The Trusted Hero

Disclaimer: I obviously don't own the idea of Harry Potter or any of the money making forms of it.

Special thanks to my soundboards: *Chereche* (also beta), soaring freedom, LadyKnightofCelestia, and BlackRosedAlice

And a specialspecial thanks to Evebb who gave me permission to do this :)

Epilogue

Hermione climbed into one of the carriages. It was surreal. She had lived over six months in France with her family, and for a long time she had feared she would never return to her home and never see Hogwarts again. But now her parents were settling into a new place back in London and she would soon sleep in her dormitory again.

"Hi, Granger," Justin Finch-Fletchley said, taking a seat across from her as Hannah Abbot, Anthony Goldstein, and the Patil sisters followed soon after.

They all quickly greeted one another, eager and anxious to return to Hogwarts.

"So where were you when you first heard?" Anthony asked as the carriages began rolling to Hogwarts.

No one bothered to ask what he meant because there were only two things he could be referring to: Voldemort's death or Harry Potter.

"I was with my tutor," Hermione answered.

"Eating dinner," Justin said. "The owl almost landed in my mum's pudding."

"We were helping with dinner when our father came in and told us," Padma said.

"I'm still trying to believe it," Anthony said, shaking his head. "Mark Twist, Harry Potter? I mean, did you ever suspect?" He looked at Hermione.

"No, but now that I know, looking back . . . there were clues." Hermione frowned.

"Oh? Like what?" Parvati asked, very curious.

"Well, the way he treated the fake Potter for one. And then there was how he reacted when the truth of . . . well, the Dursleys came out." Hermione shook her head, as if annoyed with herself. "I can't believe I never questioned it. There were so many signs. But I guess you don't see things if you're not looking for them."

The others nodded.

"I wonder what he's like now," Justin said.

"I think everyone is wondering that. I'm just glad he's woken up and is doing better now," Hermione said as the gates of Hogwarts came into view.

"Do you believe what's been said about him? I mean, about well, the killing curse?" Padma asked.

"He's survived it before," Anthony said with a shrug. "I'm more curious about the fight. An enchanted, transfigured dragon! Can you imagine?"

"And the flying," Justin pointed out. "How did he learn how to do all those things they said he did?"

"He is Dumbledore's apprentice," Hannah pointed out.

Anthony suddenly stifled a giggle. "Sorry. Just pictured Dumbledore flying around."

The others laughed.

"That would be something to see," Justin agreed.

Finally, they arrived at Hogwarts and made their way to the Great Hall. A lot of the muggleborns and halfbloods who had left England months before were there, along with all the other students who had returned home for a bit after the Ministry had been retaken.

Hogwarts was in session again.

Entering the Great Hall, they quickly filled the tables and gathered with their old friends. The professors weren't all there yet, including Dumbledore. Ron quickly spotted Hermione and waved her over to sit with him, Neville, Ginny, and the twins.

"Bonjour, Mademoiselle—"

"—bon appétit, merci—"

"—Voila!" Fred and George said.

Ginny sighed and cut them off, exasperated. "Stop talking nonsense."

"But we love talking in French," George complained.

Hermione shook her head and couldn't help but smile, but before anyone could say anything more Dumbledore had arrived.

The whole hall fell silent and all eyes shot to the chair beside Dumbledore, for someone they had never seen before was sitting there.

He had messy black hair, a dimpled chin, a smooth face, and brilliant green eyes behind the pair of glasses Mark Twist always wore.

The whispers started instantly but were snuffed out the moment the young man stood up beside Dumbledore who was already standing.

Dumbledore placed his hand on Harry's shoulder and looked over them all.

"I am sure you all have already figured out who this is. For those who want verification, this is Harry Potter, who you all knew as Mark Twist — many of you for several years. I know that many of you may be curious about everything that has happened, but I would ask that you give Harry some common courtesy — namely privacy. You will all agree he deserves that much. Now, Harry would like to say a few words."

Dumbledore moved aside slightly and gave Harry an encouraging nod.

Harry cleared his throat, slightly uneasily to Hermione, but she was surprised by his calm expression and his stance. He had always had a strong presence, but she had never known how self-assured he could be, and it went beyond confidence. He was completely comfortable with himself. She had never noticed it before with Mark Twist, but perhaps that was because he had been hiding.

