This is a re-post of the final chapter. The original had a note at the bottom stating that I was considering doing a sequel. But, I can now say that I WILL be doing a sequel. It may be a bit before I start posting it because I have another story that's going up first. But, keep watch and I'll try not to make you wait too long.

The Interview And The Streaker

Hermione sighed in relief as she followed the other Harbingers to the door of Malfoy Manor. Cadence trotted along next to her while the other cats ran ahead and Severus kept his hand against Hermione's lower back. She pressed her hand gently against her lower abdomen, grimacing at the mild cramping pain.

"Are you alright?" Severus asked, eyeing her anxiously.

Hermione offered him a tired smile. "I'm fine," she assured him. "It's only a bit of cramping."

Of course, Severus didn't find that explanation to be comforting. Their exposure to the Cruciatus curse had been very brief, but little was known about it's effects on an embryo. His stomach clenched uncomfortably when he considered the damage that such a dark spell could do to their unborn child.

Once they were all inside, Andy closed the door and immediately turned to Severus and Hermione. "Don't panic," he told them firmly. "We're safe now and I'm sure Poppy would be happy to check on the baby. Just breathe," he added, resting a comforting hand on Severus' shoulder.

"Cramping can be normal, especially at the beginning of your pregnancy," Ginny said. "I had a bit of trouble with it and when I told my mum, she said that she was the same way."

A wailing cry and the sound of scurrying feet made everyone look toward the stairs in alarm. Poppy appeared at the top of the stairs, clutching James who was squirming and sobbing piteously. When he spotted his mother at the foot of the stairs, his sobs grew louder and he reached toward her while his chubby hands opened and closed frantically.

Ginny's breath caught in her throat at the sight of her young son. During battle, her mind had been occupied, but in the aftermath she found herself overwhelmed with the idea that she might not have survived to see her son again. She didn't generally dwell on what-ifs, but at that moment she felt such a rush of relief when she took James into her embrace. Ginny burst into tears and held her son close. Harry wrapped his arms around both of them, his own eyes brimming with tears.

The others waited patiently, allowing the little family to compose themselves. Poppy patted James' back fondly and then approached Hermione. Poppy set to work casting diagnostic spells once the Harbingers had summarized the events of the last several hours. The Mediwitch had looked alarmed by some of the details, casting anxious looks at the expectant mother. After several tense minutes, Poppy sighed and pressed her trembling fingers to her lips.

"It's alright," Poppy murmured, smiling slightly as Severus made a strange sort of choked sound and pulled Hermione into a hug. "I was able to detect the magic embedded in these robes, and additional protective charms," Poppy went on. She peered at Hermione thoughtfully. "You do have some muscle tears and some bruising, so you need to rest for a few days. I don't generally treat pregnant witches that rush into battle, so we won't be taking any chances," she concluded sternly.

"Of course Poppy," Hermione replied, smiling happily when Severus kissed her temple while gently running his fingers across her stomach.

Lucius and Narcissa arrived back at the manor, along with the Sirens, as Poppy was finishing up with her examinations of the Harbingers. Lucius swiftly made his way to Hermione, his face creased in a concerned frown. His eyes flicked to Hermione's abdomen before darting back to her face.

"The baby is fine," Hermione said, grinning when Lucius released a heavy sigh of relief. "Poppy said that I need to rest a few days to allow my body to heal properly."

"And I will make sure that you do," Poppy said, tucking her wand into one of her pockets. "All of you need to go rest now."

Ginny looked doubtfully at James who was whimpering and struggling in her grasp. "That's easier said than done," Ginny commented with a weary sigh.

"We can help with that," David said kindly. He motioned for everyone to follow him as he headed up the stairs and went straight to the room that Harry and Ginny had been sleeping in. He transfigured a quill into a small bed for James and looked back at the exhausted parents expectantly.

