Chapter 36

Harry portkeyed back to Godric's Hollow extremely tired and exhausted to find a weeping Snape, a sobbing Hermione and a silently crying Arran and everyone else trembling and brushing their eyes and sniffing. He was amazed and then alarmed. No one had noticed him and he became very worried.

"Hey are all of you alright?" he asked softly walking into the room.

There was a loud squeal and Hermione ran and fell on him. Snape and Arran were still sitting and standing there respectively though Arran was wiping his eyes and grinning weakly at him striding towards him. Snape was still on the floor and after he heard Harry's voice, had bent down and was struggling to collect himself.

Hermione smothered him with kisses, "You came back safely Harry, you came back." She kept repeating in between kissing him all over his face.

Harry was taken aback at this obvious display of affection but he decided it was fantastic and hoped she wouldn't stop. A few seconds later he grabbed he face in between his hands and brought his head down and kissed her deeply and then again and then again.

Hermione had calmed down at the first kiss and was participating in the second and the third kiss blew her mind away, according to her. He released her not blushing for the first time and extremely satisfied for some strange reason to see her blush furiously.

He stepped back and went to Snape and sat next to him. Arran followed Harry and hugged him fiercely grinning a bit strongly now and was holding on to Harry tightly.

"Severus?"

Snape leaped on Harry and hugged him burying his face in Harry's shoulder. "Am silly." He mumbled, "Just a release of all this tension. Will be fine Harry." He said holding on to Harry for dear life. He had broken down the moment Harry had called him the father he had lost and his emotions and stress had run away with him and could not get him self to stop.

He had been so scared that Harry would die because Voldemort would somehow trigger off a magical backlash, the relief Harry had survived made him very shaky. Now after holding on to Harry for sometime Snape calmed down and then lifted his head from Harry's shoulder and smiled tremulously at him.

Harry grinned back and turned to look at his parents and Sirius and smiled. "Your deaths and indeed everyone's at the hands of Voldemort has been avenged mum, dad, Sirius." He said softly blinking his eyes furiously as he watched the unmistakable pride shining in his parents' eyes. They couldn't talk to save their lives and they looked at their son with so much of pride. "Show us baby." James asked him feeling very emotional.

Molly, and all the others who were at Hogwarts portkeyed to Godric's Hollow the moment Harry left. Only Arthur, Amelia Bones and Brian Wheeler remained along with Moody, Shaklebolt and Tonks to take care of Voldemort.

All of them hugged Harry and there were many relieved sighs. Molly would not let him go for quite a while and McGonagall was weeping unashamedly on his shoulder.

Mrs. Longbottom was trembling with relief and she shook his hand very fiercely and Neville simply crushed him.

Luna and her father stood there and simply beamed at him.

Draco whose eyes were shining with tears pulled Harry close and the three Slytherins joined in a group hug.

"You have saved us Potter. You have saved us." Draco started and the tears spilled out of his eyes and all of them whispered those words over and over again.

"You were the ones who showed me how to Draco. I could have never ever done all this without all of you." Harry said wiping Draco's eyes away.

The Weasleys were laughing in delight though their laughter was tempered by strong emotions of their family war and the Twins and Charlie hugged Harry and blinked furiously.

"We can never repay you,"

"I will hex you if you speak a word more." Harry threatened and hugged them back. "I will tell you what your mum told me. Don't you dare apologize for them. The fault is theirs. Not yours." Bill and Draco looked at each other in confusion. What had happened?

Harry turned and summoned a pensieve and removed his memories of the fight and tapped it. All of them saw it with a thrill combined with a good amount of fear. Pansy and Blaise had come back from Grimmauld Place to wait for Harry half way during the duel because they could not bear to be alone.

They saw the whole duel and Lily screamed when she heard Voldemort's opening words and James and Sirius understood why Snape had looked as if he was dying. They saw Voldemort crying with disbelief and heard Harry's words to the Wizarding World before he took the portkey back to Godric's Hollow. Snape, Hermione and Arran sat close to Harry and all three of them slowly came back to normal.

"Harry you must sleep now and indeed all of us must. Arran and I did not sleep at all last night and now I am very tired. We will talk tomorrow." Snape told a very agreeable Harry.

