The Last Chapter

    There it was, the castle in all its brilliance, Harry stood before it looking up and remembering fondly the times he had within it. Though his time as a student had come and gone, the memories would go on forever....

    His eyes drifted from the castle to his watch. Ron and Hermione should be here any minute,he thought. Perhaps Ron´s shift at the ministry had run late, or Hermione was pre-occupied with Kate.

    It was only when he thought he might as well see if the whomping willow was still around when he heard two voices coming from around the bend.

    "I refuse to name him Vicky!" came an all too familiar voice.

    "Once and for all it´s VICTOR!" said another holding the hand of a shy looking girl with curly red hair.

    Harry smiled as he saw Hermione and Ron meet his gaze. At once Hermione had dashed forward and greeted him with a tight hug, Ron followed with a handshake.

    "How are you feeling?" Harry asked Hermione looking down at her stomach.

    "A few more months and we´ll have a boy in the family," said Hermione still smiling.

    "And his name will not be Vicky!" said Ron, with a definite note of finality.

    "Oh honestly, coming from the man who wanted to name our girl Fleur!"

    "I like the name," said Ron, who couldn´t help but meet Harry´s eyes with a smile.

    "Been a long time," said Harry looking up at the glorious castle. The three glared up at it and, though they didn´t note it, Harry knew that both were thinking about their times at Hogwarts as well.

    Just then, a pretty, red haired woman wondered up and poked Harry on the back.

    "Reminiscing about old times you three?" came Ginny´s voice. Harry turned around to be greeted with a kiss from his wife. Ron issued a groan but Hermione hit him in the arm.

    "Honestly Ron, they´ve been married almost ten years!"

    "I know, I just wish they wouldn´t kiss infront of me. If you knew how it felt to see your younger sister kissing your best friend.." Hermione rolled her eyes.

    "Where´s Sirius?" asked Harry, looking around.

    "Um...he was right behind me" said Ginny, sounding somewhat panicked.

    Just then a boy of about eight came running out of the forest, his messy black hair flying in the wind.

    "Guess what I saw Mum?" said the boy mischeiviously.

    "Sirius, what were you doing in the forest, didn´t I tell you that it´s forbidden!" came a harsh sounding Ginny.    

    "It´s no big deal," said the boy shrugging. "Dad´s been in loads of times and nothing ever happened to him."

    "Right," came Harry, meeting Ron´s gaze. "Nothing ever happened to me." Hermione stiffelled a chuckle.

    "Well, we best be heading in," said Ron, looking at his watch. "I expect the feast `ll be starting any minute and I´m so hungry I could eat a house elf." Hermione looked harshly at Ron who only grinned.

    "You just ate ten minutes ago," she said blankly. The two started towards the castle, bickering as usual.

    "Come on Sirius we´re gonna be late....Sirius," Ginny looked around for the boy who had been standing just next to her.

    Just then, a scream issued from behind Harry and he turned around in time to see Kate and Sirius running from the forbidden forrest.

    "You´ll never believe what we just saw!" said Sirius, a look of a boy who had just seen the moon up close. Kate was standing near by with a look of shocked horror.

    "You took Kate into the forest! Sirius, look you´ve scared her half to death!" said Ginny as she bent down to comfort Kate.

    Harry ushered Sirius towards the castle as he listened to his son´s exciting tale.

    "And then I heard something, and I´m pretty sure, Dad, it was a giant spider!"

    "Lucky you got out alive," said Harry, pretty sure himself that it had been nothing more than the crackle of leaves under his feet.

    Harry entered the great hall with a jolt of excitement. It looked as it had nearly twelve years ago, with its long tables and glistening floating candles. Harry could almost see himself sitting at the end of the Gryffindor table, laughing at one of Ron´s jokes or perhaps playing a game of chess.

    "Over here," ushered Hermione from a table that had been brought out for guests.

    Harry sat down next to Hermione who was closely followed by Sirius and a still horror-stricken Kate.

    "What´s wrong?" Ron asked as he saw the fearful look on his daughters face.

