Broken Fate

Chapter Thirty-Three ~ Resolutions

After Dumbledore's talk with Harry, Ginny, and Hermione, Harry and Ginny had again disappeared, and Hermione had joined Ron for breakfast. She wasn't feeling particularly hungry, but she tried to eat something. She had been wary about eating anything from the kitchens, given what she knew of poisons being hidden in drinks in the original timeline. Dumbledore, however, had insured that all of the old food and drink, and even dishes, in the kitchen had been completely cleared out, and more had been imported overnight, just in case. So she picked at her food, trying to ignore all the whispers and stares.

"Hermione." Ron waved a hand in front of her face. "Are you all right?"

"I...feel odd."

"You're not the only one." Ron wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple. "You should--oh, mail's here."

Hermione watched the flurry of owls, and when one dropped off her copy of the Daily Prophet, she was eager to look at it, but afraid at the same time. She finally unrolled it and stared at the front cover. MINISTRY CONFIRMS YOU-KNOW-WHO'S DEATH!

Hermione read all about how a group of Hogwarts students, led by Harry Potter, had stormed Azkaban and killed Dumbledore. It was pretty accurate, and even listed the deaths of Lavender, Filip, and Justin. It didn't go into details on how Voldemort had died, only that 'Harry, his girlfriend Ginny Weasley, his best friend Hermione Granger, and a young French girl named Gabrielle Delacour seemed to play a part in his downfall. Albus Dumbledore tells the Prophet that it was Harry, in the end, that ultimately defeated him.' It went on for quite a while, promising to deliver more news on Voldemort's defeat as they received it.

Another article Hermione found of particular interest was one on page four that was headlined: DID JAMIE POTTER MAKE THE JOURNEY TO THE PAST ALONE? Hermione read it quickly. Someone had certainly done their research--and she wouldn't have been surprised if the reporters had spoken to someone who had overheard Will's confession to being Jamie's cousin.

Harry Potter went to Azkaban in an attempt to rescue Jamie Potter,
daughter by blood, though not by time. For months, we have believed
that Jamie came to this time alone, but now we have learned otherwise.
Will Warren and Shay Long arrived as six-year transfer students from a
school in Norway at the start of last term. Sources have confirmed that
Will Warren is actually one Will Weasley, cousin to Jamie Potter.
It is believed that "Shay Long" is also an alias, and that he is also from the
future. This is made all the more likely since none of the three wizard
schools in Norway have a record of a "Will Warren" or a "Shay Long"
ever attending.

There wasn't much else the reporter knew, but Hermione was sure that wouldn't last long. Molly had been wandering around the school with Will--and with Ron--whenever she had the chance. Word had already spread through everyone in the school that Will and Molly's parents had been Ron and Hermione, so it was only a matter of time before their identities--and Shay's--would be plastered all over the newspaper.

Other articles spoke of huge celebrations that had been going on around the wizarding world, far grander than anything that had been seen after Voldemort's first downfall. The Ministry of Magic in various countries was trying to keep things under control, especially after the recent dementor attacks. While the Muggles had not been able to see the dementors, there had been numerous people who had been Kissed. Hundreds had witnessed the witches and wizards battling the invisible enemies. And then, of course, there had been the town of St. Thomas, who witnessed twenty-some students Apparating and Displacing all over the place, and then zooming off across the ocean on broomsticks. The Ministry had done some of the biggest Memory Modifications in history and had managed to come up with explanations to give the families of those who had been Kissed. They were doing their best to track down anyone who might have escaped the mass Memory Modifications. The Prophet also reported that 'several tourists recorded the events of yesterday's dementor attacks on Muggle contraptions called 'video cameras' (similar to a Reciprocated Mirror, only far more complicated). The Ministry has collected the 'videos'.

Ron interrupted Hermione's perusal of the newspaper. "Here comes Dennis." He nodded at the approaching boy.

Dennis had always been the student who seemed to always learn everything first; he was often called Gryffindor's spy, and he always popped up in unexpected places. So it had been no surprise to Hermione when he had begun bringing news from the hospital wing, when no one else had been able to get past Madam Pomfrey. Then she had learned that Gabrielle, who had stayed in Gryffindor Tower overnight, was accompanying him back and forth to the hospital wing. Between the two of them, it was no surprise that they were able to get in and out of the hospital wing.

"Any news?" Hermione asked.

Dennis nodded brightly. "Ernie Macmillan finally got to leave the infirmary, and Samantha Greer just woke up. Gabrielle stayed to talk to her."

Gabrielle could talk the ear off a hippogriff given the chance, something Hermione had learned during Christmas break. "And Madam Pomfrey hasn't thrown her out on her ears?"

"I think she gave up. Gabrielle promised she'd stay out of the way. And I think it helped that she brought Madam Pomfrey tea from the kitchens," Dennis added thoughtfully. "I'll let you know if I hear anything else." He hustled off.

Ron snorted. "So Gabrielle already knows where the kitchens are, eh? She's not even in Hogwarts yet, and it took us till what? Our fourth year?"

Hermione nodded absently.

"Hey, have you seen Fred and Angelina?" Ron asked.

"No, they're here?"

"Yes...they would've been here sooner, except they were helping the Muggle Protection Aurors--you know, the ones Dad set up last year--move the Muggles to certain areas. It made it easier to modify their memories. Anyway, you should have heard Angelina when she saw me...it reminded me of my Quidditch training last year. She asked me if I had any idea what I was doing, running off to Azkaban--especially with Gabrielle. And did I know what Fleur was going to say when she got back? Apparently, they've been unreachable in France, though they'll probably hear news about You-Know-Who and come back. Then, after Angelina was finished screaming at me, she burst into tears and hugged me--about squeezed me to death--and cried about how You-Know-Who is gone and we helped defeat him and on and on..."

"What did Fred say?"

"'Pregnancy hormones.'"

Hermione snorted. That sounded like Fred. "Where are they now?"

"Ah, wandering around somewhere. I'm sure you'll see them later."

