Harry Potter and the Dark Lord of the Sith

Chapter 63.

It was already evening by the time they got back to the rest of the group, for the celebration at the tree village. Having fewer broomsticks than people, and having Charlie with a broken arm and ankle among them slowed them down considerably. Ron didn't exactly mind. He needed to think about the decisions he had to make.

Ginny and even Charlie laughed at Fred and George's "anti-theft" spell. "Maybe we should advertise it. Once it's on the market, no one will dare to steal a broomstick with one," Fred suggested.

The moment he, Ginny, Charlie, Fred, and George landed, Jan ran up to him. "Ron!" she cried. "I was so worried--"

"I'm all right," he said. He then pointed to Charlie. "We've got to--"

"I'll take care of him," Ginny said. "Parvati!" she yelled.

Parvati ran up. "Gin, what--"

"Do you have the healing potions?"

"Right here." She pulled out a small pouch. "What happened?" she asked, as they helped move Charlie inside the gathering chamber that now served as a makeshift medical facility.

"A fall, and a crash. Nothing serious. Still, I'd rather not do potionless bone-mending if I can help it."

"I wouldn't either. Now why don't your other brothers let us do our work here?"

Ron, Fred, and George grinned and left. "See you in a bit, Charlie," Fred said.

Ron didn't exactly share the twins' cheerfulness. "I'm sorry, Charlie," he said.

"Hey, you did more than anyone else to get her," his brother told him.

"Out! Now!" Ginny shouted, giving them a frightening glare.

They had to wait outside. "Brother, dear," Fred told him, "why don't you let us take an excursion up to that fleet of yours?" he suggested, pointing at the sky.

Ron looked at Jan, then thought for a moment. "Oh, no. That's not happening. One, there's no telling what effect your stuff might have on non-humans; two, I don't want to have to get you out of the brig."

Fred and George looked sullen. "Our own brother," they said in unison. Jan and Ron both laughed.

Ginny and Parvati emerged. "He'll be all right. We decided to have him rest. We can afford that now."

"Thanks, Gin," Fred said.

"Parvati," Ron asked. "Did Terry and Hannah--"

Parvati chuckled. "Yes, they're back. I don't think that they'd appreciate you looking for them right now."

Ron shrugged. "I just wanted to make sure they're all right."

Jan led him off. "Your friend Hermione contacted us. We told her you were okay," she said.

"What? I could have--"

"Relax, Ron. I already saw you approach," she said, patting the electrobinoculars she carried.

"Oh. Well, thanks. Is she coming?"

"In a while. Her squadron took quite a beating," Jan said.

"Wedge--"

"He's alive. So is Lando."

Ron smiled. "That's great." Then he turned more serious. "Any word from Harry? Or Luke? Or... Mara?"

"No. Leia says Luke wasn't on the Death Star when it exploded, and we should believe her. Luke is her twin brother, you know."

"What?"

"Oh, that's right. They got separated at birth, to protect them from the Empire." Ron nodded. Back home, people had gone to great lengths to protect their families from Voldemort. He could understand something like this.

They climbed to a higher terrace and watched the celebration below. "We really won," he said.

"We really won," Jan repeated. "Hard to believe, but we did." She smiled. "And you're a hero."

"Excuse me?" Ron asked. "If I'm a hero, so are you. So is everyone else in here."

"I didn't fight that... what do you call them? Death--"

"Death Eaters. Followers of Voldemort. That one used to be our Potions teacher," he said. "Everyone thought he reformed after the first war... and there you go. But it's not like I fought him by myself," he said. "I didn't even actually kill him, Susan did. And she lost Dean. I certainly do not envy her. And she probably--"

"Susan and I... talked. She doesn't blame you," Jan said. "And if it wasn't for you, she wouldn't even get the chance to do what she did."

"But you could say the same thing about--"

"Let's say it was a team effort and leave it at that. Like this whole victory."

"Didn't Harry tell us that Dumbledore and Yoda told him something along these lines in his vision?"

"I remember that. I think it applied to us, not just to Harry."

"How so?"

"That Death Eater--"

"Snape."

