And here we are at the end! Welcome to the final chapter in this Harry Potter saga. It's been an amazing ride, and when I look back at the beginning, I really can't believe I actually wrote all this!

I'm actually surprised this didn't take longer to get out. I was on a huge writing kick, and then somewhere around chapter seventeen of the last story, I lost focus. I saw the newest X-Men movie three times in theaters, and then got an idea for a story in that genre. And then I was moving halfway across the country and starting a new job. But I made it, and here we are, for your viewing pleasure!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, I'm just using the characters for my own enjoyment!

Minerva sighed as she sat down at her desk in her office at McGonagall Castle. The last few days since term had ended had been a whirlwind of emotion, not much of it good. At the end of the school year, Voldemort's followers, called Death Eaters, had staged a rather well thought out attack on the light side of the wizarding world. By attacking Diagon Alley, they had drawn out many defenders, before they infiltrated Hogwarts. The end goal was to kill Dumbledore; however, thanks to Harry and the DA, they had been thwarted.

Yes, things had definitely ended better than they could have, and for that, Minerva was grateful.

No, what was causing her so much distress now was the conversation she, Sirius, and Harry had had shortly after their return home from the train station. She was amazed at how much Harry and his friends had managed to research their horcrux problem over the last few months. They actually had several ideas on locations, and what objects had been used! She was impressed, and had told Harry. But what she didn't like was his desire to check out the locations himself. She was his guardian; she was supposed to protect him.

But she wasn't, she realized with a start. Even if Harry wasn't about to turn seventeen, with the soul bond he and Ginny shared, he was already emancipated. Technically, she really had no say, did she?

Minerva sighed again, giving up the pretense of work, setting her quill down as she leaned back in her seat. Harry's arguments had made a lot of sense, but the guardian side of her was warring with his reasoning. It was only natural that she wanted him safe, wasn't it?

A knock on the door interrupted her musings, and Minerva turned slightly, calling for whomever it was to enter.

Harry stuck his head inside the room. "Are you nearly ready to leave?" he asked curiously. "We're supposed to be at the Weasleys for dinner in ten minutes."

Minerva glanced at the clock standing in the corner, startled. Was it really that late already? She turned back to Harry and nodded. "You go on ahead," she told him. "I'm going to change, and then I will meet you there."

Harry nodded and disappeared from the doorway.

Minerva stood up with a near-silent groan, and hurried off to her room to put on a more suitable dress before she hurried to the Floo to join Harry and the others.

Tonight was going to be an interesting dinner; Percy had finally come around and apologized to his parents just a short while ago, and tonight, Molly and Arthur had invited Minerva, Harry, Sirius, Amelia, and Susan for supper, so that they could speak with Percy themselves. Not all of them had been directly affected by Percy's actions, but Amelia wasn't going to leave her niece out, and beyond that, Susan wanted to be there for her friends.

This evening had actually been Percy's idea, Molly had informed Minerva. He had wanted a chance to apologize for his actions.

When Minerva arrived at the Burrow, she saw a rather tense gathering waiting for her. Percy was sitting in a corner with Arthur, while Ron, Harry, Ginny, Susan, and the twins were in the opposite corner, shooting looks at the third eldest Weasley brother from time to time, but not saying anything. Bill was leaning against a wall opposite the fireplace, talking with Sirius and Amelia, and Fleur was in the kitchen with Molly, helping to prepare the meal.

When Minerva arrived, all heads turned to her, most with varying degrees of relief, now that the last person had shown up.

As Minerva greeted everyone in the room, Molly bustled in, wiping her hands on her apron. She smiled warmly at the Transfiguration Mistress. "Good evening, Minerva. Dinner should be ready in fifteen minutes. Would anyone care for a drink?"

Minerva accepted the offer, taking the glass of wine the Weasley matriarch presented her. Bill and Arthur already had glasses of their own, and everyone else declined, content to wait for the meal.

Percy coughed, garnering looks from everyone as he stood up. "Perhaps we could all talk now, before we eat," he hedged, glancing at his mother.