Ginny moved forward to lay James in the bed, but he instantly fought against her. To her surprise, Severus knelt next to the little bed and gave Ginny a reassuring nod. James paused in his tantrum to eye Severus curiously.

The Sirens stood near the door way with Lucius, Narcissa and Poppy. While David ushered Harry and Ginny to lay down on their bed, Severus began to sing. The remaining Harbingers stood just behind Severus, adding their voices to the tender lullaby. It didn't take long for James to drift off to sleep.

Still singing, the Harbingers shifted to the larger bed, focusing on Harry and Ginny. The couple looked amazed to have the magic suddenly directed at them, but the soft smiles that appeared just before they drifted to sleep showed their appreciation and acceptance of the gesture. As they sang the last few notes, Severus gently brushed his fingertips across Harry's forehead and then Ginny's. Then, he nodded silently and they left the little family to their dreams.

"What was that?" Poppy asked Severus. She was amazed by the sight of seeing Severus touch Harry so gently, as if the animosity between them had never existed.

"A little something extra," Severus responded with a slight smile. "I didn't want the events of the day and their emotional state to effect their dreams. They will recover more quickly if they sleep soundly. A potion would have been effective, but not as effective as natural sleep." He fell silent and shifted slightly, as if the conversation made him uncomfortable. He had always been more of an outsider, and his fondness for the other Harbingers had come as a surprise to him. At first, it seemed to surprise the others even more.

"Good call mate," Ron said, clapping Severus on the back firmly.

Severus paused for an instant, considering the friendly gesture. One corner of his mouth quirked upward as he murmured a thank you, barely restraining a laugh at Ron's wide, surprised smile.

Eager to keep the positive feelings going, George suddenly lurched forward and snatched Draco in a tight hug. "What the bloody hell?" Draco gasped, squirming in George's grip.

George released Draco and grinned. "Something about facing danger and going to battle..." George began shaking his head. His smile faded a bit as he met Draco's gaze. "Makes you want to hug your family tight, doesn't it?" Seeing Draco's answering smile and nod, George turned and yanked Severus into a hug. His smile widened when he heard Severus release a heavy sigh, but return the hug firmly. Before it could get awkward, George pulled away, only to pull Hermione in for a less aggressive hug.

In the next moment, the Harbingers were laughing and exchanging hugs. Lucius smirked and leaned closer to Caroline. "I think stress has made them a bit barmy," he muttered.

"Probably," Caroline responded with a grin.

The next day, the Harbingers found themselves at the Ministry to endure questioning while the Sirens remained at the manor with Narcissa and baby James. The Wizengamot seemed to be overwhelmed by the Harbingers, but the presence of Harry, Ron and Hermione had a calming effect. The Harbingers gave enough information to allow the Ministry to begin prosecuting Grant and his followers.

Pansy had surprised everyone by remaining during the battle to fight alongside the Guardians, and then turning herself in to the Ministry. As promised, the Harbingers spoke on her behalf. After some discussion, it was decided that Pansy wouldn't be sent to Azkaban. Instead, she was placed on magical probation and released into the custody of the Harbingers.

"I don't understand," Pansy muttered as Draco led her out of the courtroom. "I was instrumental in having your wife kidnapped. I'm your enemy."

Draco stopped and looked Pansy in the eye. "Are you?" he asked her solemnly. He sighed as her eyes suddenly filled with frustrated tears. "You also helped me get my wife back. You sided with us in the end."

"And don't think that you're going completely unpunished," Lucius said, walking up behind her. When she turned to look at his curiously he smirked mischievously. "The Harbingers sing all the time. And they hug a lot," he added, rolling his eyes. He barely contained his snort of amusement when Pansy's lip curled with distaste. She glanced back at the Harbingers uncertainly, only to see Andy suddenly pull Severus into what appeared to be a tender hug on Andy's side. Severus kept his arms at his sides and let out a sigh of aggravation while Hermione giggled. "They're complete lunatics," Lucius concluded, winking at the Harbingers.

