Sunrise Over Britain :: Chapter 32

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Remus whined and Bob used the broom to push him onto the stage. The curtains parted and he looked around wildly as the lights came up.

Remus paled and started to sweat under the hot lights. He stared at the audience and trembled in fear.

"Do something you silly fur face!" shouted Harry with a grin.

"Harry!" chided Hermione, her hand down his pants. "Be nice to wolfie, or I'll yank on it!"

Harry gulped nervously and clapped his hands. "YAY REMUS!"

"I'm not sure why I'm here," Remus started.

From the audience a very small garment flew onto the stage. He walked over and bent down, picking it up. Attached to the garment a note.

He held up the blue, iridescent speedo and blanched. Opening the note he read. "Put it on and tell the audience that Bob and Alyx make no claim to any rights to the Potterverse. Wear it and we'll play spank the schoolgirl tonight."

He blushed and looked out to see Tonks bouncing in her seat howling and whistling.

Alyx whirled on Bob and glared at him. "Is this the best you can do?"

"Well, we've killed off all the bad guys, now the only people left to torment are good guys," Bob whined, then a light bulb lit up over his head.

"Hey, do you think I could figure out a way of keeping Voldemort alive? Maybe I can invent something called a Whore-crux which he can hide pieces of himself, you know dozens of evil women each carrying a piece of him..."

"Whore-crux?" exclaimed Alyx. "That's the stupidest idea I ever heard! You do that and we'll be swamped with requests for sequels and that ain't gonna happen."

Bob shook his head. "Yeah, you're right, it is a dumb idea."

"Maybe for the next disclaimer we can use Harry," Alyx whispered. "I never liked that whiny little bugger anyway."

Bob blinked at her. "You don't like Harry?" he sputtered.

"Not really, I'm more of a Snape fan," she replied, buffing her nails.

Bob sunk his head into his hands. "Give me strength!" he moaned.

"She doesn't like me?" Harry asked looking hurt.

"I still like you Harry," Hermione told him. "Who cares what she thinks, she's not in the story!"

Sunrise Over Britain
Chapter 32

Padfoot Manor, Harry and Hermione's bedroom (April 11th)...

Hermione pulled up the covers around her and tried to go back to sleep, but something was bothering her and she couldn't quite put her finger on it. When it finally dawned on her, she opened her eyes and frowned. Harry had shut down the link to the barest minimum.

Rolling over to face him, she saw that he lay quietly next to her. His eyes were open and by the grimace on his face he was clearly in pain.

"Harry?"

"Hi," he gasped.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Seems that Neville hit me harder with that bludgeon than I thought. My back is killing me," he whispered.

Hermione carefully got out of bed and threw on her robe. "How long have you been up?"

"A couple hours. I was fine until about four this morning."

She frowned. "Why didn't you wake me? Or summon Dobby to get Narcissa?"

"I tried waking you, but you were still under the sleeping potion. It's just a bad bruise. Besides, Dobby would have panicked and woken up the whole house," he replied.

Hermione nodded, knowing he was right about Dobby. The elf was not someone to call when Harry was in trouble. He'd wake up the whole world to help Harry.

She walked around to his side of the bed and gently helped him sit up. Harry bit his lip to keep from crying out and he tried to reduced their bond even more.

"Stop that," she snapped at him. "I know you're in pain. You can't hide it by shutting off our connection."

He nodded and leaned his head forward, placing it between her breasts. She lifted up the back of his shirt and sucked in her breath, seeing the large purple bruise that covered half his back.

"Dobby!" she called.

Dobby appeared with a pop. He looked up at Hermione and Harry with concern in his eyes.

"Dobby, please ask Narcissa to come to our room with something for a large bruise," Hermione said softly. Dobby's eyes grew wide and Hermione's expression softened. "Don't worry, Dobby, Harry will be fine."

Dobby nodded and vanished.

"He's going to wake up the whole house," Harry muttered.

"Hush, you," she said as she gently caressed his shoulders, trying to ease the tension.

From the other side of the manor she could hear a loud boom and the sound of shouting. Looking up, she gnawed on her lip for a moment. "Perhaps you were right," she murmured. "He is waking up the house."

Harry chuckled, then groaned against her. She leaned down and kissed the top of his head. She knew that the bruise wasn't life threatening, but the size of it alarmed her. It had to be very painful.

The door to the room opened and Narcissa rushed in, carrying a large bag of potions. Between her and Hermione, they were able to get the t-shirt off Harry so Narcissa could put a salve on his back.

"I had been expecting this, to be honest. Melinda told me last night you would probably wake up in a lot of pain," Narcissa said in an annoyed tone. "I just didn't expect you to send that lunatic elf to wake me up. Who taught him the concussive spell?"

"I didn't send him to you," Harry said through gritted teeth. "She did."

Hermione glared at Harry. "Well? What do you expect? You're hurting!"

"I don't care who sent him! Next time just tell him to wake people up quietly. Thank Merlin I put a silencing charm on Susan's room last night. I thought it would be to protect everyone else from Siomha's cries, but no, that charm probably kept her from waking up."

Harry hissed as the cold salve was spread over his back, then he sighed when the pain receded.

"In an hour I want you to take a hot soak, Harry, as hot as you can handle. Stay in the water for at least an hour, then get out, put on your shorts and a robe. I have to check your leg," Narcissa said.

Harry nodded and, feeling better, he put his robe on and walked over to the table where Winky was setting up breakfast.

Narcissa watched him carefully as he walked away.

Hermione looked at her, her expression worried. "What is it?"

Narcissa shrugged. "It's nothing, really. I just want to make sure he doesn't over do it today. He put a lot of stress on that leg yesterday."

Hermione nodded in agreement. "I don't think we'll be doing much of anything today. Caleb told him yesterday that everyone should take a few days to catch their breaths. The only thing I know he's going to want to do today is visit with Susan and the others."

Narcissa nodded thoughtfully. "Alright, but he's not to be training or running around, and keep the stairs to a minimum for at least the next few days."

Hermione glanced over to where Harry sat, eating breakfast. "I'll see he doesn't overdo it. Would you like to join us for breakfast?"

Narcissa shook her head. "No, thank you. Now that I'm up, I should check on Draco and Susan. We haven't identified the curse that hit Dray, so his healing has been slowed. He's in a lot of pain, but Luna's helping him. Susan should be fine, but it was a rough delivery."

"We'll be by to see both Susan and Draco later. I know Harry and I are both eager to meet the newest member of our family," Hermione said, then her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "I think Harry is afraid I might want a baby soon. I tried to tell him not for a few more years, but you know how men are."

Narcissa's eyes glinted with amusement. "Yes, but I suspect you two will be among the last to start a family. Luna already told Dray she's willing to wait another year or two and Ginny will need time to recover." Packing her potion bag, she stood up. "I'll be back around ten to look in on Harry. Until then, stay in the manor. Visit with Draco or Susan, but I want you both to take it easy, especially him."

Hermione nodded and walked with Narcissa to the door. Closing it behind the older woman, she turned around and went to join Harry for breakfast. If she had anything to say about it, no one would be doing much of anything today.

Padfoot Manor, Susan and Terry's bedroom...

Susan rolled on the bed and stopped breathing for a moment. She heard humming! Opening one eye, she peeked from under the blankets. Terry sat on a chair next to the bassinet they were using for Siomha. He held her in her arms and was humming to her.

She smiled and watched as he quietly sang a little song to his daughter.

The lion and the unicorn were fighting for the crown
The lion beat the unicorn all around the town.
Some gave them white bread, and some gave them brown;
Some gave them plum cake and drummed them out of town.

"Terry," she said sleepily. "That's gruesome."

He looked up at Susan and grinned. "I know. My grandmum used to sing it to me when I was little. It wasn't until I went to school that I learned what it means. Besides, Sus, all nursery rhymes are gruesome if you examine their true meaning."

Siomha fussed in his arms and he glanced down at her, frowning.

"I don't think she likes me very much," he murmured. "I've been trying to keep her quiet so you can sleep, but she doesn't seem interested in my singing or my rhymes."

Susan laughed. "She's hungry and unless you can do something about it, I'd suggest giving her to me. I should have fed her more than an hour ago."

Terry stood and held Siomha out in front of him so she could see him. "You are the lucky one, my little pretty. You're getting to dine in my playground and I'm only allowed to watch until further notice."

Susan laughed and took her daughter from him. "Prat," she said fondly, looking up at her husband. She undid the buttons on her pajama top and placed the baby to her breast.

He returned to his chair. "Well, it's true, isn't it?"

"It's not as bad as you make it out to be. Besides, we'll make do. Has Auntie been by yet? I don't recall seeing her last night," Susan asked.

Terry leaned back in the chair watching his wife and daughter for a moment. "No, but don't be too hard on the old bird. There was an awful lot happening yesterday. I expect she'll be around today. What about you? How soon can you get out of bed?"

"Anytime I want," Susan said, scowling at him. "I had a baby, I'm not a cripple, thank you very much. Besides, the pain potions help a lot now that the labor is done."

Terry leaned forward and played with his cane for a moment. "Susan, about that. I spoke to Narcissa about your labor. I'm very sorry I wasn't able to be there for you. Though, in a way, I'm grateful I missed it. I would have panicked had I been here," he paused and looked up at her. "Did the healers say anything about your ability to have more children?"

"Danni said I shouldn't have any problems. Siomha's birth was difficult, but the healers will be prepared for that, next time. This time caught everyone off guard," she replied softly, watching him. "Why? Would it matter to you if I couldn't have more children?"

Terry looked at her in astonishment. "Of course it wouldn't! Merlin, Susan, you nearly died!" he said, then he turned away, choked up.

"Terry, look at me."

He turned, not bothering to wipe the tears from his eyes. She held out a hand to him and he moved to sit beside her. Taking her hand, he turned it over and kissed her palm.

"What nearly happened doesn't matter, Terry. I'm still here and we're together as a family. That's what's important. In the future, when we decide to add to our family, we'll make sure there is a healer handy. That's all it means," she said, then she released his hand and patted his side of the bed. "Come lay next to us."

Moving to his side of the bed, he climbed in and watched his daughter nurse. He was in awe of her and, like most fathers, felt she was the most beautiful child to ever be born.

"Where did you sleep last night?" Susan asked.

"I caught a few hours on the day bed in Harry's study. I didn't get back from Operations until nearly two. I think I had too much coffee, I couldn't sleep very well. Anyway, when I came in here about an hour ago, Siomha was waking. That's when I picked her up."

Susan nodded. Her in-laws had stayed with her for most of the evening until she dropped off to sleep, thanks to a potion from Narcissa. "Tonight, Mr. Boot, you're sleeping by my side where you belong," she told him firmly.

Terry eyed her. "Are you sure?"

She reached over and ruffled his hair. "Yes, I'm sure. We'll be sleeping, not making love. Besides, I don't sleep well when you're not beside me. I miss being able to cuddle with you."

Terry yawned and nodded. She smiled and ran her fingers through his hair. "Sleep, Terry. You haven't had nearly enough."

Terry closed his eyes and started to drift. He smiled when he heard Susan murmuring to their daughter.

"Daddy's sleeping," she told Siomha in a whisper.

Daddy, he thought. I like that.

Padfoot Manor, Harry and Hermione's bathroom (April 11th)...

"Harry?"

He floated in the large tub, relaxing for the first time in nearly two days. "Hmmm?"

"Harry, open your eyes. I want to talk to you," Hermione said from the edge of the large tub.

He opened one eye and looked at her. She sat on a bench near the tub. "Why don't you join me?"

