Disclaimer: The Harry Potter series and all its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

Chapter Twenty-One
Denouement

A bright white haze came into his vision as his eyes fluttered open. He always woke to this sight every morning. Harry reached out to his left with a tired arm, feeling for the bedside table he had in his bedroom in Greenwich. His hand brushed against something that crinkled with the sound of cellophane. Moving his hand some more, he felt the wood of a table and felt about some more, coming upon a familiar pair of glass circles, each surrounded by a metal rim.

He sat up and put on his glasses, his vision clearing almost instantly. He saw he was in the Hospital Wing, situated on one of its beds. All around the bed were countless gift baskets filled with all sorts of sweets. Looking to his left he saw a young girl with bushy brown hair curled up and dozing in an armchair.

"Hermione?" Harry asked.

Harry's sister stirred and stretched out in the chair. When she opened her bleary eyes and saw her brother awake, she leapt out of the chair and up and over the gift baskets that encircled the bed.

"Harry!" she cried, throwing her arms around him and taking him into the strongest hug she could. Harry returned it in kind. She broke away, sat back and looked squarely at him.

"How are you feeling?" she asked him.

"I'm all right," he replied. "Where did all these baskets come from?"

A cough broke their conversation as brother and sister turned to see their parents standing on either side of Professor Dumbledore draped in royal blue robes.

"Good afternoon, Harry," said the Headmaster.

"Mum? Dad?" Harry asked in surprise.

Laurence and Jean dashed over to their son, throwing their arms and holding him close.

"Thank goodness you're all right!" Jean cried, almost sobbing.

"How are you feeling, lad?" Laurence asked him.

"I'm okay, Dad," Harry replied. "How long have I been here?"

"Since your venture into the gauntlet, three days have passed," the Headmaster answered.

Harry tried to rise from the bed, panicking as he remembered the consequences that the clan in the forest would carry out.

"Harry! Calm down!" his mother cried.

"But, Neville," Harry shouted. "The centaurs will kill him!"

"It's all right, Harry," Hermione told him. "Professor Dumbledore got him back. He's all right."

"He is?" asked Harry, startled but relieved.

"Yes, he is," said Dumbledore. "The centaurs had no choice but to take hostages in order to make plain their grievances. But, I assure you, the clan did not mistreat him or Mister Warrington in any way."

"But, what about the Stone?" asked Harry. "Quirrell could have got away with the Stone!"

"He most certainly did not," Dumbledore replied, reaching into his robes and pulling out the blood red stone the Dark Wizard and his servant sought.

"What on earth is that?" Laurence asked.

"Lapis Philosophorum," Dumbledore answered. "The Philosopher's Stone, the catalyst for many of this past year's events."

Dumbledore then launched into a recap of all the events that led up to their gathering around Harry in the Hospital Wing, while Harry and Hermione added their own notes on the events that directly involved them.

"You brought that into the school?" Laurence asked when the Headmaster was finally done.

"And you didn't suspect Professor Quirrell of anything this entire year?" Jean asked.

"I brought the Lapis here to call out their bluff," the Headmaster answered. "I thought they would not put the lives of children in harm's way in order to procure what they sought. I was sorely mistaken. Of Professor Quirrell's involvement in the attack on Professor McGonagall, and his pursuit of this, I was less than certain until later in the year. I initially suspected him only of using Dark Magic to maintain a position at this school. Had I known beforehand, I certainly would have put a stop to it all. I most certainly would have done more to keep Harry, Hermione, and their friends away from the gauntlet. You have my word that, in their next years, I will do my utmost to keep them from being involved in any further troubles within the school."

"What will happen to the Stone now?" Harry asked.

"What will happen to the Flamels?" asked Hermione.

"Oh, you know about Nicolas and Perenelle?" Dumbledore replied, impressed at her process. "You did do the thing properly. Yes, after what transpired in the gauntlet, Nicolas, Perenelle, and I had a long discussion of what should happen. We eventually came to one conclusion."

The Headmaster walked to the bed across from Harry's and pulled a bedpan from underneath. He set the bedpan on the table at the foot of the bed and dropped the Stone in it with a resounding clang. He reached into the pockets of his robes and drew out a glass bottle.

"The Lapis must be destroyed," he told them all, uncorking the bottle and draining it into the bedpan. A large cloud of smoke rose from the bedpan, accompanied by hissing and bubbling as the solution dissolved the Philosopher's Stone. Once the reaction died down, the Headmaster drew out his wand and Vanished the bedpan and its contents.

"But," Hermione said, "won't the Flamels die?"