Molly smiled and nodded, noting the decidedly cool atmosphere from the room. Percy had redeemed himself in her eyes, coming home with her husband and twin sons after the fight in Diagon Alley. He had apologized several times, and admitted to all of his mistakes. Percy had suggested this dinner as a way for him to speak with those he knew he had wronged in some way, and Molly had wholeheartedly agreed. She wanted her family to be whole again.

Percy cleared his throat, looking at Harry and his brothers. Now that the moment had arrived, he felt even more nervous. Steeling himself and gathering his Gryffindor courage, he began to speak.

"I wanted to thank you all for coming here to hear me out," he started, willing his voice not to shake. He had wronged these people, his family, in so many ways, and he was so ashamed of the decisions he had made. "I know I messed up, a lot, but I really want another chance to make things right."

Harry pursed his lips, observing his girlfriend's brother. Percy looked serious, and he knew that the older man had already had this discussion with his parents, which had to have gone well for them to be here right now. If Percy hadn't changed and been willing to make amends, Molly and Arthur wouldn't have had them all over tonight.

"You said a lot of horrible things," Ron commented idly, leveling a not-quite glare at his brother. "I heard you yelling at dad a couple years ago. What changed? Why should we believe you?"

Percy sighed. "I know this is long overdue," he admitted. "I screwed up. I was just too proud to admit that I was wrong." He looked at Harry again. "You've never given me a reason to doubt you, but believing Fudge was just easier. Not very Gryffindor of me," he shook his head derisively. "I just kept clinging to this insane belief that you were all jealous of me because I was the smart one, the studious one. I was going to end up in a high level position at the Ministry. I convinced myself that I was right, and you were all wrong. But I wasn't. I made a mistake, and then I just kept making it worse by dragging this out. I wish I had come by sooner. I can't really give you any real explanation that makes sense."

Harry nodded slowly. "I get it, Percy, I really do. Pride can get people in trouble. But what I can't understand is why you threw away everything you had so willingly. Do you know what I would have given to have had a family like yours when I was younger? You had parents who cared for you, brothers and a sister who took you at your most uptight and still loved you. What made you think that money and power were more important than family and love?"

Percy grimaced, flinching with each word Harry calmly threw at him. He honestly didn't know, and he knew that Harry knew it as well.

He shrugged, embarrassed. "I can't tell you what you want to hear, Harry, because I don't know what I was thinking. I know you were all concerned about me, but I just had this idea in my head that you were trying to sabotage my future. I know that's not true, but I twisted everything around in my mind, until it just made sense that that's the way it was."

Harry tilted his head to the side. "You're a highly intelligent person, Percy. You wouldn't have become Prefect or Head Boy if you weren't. You wouldn't have graduated near the top of your class. But that doesn't mean that you're the smartest, or the most intelligent. You've got five brilliant brothers, a sister who outstrips us all, a father who is highly respected at the Ministry, and a mother whose cooking is legendary amongst witches and wizards."

When he spared a glance at the rest of the Weasleys, he saw that all of them were looking at him with varying degrees of amazement or embarrassment on their faces. Molly had tears in her eyes, and Arthur was grinning broadly, his cheeks tomato-red.

"You have a bright future, Percy," Harry continued. "When you graduated, we all knew you were going to go far at the Ministry. None of us doubted it, so why did you doubt us?"

Percy knew he couldn't say anything else, so he remained silent.

After another moment, Molly sniffed, before hurrying forward and grasping Harry in a tight hug. "Thank you, dear," she whispered in his ear, more tears leaking from her eyes.

Pulling back, she wiped her eyes with the corner of her apron. "Well!" she exclaimed, trying to regain some control. "Dinner should be just about ready, so let's eat, shall we?"

Everyone nodded, and headed out to the backyard, where the Weasleys had set up a long table for everyone, since there were far too many people to fit into the dining room.

Ginny pulled Harry off to one side while they milled about, waiting for Molly, Amelia, and Minerva to levitate the food outside. Before he could say anything, she was pressing against him, a searing kiss on her lips.

He kissed back, wrapping his arms around her waist. They were oblivious to the whistles from the twins and Sirius, or the rolled eyes from Ron. Bill smiled fondly, if not a little concernedly at the intensity of the relationship, while Percy just averted his eyes. He wasn't against them being together, and he was pretty sure that Harry would treat her right, but that was still his little sister, and he felt more than slightly awkward watching her snog her boyfriend.