She grinned, then shook her head. "Because Narcissa will be back shortly to give you a checkup and I don't think she'd be interested in seeing the two of us thrashing about in the tub. Save that thought for later and I promise I'll make your toes curl."

He grinned ruefully. "I could have lived without that picture. I like Narcissa, but I prefer not to have an audience," he said, wagging his eyebrows at her. "And just kissing you makes my toes curl."

His voice had dropped several registers and she shivered at the effect it had on her.

"So what was it you wanted to talk about?"

"After your fight with him, something happened. I felt that you were in intense pain. I felt the pain, too, but it was different from that curse he put on you. He was dead at that point. How? How did he curse you like that after he was dead?"

Harry stood up in the tub and walked over to the edge near where Hermione sat. He leaned against the side of the tub using his elbows to keep himself on the edge, his legs dangling in the water behind him. It gave her a wonderful view of his bum.

"You need to understand, Hermione. Voldemort's body wasn't real. It was a magical construct, a shell made to give his soul and his magic a place to reside. Eocho and I talked about this many times, about how his body wasn't real. Remember, I was there when he was reborn.

He reached out with one hand and ran his fingers gently against her ankle. "You and I, each of us, have a body that's powered by our soul. It is the singular thing that makes you so beautiful," he said with a grin. "Your soul. It's pure in a way that Voldemort couldn't understand or ever be."

Hermione blushed.

"His soul had become dark and twisted. He had managed to corrupt something nearly impossible to corrupt. Even if I hadn't destroyed his original body when he attacked me and my parents, his soul was killing him. He needed a new body capable of holding what he had become, so he created one. For all his power, the one thing he couldn't do was create a form powered by his soul. So he created a body that was powered by..." He paused and looked up at her expectantly.

She blinked and thought about it for a moment. "His magic?"

He nodded. "Ten points to Gryffindor. Yes, his magic. Everyone on the walls saw me physically attack him and many probably think I strangled him. And to be truthful, at one point I did strangle him. I was so angry, so enraged at all the pain he caused me. But that wasn't what killed him."

Hermione stared at him. "What? But I thought..."

"So did everyone else. Voldemort was so busy fighting me and had been unable to attack me mentally for so long that he had pretty much given up that avenue of attack. I caught him off guard. He was surprised and his mental shields were in a weakened state."

When he stood up and climbed out of the tub, she reached for a towel.

Taking the towel from her, he unfolded it. "I forced my way through his shields. No, I destroyed his shields. My attack was sudden and unexpected and totally brutal in its intensity. In his surprise, instead of trying to fight me mentally, he resorted to instinct and tried to fight me physically. But his magical body wasn't made for that sort of combat."

Hermione watched him carefully as he described the fight. His eyes seemed to be focused on something she couldn't see.

"I didn't stop there, though. I tore through his mind, digging and burrowing deep into it. I didn't stop to absorb memories or steal knowledge. I had only one purpose in mind, to destroy him utterly."

He wrapped the towel around his waist and sat down next to her.

"I passed his conscious mind. I could have stopped at that point because his mind was nearly gone, but I didn't. I tore through his primal mind. I destroyed his autonomic reflexes, like breathing and all the other little things that keep us alive, things we take for granted.

"He was dying at that point, but it wasn't enough for me. I had to kill him where it mattered the most. I tore deeper into his mind until I reached the core of his magic. I ripped it apart, Hermione. I severed the connections between his magic and his body, separated the connections between his soul and his magic."

He looked down at his hands and realized that he had clenched them while he spoke. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to relax.

"Finally, I crawled off him. He was dead, his soul gone on to what ever hell it was consigned to. I was on my hands and knees, barely able to think about crawling away when my own shields collapsed for a brief instant. His power... it flooded up the link between us in one gigantic pulse. His link between us was the only way out for his magic, so it took it."

Hermione stared at him in shock. "You've gained his power?"

Harry closed his eyes and nodded. He knew that the vast bulk of Voldemort's power had been gained by killing wizards and witches. Thinking about the power boost he had gained from Voldemort's death made his skin crawl with disgust.

"I didn't get all of it, but enough. Too much, if you ask me. Ironic isn't it? Killing him resulted in making me even stronger than I was. And for what purpose? What do I need the power for now? I don't want to fight anymore."

He leaned back against the wall with his eyes closed.

She turned to face him. "Hey, you didn't know this was going to happen. So, you're more powerful, big deal. You're still that scrawny little eleven year old I met on the train all those years ago and you still need me around to keep you out of trouble," she said teasingly. When he didn't react, she poked him in the side, causing his eyes to jerk open.

Shaking his head, he laughed and pulled her into a wet hug. She thought it was worth getting a little wet if she distracted him from thinking himself into a depressed state.

She wrapped her arms around his damp body. "We'll work it out together."

He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "Together," he agreed. "My heart," he sent to her, widening the bond and accepting the comfort and love she offered.

She snuggled closer to him while her mind pondered the ramifications of another power boost. Like Harry, she couldn't really see any reason for it. It couldn't be changed, however, so they'd just have to accept it.

Office of the Minister of Magic, Haven...

"Ms. Twonk is here to see you, Minister," David said from the doorway.

"Thank you. Please send her in."

Amelia stood and waited behind her desk while David ushered in a middle aged woman. The two women shook hands.

"Thank you for seeing me on such short notice, Minister."

"I think I should be the one thanking you, Ms. Twonk. After all, your notice came at a most welcome time. Please, sit down," Amelia said, gesturing to one of the chairs.

"Please, call me Anastasia."

Nodding, Amelia sat down. "As I was saying, winning the war is only part of what we need to do. Our country has been ravaged and rebuilding will be a long and arduous process. When we received notice of your group of nearly a thousand volunteers we were extremely pleased, but also a little concerned. A thousand wizards and witches could be construed by some to be an army."

Anastasia blinked and looked at Amelia dumbfounded, then her lips twitched with amusement. "I suppose you could see it like that," she said. Grinning outright, she leaned forward. "Minister, do you know what I did before the war?"

Amelia shook her head. "No, that's one of the reasons why I asked you to come here today. We had no idea who was leading this large group of volunteers. And, quite frankly, if your group is going to be effective in helping reconstruct our country, the government needs to know who its leaders are and be able to work with them."

Anastasia nodded understandingly. "I was a school teacher, Minister. I taught first through third grades and I liked to putter about in my garden. Hopefully, my son and husband are still somewhere in Britain, because they aren't in Haven or America.

"I first organized our group to help fix up the camp the American's put us in. I bless them every day, but that place was as cold and impersonal as you could get. Our group consists of reporters, teachers, shop keepers, brewers, conjurers, enchanters, cab drivers, healers, midwives, seamstresses and so on.

"We're not an army. We're just a group of people who want to come home, maybe find our families. We want to start putting our lives back together and that means fixing the problems at home."

"Tell me, Anastasia," Amelia said, her eyes glittering, "would you be willing to accept a role in the Ministry? There's a lot of work to be done and I'd prefer that we work together to accomplish it."

Anastasia frowned. "I didn't organize our group in order to get myself a government job, Minister," she said stiffly.

"Perhaps you didn't, Ms. Twonk, but there it is, nonetheless. We need your group and we need someone in charge of it. Someone that your people will trust and take orders from."

The Minister stared at her until she looked away and nodded. She didn't want anything special, but her people depended on her. She'd take the job, if only for them.

"Excellent," Amelia said with a smile. "Now then, our efforts are going to be centered around four principle areas: Hogwarts, which, except for the warding, will be rebuilt primarily by house elves, Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley and the old Ministry of Magic building."

"The Diagon Alley reconstruction will be a joint effort between the Goblins and the Ministry. With the damage done to Hogsmeade, we're looking to rebuild from the ground up and greatly expand it. We're thinking of something on the order of Haven, which is the third largest wizarding town in Ireland."

Amelia stopped and jabbed a finger at Anastasia. "You're going to need to change your thinking. Before, you worked on one project at a time. Now you need to reconsider how things happen. While you oversee the cleaning up of Hogsmeade, you'll also be planning the new layout, approving the designs for the wards around Diagon Alley, and overseeing the construction of a new Ministry facility next to Hogwarts. In short, Anastasia, you need to think bigger than before. Your people will be scattered to every corner of the country, working on projects, and sometimes even helping the muggles rebuild."

Standing, Amelia walked over to the tea service near the window and filled two cups. Taking one to her visitor, she smiled encouragingly at the shell-shocked expression on the woman's face.

Anastasia shook her head ruefully and took the offered cup. "I never realized how big a job it would be. But we're itching to get to work."

"Good," Amelia replied with a smile, "because we're going to work people very hard. We'll house and feed them, pay them what we can, but it won't be anywhere near what they could have earned on their own before the war." Walking back to her desk, she sat down and sipped her tea.

Anastasia nodded. She knew things couldn't be the same as they'd been before the war, but they had a chance to make things better. "I'm your girl, Minister," she said firmly, raising her cup in salute. "Just tell us where to start and we'll get to work."

Padfoot Manor, Susan and Terry's bedroom...

"She's adorable!" gushed Hermione.

Susan preened and held up Siomha so Hermione could get a better look, while Terry and Harry exchanged amused grins.

Harry stood behind his wife and peered over her shoulder. She glanced back at him, smiling broadly. "Well, Harry? What do you think?"

"She's awful small," he offered dubiously. Including Siomha, he could count his experience with infants on one hand and still have four fingers left over.

Hermione laughed. "Of course she's small. It's not as if they come out full grown, you know."

Susan stood and offered Siomha to Hermione.

Alarmed, Harry took a step backwards and put his hands behind his back. He didn't want to be in a position where he might drop her. She may be small, but he knew she was important.

Susan put on a dressing gown, then moved to the couch to sit.

Hermione cradled the infant and grinned at him. "She's not going to bite you," she teased.

"I know. She doesn't have teeth yet," he said seriously.

Terry laughed and sat down next to Susan.

"So, Harry, I hear Narcissa gave you a clean bill of health," Terry said.

Harry sat down and nodded. "She did, but only after she poked and prodded and complained about me abusing my body. I mean, really! Next time, I'll leave the Dark Lord fighting to someone else if I'm just going to be abused for it afterwards."

Hermione looked up from cooing at the infant. "Some abuse," she said with a snort. "She's only like that because she was worried about you."

"I know," he complained. "But all things considering, I walked away from that fight in a lot better shape than I thought I would. The others got hurt a lot worse than I did. All I did was strain my leg again and get a few bruises."

"Those bruises kept you from getting out of bed this morning," Hermione reminded him darkly.

"Yeah, but Neville gave me those bruises," he replied. Not wanting to continue the conversation, he turned to Terry. "So, how does it feel, Dad?"

Terry grinned. "It's different. I can't say I've done much Dad stuff yet, though."

Susan laughed. "Don't let him fool you. I woke up this morning to find him holding the baby and singing this God awful nursery rhyme."

"You don't look like the nursery rhyme type, Terry," Harry said with a smirk.

Terry looked down and blushed at being caught out and Susan laughed again. "She's barely a day old and already she has her daddy wrapped around her little finger."

Siomha opened her eyes and yawned, then she started to fuss in Hermione's arms.

Susan looked up when Siomha let out a loud cry. "She's probably hungry. Give her here, Hermione. She won't be satisfied until she'd eaten" she said as she opened her robe and started to unbutton her pajama top.

Harry made a strangling sound and turned around abruptly in his chair. It didn't bother Terry at all because he had discussed this previously with Susan. She was going to nurse their baby and she wasn't going to hide to do it.