"Nicolas and Perenelle have enough Elixir on hand to set their affairs in order," said Dumbledore. "But, yes, they will die. When it comes time for them, it will only be like going to bed after a very long day."

"So, what will happen to...You-Know-Who?" asked Harry, unsure of how the Headmaster would react to the name. To his surprise, only Hermione flinched at the mention of his birth parents' killer.

"His name is Voldemort, Harry," the Headmaster told him with a strong resolution. "Do not be afraid to say his name. To fear the name of a thing will only beget more fear of the thing itself. No, Voldemort is still trapped in the state he sought so desperately to escape. He has fled the castle, to parts unknown, where he may come to share the body of another. One thing is for certain. He has not come to understand what the Flamels have: death is but the next great adventure. I doubt he will ever understand that."

The family was left to ponder what the Headmaster had told them. As he thought over the events that led to his newest hospital stay, Harry wondered what the rest of the school's reactions would be. He had some feeling that it had to do with all the baskets around his bed.

"If it is not any trouble, I would wish to speak with Harry alone," the Headmaster asked them.

Both Jean and Laurence looked at Harry to see if he would be all right with speaking to Dumbledore alone. Harry nodded to them that it would be fine. Hermione gave him one last hug before she got up from the bed. Jean placed a kiss at his temple before she told him, "I'm so happy that you're all right, Harry."

"Me, too, Mum," Harry replied.

"We'll be just outside," Laurence told him in an assuring tone.

"Thanks, Dad," said Harry.

When they left, Dumbledore said, "In regards to the baskets, Harry, they are tokens from your admirers."

"Admirers?"

"What happened to you down in the gauntlet is a total secret. So, naturally, the whole school knows. Your friend Ronald already got a start on the Every Flavour Beans he got for you. I seem to recall Fred and George Weasley tried to send you a toilet seat, before Madam Pomfrey confiscated it, saying it was too unhygienic."

The Headmaster took a pitcher of water from the bedside table across from Harry's bed. Setting it at Harry's bedside, he poured a glass for himself and one for Harry. He took his seat where Hermione had slept. "Your sister related to me that you thought I was after the Lapis for my own purposes," Dumbledore said.

His statement caught Harry by surprise. At first, Harry did not know how he should answer the Headmaster, before he finally said, "Yes, sir, I did."

Again, to Harry's surprise, Dumbledore took no offence to it. "It seems your father's suspicions of me have passed onto you. He does not think me very trustworthy, does he?"

"No, I don't think so."

A moment's quiet contemplation followed, before Dumbledore said, "I don't blame you, either of you. My actions this past year, not to mention my actions in arranging your adoption, were most surreptitious. I do wish to earn your trust. I do not expect to gain that right away, but I wish to gain it in the right way. Therefore, any question you may have for me now, I will answer them all to the best of my ability. Would you like that?"

He thought on it for a short while. He finally answered, "I can ask you anything and you'll tell me the truth?"

Dumbledore hedged a bit before answering, "The truth is always a beautiful and dangerous thing, Harry, and must always be treated with the utmost caution. But, yes, I will answer you truthfully."

"I think that's fine."

"What would you like to know?"

"Do you know why he attacked me? Voldemort? When I was a baby?"

The Headmaster took a draught of water before he replied in a solemn manner. "Yes, I do. I am afraid I cannot tell you why."

"But, you said—" Harry cried, before the Headmaster answered his protest.

"This question is such a sensitive matter that I cannot tell you now, as young as you are. But, I promise you, Harry, when you are older, when you are ready, I will tell you exactly what you wish to know. For now, anything else you may ask me, I will answer in earnest."

Despite his desire to press Dumbledore for the answer, Harry decided to move on with the rest of his questions. "Why didn't you leave me with my birth mother's family? What really made you choose my family?"

The Headmaster took another drink from his glass and answered, "I was about to set you at your aunt and uncle's doorstep—Lily's sister and her husband—when I had experienced something that shook me to my core."

"What was that?"

"I had a horrible vision. Of you, locked away in a cupboard under the stairs of their home. Neglected, starved, even beaten at times. I have never been predisposed to having such visions, but that felt so real to me and scared me so much that I had to find you somewhere truly safe.

"I scoured the entire country until I came upon your father helping an old colleague of mine. I cannot describe it, but something drew me to him. Some gut feeling encouraged me to follow him and see how he lived. Soon, I saw him welcomed into his home by his loving wife and his adoring daughter. As soon as I learned that your future sister was to be a Hogwarts student, that settled everything. I knew that home would be perfect for you."

