Chapter 91: Joy

Including this one, there are only 2 more chapters until the conclusion!

I was writing during the Golden Week holiday. Basically, I'm a homebody outside of work, and my only best friend is far away,

 so I don't go out anywhere except to eat.

Well, that doesn't matter!

Now, please enjoy Chapter 91.

January 1998.

More than a month has passed since the final battle at Hogwarts.

The war is over.

The darkness of the wizarding world has cleared.

The Dark Lord Voldemort was defeated by Leonard Taylor and lost all his magical power.

Most of the Death Eaters who were under the emperor and the pure-blood supremacists who were with him were either killed or captured.

The British wizarding world is still in chaos, but there is a growing sense that peace is gradually returning.

The Ministry of Magic is once again running to rebuild the wizarding world with Rufus Scrimgeour as the Minister of Magic.

As a result of many people dying, both enemies and allies, there is a shortage of personnel and funds everywhere.

Moreover, there were not a few people who had sided with the dark lord out of fear, even though he was a powerful and terrifying emperor, so human relations have deteriorated considerably.

Even though the staff who were subjugated are gradually recovering and coming back, everything is still not enough to operate normally. The only positive factor is that the environment has become easier for mixed-blood and Muggle-born people to work in because the number of pure-blood supremacists has decreased.

After all, the Death Eaters and pure-blood supremacists, led by the Death Eaters, were mostly the Sacred 28 families, i.e., wealthy nobles. The amount of assistance to the Ministry of Magic during peacetime was also enormous.

That is almost gone now. There is also assistance from foreign magical governments, but it is not expected.

Still, a large amount of aid and personnel were invested in steadily rebuilding it.

It was support from Lucius Malfoy, the head of the Malfoy family, who had betrayed the darkness.

He used most of his accumulated wealth and even his connections overseas to contribute to the reconstruction of the British wizarding world.

According to Lucius Malfoy,

"This is nothing more than an investment for the future of the Malfoy family. For my son and his children."

He was not trusted because he had betrayed the forces of darkness, but this became a turning point and he began to be trusted quite a bit.

Many people began to feel gratitude not only to Lucius personally but also to the Malfoy family itself.

This investment will lead to the accelerated reconstruction of the British wizarding world.

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The reconstruction of Hogwarts, which had become the site of the final battle, was also progressing.

While Hogwarts Castle itself was undamaged, the surrounding Forbidden Forest, lake, and even Hogsmeade Village were devastated.

The Quidditch that the students were looking forward to could not be held for a while because the stadium had disappeared.

Nevertheless, classes were being held as usual, smiles returned to the students' faces, and the normal life of children arguing over trivial things returned.

Headmaster Albus Dumbledore was hardly ever at Hogwarts. He was flying around all over the UK and even overseas with the Minister of Magic, working for the British wizarding world.

The Order of the Phoenix has now disbanded and everyone has returned to their own lives.

However, each of them is working independently for the British wizarding world.

The Hogwarts teachers who were members are also helping with the reconstruction, but they basically choose to teach the students first. They believe that the future belongs to the children, so that is their top priority.

McGonagall was strict, Snape was sarcastic, and Trelawney was exasperated. The same old Hogwarts was coming back.

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In parallel with the recovery of the wizarding world, a certain discussion was frequently held.

It was about the treatment of the person who caused this war, the Dark Lord Voldemort.

The majority opinion was that he should be killed!

But there was also an opinion that killing him was not enough, and that he should be made to suffer more!

After all, the current Voldemort has lost his magical talent, but his body has been thoroughly modified, and he has been forcibly made immortal by the Philosopher's Stone embedded in his body, so he cannot be killed by half-hearted means.

Albus Dumbledore, who is considered to have the power to kill him, is opposed to execution, and Leonard Taylor seems to have no interest in it and does not intend to do anything in particular.

The treatment of Voldemort was discussed for several months without a trial, and finally a conclusion was reached.

A newly established Wizengamot court.

A trial in name only is currently being held here.

The defendant is Tom Marvolo Riddle, self-proclaimed Lord Voldemort.

There is no defense attorney, and the judge is completely an enemy of Tom Riddle.

It was just a formality, a trial to pronounce the conclusion of execution.

The verdict is heard by only a small number of wizarding families. It's probably a testament to the fact that Voldemort is still feared, even though he has lost his magical powers.

"Defendant Tom Marvolo Riddle, I will pronounce the judgment."

"Life imprisonment in a newly built special prison! In addition, only those who have been victimized by the defendant and his subordinates, commonly known as Death Eaters, are allowed to do anything other than killing Tom Marvolo Riddle if they wish! The location of the prison is the freezing land, Antarctica! Tom Marvolo Riddle, do you have anything to say?"