Hermione eyed Harry with amusement. "What's the matter, Harry?" she asked teasingly. "Don't you know that all witches nurse their babies?"

"Well... yes... I mean... That is... You... Umm... Maybe I should go see how Draco is doing," he finally blurted out, still looking at the wall. Not waiting for a reply, he apparated from the room.

Hermione stared at the empty chair for a moment in shock. "Harry?"

"Yes?

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine," he replied. "I just didn't think I should be sitting there, staring at Susan's bits, you know?"

She turned to the others, her eyes dancing. "He didn't want to be accused of looking at your bits, he says."

Susan and Terry laughed.

"Well, I imagine he'd rather look at your bits, Hermione," Susan said teasingly. "But that's how we ended up with little Siomha."

Hermione nodded. "I understand. But I think I better go find my husband and calm him down. He'll get used to it, but it'll take him a few days, I think."

Haven Hospital...

Order was slowly returning to the hospital. It was still seriously overcrowded and the number of volunteers had quadrupled the size of the staff. Feeding them and the patients had become the full time job of one hundred Haven house elves.

Tents had been set up behind the main building where dozens of brewers were busy making nearly every conceivable healing potion.

In a room that contained only two patients, a young woman wept at what was, to her, a life altering blow. Ginny Longbottom had been seriously injured when one section of the wall around Hogwarts Castle collapsed. She had lost a leg in that collapse and had not yet come to grips with her loss. To make matters worse, her husband had been injured even worse than she had and now rested only a few feet away, in a deep healing sleep.

Neville's injuries were bad, but easily healed. The greatest threat to his life came from the idea that Ginny had died in battle. Neville had given up his fight to live until Harry intervened, bringing him back and forcing the pair in a bond of magic.

She could feel him there, in her mind. It was like a tickle hovering around the edges of her consciousness. She knew that he could feel her, although she wasn't sure how she knew. Ever since yesterday, the link that Harry had created pulsed and strengthened. Neville had woke up for just a few brief seconds yesterday, then he had slipped back into a deep sleep, one which didn't seem to alarm the healers.

She tried to hide from him what she was feeling, but the longer she tried, the stronger the pull became on her. The bond was preventing her from hiding what she felt. She had always viewed the bonds the others had with no small amount of envy. Now she was discovering the reality was far different than what she had expected.

Melinda had been in earlier to explain to her that she had sent Arthur and her family home with dreamless sleep potions to help them sleep. That, at least, explained why she had woken up in the room alone with Neville.

She shivered and felt grotesque. Healer August had attached the magical leg to her last night and, almost instantly, the pain she felt and the sensation of something missing had vanished. But she couldn't bear to look at the silver appendage.

"Ginny?"

Ginny started and looked over at Neville. Tears were falling freely from his eyes. Without thinking, she gestured, pulling his bed close enough that she could reach out to him.

"Would you turn me away and think I'm monster if I had lost my leg?" he whispered. While it was still growing, her anguish and it's cause was available to him, via their bond.

He reached out with a weak, trembling hand and touched her cheek. "Would you stop loving me?"

She sucked in her breath and shook her head.

"Then don't ever think I would turn you away. Without you, I'm nothing," he whispered. "You're still the beautiful girl I married. If you don't believe my words, then feel what I feel. Reach out and feel it, Gin."

She slid sideways on the beds, sliding onto his. He reached out and pulled her to him as best he could, but he felt as weak as a newborn kitten.

Resting in his arms, she closed her eyes and tentatively touched the connection that existed between them. She had always been a bit jealous of the bonding between the Potters and the Blacks. Now that she and Neville had one of their own, they needed to learn how to use it.

She could feel the stirring of magic enveloping them both. Since their connection was different, it didn't feel the same as the bond she'd experienced between Harry and Hermione yesterday. She couldn't feel his thoughts, or at least she didn't know how yet. But she did feel him. She felt his magic reach out and caress her, wrapping her in a gentle embrace of love and comfort.

The biggest difference that she could feel between this link and the other she experienced was that it was trying to use the medium of magic to communicate. Not quite sure why, she silently cast legilimency, but rather than aiming it at Neville, she aimed at herself.

Suddenly the bond blossomed and she gasped at what she felt.

All around her, she felt Neville, his aura extended and covered hers completely. Hers did the same for him. She could feel his emotions, his anguish over her pain, his awe at her beauty and the desire he felt for her that extended well beyond just raw lust. She seemed to realize that they were complimentary in nature. He provided stability and calmness, she provided spontaneity and excitement. Between them was perfect balance.

She broke down in his arms, feeling his deep rooted need for her. The bond had only amplified and solidified that need. She saw just how close he had come to death, giving up when he thought she was gone. He cradled her against him as best as he could, murmuring comforting words that were no longer necessary. She could feel their love, alive and growing. It was strong and would be very fruitful when the time was right.

"Do you see, Gin?" he asked when she calmed.

She nodded against his shoulder.

"Good," he whispered. "Quite a pair we make, right?"

She sniffled a few times and smiled at him. "The best."

She snuggled closer in his arms and within a few minutes they were both asleep.

Five minutes later, Arthur, Constance and the twins entered the room and came to an abrupt halt. Neville and Ginny lay together, asleep. She lay with her head on his shoulder and his hand was entwined in her long hair. Both looked peaceful. That wasn't what held them all fast, however.

The cold, sterile hospital room was covered in cherry blossom petals.

No one knew how it had happened. As only Neville and the Weasley family knew that cherry blossoms were Ginny's favorite flower, the redheads all smiled at the young man on the bed.

"You have a remarkable grandson, Constance," Arthur murmured quietly. "Let's leave them be for now."

Padfoot Manor, Draco and Luna's room...

Hermione caught up to Harry in Draco's room. He sat on the floor by the edge of Draco's bed and he was holding up a catalog so that they both could see the brooms listed there. Draco was improving, but it would still be a another day before he could get out of bed.

"So, here you are," Hermione said.

"I told you I was coming here," he replied archly.

"Well, Susan says Siomha's dinner should be about six if you want to check out her bits again," she said impishly.

Harry colored and decided to ignore her, opting instead to show Draco the page detailing the American Barnstormer broom.

Hermione moved over and sat next to Harry on the floor, smiling at Draco. "How are you feeling?"

"Better today. Mum came by and left a new pain potion for me, but I need less of it today. I'm glad you stopped by, though. Luna left a little while ago, and laying here alone gets pretty boring," he replied, then he looked at Harry. "I heard you killed him."

Harry nodded and Hermione slid her hand over to cover his. "Yeah. It wasn't anything like I expected it would be. We heard about Lucius."

"He was a pig!" Draco said in disgust. "He threatened Luna."

"Yeah, but you protected her. That's what counts."

Draco's eyes darted to the door, then back to Harry. "I wanted to thank you. You know I wasn't happy when you insisted we learn how to use those muggle guns, and how Luna hated them... In the end, I didn't have a wand. I killed him with my gun." His eyes became haunted. "It's different with a gun, more personal. It's almost like you're doing it with your bare hands."

Harry leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes for a moment. "I know," he murmured. Opening his eyes a few moments later, he looked at the blond. "You know, Draco, with Lucius gone, you could claim the Malfoy line and bring it back to where it belongs. I'm not pushing you out of the Blacks, you'll forever be part of the family. But you might want to think on it."

Draco shook his head. "No way, Harry. I'm finally used to being a Black and that's what I'll stay. Besides, the Malfoy's deserve to die out. The Malfoy line has too many bad connotations to it. No, let the Malfoy's die with Lucius."

Harry nodded. He wasn't about to force the issue, but he'd wanted Draco to consider it. As a Black, he'd always be a member of the family, but never a family head in his own right like he could be with the Malfoy line.

"Where did Luna go, Draco?" asked Hermione.

"She wanted to go visit Hagrid and tell him what her Angels did. Honestly, sometimes I think she thinks of them as her children," Draco said. "I guess I don't mind too much, but sometimes it's hard to get her to focus on what's important."

"She tries real hard to do that for you," Harry said. "I've known her for a while now and she's more focused for you than for anyone else. Even more than for her own father."

Draco sighed and pushed the hair out of his eyes. "Yeah, I know. I guess I'm just in a rotten mood today."

Harry nodded knowingly. "Yeah, acting too much like a Gryffindor will do that to you."

Draco winced. "She told you, didn't she?"

"She didn't have to," he replied with a laugh. "You fought to protect your wife and got hurt in the process. Had you been Slytherin about it, you would have snuck up and knifed him in the back or something."

"A knife is too traditional, Harry. I would have sent Fuzz to take care of them," Draco replied haughtily.

Harry chuckled for a moment, then looked up, perplexed. There was a shimmering in one corner of the room. It slowly grew stronger, then coalesced into Luna. His eyes narrowed and he looked at her. "I see someone has learned how to travel," he commented.

"Oh, don't worry about it, Harry. I was in a rush. It's nearly time for Dray's potion," Luna told him as she walked over to the dresser and took a potion bottle from the drawer.

"I thought that was a difficult spell to learn," Hermione exclaimed, turning to Harry and glaring at him.

"Don't look at me. I didn't teach it to her," Harry protested.

"But if she can learn it, why can't I?" Hermione grumped, then she turned to Luna. "Who taught you the spell?"

"Oh, I found a book in the library here. Then the master helped me with the meditations needed," she replied airily. She was mixing a dose of potion for Draco and not really paying attention to any of them. Fuzz had climbed down off her shoulder and was watching her from the floor. She didn't like the smell of the potion.

Harry moved out of the way so Luna could get to Draco. Standing, he walked over to a couch and sat down, where Hermione joined him a moment later.

Dobby appeared and handed Harry a note.

"It seems Neville and Ginny will be sent home tomorrow morning," he said after reading the note. "I hope Ginny is alright. She was pretty upset about what happened to her."

Luna nodded, then she lifted the sheet covering Draco's back and folded it back. She banished his bandages and replaced them with clean ones. Finally, she turned to Harry and Hermione, sitting on the floor next to Draco like Harry had. "I think it will take her a bit, but she'll be fine. Neville was the one that scared me. He was so lost when he thought she was gone," she said softly.

"I can see where Neville's coming from," Draco replied. He looked at Luna and reached out with one hand. She took it in her own and rubbed her cheek against it. "The past year has changed all of us, but the biggest change is in our relationships. Neville didn't even have a bond and he was lost without Ginny."

"He had a bond," Harry said. "He had a bond stronger than any magic I know of. He loves her. It's a strange emotion and one I don't think I'll ever understand entirely. My Mum died because of it and I'd gladly give up my own life to keep Hermione safe."

Hermione leaned against Harry and kept silent. It wasn't often that he talked so openly of his feelings, especially in front of others.

"Killing Voldemort was an important step in my life, but falling in love with Hermione was an even greater step. I'm certain Neville feels exactly the same way. So much so, in fact, that Ginny became his reason for existing, he lived for her. And when he thought she was gone..." He stopped speaking. There was no need to go on, really. Those in the room understood perfectly.

"Well, their new bond will make sure that won't happen again," Luna said with a laugh. "Once they learn to control it, anyway."

"Control it?" asked Hermione. "Our bond was just there. The only control we had over our bond was in how much we wanted to share. I can narrow it down to the point where I can barely feel Harry, or widen it so that he can feel my emotions and thoughts."

Luna looked at Harry. "Are you going to tell them, or just let them find out for themselves?"

Harry looked sheepish. "Well, about their bond. It's different than ours. You two have a bond that's largely powered by Luna's unique magic. What Hermione and I have is kind of a super-telepathy."