A few moments later, Harry pulled back, smiling softly down into Ginny's warm brown eyes. What was that for? he asked, amused.

Ginny beamed. For being you.

"Ahem," Molly cleared her throat, causing them to shift their attention quickly. Both teenagers flushed, and Molly smiled. "Let's eat, shall we?"

They all sat down, passing around the dishes with enthusiasm. Everyone enjoyed Molly's cooking, after all.

Somehow, Percy found himself sitting next to Amelia, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the situation. He had been a Junior Undersecretary, before Amelia had taken over and relocated him to the Department of Magical Transportation. And while he knew what he was doing was important, there really wasn't too far he could go from here.

As most of the table descended into smaller conversations, Amelia turned to Percy and smiled. "I was very happy to hear that you had reconnected with your parents," she commented, taking a bite of roast chicken.

Percy nodded stiffly. "Thank you, Minister," he replied formally.

Amelia almost rolled her eyes, but restrained herself, knowing that the conversation she needed to have with the young man was important. "Do you know why I placed you in a different position when I took office, Percy?" she asked softly, trying not to draw attention from the rest of the table.

Percy nodded slowly. "I was too trusting in Fudge," he admitted. "I didn't think about the realities of the situation, and just believed him because he was the Minister. I understand why you did it, and once I really calmed down and thought about it, I knew you did the right thing."

Amelia smiled genuinely. "I'm glad," she said. "I wanted to give you a chance to prove yourself again. You're an intelligent young man, Percy, and you've got a lot of potential. But your weakness is that you trust too blindly in people in positions of authority. Harry was right; you have a wonderful family here, and you threw it away for a chance at power." Percy hung his head in shame, and Amelia sighed. "I know you have great aspirations, but you needed to realize that money and power aren't everything. You have a wonderful family, and they should be more important than any job."

She paused, eating a few more bites, before she turned back to Percy. "I believe your superior has requested a transfer to the Department of Magical Games and Sports. If you wish, his current position could be yours."

Percy stared, gulping harshly, his eyes widening in disbelief. "Really?" Amelia nodded, smiling. After a moment, Percy grinned in response. "That would be amazing, thank you, Minister."

Amelia inclined her head, turning back to her meal.

When everyone had finished, Molly cleared the table, while the rest moved around, forming new groups and breaking off into conversation once more.

Percy found himself standing with Harry, Sirius, and Ginny, a bottle of butterbeer in his hand as he talked with his sister, her boyfriend, and the Minister's husband about the war effort.

"I want to help," he said suddenly, bringing the conversation to a halt. Harry looked at him, raising an eyebrow, while Sirius' glance seemed to be sizing him up. Percy swallowed. "With the war," he explained. "I want to do something useful. Is there any way I can be of use?"

Harry and Sirius shared a significant look, before Sirius nodded slowly. "Perhaps. We can always use eyes and ears, and even with Amelia's cleaning house, Voldemort still has supporters at the Ministry."

Harry bit his lip. "I'll send you a copy of a book that will help you learn Occlumency. We can't share too much until we know you can protect your mind, but if you want to help, Percy, we're glad of it."

Percy nodded eagerly. "I've read about Occlumency," he commented. "It sounds like a useful skill. I'll work hard at it, so that you can tell me more."

Harry smiled, resting a hand on Percy's shoulder. "We're glad to have you back in our lives, Percy. I have a feeling you'll be a great help to us."

Percy returned the smile. "In the meantime, I'll keep my eyes and ears open, and if I hear anything of interest, I'll let you know."

When Molly returned from setting the kitchen to rights, they came together again, this time with the focus of conversation being Bill and Fleur's upcoming wedding. The date was set to be in just over a month, so preparations were underway. Molly was nearly done with Fleur's dress, a present she had offered to her soon-to-be daughter-in-law. Fleur was grateful for the gift, seeing the gesture for what it was: a way for Molly to welcome her into the Weasley family. She loved Bill's family: they were so welcoming and kind. Her own parents, though happy for her, had not been a large part of her life since she had moved to England after graduation. They, and Gabrielle, would be coming for the ceremony and staying a few days, before returning to France. She sometimes felt that they didn't quite understand her desire to live in England, why she would choose Britain over France. She loved her parents very much, but they had their own beliefs, and sometimes her values differed. She wasn't sure they would be so willing to fight against Voldemort the way she was.

