The Temple of Le Fay

Epilogue

To Ron's great disgust, he, Harry and Hermione were still expected to sit their SKREWTs that week. He grumbled through the entire week, whenever Hermione was out of earshot.

Ginny, for her part, said little about her OWLs and made no complaint about having to sit them so soon after the fight. In fact, she didn't say anything to Harry that week nor the following week, which was the last of term.

Harry wasn't sure exactly what that meant. She had apparently closed off her end of the link again, which was understandable. It was, however, apparently open far enough that they could feel each other somewhat as Harry found himself glancing up at the portrait hole several seconds before she entered, and at other times she was similarly able to anticipate his appearance.

*

Draco had reappeared one morning during exams, left unconscious on the steps of Hogwarts. Harry only learned this on the last day of term, when a letter arrived from Sirius and Remus, letting him know that Draco was alive and being monitored by the Order.

We just don't know if they've done anything to him. He doesn't seem to remember anything after being hit with that spell by Lucius. He might be a spy, he might be innocent, he might be anything.

But he's alive. And for that we can all be grateful.

Harry privately agreed, tucking the letter into his robes and staring for a moment at the empty spot beside Luna Lovegood at the Ravenclaw table. She seemed to be her usual, slightly eccentric self, and Harry supposed that she knew about Draco being alive.

Although with Luna, it was always difficult to tell.

*

Professor Skeeter was confined to the hospital wing upon their return to Hogwarts. Voldemort, with a single curse, had done more damage to her body than Madam Pomfrey said she had ever seen anyone survive before.

Lockhart stayed by her side day and night. Dumbledore arranged for the finest mediwizards to visit her.

By the last day of term, it was announced that she was out of immediate danger, and very slowly improving, although she would have to be moved to St. Mungo's for long term treatment.

As Harry went to say goodbye, she smiled at him in a very wan manner.

"I had my chance, and I didn't do much with it," she said. "Don't make the same mistake, Potter."

Lockhart, who offered the ghost of a smile to Harry, wheeled her out of the hospital wing.

"I'll look after her," he said. "I can read her my books. That should cheer her up."

"They always made us laugh," Harry said absently. The comment was met by a snort of laughter from Skeeter, and a slightly affronted look from Lockhart. Handshakes were exchanged, and Harry walked them down to the gates, the entire time mulling over Skeeter's words.

Will I have to fight him again? Another minute and he'd have killed me. What can I do against that kind of power?

As he watched, the Knight Bus appeared with a loud BANG and Stan Shunpike hopped down to help Skeeter and Lockhart aboard. Harry reached into his robes and drew his wand, which shone brightly in his hand.

Nearly two months after he had fought the two Death Eaters, there was no noticeable diminishing in the glow. Even dueling Voldemort didn't seem to have drained it.

I suppose I just have to keep learning, Harry thought. I've got my NEWTs next year. Maybe Auror training after that. Dumbledore says that he's going to face Tom, but everyone else seems to think I'll have to fight him.

He looked up at the castle, where the sun was dipping slowly behind the turrets.

The least I can do is try my best.

*

For Harry, boarding the Hogwarts Express was a genuinely sobering experience. The Order had reassembled the previous evening for a memorial service for Mad-Eye Moody and Dedalus Diggle and he had spent the evening holding a final study session with some third year Ravenclaws who had been bright enough not to question his completely black attire. Ron, who had bonded quickly with Dedalus Diggle despite their brief acquaintanceship, had spent the night throwing hexes at a group of sixth year Hufflepuffs who had had the sense not to ask him what was wrong. He seemed to be better now, although his thoughts had been elsewhere more often than not since the return from Godric's Hollow.

Nonetheless, Harry found himself dreading leaving Hogwarts. For all that the year had been a bad one, Harry didn't want to return to the Dursleys. The most incredible good fortune had snatched him away from them the previous summer, but Harry knew that he couldn't count on the same luck this year.

He settled into a compartment with Ron, Hermione, Seamus and Lavender and watched the world go by. He found himself wondering if the Dursleys had changed at all in the time that he'd been away. He hoped that Dudley hadn't lost weight. If he had, it might be harder to outrun him if he decided to beat Harry up. For all his new skills in self-defence, Harry didn't dare lay a hand on Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia's 'precious Duddykins'. It was ironic that he could stand face to face with Voldemort, but Dudley still worried him. He slipped into a reverie where he was free to use magic on his fat cousin, and Vernon and Petunia as well.

Yeah, that would be fun. The sort of thing Tom would do, I imagine.

"Harry? Harry!"

Harry jerked upright to see Hermione looking at him in concern.

"What? Sorry."

"Ron was saying," she said in a tone that suggested she didn't think that what Ron had said was worth repeating, "that he saw Dean and Cho Chang alone in an empty compartment just now."

"Alone? So what?"

"Kissing alone," Ron said grinning.

"Really?" Harry asked, a small light going off in his head. He remembered Dean looking out into the crowd of students during their duel in Defence class weeks before. Now he knew who Dean had been looking at.

"Really," Ron confirmed.

"Excellent," Harry said, genuinely pleased for his friends. "I think they'll be good for each other."

"Weird, though," Seamus said. "Remember he picked her at Truth or Dare last summer?"

