kbinnz - Harry's New Home

On the Dark side, Voldemort was dead тАУ finally, definitively, and permanently тАУ as were all of the LeStranges, Dolohov, Greyback, and Alecto Carrow. Amycus had lost a lot of blood but might survive long enough to be Kissed, and at least a dozen of the other Death Eaters were either seriously wounded or dying.

Remus, his wolf unleashed by all the violence, began eating the Death Eater dead, deaf to the cries of the Aurors who were trying to preserve the crime scene. Finally, one Stunned him just as he started to gnaw on Bellatrix/Voldemort. "I know, I know тАУ Shack told us he was on our side," the pink-haired young Auror trainee defended herself when Sirius remonstrated with her, "but he was destroying evidence. Besides," she pointed out, "just think what diseases he might catch from this lot. I mean, blech! Do you want to think about what Cousin Bella has been up to?"

Dumbledore and Shacklebolt apparated to St Mungo with the badly wounded, and Charlie, only slightly singed from helping Filius dispatch the salamander, volunteered to take the unconscious Remus to his dragon preserve in Romania. "He'll be safe there until we figure out if he can change back to human," Charlie pointed out. "Even if he tries, his teeth won't make much of a dent in dragonhide, and any human stupid enough to be wandering around a dragon preserve deserves to get eaten by a werewolf."

Sirius sadly agreed, patting his good friend's pelt while Charlie made the necessary arrangements. "You'll send me daily updates? As soon as I find some experts, I'll send them out to help."

Charlie grinned and nodded. "And send plenty of Wolfsbane too, just in case."

Harry had a headache, and his behind still smarted a bit from the Weasley wallops, but he was otherwise fine after the battle тАУ until Snape grabbed him. Then he began to worry that his ribs might be cracked from all the hugging. "Harry, Harry." Snape couldn't believe it. He'd seen the AK hit with his own eyes, and yet here was Harry, hale and healthy. "Are you all right?" he demanded when he could speak again.

"I'm fine, Da. Honest," Harry promised, but no sooner were the words out of his mouth, than Molly seized him, and then Sirius and so on and so on until Harry was certain he was going to need Skele-Grow for his battered ribs. He couldn't help the big grin on his face though тАУ if he had ever needed proof that people cared about him, he had it. Ha! Take that, Uncle Vernon, you big fat walrus. Shows how much YOU know.

A pop augured Dumbledore's return, along with a battered-looking but mostly-healed Malfoy. "I'm pleased to report that Madame Bones, Bill Weasley, and Professor McGonagall will be fine within a few days. And now, shall we leave this site to Auror Shacklebolt's team and return to Hogwarts?"

Now that the wards around the graveyard were down, it was no trouble for them to apparate to Hogwarts. They made it about twenty yards onto the grounds before being surrounded by a group of trigger-happy centaurs who refused to believe they weren't Polyjuiced Death Eaters. It wasn't until Hagrid arrived to vouch for them and escort them into the castle that the centaurs reluctantly admitted they might be who they claimed.

Harry, his shoulder still firmly grasped by his da, was then treated to more rib-creaking hugs from Uncle Arthur, Professor Sprout, and his friends. The house elves provided plenty of cocoa and snacks while each side filled in the other. Draco was there, sitting next to his father who looked worse than the boy had ever seen him and yet was more openly demonstrative than Draco had ever experienced. Lucius had actually greeted his son with a fierce embrace, and Draco was trying to figure out what had happened to his father and whether the pleasant change might actually last. All five of the younger Weasleys were there, hanging off Molly, and nearly incoherent with pride that their mum had played such an important role in defeating You-Know-Who. Davidella Jones was sitting with them, flattered to be included, but increasingly respectful of her boyfriend's mother.

"Oh, Harry, are you really all right?" Hermione asked, as Neville listened eagerly for details.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Harry promised. "What about you guys? What happened here?"

"It was exciting, Harry! Almost as soon as you and Professor Snape disappeared, the students were all ordered into their towers, just like when that troll was loose," Hermione explained. "Then Hagrid and the professors started patrolling the halls, and they let some of us help тАУ mostly because they figured we'd sneak out if they didn't," she admitted. "Draco and Ron went with Hagrid, and Hagrid got his friends in the Forest to help."

"Yeah, we met the centaurs!" Harry exclaimed, shuddering at the memory.

"Oh, you're lucky then," Hermione assured him. "Hagrid managed to get the Acromantulas patrolling too."

Harry's eyes widened. "No!"

"Yes! Ron met them. He managed not to scream, and Hagrid said they really liked his red hair. I don't think Ron's going to be willing to go anywhere near the Forest again, though," she giggled. "Neville helped Professor Sprout make all the defensive flora around the castle grow, and I patrolled with Jones."

"Wow, Hermione. Weren't you scared? I mean, what if a Death Eater had broken in or something?"

She waved a careless hand. "I wasn't worried at all. Jones taught me that spell she nearly used on the Ravenclaw last year, and I was just waiting for a Death Eater to try to sneak by us."

Harry, remembering the spell, turned rather pale. "Uh, that's not a very nice spell, you know."

Hermione gave him a rather evil smile. "Why, Harry, Jones says that's just one of several witch-only spells that we get taught here."

Harry's jaw dropped. "Is that what they teach in those girls-only classes?"

His friend laughed. "Of course. What do you boys think we're learning about? Magical tampons? Anti-cramp charms?"

Harry тАУ the boy who had faced down the Dark Lord тАУ looked ready to melt from embarrassment at this mention of "Girl Problems", and Hermione took pity on him. Boys were always so easy to fluster. "Meanwhile the twins were busy organizing victory parties to take the other students' minds off what was happening, so I'd guess that the four Common Rooms are going to look pretty awful by tomorrow.

"Now," she fixed Harry with a compelling stare, "what happened to you?"

Harry opened his mouth to answer, but Dumbedore's voice cut through the excited chatter, and everyone quieted. "Yes, I can confirm that Voldemort is truly defeated once and for all. He is dead in body and soul."

A loud cheer swept through the Great Hall, and after the ensuing hugging, Harry ended up on Snape's lap. For once, he didn't really mind sitting there, even as a much-too-old twelve year old, and he noticed that even Draco was scooched next to his father, with Lucius' arm around him, and the Weasleys were shoving each other for their turn to sit on or next to their mum and dad.

"Just because Volauvent's dead, you're not going to stop being my da, right?" Harry asked anxiously.

"Of course not," Snape said sharply. "Foolish child. You saw the adoption papers. Did you notice a termination clause labeled 'until the demise of the Dark Lord'?"

Harry grinned. "No. Guess you're stuck with me."

Snape huffed, but he squeezed Harry tighter even as he did so.

Molly leaned over and patted Harry's hand. "Remember, Harry dear, you'll always be a part of our family as well. Both you and Professor Snape."

Harry beamed at her. "Thank you, Auntie Molly." Then, as a thought struck him, he blurted, "My mum says thank you for remembering the jumper, Auntie Molly."

That stopped conversation cold all around the room, and Dumbledore тАУ with many a twinkle тАУ suggested that it had been a long night and perhaps it was time to try to get some rest. Soon only Snape, Sirius, and the Weasley parents remained in the Great Hall, all watching Harry expectantly.