    "We went into the forrest uncle Ron," Sirius replied proudly.

    Hermione frowned and immediately tried to comfort Kate, Ron´s words were not as comforting.

    "Better get your nerves up if you wanna go to Hogwarts, Kate," Her face looked unhinged. "Not to worry, nothing in there ever killed me, they sure had a good shot, but I´m sure you´ll never get hurt that badly."

    Hermione gave Ron a harsh look as Kate burst into tears.

    "She got the freckles from me, the curly hair from Hermione, but how the hell did she get so sensitive?" Ron said quietly.

    "She´ll lighten up," said Harry as he looked across the table to Ginny.

    Just then a light sound came from the staff table as Remus Lupin tapped his spoon against his glass goblet. The hall grew quiet and Remus cleared his throat.

    "It has been twelve years since that day. We stand here, happy, peaceful and resolute but take for granit the very unity that we take solace in. We come here in rememberence of those who were lost who stood strong against evil."Lupin picked up his glass and continued once again. "This is the day that the boy who lived, lived once again, who proved that good will stand the test against evil and will always triumph. I raise my goblet today to Harry Potter, the boy who not only lived, but lived for what he believed in, choosing what was right over what could have been easy." Harry caught Remus´s eye and smiled. Sirius was squirming in his seat.

    "I´m hungry," he whispered. "When´s the feast gonna start?"

    "I´d say more," said Remus, a twinkle in his eye. "But it looks as if young Sirius is hungry." He then sat down at the head of the table and clapped his hands. Mounds of food appeared on the oak tables, just as Harry had remembered it to. He immediately dug in; the food still tasted wonderful.

    Harry looked up from his food to see that Fred and George were sitting at the end of the long table wearing their infamous dragon skin coats. They waved at Harry and then tried sneakily to throw some candy towards Sirius.

    "What is it?" Sirius asked, looking up at Harry.

    "No idea, but knowing Fred and George probably something that will turn you into a parakeet."

    "Cool!" said Sirius who immediately pocketed it. Harry smiled and looked to the table situated next to him; what used to be the Gryffindor table.

    Harry´s eye was caught by two boys and a girl, probably in their third year at Hogwarts, and was able to pick up a bit of their conversation.

    "I don´t know, it doesn´t seem very practical if you ask me," said the girl looking apprehensibly at one of the boys.

    "Come on Anna, if we become animagi, we could transform into an animal anytime we wanted to, just think of the freedom."

    "There´s just one tiny thing, Ben, IT´S ILLEGAL!" said the girl.

    The boys mouthed annoyance as the girl opened a book and started reading, apparently keen to avoid talking to the boys about such matters. The girl vaguely reminded Harry of someone he knew.

    Harry continued watching as the two boys stood up and headed in the direction of Harry´s table. They were a few feet from him when he heard them conversing in low voices.

    "Jet told me about this room the other night, a room that gives you whatever you need at the moment," said the boy known as Ben. "You, me, and Anna could sneak there tonight and probably find loads of stuff on how to become anamagi."

    "Yeah, if you can talk Anna into it. She doesn´t like breaking rules you know."

    "As long as you come, Edmund, I´m sure she´ll follow. As much as she doesn´t like breaking rules, she doesn´t like being left out either."

    "Yeah, alright," said Edmund. "Just as long as we´re keen to avoid Peeves. I still have the bruises from the last time he threw chairs at me." The two boys laughed and then headed back to the table.

    Harry turned his head to see that Ron and Hermione had both been listening as well. The two looked at Harry and smiled.

    "We were never that stupid were we?" asked Ron with a grin.            "Hmmm..." mused Hermione. "Edmund....." Her thought, however, was soon interupted by Sirius from across the table.

    "Why can´t I have a brother?" said Sirius starring enviously at Kate.

    "You may not have to wait that long," said Ginny, looking apprehensibly up at Harry.

    "Wh...what?" came Harry accidently spitting out his mashed potatos.

    "Sirius might not have to wait that long," said Ginny. "I was thinking, how do you like the name Michael?"