"Do you know where they live? Lily's sister and her family?"

"Last I knew of them, they lived in Surrey. I am not certain they still live there. Once I know for certain where they are, I will send you their address, if you wish to meet them."

Harry nodded his thanks and took another sip. "How did I get the Stone from the Mirror?"

At that query, the Headmaster gave a roguish grin before he answered. "Initially, my intentions were simply to hide the Lapis within the Mirror of Erised. But then, our meeting in front of it inspired me to make it a little more difficult to obtain."

"How?"

"After we spoke, I decided instead to hide the Lapis in the hand mirror I had used during our talk. Then, I set about creating six crude but superficially similar replicas of the Mirror of Erised. The replicas would not reveal the real one. Only the hand mirror would, and the true Mirror would be under an enchantment not to reveal itself without the smaller mirror in hand. One could not get the Lapis straight out of the hand mirror. It had to be in one's hand while that person stood before the real Mirror of Erised. But, even fulfilling all those requirements meant nothing unless they fulfilled the most important criterion, the one requirement I had in place from the start."

"What was that?"

"The only person who could obtain the Lapis was a person who only wanted to find it—that is, find it, but not use it in any of its myriad applications. Only then could you have taken hold of it. If that were not the case, the person would see themselves surrounded by gold or making the Elixir. All of this was by far one of my most ingenious ideas. Between you and me, Harry, that is saying a lot."

Harry looked out at the spot where Dumbledore destroyed the Stone, thinking how much he did want it before, then how he only wanted to keep it away from anyone else, especially Voldemort. He thought of the parents he never knew and did want to bring back to life somehow.

"Quirrell told me something about Snape."

"Professor Snape, Harry."

Harry ignored the correction and went on. "He said Snape and James, my birth father, they hated each other, but that Snape was protecting me this past year. Is all that true?"

"Once I confirmed that Quirrell was the culprit after the Lapis, I told Professor Snape to make certain he did everything to monitor Quirrell and protect you, once he attacked you at the Quidditch match.

"As to the former portion of your question, James Potter and Severus Snape were each other's most hated rivals in their school days, much like how you and Draco Malfoy were to each other before the gauntlet. James eventually outgrew his enmity, though I sense that Severus never could, especially when James did something Severus could never forgive."

"What was that?"

"James saved his life."

"What?" Harry cried in disbelief.

"It is funny how a person can show gratitude, isn't it? In Professor Snape's mind, he was probably making himself square with James, protecting his greatest enemy's only child. Now, he most likely can go back to hating James's memory in peace. Although, I always question how that could be even remotely peaceful."

Harry poured himself another glass of water. He felt some strength coming back, but the glass ewer still felt as heavy as lead as he set it back down.

"Do you know why Quirrell couldn't touch me without getting hurt?" Harry asked.

"I have several theories. One is that the unicorn's blood still in Quirrell's system acted against him in that instant he tried to take another life. There have been instances that resemble what happened to him, when the blood will act as a poison against the person who ingested it when that person perpetrates an unjust deed, and it is one of the most notable factors of why it is so dangerous a material.

"The other possibility is that you already bore some protection well before your confrontation."

"How? I didn't have anything to defend myself with, except for my wand."

"That protection may have been imbued upon you as Lily protected you during her death."

Harry could feel a lump growing in his throat; his eyes began to sting with impending tears as Dumbledore continued. "Aside from death, there is one thing Voldemort has never understood, and that is love. He has never understood the power love has, like Lily had for you. Love always leaves its mark on a person. Not a scar, or any visible trait of any kind. Love as strong as that, as Lily felt for you, as strong as your family feels for you, and you for them, is truly a force to be reckoned with. Quirrell, so full of hatred, greed, and self-serving ambition, and sharing his body with a soul even worse than his own, could never withstand something so great and wonderful as that."

Harry felt a mixture of sorrow and gratitude well up in his chest. His eyes grew full of tears as he thanked whatever fates had brought him back to this life. He turned away to dry his eyes, hoping that the Headmaster wouldn't think him too much of a softie in the face of that explanation.

"What will happen to Quirrell, now that he's revealed himself?" Harry asked.

Professor Dumbledore took the box of Every Flavour Beans Ron had opened, searching for something he might like. "Would you mind terribly if I helped myself to some of these?" he asked Harry. "I've not been terribly fond of them since I tasted a vomit-flavoured bean in my youth. However, I always hope I can get hold of a toffee one when I can."

"Professor, please, will Quirrell be punished for his actions?" Harry asked again.

