Author's Note: And so what was my 2013 NaNo Story is finally complete. Maybe some year I'll complete on in November. I have done minor revisions to the chapters before this, so if you read the work before July 31, 2018, you may want to read this again.

I'm not likely to do a sequel to this story, but there will be some sequel scenes, which most likely will appear in The Dartboard of Discards. I do think I left Harry and Ginny in a much better position at the end of this story than the beginning which was the goal.

This work would not have been possible without the assistance of the members of the CaerAzkaban yahoo group mailing list. They made this a lot better, and found a lot of mistakes over the years.

Epilogue A New Year Begins

Albus Dumbledore, slid up his glasses after finishing reading the reports from Spinner's End. He was quite hopeful about the new year, and most grateful about the news that two of his students who had left Hogwarts in quite bad conditions would be returning happy and hale. He'd stopped by the Burrow briefly a couple days ago, and watched the two of them flying on a pair of Nimbus 2000s, quite happy.

He hadn't interrupted them, and he doubted that the two children even knew he'd been there. That was not because he thought Harry was going to get revenge for the potion that had somehow triggered metamorphic talents. He was sure that the threats that had gotten back to him were the heat of the moment, Molly had warned him that her twins were looking into potions that could temporarily turn boys into girls. Fortunately such potions were not listed in any of the standard school texts, or any book outside the restricted section. The one he'd used on Harry required that it be made just for him, and he doubted that Fred and George Weasley had access to phoenix ash.

The clock chimed and he realized that he was running late. If he didn't hurry, he'd get to the Great Hall for the Welcoming Feast after the students had started arriving from the carriages of the Hogwart's Express. He wasn't looking forward to this particular arrival, not with the Dementors surrounding Hogwarts, hoping to catch Sirius Black.

As he reached the Entry Hall, he found his stride being matched by Professor McGonagall. "Albus, I just got a patronus from Remus Lupin. There has been an incident on the Express."

"Harry?" Albus assumed, his heart dropping.

"He didn't say," McGonagall said. "The Express should be pulling into Hogsmeade in just a few minutes, and he'll be coming to the Great Hall as soon as he can, possibly on the first or second carriage."

Albus resisted going down to Hogsmeade Station to greet the train. It would send too much of a panic. Besides, if there was a real issue, portkeys would have already brought the effected students to Hogwarts. That did not stop him from worrying, and even Fawkes's song only reduced his worry slightly. He wasn't sure how long it was before Remus Lupin entered the Great Hall, alone. The new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor rushed up to Dumbledore's side.

"What happened, Remus?" Albus asked.

"The Dementors boarded the train, just as you thought they might," Remus said. "In their search, they got away from their Auror handlers, and went after several students. Fortunately, no more than exposure occurred. Madame Pomfrey is looking at those."

"Who?" Albus asked.

"William Carrick, Vincent Crabbe, Julia Finch-Fletchley, Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, Harry Potter, Eleanor Treelawney, and Ginerva Weasley," Remus said. "All of them appear to be responding well to chocolate, though Miss Weasley suggested you might want to send for a Doctor Chalice."

"A good idea," Dumbledore said. "I shall have to give points to Gryffindor for the idea. Severus, can you contact your neighbor to see if she is available, possibly as early as tomorrow?"

"Yes, Headmaster," Severus said.

"Now, Remus, please tell me that your ride aboard the Express was not all bad," Albus asked.

"Most certainly not," Remus replied. "Harry might have thought I was sleeping, but I managed to overhear a few things that were quite amusing. Were you aware that Harry is now a metamorphmagus?"

"Oh, I was, and I'm afraid that I may be quite regretting his discovery of it," Albus said.

"Yes, he apparently blames you for something, and has gotten the assistance of Miss Weasley's twin brothers, I believe you warned me about them, worse than James and Sirius?"

"Yes."

"Well, Headmaster, I wouldn't want to be in your shoes," Remus replied with a smile, before finding his seat, as the Great Hall was almost full.

It wasn't long before Albus was standing up to begin the autumn term of the new school year. He found himself looking forward to it, despite the troubles that Sirius Black and the Ministry had set in motion for the year. "Welcome to Hogwarts, students. In a moment the first years will be escorted in for their sorting. I remind everyone that there should be no booing at any sorting, only cheering for your new housemates, after they are sorted. We expect quiet during each sorting, as it is a solemn moment for the student, as each of you should remember. Professor McGonagall, retrieve the first years."

And with that, Albus Dumbledore's hundred and eleventh summer ended.

So it is written, so let it be done.