Chapter 37: And a new world begins [1998, Summer]

The dust had settled. All that was left was a lingering scent of melancholy in the air which whispered the remnants of what happened two days ago. But this too, would come to pass, and as the sun rose for the third day, a new breath of hope infused those who had survived the dark episode.

xxxxx

"What will you do, Tom?" Horace Slughorn asked carefully. He, Severus and Tom stood at the balcony outside the Headmaster's office which overlooked the Great Lake that stretched across the horizon.

"Beautiful view, isn't it? Why hadn't I noticed all those years back when I was a student here," Tom mused, to no one in particular.

"I'd hate to interrupt your reminiscence, Tom, but you really have to decide..." Horace started. But Severus gave him a pointed look and he sighed and took the hint.

"All right, you may take your time to communicate, I'll take my leave first. But you know Severus," he lowered his voice and pulled Severus away, "as Headmaster, you really should put your mind to these matters. Despite the fact that he was never truly bad, and that... that he is... of Dumbledore's blood," Horace swallowed, he still found it difficult to understand and accept the issue of Tom's heritage, "it will take time for people to understand that there was never a 'Lord Voldemort' and Grindelwald was the only mastermind. It will do nothing to reassure the parents and students who did not witness the battle if he continues to remain here."

Severus sighed in resignation. If Professor Slughorn, Tom's very own Head of House during his time at Hogwarts, would not be accepting of his circumstances, then all would be to nought. There would be no hope of asking or allowing Tom to remain at Hogwarts, no matter what his or Tom's wishes were.

"Thank you Horace, I'll handle it," Severus sent him off with a curt nod.

"Couldn't wait to get rid of me, could he?" Tom asked drily, as Severus joined him back at the balcony. Severus smirked.

"Nothing has changed for old Slughorn. Loves fame, talent, power, but would never allow a single notion that suggests he has any association with dark magic. How nice."

"Your opinion and regard for dark magic hasn't changed then, I see."

"Has yours?" Tom asked, slightly amused.

"It is... a seductive branch of magic," Severus agreed with a small smile.

"Of course. I recall the string of dark spells you threw at me when we were duelling for the Elder Wand," Tom laughed, as Severus turned slightly red. When Severus blasted Albus off the Astronomy Tower the year before, he had won the Elder Wand from Albus, which Albus had won from Grindelwald in their legendary duel many years back. Tom challenged Severus for the Elder Wand afterwards as he needed it to defeat Grindelwald who had been so fortified with dark magic.

"Dark magic is all right if it isn't used for the wrong cause. My parents were extraordinarily skilled in it too, you know," Tom continued. Severus was just starting to get used to the idea that Tom was Albus and Minerva's son. Even though he had been heavily involved in Albus and Tom's plans, they never once told him about their relationship.

"There is no magic that Albus Dumbledore cannot wield. It is harder to imagine Minerva using it, even though I know she probably did. She was more up(tight)... principled."

"Oh, you wouldn't have guessed. My father told me that my mother was the one who came up with the idea for the life-and-death potion. She couldn't have done it if she hadn't dabbled with the dark arts," Tom chuckled in good humour while Severus raised his eyebrows. He was not expecting that revelation.

"Severus, I am heading to Durmstrang," Tom said, after a while. Severus looked at him.

"Igor and I go a long way back, as you know. I've heard about his intimidating ways of managing his students these years, and I intend to have a word with him about it," Tom smirked.

Severus thought about it for a moment. Perhaps, this was for the best. Durmstrang was a place which was more receptive towards the darker branches of magic and wizards and witches who had dark pasts, and many students from that school who excelled in the dark arts managed to put their skills to good use in society, for instance, catching rogue wizards and fighting the dark with the dark. It was indeed a place where Tom could flourish.

"And what about the... funerals of..." Severus still found it hard to talk about the deaths of his dearest mentors.

"I will bring them back to Godric's Hollow to be together. It is what my father had wanted. Aberforth has already given me his blessings for this," Tom reassured.

"Hogwarts already has the white tomb..." Severus tried again.

"Let it remain a monument. Nobody needs two funerals in their life. Having one is already tragic enough," Tom said with finality. His heart became lighter as his conversation with Severus came to an end. Perhaps he too, would eventually be able to put everything behind him and look forward to the future. He remembered his mother's last words to him, "make amends, Thomas, you have much left in you to do good for society..."

xxxxx

"Mum? Dad?" Harry whispered, as Lily and James Potter slowly came to. At the other side of the room, Neville was with his parents, and Alice and Frank Longbottom were stirring as well.