The Headmaster got himself a tan-coloured bean from the box. Before he could pop it into his mouth, he answered, "I am afraid there is nothing that will enforce a lasting punishment upon him."

"What?" Harry cried. "How can that be? He tried to to kill me three times this year! He killed three unicorns and nearly sent the school to war with the centaurs! Why won't he be punished?"

"Because he is dead, Harry."

Had Harry been standing, he would have had to fall into a chair upon hearing that the man had died. Sitting in the bed, Harry was dumbstruck as his mind raced with thoughts of satisfaction that the traitor got what was coming to him and, to his surprise, blame and reproof for what he had done.

"Quirinus Quirrell died not six hours after your encounter at the mirrors, when Voldemort left him behind," Dumbledore explained. "The centaurs cremated his body yesterday."

Harry's mind went over and over all his thoughts of blame and distress.

-I killed a man. I'm no worse than the man who took my parents.

-Served him right, though, didn't it?

-That's not the point. I could have been better than him.

-You could have wound up dead.

Somehow, Dumbledore sensed what was coursing through Harry's mind and told him, "None of this was your fault, Harry."

"But, I did it," said Harry. "I killed a man."

"No, you did not," Dumbledore reassured him. "You are not to blame for his death"

"Yes, I am!" Harry cried. "It happened at my hands! It happened as we fought!"

"It happened because Quirrell shared his body with an entity who sapped him of nearly all his life's essence. It happened because he ingested a volatile fluid that would poison him even more if he hadn't already been weakened by Lord Voldemort's presence. Everything that happened, every possible reason there could be that he died, is either Voldemort's doing or his own."

"Then, why do I feel like this?"

Dumbledore stood up and went to Harry, placing a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder. "You feel this way because of love, Harry," Dumbledore said. Before Harry could protest that he felt no love towards his birth parents' killer or the man's servant, Dumbledore went on. "You feel this way because you were raised with love in your heart. Any person with that quality will always wish to find some way to preserve life, even if it means saving those who would mean to deprive others of theirs. That is one of the many things that make you a better man than Voldemort, Harry.

"I know it may not feel like it now, but I hope you do come to understand that. In the meantime, think over that. Get plenty of rest, and have some sweets, but not so much that Madam Pomfrey would reprimand you for it. Which reminds me..."

Dumbledore popped the Every Flavour Bean into his mouth. After about five seconds, he grimaced in disgust and swallowed it with equal distaste. He told Harry, as he was about to leave, "The truth, as I told you before, is dangerous and beautiful, and more often than not, it can be difficult to swallow. Case in point: that wasn't toffee. It was ear wax."

When he left, Harry was all alone, saddled with guilt and grief, both unwanted, surrounded by a plethora of gifts that he felt he did not deserve.

***HPG***

Once Harry told Hermione and their parents about the fate of Professor Quirrell, they were quick to reaffirm what the Headmster had told him, that it wasn't his fault, that Professor Quirrell instigated it all. His father tried to convince Harry that even if he had been to blame, it would all be chalked up to self-defence.

Despite all they tried to do to convince him, Harry still felt deep down that he had been the only responsible party in the whole affair. His parents left the following day, telling him once more that he wasn't to blame.

His friends had come up to visit, although they had to argue with Madam Pomfrey for three minutes to visit him for about ten minutes. When Ron, Susan, and Neville heard what Dumbledore had said about Quirrell and Harry's reaction to the news, they were quick to say that Quirrell had it coming.

"Why would you feel bad about that tosspot?" asked Ron as he had some of the Every Flavour Beans he had given Harry.

"Yeah, he threw in with You-Know-Who," said Neville. "If anything, he wouldn't feel the same way about you, if the roles were switched."

Things worsened considerably when he found that because of his absence, Gryffindor had gone with a substitute Seeker and lost its final match for the Quidditch Cup, making Ravenclaw the winner. While everyone said it was not his fault, Harry could not come to agree with them, and still gazed on some spot on the bed without paying any attention to anything going on around him.

For the most part, he was catatonic, replaying the events of that night in his mind's eye, looking for some way he could have kept the man from dying. He paid no attention to whoever was at his bedside, which was Madam Pomfrey most of the time. It wasn't until he heard a familiar voice that Harry actually did come to attention.

"How ya farin' there, Harry?" Hagrid asked as he ambled up to Harry's bed.

"'M fine," Harry mumbled.

"I get the feeling that just ain't true," said Hagrid, "given what your friends have told me."

"Hagrid, I don't want to talk about it."