Hermione crossed her arms and looked at him pointedly. "I think we all figured that out by now, Harry."

He winced and plowed on. "Neville and Ginny's bond was created by magic and will be fueled by their combined power. That means it will be a little more obvious in nature."

Hermione scowled. "Obvious, how?"

"Oh, really, Hermione. It should be clear enough to you. Strong emotions, connected by the magic of a powerful witch and wizard? He's talking about wild spontaneous magic. Until they learn to control it, we can assume that every time one or the other is feeling particularly loving, there may be a burst of wild magic," Luna said, then she giggled. "I think it's sweet. Neville's never been particularly demonstrative."

"That isn't just Neville. It's a flaw of most males," Hermione said, smirking at her husband.

"Oh, is that so?" asked Harry.

Hermione started to reply when Harry gestured. Suddenly she was sitting on his lap and he was kissing her as deeply as he could. She fought him for a moment before surrendering to his kiss.

Nearly a minute later, he eased his grip. Hermione's eyelids were closed and she shivered a little in his arms. He laughed and kissed her cheek.

"Not demonstrative, eh?" he said teasingly.

She opened her eyes and realized he had upstaged her in front of their friends. "I will so get you for that, Potter!" she sent him.

"You have me already, love. We're forever, remember?"

Haven School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...

"Come!"

Minerva looked up from the pile of books on her desk. Filius and Emma Granger had compiled a long list of rituals and wards that would need to be put back on Hogwarts before it could be made suitable as a school again.

The door to her office opened and to Minerva's surprise, the Minister stepped into the room.

"Amelia," she said standing up. "This is a surprise!"

Amelia smiled and took one of the seats in front of Minerva's desk. "Yes, I suppose it is. But I figured I'd head you off and come to you before you come to me."

"Oh?" Minerva said. Honestly, she had no idea what Amelia was talking about. To cover her confusion, she quickly conjured some tea and offered Amelia a cup.

Amelia accepted the cup and waited until the Headmistress was seated behind her desk again.

"Minerva, we both know that you're itching to get back to Hogwarts now that we've retaken it. However, I'm going to ask you to hold off for a while, a week or two at the most. I'd like you to hear a couple of ideas that Harry and Hermione passed to me. I thought they were good ideas, so I mentioned them to Brogan Mallory."

"The Irish Minister for Magic?" Minerva exclaimed.

Amelia paused and smiled. "Quite. In fact, he was very interested in my proposal."

Minerva leaned back in her chair and looked at the Minister with a stern expression. "Alright, Amelia, stop building up to it and just come out and say it."

Amelia smiled into her cup and took a sip. "Alright, to the point then. The Irish have looked over the results of the midterm tests from Haven and they are some of the highest they have ever recorded for any school.

"Mind you, we're all extraordinarily proud of that accomplishment and you have every right to be pleased with it. But the Irish recognize that with the retaking of Hogwarts, they risk losing what may be one of the best schools ever to be built on Irish soil.

"Now, Harry and Hermione suggested that we consolidate Hogwarts and Haven into two schools under a single Headmistress. The students would move back and forth between the two schools using portals donated by the Potter's. Harry suggested that each school have a single, supervising professor, and you remain on as Headmistress to both schools.

"Hermione suggested letting the students move back and forth between the schools so they may take advantage of the unique opportunities offered by both locations. The other reason why I ask you to hold off returning to Hogwarts is that, in the near term, we, that is the Ministry, will be using it as a base of operations to help with the recovery effort."

She looked seriously at the Headmistress, a touch of sorrow in her eyes. "I'm afraid a part of the castle grounds will forever be Ministry property, Minerva. The Brotherhood Brigade will be housed on the far side of the school grounds, but still within the wards. We're also building a cemetery to commemorate those that we lost in the fight."

Minerva played with her cup, trying to order her thoughts. Amelia's proposal sounded insane! When I catch Harry and Hermione I'm giving them both detention, she thought to herself. What were they thinking?

Amelia smiled, seeing Minerva's expression change so radically in such a short timespan. "It's not that bad, Minerva. Your head teachers will do a lot of the work for you. You will oversee their efforts. Brogan doesn't want to lose what you've brought to his country, and Harry is thinking about setting up an educational foundation that would open schools under your leadership in several other countries."

She suddenly jumped forward in her chair. "He's what?" she exclaimed.

"It makes sense, Minerva," Amelia said calmly. "Right now each school teaches their students differently. Beauxbatons specializes in charms, Hogwarts in Magical Animal Care and Transfiguration. Durmstrang is a Dark Arts academy. What we are proposing is a standard curriculum. Each school will still have it's own brand of unique specialties, of course. However, on top of that, each school will have the same basic quality foundation."

When Minerva looked at her doubtfully, Amelia just shook her head. "Harry said you'd be uncomfortable with the idea. He was hesitant to even bring it to me. Look, Minerva, think on the idea for a while. This isn't going to happen overnight. We'll be lucky if Hogwarts can even open in September. I've toured the school and the interior is a wreck. It's going to be one of our priorities to restore the school to it's former glory, but that won't happen overnight, even with a thousand wizards helping.

"Talk to Harry and Hermione. Personally, I think this is Hermione's idea, but it was Harry that broached it with me. I swear those two are going to be a political force to reckon with if they decide to stay in politics."

She sat back then and watched Minerva.

The tough Headmistress leaned back on her chair and considered what she had been told. Clearly she needed to talk to her two ex-Gryffindors and see what kind of madness they had in mind. Finally, she nodded at the Minister. "Alright. But do you think it would be possible for me to return to the castle sometime in the next week? I should meet with the ghosts and reassure them that the school will be coming back. Their aid, from what I understand, was most valuable. We owe them that much, at least."

Amelia leaned back in her chair. Got her! she crowed to herself. "I don't see a problem with that. Perhaps we could make it a tour with some others that have been wanting to see the castle and review what happened."

Minerva nodded and gave her a tight smile. Amelia had known it was going to be a very difficult sell to convince Minerva to go for this idea, but when Harry mentioned a standard for schools world wide, under Minerva's direction, she jumped on it as a way of keeping her from becoming too Irish.

Padfoot Manor, Susan and Terry's bedroom...

"Where is she?"

Susan looked up and beamed at her aunt. She had just finished feeding the baby and was rocking her gently, trying to get a burp out of her.

"Right here, Auntie. Finally come to see your new grand niece?" she asked teasingly.

"Oh, Sus, I've wanted to come here all day. I wanted to be here yesterday for you. You know that," Amelia replied.

Susan nodded. "I know, but it turned out for the best. We won the war and brought a new member into the family. Aunt Amelia, meet Siomha Amelia Jennifer Boot," she said, holding up the baby.

Amelia stepped forward eagerly. "Oh, she's beautiful, Susan. I'm so pleased to meet her at last."

She took the baby into her arms and looked down at the little bundle. Siomha yawned and burped, which for her, was the sum total of her accomplishments so far.

"She's got your chin," Amelia said, teasing Susan.

"As long as she doesn't snore like her Daddy!"

Amelia looked around. "Where is Terry?"

"I made him take a nap earlier. Then, after Harry and Hermione visited for a while, he went over to the Operations Center to check on a few things. The poor thing was so tired. He was afraid to sleep in the bed with me so he kipped out on a day bed in Harry's study and didn't get more than a few hours sleep. I woke up this morning to find him singing to the baby, trying to keep her quiet so I could sleep a little longer."

Amelia sat on the couch next to Susan's bed and rocked the baby slightly. "I know Terry doesn't think so, but his work was invaluable. I think Caleb would have been lost without him there to keep track of all the little details."

"I know, Auntie, but he doesn't always see it that way. Compared to what Harry or Neville did..."

Amelia huffed. "Proud, stubborn men!" she exclaimed, shaking her head. "Susan, what Terry did was every bit as important. In some ways, even more so. And now he's got the most important job of all; being a father to your child. It's up to you to let him know he's appreciated, and needed, just like it's his job to show you the same thing."

She cuddled with the baby for a moment, smiling down at her. "He'll come around, Sus, he's not stupid. In the meantime, you and all of Harry's Brotherhood are up for Orders of Merlin and a few other awards."

"Me?" exclaimed Susan. "All I did was act as a glorified secretary and grouch about being unable to reach my feet to tie my shoes!"

"All of you," Amelia repeated sternly. She was proud of all of them. They had come so far and done so much. "Each of you had a special role that you played in this war."

The child in her arms cooed and Amelia smiled down at her for a moment. When she looked up at her niece again, her gaze was piercing. "This precious child," she said seriously, "is more important than anything else. She is our future. She represents all that is good in our world and she's a commitment to going forward."

Susan smiled weakly and nodded. She never could win an argument with her aunt.

Padfoot Manor, Harry and Hermione's bedroom...

Hermione sat in front of her mirror attempting, for what seemed like the millionth time, to tame her hair. It seemed as though both she and Harry were doomed to have unmanageable hair.

Thinking of Harry, her eyes softened. She'd managed to keep him in the manor all day. Today had been filled with a lot of quiet conversations, as people seemed to need to reach out and touch everyone. It was almost as if they needed reassurance that they had made it through the battle.

She smiled, spotting Harry come out of the bathroom. He wore just his boxers and a robe. He threw her a lopsided grin, then walked over to stand behind her. He took her brush from her hands and started brushing her hair. She sighed and leaned back against him. She loved when he did this.

"I've been thinking," he said.

"Hmmm?" His hand on her hair and the rhythm of the brush made her drowsy.

"I'm going to run an idea by you, then you tell me if you think it's cheating or not."

She opened her eyes and looked at him in the mirror. "Alright."

"You know how I can read a book really fast and remember it verbatim? Well, I was thinking, if I read a book and then communed with you, couldn't I pass the entire contents of the book to you?"

She stopped his brushing and turned in her chair to look at him. "You could, but why would you want to?"

Harry gestured and a chair slid across the room. When it stopped, he sat down facing her. "I think it would take me only a day to read all the seventh year texts, then I could pass them to you. A week for all seven years of textbooks. After that, we could pass them to the others, then work on the practicals so that we can take our NEWTS."

She stared at him in shock. "You want to take your NEWTS?"

He nodded. "I know it sounds silly. I mean, we never have to work a day in our lives if we don't want to, but not every one of us is in that boat. Terry and Susan for example. The Bones family does alright, but other than their house and their vault, who knows what's left of their income? Neville's well off, so he and Ginny are set. And I set Draco up with a nice starting fund, but I can't see any of us living without some form of work.

"I want us to be as normal as possible, Hermione. I want our kids to grow up normally and for them to be proud that their parents didn't coast through life. I thought we could learn the books, then pass the information to the others. It's early April. If we can do this, then all of us could help each other take our NEWTS with the school in late May."

Hermione stared at him, trying to weigh what he was saying. She had thought that he might press her to start a family if they survived Voldemort, but this was the last thing she had expected.

"Alright," she said slowly, folding her hands in her lap. "Why don't you tell me the rest of your grand plan?"

Harry shrugged and mumbled something incomprehensible.

"What was that?"

"I said I don't have a grand plan, Hermione," he snapped, then he dropped his eyes again. "I was hoping that you might have some ideas. Voldemort has been this huge obstacle in my life and now that he's gone, I'm not really sure what to do."

She shook her head. "What about what you told Ginny?"

"About wanting to see the world?" he asked.

She nodded.

"I do, but see what? I don't know, I thought you might have some ideas. There are a few places I'd like to visit and spend a few days exploring, but how much of that can you do before the place becomes routine? I want to do more than just sightsee, I want to learn. Sheik Alim said he knew someone that would like to take on an apprentice enchanter for a year or two. It's an idea, but I was hoping you'd have a few, too," he said hesitantly.