"I can't believe this is happening," Augusta sobbed, as she wiped the fat tears leaking out of her eyes with a lacy handkerchief.

"Now, now," Molly tried to comfort her, but she too, was weeping quite inadvertently.

"It is a happy day, my dear ladies, what's the cause for all these tears?" Arthur tried for a hearty voice, but he too, did not sound quite convinced.

They have all fought so hard for this moment – ridding Lily, James, Alice and Frank of their curses was the ultimate symbol that the dark times had indeed past. And yet, peace and good times were so hard-earned that none of them had any energy left to call for a round of celebrations.

"Well, at any rate, I am truly glad that our friends here have been rid of their predicament. I am sure those of us who perished heroically over the long course of our fight would feel the same too," Kingsley Shacklebolt, ever the voice of reason, walked into the room and made an attempt to comfort everyone.

Many of the Order members were still recuperating, some from serious injuries which could be permanent. The prognosis for Fred Weasley, for one, was grave and he may be paralysed for life. Arthur and Molly were just glad that he survived the ordeal, for his injuries were so serious that he may not have had a chance if Tom had not stepped in to help with his expertise. But fortunately, other than Albus and Minerva, no one else from the Order died in the last battle.

"Tonks just had her baby," Kingsley informed everyone with a grin, lifting the mood in the room at once. "Once things settle, we should be able to reconvene at Grimmauld Place for a few drinks."

"That'd be nice!" cheered Ron. Hermione and Ginny both gave Kingsley a hug before he went off.

Lily and James were both fully awake by then. "Harry?" Lily whispered, not daring to believe her eyes.

"Mum!" Harry yelled, before pulling both Lily and James into a huge bear hug.

xxxxx

Epilogue [2017, Autumn]

"Will someone tell me what's going on?" Severus tried to keep his scary, silky tone even as he was rather stunned by the scene in front of him in Slytherin's common room. Never in all his years at Hogwarts had he come across such a rowdy batch of students. He had to see to it personally as the Bloody Baron and the other ghosts had burst into his office complaining about the noise that the Slytherins were making, in turn making quite a racket themselves and causing his head to split. The Head of Slytherin House was in the Infirmary recovering from a sudden bout of flu.

The Slytherins were jumping up and down the couches, clinking mugs of butterbeer and popping crackers and latest pyrotechnics obtained from Weasleys Wizard Wheezes. Some of them were participating in a war dance; circling the central fireplace and waving banners of a certain wizard. Others were sprawling all over the room which seemed to have turned into a bazaar – groups of students were everywhere in heated discussion, trading items such such as t-shirts, magazines and chocolate frog cards of the same wizard. To his amazement, the din seemed to be led by the first-years who were newly sorted into the House earlier that evening. Their ridiculous level of enthusiasm at being sorted into Slytherin, which was already apparent during the Start-of-Term Feast, seemed to have influenced the upperclassmen to join in the frenzy.

Severus waved his wand and the crackers, banners and other items disappeared at once, forcing the party to come to an end. Only then did the students realise that he was standing at the doorway.

"What's this?" He turned angrily to the seventh-year prefects for an explanation, truly annoyed now. Students never disregarded his presence in this manner. It was no wonder the Head of Slytherin House slipped away quietly to the Infirmary. Her gentle nature would have never abled her to deal with this unruly situation.

To his surprise, it was a first-year who stepped forward with an explanation.

"Headmaster... we are very sorry if we have caused any trouble," he began shakily, giving Severus a frightened look. It was Albus Severus Potter, Harry Potter's younger son, and his part namesake. Severus' relationship with the Potters had improved gradually over the years, and he knew the boy before he entered Hogwarts. He was half-expecting the boy to be sulking somewhere because he had not been sorted into Gryffindor like older brother, James Sirius, and the rest of his family. But he seemed excited enough; jumping up and down the three-legged stool when it was announced that he would be in Slytherin at the Sorting Ceremony.

"And do you have an explanation?" In spite of his anger, Severus could not help but soften his tone as he bent down slightly to face the scrawny first-year. He looked terribly like Harry when he first started at Hogwarts.

"We were just celebrating, Professor. We were so happy... so proud to be in Slytherin, and the seniors were happy for us too. We meant no harm," Albus Severus stammered.

Severus frowned. "But surely, you can't be so exuberated just because of your House, Potter. This is only your first day in school and you can't know much about the House yet."