"We don't have to. I just wanted to come and see how you were. Had a present for you."

"I don't want any more sweets."

"Well, that's good. 'Cos this here's fairly inedible."

Harry half-expected that Hagrid had brought some of his rock cakes in the hopes of cheering him up. Instead, he looked up in confusion as Hagrid drew out a flat sort of package, wrapped in brown paper and tied with plain brown twine. "Took a while to put together, mind you. But, got enough in there that you should be chuffed by it all the same."

Hagrid passed the package to Harry, who took hold of it with a perplexed expression. He undid the twine, tossing it into a coil beside the bed. He tore open the paper to reveal a book, bound in leather the same shade of red as the Hogwarts Express' engine. When Harry opened it to the first page, he saw the exuberant faces of his parents, dancing at the gates to the school on the day they got engaged. Turning the page, he felt his heart almost burst with joy. The next few pages showed them in various settings—cafes, homes, Hogwarts—with all manner of friends, some of whom seemed somehow familiar.

Flipping forward a few pages, he found them in their full wedding raiment, with three groomsmen on James's side, and three bridesmaids on Lily's. Everyone was clearly ecstatic about the whole affair, with James sneaking the occasional peck on Lily's cheek. The page after that showed a very pregnant Lily, maybe six or seven months along, hanging a mobile over a pristine white crib. After that, Harry got to see what would open the floodgates and bring about a torrent of tears: the sight of James and Lily on a bed with a newly born baby dozing between them with tufts of black hair jutting up in all directions. The rest of the pages after that were open for any photos that he might have wanted to put in there.

"After we had our discussion in the forest, I sent owls to a few of James and Lily's friends," Hagrid explained. "Asked if they had any photos that you might have. A few days after, I didn't know how I'd get through 'em all, or if they'd all fit in there. I'm real glad Dumbledore let me finish this up, although he ought to be sackin' me instead, after what happened with Norbert."

Harry had a firm grip on the album when he told Hagrid, "Thank you," in a meek whisper as he wiped his eyes. He set the photo album on his nightstand, laying a grateful hand on it once more before he returned his attention to the gamekeeper.

Hagrid set a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder. He said, "I know you blame yourself for what happened down there, but you shouldn't. And I know you heard all the other things your friends, your parents, and Dumbledore have said, so I won't repeat any more of 'em. All I know for sure is, I'm damn glad you don't have to meet James and Lily in person so soon, and I feel certain they might feel the same way.

"Until you get to that point, though, take your time and come to terms with it at your own speed. It's the only thing you can do."

"Thank you, Hagrid," Harry said once more, before the gamekeeper took him into a giant hug that made Harry feel loads better than he had before.

The remainder of his stay went by much more enjoyably. He wasn't completely at ease with what happened, but he was getting better. The sweets he received from all the other students tasted so much better than before. Hermione was overjoyed that Harry was starting to look and act more like the brother she knew. She and their friends looked at the photo album that Hagrid had brought, astonished at the memories that had been captured and overjoyed at the reactions they invoked in their friend.

Madam Pomfrey released Harry from the Hospital Wing just in time for him to attend the End of Year Feast. As he approached the Great Hall, he felt a growing unease in his stomach as he worried that all eyes would fall on him in judgment of what had happened to Professor Quirrell. Once he entered, he found that he was only half-right. All the other students looked up at him, but there was no judgment against him behind their collective gaze. There was a deep respect that had permeated the student body, even among some of the Slytherins. Malfoy gave Harry a curt but courteous nod when their gaze met. He took his seat beside Ron and Susan, who both gave appreciative pats on the back.

The Gryffindors welcomed Harry to the table with something akin to a silent reverence, as if the boy were the founder of Gryffindor himself. Hermione gave a loving smile from across the room at her House's table.

The Headmaster tapped his glass with the fork. The assembly quieted itself, and the Headmaster spoke as he stood to his feet. "Another year gone, and with it comes a celebration we all so eagerly look forward to: our End-of-Year Feast. Before we tuck in, however, I think we have an award to hand out. The House Cup.

"The points at the end of this year stand thus: In fourth place is Gryffindor with three hundred and twelve points." A smattering of applause followed. "In third is Hufflepuff with three hundred and fifty-two points." The Hufflepuff table gave their applause. "In second, Slytherin, with three hundred seventy-two points." The Slytherin table was a bit louder than the two before it. "And in first place is Ravenclaw, with four hundred and twelve points, in addition to this year's Quidditch Cup."

