Having Both is a Blessing - A Harry Potter Story - HP/AU 7th year

Chapter 39 : "What now . . .?" indeed.

Chapter 39 : “What now…?” indeed.

The future stretches ahead of them, but we have to tie up a few loose threads.

 Chapter 39:  “Now what?” indeed.

                                         ####  THE DAILY PROPHET  ###

                                            !!! VOLDEMORT VANQUISHED !!!

                                           !!!! Wizarding World Rejoices !!!!

                                         !!! Hogwarts scene of epic battle !!!

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 The following day, headlines in the Daily Prophet screamed the news throughout the wizarding world, with promises that firsthand accounts of the battle, with all of the details would be forthcoming, insured sales of future issues.  Rita Skeeter, however, was having an apoplectic fit because she was denied permission to come on the school grounds or being granted ‘exclusive rights’ to Harry’s story.  She was placated, somewhat, by the announcement that there would be a press release and she would get the first copy, with a personal note from Harry.

 The Ministry was also clamoring for Harry and the others to come and give statements to the Wizangamoth.   The Headmaster politely informed them that the students were studying for their end of year exams and the Fifth and Seventh years were also busy getting ready for their O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s.  He reassured them that Harry and company would, in good time, come to London and speak to the Ministry.

 Life at Hogwarts, remarkably, had settled right back into its routines.  The absence of Millicent and Tracie was the only difference of note. However, Pansy’s re-appearance more than made up for that loss.

 The students who were uninvolved with the battle had been briefed, privately, by Dumbledore about what had occurred during the night and many were genuinely surprised they had slept through all the commotion.   They were happy, though, that the D.A. was able to overcome the Death Eaters with few injuries: cuts, bruises, burns, scrapes and Michael’s broken arm were about the extent of it. 

The worst injuries to the Death Eaters came at the hands of the house-elves and consisted of several dozen goose eggs inflicted by well-placed blows from their Beater Bats.  In addition, quite a few cases of skin irritation and hair loss from duct tape removal needed healer attention.

Fenrir, Peter Pettigrew and Voldemort were the only casualties.  Peter’s family were notified and came to claim his body.  They were astonished to find that a letter from Harry Potter accompanied it, explaining how their son had sacrificed himself to honor his Wizard’s Debt, along with Harry’s assurance that Peter would be given due credit for his actions down in The Chamber when Harry went to address the Wizangamot after the end of the school year. 

 The Death Eaters were back in Azkaban, under double guard.  Their trials would be held after testimony from those involved in the battle was heard.  It was almost a certainty that the most violent and dangerous ones would receive either a death sentence via “The Veil”, or the “Dementor’s Kiss”, while the rest would be long-term, indeed lifelong, residents of Azkaban. 

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 At Greystone Manor, the garden was in full bloom and Frank Longbottom was in his element, puttering around, spade in hand, weeding, cultivating, watering, transplanting and moving pots out of the conservatory onto the patios.  He hummed most of the time, stopping to smile at his wife when she wandered by pushing one or more of the babies, or Po, in a pram, down the garden paths accompanied by Winky or Dobby.