~*~

When Shay opened his eyes, it took him a long moment to figure out where he was. When he realized he was in the infirmary, a curtain drawn around his bed, he sat straight up, wincing when he felt a sharp pain in his chest. What was he doing here? What had happened?

The next thing that drew his attention was the lilting speech of a girl's voice. He recognized it instantly as Gabrielle's. How many times had he heard her going on and on about one thing or another over Christmas break? Her French accent was much lighter than it had been then, though. What was she doing at Hogwarts? Wasn't she supposed to be at Grimmauld Place?

Shay threw his curtain open, and saw that Gabrielle was sitting on the end of the bed directly across from him. Samantha was lying flat in the bed, but was awake and smiling at Gabrielle. Then Shay noticed that Neville was asleep on the bed beside him...and Susan Bones was next to him...and a Ravenclaw named Joshua Stoner was beside Samantha.

Gabrielle turned at the sound of his curtain opening, and she beamed. "Shay! You're awake! I have to tell Dennis." She hopped off the bed and ran to the door. She opened it and whispered something, then turned around and skipped back to sit on Samantha's bed.

"Hi, Shay," Samantha whispered, her voice sounding croaky. "Nice to see you up. I suppose you're confused as hell."

"Um, yes. Why are you in here? Why am I in here? What happened?"

"I got cursed. I can't even sit up; Madam Pomfrey said I have to stay lying for at least a week. As far as what happened to you--I really have no idea. As far as what happened in general--let's just say you know how to pick the wrong time to wind up in the hospital wing."

"Voldemort's dead!" Gabrielle exclaimed promptly.

Shay stared at her for a long, long moment. Those words simply would not process in his mind. "Excuse me?"

"It's true," Samantha said hoarsely. "Don't ask; Gabrielle was just trying to explain things to me. I got hit with a curse early on in the battle and missed the main event."

"What battle?" Shay asked, beginning to lose his patience.

"The one in Azkaban," Gabrielle replied. She turned so she could easily look at both Shay and Samantha. "When we went to rescue Jamie."

"Went to--what?"

"Mr. Long!" Madam Pomfrey's sharp voice drew Shay's attention. "I was wondering if you would wake up today. I need to--"

"No! No one's doing anything until someone tells me what's happening!"

The door to the hospital wing burst open, and Will, Ron, and Hermione entered. Shay was even more surprised to see Molly holding Ron's hand. He felt suddenly dizzy, and pressed a hand to his temple. "How long have I been here?"

"Since yesterday," Madam Pomfrey replied tartly. "You were hit with numerous Stunning Spells."

Stunned...that's right...it had been Draco Malfoy, but...

"And you four! You're not supposed to be in the infirmary!" Madam Pomfrey said, wheeling on Will, Ron, Hermione, and Molly.

"Please, Madam Pomfrey. We need to talk to Shay," Hermione pleaded.

Madam Pomfrey huffed. "If I let every student in here who wanted to come in this past night..."

"May we just have ten minutes?" Will asked quietly. "Dumbledore wanted us to talk to Shay when he woke up."

"Fine. Ten minutes only, and then you're out!" Madam Pomfrey stopped at Neville's bed and checked something, then grabbed a potion from Samantha's bedside table. "You need to take this, Miss Greer. It will make you sleep again, but--"

"I just woke up!" Samantha protested.

"You need to take this," Madam Pomfrey repeated. Samantha sighed, but took the potion. Within moments, she was asleep, and Madam Pomfrey continued into her office.

Shay turned immediately on Will. "Will! Would you tell me what is going on?"

Will bit his lip, looking rather apprehensive. "What were you told?"

"Not much. Why don't you start from the beginning?"

Will sat on the edge of Neville's bed. "What's the last thing you remember?"

Shay crossed his arms and turned to face Will. "I came out of my Transfiguration exam. I was late leaving, because McGonagall wanted to talk to me. When I left, I ran into Draco in the hallway." His eyes narrowed. "He was being controlled by the Imperius Curse."

Will straightened.

"What?" Ron asked, puzzled.

"It's part of the 'seeing false faces,'" Will murmured.

Shock coursed through Shay, and his eyes narrowed further. Will wouldn't have... "Will...you didn't tell them! You wouldn't!"

"He didn't. He didn't break any promises to you," Hermione said quickly. "It was what Gabrielle told us."

"Gabrielle?" Shay whirled on the girl.

"Wait." Hermione held up a hand. "I need to really understand this. I know now that you have abilities, due to being part-veela," she told Shay. "I've seen them at work, but I would like a complete explanation, if you don't mind."

"What do you mean, you've seen them at work?"

Will took a deep breath and proceeded to tell Shay exactly what had happened the previous day, starting with Gabrielle coming to Hogwarts with Angelina and continuing to the part where they devised a plan for getting into Azkaban.

For a moment, Shay was too shocked and furious to speak. Finally, in a very low voice, he said, "You took Gabrielle to Azkaban?"

"Yes."

Shay was still staring at Will as if he didn't recognize him. Finally, teeth clenched, he said, "I don't even know what to say to you."

"It was not his fault!" Gabrielle said earnestly. "I would have gone no matter what! I was the only one who could help save Jamie!"

"Hear the whole story, Shay," Hermione said softly. "Voldemort wouldn't have been defeated if it weren't for Gabrielle."

Will held his breath, probably wondering exactly what Shay was going to say next. Shay stared at him for a long moment. He trusted Will more than he trusted anyone, but he couldn't believe he had actually risked taking Gabrielle to Azkaban! Had Will been anyone else, Shay might have cursed him then and there. He knew Will, though. He honestly didn't think Will would have done it if he felt there was another choice. He took a deep breath. "Tell me the rest."

It took a lot of explaining, and a lot of exclamations and several curses on Shay's part. When they finally finished, Shay sat in silence for a long time, stunned. Voldemort was gone...gone. They had done it. They had actually succeeded in preventing their future from taking place. It was such an enormous idea that he couldn't quite wrap his brain around it. For one of the few times in his life, he found himself speechless.

Gabrielle, however, was still full of words. "You are from another time, are you not?"