Tom Riddle, who is equivalent to a Muggle without magical powers, is excessively restrained.

He didn't answer at all, just kept his eyes closed.

"That's it for the court! Take him away! Make sure he never finds peace!"

Tom Marvolo Riddle, who was feared as the Dark Emperor, was confined to a prison in the freezing cold for an eternity, until the end of the earth.

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The final exams at Hogwarts have ended, and it's the end of the term.

By this time, many of the remnants of the Death Eaters had been captured, and there were almost no dark topics, and the wizarding world was regaining its former vitality.

Leonard Taylor and Hermione Granger are both graduating this year.

Leo is revered and feared as the hero who saved this wizarding world.

He's not particularly interested in that, but he still felt a little lonely about parting with Hogwarts, where he had spent nearly half of his life.

"So this is goodbye to Hogwarts."

"Yes, but I'm with you, and so is Ku. Forever."

"Yes! As long as Master Leonard does not perish, I am here to serve."

"Yeah, nice to meet you again."

The end-of-year party at Hogwarts was held on a grand scale, partly because the war had ended.

In addition to the usual feast, there were dishes from various countries and delicacies. All kinds of dishes were prepared, right up to dessert.

The students enjoyed the feast. Not only the students, but also the Weasley twins who were graduates and many other people invaded, and it continued until the date changed and the sun rose.

Leo, Hermione, and Ku slipped out in the middle as usual and spent their last time in the lab.

"There's been a lot going on in these seven years at Hogwarts..."

"True. To be honest, I never thought we'd end up like this, or that we'd have a daughter."

"I wasn't even born for the first two years."

"Yeah, a lot has happened. But it was fun and I'm glad I can say that from the bottom of my heart."

In the end, the three of them slept in the same bed, casting a spell to have good dreams.

And so, the life of Leonard Taylor and Hermione Granger at Hogwarts came to a peaceful end.

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Afterwards, Leonard Taylor earned a living by providing new magic and conducting research together with various research institutions and as a technical advisor to the Ministry of Magic, without taking on a specific job.

Hermione Granger continued her bride training without getting a job.

And a year later.

In a church in London.

Only the families and friends of the bride and groom, who were wizarding families, gathered there.

The groom was Leonard Taylor. The bride was, of course, Hermione Granger, who was about to become Hermione Taylor.

"Leonard Taylor and Hermione Granger are about to be united. Anyone who objects to this marriage, please speak now. If there are no objections, you must forever hold your peace."

The priest solemnly declared.

Everyone present watched the scene without saying a word.

"Do you, Leonard Taylor, take Hermione Granger, in sickness and in health, in wealth and in poverty, to honor, comfort, and help her, to love her unchangingly forever, until your life ends?"

"I do."

Leo declared as a matter of course.

"Do you, Hermione Granger, take Leonard Taylor, in sickness and in health, in wealth and in poverty, to honor, comfort, and help him, to love him unchangingly forever, until your life ends?"

"I do."

Hermione also declared as a matter of course.

"...Then, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

The two faces approached each other and exchanged a kiss to swear eternal love.

Everyone gathered sent a round of applause in celebration.

In this way, the two became officially married.

"Now I am yours, and you are mine."

"That's right. For many years, you have been my greatest treasure."

This was a post-war processing episode.

The majority of the Death Eaters were sacrificed to the soul of Voldemort and are dead. Only a small number of people, such as Bellatrix, have survived.

The Ministry of Magic is restarting with the surviving staff and those who have recovered from obedience. However, since most of the Death Eaters ≒ Sacred 28 families = nobles are dead, there are various difficulties. There are also a lot of tensions in human relationships. In such a situation, Lucius, who couldn't stand it, invested most of his assets. He says it's for his son and his descendants, but he's probably also conscious of atoning for his sins.

Hogwarts is also back to normal. However, Dumbledore is busy with the reconstruction and is having a hard time.

Voldemort, to a place farther than space

He will live in a prison where no one is, in a world of ice, for eternity, or until the earth is destroyed. Only those who have passed the examination with the victims of the Voldemort and the Death Eaters are allowed to do everything except for killing. There might be a side story about what happened to the Voldemort later.

Leo, Hermione, graduation from Hogwarts, getting a job and getting married.

Leo has a simple job of just announcing his research on magic.

But it makes a lot of profit, so the earnings are good.

I wrote the priest's lines like this because I don't really understand about weddings and such.

If it's wrong, well, let's just say it's like this.

For Leo, the top priority was magic, its research.

At some point, Hermione's existence became bigger,

Now it has become the highest treasure that cannot be replaced by anything.

Next time, the final chapter, Epilogue!

Look forward to next chapter!