Thirteen Years later

September 1

"She's my daughter! She'll be in Slytherin." Lucius said, debating with his son.

"Are you kidding me? Rhiannon? She's a Gryffindor through and through." Draco countered, leaning against Ginny.

"Lucius, she can be in any house she wants to be." Ginny said, putting a placating hand on her husband's arm, "Although, she would make a great Gryffindor."

Ginny and Lucius Malfoy were dressed as differently as they could be, Ginny in a set of exquisite burgundy red robes and Lucius in subtle black and green. In the months following Narcissa's death, Ginny and Lucius grew closer. Draco came home after two weeks of solitude at the hunting lodge with an eye patch. Apparently he had lost his right eye in the battle. It was tended to, but the eye would never grow back. He was left with a roguish black eye patch. The little family grew closer. Two years after Narcissa's passing, Lucius and Ginny decided that they were going to give it a whirl. Courtship progressed nicely and the next year they bore a daughter, Rhiannon.

"They've been debating this since the day she was born." Draco whispered to me, referring to the bright sunny day in June when Ginny bore their first daughter. I laughed. We stood against the far wall with the other wizarding parents, watching our children get sorted, an institution started by me seven years ago when Mairwen was sorted and I was no longer the potion's master. Mairwen was sorted Ravenclaw and I couldn't be prouder. She was head girl this year, with wonderful school work coming home every year.

"What do you think he'll do if she's sorted Gryffindor?" she asked me, leaning over and giggling.

"Rhiannon will be a Slytherin." Alaric said, pulling on Ginny's hem. The nine-year old had inherited Ginny's hair and gangly body type, but his demeanor was Lucius personified.

"You think?" Draco asked, eyeing his half-brother skeptically. He reached over his head and chuckled the chin of Helene, Ginny and Lucius' surprise baby that was residing in a sling across Ginny's abdomen. The four month old giggled and blew a spit bubble his way.

The A's through the L's went painfully slow. Soon Rhiannon Malfoy's name was called and she walked slowly to the stool, chewing at her bottom lip. She nervously tossed her bob of white blonde hair as she sat down. Her face grew red as people started looking at her with anticipation. She spied her brother and sister in the back and gave them a smile before the hat covered her entire head.

Several moments passed before the hat proclaimed:

GRYFFINDOR!

Rhiannon smiled widely and scampered off to the Gryffindor table where she was welcomed politely and people scooted over to allow the new first year room to sit down.

Lucius handed over a sack of galleons to his wife.

N-Z went slowly, partly due to the fact that I was looking forward to my daughter's speech.

"Now, if I may have your attention," Minerva said, hushing the audience, "Head Boy Lucas Watts and Head Girl Mairwen Snape would like to share some words with you."

Head boy went first, his speech tolerable, but probably not as good as Mairwen's would be. It was only about five minutes long and the moments crawled by.

"Students, Staff and Parents, I'd like to welcome you back to Hogwarts, and for those of you here for the first time, I hope you return many times. I want to speak to you tonight about politics. I know that this seems trivial at a time like this, where we are at peace, but I want to impart some wisdom on you that my father told me once, long ago. He told me that the war with Voldemort was over, but the war against evil would never be over. He reminded me to be vigilant to the Dark Arts that could be around me. I want all of you to remember that here at Hogwarts the Dark Lord was bred. I want to remind you to be kind to each other, to help one another out. Through kindness to each other can we prevent someone like that from wanting to upset our peaceful world.

I anticipate that politics will forever reign, whether it be Ministry against The Order of the Phoenix or just Gryffindor against Slytherin. I caution you against this, my fellow students. Great things can come from other houses. Here I am, a Ravenclaw, progeny of a Gryffindor and a Slytherin. Please remember that we are all just children, and worthy of respect from our peers. I understand that these traditions have been in place longer than I could imagine, but I want to make a new tradition, here, today. Let's make a tradition of respect. Let's make a tradition of making sure that no one is left out. Let's make a tradition of inter-house friendships. I will ask you to not stray away from that odd-ball out. Because that odd ball just might be the next dark force. We can combat the dark arts not only though our classes, but through kindness, because none of us are well trained enough yet to really take on the dark arts.

It is with great pleasure and extreme enthusiasm that I welcome the new first years, returning students, parents, faculty and staff to a fresh year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"

Applause abounded and a few other announcements were made. Dinner was served shortly and most students dined with their parents, or their friend's parents.

"Hello there, Miss Snape." I said, hugging my daughter.

"Hello, Daddy." she said, squeezing me tight, popping a vertebrae in my back.

"You're getting too strong." I said, "And too tall."

"Am not. You're just shrinking." she said, laughing.

"My congratulations on a magnificent speech." I said, pulling out the chair for my daughter. We sat and ate a delicious meal amid general conversation. I looked at my daughter, seeing so much of Hermione in her.

Mairwen was taller than Hermione ever could have hoped to be, coming up to my chin and I wasn't a short man. She inherited my stick straight black hair, but thankfully she wasn't interested in potions besides getting above average marks in it. The greasiness would be low for her, I hoped. Her face was Hermione's all over again, aside from the shade of her eyes. Petite nose, large eyes, heart shaped face; they were all Hermione's. She was pretty, but not in a traditional way. This meant that she was just now growing out of an awkward phase.

My life was complete. Mairwen and I lived on the outskirts of London in a nice cottage. We integrated a lot of muggle technology into our lives, at her insistence. I owned a car and a computer and a microwave. Mairwen was very happy about the car that she had selected for me. I resigned the potion master's position just after the Battle at Hogwarts (as historians are calling it) and started doing research with St Mungo's. Since then the Wolfsbane potion had started being mass produced and a Cruciatus counter-potion had been started. It was still in the works. I was single, but happy with just Mairwen and I. There were frequent visits with the Malfoys and others. My life was feeling just right.

"Dad, I'd like you to meet Adrian O'Connor." A tall boy with a shock of curly brown hair extended his hand.

"Pleased to meet you, sir." he said confidently. I did take his hand to shake.

"I'm shaking your hand because my daughter is sitting right next to me. I would not have if she wasn't. I don't like you. I don't like you because you are a man and I know what it's like to be a man. Hurt my daughter and you will answer to Severus Snape."

Fin.

A/N: My dear Lord. Thank you to everyone that has been with me along the way! Another thank you goes to my bouncing buddy/beta, Inness! Thanks for the ride, it's been fun.