"I know the Daily Prophet hasn't exactly been reserved about what had happened on the Solstice, and I know there are a lot of rumors going around about what being an 'Eternal' means, so I will explain that first. I am now, what ancient magic users would call, an Eternal: an individual who has absorbed a bit of earth magic into their magical core.

"For me, this was done unintentionally. Voldemort miscalculated and his ritual, quite literally, backfired. It cost him his life and almost took mine. Fortunately, under the care of Madam Pomfrey, Professor Snape, Fawkes, and some Healers from St. Mungos, I have recovered."

Harry scanned the tables before him, gathering his thoughts.

"It has changed me, but, as much as some people would like you to believe, I am not immortal or invincible. The word 'eternal' does not refer to an altered state of being or other far out drivel; instead, it is the rough description of what my magic can now do. Certain spells I cast, like transfigurations or charms, will continue to exist beyond my death — hence, they're considered 'eternal'."

Surprised murmurs sparked throughout the Great Hall, but they quickly came to a halt the moment Harry went on speaking.

"Now that you all know I am not some kind of King Magus or demi-god—" Harry rolled his eyes. "—I want to discuss something else I think is more important.

"Before I returned to the Wizarding World, I had been warned there may be people who would want me dead for what had happened in 1981. This is why I became Mark Twist. I thought a new face would protect me, but in the end it became a liability.

"When I had received my acceptance letter to Hogwarts, I was excited, relieved even. I thought, 'finally, a place I can belong!' I had never dreamt I would be met with such prejudice from the get go simply because of what my blood status was believed to be. I didn't understand it, and I still don't. Why should something one has no control over take precedence over one's abilities and character? How can a world with limitless possibilities be so obsessed with the one thing that would restrict it — chain it?" He sighed.

"There was actually a moment when I had lost all hope that there would be any desirable future for our world, and believe it or not it wasn't when I was in Azkaban, but here — in Hogwarts."

Everyone within the Great Hall was completely still. It was hard to tell if anyone was even breathing.

"I was accused of murder and called a liar. There was — many would say — irrefutable proof of my guilt and nothing but my word to say otherwise. Only one person believed me and chose to act on that belief, looking beyond the 'evidence' and the fact I was a 'poor muggleborn'. Without him, I know I would have given up on the wizarding world and that the only thing left for me would have been revenge."

Harry faced Dumbledore and waited for him to turn toward him. Once the Headmaster did, Harry continued, his voice soft but projected so all could hear.

"Sir, I never properly thanked you before, so let me thank you now. You have helped me in more ways than I can say, but know the most important things you did were show me I still had worth and that I was not alone."

The black haired teenager instantly morphed into the unattractive teen they all recognized. Dumbledore's eyes were glistening.

"Thank you for believing Mark Twist — me. I don't think I'm exaggerating in saying that by saving me, you helped save us all."

He then turned toward the student body again before morphing back to his true self.

"This will be my last term here as a student, as I have some plans for myself after I take my NEWTs. I know not everyone was against me, but I need some time after everything that's happened. Thank you." Harry turned toward Dumbledore again. "Sir," he said, relinquishing the floor back to the Headmaster.

With that, Harry moved to sit down, but suddenly the students below began to stand and clap. They rose one by one, and then in groups, and soon all the professors were standing and clapping as well before it was soon coupled with chants and cheering.

Harry's heart swelled.

O

Harry knew he needed to talk to them, but, as much as he knew that, he didn't want to do it. Too much had happened and so much had changed. They couldn't go back to being friends, at least not the way they had been.

He sighed as he made his way to the Come and Go Room. He had asked Neville to ask Hermione and Ron to meet him there so knew they were likely already waiting for him. He wasn't quite sure what he was going to say, or even what he should or needed to express. He only knew leaving things as they were wouldn't be fair to them and that it would likely bother him forever if he didn't at least try to talk to them.

The door appeared in front of him and, taking a deep breath, he entered.

Hermione and Ron were sitting in some chairs beside a table against the wall, but as soon as they saw him come in, they stood up.

"H-Harry!" Hermione said uneasily, probably uncertain about what to call him.

It was so strange to see Hermione this way, although he supposed he couldn't blame her. He was practically a stranger to her now.

"Hi, Hermione," he said before going toward the empty chair between them. He glanced at Ron.