David reached over and tugged Andy away from Severus with a fond shake of his head. "If you're done acting like an idiot, we should see about getting that little town all cleaned up," David said.

"Not necessary," Kingsley said, drawing everyone's attention. He had just left the courtroom and was ignoring the curious stares of the other members of the Wizengamot. "The Guardians took care of the clean up once the aurors got the vampires in custody. We modified memories as needed and the buildings and homes have been restored. All that is left now is for you to testify at the trials and to address the press."

"Is that all?" Ron asked sarcastically.

"What are we expected to tell them?" Minerva asked.

Kingsley sighed and motioned for them to go into his office. Once everyone had gone in, he closed the door and leaned against his desk. "At this point, I rather think that you can tell them the truth," Kingsley said. "The Sirens are quite safe with you. And you have your Guardians. Perhaps it's time to stop hiding. But, the decision is yours," he said with a nod.

The Harbingers were silent for a moment, considering Kingsley's words. "Why don't we speak with the Sirens about this?" Harry suggested. The others nodded in agreement. "Then we'll give you our answer," Harry told Kingsley.

"As you wish," Kingsley responded.

Upon returning to Malfoy Manor, Harry explained Kingsley's suggestion to the Sirens. They seemed nervous, but excited about the idea.

"We wouldn't have to hide who we are anymore," Sam said cheerfully.

"But, then we open ourselves up to people like Grant," Caroline reminded her.

Draco wrapped one arm around Caroline and kissed her temple gently. "That's true, but we're not just telling the wizarding world what you are," he told her. "We're going to tell them what we are," he said, gesturing to the other Harbingers.

"We'll leave no doubt that you are protected," Ron added firmly.

"We don't want you to be targets either!" Jenna snapped, clutching at Neville's hand anxiously.

"We don't have to be," Hermione said, her eyes bright with enthusiasm. "I have an idea. But we're going to have to make a change to the Guardians' robes," she warned Andy.

Andy raised his eyebrows with interest. "Let's hear it," he said.

That evening, the Harbingers and Sirens apparated to Hogsmeade. Almost immediately a reporter from the Daily Prophet rushed forward to greet them with a photographer in tow. They were wearing the special robes that Andy had made, and the photographer was snapping pictures rapidly with an expression of delight.

The reporter appeared to be in his mid-forties and wore simple black robes. He had smudged the rectangular lenses of his wire-rimmed glasses as he pushed them further up his nose. His eyes darted around at them eagerly as tugged a quill and some parchment from an inside pocket of his robes. The photographer was a twitchy little man with dark hair.

"My name is Geoffrey Hadley and the Minister requested that I come and interview all of you," the reporter said proudly.

Harry grinned. "Well, you're in luck," he told the reporter. "We're giving you the story of a life time."

"It's true then?" the reporter blurted out. "There have been rumors about who has been fighting the vampires."

"It's more about what has been fighting the vampires," Ron said smirking.

Geoffrey's eyes seemed to bulge in amazement. He swallowed hastily and then gestured to the Hogs Head. "Shall we go in?" he asked.

Once inside, they all ordered drinks before casting privacy spells. Once that was done, the Sirens launched into their story and why Grant was after them. The Harbingers joined in to give details on how they used they're power to protect the Sirens and fight back against the vampires.

For two hours, the reporter listened while his quill flitted across the parchment taking notes. His eyes were wide with amazement as he gazed around at the witches and wizards before him. Most of them were very well known already because of the war against Voldemort. Now these war heroes were less human than they once were and held more power than Geoffrey could fully comprehend.

When Geoffrey finally followed the Harbingers out of the Hogs Head, he was frowning thoughtfully. Darkness had begun to settle and lamps had been lit outside of the businesses along the street. "Why have you chosen to reveal yourselves?" he asked, glancing at his quill to see it pause to await their response. "Surely you are concerned that others like Grant will try to take the power that you possess."