Hearing a chorus of yes from all of them Snape continued, "Minerva can you call Albus to remain at Hogwarts tomorrow. We will meet with him and the Board tomorrow over dinner. Harry and all of us here are going to sleep and we will awake and come over to Hogwarts as soon as possible."

Then Snape activated his earring and spoke into it. "Amelia can you go along to Grimmauld Place with either Minerva or Arthur and send the Slytherins home safely telling them Harry will get in touch with them later and meet with them?" McGonagall nodded in agreement.

"Will do all this and don't worry Severus, I will make sure the Slytherins are not touched in any way and they are sent to their homes safely. Is Harry awake or is he already in his bed Severus?"

"Yes Mrs. Bones, I am awake and fine." Harry managed to reply before everyone who was listening screamed their relief at Harry returning safe and sound.

Arthur and Amelia Bones and Brian Wheeler spoke to him but did not come over because they were with Voldemort who was being checked by the unspeakables.

Snape pushed Harry to his room and grinning at Neville and Hermione and waving dramatically to the others Harry went to his room where Snape pointed to the bathroom. Harry stuck his tongue out and went to have a hot bath that made his sore muscles feel so much better.

Snape was waiting and he snapped his fingers and Dobby came, his eyes watering, "The great Harry Potter has defeated the Dark Lord. Harry Potter is great and Dobby is proud to be the great wizard's elf." The little elf screamed making Snape wince and Harry grin.

"Thanks Dobby." He told it and sat on his bed and polished off the meal and then accepted Snape's Dreamless Sleep potion and in three seconds he was out like a light.

Snape bent down and kissed his forehead and pushed the untidy and still not completely dry hair from his face and went down with a spring in his steps.

All the others were waiting for him and then one by one they left and Hermione, Snape, Arran, Bill, Draco, Ria, Pansy and Blaise went to sleep. Before they slept Arran, Draco, Ria and Snape went to Malfoy Manor to meet with Narcissa.

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Voldemort died on an Order given directly by the Minister for Magic at midnight that night. The unspeakables could find nothing there the same as was in the case of Rabastan and so Amelia Bones formally requested the Minister to write an Order to execute. Everyone at Godric's Hollow was sleeping and the death eaters at the Ministry were already in Azkaban, their trials having been over swiftly when Voldemort died.

They had been asked about their allegiance and also names of everyone they knew were death eaters. All the Slytherins and also those on Harry's side were not harmed even when their parents revealed their names under veritaserum.

All the Slytherins had been set free by special Order of the Wizengamot and were praised for aiding the war efforts. Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson were named in a citation for extraordinary efforts taken by them to aid the war.

Dumbledore had very intelligently; very, very sadly and terribly bitterly had resigned from both the Head of the Wizengamot and also as Headmaster of the Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry. The Board of Governors would meet tomorrow to discuss the resignation and also the replacement of a deceased member, Lucius Malfoy.

All the Slytherins who were at Grimmauld Place went sadly to their broken in more than one way homes, many of them as orphans and still others as Head of their Houses. They were relieved though because the Ministry had not captured their mothers and sisters whom they had not been able to take with them. The Ministry merely questioned them and if they were not guilty, had sent them home with no other questions asked.

Of course they would face more questioning later but Amelia Bones was trusting the oaths the Slytherins had given Harry and felt they would keep the other family members quiet and try to get on with their lives.

Draco before he took the sleeping potion went briefly to his Manor along with Severus, Arran and Ria and met with his hysterical mother and comforted her saying he would return soon. Snape told her that she would be questioned once again on her loyalties, but the fact that Draco and also her sister's children were alive and would be free to live their lives was more than enough for a woman who had lived with the threat of something happening to Draco if she did not obey her husband all her life.

Draco took the portkey along with Ria and came back to Godric's Hollow to sleep off his soreness and tiredness, promising to come home later but Arran and Snape stayed with her for sometime explaining everything to her.

The Ministry was due for a huge overhaul and Amelia Bones, Brian Wheeler and Arthur were already beginning to make their presence felt. They were beginning to make sweeping changes that would make their world a better one and Arthur was already planning to make Harry's dream of uniting all the magical races together.