Shay stared at her dazedly, caught off balance by the abrupt change in subject. "What?"

"Will told the other students that he was from the future. He is Jamie's cousin. Jamie was born when Harry and Ginny grew up and got married and had a baby. And when Hermione and Ron grew up, they had Will and Molly. And you are Will's best friend, and you are Jamie's boyfriend. So you are from the future as well." Gabrielle beamed at him in satisfaction. "I finally figured it out! I knew there was something about you!"

Shay still couldn't believe that Will had given up his identity, but in the light of everything that had happened, it really didn't matter now if people knew who they were. "Yes."

Gabrielle nodded in satisfaction, and Shay was very glad that she didn't ask about his parents. He was sure people were going to figure things out soon enough. Did he really want everyone knowing his true identity? His eyes drifted over to Neville, and he thought about everything Neville had done for the wizarding world, and his friends, and even Shay himself. It was at that moment that he truly realized how much he had changed over the past year. He was proud to be related to Neville, in whatever strange way. He was proud to be a Longbottom. For the first time, he truly comprehended how Jamie and Will could think of these past versions of their parents as their parents. Even Gabrielle, so young, had chosen to participate in something that could have got her killed, because she wanted to save Jamie. How long would it be before she found out who she really was in his time?

"Say, Gabrielle?" Will said. "Would you mind finding Blaise and telling him that Shay's awake, so he can tell the other Slytherins, just in case Dennis doesn't get to it?"

Gabrielle's attention turned away from Shay, and she nodded. "Of course!" She bounced out of the hospital wing.

Once she was gone, Hermione turned to Shay and raised her eyebrows. "She's going to figure it out before too long. So is everyone else--especially once everyone knows who your father was. It's kind of hard not to notice how much you look like Gabrielle."

"Look, I really don't want to talk about it right now."

"Fine--but just ask yourself one thing: do you want Gabrielle to hear it from a newspaper or a rumor, or from you?" Hermione asked.

As much as Shay didn't want to admit it, she had a point, but he really didn't want to think about trying to explain things to Gabrielle. She was still a little girl.

"Now that you've heard our story, I'd still like to hear more of yours," Hermione spoke up pointedly. "Malfoy under the Imperius Curse? Gabrielle told us a lot of what her abilities are, but it would be nice to hear the full story."

Shay sighed. "I...look, it's not easy to talk about."

"I'd like to think we've earned the right to know," Hermione replied.

Shay exchanged looks with Will, but finally sighed and nodded. "It's...well, in the original timeline, Bill and Fleur were captured by Death Eaters, but they escaped." He shrugged and looked at Will. He wasn't all that good at telling stories.

Will nodded and turned to Ron and Hermione. "Fleur's fear and panic at being captured awoke some latent abilities in her. Up until this point, no one knew that people who are part wizard and part veela could do anything special. Anyway, Fleur didn't know she had these...abilities. She used them to escape with Bill, and then she found that it was easy to teach them to Gabrielle." He looked back at Shay, who shifted uncomfortably.

"My mother taught them to me when I was little." He sighed and closed his eyes. "They consist of primarily three things--the ability to form fire in our hands, for one. Then...well, I like to think of it as a natural Imperius Curse. We have the ability, as you've learned, to use our voices to control others." He opened his eyes. "When we're controlling someone, they aren't aware of anything. They could be controlled for hours and not remember anything about those hours. It can't be fought like the Imperius Curse. And due to the controlling nature of these abilities, we can't be affected by the Imperius Curse. I never had to learn to fight it, because it didn't matter if someone used it against me."

That was obviously a new piece of information, as Hermione sucked in her breath and Ron's eyebrows shot up. "Wow."

"Really," Hermione said, shooting a glance at Will and Gabrielle.

Shay nodded. "When the Death Eaters captured Bill and Fleur, they put Bill under the Imperius Curse, and tried to do the same to Fleur." It felt very odd--almost wrong--to be telling this story. Shay was so used to protecting his secret. "It didn't work, and Fleur freaked out, shot fire out of her hands, and then...without really knowing what she was doing, she changed her voice and shouted at them to freeze. The Death Eaters all went into a trance, and she and Bill escaped. Then Fleur joined the Order. She gave the Order a great advantage. Except that Voldemort had also learned of these abilities." Shay's eyes hardened. "There were Reciprocated Mirrors in the place where Fleur and Bill had been brought, and the whole thing was recorded. So Voldemort decided he needed someone who was part-veela to study, to find out the extent of these powers. And since there are only a few in the world, he went after the person he saw as the easiest target--Gabrielle."

"Ohhh," Hermione breathed in sudden understanding.

Shay gave a sharp nod. "She had just started school at Beauxbatons, and Voldemort attacked the school. He didn't get Gabrielle, but the school was destroyed, and many students died. They were moved to Hogwarts, and Gabrielle was sorted into Gryffindor House."

Ron's jaw dropped. "You mean...when you told us that Beauxbatons was attacked...it was all because of Gabrielle?"

Shay glanced at Ron. "Yes."

"So...what happened to Fleur?" Hermione asked.

"Voldemort finally got his hands on her, and that's when he found out that not even he is immune to the abilities she possesses. She escaped again."

"So...why didn't you just tell us this before? Why the big secret? We obviously knew about it in the future." Ron asked.

"You don't understand what it was like," Shay snapped. "I spent my entire life hiding this. Anyone who was part-veela was hunted down and killed. It was hard for Voldemort's people to kill them--they had to sneak up and do it behind their backs--"

"That's why Seamus Finnigan gave his life for Gabrielle," Hermione realized. "To protect her and her ability."

"Gabrielle was one of the last," Will said quietly. "She did everything she could to keep anyone from finding out that she'd had a child."

"Well, that certainly explains why you were always so reluctant to discuss your mother," Hermione said with a sigh. "So what about Malfoy and the Imperius Curse yesterday? There's more to this, I assume."

"Yes. The last part of this is the ability to see through--"

"False faces?" Hermione asked curiously.