"I'm so glad you asked," David said politely, grinning at the reporters befuddled expression. "We have additional protection."

"The Guardians protect us," Ginny added.

The reporter's eyes widened. "I had wondered," he muttered. "I had heard that there were a lot more of you."

"Guardians are not like Harbingers," Caroline explained. "They are normal witches and wizards. But, they're very talented and very protective of their Harbingers."

"They are watching over the Harbingers at all times," Sam added with a mischievous smile.

Geoffrey eyed Sam curiously but, he looked around when he heard the squeak of a door opening. Four wizards that were wearing robes similar to the Harbingers stepped out of the Hogshead. They had hoods pulled up over their head and their faces were hidden in shadow. All around them, more hooded wizards appeared. A few were crouched on rooftops and watching the activity on the ground below them.

"Oh my," Geoffrey breathed, looking around fearfully. "P-Please..." he stammered. The photographer trembled and kept his face hidden behind his bulky camera

"You are not in danger," Severus assured them.

"They protect us as we protect the Sirens," Hermione explained. "Some of their identities are known by people that they've helped, but nobody outside of our group knows all of them."

Geoffrey swallowed nervously, glancing around at the silent Guardians. "And you would like that printed?" he asked in confirmation.

"That's the idea," Neville said.

"That's... clever," the reporter admitted, smiling slightly. "You're exposing yourselves but you'll make your enemies fear to plot against you since your allies are not all known."

"Exactly," Hermione nodded.

Geoffrey's enthusiasm for the story returned swiftly and he motioned to his photographer impatiently. The photographer snapped a few pictures of the Guardians while Geoffrey bounced on the balls of his feet muttering to himself as he looked over his notes.

The story was on the front page of the Prophet the very next morning. The picture on the front page was of the Harbingers and Sirens standing together looking somber and impressive. The story continued on page ten and included pictures of the ominous looking hooded Guardians.

Draco eyed the front page critically. "We look good," he said with an approving nod. He read through the article, allowing David to lean against him and read along. Making sure that David was finished with the first page, Draco flipped to page ten where the rest of the article was printed. He smirked while David snorted with laughter.

"Now that's my favorite," David chortled tapping one of the pictures lightly. The picture was of Andy speaking animatedly to Hermione, waving his arms about emphatically. Just behind him, one of the hooded Guardians was mimicking Andy's movements. Then Andy whirled around to wave away the mocking Guardian while Hermione doubled over with laughter.

Andy stood behind the two men and peered down at the picture. "That would be your favorite," he grumbled. He leaned down to kiss the top of David's head before sitting down next to him with a cup of coffee. "So, what's next for the Harbingers?"

The other Harbingers sat around the massive table in the dining room along with the Sirens, Lucius and Narcissa. They had been enjoying breakfast and sipping coffee or tea, but Andy's question made everyone in the room go still. Even James had stopped eating his toast from his place on his mother's lap.

"Hogwarts will be full of students again this time next week," Minerva said stiffly. Harry and Draco visibly flinched at her statement.

"We'll be separated again," Ron muttered, pushing his plate away from him dejectedly. Luna slipped her hand into his, wearing a sad expression.

Ginny's eyes were full of tears, but she refused to let them spill onto her cheeks. "This is just too hard," she grumbled, absently stroking James' hair. "How did we ever manage to be apart before? The thought of not being with all of you is just horrible."

Severus sat quietly, gently running his fingertips of Hermione's hand to calm her. Though he preferred not to admit it, he hated the idea of returning to Hogwarts and leaving some of the Harbingers behind. "Perhaps it is time to make some changes," he said carefully.

Hermione turned to meet his gaze, the tears in her eyes making his heart ache. "What sort of changes?" she asked softly, as he brushed her tears away with gentle fingers.

Before Severus could answer, Minerva blurted out "I'd like to retire." She seemed startled for a moment and then she collected herself, a slight smile creeping onto her face. "I plan to make this my final year as the Headmistress of Hogwarts. I'll begin the search for a replacement and begin relinquishing my duties to the new headmaster."

