The Price of Peace

Chapter X

Epilogue

From The Daily Prophet Sunday, March 2, 1997

The Department of Magical Law Enforcement Services announced two groups of multiple arrests yesterday evening. The first group includes nine former Death Eaters who had not applied for amnesty, and at least two of whom were involved in the deadly attack on the student train last January. These were Bellatrix Lestrange, Peter Pettigrew, Walden Macnair, H.D.T. Macnair, Manning Flint, Michael Meliflua, David Moriarity, Mary Sue Cummings, and Montgomery Bode.

In addition, six former followers of Tom M. Riddle, Jr. who had applied for amnesty were arrested on various serious charges they had not previously confessed to, including murder, attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder, and possession of illegal magical items. Most surprisingly, this group included Lucius Malfoy, along with Justin Avery, Jennifer Vole, Murray Meliflua, Austin Stuart, and Marietta Jones. Arrest warrants on related, although more minor, charges for twelve others have been issued. Up to two dozen additional warrants may be issued.

"Interesting," Harry said with an some-what satisfied air, looking up from a plate of bacon and eggs.

"Who do you think the others are, Harry?" Colin asked from down the table.

"Why don't we watch and find out?" Hermione said, with much more satisfaction than Harry had expressed.

The Gryffindors looked over in the direction Hermione's attention now indicated. Mad-Eye Moody was heading straight for the Slytherin table, leading seven aurors led by Kingsley Shacklebolt and brought up by Tonks. Seeing the procession, Dumbledore and Snape stood and quickly moved to intercept them. Three of the four out-cast Slytherins were very pale, while Pansy Parkinson looked rather green.

A few exchanged words, and Shacklebolt went the rest of the way to the table. Malfoy and Meliflua were escorted from the hall. Draco flashed a dirty look at Harry, but Meliflua broke down crying. Draco was cursing his young cousin as they left.

Snape walked over to the Gryffindor table. "Satisfied, Potter?"

"No, sir," Harry answered politely.

"Why not?" Snape demanded.

Harry answered politely, but he looked Snape straight in the eye when he said, "Because Ron wasn't here to see it."

"Ah," Snape said, flushing slightly. "Understandable. Other than that?"

"I hope he gets everything that he deserves, but nothing worse."

"And the two Parkinsons?"

Harry knew what he meant, but chose to pretend otherwise. "If they weren't arrested, then I hope it was because they've been cleared of criminal intent, rather there just not being enough evidence," Harry said simply.

"I meant about their shunning!"

Harry shrugged. "Care to make it a secret ballot? If so, I'll even vote to end it."

"I'll arrange it for tomorrow, Severus," Dumbledore said, coming up to them. "This is a time for the community to start to heal. We must never forget those lost in the fight, nor the ones who were wrong."

That evening, in their secret hideaway in the collapsed tunnel, Harry Potter laid in Luna Lovegood's arms. He was crying. Crying in a way he had never cried before. It was not from hurt, grief, or anger.

It was from relief.

He felt as if an enormous weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He had done everything required of him, and more. He had defeated, even killed, the man who had killed his parents. In helping to craft the peace, he had at least made certain that the woman who had killed his beloved godfather and who had led the attack which had killed his best friend had been arrested and would likely be executed. He had made certain the man who had betrayed his parents and his godfather had been arrested and would also likely be executed. He had made certain that the man who had led the remains of the Death Eaters, who had slipped Riddle's diary into Ginny Weasley's possessions, causing so much harm, and who had also abused Dobby so badly, would be in jail for at least 60 years. And now, the least of those enemies, but the one that had pestered them all the most directly, had been arrested. Malfoy would not be in jail long, 2 to 5 years were the terms being bandied about, but some small measure of retribution was at hand.

Harry had done what was needed from him.

The rest of his life was his own.

It was a thought that he had never dared do more than vaguely hope for, even after the execution of Voldemort. He felt lost and empowered at the same time.

Luna stroked his hair, and knew in her heart that he would be strong enough to take control of his life. And she would be with him, to help him and to be helped.

Friday, June 27, 1997

Hermione Granger was making a final patrol aboard the Hogwarts Express as it neared King's Cross station. Rather than going on to the compartment she was sharing with Harry, Luna, Ginny, and Neville, she stayed standing between two of the carriages.

In one sense, it had been a satisfactory end to the school year. There had been no disasters after the arrest of the Malfoys and their allies, either at school or within the Magical community. For once, nothing interfered with the end-of-term exams. The Leaving Feast was a bit subdued, but it was happier than the previous three years'. For once, the Defense Against the Arts teacher had completed the year, and Remus Lupin would almost certainly be back the next year. Ravenclaw had tied Gryffindor for the Quidditch Cup, and had just beat Gryffindor for the House Cup. Hermione could live with these small set-backs. It was nice to know those were the worst things they had had to endure over since the arrests.