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Harry was awoken the next morning by a cold feeling. A cold feeling of ice cold water dabbed first on one cheek and then on to the other. Harry sleepily removed his hand and mumbled and tried to swat the intrusive hand away but found his hand also immersed in ice cold water.

"Gred and Forge I am gonna kill you right now." he muttered and sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes and screamed and screamed.

"Severus, Arran, Draco, Sev please come here and save me." Harry cried and groped for his wand and his glasses and at the same time tried to back off and hit the bed post.

Lord Voldemort snorted and then huffed. Snorted? Huffed? Harry blinked and calmed down a little and looked at the Dark Lord more carefully.

Voldemort came around to Harry and removed his wand and pointed it at Harry and came closer. Harry could not help it. he screamed a bit and looked very relieved as the wand and the hand with the wand went right through him dousing him in cold water and Voldemort sniffed again.

That's right folks. Lord Voldemort sniffed.

"Happy now Harry?" he asked with a definite grievance in his voice.

"Er," was all Harry said intelligently before Snape and the others stomped into the room and then Snape who had come first shrieked and pulled out his wand and shouted, "Avada kedavra." But only the wall shattered because Voldemort had floated away quickly.

Lord Voldemort was now behind Harry and Snape was sweating. Suddenly everyone shouted and attacked and the next few minutes were very confusing and full of screams and 'get him he's there' and many exultant 'got him there' and 'oh no' that always followed the 'got him there'. Harry dived underneath his bed to save him self and Voldemort was doing a great job of avoiding all the curses thrown his way and Harry's room was completely destroyed.

Suddenly Voldemort joined him under the bed and Harry gasped. "Please," Voldemort whispered. "I am a ghost I cannot do harm even if I want to. Tell all the fools out there who are still cursing. What I don't know because I am here." He huffed again making Harry giggle.

"Sev stop it." Harry shouted coming out, Voldemort just behind Harry and making his back very cold and Arran was now coming stealthily and trying to attack Voldemort from the side.

"Arran wait. Wait all of you, Voldemort had become a ghost. How the hell that happened I don't know and I did not realize it initially and panicked. I am sorry for screaming but I very nearly had an attack and was so shocked and scared when I saw him first." Harry told them and then turned irritably to Voldemort, "Would you mind moving away? I am feeling numb with the cold."

"Tell them not to attack me then Harry." Voldemort told him looking superiorly at him.

Harry rolled his eyes and looked beseechingly at the others who were all poised to attack, with the wands held at alert.

"If a killing curse came at you can you be harmed?" Harry asked the ghost of Lord Voldemort.

"No of course not." the ghost replied with a smirk.

Harry gaped at the ghost and then shouted, "Hey then you get off here. I can't feel my back anymore."

Lord Voldemort looked at Harry and then turned his red eyes at the others.

"Why did you betray me?" he asked Arran quietly looking intently at him. Arran looked back calmly at him still very alert.

"Why not Voldemort? You wanted to kill muggles. Okay but why? Because you hate them? Well you can't because they are almost six billion of them in this world and we don't even come up to ten percent of that.

"I lost my parents, my grandparents, and Lucius Malfoy, and all the Inner and Outer Circle members including uncle Rabastan were killed because one boy took it into his head to attack and he also assured all of us we would get back out assets, monies everything. And you know what? All of that has already been done and we can go to living normal and respectable lives."

Voldemort shook his ghostly head sharply. "Harry would have never got into your home or the homes of the others unless you gave information about the wards."

"True but what a life I would have had Voldemort if I were still with you. I would have killed everyday fine, but after that? Once we wade through all the muggleborns and then kill all the purebloods that were opposing us and also losing a few of ours in the process even assuming we won what and whom would we have ruled. Tell me honestly and I will resurrect you now with a part of my soul."

Voldemort was silent and Snape spoke softly.

"You see Voldemort by the time this war ended, the Ministry would have fallen, the economy is already at its lowest, the purebloods would all have died and the muggleborns would be shunned and not allowed into our world and then? The ideals and the goals were not there and so many of us like Regulus and I came to you seeking power and superiority. What we got was something different.

"We got tortured and were told to torture in turn and that gets sick after a while. We could not breathe wrongly for fear of death. Else so many of us would have advised you to look around a little and change your ways to benefit our world."