"You surprise me. I had halfway expected you to want to start a family," she murmured.

Harry stared at her for a moment, then he frowned. "Do you want to start a family?"

"No, not yet. I don't know if we're ready. I don't know if I'm ready."

He looked relieved. "Good. I want to have a family someday, but not today. I barely know how to be a proper husband. What do I know about being a father? Vernon is my only example and all I know is that what he did is what I should not do."

She frowned at the mention of Vernon.

"I want us to have a family someday, love. I can think of nothing nicer than seeing a little bushy haired green eyed girl running around the house. But I think we need time for ourselves, first. Is that selfish of me? I want you all to myself and I'm not ready to share you with anyone, even if it is someone we create together."

She shook her head. She would have given him children if he had wanted, but she was pleased and proud of his response. It was very mature and took both their feelings into account. "You really don't know what you want to do?"

"Other than getting our NEWTS, no. I know I have the Brigade to deal with still and I'm not sure what I can do about that, but I'm tired, Hermione. I don't want to be the Boy-Who-Lived anymore. I just want to be Harry, husband of the smartest witch since Ravenclaw herself. I don't want to lead people anymore."

"Oh, Harry," she whispered. She understood what he was saying, but there was something he was missing, as well. She reached out and brushed one finger against his cheek, her eyes serious. "More than your 'saving people' thing, Harry, you are a leader. It's a part of you. You may not like it, but people will always look to you for leadership and guidance. The war is coming to an end and, like it or not, you are the hero of this war. You don't have to enjoy it, but you better start accepting the fact that people will still look to you. I'd like nothing more than for us to vanish into obscurity like you mentioned to the press, but we both know they won't let us.

She sighed, and took his hands in hers. "I see what you want to do, and if I thought the world would let you, I'd happily stand in front and shield you from it. But the world won't allow it. In a way, I feel sorry for the rest of the world. They don't know you like I do, and that's a real shame."

Harry scowled at her. "So, what would you suggest, then?"

"Use your fame to your advantage, my heart. In the beginning, it will be the rebuilding of Britain. But there is so much more that you can do — that we can do with our lives. I know you're tired. Merlin knows we could both use a long break involving a hot sandy beach and a lot of peace and quiet. But can you honestly expect to sit on the sidelines for the rest of our lives?"

"No, I can't, but I don't want to spend my days chasing down dark wizards like everyone seems to think I should."

Hermione nodded. She not only saw his point, but agreed wholeheartedly with it. "Alright, you want to see the world, so let's do just that. I'll put together a rough outline of a trip plan for us."

Harry grinned at her. "Yes, you'd make a good plan, I'm sure. Just make sure to plan on six of us."

"Six?" she asked, startled. "I thought it would be just us."

"Well, your parents might want to be along for parts of the trip, but more importantly, do you honestly think Dobby and Winky will let us trip around the world alone?" he asked, grinning.

She laughed and shook her head. "No, I hadn't thought about that!"

He stood and pulled her to her feet and into his arms. For several days they had been promising to spend some time together, but circumstances had stepped in to prevent it. But no longer. Neither would allow any more interruptions.

Harry pulled her closer and pressed his lips to hers. He slid one hand up to gently grip her hair, holding her head close while he tasted her. It was a soul searing kiss, demanding and yet gentle. He wanted her and needed her to know exactly how much he wanted her.

When the kiss finally ended, she pressed herself against him, reveling in the feelings of need and desire that coursed through the bond between them. She could feel his arousal pressed against her stomach. She rubbed against him, smiling when he groaned.

"Take me to bed, Harry," she whispered, clinging to him

Without thinking, he cast a featherlight charm. Then, lifting her into his arms, he walked toward the bed.

Hogwarts Castle (April 12th)...

Amos leaned back against a tree and sighed. He was tired. He'd been up since four in the morning, patrolling the perimeter of the camp.

It was hard to call it a camp. They had moved and set up a bunch of the space compressed outhouses on the other side of what used to be the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch. During the occupation of the castle, the pitch had been converted into a large open air slave pen. It stank. Even with magic helping clean up the area, it still reeked.

Amos and several others from his company had toured the area and become violently sick over it. Even Sergeant James looked green around the gills. Those people still in the pens when the battle was over were immediately moved into healer care in the medical buildings brought over from Haven.

Amos had personally escorted Jennifer and Milly to the medical buildings yesterday evening when they returned from patrol.

Last night around ten, the entire camp turned out, ready and spoiling for a fight. An alarm had sounded that a group of people were approaching from the direction of Hogsmeade. There was a moment of shocked surprise to see that the group, all fifteen people, were from a single family coming into the relief center. Their first customers, as it were.

Amos chuckled. It was funny, in a sad sort of way. They had just fought a major battle and were there to help people. And when people had finally made their way to them, they were too surprised to move! A child in one woman's arms had cried and that had broke the stasis. Healers and medics rushed forward, pulling at people and urging them into one of the buildings. In another area, a field kitchen was fired up and cooks turned out to make hot meals for everyone.

And that had only been the beginning.

Thirty minutes after that first group had arrived, another, smaller group showed up, then another and another. By midnight, the entire camp was illuminated and soldiers were voluntarily vacating their barracks to house the incoming refugees. A steady stream of people were arriving at the castle by foot, and a second stream were arriving via the portals. More and more aid workers had moved into the area, setting up their own camps or adding to the ones already growing around the castle.

Across the road from the American camp stood a group of inflatable hospital buildings and a huge warehouse, over which flew the red and white flag of the International Red Pentagram. They were issuing everyone special tents that came either in family size with room for six, or single units big enough for two people. No one could call those tents luxurious, but they were comfortable, warm and came equipped with a thirty day supply of food before the self stocking shelves refilled. The fare was basic, but filling.

It wasn't planned, but those tents had an added effect. An impromptu refugee camp was springing up around the Red Pentagram area and people were interacting with each other. For the first time in a year, magic was being openly performed without fear of capture, reprisals or death.

Amos had spent the night in his field tent, a single man portable tent that contained a bedroom and small kitchenette and he was thankful for it.

Now, in the light of a new day, he was able to look out from his vantage point and see most of the castle area. It had been transformed overnight into a bustling center. There was a steady stream of people leaving the castle as help arrived from Haven. And house elves! Amos had never seen so many of the creatures before! They weren't as common in America as they were here. There were hundreds of them and they were everywhere, cleaning, fixing and moving supplies from the castle. Elves were even traveling into Hogsmeade and meeting with incoming refugees, helping to carry the sick and wounded.

This morning, out of respect, everyone in camp stopped and watched as a huge British flag was run up a makeshift flagpole atop the Astronomy Tower. Amos was surprised to see even veteran Americans like Sergeant James looking a bit misty eyed.

Most of the people in the camp were thoroughly confused by the flag. It had to be explained to them that their Ministry and the Muggles had worked closely together during the war. It came as a surprise to many that the groups that retook the castle were officially part of the British Army. And if that came as a surprise, the fact that two American divisions were still at Hogwarts shocked them even more. That level of cooperation between the magical communities was unheard of.

The current rumor was that Harry Potter was at the heart of it all, having had himself declared King of the World. Fortunately, few took that seriously.

Amos was off duty now, sitting with his back against a tree and writing in his journal. A small camp stove, brewing a pot of coffee, was nearby. He wanted to get his version of the battle down before the details began to fade. He'd had his taste of combat and found it far different than the idealized vision he once held as a child. He also pressed two notices into his book. The first one was from the American Government, offering a conditional discharge to anyone wishing to aid in the reconstruction. In effect, they would transfer from their units to a Peace Corps unit now forming. The second notice, from the British Ministry, offered citizenship to foreign nationals who opted to stay in Britain after helping rebuild.

They were generous offers, Amos thought, but he wasn't sure what he wanted. It took a special type of man to turn the military into a career. After yesterday, he wasn't sure he wanted that. He was happy to have been able to help, but it was something he hoped never to experience again.

"Hello."

Amos looked up and squinted in the morning sun. Then, spotting her, he hastily stood. "Oh, hello. Jennifer, wasn't it?"

She smiled and nodded. "I brought you back your blanket," she said shyly, offering the blanket he'd given her yesterday.

She had been cleaned up and clothed in a pair of combat fatigues that weren't too big on her. In any case, they looked a lot better than the rags she was barely wearing yesterday. Her hair was clean and had a pretty sheen to it, he thought.

"Would... would you like to join me? I was just sitting... relaxing and making coffee," he stammered, not sure why he made the offer.

She nodded and took a seat next to his, leaning against the tree.

"So the healers released you already?"

"I was one of the lucky ones. They kept Milly and they set up several wards for women who are pregnant after their experience," she said, her expression darkening. Seeing the question in his eyes, she shook her head. "My protection lasted. I wasn't in the pens long enough for it to wear off. What about you?"

When he looked at her stupidly, she grinned and clarified her question. "The healers told me you and your group were part of Lord Potter's army that defeated Voldemort. Are you alright?"

He leaned his head back against the tree and sighed heavily. "I suppose the nightmares will go away, eventually. It wasn't anything like I imagined it would be, you know what I mean? Before yesterday, I thought it was wonderfully glorious and heroic, but it's really ugly and cruel. There's nothing glamorous about war. I've watched men disembowel each other and then cry for their mother's as they lay dying on the field. I've seen acromantulas dragging Death Eaters off the field and listened to them shriek in terror," he said, then his voice dropped to a whisper. "I saw a man think he could control two women because he was a bully and had a wand when they didn't. And it angered me enough to kill in cold blood."

Amos closed his eyes and dropped his head. His actions yesterday bothered him greatly. Jennifer placed a hand on his arm and he looked at her in confusion.

"You saved my life. Milly's too. We'll always be in your debt for that," she said quietly.

He smiled weakly at her. "I'm glad it worked out alright. I just don't like what it made me do."

"So, what will you do now?" she asked.

"I suppose I'll go wherever the 806th sends me. I thought about the offers to stay and help rebuild," he replied, pointing towards the notices still sticking out of his journal. He hadn't gotten around to shrinking them yet. "How about you? Don't you have any family you can go to?"

She shook her head and looked down at her feet. When she looked at him again, her face was flushed. "I hope you stay. I'd feel safer with you around."

He blinked in surprise. "Really?" he asked, smiling shyly.

She nodded, returning his smile. She wasn't sure why she'd said that. Everything inside her screamed to be wary of men, but there was something comforting about this strange man with the funny accent. He had killed for her, and she could see that it had hurt him terribly to do so. In a way, his battle changed him as much as her time in the slave pens had changed her. She felt drawn to Amos. It was as if he still held on to something that she felt she'd lost.

"Would you like to go get something to eat?" he asked. "There's a field kitchen not far from here and they serve all day long."

She bit her lip for a moment, then nodded and stood up.

Climbing to his feet, Amos put his journal in his pocket and led her toward the kitchen. She didn't know just when he'd taken her hand in his. But it was enough that neither wanted to let go.

Padfoot Manor...

Harry frowned at him. "Are you supposed to be out of bed?" he demanded.

Luna gently eased Draco down so he could sit on the steps and looked at Harry. "Really," she chided. "You know he has to be here."

Harry was about to reply when the front door opened and Arthur and Constance walked in. A moment later, the Longbottoms, followed by Narcissa, walked into the foyer. Both Neville and Ginny seemed to be alright, though they walked stiffly.

"We'll discuss this later," Harry said, then he turned and smiled at the others. Behind Luna and Draco, other members of the Brotherhood arrived, waiting to welcome home the two who had been hurt.