"Yeah," Harry said, the memory popping up in his mind. "Funny how things work out."

"Are you going to answer your owl?" Hermione asked.

"What? What owl?"

Lavender giggled. "The owl that's been hooting at you for the last twenty minutes," she said, pointing up at the luggage rack above him.

Harry looked up. One of the school owls peered down at him with a disapproving look on her face.

"Oh," he said. He reached up and took the message from the owl, which took flight immediately. Harry supposed that in twenty minutes the Hogwarts Express would travel a long way, and the owl wasn't very pleased at having to cover that distance by wing. As he unfolded the parchment, the compartment door slid open and Ginny came in and took a seat opposite him. Harry stared at the message for several seconds before he was able to fully focus on it.

Dear Harry, it read.

Well done on surviving another year at Hogwarts. Most impressive. I sincerely hope to see you here again on September 1^st for your seventh year. In the meantime, as you may be aware, your seventeenth birthday will allow you all the rights of an adult wizard including, I will point out, the right to take - and hopefully pass - your Apparation exam. I hope the enclosed will be of use.

Best wishes,

Albus Dumbledore

Harry looked at the booklet that had been enclosed. It was titled Apparating: Twelve Sure Steps to Getting There Without Splinching Yourself (And Twelve More Steps to Make Sure You Get Back Safely.) by Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore

"Wow," Ron said, reading the letter over Harry's shoulder as Ginny picked up the booklet. "You can come and visit us!"

"Yeah... Hey, Hermione, if I'm an adult at seventeen, can I leave the Dursleys?"

"Well, I suppose so," Hermione said. "But wouldn't Dumbledore want you to stay there?"

"He wouldn't have given Harry this if he wanted him to stay at the Dursleys once he's seventeen," Ginny said, leafing through the booklet. Harry glanced at her, but didn't say anything.

Is she looking forward to me coming to the Burrow? Why won't she say something?

Harry settled back in his seat. There was only six weeks or so until his birthday, and if he kept himself busy learning the theory of Apparition...

Won't Dudley be surprised on July 31^st?

*

The train pulled into Kings Cross station with a final gasp of steam from the brakes. Harry and the others pulled their trunks down from the luggage rack and joined the queue to re-enter the Muggle world.

"See you in six weeks," Harry said, grinning at Ron.

"Maybe before then," Ron said, grinning back. "I'm already seventeen, remember? I might be over to see you next week."

"I'm sure I'll see you at the Burrow soon," Hermione said. "Make sure you write, though. I want to hear all about your summer."

"There won't be much to tell, but yeah, I will," Harry said. "See you."

Ron and Hermione walked hand-in-hand through the barrier.

"Harry!"

Harry turned to see Dean and Cho coming up to him, holding each other's hands. Cho was blushing in a very pretty way, while Dean looked as though he couldn't believe his luck.

The three of them stared at each other and then grinned. Harry and Dean shared a quick, back-slapping hug and Harry and Cho a slightly less violent one. The new couple passed on into the Muggle world.

Harry hung back, looking through the crowd, smiling and exchanging good-byes with what seemed like half of Hogwarts. He waved to Blaise Zabini, and grinned at Justin Finch-Fletchley and Eloise Midgen as they accompanied Ernie and Hannah through the barrier.

And eventually Harry was alone on the platform.

She's gone. I missed even saying goodbye to her.

He looked around one more time, but there was no sign of the fiery mane of hair anywhere on the platform. Harry's shoulders sagged.

I just wanted to say goodbye...

He trudged through the barrier and into the bright, neon-lit expanse of Kings Cross station. Uncle Vernon stood under the clock. He glared at Harry, not even needing to say that Harry was late. Slowly, dispiritedly, Harry began to make his way across the station towards a long six weeks of nothing but Dursleys.

"Harry?"

He spun around so fast that to Ginny it seemed like there had been no movement involved. One moment, he had been walking away from her. The next, he was facing her, a silly smile on his face.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi. I thought I'd missed you," she said.

"I thought I'd missed you," he replied. "I waited on the platform for you, but-

"Oh," she said, giggling. "I was waiting out here."

He smiled, and tried to think of something to say, but nothing sprang easily to mind.

"Well... Bye then," he said, looking down at his shoes.

"Oh, yes. Have a good summer," Ginny replied, looking a little crestfallen.

"Yeah, you too."

They turned away from each other, and then Ginny turned back, a determined look on her face.

"Harry?" she said forcefully.

"Yes?"

"I'm- I'm really looking forward to you coming over later in the summer," she said.

He grinned at her in relief.

"Me too," he said. "I hope we get the chance to, y'know, talk and stuff."

The ghost of a smile touched her lips. "Still the great elocutionist you've always been," she teased.

He grinned, and nodded. She stood up on tiptoes and kissed him softly on his cheek.

"I'll see you soon," she said, before turning and walking back to where the other Weasleys were waiting and trying very hard to make it look as though they hadn't been watching the entire scene.

Harry saw Ron give him a thumbs-up as Ginny joined them, and grinned. He raised a hand to touch the spot where Ginny had kissed him, something he'd only read about other people doing before. He smiled.

Six weeks. And then, who knows?

The End (Really!)