The look on Draco Malfoy's face had brought back many memories, all bad, or at least badly tinged (like Ron's trying to curse Malfoy for her, but throwing up slugs instead).

But the worst memory now resurfaced. Valentine's Day. Her first without Ron.

Hermione could not bear watching all the happy couples in the great hall for breakfast. She had accepted Harry's Valentine's tribute of an orange rose and sisterly kisses from Ginny and Luna, slipping away from breakfast early. She was wandering slowly towards the Potions dungeon, early for her first class.

"Well, what have we here?" came the familiar cold sneer, "a lone Mud-blood."

Hermione saw the four out-castes blocking her way.

"Missing the Weasel, you Mud-blooded bitch? Missing the only Pure-blood low enough to shag your ugly arse?" Malfoy took a step forward, and Hermione pulled her wand and stood with her back to the wall, so they could not slip behind her.

"Missing the shagging, aren't you, you dirty, muddy slut?" Malfoy hissed.

"Go to hell!"

"Oo," Pansy sneered, "it can see us. How novel!"

"I wouldn't touch your ugly body myself," Malfoy went on, "but maybe Parkinson and Meliflua would like a practice rut, before moving on to real women." The two Fourth-year boys leered and giggled evilly.

At that moment, voices came down the corridor: Harry and the other N.E.W.T. potion students. The four out-castes noisily fled down the corridor.

Hermione felt herself being lifted from the floor; she had not even noticed she had collapsed. She realized it was Harry and Blaise.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked. When she did not answer, Harry asked more urgently, "Hermione, are you hurt?"

Hermione shook her head, and managed to whisper, "Okay, Harry." The pure venom of Malfoy had shocked her.

She grabbed Harry, who looked like he was about to charge down the corridor after Malfoy. "No, Harry," she whispered. "The slime isn't worth it. It was only words; just venomous, untrue words."

Harry slipped his arm around Hermione, and she felt Padma Patil support her from the other side. "We're here for you," Padma told her.

Snape was shocked to see Potter team up with Malfoy that day. Everyone seemed to keep an eye on that team. Yet, at a moment when nearly everyone was not looking at them (only Hermione and Snape were looking, and even Snape did not dare make any comment), Harry leaned over to Draco and whispered something. Draco paled even more than usual, and shivered in fear.

Draco was shaking a little for the rest of the lesson. Neither ever repeated what was said that day.

Yes, the arrest of Malfoy had ended one era in her life, ended it more than even Ron's death had, and a new one was starting, even if she did not know what to do with it. Her organizations were thriving. Hermione had even been congratulated by the head of each of the Houses (even if Professor Snape looked like he was swallowing a very bitter potion while he said it) for her coaching of the O.W.L. students of all the Houses. She felt she was almost certain to be named Head Girl the following year.

Of course, she still felt an emptiness in her heart that reminded her of Ron every day, and even more every night. Harry and Luna had brought her into a new trio, but as wonderful as both were, as wonderful as Ginny and Neville were to her, and as nice as most of the other students had been, nothing could replace Ron.

The next year would be hard to face, with no Ron to argue with or to have make fun of her efforts to free the elves -- it would be hard with no Ron to kiss.

Even the summer would be hard. There were no O.W.L.s to worry about, and for once Harry was in better shape than she was. In two weeks, she and her parents would head to spend two weeks in Scandinavia (although she would not be looking for Luna's beloved Snorkacks). When they returned, she would spend a few days at the Burrow (Harry would be spending that entire week at the Lovegood's restored cottage; he would not even be going back to the Dursleys). On July 30, the four would go to spend the day and night at Neville's, to celebrate his birthday. They would spend July 31 -August 3 at Potter Place.

Hermione just wished Ron would be with them to enjoy the summer.

The Movement for Pure-Bloods still existed, and Hermione knew Regulus Black would not be keeping a low profile, personally or professionally, for much longer. It would take a long time for the terror and destruction Voldemort and then his followers had created over the previous two years to heal, assuming the Movement for Pure-Bloods allowed the wounds to heal.

Even if Bellatrix Lestrange and Peter Pettigrew had been executed and Lucius Malfoy in prison for decades, Draco Malfoy would be free in two years. With his money, he would not need the N.E.W.T.s. He was already vowing to radicalize the Pure-Bloods at some point in the future.

In a perfect world, Hermione knew, none of this would be happening. Of course, in a perfect world, she and Ron would have had at least another hundred years to argue and make up, and to make love in.

But, as Hermione knew perfectly well, while the world was a very magical place, it was far from perfect.

THE END