Harry walked to Ginny and hugged her, then turned to Neville. "Welcome home, you two," he said softly.

"Yes, welcome home," echoed Eocho. He had drifted through the wall.

Harry turned to look at their mentor. He seemed less substantial today.

"Do not be angry with Draco, Maglios. I have summoned all today," Eocho said.

Harry looked around seeing his confusion echoed in the faces of his friends.

Eocho floated towards the door, everyone watching him.

"You have gone into battle three times now, and each time emerged victorious over your enemies. This last battle was the greatest, and it marks the end of your war. Your foe lies fallen, defeated, and your homeland freed. But this does not mark the end of your tasks. The Brotherhood stands to protect the weak and prevent the creeping darkness from taking the world.

"My time is now complete. I go to my great reward, knowing that I have helped build the greatest Brotherhood the world has ever seen. You have made me very proud, my children."

"But you can't, Honored Teacher! There is still so much to learn, so much for you to teach us," Harry protested.

Eocho smiled gently. He knew that Harry looked upon him with a great deal of respect and no small amount of love. Even when they'd had their differences, he still respected the old Druid.

"Some things cannot be avoided, Maglios. You will do well and it is time to stand on your own," Eocho said, then he looked to the stairway where Susan stood holding the baby. Her eyes shimmered with tears. She had grown especially close to Eocho in the last few months.

"Gentle daughter, your gift to the Brotherhood has been blessed by the gods themselves. Blessed be, little Siomha," Eocho said in a fading voice.

A pulse of light flashed from Eocho and Siomha cried out, even as the Brotherhood's mentor faded away. Susan started checking her child, frantic to find the cause of her cry.

Harry climbed the stairway and placed a hand on Susan. She looked at him in confusion.

"What you are looking for is on her ankle," he said.

She pulled back the blanket and checked. There, on her daughter's right ankle, was a small tattoo of a Celtic cross.

"How did you know?" Susan asked in a whisper.

He smiled. "She's your legacy, and proof that the Brotherhood will continue beyond what we have started. It was Eocho's parting gift to us all."

"How do you know about that, Harry?" asked Hermione from behind him.

He held up a hand and looked down the stairs to Neville and Ginny. "Are you two up to joining us in the sitting room? I can have the elves bring in some refreshments."

Neville and Ginny exchanged a look and nodded at him.

"Arthur, Mrs. Longbottom and Narcissa, you are welcome to join us," Harry said, motioning for everyone to follow him.

Harry waited until everyone was seated and the elves had served them before he began. He paced in front of the fireplace for a moment, ordering his thoughts.

"For a long time now I've known that Eocho would eventually have to leave us. He was a spirit, but not in the usual sense. He was not a ghost. He had been gradually losing power ever since he was summoned from the sacred stones."

He paused and his eyes grew distant. "Before we left to attack Voldemort he told me he would be invoking the ancient Gods to protect us."

"But," protested Ginny, then she stopped, seeing Harry's expression.

"Such protection isn't without a price, Ginny," Harry said softly. "You would have lost something far more important than your leg had you not had their protection. Individually, and as a whole, we paid for that help. Some of us in minor ways, others in ways we can't even begin to understand. Eocho offered up most of his life force, and then gave what remained to us before he faded away.

"Not one of us came away from that fight unchanged. Even Dan and Emma, who stayed here have been changed by the experience.

"Each of us received a small mark when we reformed the Brotherhood. The mark Siomha received is the mark I will give to each new member that joins from here on. It's one of my duties as leader of the Brotherhood. Another will be to pick my successor when the time comes."

"And what was his parting gift to us all?" prompted Remus.

Harry smiled and moved to stand behind the chair Hermione sat on. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Some of us received some extra knowledge. For example, I now know how to imbue the sacred stones so that there will be a mentor, the next time the Brotherhood needs one. I will teach that to the next Maglios and so on until we wane and fade. Then, that Maglios will imprint his spirit on the stones like Eocho once did. In this way the Brotherhood of Druidic Knights lives on even after we have gone."

"And the rest of us?" Remus prompted.

"He has given of himself to insure that our children have our gifts. All our children, when we decide to start families, will be magical. Siomha is just the first."

"She's magical?" blurted Susan.

"Can't you feel it, Susan?" Harry asked. "Reach for her. She shines like the light of a new born sun!"

"Harry," Hermione said in a chiding tone. "Not all of us can see auras."

"I know, Hermione, but Susan can feel them. She's always has been able to, she just never developed that talent. Reach for her, Susan, feel her like you do when you're feeling the others across the medallion."

"I can sense her from here," Ginny murmured softly. "She has a powerful presence."

"Is Eocho truly gone?" Neville asked.

"He's gone," Harry replied with a sigh. "But he's left his mark on each of us, just as we've left a mark on each other. And, as Sirius once told me, he's never truly gone as long as we remember him."

Harry turned to Ginny and Neville. "Are you two alright?"

Neville picked up Ginny's hand in his own and she smiled at him. "No, but we're getting there."

Harry nodded. "We may have some light duties and certainly some ceremonies to attend this week. But the Brigade is on a thirty day furlough. That means, if you want to vanish for a couple weeks, do so. Just let Remus, myself or Hermione know where you'll be in case we need you."

"So, what do we do tomorrow?" asked Tonks.

"I'm glad you asked that," Hermione said. "My husband here came up with an interesting idea. We all know of his fast reading speed and his ability to retain information."

She waited for everyone to acknowledge the point, then she smiled evilly. "Well, he happened to have this ingenious idea to help us all take our NEWTS and get them out of the way. Even I was amazed by the concept. I must be rubbing off on him."

When Neville started to snicker, Draco's lips twitched. Remus, his eyes dancing, began to laugh outright.

"What?" she asked, puzzled.

"Hermione, do we really need to know you're rubbing Harry off? Wouldn't sex be better?" asked Luna.

Hermione stared at her in horror for a moment. When she finally turned to look at Harry, it was to find him slowly sliding down the wall behind her, holding his sides and trying to laugh quietly. She colored up and glared at him.

Padfoot Manor (April 13th)...

Harry opened one eye because someone or something was poking him insistently. He spotted Dobby looking very anxious and not happy about having to wake his friend.

"What is it, Dobby?" he said grumpily.

Dobby tugged nervously on one ear. He knew he couldn't yank on it like he wanted to. "Dobby is sorry, Harry Potter sir, but a message from Miss Minister came this morning," he said, holding up a slip of parchment.

Harry sat up and took the note from Dobby. Glancing at it, he sighed, then shrugged. He leaned back and slapped Hermione across the butt. Her head poked up from under the blankets.

"What?" she grumbled.

"Duty calls, my sweet. Amelia needs us all in uniform today at the Ministry. Apparently, we're all taking a trip back to Hogwarts, along with, and I quote, 'highly placed officials of the muggle government'. Merlin, who writes these messages? I hear Fudge's voice in my head when I read them!"

He slid a pair of boxers on, then threw on his robe. Turning, he watched Hermione climb out of bed and hunt for something to wear.

"Are you sure we're all needed, Harry?" she sent him silently. Then, knowing he was watching, she deliberately bent over to pick up her knickers on the floor.

"Witch," he growled at her naked bum. She wiggled it a little at him before standing up.

She grinned, knowing exactly what she was doing to him. Before Harry, she'd had a low opinion of herself. Harry had forced her to reexamine that opinion. She had discovered a power in herself capable of reducing Harry to a quivering mess and she rather enjoyed that. Of course, that power went both ways. He was capable of teasing her to the point of total distraction, and he still hadn't taught her the little trick he had that could make her orgasm just by manipulating her aura.

Whether it was passionate sex, or just holding each other, soothing away nightmares, she had come to realize they complimented each other, filling needs that they didn't know they had a year ago.

She walked over to her wardrobe. "Dress uniforms?"

Harry turned and glanced at the bed where Dobby was laying out his dress uniform. He sighed. "I guess so. Dobby, will you inform the others that we need to meet at the Ministry main lobby by nine o'clock? If Susan and Terry can't find someone to watch Siomha, maybe we can get an elf to watch her."

Hermione turned to look at him. "I'm sure Eocho..." She stopped and her expression fell.

Harry walked over to her and took her into his arms. "I know. I don't like thinking he's gone either."

She wrapped her arms around him, laying her head against his chest. "It just seemed wrong. We all made it through the battle, only to lose him here at home. It's not fair!"

He tightened his grip on her and rested his cheek against the top of her head. Losing Eocho bothered them both. Behind them, Dobby made a noise. Harry glanced up and nodded.

"Sweetheart, we need to eat, then get moving," he said softly.

She lifted her head and grinned at him. "Thinking with your stomach is a Weasley trait, Mr. Potter," she teased, as she pulled away from him. Walking to the table, she poured herself a cup of tea.

Harry followed her, laughing to himself. He'd get his revenge later.

Government House, Haven...

Harry and Hermione met up with the others on the steps to the lobby of the building. In deference to Dan and Emma, all wore their Brotherhood cloaks and medallions on the outside. Dan and Emma were the only two that weren't officially part of the Brigade.

"I don't know what's going on today, but here are my plans. Ginny, Neville, Draco, as you're all still recovering from injuries, I don't expect you to stick around unless you want to. Susan, the same goes for you, but for different reasons. As to the rest of us, we are the Brotherhood. We'll smile for the camera's and complain about them later, off the record," Harry told them seriously. With that, he turned and entered the building. A moment later, the rest followed behind him.

The lobby of the building was crowded with people and a stage had been set up to one side. A hush fell over the crowd when Harry and the others entered. People turned and stared, and as Harry started to move towards Amelia, who was standing next to the stage, the crowd parted as if opening a corridor.

"What's happening?" Hermione sent him in alarm.

"I don't know," he replied tensely. "Keep close and keep an eye on the others."

Amelia spotted the group making their way to her and she smiled broadly.

Harry walked up to Amelia, still slightly unnerved by the actions of the crowd. "Good morning, Amelia," he called.

Amelia grinning at them. "I take it you haven't seen the morning papers yet, Harry?"

He frowned. He rarely looked at the paper. "No, I haven't," he replied. He looked over his shoulder at the others, most of whom shook their heads.

"Just the Washington Post," muttered Dan, he was frustrated by the fact that his favorite papers were still not operating.

Amelia chuckled. "Well, you best think about hiring a press agent. During the press conference over Voldemort's body, a photo was taken that clearly depicted the medallions worn by yourself and Hermione."

Harry's brow furrowed in confusion. "And?" He hated having to drag information out of people.

"Well, a frightfully intelligent gnome working for the Salem Institute of Advanced Sorcery and Chicanery deciphered the medallions from the photos. Then he went back and found photos of Draco and Luna, as well as Tonks, each wearing a medallion. Nearly every paper in the world is carrying the story about how you have resurrected the ancient Brotherhood of Druidic Knights to battle injustice in the world. Most think that France and Voldemort were just your first targets. Then some muggle born reporter likened your group to Jedi Knights and well it's sort of snowballing from there.

"I don't want to upset you, but word from Singapore is that the leaders of three different criminal gangs have surrendered to authorities this morning, each claiming they didn't want to face the justice of a Druidic Knight," Amelia said, her eyes dancing merrily and her lips twitching with mirth.

Harry suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to hit her with something hard. He groaned and closed his eyes. It didn't help that Hermione was laughing, or that Tonks and Emma joined her a moment later. Dan looked interested and, strangely, Ginny and Neville both looked determined. He made a mental note to speak firmly with each of them later.