The Ravenclaw table erupted in cheering and table-banging as every student clad in azure and bronze cried out with pride. The other tables offered their polite applause in response.

"Yes, yes," said the Headmaster in a very jovial voice. "Well, done, Ravenclaw. Well done. However, before we celebrate the winner outright, there are a few last minute points to award to some of our students. First, Susan Bones."

All eyes fell on Susan, who looked as though she was going to be roundly dismissed from the school. "For recognising the playful nature of a great beast, and for providing a hard-worked guardian a well-earned night of rest, I award Gryffindor fifty points."

The rest of the Gryffindor table cheered wildly as the students around her clapped her on the back and even shook her in their excitement. Hagrid especially looked pleased someone thought of Fluffy in the same way he did, although Harry was sure it was a one-time regard.

When everyone at the table quieted themselves, Dumbledore spoke again. "Draco Malfoy," he called. All eyes fell on the young blond boy, who looked as though he worried his housemates would tear him limb from limb if he lost any more points for his house. "As I have heard from several accounts, you acted to go forth alongside several other students who were, in the best way of putting it, your rivals. Although you achieved this in a rather unsavoury manner, it was a step in the right direction to remedy any bitterness between Slytherin and Gryffindor. Because of that, and for acting to save your fellow classmates, even in an injured state, I award Slytherin a further fifty points."

The Slytherins cheered for their growing lead, and several of the older students congratulated Malfoy for his actions, though Crabbe and Goyle seemed torn about it all.

"I can't believe he gets points for all this," Ron muttered.

"He saved your life from the Devil's Snare, Ron," Harry replied, "just like he did mine, and Hermione's."

"Ronald Weasley," Dumbledore cried, as everyone went quiet again. "You acted as a leader in what is undoubtedly the single greatest game of Wizard's chess ever to take place within the walls of this school. And like Mister Malfoy, you could not move forward yourself, but you acted to ensure that others could. Therefore, I award Gryffindor another fifty points."

The Gryffindor table roared to life once more as everyone cheered for Ron, who went so pink that his face clashed so terribly with his hair. "Well done, baby brother," Fred & George cried as they shook him vigorously.

"That's my brother!" Percy shouted for everyone to hear over the tumult. "He beat McGonagall's chess set!"

It took a while for everyone to calm down again. When they did, Dumbledore said, "Hermione Granger."

Hermione looked up at the staff table, her face growing more pink as the Headmaster spoke. "You embodied the strongest ideal that Ravenclaw House upholds: logic above all. Even though, initially, that mantra did not work in your favour, you put it to excellent effect later on at the gauntlet's penultimate challenge." Harry looked up at the staff table to see Snape giving Hermione the most sour glare he could. "With that said, I award Ravenclaw fifty points."

The blue and bronze students cheered again, shaking Hermione's hand and even hugging her. Harry would have joined them in congratulating her, if the Headmaster hadn't quieted them all once more.

"Harry Potter-Granger," said Dumbledore. All of the students went silent as all eyes fell upon him. The Headmaster continued, "You displayed courage most outstanding, and a nerve that very few people of your age could ever possess, especially in the face of a threat no child ought ever face. Therefore, I award Gryffindor House a further sixty points."

An enormous din followed, along with everyone at the table wanting to congratulate him for giving them such an enormous last-minute lead in House points.

"Bloody good job, Harry!" Seamus cried.

"Damn good work, mate!" shouted Dean.

Once the din had died down, attention returned to the Headmaster. "Mister Potter-Granger's bravery was especially noteworthy, but we would be remiss if we didn't acknowledge the brave choice

that prompted him to act, as well as the second one of its like.

"Neville Longbottom of Hufflepuff and Cassius Warrington of Slytherin, please stand."

Neville and a fourth-year boy clad in Slytherin green-and-silver stood to attention. "The both of you put your lives on the line in the name of the school and the welfare of your fellow students. Because of this, I award both Hufflepuff House and Slytherin House fifty points apiece."

Both the green-and-silver and yellow-and-black burst into cheers as they congratulated their peers. The Hufflepuffs looked more grateful that Neville wasn't dead, but were still extremely proud of their housemate for getting an extra fifty points for his troubles.

As soon as everyone at Hufflepuff and Slytherin were done with congratulating their housemates, they quieted down and looked back to the Headmaster, expecting him to award someone else some more points. The Headmaster gave everyone a wry grin and took a sip from the goblet of wine he had at his place at the Staff table.