"In essence, yes. If someone's using Polyjuice Potion, they sort of flicker...as if they have two faces. We can also see through the Imperius Curse, which was a great advantage in the future. It looks very similar to the way we can see through Polyjuice. The person still looks like they're flickering, as if they have two faces, but there are some subtle differences. When I saw Draco in the hallway, I could tell that he was being controlled by the Imperius Curse."

Hermione frowned. "That doesn't make sense," she said. "Malfoy's been working with the Death Eaters. Why would he bother to let someone put the Imperius Curse on him?"

"I believe I have the answer for that."

Hermione was startled by the sound of Dumbledore's voice. She turned to see him approaching them. "I have spent this afternoon questioning some of the Death Eaters we captured at Azkaban. Interestingly enough, one of them was Peter Pettigrew."

"You caught him?" Ron asked anxiously.

"Does that mean that Sirius has finally been cleared?" Hermione asked.

"He has," Dumbledore said with a smile.

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Hermione beamed.

"Yeah, if only he were alive to enjoy it," Ron said a bit bitterly.

Hermione looked shocked. "Don't say that in front of Harry!"

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Ron asked, raising his eyebrows.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, interrupting the argument. "I also learned that it was he who snuck into the school and abducted Jamie. Mr. Malfoy was put under the Imperius Curse by request--so that if anyone were to have any questions about his participation in this matter, he would honestly be able to tell them he was made to do it. According to Pettigrew, once under the Imperius Curse, Mr. Malfoy Stunned Shay several times, hid him in the broom cupboard, and left the school, giving Pettigrew time to take Polyjuice Potion, transforming into Shay, and using a Portkey to remove Jamie from the school."

"Why couldn't Malfoy have just used the Portkey to take Jamie?" Ron asked.

Hermione sighed impatiently. "Because, Ron, he doesn't know how to make a Portkey, and in order for a Portkey to work inside Hogwarts, it has to have been created in Hogwarts, remember?"

"And it was easy for Peter Pettigrew to sneak into the grounds as a rat," Dumbledore nodded in agreement.

"I hope he rots in prison," Ron said angrily.

"Yes, what are they doing with the Death Eaters, Professor?" Hermione asked. "I mean, are you going to be using Azkaban again? What about the dementors?"

"We will not be employing the dementors any longer. Minister Fudge has finally been convinced that it is not safe." Dumbledore's eyebrows twitched, and he continued, "The Bulgarian government has some use for them, and will be...utilizing them in some of their work. Meanwhile, as Azkaban has been reclaimed, we will again be putting prisoners there, but they will be guarded by Aurors. Peter Pettigrew will be put in a specially designed cell which will prevent him from being able to escape as a rat."

"Did any of the Death Eaters die?" Ron asked. "During the battle?"

"No. However, several were cursed in such a way that they will probably spend the rest of their lives suffering the effects of those curses. Also, you'll remember the eight Death Eaters that young Miss Delacour held in place with her voice while you Stunned and Full-Body Binded them?"

"Yes," Hermione said slowly. "Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange were among them."

"Indeed," Dumbledore said quietly. "They were found lying on the floor in the hallway of Azkaban, likely where you left them. All eight had been Kissed. It seems the Dementors sensed the battle, and any victims fed their hunger."

Hermione shivered. "They wouldn't have been Kissed if it hadn't been for us."

"Don't you think they deserved it?" Shay asked sharply.

"They were horrible people," Hermione said softly. "And it finally caught up with them."

Shay wasn't sure whether to take that as an agreement, but he nodded.

"So what's going to happen to Malfoy?" Ron asked.

"His fate lies in the hands of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. He is seventeen, and as such, he is being faced with adult charges in aiding and abetting Voldemort. He has been taken to the Ministry."

Which was nothing less than what he deserved, Shay thought, as long as he was found guilty. He had no pity for Draco Malfoy--not after he had killed his mother in the future, and not after he had helped Voldemort get his hands on Jamie.

"It will take a while for everything to be sorted out. The Ministry is going to be very busy for quite a while." Dumbledore told them. He went to speak with Madam Pomfrey for a moment, and then left the infirmary. Moments later, Madam Pomfrey chased Ron, Will, Hermione, and Molly out. She then turned her attention on Shay. "You. Sit. I need to double-check everything, and then you may leave the hospital wing."

Shay considered protesting, but decided Madam Pomfrey looked harassed enough. He sat on his bed and submitted to her tests. She finally nodded in satisfaction and pronounced him fit. "You may leave."

Shay headed for the door when it opened and Jamie stepped inside. Her eyes locked on Shay, and he froze in shock. Her face was paler than he had ever seen it, and huge dark rings surrounded her shadowed eyes. There was a haunted look in them that Shay recognized--it was one that Jamie had worn a lot the last few years. He hadn't realized how much it had faded over the past year until he was faced with it again.

Shay stepped forward and carefully rested his hands on the sides of her face. "Jamie?"

Jamie sagged forward, wrapping her arms loosely around Shay, and he closed his eyes for a long moment. It was a good thing Voldemort was dead, because that was the only thing that could possibly satisfy what had been done to her. "They said you were in St. Mungo's."

"I was released an hour ago," Jamie said quietly. "Mr. Weasley brought me to Hogwarts, and Dennis Creevey said you were in here."

"Have you seen Will yet? Or Harry and Ginny?"

"No. Dennis said Will might be up here, but he wasn't sure where Harry and Ginny are." Shay felt wetness on the front of his shirt, and realized that Jamie had silent tears running down her cheeks. "They told me what happened in Azkaban. I'm not quite sure what happened before that...I don't know how I got to Azkaban...and I only remember..." Jamie caught her breath and shook her head. "I want to see Will," she said plaintively.

"Come on, we'll go find him. He just left a few minutes ago."

It didn't take long to track down Will; he was still with Ron, Hermione, and Molly, and they were in the entrance hall talking to Bill and Fleur, who must have just arrived at Hogwarts. Fleur was clinging to Gabrielle and crying, speaking very quickly in French. Shay stood back slightly while Jamie ran into Will's arms and clung to him, tuning half an ear into Fleur's words--she was alternately lecturing Gabrielle and crying that she was so thankful Gabrielle was safe.