Amelia looked at the group. "In a short while we will be meeting with his Royal Highness and the Prime Minister. His Highness asked to meet with you all first privately, then we will accompany them to Hogwarts where we will tour the battlefield. After that, His Majesty and the Prime Minister will be escorted to a place where they will transfer to helicopters for the rest of their trip. As far as the muggle press is concerned, they will be meeting up with the Royal entourage after they have visited what remains of Balmoral castle."

Harry scowled. "Amelia, three of my people are still recovering from injuries. It's not right to expect them to walk all over the place today."

"I'm aware of that, Lord Potter," she replied frostily. "As is the King and Prime Minister. They are welcome to join us, or stay behind, but the King was quite firm in wishing to meet all of the Brotherhood today. While much of our world escapes the notice of muggles, little of it escapes him. He contacted us this morning, specifically requiring your presence."

Harry bristled.

"Gently, love. We don't know what the King wants, but I'm sure he's not going to hurt anyone," Hermione cautioned.

Reluctantly, Harry nodded to Amelia, though his eyes were still cold.

"Good. Now, if you and your group will wait, the King will be arriving via portal. Then he will give a short statement to the press before we travel through the portal to Hogwarts."

Amelia climbed up a small set of stairs onto the stage. She glanced at her watch and smiled broadly, putting on her politician's face.

Harry tuned her out when she started to speak to the crowd of reporters.

"Don't let Auntie get under your skin, Harry. She was a great Auror, but she's an even better politician. She sees things in terms of what would make a good show for the people, while at the same time helping them. I confess I'm not looking forward to trouping all over Hogwarts, even though I've taken my pain relief potion, but I can see what she's trying to do. She wants people to see that the Government is actively working for them. And, unfortunately, that includes us," Susan told him.

He ran a hand through his hear, messing it up even worse than before. Hermione smacked at his hand impatiently and used her wand to rearrange it so it wasn't that bad. "I know Susan," he replied quietly.

Up on stage, the King had been introduced and was giving a short speech. When Harry moved a little further back in his group, Hermione and Susan both looked upset.

"He's not mad at you, Susan. I think he's just getting frustrated," Hermione whispered.

Harry moved behind Ginny and Neville, who were holding hands. He stepped up behind them both, placing a hand on their shoulders. They turned looking at him.

"Are you two alright?" he asked quietly.

Ginny closed her eyes and shook her head. "I keep wanting to be mad, like I want to hit someone or something."

Neville shot Harry a pleading glance. He had been talking with Ginny since he woke up in the hospital, but she had problems coming to terms with the fact that she had lost a leg. Last night, she had changed for bed in the bathroom and put on a full length heavy flannel nightgown, something she hadn't worn since they'd gotten married. As hard as he tried to comfort her, her emotions were still all over the place.

Harry motioned them to a side room and they followed him. He could feel Hermione's curiosity over his bond so he widened it enough that she could listen in if she wanted.

"I've felt how unhappy you two have been since the fight, and I know it's only been a short time, but Ginny, you aren't giving yourself any time to heal. You're so convinced you're a freak of some kind that you won't even let Neville help. Now, I have to ask this.

"In four months time, our hand-fastings become permanent. But more to the point, I can sever your bond if you want. In a few more days, doing so would hurt, or perhaps even kill both of you. Is that what you want?"

Ginny glared at him. Neville took a step backwards and looked at the two nervously.

"How could you say such a cruel thing?" she hissed at him.

"Then why in the name of all that's holy are you shutting out the one person who wants to help you the most?" Harry demanded angrily, then he thrust out a finger, pointing at Neville. "You're not only hurting yourself, you're hurting him!"

Ginny took a step back and her eyes darted between Harry and Neville, looking stricken.

"Neville," Harry said between clenched teeth.

"Yes?" came the nervous reply. Ginny had managed to get Harry angry, and no one wanted to be around him when he was angry.

"Clear your mind, then start working on your shields. However, this time, reach out and feel the connection between you and Ginny. If you build your shields to include the link, you'll act as a sink for some of her emotions," Harry said, then he looked at Ginny and wagged a finger under her nose.

"You, let him in!" he snapped.

Ginny squeaked and nodded. Harry could already see Neville widening the bond between them as his shields extended out to her. It wasn't a perfect solution, but it would allow him to help calm her. It would also force the bond to mature faster, allowing them to pass more information between them. The bond had played a pivotal role in saving Neville's life. Now Harry was forcing the both of them to use it to save their relationship.

"Merlin protect me from obstinate redheads!" he snarled over his bond to Hermione.

He felt her calming presence touching him and some of his anger bled away.

He watched for a moment longer while Neville and Ginny stood motionless, eyes closed as they both worked on their bond together. Neville finally opened his eyes and smiled.

"Good. Now that that is done with, can we go back and get this over with?" Harry asked. All he wanted to do was go home and maybe hide for the next fifty years.

Ginny and Neville exchanged a single glance, then she moved closer to Harry. "I hope Hermione will forgive me this once. I know Neville will," she murmured, then she pulled Harry down and kissed him, hard.

Harry blinked and tried to kiss her back without putting his hands in any inappropriate places. It didn't help that he could feel Hermione's initial outrage, followed by her amusement. He had forgotten to narrow their link, so she managed to experience that kiss for herself, through him.

"One, I didn't initiate that, and two, you better remember I'm still yours and yours only," he sent to her.

"I don't know whether I should make you sleep on the couch tonight, or take you to bed and make sure you remember who you belong to," she replied in a tone laced with amusement. "You better get out there. The King is wrapping up and Amelia's looking like she's going to give birth to a Snorkack since she can't see you. I think they want you to say something."

Harry exited the small side room, walking back to where Hermione stood. She smiled mischievously at him. "You know, you didn't kiss her all that well. I hope you haven't forgotten."

He rolled his eyes at her and suppressed a growl. "Wait until I get you alone," he replied, then he turned his attention to the stage. The King had taken a seat and Amelia stood in front of the podium now.

One of Amelia's aides was frantically waving for Harry to join the Minister on stage.. With a scowl, he winced and climbed the stairs, listening to what Amelia was saying.

"No, Lord Potter's group doesn't have any official standing within the Ministry yet. As a private citizen, he is free to do what he needs to do."

Spotting Harry, several reporters started shouting questions at him. Amelia turned and moved away from the podium, motioning for Harry to take her place.

"Lord Potter! Would you explain your group?"

"We couldn't remain secret forever, Harry," Hermione sent him.

Harry turned and motioned for his friends to come up onto the stage.

"The Brotherhood is an ancient organization dedicated to upholding the law. This is the first time in over a thousand years that the Brotherhood has been reconstituted. As to why we reformed the group, it was felt that it would help us with the war. And it did. We are not, however, a replacement for the Aurors of your nation."

"Lord Potter's group will be receiving official Ministry approval," Amelia said from behind him.

Harry glanced at her, noting her smug look. She was up to something again.

"And what will your group do?" shouted another reporter.

Harry paused, considering his answer.

"Didn't you hear him the first time?" Luna asked in exasperation, stepping forward. "We will bring justice to those who have been denied it. And we'll try to make sure the White Footed Peter Peckers never gain footholds in your brains. Although it may be too late for some of you," she said, scowling down at the press.

Silence descended on the room as the blond's bizarre comment registered. A pair of yellow eyes blinked from her shoulder and a faint whirring sound was heard.

Harry grinned. It was, in his opinion, the best way to end a press conference! "No further questions," he said, then turned and kissed Luna on the cheek. She was perfect!

The members of the Brotherhood barely controlled their laughter as they followed Harry off the stage.

Amid the gaggle of reports, Harry could hear Mr. Lovegood confirm that Luna was, indeed, his daughter, and that he'd never been more proud of her.

Hogwarts Castle...

Amelia's aide ushered the Brotherhood into a side room with a portal against one wall. A moment later, the King and the Prime Minister entered, escorted by Amelia. They were joined by Minerva and Filius.

Harry turned away from his friends when the King approached. He nodded respectfully to him.

"You've done us all a great service, Harry," the King told him. Then he turned to face the Brotherhood. "We are in your debt and may never be able to adequately repay you. I know that, for now at least, your role must remain a secret from the nation. Know, however, that the nation is grateful, as am I."

"Thank you, your Majesty," Harry replied for all of them.

"I understand several of you were injured. I won't ask that you join us on the tour, but I did ask you all here for a reason," the King said as he walked over and shook Harry's hand. He proceeded to shake everyone's hand before turning to them again. "Things will be hectic in the coming months. Your names, however, will be added to this year's Honor lists. The reasons will be given as unspecified military actions, which is our way of saying you did something secret. The Crown cannot appear to be ungrateful for what you have done for us."

"It's really not..."

"Yes, Harry, it really is, and we won't speak further on the matter. Now, let us visit the scene. I'm sure you are tired of telling the tale, but one more time for your King surely won't hurt too badly," he said with a smile.

Harry nodded. There was no real arguing with the man. He had discovered that when he was talked into putting on his uniform.

Their arrival at Hogwarts was unlike anything he had ever seen. His group were some of the last of the tour to pass through the portal. He was, therefore, surprised to find that they hadn't exited into the Great Hall as he'd expected, but in the Chamber of Secrets. It was strange that they could enter the room using portkeys or the portals and still preserve the Fidelius charm. It was something he'd have to look into.

The room was still a disaster. The expansion of the room to fit both the Brotherhood Brigade and the Raiders hadn't been corrected, so the room appeared enormous and very dimly lit. Everyone huddled together anxiously in the dank.

"Lights!" Harry commanded in parseltongue.

When the torches flared to life, the ghosts became visible. There was over a hundred of them floating throughout the Chamber. Somehow they knew to gather. Peeves floated nearby, humming a dirty little ditty about an old man and a farmer's daughter that Harry was sure was going to give both Amelia and Minerva heart attacks.

The King gasped, seeing all the ghosts.

"I thought only wizards could see ghosts and spirits?" he asked Hermione.

"You're right, but the King and the Prime Minister are wearing enchanted rings, allowing them to see the magic around them. Amelia asked about creating them several weeks ago so that muggles could see things in our world," she replied.

"Oh. Look, the Baron's going to Minerva. I wonder what's happening?"

The Bloody Baron broke away from the pack of ghosts, approaching Minerva slowly. Minerva's eyes misted up seeing Penelope and several other former students among the spirits gathered. The Baron stopped in front of Minerva and bowed low and grandly.

"Welcome home, my lady," intoned the Baron.

Minerva curtsied, her robes swaying gently as she rose. "It is good to be home, Baron." She looked up at the other ghosts. "I must beg your patience for a while longer. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry will return, this I promise on my life and my magic. But for now, our people need to use the castle to aid in undoing what the Dark Lord has wrought."

The Baron bowed to Minerva. "Now that the war is over, we can be patient. If Lord Potter would recharge the stone? There are many more of us now and that has increased the drain on the it."

"Recharge the stone?" asked the Prime Minister.

Minerva nodded. "Ordinarily, the castle's ghosts would obtain some of their magic from Hogwarts. And Hogwarts, being so magical, would provide them with the anchor they need to remain in this world. Unfortunately, when the Dark Lord assumed control, the magic here changed. It became dark and twisted and has been slowly draining away.

"Harry, Lord Potter, provided the ghosts with another way of anchoring themselves. But it's only a temporary solution. Soon, myself and certain teachers will return here to begin a difficult ritual that will cleanse and revitalize the school," she explained, then she looked at Harry expectantly.

He walked over to the power crystal. Hermione stood next to him, shaking her head. What he was about to do wasn't supposed to be possible!