They spent some time talking about the ceremony, and the reception. Fleur was having Ginny and Gabrielle be bridesmaids, while Bill had asked Charlie, and surprisingly to most, Ron, to stand up with him. Fred and George had mockingly berated him for passing them over when making that choice, but they knew that Bill had gotten closer with his youngest brother over the last couple of years, so they weren't too offended about it.

"The dresses will be silver," Fleur informed them, beaming brilliantly. "Pink would of course clash horribly with Ginny's hair. But we will have pink and red roses lining the aisle, with silver leaves."

"Sounds lovely," Susan commented, smiling. "You must be so excited."

Fleur nodded, leaning into Bill's side. "But of course. I cannot wait to be married to Guillaume."

Bill smiled down at his fiancée, giving her a light peck on the lips.

As it was getting dark, the group decided to move inside, and shortly after that, they disbanded for the evening. Sirius told Harry, Ron, and Ginny that he would see them for training the next morning, before he left with Amelia and Susan. Fred and George headed back to their loft over their shop a few minutes later, followed quickly by Percy heading for his own place, and Bill and Fleur for theirs.

Minerva and Harry went home a few minutes later, once Harry had said goodbye to Ginny.

When they were back at McGonagall Castle, Minerva turned to her charge and raised an eyebrow expectantly.

Knowing what she was waiting for, Harry sat down with a sigh. "I'm glad Percy's come around. I know how much his absence was hurting Molly and the others. I think he could be a lot of help, and I really think he's serious about wanting to be involved."

Minerva nodded, taking a seat as well. "I believe it to be wonderful news as well. Molly has certainly been noticeably happier since Percy apologized." She groaned as she stood up. "Come on, it's getting late. Let's get to bed."

Harry smiled slightly as he stood, heading up to his room.

XXX

The next day, all of Harry's friends arrived early, heading out for a run before breakfast.

After they had eaten, Sirius and Minerva joined them, and they spent most of the morning talking about horcruxes.

"I understand why you want to join in the physical search," Sirius said calmly, "but you need to think about the risks involved."

"We know about the risks," Harry countered. "And we know that we won't all be coming. But Neville, Susan, or Luna need to be there, since their group was the one looking for horcrux locations. Ginny and I will be there whether you like it or not." Sirius opened his mouth to protest, but Harry continued, his voice sure and strong. He knew he was in the right. He couldn't say how he knew, but he just knew that he and Ginny needed to be there. Some things, you just didn't fight with. "Sirius, we will be there."

He leveled a not-quite glare at his godfather, subtly reminding him that technically, he and Ginny were adults.

Sirius almost growled, but let out a sigh and nodded reluctantly instead. "Very well," he agreed. Minerva looked at him sharply, but didn't say anything. "You two, and Neville, with Bill, Remus, and myself. We will have to tell them what we're doing, of course, but their knowledge of curses and wards will come in handy. Do you have a more exact location?" he asked, looking at the trio of students that had done most of the location research.

They looked at each other, before Neville shrugged with one shoulder. "Not much more than we've already said," he admitted. "We know it's around Little Hangleton somewhere, but without actually going there to search, we can't be more specific."

Harry nodded. "Tom Riddle Senior was from Little Hangleton. That's where Voldemort took me and Cedric in the Triwizard Tournament. And there was that article in a muggle newspaper that Luna found, about the deaths of Tom Riddle and his parents in the forties. We know Voldemort's mum met his dad there, so they must have lived nearby. The problem is narrowing down the location."

Sirius rubbed a hand over his face, sighing loudly. "It's going to be a long search," he grumbled. "All right," he looked at the teenagers. "It'll take a few weeks for us to set this up, but we'll do it before the wedding. I can't promise unlimited chances at this, so let's make it count."

They all nodded, and spent the rest of the day training.

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