    Hermione and Ron both smiled at the bemused look on Harry´s face. His eyes had glazed over and he was soon in deep thought.

    He looked to Sirius who was shifting uncomfortably in his seat. In three years he would be coming to Hogwarts as a first year. Harry wouldn´t be suprised if he found more ways out of the castle than Harry had ever known. Harry just hoped Sirius would find friends as good as Ron and Hermione to share his adventures with.

    "Harry!" came a voice from the staff table.

    "Neville?" said Harry stupidly. The man coming towards him looked nothing like what he remembered Neville as. He was tall, broad shouldered and muscular. He wore glasses and, there was no other way to describe him, he was handsome.

    "I got a job here, you´re looking at the new herbology professor," said Neville, straightening his glasses.

    "Oh Neville, that´s wonderful." said Hermione. Neville sat down at the table and in an instant, they were all talking about the old times. Neville laughed as Ron brought up the remembrall Neville had owned in his first year.

    "I had forgotten about that," he chuckled. "How ironic.".....

    Harry and Ginny were heading out of the entrance hall, Sirius at their side. The carriages were awaiting their arrival. Harry turned around to get a last look at the inside of the castle. Almost immediately, he noticed something that had not been there when he had attended Hogwarts. It was a large picture of Dumbledore. He was smiling and winking at Harry; exactly the way Harry had remembered him to. Harry looked up into his light blue eyes, the eyes in which he hadn´t seen in nearly ten years. Ginny joined Harry by his side and followed Harry´s gaze to the picture of Dumbledore.

    "Remember what he told you, I mean, before he died?" she whispered.

    "Yeah," said Harry. "Don´t let them take me off the chocolate frog cards."

    "No, the other thing," said Ginny.

    Harry thought back to ten years ago. Dumbledore had written him a letter stating that it was time for him to embark on his next great adventure. Harry had arrived just in time to hear Dumbledore´s last words.

    "Fate is what you make it." Harry stated.

    He looked to his wife, whose eyes were tearful and to his son who was half asleep in his mothers arms. He finally understood the full meaning of Dumbledore´s words.

    "You know, Ron was right," said Harry with a small chuckle. "Trelawney was a right old fraud."

    On cue, Ron, Hermione, and Kate joined Harry. Ron and Hermione were bickering once again.    

     "I don´t care Ron, I told my parents we would be visiting them for the summer. They want to see Kate, you know,"

    "Come on, the quidditch world cup is this summer Hermione, we can visit your parents any old time."

    "I refuse to discuss this any further," she stated.

    Ron groaned as he leaned to whisper something in Harry´s ear, "Her parents are the worst type of muggles you know, dentists. Last time I visited, they were picking and prodding at my teeth." Hermione frowned as she saw Ron whispering to Harry.

    Suddenly, a large grin crossed Ron´s face.

    "Hey, maybe I could stay with Harry this summer! You wouldn´t mind would you Ginny?" Hermione scoffed as Ginny gave her brother a fake smile.

    "Oh that´s nice," said Hermione sarcastically. "Leave your pregnant wife so you can stay with Harry, why didn´t you just marry him!"

    "I was only joking," said Ron, who shrugged and gave Hermione a quick kiss on the cheek. Hermione´s face brightened immediately as he put his arm around her waist and led her to the carriage, Ginny and Harry followed.

    "Wanna come for dinner tomorrow?" Ron asked Harry as he helped Hermione into the carriage. "You can bring Sirius too, Kate needs a little adventure."

    "Yeah," said Harry looking back at the castle for the last time. "Just promise me one thing," he said as he lifted Sirius into the compartment and climbed in himself.

    "Anything," said Ron as he stepped into the carriage as well. Harry grinned at Ron, just as he had on the first day they had ever met.

    "Save me a game of chess." With that, the threstal-drawn carriage trotted off and was soon lost in the bright and glorious sunset. But from a distance you could hear the patter of footsteps while three laughing friends wandered into the forbidden forrest, keen to initiate their next adventure.