"So I lost." The ghost was looking very forlorn and then it brightened up. "But I will live for ever like this. Only I cannot perform magic or curse anyone but I will live."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Why did you come here?"

"When you were chanting that piece of ancient magic I was crying do you remember?"

Harry nodded his head looking very interested.

"In my mind I was terrified and very scared to die. You will not tell anyone else will you all?" he asked looking vulnerable for a second. All of them shook their heads their wands still on the alert.

"Well in my mind I was crying out to you, I swore on my magic that I will not harm you or Hogwarts and I will love you like your mother and father,"

"What!!??" Harry was dumbfounded.

"Well yes," the ghost replied irritably and a tad angrily, "I was going to die and I did not want to. Have you forgotten I have spent the whole of my life trying to live forever? So naturally when it came for me to die I panicked and swore all kinds of stupid things. I in short said I will be yours faithfully, always and also never ever harm Hogwarts. At that point you locked your chant and I slumped. But because I never wanted to die I did not pass over and I stayed behind. And because I swore on my magic to be good I cannot now think of doing evil, though I can make suggestions to others." Voldemort looked very sad at that. Evil had always been a part of him and it was nauseating to be so sickeningly sweet.

And Voldemort sat on Harry's bed next to him, well floated an inch above the bed actually.

Harry did not know what to say and he needed to use the bathroom very badly as well. He looked imploringly at Snape, "Sev, he is only a ghost, don't harm him, let him be and I desperately need to use the bathroom and if you do anything he will come in there."

Snape nodded reluctantly and Harry ran to the bathroom.

"You really swore?"

"In my mind, yes" Voldemort answered.

Arran, Draco, Ria and Snape looked at each other a bit uncomfortably. Hermione, Molly, Bill, Charlie and the Twins were still looking at Voldemort in shock and amazement.

Harry washed and came out looking fresh and stopped at the sight in his bedroom. All of them had their wands in their hands and were looking at him warily and in distrust. Voldemort was sneering magnificently at one and all. He was about to start laughing at the incredibly funny sight when

"Harry Potter inspires all of you doesn't he?" Voldemort asked Snape softly.

"Yes." Snape said only one word equally softly and the others nodded.

Harry felt very humble seeing and hearing that and he cleared his throat and walked in with a smile.

"What are you going to do about the Wizarding World now that you have won?" Voldemort asked him.

"How do I know you will not do stuff?" Harry asked him suspiciously.

"Stuff?" Voldemort's lips curled in disdain and he looked affronted that someone would dare speak to him like this. He glared at Harry wishing he could crucio or at least cast a blood boiling curse for speaking in such a silly manner.

"You mean I would manipulate someone into attacking you?" he sneered and Harry nodded.

Voldemort laughed and suddenly morphed into his sixteen year old self. "I cannot Harry. I really swore. That was why I was able to come here. Godric's Hollow has wards of intent doesn't it? If my intent was even slightly off I would never be able to come here because the goblins, yes I recognize their wards also, have placed wards of intent against humans, creatures, ghosts, poltergeists the works."

Snape nodded his eyes wide and put his wand inside a gesture that Harry noted with his mouth open.

"Can you sense the wards?" Snape asked him curiously.

Voldemort nodded. "Yes I will be able to, here and any other home of Harry or any other place he owns and also at Hogwarts. I pledged my self to haunt for the rest of my ghostly self only in these places."

"How come you are so malleable?" Harry asked him unable to see a sweet Voldemort. It was making him retch.

"I lost the hate and the goals when I was about to die. I realized at that time when I was facing my death that none of that was important and I wanted only to live. I swore I would be good. The oath worked because when I cried out in my mind I had my magic with me, even though it was bound tightly and I came under the oath and the moment I died I changed and became softer. Oh I am still harsh and do not like muggles, but you will not see me preaching against them because I can't. I forswore it."

Arran and Draco put their wands away and slowly the rest did too. "Remain like this always. If you get into your Voldemort form you will have a few lunatics who will want to resurrect you all over again and a few others who will want to exorcise you and save this world once again." Snape advised him with a mild sneer.

Riddle rolled his eyes and looked around and all the others went to their rooms to get swiftly changed and meet with Harry before they left for Hogwarts.