"I would like to leave teaching behind as well," Severus said. "My skills are so well known that I could be a private potioneer with little difficulty."

"And I don't want to raise our baby at Hogwarts," Hermione said, resting one hand against her slightly rounded abdomen. "I could teach for first term and hopefully a replacement can be found for second term." She glanced at Minerva in question.

"I think we can manage that," Minerva agreed with a nod.

Harry sat up straighter, his eyes darting between Severus, Hermione and Minerva. "Wait, you're leaving the school?" he asked with wide eyes. He shook his head without waiting for them to answer. "Wow. I just..." He fell silent for a moment before he grabbed Ginny's hand. "I want to leave too," he said excitedly.

"You enjoy teaching," Ginny reminded him. "And you're not one to be idle. What are you planning to do instead?"

"I don't know," Harry said, but he sounded rather excited about the idea. "I'll figure something out."

"We're all just abandoning the school?" Neville asked.

"They'll have a year to replace us," Draco commented with a shrug.

"You too?" Sam asked Draco.

Draco smiled, shifting to wrap one arm around Caroline. She grinned at him and he kissed her forehead. "Us too," he agreed, looking back at Sam. "A lot has changed, and I think we feel this strong urge to remain together for a reason. We'll get through the year, visiting as much as we can manage, and then we'll be finished with Hogwarts."

Neville hesitated for a moment but then he nodded. "Alright," he said finally. "But what are we going to do? We can't sit around and watch Severus make potions and we can't live here for ever," he commented, gesturing around himself vaguely to indicate Malfoy Manor."

Lucius chuckled. "There is enough talent in this room that you will find suitable occupations," he drawled, taking a sip of his tea. When he set the cup back down he looked thoughtful. "You are welcome here for as long as you wish, but I can understand wanting homes of your own."

Narcissa's fingers stroked the smooth service of the table idly, a pensive frown on her face. Suddenly her face brightened and she shifted her hand to rest on her husband's forearm. "What about that lovely Villa in Brighton?" she suggested. She smiled at her husband's approving nod and then looked around at the others. "There's a wizarding district in Brighton and it has a stunning villa there that would easily house all of you. There are other homes around it as well should any of you wish to branch out a bit."

Draco looked rather pleased by this suggestion, remembering the villa from a trip he'd taken with his parents shortly after the war. "It's perfect," he told his friends. "There would be plenty of room, and it would be an excellent headquarters for the Guardians."

"Good point," Harry responded with a nod. He looked around at the others expectantly. "Thoughts?" he asked.

After some muttered discussion, the Harbingers readily agreed to the idea. Suddenly, they all looked far more cheerful. Lucius was pleased to see the obvious relief on their faces. "I'll make some inquires and see what will be necessary for you to take possession of the property."

When Kingsley stepped into the dining room a moment later, the Harbingers were were in high spirits. Andy and David were telling a story about a recent episode with the strange wizard that liked to get naked at Arcanus. Kingsley smiled at Lucius and leaned against the doorway, listening to the story.

"So William is chasing this naked guy around the club," Andy was saying with wide eyes. "You've seen William. He's a huge dude."

"And by this time, all our customers are laughing their asses off," David said, rolling his eyes.

"And somebody thinks it's funny to trip William," Andy went on. "Suddenly, our big burly bouncer is sprawled on the ground, and he's pissed off."

David took a breath to calm himself a bit, but it didn't help much. "So the naked guy runs back to William and does this weird hip swivel, and hits William in the face," he managed to choke out.

"With his penis!" Andy bursts out, nearly shouting. "The streaker smacked the bouncer in the face with his penis."

George, Ron and Sam roared with laughter. Draco snorted into his tea while Severus smothered his laugh behind his hand. Then, all the others started laughing as well.

"Poor William," Caroline said, but she couldn't stop giggling.

