The next month passed quickly for some. Ginny Weasley was taken from the Ministry and placed under observation within the bowels of Azkaban Prison. The trial for her murder of Draco Malfoy was slated to begin this very day. The general population supported Ginny but Hermione knew that it was unlikely that she was going to walk away unscathed.

In fact, the most common sentence that most people believe she would get was to be remanded to Azkaban with a yearly screening of her mental health. Even those that wanted to convict Ginny acknowledged that her actions were largely the result of a person who had not dealt with the grief of losing a loved one properly and that throwing her in jail for the rest of her life was likely not the most productive punishment for her actions.

In the last week, Kingsley Shacklebolt had announced his intention to end his time as Minister of Magic. Currently, his exit plan involved him vacating his seat on September 1, 2000. That left a little over a year to make plans to elect someone else to the position. According to polls taken by both the Ministry and the Daily Prophet, if Hermione Granger ran, she would win. Her popularity was intensely high due to the perception that she had pushed the Blood Equality Act into law, something that had been signed a week earlier. That action, coupled with her already high celebrity status and friendship with Harry Potter, meant that there was no one who could have competed with her.

However, that hadn't stopped some from trying. Amos Diggory had already announced his intention to run for the position. Even with the possible negative press surrounding the situation with his sister, Percy Weasley had also joined the race. Currently, Amos held was expected to win in a close race if Hermione didn't join the fray.

Right now, Hermione Granger wasn't interested in joining anything. When Harry had gotten his memories back, it seemed that their lives were finally back on track. They knew who they were and they knew who their enemies were. It was the simplest their lives had been since Harry found out about the first Prophecy made about him.

But now, no one had seen Harry Potter for longer than a few moments since the incident at the Ministry. There were of course rumors, random sightings that placed him a number of different places within the British Isles. Personally, Hermione didn't know what to make of them. It wouldn't be unlike Harry to hide in plain sight, using his exceptional skill to mask his presence while lettting Hermione know that he was still out there.

"Care to dance?"

Harry's last words to her before he disappeared remained a mystery. Almost every night, those words floated through her head, causing her to wake with a start. She searched her apartment in vain, knowing that Harry wouldn't return like that.

So, without her best friend by her side, Hermione drifted through life. She showed up at work and did her job, albeit without any sort of passion or inspiration. She made the occasional effort to see George and Ron.

She even visited Ginny at Azkaban once.

But for the most part, Hermione simply floated through time, waiting for Harry to return. She knew that she was being foolish. Harry had promised her that he wouldn't leave her again.

He wouldn't break that promise.

Plus, Harry's final words had seemed like some sort of code, a message meant only for her. It wasn't a goodbye. She spent much of her time trying to translate the code, thinking that maybe the words in another language or order would mean something.

Unfortunately, for one month, Hermione found nothing.

That is until the day that she came home and found a music box on her coffee table. Wand drawn, she approached the box, lifting the lid. Inside was a picture of her and Harry, taken sometime during their sixth year.

They looked happy.

For a few moments, she simply stared at the picture before she began to notice the song.

"That song." Hermione muttered to herself. "Where have I heard that song?"

Then, as if out of nowhere, it hit her like a Beater smashing a Bludger.

"The woods."

With a spin, Hermione Apparated from the center of her apartment to the woods where Harry and Hermione had escaped to after Ron had left them. She smiled when she saw that the tent they had taken on the trip was set up there. Taking a step inside, she noticed that the tent appeared to be lived in.

This was where Harry had gone.

The moment she stepped inside, a letter, flying at her in the shape of an otter, unfolded before her. Marveling at the specificity of this magic, she took the letter and began to read.

Hermione,

I hope you read this soon. I didn't want anyone other than you to find me so the clue that I gave you was I thought only you could figure out.

You'll notice that I'm not here. That's because I'm not ready yet, Hermione. I thought once we beat Malfoy that things could go back to normal. But Ginny's actions changed that. For once, I don't blame myself for the entirety of her actions. I know that Ginny is ultimately the one responsible. But, like always, I felt that there was more that I could do.

I didn't want to slip back into the same habits that I had before we started this task force. So, I've been clearing my head. The reports are right, I have been slipping back in London on occasion just to keep tabs on things. I don't want to have to catch up again when I do come back.