Harry went down and his parents and Sirius screamed in horror and they slowly calmed down after they were told all the details, though they kept looking at Voldemort very suspiciously.

Harry had a good meal with Voldemort asking him a great many things and Harry answered all of them as well as he could.

When he heard about the orphanage he went silent and then all the others rushed in and seeing Harry chomping away and the ghost sitting on the table and talking amicably with Harry shook their heads in amazement and went a bit more slowly to have their breakfast.

"Will you stay here today? You can speak with my parents and Sirius. I will have to go to School and maybe even the Ministry and will be late." Harry did not want him to come with him everywhere.

Voldemort smirked knowingly and thought about it for a few minutes and nodded. Harry sighed in relief and started planning for the day.

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The Daily Prophet and the Quibbler had tried to out do the other by their huge headlines and articles that took up the whole paper. There were interviews with many in the Ministry, articles, a good bit of history and pictures.

Most of the Wizarding World did not go to their homes after watching the epic duel in between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort. They had apparated to Diagon Alley and to Hogsmeade and had discussed the duel in wondrous terms and had stayed back well into the night talking about the arrests, deaths of the worst death eaters and the defeat once and for all of the most evil Lord Voldemort.

Harry and the others apparated to the School gates and met with a very solemn Dumbledore whose half moon spectacles could not conceal the bitterness in his eyes. Yesterday he had been aware of the power Harry had shown and he knew he would get no mercy from all those who knew he had bound those powers and gifts and kept Harry with the Dursleys all these years in an abusive home.

Harry had won and spectacularly. Dumbledore had resigned both as the Head of the Wizengamot and as Headmaster taking that step before he was ousted from both offices. This way at least he could hang on to a modicum of dignity.

Harry met with the Board and also with Dumbledore. Both the Minister for Magic and the Board of Hogwarts had accepted Dumbledore's resignation at once.

Harry proposed Draco Malfoy's name to the Board in the place of his father who had died. Harry assured them Draco was no death eater and he had helped spectacularly in the war efforts against Voldemort.

Draco Malfoy was stunned and he gaped at Harry. No one had known Harry would do this and by appointing Draco to his father's place Harry had given the Malfoy family one more chance at redemption.

Usually the Board would not allow a student who was still studying at Hogwarts to suggest candidates for the Board. But with the Minister's statements about the children of death eaters making special contribution and the fact that this was Harry Potter vanquisher of Voldemort and also because they wanted Harry Potter for something entirely different made them accept Draco Malfoy in place of his deceased father without much argument.

A visibly emotional Draco Malfoy looked at Harry with so much gratitude, Harry was embarrassed. Snape was so proud of Harry's gesture he felt he could burst with the pride inside him and McGonagall smiled in approval and nodded her head. Draco Malfoy stood up before the Board of Governors and pledged to work to make the School and its students worthy of the legacy the Founders' had given to the Wizarding World.

Then the oldest member stood up and cleared his throat.

"All of us Mr. Potter with the exception of Mr. Malfoy who was only now inducted into the Board have an offer for you and we pray you will accept it for the sake of the Wizarding World."

Harry frowned as he looked around everyone. Snape and McGonagall were there with him while the others were waiting in the Great Hall. Dumbledore was also sitting and he too did not seem to be aware of the offer.

"What is it? I may not accept." Harry told them bluntly.

"We wish you to take over as the next Headmaster of this School."

"WHAT??? NO." Harry shouted shocked. "I still have a year to go and I am way too young and just because I defeated Voldemort," Harry stopped there when the board member lifted his hand and stopped him. Snape and McGonagall were gaping and Draco Malfoy was totally stunned. Dumbledore looked down to hide his anger and bitterness. He was trashed and this made his defeat complete.

"Yes we know you have a year to complete but today you are the most respected figure and you will be the one the Slytherins will even think of listening to. The School will be now full of victorious Gryffindors and very defensive Slytherins. We want to defuse the situation lest it could result in the Slytherins taking the offensive and creating problems once again.

"It was this rift that we were not able to manage or bridge that caused so many problems in the past. You will have professors McGonagall and Snape and all the others to help you and the students who will obey you and make a genuine effort to unite. Please think of this before your refuse. McGonagall will still be assistant Headmistress and you will get all the help you need from all of us. The Ministry will not interfere like it did before and I along with everyone here think you can do it. Don't answer now please. Think about it Mr. Potter."