Looking past the group, Shay saw that the doors to the Great Hall stood open, and many students and teachers were setting up decorations inside. He frowned. "What are they doing?"

"There's going to be a celebration tonight," Hermione told him. "In honor of Voldemort's defeat...and in remembrance of those who died to bring freedom to the world."

~*~

"Jamie, there you are! Dad said you were back!" Ginny spotted Jamie sitting between Will and Shay in the Great Hall, watching the students and teachers milling around throwing sparkling balls of light into the air and placing streamers in various corners.

"Ginny!" Jamie looked up and smiled slightly.

Ginny hugged her tightly, and when she stepped back, she saw that her eyes, which had lost so much of the haunted look they'd had at the beginning of the year, was back. "How are you feeling?" she whispered.

"I'll...survive. I'm feeling stronger now that I'm back here," Jamie said. "How about you? I was brought up to speed on what's happened. Are you and Harry all right?"

"Yes. We've...been doing a lot of talking and thinking. I think a lot of us are still trying to process what happened. I'm sure Harry would like to see you. Can I steal you away?"

Jamie's smile widened. "Sure." She stood up. "I'll be back," she told Shay and Will. She followed Ginny out of the Great Hall. "Have you seen Bill?"

"Yes. Harry and I were in Hogsmeade...we passed Bill, Fleur, and Gabrielle on the way back to Hogwarts." Ginny cast another look at Jamie. "Do you need anything?"

"No...I'm all right," Jamie said hesitantly.

"All right...I'm here if you want to talk, though."

"I know," Jamie whispered. "Thank you. So..." She cleared her throat. "It's really, really good to see you awake again."

"I've been hearing that a lot," Ginny smiled.

"Do you know what you're going to do about your missing schooling?"

"Professor Dumbledore is letting me make it up over the summer. In the midst of everything else he's been doing today, he spoke with someone at the Ministry. It was agreed that I can go into the Ministry at the end of the summer and take my O.W.L.s there."

Jamie smiled. "That's nice."

"Yes, except for the working through the summer part," Ginny sighed.

"On the bright side, I hear Bill and Fleur's wedding is back on," Jamie said.

Ginny brightened. "Yes, on July first." She had found out that Bill and Fleur had been going to hold off on their wedding until Ginny had woken, which she thought was very nice of them, considering at the time, there had been no way to know how long she would sleep.

"That'll be nice to see," Jamie said. "I've never seen a wedding before."

"Really? Oh, it'll be fun. I'll have to get Mum to take us shopping on Diagon Alley..." Ginny rambled on about the wedding. It was relieving to talk about a light subject, and give her brain a rest from running through everything that had happened lately.

~*~

"We are here tonight," Dumbledore said in a strong voice, "to celebrate life." He stood facing the students in the Great Hall, who were absolutely silent as he spoke. "We have lost three of our students in the past day. Lavender Brown, Justin Finch-Fletchley, and Filip Stefan fought for hope and freedom. They wanted peace, and they gave their lives to assure it." As he spoke each name, three huge white candles that stood in front of the room lit up. "For the first time in many, many years, the world is free of the threat that was Voldemort. We have been given a second chance--" Here his eyes fell on Will, Shay, and Jamie "--and it is our duty to live for the things so many have given their lives for."

Dumbledore looked around at all of the students. "I know that many of you are grieved by the loss of loved ones, and may well grieve for a long time, but tonight we celebrate everything that was gained. So in honor of our friends, and in joy that Voldemort will no longer terrorize the world, we are here. Fireworks and other material have been provided by Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes." Dumbledore pointed his wand and a shower of sparks poured out, covering the room and raining down on the students. "Let the celebration begin."

~*~

As far as Harry knew, the party was still continuing, though it was nearing three in the morning. Every once in a while, the portrait hole would open and more Gryffindors would return to collapse in their beds. He wasn't sure how long he had been staring into the fire in the common room, though it was long enough for the embers to begin to grow low. Ginny had fallen asleep lying across his lap, and Harry didn't want to disturb her, though he didn't think he would be able to sleep anyway.

Jamie was asleep on the couch across from Harry and Ginny. Shay had escorted her back to Gryffindor Tower at about one o'clock, and Jamie had sat on the couch in silence, tucking her arms and legs completely into an oversized Muggle shirt. She finally confessed to them that she had spent half the previous night having nightmares, until the healers in the hospital gave her dreamless sleeping potion. "Why don't you just ask Madam Pomfrey for some more?" Ginny asked in concern.

"I don't want to take more potions. Even without the dreams, I felt bothered in my sleep...and I had a hard time waking up. I'm just going to...sit here, if that's all right."

Harry nodded. "Of course."

Jamie had finally succumbed to sleep about half an hour ago, and so far, her sleep didn't seem outwardly disturbed. Harry sighed and rubbed his scar, thinking that he would never again feel it tingle or hurt. It was an odd thought.

He heard the portrait hole open again, and moments later, heard someone clearing his throat near him. He turned, expecting to find one of his classmates, but was surprised to see Dumbledore. "Professor," he said.

"Hello, Harry. I wondered if I might visit with you for a bit."

"Er...of course."

Dumbledore carefully took a seat on the couch beside Jamie. "Ah. I always forget how comfortable the furniture is in here." He smiled as Ginny stirred and rolled over, pressing her face into Harry's shirt.

Harry was still wondering what Dumbledore was doing in the tower, but he nodded, his gaze turning back on the fire.

"How are you, Harry?" Dumbledore asked presently.

"I'm..." Fine. How could he say that? He wasn't fine, was he? "Professor, I think something's wrong with me," he blurted.

"Why is that?"

"Well...shouldn't I be feeling more than I am?" Harry turned his eyes on Dumbledore, confusion he had been feeling all day coming out in a torrent. "I mean, Voldemort is dead, isn't he? He's gone...he's not coming back? Shouldn't I be feeling elated? Shouldn't I be feeling something more? Even at the celebration... All I feel is..." Harry struggled to find the right word. "Empty." He shook his head. "Numb."