"With those points awarded, we now reach the final score for this year's House Cup," said Dumbledore. "In fourth place is Hufflepuff with four hundred and two points." The Hufflepuffs cheered, despite their sudden placement at the bottom of the standings. "In third comes Ravenclaw with four hundred and sixty-two points." All the blue and bronze students cheered at their score, even though they too were demoted from their previous standing. "And in second place...oh my," he said as if he had just remembered something. "It seems there isn't a second placeholder this year."

The entire student body looked about in bewilderment. Even the rest of the staff looked about in confusion.

"If my sums are correct, there is no House in second place because the last two Houses are tied for first place. Both Gryffindor and Slytherin have four hundred and seventy-two points apiece."

A great murmur rolled through the Great Hall as everyone looked about in bewilderment. Nobody knew what was going on, even though the Headmaster had said what was happening. They all looked back to the Headmaster, awaiting a further addition to what he had said.

"And as I cannot, for the life of me, think of another student to award more points to, that is where this will stand. Both Gryffindor and Slytherin win the House Cup."

The Headmaster clapped his hands and waved them at the festoons lining the Hall. They waved up as if a gale blew through the room. When they settled they were no longer the azure and bronze of Ravenclaw, but half scarlet-and-gold and half green-and-silver. The students and staff all looked uneasy at the new decorations.

"Congratulations to both Houses on your win," Dumbeldore said with a note of finality. The students and staff all clapped with great uncertainty. As the Feast went on, Harry looked over to the Slytherin table to see Malfoy looking about like he was a pilgrim in a country that regarded him as a heathen. When he looked about his own table, he didn't see any of his Housemates looking at him in the same way. However, he was wondering if he really was in the same position.

***HPG***

Everything was packed. His clothes were folded and placed in his trunk, along with all the school supplies and textbooks he didn't need to get to right away. Hedwig was secure in her cage, looking slightly put off that she had to be in there. In his book bag, he had put some quills and parchment and an ink bottle, and a book in case he got bored, although a trip back to London with his friends would hardly be so.

Once everything was ready, Percy came to each of the boys' dormitories and Banished the trunks down to the train station. Leaving Hogwarts left a strange feeling in him. The events of the last year felt so surreal, almost as if it were a hallucination. But it all happened. Every bit of it, from the Quidditch matches to the final confrontation at the Mirror of Erised.

Harry walked down to the school's main entrance with Ron and Susan. They met up with Hermione on the way down. Harry's sister strode with a prominent sort of pride as she joined her friends. It had been confirmed that she had scored the highest in her year on all her exams. Harry and Malfoy came up right after her. Ron and Susan both passed with good marks, although Ron's results were by the thinnest of margins. Neville passed his as well, even Snape's exam, though his best result came from Herbology.

As the school carriages carried them to the train station, Harry looked out at the Dark Forest and two centaurs stepping out into the open field. When he squinted, he saw the wild auburn mane and beard of Ronan and the palomino body of Firenze. The two centaurs gazed out as the carriages transported everyone from the school. Harry gave a wave to them; the centaurs replied in kind, before turning back to the woods and galloping away.

Everyone was ready for the year to officially end and be away from the school. But, for Harry, it felt bittersweet. He had come to think of it as a second home, one that had so many more surprises and astonishing sights for him yet to behold. He had hoped to stay longer, better understand everything there was to know about the castle, maybe even more of the Dark Forest, too; but he still felt a calling to come back to Greenwich. It may have been only three weeks since he had seen parents, but that still felt like ages. It was definitely time to go home.

Once every last student boarded the train, the Hogwarts Express lurched forward and was soon on its way south to King's Cross. Neville broke out his set of Gobstones and Susan got out a set of Exploding Snap cards. Harry soon came to distrust the game of Gobstones once one of the stones sprayed something that smelled like rancid meat. Thankfully, they got the compartment aired out quickly.

No one spoke about what happened in the third-floor corridor, or about what had happened that year. Most of the discussion centered on what they would be doing that summer.

"Gran will probably take us to see my Uncle Alfie at some point," said Neville. "Not looking forward to him trying anything."

"We'll probably visit family in Norwich at the start of July," said Susan. "What about the rest of you?"

"We don't have anything special planned," Ron answered. "It's mostly just making sure everything around our home is well-tended. Can't let anything get too overgrown or the gnomes'll take advantage of it."

"You have gnomes at your house?" asked Harry in surprise.

"They're annoying," Ron replied. "Mum wants to be rid of them, Dad thinks they're doing no harm."

"So, what about you two?" Susan asked Harry and Hermione. "Anything exciting planned for the holidays?"

"Nothing except for Harry's birthday," said Hermione.