"Snape," Jan said, "and his wife--"

"I still can't believe Snape was married. What?" He looked at her. "If you had him as a teacher for seven years, you wouldn't believe it either."

"Maybe," Jan agreed. "But that's not what I'm talking about. Even the married couple weren't fighting as a team--for the most part. Oh, the stormtroopers had the cooperation fostered by military discipline--that's not what I'm talking about. On our side, we had three groups, with very different cultures and ways of thinking. Our soldiers, your wizards, and the Ewoks. And we quickly established rapport and carried out combined operations. The Imperial military couldn't have done that--and neither could Snape and his wife.

"So because they didn't work together, we managed to take them on one by one."

"And thus they lost," Jan said.

"I'm still worried that something happened to Harry."

"Is your sister in distress?" Jan asked.

"No."

"Than he's all right."

"You sure?"

"Positive. If something happened to you, I'd feel it."

"Lots of couples down there," Ron pointed out.

"Maybe we should add one more?" Jan grinned.

He laughed. "Agreed. And I promise you, if it ever comes to that, this couple will be fighting as a team."

XXXXXXX

Despite her exhaust, Hermione knew she couldn't sleep. Soon after the battle, she managed to contact the ground team, and learned that Ron, Ginny, Jan, Han, and Leia were still alive... and that almost the entire Dumbledore's Army showed up on the moon to fight. There was still, however, no word from either Harry or Luke...

Her squadron turned out to be quite fortunate. Erad Loth safely made it out of the Death Star along with Wedge and Lando. Considering the odds they faced, to have six pilots out of twelve survive was almost a miracle. Among the twelve squadrons of Red, Gold, Green, and Grey groups, only the Rogues fared better, with eight survivors.

And everyone said she deserved the credit for it. She'd been effectively in command for more than half of the battle, and every pilot remembered her saving their life at least once. Most even said she was a much better leader than Pash.

Hermione sighed. After the memorial service for the whole fleet, followed by a short service for Blade Squadron, over which she had to preside, she just wanted time to think. They won here, true. But what happened to Harry? Was about Voldemort? And what was she going to do now that there apparently was a way to travel between their two worlds?

A knock interrupted her thoughts. "Come in," she said.

Wedge entered. "Hermione," he said.

"Wedge." She hugged him.

"Sorry I didn't come earlier. We had a service, and then, I had no idea you went here."

"It's all right. I was thinking."

"I know."

"So what's going on?"

He smiled. "Luke contacted me."

"Luke? And--"

"He and Harry are all right. They're both on the planet below."

"And--"

"He said that Harry will tell everyone what happened later."

"Luke said that? You mean, you didn't talk to Harry?"

"Harry was... away. At least, that's the word Luke used."

Hermione laughed. "I think I can guess where... or at least, with whom."

Wedge's face turned more serious for a moment. "You want to go down to the planet?"

"Sure," she agreed. She had no intention to wait for her friends up here.

"Come on." Wedge put his arm around her. "And Hermione... what is it with you and your fighters' wings? You break one in every battle."

"I didn't at Suran."

"No. There, it was the whole fighter."

She chuckled. "You should be glad that it wasn't anything more substantial... like my head."

"I am. You have no idea how glad I am." He kissed her.

"Wedge!" she chided, but didn't stop him.

The shuttle ride was short... or maybe, she just thought it was short. But when they got out, Hermione took a very deep breath. She hasn't smelled a forest for ages.

In the distance, many bright fires were burning. They headed in that direction.

"What are you going to do now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, people from your world showed up here, right? That means there is a way back for you and your friends. Will you go back?"

"Yes, at least for a while. I have to see my parents, assure them that I'm all right."

"Will you stay there?"

"I... I don't know."

"Hermione," he said.

"Yes?"

He stopped, and turned her head around. Looking into her eyes, he whispered, "I love you."

"I love you, Wedge."

"Hermione, I've been in love with you for a long time--certainly longer than you knew about it. You're the best companion I've ever had--in anything. I realize you have to return to your world now, but... I want us to have a future. Together." He took her hand, and got on his knee. "Hermione Jane Granger,"--he looked up at her, and, with his free hand, pulled a ring-- "will you marry me?"