Dumbledore studied him for a long moment. "That's a perfectly normal emotion to be feeling, Harry--and yes, it is an emotion; you are feeling something. Voldemort's fate has been tied with yours since before you were born, and you have been the focus of his attention for years. You have faced him on numerous occasions, and he has threatened you and those you love for a long time." His eyes flickered to Ginny, then back to Harry. "Many witches or wizards in your position would have broken under everything you have faced. It may take you a while to adjust to the idea that that threat is gone. I believe some of your friends feel that way as well."

"Are you sure?" Harry asked. "I mean, are you sure he's gone? Couldn't he just be...without a body again, and in another ten years, I'll have to face him all over again?"

"Even before I saw Voldemort's body, before I felt it and assured that his blood had stopped flowing, I knew he was gone. The moment he died, I knew it."

"But how?"

"There are some mysteries, Harry, that are never answered. I have always had some idea of what Tom Riddle's state of being has been. He is gone. I have never been more certain of anything," Dumbledore said in a strong voice.

Harry nodded slightly, staring again into the fire.

Dumbledore stood to his feet and rested his hand on Harry's shoulder. "Give it time, Harry. You have the entire summer ahead of you. It is for you to decide what you want to do with it--you may stay where you like. Grimmauld Place is yours, and the Order will no longer need it. Kreacher can be released, as whatever information he knew no longer relates now that Voldemort is dead. And if you'd rather not stay at Grimmauld Place, I'm certain the Weasleys would also love to have you."

Harry blinked. It hadn't occurred to him that with the threat of Voldemort gone, he would be able to choose what he wanted to do, without being watched or followed. He knew he had to be careful, though, in case any of Voldemort's followers were still out there. Just look at what had happened to Neville's parents when everyone thought the threat of Voldemort was finally gone.

Dumbledore smiled at Harry and left. Harry looked down at Ginny, and it finally began to dawn on him that for the first time in his life, he was finally free.

~*~

The end of term was incredibly busy. Once the shock and disbelief at Voldemort's defeat wore off, it seemed that the last days of school were a never-ending party for most of the students. Shay spent most of the time with Jamie and Will. Molly continued to stay at the school with them. At first she seemed nervous about being around so many people, but she quickly adjusted.

As the days passed, even Jamie was doing better. She said she was still having nightmares, and probably would for quite a while. Once, out of Molly's earshot, she had said, "I can't stand thinking about it...that what was done to me was done to Molly, except she was so little." She swiped at tears on her face. "Now that our identities are coming out, I want to take her to St. Mungo's. I want to explain to the healers exactly what happened. They can look at her and see if anything can be done for her."

Will and Shay exchanged glances, and Will nodded. "That would be nice, James."

Reporters were sending owls galore to Jamie, Will, and Shay, requesting interviews. Will and Jamie's parentage was already completely known and out in the public, but Shay had been doing his best to conceal his, at least until he figured out what to do about Gabrielle. As it turned out, the decision was made for him when Gabrielle approached him two days before the end of term. She had been at Hogwarts only because Bill and Fleur were staying with Fred and Angelina until the end of term.

Gabrielle found him sitting at the lake with Jamie, and got straight to the point. "Am I your mother?"

Shay stared at her. "Excuse me?"

Gabrielle settled on the ground in front of him. "Well, I know that you are part-veela. And I have thought that perhaps Fleur and Bill had married and had you--in the future, I mean." Her forehead creased in a frown. "I asked Fleur about it, and she said that Bill could not be your father, because..." Her eyes flickered to Jamie. "You are Jamie's boyfriend. Fleur said that Ginny is Jamie's mother," she said slowly, as if making sure she got all the facts right, "And that if Bill was your father, you and Jamie would be cousins." Gabrielle wrinkled her nose, looking disgusted. "I still thought that perhaps Fleur could be your mother, but...how could she have married anyone else besides Bill?"

Jamie raised her eyebrows and looked at Shay. "Yes, Shay. How could Fleur have married anyone else?"

Shay shot her a glare to let her know she wasn't helping.

"So then I thought that perhaps your father had been part-veela...but Fleur said that the answer was right in front of my nose, and I should ask you," Gabrielle finished quickly. "I was coming to ask you when I realized that perhaps I am your mother. Or that I...was your mother, when I grew up and married." She looked puzzled for a moment, then shook her head and shrugged. "I do not know why I didn't think of that before."

Shay opened his mouth, then closed it. He felt Jamie staring at him intently, and Gabrielle was watching him with an expression of curiosity on her face. Well, here it was. He had known this time would come, hadn't he? And Gabrielle didn't seem terribly upset...

It seemed ages before he could get the word out of his mouth. "Yes." He searched her eyes for a moment. "You were my mother."

Gabrielle jumped to her feet. "I was right!" She beamed at Shay. "Does this mean I will grow up and marry and have a baby?"

That certainly hadn't been what Shay had expected her to ask. "Er..."

"Maybe, Gabrielle," Jamie spoke up. "We changed a lot of things when we came back here. Maybe you will get married someday, but that will be up to you." She smiled. "The future isn't written. It's whatever you make of it."

Gabrielle tilted her head and looked considering. Finally, she grinned and nodded. "I must go. I promised Fleur I would only be gone for ten minutes!" She turned and started to skip away, then came to a halt and turned back around. "Wait...who did I marry when I grew up?"

~*~

"Neville?"

Hermione instantly recognized the inquisitive voice as Gabrielle's. She turned to see that the girl had just entered the hospital wing. Neville had finally awakened yesterday, and Madam Pomfrey had informed him that he wasn't going to be leaving the infirmary until it was time for the train to return to King's Cross, so Hermione had gone to the infirmary to keep him company.

"Er...yes?" Neville replied.

Gabrielle approached Neville's bed. She stopped at the end of it and gazed at him for a long moment. "Jamie said I do not have to marry you."