Harry looked at her for a moment. "You might want to step back. I've never recharged this thing with other's present. I'm not sure what will happen."

Hermione moved back to stand next to Minerva, while Harry raised his staff over his head. The emerald at the tip began to pulsate with a bright green light. Unlike the green of the killing curse, this was a pure, clean color. A low humming sound filled the room and the ghosts gathered around Harry and the crystal. A thick rope of power snapped out from the emerald and arced like lightening for a second, then it fixed on the crystal on the table.

The room shifted and dust rained down from the ceiling. Each ghost began to glow as they absorbed energy from the crystal.

Luna left Draco's side and stepped up to stand next to Harry. Tonks moved to stand on his other side. Both women reached out and touched him at the same time. There was a vast pulse of light and a sharp snapping sound. The table which Harry had laid the power crystal on imploded, vanishing in the blink of an eye. The crystal hovered at waist height, pulsing brightly, continuing to soak up power from Harry and the two witches.

The crystal began to spin and throw off rays of rainbow colored light. Then, slowly, the crystal sank to the floor. Sparks flew up from the point of contact and the ground around the crystal softened. When the crystal finally came to rest, it was embedded in the floor of the Chamber and the beam of energy from Harry's staff was cut off.

Harry pitched to his knees, exhausted. Tonks and Luna, still by his side, each gasped as they tried to catch their breath.

"What a rush!" Tonks exclaimed, grinning wildly.

"I haven't felt that tired since Draco found that orgasm multiplier spell," Luna murmured loud enough for everyone to hear.

Draco blushed furiously and promised himself he'd speak to his wife, yet again, about appropriate comments in mixed company. It had never worked in the past, but he still had hope that it would sink in some day.

"Just once I'd like something to go as I originally planned it," Harry muttered. "But no! Big bad castle full of ghosts can't wait to cleanse the magic. They have to make me do it without any warning. I swear, I'm giving up magic and taking up something simple, like potato farming in Idaho."

Hermione, Draco and Remus rushed forward to help them.

Harry tried to stand, but his leg gave out from under him. "Oh, bugger," he exclaimed between gritted teeth. Ginny stepped forward, pulled a potion bottle from her kit and handed it to him. Once she'd received her certification as a field medic, she'd rarely gone anywhere without a small kit of potions.

Harry looked up at Minerva. "I think Hogwarts didn't want to wait."

Minerva smiled broadly. "No, indeed she didn't. You've saved us months worth of work, Harry. The cleansing ritual was going to be a difficult task. Now all we have to do is repair the castle and fix the wards."

Harry leaned back against Hermione and closed his eyes for a moment. He listened as Hermione and Minerva discussed the wards and the best approach to layering them.

"Is there something wrong with Harry's leg?" asked a voice laced with concern.

Amelia turned to look at the King. She had drawn away from the group while they waited for the potion to help him.

"It's an old injury from his last year at Hogwarts. Normally, he's fine, but this is the second time it's bothered him after a major operation that I know of. He was laid up for three days after the attack in December," she replied quietly.

The King frowned. "There's nothing to be done about it?"

Amelia shook her head. "No. From what I've been told, it falls into one of those gray areas where neither medicine, ours or yours, can do much about it."

The two fell silent, watching as Harry push himself to his feet and lean against his staff for support. He smiled at the King and Amelia and nodded, indicating he was ready to continue.

Over the next four hours, Amelia watched as Harry and the others led the King and Prime Minister on a tour of the castle and battlefield. Ginny and Hermione stayed close to Harry and nearly every chance he got, he sat down or leaned against something, anything to take the weight off his leg.

Everyone was surprised by the sheer size of the camp that had sprung up around the castle. Word that Harry Potter was touring the camp brought people out in droves. After a few minutes conversation with Harry and Hermione, Amelia waved them off, letting them return home using their Brotherhood medallions.

The King understood. He told Harry that he would make time in the next month or so to meet with him again. In the meantime, he said, he wanted Harry and his people to take an extended leave.

Padfoot Manor...

Harry stood unsteadily and thought for a moment. Everyone was climbing to their feet. He grinned and narrowed his bond with Hermione to the barest minimum. She whipped her head around to stare at him.

He went to stand by the door, preventing anyone from leaving. A moment later, Dobby appeared and Harry bent over and whispered something in his ear. Dobby grinned and vanished, while Harry conjured a long golden cord. He muttered an incantation over it and it pulsed with a blue light for a moment.

"Brace yourselves, everyone. Harry's up to something," Hermione called out.

He grinned at her and passed the cord around so that everyone was holding onto it.

He did a quick check, then the portkey activated.

Several hours later, Harry walked out onto the balcony overlooking the bay, a chilled fruit drink in his hand. The sun was just dipping below the horizon and the sky was streaked with reds and yellows. Hermione stepped out a moment later and hugged him from behind, then she took the glass from his hand and sipped from it.

She had been as surprised as everyone else when they arrived at the Potter vacation home. They'd spend many nights of their honeymoon in the house and she was pleased by his choice.

Susan had panicked, of course. Then Winky had appeared, cradling Siohma in her arms as if there were nothing more precious to her. Smiling at the sight, Susan had calmed quickly and was ready to enjoy the vacation.

Below, Harry could see Ginny and Neville walking on the beach. She wore a bikini top and a floral wrap skirt to hide her leg. He frowned at that, but knew she was still coming to grips with it. Neville would help her.

"Is everyone settled in?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, for a couple hours now. It took a bit for the elves to catch up with our luggage, and I suspect Amelia is going to be annoyed by the note I had Dobby give her. But I am just following his Majesty's command," he replied, leaning back into her embrace.

"I don't think he had us dropping off the face of the Earth in mind, Harry," she said, laughingly.

"Alright, so the note I left Amelia was a bit vague, but what I told her is true enough. A house elf can find us, if there's need. Besides, Anafi isn't off the face of the Earth, it's just...remote," he replied with a grin, then he looked out over the clear blue waters of the bay and sighed contentedly.

"This is far enough away that we can all relax, love. While you slept, I walked around. You wouldn't have believed the sounds coming from the bedroom used by your parents. They sounded like a pair of giggling kids in there. And a little while ago, I would have sworn I saw Remus trying to show Tonks how to do a hula. The only thing they seemed to have right was the costume, although why he was wearing a grass skirt is beyond my understanding."

She tightened her grip on him and slid one hand into his pants. "Prat. You know exactly why I was sleeping. You exhausted me."

He turned in her arms and kissed the top of her head. Her hand never stopped its gentle caress.

He held her, delighting in what she was doing, and firmly convinced that this was exactly what the Brotherhood needed right now. A week or two in Anafi would give them all time to heal and learn to enjoy life again.

Authors Notes:

Yes, it's that time again. Another chapter has come to a close and it's time for us to address the questions, comments and complaints left in reviews. Okay, so we mostly just answer questions. There's not much we can say about comments (although some are creative enough that we simply can't resist replying) and complaints are generally scoffed at and snickered about. (Evil cackle)

Pronunciation: People have asked how do you say Eocho or Siomha...

Eocho — E O KO, Hard E, Hard O, Ko as in Kobe.

Siomha — She va (It's Irish, don't expect it to be spelt as it sounds.)

Bob — Ba b although sometimes it seems that Alyx thinks it sounds like God. As in "oh god, don't stop!" I don't get it.

France is taking care of itself. Granted, they're being watched closely by the international community, but the French are busy rooting out what they can of the secret government and trying to clean up their country's politics.

And I see we're back on the issue of Harry's leg. (Rolls eyes). No, he won't be getting a wonderful new leg like Ginny's. Why? Because he'd have to cut off the one he has to get the job done and, pain relieving potions aside, he's not willing to do it. He managed to kill Voldemort with a bad leg, so what's the problem here? What's so wrong with a hero who has a disability?

Harry won't be using a wheelchair or any other aid, for two reasons. One, his staff works perfectly well in most cases and he doesn't need anything else. Two, can you image trying to portkey or use the floo with a wheelchair? Granted, the thought can be either giggle-worthy at the havoc he could cause or horrific when you think about the damage he could do with an out-of-control wheelchair, but really, it's just not worth it.

So, to put this to bed...and you all better listen up! Harry WILL NOT be getting a new leg, a wheelchair, crutches or anything else. He has a minor disability, and there's not a damn thing wrong with that!

Okay, rant over. Next question please!

We don't think there's anything wrong with Ginny's reaction to her injury. She hasn't come to grips with the loss of her leg as yet, so the replacement isn't seen as a benefit, but as an ugly, unnatural thing. It will take time, but with help from her husband and her friends, she'll get there.

We've decided to never use a foreign language in any of our stories ever again. We've managed to foul up Swedish, French and German. We're sure we've managed to screw up the (Irish) Gaelic as well, but since no one has called us on it, we're hoping it either hasn't been detected, or those who speak the language were kind enough to just shake their heads and let it pass. If that's the case, we thank you! This is what we get for using online translators! From now on, all spells will be done in Klingon. You've been warned!

No, there will be very little, if any smut in our stories for a couple of reasons. First, we don't write smut. Well, Bob could probably write smut, but I'd just pull it out when I edited the chapter. Now, I'm not a prude. Smut has its place. It just doesn't have a place in our stories. Second, and more importantly, we have no wish to cause any trouble for Tim, the site owner. Tossing in smut involving underage/barely of age children is a bad, bad thing, folks. So let's just leave it to the "fade to black" moments, hmm?

We're surprised so many people thought the last chapter was the end of the story. We still have a bit more to do yet, folks. We're thinking one more chapter. If something pops up during the writing of it, we may have two more chapters, but the last chapter would be very short. When the story is marked complete, then it will be done.

Yes, William and Harry are still alive. They went on tour with the rest of the Royal family. We know that Charles has decided to call himself George when he becomes King. However, following the timeline of the Potterverse, Charles hadn't made that announcement yet, so we stuck him with his own name for not coming out with it sooner. Had we called him "King George" instead, you can be sure we'd be pummeled by canon-nazi's, insisting we'd screwed up the timeline. Sometimes, we just can't win. (Grins)

As for what accents we hear when we're writing the characters, we don't hear Oxford-educated, South England accents. We hear the dulcet tones of Kevin Costner in Robin Hood. Kidding! We're kidding! To tell you the truth, I don't hear any accents...just a little voice in my head that tells me not to listen to the voices in my head. (Grins manically) Bob, however, hears his own voice. Yes, that's right, ladies and gentlemen. Harry Potter speaks with a New York accent!

Equal rights for all creatures has already been taken care of by the King. It's giving Amelia headaches, but she really has no choice but to comply, something that makes both Harry and Hermione very happy!

Musings: If you continue to say things like that about yourself, you will leave me (Alyx) no choice but to smack you upside the head several times with a fish! Don't make me do it! (Glares threateningly!)

That's about it, folks. We're almost at the end of our tale and have very much enjoyed writing it. We're glad we were able to provide you with a few hours of entertainment while we were at it.

To everyone who reviewed, and continues to review, thank you! Reading your thoughts and feelings on the story as it's progressed has been enormous fun and very helpful with improving our skills.

For those who haven't reviewed, here's something to think about the next time you find a fic you like. The author has put a lot of him/herself into the story you're reading. Why not leave him or her a review, letting the author know you appreciate the effort?

~Alyx and Bob~

Back to:: Harry Potter » Sunrise Over Britain

Sunrise Over Britain
Chapter 32 - Taking Stock

By Bobmin

Sunrise Over Britain Chapter 32 - Taking Stock

By Bobmin

Sunrise Over Britain
Chapter 32 - Taking Stock