Harry was astounded and he could feel Snape's and McGonagall's shock as well. Harry nodded dumbly and then they dispersed.

Harry went to the Great Hall and Snape and McGonagall told the others who were equally stunned. Hermione though looked very thoughtful.

"You know Harry, they have a point. This time is the most difficult and will be the most turbulent. We will have the Gryffindors and the Hufflepuffs sneering at the Slytherins and even attacking them just because they will be helpless to defend them selves. They will have the fear of being dragged to the Ministry for showing death eater traits.

"With you at the helm, it will smooth matters because all the Slytherins starting from Draco, Pansy, Blaise, Nott and the others will in this one year we have, make sure whatever the others say Harry Potter is fair and he will always listen and never shun the Slytherins. The Slytherins need that kind of an assurance for a few years until they manage to put the past behind them and reintegrate with the rest of us. We also need that many years to trust the Slytherins apart from those who have given their oaths to us. I know you don't like it Harry, but I think you should accept."

Snape nodded at that. "What she says is true. It would be difficult if all this would result in widening the gap between the Houses this time because of victorious Gryffindors. Think on it child."

Harry sighed and looked at McGonagall who smiled sympathetically and also at Draco who grinned and told him to accept it very bluntly. Harry did not respond. He had been given time and he decided he would take that before deciding.

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It was august 31st, one day before the Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry would open once again for the next School year as usual.

What was new was there was a new Headmaster. His name was Harry James Potter and he had the unique position of being a student and a Headmaster. Never before in the history of Hogwarts had such a thing happened.

One week after the bombshell dropped by the Board of Governors Harry had accepted the post of Headmaster and had had the wards on the School transferred to him. The wards made him feel strangely comfortable and his magic and compatibility made them ten times stronger making the thousand year old castle glow as if new.

McGonagall was still Assistant Headmistress and Snape still Potions Master. Bill Weasley resigned from Gringotts and took over as the Defense against the Dark Arts professor. The curse had been broken by the death of Voldemort and now Bill would continue in that position for a good many years.

Dumbledore retired to anonymity and spent the rest of his days brooding about where he had gone wrong. He lost his position, status and his place in the Wizarding World all in the space of three Quibbler articles. He was very bitter but dared not do a thing because of the pensieve memories hanging over his head. No one approached him and no one called him for anything. It was as if he did not exist.

Even when he went to Diagon Alley people did not even care to smile or wave at him. He had become just another wizard who was shopping. That was his worst punishment after having enjoyed being in the center of wizarding politics for over a century he was living very alone, more isolated than Harry had been with the Dursleys.

Harry had made one more trip to the Dursleys. He had the goblins with him and had removed all the wards. He was shocked to find that his aunt had not cashed the cheque he had given him. She had flushed when she had seen him and his uncle had been very silent and so had Dudley. Harry explained in a few words that since it was safe now he was bringing down the wards and he requested them to cash the cheque, telling them he had no hard feeling towards them.

They were still silent and Harry had shrugged and had disapparated away thinking he would never to meet them again. It was a year after that he came to know his aunt had cashed his cheque and he received a stilted letter from her thanking him.

Harry and his side had been very busy the three weeks before School started. Remus had woken up three days after Voldemort had fallen and was apprised of all that had happened. He was amazed at seeing the ghost and was very bitter he had missed the duel when he saw it in the pensieve.

The day Harry became the Headmaster of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and wizardry he called all those people who were in his side for dinner, the first he would host as Headmaster. He included Narcissa Malfoy and the Slytherins who had met with him three days before School to change sides.

Harry spoke to all of them thanking them for their help and also assuring them of any help they might need in the future. He also spoke officially to the Wizarding World and the press that morning. All of them had gathered there that day which was a week later and had answered all the questions. The people had started asking questions in the morning and Harry took their questions until after lunch before he ended the interviews.

A day later he was awarded the Order of Merlin first Class along with Snape for exemplary services to the Wizarding World. Arran Lestrange, Draco Malfoy and Ria Lestrange, Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini received special awards and all the other Slytherins, Hermione, Neville, Remus and Mrs. Longbottom received special citations from the Ministry.