Hermione choked, and Neville blinked, a very uncomfortable expression falling upon his face. "Er...no, no. What...what would give you that idea?"

"Because I married you in the future, when I was grown-up," Gabrielle said simply.

Hermione's eyebrows rose. So she had found out... "Did Jamie tell you that?"

"No, Shay did, but I figured it out first! Well, not that I married Neville...I figured out that I was Shay's mother!" Gabrielle said. She looked back at Neville and continued, "And Shay told me that you were his father, which means that I married you! I am certain that you are very nice, but that doesn't mean I want to marry you when I grow up. So we can be friends, all right?"

Hermione was rather glad Shay wasn't here to listen to this conversation.

Neville blinked at Gabrielle several times, seemingly searching for something to say. "Er...well, that's...just fine."

Gabrielle grinned. "All right. I really have to leave now--I am late and Fleur is going to be upset!" She trotted out of the infirmary, and Neville turned to Hermione.

"That was a little...strange," he said.

"That was...well, Gabrielle. Though she does seem to be taking this rather well." Hermione shrugged. "It might have to do with her age. It might be easier to accept something so novel at eleven. She hasn't had her mind set about some things yet."

"It could be."

Neville still looked a bit awkward, so Hermione changed the subject. "I know you only woke up yesterday, but summer vacation starts very soon. Have you given any thought to what you're going to do?"

"Well, Harry stopped by yesterday. He said I could stay at his house--isn't it strange that Harry has a house now?--this summer. Luna came by too, and still wants me to visit with her and her father. I thought it over, and I told her that I'll stay with her and her dad through July, and then go to Harry's for August. That'll give me the end of June with Gran. She might not be very happy I'll be gone the rest of the summer, but..." Neville straightened. "I'll talk to her about it. What about you?"

"I'll probably be staying at Grimmauld Place. I might go to Spain for two weeks in July with my parents, but I'm not sure yet. Ron's staying at Harry's, and Ginny's wearing her mum down so she can stay there too--I think the only reason Mrs. Weasley is even considering it is because Remus is going to continue living there. And of course, Will, Shay, Jamie, and Molly will be there. I think Harry's opening it to them on a permanent basis, unless they want to live elsewhere." Hermione smiled. Overall, things were settling very well for her friends.

"I still can't believe everything that's happened. And it's all thanks to Will and Shay and Jamie," Neville said. "I just wish they hadn't had to lose so much to get to this point."

"Yes, but they've gained a lot too. They're stuck in this time now...it's not possible to travel to the future because the future isn't written--one of the basic concepts of time-travel. Who knows what'll happen? It will be interesting to see."

Neville nodded. "Yes, it will," he agreed.

~*~

It was, without contest, the best summer of Harry's life. Harry had his best friends staying with him, with Remus as chaperone--though Remus seemed to be having as much fun as everyone else was. He didn't have to worry about Kreacher; the house-elf had been transferred over to work at Hogwarts now that there was no risk in anything he might reveal.

After much discussion, Will and Jamie finally gave the reporters everything they wanted--the full story of what had happened in their future, how and why they had come back, and what life had really been like when Voldemort ruled. The story ran in the paper for weeks.

Draco Malfoy was convicted of working with Voldemort, and aiding in the kidnapping--and thus, torture--of Jamie Potter. He was sentenced to three years in Azkaban, and then reevaluation by the Aurors to see if he was ready to reenter the world. It was strange to think that Malfoy would be in prison during what was supposed to be his seventh year, but Harry couldn't say he felt sorry for him.

Bill and Fleur married and left on their honeymoon until the end of July. Gabrielle stayed with Fred and Angelina, though she ended up staying at Grimmauld Place under Remus's care when Angelina went into labor three weeks early.

Fred and Angelina had the first Weasley child that was actually born in the proper time. It was a boy, and he had dark skin and dark curly hair. Upon seeing the baby at St. Mungo's, Ginny had commented that none of the next generation of Weasleys seemed to have the Weasley hair at all, save for Molly.

About the same time that Fred and Angelina's son was born, Jamie, Will, and Shay brought Molly into St. Mungo's for an appointment with the healers. Shay returned to Grimmauld Place hours later. "The healers want to keep Molly overnight, so Jamie and Will are staying with her."

Jamie and Will brought Molly home the next afternoon, and both looked elated. "The healers did a lot of tests on her," Jamie said, as Will took Molly to the kitchen. "They determined that Molly is physically unable to talk. Her ability to speak was destroyed when she was tortured. They did say that she seems perfectly capable of listening and understanding and learning--she responds to things you say, she's potty-trained, things like that. They agreed that all of her drawings have been her way of communicating, because it's the only way she was ever able to speak." She smiled excitedly. "They said that because of her torture, she shut different parts of herself down--she stopped crying and smiling and such. They think that with therapy, that might get better. She's already been smiling for several months. They want us to bring her in once a week for a couple of months, and then they might switch to having her come in every other week or monthly. Here's the best part, though--they think she can learn to speak using sign language. They found out it's something we know a little bit of, and once we showed her a couple of simple signs, she signed them back. The healers found that she can associate the signs with the actual words."

Hermione beamed. "That's fantastic! We can all work with her."

And they all did; by the time Bill and Fleur arrived home on July twenty-eighth, Molly had picked up on numerous words, and would actually ask for things when she wanted them: food, water, paper, crayons, hugs.

Bill and Fleur reclaimed Gabrielle, though she begged to stay at Grimmauld Place. They told her she could visit, and she would be seeing everyone at school in September. They were going to be living in a flat nearby in London.

Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes boomed with even more business once word got out that their exploding gum had assisted in the overall destruction of Voldemort and his Death Eaters. "We almost have more work than we know what to do with!" George exclaimed one day. "It's great!"

Neville arrived at Grimmauld Place on July thirtieth, which also happened to be his birthday. July thirty-first, Harry's birthday, everyone threw a double-surprise party for Harry and Neville. Many other people came; Fred, Angelina, and the baby, George, Lee Jordan, Tonks, Bill, Fleur, and Gabrielle, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Charlie, and Kingsley Shacklebolt. It was the best birthday of Harry's life, and from the look on Neville's face, he guessed it to be Neville's best birthday too.