"I wish you could have seen his face," David told her, his voice trembling with the effort to contain his laughter.

Lucius let out a rather undignified snort of laughter before he could get himself fully under control. He cleared his throat and met Kingsley's gaze. "Good morning Minister," Lucius said, pleased that his voice sounded rather calm.

"A good morning indeed," Kingsley said with a slight smirk, causing more tittering from the Harbingers. He smiled indulgently, glad to see that they seemed to have recovered from the battle. "The article in the Daily Prophet was very well received. The general population seems to have a favorable view of you. Everyone would like to know what you'll do now," he added, looking around at the Harbingers curiously.

"I'm retiring," Minerva said. "In fact, after this school year, we'll all be leaving Hogwarts. Of course, Hermione only plans to stay for the first term." Minerva looked at Kingsley expectantly.

Kingsley blinked in surprise. "Well, you've had a busy morning," he muttered. "I respect your decision. We'll start searching for suitable replacements." He smiled slightly. "This actually could be wonderful. I've been speaking with the Head of the DMLE this morning, and it's been suggested that the Harbingers work in tandem with the aurors on some larger cases. You have some skills that could be a benefit to everyone. I assume that you do not wish to simply become aurors."

"Certainly not," Severus replied with a frown.

"Understood," Kingsley said with a nod. "Would you consider coming in as consultants on occasion?" The Harbingers looked at one another, shrugged and then nodded. Kingsley looked pleased by their response. "As far as they are concerned, you are private consultants. You are not part of the ministry and have no real obligation to them. But, I know you would not leave anyone to suffer."

"Of course," Harry said. "Thank you Kingsley. This will allow us to live as we please, but we'll be here if we're needed."

"And your Guardians will always be at your command," Kingsley intoned with a slight bow.

"Indeed," Lucius agreed while Narcissa nodded emphatically. "And on a lighter note, we are having a formal dinner party this evening."

"We'd like to enjoy our time together without a battle looming over us," Narcissa added. She met Kingsley's gaze. "Shall we say seven?"

Kingsley nodded. "I'll alert the other Guardians," he assured her. "I will see you all tonight." He turned and left the room again.

Lucius rose from his seat fluidly, holding his hand out for Narcissa to do the same. "I intend to spend a few hours with my wife," Lucius said, pressing a kiss to Narcissa's palm. "I suggest you occupy yourselves for a little while because after lunch, my wife intends to steal the ladies away."

The women looked at Narcissa curiously. "I thought a little trip to a magical spa was in order," Narcissa said primly. She smiled at the expressions of delight on the faces of the other ladies. "Run along," she said with a dismissive wave. "Lunch is at noon and then we'll be off," she added as she allowed Lucius to lead her away from the table.

Ginny glanced at Harry mischievously and then looked at Andy and David. "Would you take James for a little while?" she asked, looking at the two men expectantly.

An amused smirk crept onto David's face, but Andy looked a little surprised. "Sure," Andy replied, pulling James onto his lap, "but what for?"

"I'm going to have my wicked way with Harry," Ginny responded, winking at her blushing husband.

"Sweet Salazar, that's more than I wanted to know," Draco groaned.

Severus turned to Hermione with a wicked smile. "That's the best idea I've heard all morning," he drawled, trailing his fingertips lightly down Hermione's arm. "Shall we go upstairs and see if I can coax you into making that delightful little sound again?" He honestly didn't care that the others could hear him. He was far too concerned with the fact that his wife's pupils had dilated and she had shifted closer to press her lips to his hungrily.

Hermione pulled back slightly, a playful smile tugging at her lips. "Let's go," she whispered, laughing when Severus pulled her to her feet just before sweeping her up into his arms. The unrestrained laughter of their friends followed them from the room.

And that's the end! It's been a long journey and it's been such a joy to share it with all of you. I am going back and re-working some of the chapters... You know, filling in the holes, adding details. Reviews are welcome and appreciated.