"Really?" asked Ron eagerly. "When's that?"

"The thirty-first of July," said Harry. "We don't know if we'll have a big party for it, but we'll do something and invite you all."

"Brilliant!" said Neville.

"You will write us, won't you?" asked Susan. "We all should keep in touch before we come back."

"Absolutely!" Hermione replied, as if anything else would be unheard of.

The rest of the trip was devoted to playing Exploding Snap. Harry and Ron took a break from one game in order to play a match of Wizard's chess. Ron flinched every time one of his pieces got taken.

All too soon, they arrived at King's Cross. A few parents waited on the platform for their children. Neville could see his grandmother's stuffed vulture hat in the throng waiting for them. The five friends gathered their things and got off the train. Neville bid farewell to his friends and promised to write before he joined his grandmother. Susan spotted her mother and father in the crowd. Both of them wore jackets emblazoned with the crest of Falmouth's Quidditch team.

"I'll see you both soon," said Susan, giving them both a hug. She dashed away to join her parents, who welcomed her with open arms.

As he looked about the crowd, Harry saw a man and a woman, both with pale blond hair. The woman looked like the person who was with Draco at Diagon Alley, just as haughty as before. As he caught sight of his parents, Malfoy made his way to them.

"Malfoy," Harry called out. The blond boy turned Harry's way, giving him a rather contemptuous look.

As Harry walked up to him, he said to Malfoy, "Remember our deal. September the first."

In response, Malfoy held up his hand, the one he had cut open with his dagger, showing Harry the puckered pink scar it had left behind. "I'm not likely to forget it," said Malfoy. "September the first. See you then."

As Harry walked back to his friends, Malfoy called out again, "Potter!"

Harry turned around to see the other boy looking back at him. "Thanks for taking me with you, even if I forced you to," he said, leaving Harry a but stunned. "It was fun." Malfoy turned away and pushed his school trunk and caged owl through the barrier, followed behind by a man and a woman, both with long blond hair as pale as the boy's. The man glowered at all of them before making his way through the barrier to King's Cross.

"He seems like a cheerful sort," said Harry.

"That was Lucius Malfoy," said Ron. "Best steer clear of him. He's not likely to be friendly to you."

"I doubt anyone in Malfoy's bloodline would treat me with any decency," said Harry.

As he watched them walk away, Harry could have sworn he saw something like a wisp of smoke trailing behind Mr Malfoy. He shook that off as a trick on the eyes and focused on getting to the Muggle side of King's Cross.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione got themselves through the barrier to the other side, where more parents were waiting eagerly for their children to come back.

"There he is, mummy! I see him!" Harry heard a girl cry. Looking forward, he saw Ron's little sister, Ginny, hopping up and down excitedly, and pointing right at him. Ron's mother stood right beside her. "Look! It's Harry Potter!"

"Ginny, don't point at him," her mother scolded. "That's not polite."

"Hey, mum!" said Ron.

"Hello, dear!" said Mrs Weasley, taking her son into a hug. "Where are your brothers?"

"They're getting their things," said Ron. "I think Percy has some Prefect things to finish."

"Missus Weasley," Harry said, as he came up. "I want to thank you for everything you've done, for me and my family."

"Oh, think nothing of it, dear," Mrs Weasley replied. "I'm only glad to help, and that Ron made a great friend in the process."

"Us too," Hermione said. As she looked past Mrs Weasley, she saw their parents walking up the platform. Jean gave a wave and a big smile to them all.

Harry and Hermione gave one more "thank-you" to Mrs Weasley and made their way to their parents, who took the both of them into a great big hug.

"Excited to be back?" asked Jean.

"It's so good to be back home," said Hermione.

"You doing all right?" Laurence asked Harry.

"Loads better, Dad," Harry replied. Laurence tousled his son's already messy hair. Jean gave Harry a peck on the temple, and one to Hermione as well.

"Well, let's get home," Jean told them. "I think you both could do with things being a bit calmer than the past year."

"Indeed," said Hermione.

"Yes, please," said Harry. As he and his family walked out of the train station, Harry wondered about how far he had come, and how far he still had to go.

AN: So, this is it. The last chapter of this fic. I hope you enjoyed it, all the good bits and however many weak parts there may have been. Thank you for sticking with it, if you started reading it ages ago. Thank you if you came upon it on a whim only recently. I don't know if I'll do a rewrite of the next book yet. Maybe move on to other things, other stories that germinated in my head while I worked on this. In any case you will find out what I decide to do soon. For now, thank you.