Amelia Bones was made the Head of the Wizengamot in addition to her duties as Head of the Auror Forces and she started by declaring all magical races as equal and started the proceedings to give equal rights to everyone.

The orphanage started functioning first and it had already in the three weeks since it was started had four hundred and eighteen students, orphans, shunned muggleborns and werewolves.

Molly Weasley was the Head of the orphanage and in charge of running it and she comforted all the little ones who had been turned away by their families and gave solace to those who had lost both their parents and were orphans. She mothered them all.

The Black University was entrusted to the care of Arran Lestrange who became the first Headmaster of what would become the most prestigious University in the Wizarding World. He was also professor for Ancient Magic and became much respected and after many years of hard work and exemplary living habits and upright morals, removed the sigma that came along with his name.

The Rose Cottage School was run by Hermione Granger who became its first Headmistress. The School boasted of a library that would in a very short time rival that of Hogwarts. The Assistant headmistress was Pansy Parkinson who also took potions and taught all the students the Slytherin sarcasm.

The counseling center was a great success and Remus was in charge of it. He had portraits of his friends in his office room and together they interviewed and counseled all those who came in despair and invariably went away with a smile on their faces and the means to live a life of dignity in their hearts. Initially only the werewolves came especially for the wolfsbane but slowly the vampires, even house elves and other dark creatures would come in with hope in their hearts and they were never disappointed.

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The Wizarding World thrived and bloomed once again and those that were blessed to be in the center of it were determined never to allow the dark days they had faced for their children. They worked hard and tried their best to make their world a better place to live.

Voldemort took the position of Harry's secretary without being asked and he gave some useful and some silly advice on all issues. He still felt and said very vocally and very loudly that nothing worked like a crucio and if Harry would want to be successful then he would do well to try it. Apart from such suggestions he did give a lot of valuable advice and stayed in Hogwarts asserting his superiority over the other ghosts and taking the position of being the only one to control Peeves from the Bloody Baron.

Voldemort especially terrorized Ron and Ginny that year and gave them all kinds of nightmares by talking as floated beside them of the good old days of killing, raping and the inventive methods of torture. He gave them such horrifying descriptions they were terrified.

While Harry had his own rooms as Headmaster, Hermione Granger still stayed in her dorms. She was Head Girl along with Draco Malfoy who was Head Boy, and she never even looked at them. That started speculations running about the breaking of the Golden Trio because Ron had no citations or special awards unlike so many others. He and Ginny spent miserably their time in Hogwarts, alone and unfriendly. Still they never tried to apologize to Harry or to Hermione. They did not have the nerve.

Ron and Ginny moved from their parents home to stay with Percy after the defeat of Voldemort. Neither of his parents objected. Ron after he finished School pooled his money along with Ginny and started a second hand shop that bought all used stuff and then resold them. They made enough money to get by.

After some years Ron, Ginny and Percy picked up the courage to visit their parents and after some more years they were invited every year for dinner on the day before Samhain.

Ron married a witch when he was thirty and Ginny married Ron's wife's brother and slowly they settled down to a life of normalcy. Percy continued in the Ministry and slowly grew up to hold the position of Head Monitor of the Ministry Floo. He accepted his life and settled down marrying Penelope Clearwater who loved him and agreed to marry him.

The Twins were married too to muggle twins who shared their love of jokes and pranks and fell in love with the Wizarding World. They produced two sets of twins each before they realized what a terror they had been to their parents and family.

Bill married Fleur and Charlie married Elrida a girl he had met in Romania. The Weasleys wizarding wheezes were doing very well and the Twins became very rich over the years.

Arthur and Molly Weasley still lived at The Burrow and they now delighted in their grandchildren and also in being with all the kids at the orphanage.

All muggleborn children and all those who lived in the Wizarding World sent their children to Rose Cottage and there without the House rivalries the children formed friendships that continued well after they entered Hogwarts and were sorted into different Houses. Now there was a healthy rivalry instead of the outright hate that was present before.

The Wizarding World passed the vote in favor of keeping their world secret and all muggleborn parents were spelled to keep silent about the Wizarding World.