Awkwardly, they all sat down.

"So…" Ron began.

"Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry for everything! From not believing you about the Tournament to the things I said the last time I saw you. I should never have doubted you. What you must think of me!" Hermione blurted.

Harry blinked as tears gathered in her eyes.

"It's okay, Hermione," he started, hoping against hope that that would calm her emotions, but his words only made it worse.

"It's not okay!" she argued, tears now streaming down her face. "The moment I learned the truth, everything fell into place and it explained so much! And I can't stop but imagine how you must have felt all these years! I was so stupid!"

Harry didn't know what to say and neither did Ron. They looked at each other and then back at Hermione.

"Hermione," Ron tried, only for Hermione to continue her tirade.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through so much alone, especially when we should have been there, when we should have been there for you to trust," she said, growing spent. "But instead we gave you every reason not to count on us. How are you not angry? Resentful?"

Harry swallowed the growing lump in his throat. He hadn't given much thought about everything that had happened before Azkaban. He hadn't wanted to, but now that Hermione was there and saying what she was. . . .

He forced it all down. It was over and done with. Dwelling on it would solve nothing, help nothing. He had made it through and had endured it once already. He didn't need to walk it again, even mentally.

"It's the past," he finally said. "No one is perfect, and though I wish people had made different decisions, myself included, it's done. We're here now. Let's focus on that."

Hermione gazed at him, her eyes glistening once again, but instead of regretful tears, they were tears of a different type.

"I hope the Wizarding World understands what they have," she said softly.

Ron coughed. "So, Harry, are you really going to be done with school after this year?" he asked, deciding that would be a safe topic to move onto.

Hermione instantly perked up and became intently curious.

Harry sighed but couldn't help but smile. Although things would never be as they had been between them, they were still friends. No, they would probably never be best friends again (assuming they ever were), but at least he could count on them to not treat him like some sort of god.

O

After half an hour of assuring Hermione that he was ready for his NEWTs and that he wasn't somehow skimping out on his education (he was apprenticed to Albus Dumbledore for crying out loud), he bid them good night and made his way to his quarters while they left to Gryffindor Tower.

He wasn't really watching where he was going, but was alert enough to sidestep when he heard someone coming directly toward him. He looked up as the person began to pass him but suddenly stopped. Harry stopped as well and was startled to find that it was Snape.

Harry had thanked Snape for his part in keeping him alive before he had left the infirmary but had not had any contact with him since.

They stared at each other for a long moment, uncertainty so thick that it hung in the air like fog.

"You were awake when I spoke to Dumbledore, weren't you?" Snape said finally.

Harry instantly knew what he was referring to and didn't bother to act like he didn't. "Yes."

Snape's shoulders remained tight, but his eyes seemed to dim slightly, resigned.

"Come with me," he stated, leading them down the hall and into an empty classroom. He quickly warded it the moment Harry closed the door behind him.

Harry waited for him to speak.

"I knew your mother growing up," Snape started, not quite facing him. "We were friends, until I made some foolish mistakes. We went our separate ways and, before I knew what the consequences of my actions would be, I played a part in her end." His voice was soft but earnest, a confession bleeding with regret. Snape suddenly looked him in the eyes. "I was responsible for the Dark Lord's initial interest in you, for I delivered him part of the prophecy all of those years ago."

Harry was still, but in his mind he was reeling. He had known about his part in delivering the prophesy, for he had seen it in Voldemort's memories, but he had known nothing about Snape's history with his mother. "What do you want me to say?" he asked after a long moment.

"There is nothing to be said. I just wanted you to know. I can't take back my mistake, but I can help ensure Lily's legacy lives on. Know that I will always be at your disposal, Mr. Potter-Twist."

Harry swallowed thickly as Snape lifted the ward and left the room, leaving him with his thoughts.

O

Harry found Remus at the edge of the lake watching the giant squid. He had been looking for him, wanting to talk to him before anymore time passed. Admittedly, he had been avoiding this moment, simply because he didn't know what to say, but now he knew.

"Hagrid said you were here," he said, coming up beside him.

Remus turned to him, slightly surprised but his eyes only held tender joy.

"Oh?" he asked.

Harry's eyes took in the rippling surface of the water.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Harry said, referring to Mark Twist being a disguise.