"Oh, but we are, sir. We are really pleased because it's such an honour!" Albus Severus said earnestly while the other first-years around him nodded in wide-eyed admiration. "It thrills us to know that we are in the same House as the great Thomas Dumbledore!" Albus Severus gushed.

Oh. That's why. Severus could see where all this was coming from now. The great Thomas Dumbledore. For when was the last time a day had passed without any mention of him in the newspapers?

In a matter of two decades, Tom Riddle, or Thomas Dumbledore, as he was now rightfully known as, made such an impact in the wizarding world that society's view of Slytherins completely reversed. He revolutionised the teaching and culture of Durmstrang Institute. He invented many spells and potions against dark magic but at the same time, took steps to educate society about it, ridding the stigma and stereotypes of certain branches such as the study of Parseltongue. He ran a network of rehabilitation facilities in several countries for dark wizards and witches who wished to break off with their past. And most recently, he led a European coalition of wizards and witches to take down foreign wizards and witches who had declared war against them – his greatest achievement yet. They won a resounding victory and in addition to the titles of Grand Sorceror and Order of Merlin, First Class which he had already received, he was asked to be the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, to maintain international peace.

After his last achievement, society revisited his role in the downfall of Grindelwald, attributing the fact that there was never a full-blown war in the 1990s to his undercover efforts, and Grindelwald's death in the final battle to his masterful duelling. Horace Slughorn regretted asking him to leave Hogwarts once he recognised the profound impact which he had made, while Sybill Trelawney boasted that her prophecy had been accurate after all – that a boy born to parents who defied the dark lord, Grindelwald, would be the downfall of him. People grew to believe that Slytherins were great and powerful, and it was 'so cool!' and 'absolutely wicked!' to be a Slytherin. And while Severus liked to believe he had contributed in some way; having done a decent job at being the Headmaster of Hogwarts, he knew that his achievements could not compare with Thomas'. His was the apotheosis of redemption.

Albus Severus waved a copy of the Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook written by Thomas which he and his friends were ogling at earlier on, and asked Severus excitedly, "will we be hosting the Triwizard Tournament this year? Does he come for the tournament? Do you think I'll be able to get his autograph?"

"You'd do better honing your skills and trying to be like him, Potter, instead of hankering after his autograph," he said drily. But he allowed his lips to slightly upturn after seeing the boy's crestfallen face. "We'll be holding the Triwizard Tournament at Hogwarts again next year, and he may come."

Cheers erupted throughout the room and Severus had to send sparks into the air once more for silence. He gave them, especially the older students, a tongue-lashing about their behaviour and sent them all off to bed before turning back towards the door.

"And who's this, Headmaster?" Albus Severus ran after him holding a chocolate frog card as he stepped out of the door.

"You don't know who Albus Dumbledore is?" Severus stared at the boy incredulously now, not bothering to dress his voice in its usual silk nor disguise the fact that he was completely bewildered this time. He would have allowed his jaw to drop if he did not have to keep up his image as the Headmaster. What on Merlin's honour had Harry Potter been teaching his children? Perhaps, nothing at all since he always dozed off in Professor Binns' classes. But he would have expected better of Ginny Weasley, or the boy's grandparents.

"Oh, of course I do, I was named after him! He was a famous wizard with a perfect family – a sickly wife and a noble son who's my hero, wasn't he? My father said he was a good man – he kept his marriage a secret to protect his wife who was weak and ill, from the most powerful dark wizard of all, Grindelwald. It's just that... I don't understand. How can it say here that he defeated Grindelwald when it was clearly my hero who did it?" Albus Severus pressed.

Severus sighed deeply. He had met his match today. He did not even know where to begin when faced with one so young and so full of wonder and ideals of the world.

"Minerva McGonagall was a powerful witch, Albus. Her portrait is among those in my office."

"Hmm? I heard that she couldn't even take down a boggart by herself."

Indeed, history was very long and the most recent events were best remembered.

"That's it, Potter. I'll send you for extra classes with Professor Binns starting from tomorrow and you can ask him all you wish. Now, off to bed with you!" Severus said with finality as he hurried off. He did not envy Professor Binns' nor the Head of Slytherin House's jobs in the coming years.

-End-

A/N: Thank you for reading and I hope it was not too far-fetched! I do feel quite sorry for Elphinstone, but oh well, it was all for the greater good (thanks, Grindelwald! :p). And I really wanted Severus to be happier. He's had such a sad life from his one-sided love for Lily, I'd like to think that he continued on as the Headmaster of Hogwarts and perhaps have a second chance at love later on in his life.