Chapter Text
The sun shone down on the field between Hogwarts castle and Hogsmeade village. Rows of seats were lined up in front of a large stage upon which stood the graduating seventh year students.
It had been a long road, with many bumps and turns. And they had lost almost a third of their original number on the way. Between death eaters and their supporters and those blood purists who had chosen Sanctuary, the population of magical Britain had been reduced by a full third. But those who remained had worked together over the last two years to rebuild.
The changes could already be seen. The incoming class for the last two years had included goblins, werewolves, and even a few vampires. Hermione was planning to work on getting house elves to attend the school next.
The twins had finally opened their shop and it had boomed. The Alliance forward teams had taken over for the Aurors, and passed their training on to the regular magical law enforcement squads. The Ministry had been completely restructured with help from the Prime Minister and the Queen. There was still a Minister for Magic, and no plan to change that in the near future, however the Minister for Magic now worked closely with the Prime Minister to insure that all laws were covered and followed by both parts of British society. Meanwhile the Wizengamot was retooled to work like another branch of parliament, and was slowly being integrated into that structure, so that the magicals would have a say in the laws being passed. Their oversight of criminal trials was stripped and handed over to a new courts system, which was basically an exact duplicate of the muggle system, just with a slightly different set of laws. And Gringotts got it’s look into modern muggle banking, which caused a flurry of activity in the bank. Magical society was now seeing a distinct upturn in its economy as the bank began using established techniques to help everyone, especially the goblins, make money.
But for Harry, the changes were closer to home. For the first time that he could remember, there was nothing pressing him to go further, to work harder, to find a solution to the next problem. And he had found that he loved the feeling of being able to relax, to study at his own pace, and simply learn.
For two years he had continued to ask himself the question that the adult men in his life had once posed to him. What do you want to do after Hogwarts Harry? At last, he had an answer. He just needed to get this ceremony over with, so he could find the person he wanted to tell first.
It was hot on the stage, despite the cool spring breeze. The heavy black student robes were sweltering in the afternoon sun. And Headmistress Mcgonagall gave a speech that seemed to last for hours. After the siege of Diagon Alley as it had come to be called, and all the trials, Dumbledore had finally retired. He was last seen by his closest friends, whom he told he was going to spend his last days with the love of his life. He was not seen again in Britain.
At long last, the speeches were finished, the awards given out, graduation scrolls handed to each student, and they were released. It took Harry five whole minutes to find his target and drag her down to the lake for a quiet moment.
“Luna,” he smiled at the girl who had woven her way into his life and his heart with soft words, kind smiles, and the occasional mind-blowing moment of nudity. “A while ago, I was asked a question I couldn’t answer. I was asked what I wanted to do with my life, after Hogwarts. I’ve thought about it for a long time now. I could have played professional quidditch, but I didn’t have the interest. I could still go into curse breaking, I have the skill, and more experience already than most get in a decade. Except, I really don’t handle the drudge work for that well. I could do enchanting, its stimulating enough that I wouldn’t get too bored, except when a large order for copies of the same item came in. I’ve learned that I don’t do well with repeat work, I like the inventing and designing part. And thanks to Nicholas’ teaching and the income from the hotel, I’ll never really want for money.”
He paused to take a breath and smile again. “So I had to ask myself, what do I enjoy, more than anything else. Enough that I could do it, every day, for the rest of my life, and never get tired of it. And I realized, there are two things I enjoy, above everything else. One is spending time with you, the other is exploring, seeing new places, and finding new animals.” Reaching into a pocket he dropped to one knee, and held up a small box open to reveal a shining opal set on a band of silver. Luna Lovegood, would you come with me on a journey of life and love. To find whatever the world has to show us, together in everything we do?”
Luna tilted her head ever so slightly, looking at the ring. It was the one she had seen just after the war ended, when they went into muggle London to celebrate. She and Hermione and a few other girls had gone into a jewelry store to look around, and she had told Hermione that she wanted this ring to be her engagement ring. Hermione had told Harry, and now here it was. Tears prickled in her eyes as she smiled at the boy who had become the most important person in her life. Slowly, as though in a dream she reached out and grasped Harry’s free hand and whispered. “Yes.” As she nodded her head.
In a rush, Harry rose and wrapped her in his arms, holding as tight as he could. There would be many moments like this in the years to come, but right now, in this moment, he felt he could fly. And like her, he felt hot tears spill as he grinned wider than he ever had before.
When at last they let go of one another and Harry pulled the ring from the box to place it on her finger, they were startled by the sound of three sharp gasps and a handful of loud squeals. Looking over to the source of the sound they saw the twins, Neville, Hermione, and all their dates rushing forward to grab them into hugs.
33 Years Later
Harry sat on his deck enjoying a crisp fruity drink. Luna was visiting her father, they were working out the logistics of starting a second magazine dedicated to the articles she and Harry had written about their travels. And Harry was enjoying his first visit with the islands newest inhabitants.
On either side of him sat a couple. On his right was a young, dark haired man and his red haired wife. On his left an older couple, both with dark hair going silver.
It had been the work of several years to arrange this meeting, and Harry had been looking forward to it. He had worked with Nicholas, and a few other alchemists, as well as a group of muggle doctors, to find a way to reverse the effect of the killing curse. And then to work out a means of thawing a person from cryonic freezing without further damage to their body.
And now, because of that work, he got to have a drink with his parents, and his grandparents. Life was good.
Finite