"You have nothing to apologize for. The fewer who knew the truth, the better," Remus said honestly. "You made the right choice."

"Even so, I'd like to make it up to you," Harry said, finally looking at him. "I know how close you were to my parents, and though I've spent a lot of time with you in the past year, it wasn't as, well, all of me, I guess you could say."

Remus' eyes softened. "Learning you're the son of two of the best people I've ever known has answered some things, I must admit."

Harry blinked, intrigued. "How so?"

"Well, you have the same daring as your father but it's tempered by your mother's compassion."

Harry swallowed, turning his eyes back to the lake. Remus waited patiently.

"After term is over, I'll be staying here over the summer to continue my apprenticeship under Dumbledore, but when school begins again, I hope to explore a bit of the world. Would you like to join me?"

Remus smiled. "I would like nothing better."

O

Harry's life became an adventure that most anyone would envy.

He traveled the world with Remus while Hogwarts was in session and then returned in the summer months to resume his apprenticeship with Dumbledore. When he turned 21, he finished his apprenticeship and had earned Masteries in Transfigurations-Transformation, Martial Magic, Charms, Arithmancy, and Spell Creation. In particular, Harry's ability to alter his animagus' appearance and even its species had been groundbreaking. His Transfiguration thesis was in Metamorphmagus-Animagus abilities and was critically acclaimed by several seasoned Transfiguration Masters.

Eventually, his long list of masteries would get even longer with masteries in Transfigurations-Conjuration, Potions, and Earth Magic. He never got a mastery in Alchemy, however, as his interests shifted elsewhere, primarily in enchantments (thanks in part to being 'Eternal' and his wife's curiosity).

Two years after completing his apprenticeship, he met and eventually married an Australian muggleborn three years younger than himself. He met her while at an international convention. She was a magical researcher specializing in enchantments. Understandably, her work quickly became a topic of interest between them and they happily worked together to expand on it.

As for the lives of Harry's childhood friends, they too expanded their horizons and began making their own families and careers.

Hermione became an Unspeakable after getting bored in gaining masteries. Although she couldn't share a whole lot about what she was doing, she did hint to Harry that it involved time and healing magic. Alongside her secretive career, she married Oliver Wood several years after Hogwarts and had two children.

Neville apprenticed under Sprout for four years before working at St. Mungos and becoming their Herbologist expert. Years later, he returned to Hogwarts and replaced Sprout as the Herbology professor and eventually became Headmaster after Dumbledore retired.

Susan Bones became Minister for Magic after serving several years as Undersecretary. She married Neville not long after Hogwarts.

Ron, as crazy as it may sound, delved into politics after graduating from Hogwarts. He set his sights on rooting out corruption and on more than one occasion worked with Dumbledore, Susan, and Harry to ensure things were done right. The death of Percy had changed him and his family. The Weasleys were closer than they had ever been, but they would never completely recover from the pointless loss of the middle son.

Draco and his mother moved to France after the war, stating they had no reason to remain in England. There, Draco married a pureblood witch and lived moderately but happily for the rest of his days.

Snape took his leave of Hogwarts not long after Harry began exploring the world and it didn't take him long to join the Unspeakables to research dangerous potions. After living so many years unsatisfied with his life, he finally felt content, and it only got better when he met his better half: a halfblood witch and a talented potions mistress. They never had children, but their research was their baby.

Remus Lupin explored the world with Harry but eventually settled down and married Nymphadora Tonks after several years of fighting 'incompatibility' issues. They had a son and twin daughters, all of whom were spoiled by their godfather, Harry.

Dumbledore continued fulfilling his many duties until retiring eight years after the death of Voldemort. In his ancient age, he acted as Harry's advisor and became an honorary grandfather for Harry's four children. Decades later, he would pass peacefully in his sleep after an evening of contemplation — thinking back to a pivotal moment where the fate of a young man had been in his hands.

The moment he decided to believe Mark Twist. The instant he chose to take a boy's word and peer beyond the present evidence. The second he knew the young man before him could be a . . . trusted hero.

-The End-

A/N: Well, there it is. Thanks to all who have reviewed ^_^

Sorry it took me a bit longer to get this out. Life's been crazy to put it mildly, but good.

I hope the epilogue was worth the wait and that the overall story was enjoyable :D