Gabrielle did drop by quite a bit in August--she no doubt wore Bill and Fleur down, and they let her spend several nights there. The awkwardness on Neville's part due to Gabrielle's presence disappeared as he adjusted to her being there. She didn't ever mention anything else about marrying him, or the fact they had been Shay's parents in an alternate timeline, which probably helped.

As the end of August neared, Molly had picked up a great deal of sign language. "Children tend to learn faster than adults, as far as languages go," Remus explained. Molly was talking with her hands in complete sentences, and could actually hold a conversation with someone. It was a miracle to see her telling Will about what she had done during the day. The communication was due in part to her weekly therapy at St. Mungo's. The healers had enabled her to open up a great deal.

Another significant point to the summer was the Occlumency lessons Ginny had with Dumbledore. He traveled to Grimmauld Place once a week to teach her, on top of the homework she was already working to complete. Harry and Ginny had both adjusted very well to the connection they shared; they sometimes seemed to know exactly what the other was thinking, or would experience particularly strong emotions of the other. It was a bit strange at first, but they had already shared so much--including memories--that it seemed almost natural. Dumbledore still requested teaching Ginny, in case it ever got to be too much, and she needed to know how to block it out.

Ginny managed to complete her schoolwork, and in mid-August, she went to the Ministry and took her O.W.L.s, returning fairly confident that she had done well, all things considered.

All too soon, shopping was finished, trunks were packed, and September first was upon them. Tonks swung by to take them to King's Cross. "For old time's sake," she said with a grin. "I'm going to miss being at Hogwarts this year, but I served my turn."

They took the Knight Bus, and all crammed onto the first floor. Molly came along as well; she would be going with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley once they boarded the train to Hogwarts.

"Tonks," Will said once they were settled on the bus. "There's something I've been very curious about since last September, but I haven't ever asked."

Tonks raised her eyebrows curiously. "Oh? What's that?"

"When you were spying on Voldemort, and sent the Gourl to Ron...why did you send it as a secret admirer?"

Ron reddened slightly and shot Will a dirty look. Will smiled apologetically, realizing this probably something embarrassing that Ron didn't want brought up.

Tonks laughed. "Well, that's easy. I had to get it to him without letting him know who sent it...and really, I do admire you, Ron. You and your family are like...the siblings I never had. I also rather hoped that seeing a message from a secret admirer would give Ron and Hermione incentive to...oh, speed things up a little. They were driving everybody crazy. I knew they were meant for each other."

Ron reddened even more, but he smiled at Hermione, looking pleased.

"Any more questions you've been waiting to ask?" Tonks asked.

"Just one, about the same situation. Why didn't you just give the Gourl to Harry, if it was supposed to be spying on him?"

"Ah. Voldemort couldn't know that the Gourl was the object I was using to send him images, or he would have known it was a lie--a Gourl records sounds, not images. It was just safer for Harry and everyone else if Ron was the one who had it." Tonks smiled at Will and leaned back in her seat. "And speaking of people being meant for each other..." Her eyes landed on Shay and Jamie. "When's the wedding?"

Shay blinked, and Jamie's eyes widened. "What?" Ginny and Harry exclaimed together.

Tonks pointed at Molly. "Ask her."

"Molly?" Shay frowned. "Is there something you'd like to tell us?"

Molly looked up at him, a questioning look on her face.

"What did you tell Tonks about Jamie and me?"

A smile lit up Molly's face, and Harry had no trouble understanding her signed words. 'You asked Jamie to marry you.'

Will's eyebrows shot up. "Really."

"Molly...how did you know that?" Jamie asked.

"You mean it's true?" Harry gaped at her.

Jamie blushed, but nodded. "Last night...we were going to tell you on the train..."

Silence hung in the air for a moment, and then Ginny and Hermione squealed almost simultaneously. "Wow! You said yes, didn't you?"

"When is it?"

"How--"

Shay rolled his eyes in exasperation, but Harry couldn't help noticing the tiny smile on his face. "We're not getting married now," he said. "Just...sometime."

Jamie nodded in agreement. "Sometime after we're out of school...it could be next year, or in two years, or in four years...we'll figure it out later." She turned back to Molly. "How did you know, Molly?"

Molly shrugged, and Tonks said, "She was looking for Diego last night, and told me she heard the two of you." Diego was Molly's favorite stuffed toy; a fluffy dragon.

'You didn't see me,' Molly signed.

"Sneaky little mouse," Shay said, rubbing her hair affectionately.

Harry had come to know Shay and Jamie too well to be very surprised by their news, and had to admit that he was happy for them; they had been through a lot together and deserved to be able to marry and live a happy life.

Will blinked and then smiled. "I was wondering how long it would take."

"I just can't believe your daughter got engaged before any of us," Ron muttered to Ginny, several minutes later. "Shay's going to be your son-in-law, technically speaking. And Jamie...she's going to be your daughter-in-law, Neville!" He shook his head. "Every time I think this can't get any weirder..."

"Oh, come on, Ron, you had to have thought about this before," Ginny said.

"Not overly so," Ron shrugged. "And that makes me think...you could be a grandparent before you're twenty, Gin!"

Ginny rolled her eyes and turned to Shay and Jamie. "Congratulations, you two. No matter when you get married, it'll be wonderful."

"Thank you, Ginny. And don't rush things too much, Ron," Jamie said with a laugh. "I'm kind of enjoying finally getting the opportunity to just be sixteen."

Harry sat back and listened to his friends chatter about a variety of things, half-listening as he allowed his mind to drift in thought. He had got fairly used to the fact that Voldemort was gone. Sometimes he still woke up expecting something, and realized he was wondering what Voldemort's next move was going to be. Then he would remind himself that Voldemort was gone. He was finally going to have a school year where he didn't have to worry about what Voldemort was doing, or where he was, or what he was planning next for Harry and those he loved. This school year was going to be the most freeing year of his life.

He couldn't wait to see what it was like.