graduated from Hogwarts, and he is working with Professor Sprout and will take over from her when she retires in the summer. Due to the lack of candidates within in the school faculty for Head of Gryffindor, Neville was asked to take the place temporarily while negotiations were being made with the ministry to allow Professor Remus Lupin to teach Transfiguration at the school.

Professor's Severus Snape and Alastor Daker were both award the Order of Merlin First Class for their hand in defeat of the dark wizard Voldemort. Even after Professor Vector had, had her child, Daker agreed to stay on as Defence against the Dark Arts teacher. In a surprise move he admitted to the entire school that he was blind, however no one has any idea about his true relationship with the famous Potions master. Snape never really changed much, he was still the mean son-of-a-bitch that he had ever been, but he now had almost instant respect whenever teaching a new class.

Draco Malfoy won a scholarship to one of the most prestigious Potions research laboratories in the world. He eventually became a top Potions researcher, but his talents never could rival the best in the world – a certain, Severus Snape. Draco was part of the team that discovered a cure for a werewolf bite. Soon after, Remus Lupin was able to marry Annie Sinsitra.

Finally, it was good news for Seamus Finnigan. Finnigan went on to play for one of the top Quidditch league teams in the country, and then finally won the honour of playing and captaining the almost unbeaten Irish National Team.

As for the rest of the staff, one by one the older people were slowly replaced. It wasn't long before the staff of Harry, Ron & Hermione's school days was assigned to the history books. Eventually, only Severus Snape, Alastor Daker, Annie Sinistra (although she was married to Lupin, they both felt that in order not to cause confusion they should use separate last names) and Remus Lupin were left.

Over the many years that followed, many, many things changed. No one however forgot the one name that had held Hogwarts together for many, many long and welcomed years. Albus Dumbledore; a fitting epitaph is mounted on the wall on of the Great Hall:

Albus Dumbledore

Never a greater man or friend
ever lived.

God's speed.

1st July 1841 – 15th October 1997