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Dudley Dursley married a muggle girl who loved boxing and him in that order and they had six children all of them magical. The moment Harry read in the books about a magical child being born to the Dursleys he apparated to their home and demanded for the baby girl. Even if it was Dudley's child Harry had decided he would not let it take his place in the cupboard under the stairs.

The Dursleys were horrified to know that the baby was magical and more than willing to give the baby away but Joanna Dursley punched her mother and father in law on their faces and broke their noses and made them nasal for the rest of their lives. She threatened to leave Dudley if her child was taken away from her and since Dudley actually loved her and very much feared her he agreed to keep the baby girl.

Petunia and Vernon Dursley were asked to stay away from their family forever by their daughter in law who then demanded a bemused and shocked Harry for proof of magic. Fearing for his nose Harry removed his wand and conjured many things for her.

She screamed in delight when Harry assured her that her daughter would also be able to do all this and vowed then and there that she would have as many kids as she could and pray they would all be magical and scared the pants of the other horrified Dursleys who felt they were being punished by the fates for treating Harry badly.

She called it a boon and said her daughter was precious and screeched at her in laws and called her mother in law a jealous horse and her father in law a fat baboon for not understanding. They kept quiet because they were very scared of breaking other body parts.

She then asked Harry why he had thought it necessary to take her lovely baby away and when Harry very naughtily told her he did not want his niece to live in the cupboard under the stairs and be their servant as he had been, she turned to the trembling Dursleys growing many inches in her righteous anger and faced the now ashen horse and baboon and shook her fist at them and then screamed at them to get out. She turned to Dudley and he shook with fear but she did not do a thing to him because she needed him after all to keep producing magical babies.

Harry laughed for years afterwards remembering that scene. Lily was the name of her baby daughter. Joanna had named her daughter Lily just to spite Petunia and sent her to the Rose Cottage School when she was older. She had auburn hair like Harry's mother and beautiful green eyes and Joanna had made Harry Lily's Godfather. The Dursleys did not say a word. They didn't quite dare.

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Draco Malfoy married Ria and was very happy. They had six children and all of them very, very loved. Narcissa lived for them and doted on them and poured all the love she had been unable to give Draco to her grandchildren. Two years after Voldemort she joined the orphanage and worked there ever after caring for all the kids who had no love shown to them.

Blaise and Pansy became a couple and married much later. They had one son and were very contented.

Snape to everyone's surprise married Emmeline Vance and had three children, two daughters and a son all them mercifully not inheriting his hooked nose. Snape loved his children but Harry was special. He had been Snape's hope and even today the bond he shared with Harry was something very special.

Remus married Tonks when she threatened to castrate him if he did not and they had one son who was a metamorphagus and not a werewolf. Remus was teased mercilessly by James and Sirius but since he was so used to their teasing he did not react much except that he was permanently blushing for a very long time.

Arran Lestrange married Luna Lovegood after a few years with her father's blessing and he always showed immense interest in all the Wackspurts and Gnarrs. They were very happy and had two children a boy and a girl. Arran named his son Regulus and his daughter after Luna's mother Emily.

Harry asked Hermione out in his seventh year and they dated very content and very much in love with each other. They bonded when Harry was twenty years old. They had six children four boys and two girls and his eldest child was called Sirius James. They were very much loved by both their parents and their grandparents and Sirius and Snape and Arran and well you get the picture. They were loved by everyone.

Harry made Snape Godfather to Sirius and Snape scowled at having to call Sirius by name because he simply could not call his godson Potter. He begged and pleaded and threatened and hexed Harry to change the name of his child but Harry was adamant and told him quite unsympathetically that it was punishment for having 'Slytherin rules' to activate their earring.

Snape was dumbfounded at that and marveled at the length to which a Potter would go to enact revenge. It was Slytherin he told Harry admiringly hoping Harry would change his mind but Harry unfortunately did not take the bait and looked the other way.

McGonagall was very contented with her many Godchildren. Harry, Arran, Draco and Snape had asked her to be Godmother for one of their children and she had agreed very happily. Now she spent her holidays spoiling all of them.

To all these families Voldemort was the family ghost with each child treating the Dark Lord without any respect whatsoever as only a child could. Voldemort was resigned to his fate; after all if you wanted to live forever you had to make compensations had you not?

They were very happy, all of them.

May it continue forever