I can't promise that I know when I'll return. I'm feeling more at ease than ever before and I don't want to risk that by coming back prematurely. This is a final step in my ability to figure out who I am after Lord Voldemort.

Just so you know, I haven't forgotten about what happened between us. I am very much looking forward to finishing that discussion.

I hope to see you soon.

Love,

Harry

May 2, 2000

As expected, there was another ceremony celebrating two years since the end of open war among the magical population of Great Britain.

Unexpectedly, it appeared to be the second consecutive occasion without Harry Potter. While Hermione had seen Harry a few times in the nearly six months since Draco Malfoy's death, it hadn't been for any longer than a few minutes. Each and every day, she wondered if this was the life that Harry was going to lead for the remainder of his life.

She couldn't have blamed him if it was.

The ceremony was relatively simply. There would be a dedication to the charming of the ceiling of the new Great Hall. It had taken two years and someone of the best witches and wizards in the world (Hermione included) to pull it off but the enchanted ceiling had made its official return earlier in the day.

Following that, Hermione and Ron would speak and thank everyone for their continued support of the Ministry as they continued to work at putting the lives of normal people back together.

It was short speech that the pair of them had given nearly a dozen times since Harry had decided to stop making public appearances.

Then, the keynote speaker, who would give a small speech on the events of the Battle and then begin the celebratory festivities, would speak. Hermione hadn't paid any attention to who it would be this year and wasn't surprised when Minerva McGonagall stepped up to the podium.

"We have heard from some of the best and brightest at these ceremonies." Minerva said with a smile. "I am glad to continue that tradition. However, I am too old and too tired to give anymore pompous speeches. So, I thought that I would turn it over to someone who's a little newer to the public speaking game."

Suddenly, a pit formed in Hermione's stomach as she realized who she was talking about.

"Mr. Potter," Minerva started as Harry Apparated to a spot next to her. "I believe it is your turn to speak."

In an instant, the entirety of the crowd stood for applause as Harry turned and waved at the crowd. For nearly a full two minutes, Harry stood and smiled uncomfortably as the crowd lost its collective mind. Eventually, he turned back and walked to Hermione, placing the lightest of kisses on her cheek.

"I guess I'm back."

"I'd say so." Hermione replied, fighting back tears. "I thought you hated speaking at these things?"

"I didn't have anything to say before." Harry admitted.

"And now?"

"Now, you'll have to tell me if I had anything so say."

With that, Harry turned back around and stepped up to the podium and urged the crowd to quiet down. Hermione had been right, Harry did really detest speaking at these kind of things. However, he knew that what he had to say today was important. If not to everyone, than to some.

"Thank you." Harry started gently before clearing his throat. "As most of you know, I've had a bit of a rough go of it over the last year."

A light smattering of laughter echoed over the crowd at that remark.

"Thanks for that." Harry chuckled before continuing on. "Part of the reason why I had been struggling as much as I had was the guilt that I felt for my part in the war. I felt that I was complicit in the deaths of so many loved ones here two years ago. I felt that if only I had been faster, if only I had worked harder, then no one would have died."

Looking down, Harry locked his line of sight on the Weasleys in front of them, who had left an empty chair next to George. It was their own personal memorial for their fallen brother.

"But unfortunately, that's not the way the world works." Harry said grimly. "When there is evil in the world, there are two ways to approach it. You can lay down and let it win….or you can stand up and fight."

Slightly, Harry turned back to Hermione who smiled at him brightly.

"That's what we did." Harry whispered. "That's what we all did. We stood up and told Voldemort that we would not lay down in front of him. Even in the face of death itself, we stood shoulder to shoulder and dared him to break us. He tried. He did everything in his power to break us down and separate us. But he failed. When the smoke cleared, the wall was damaged but not broken."

Looking out over the crowd, Harry saw the faceless monument that he had disparaged two years earlier. Now, it spoke volumes.

"The last time I spoke here, I had yet to deal with my guilt and my grief and I spoke out of turn. Time heals all wounds if you are willing to be healed. While my wounds are not yet fully healed, I have allowed love and friendship back into my life and they have made the greatest of differences in that healing process. Now, I look at that statue: the faceless soldier. Before, I thought it was a foolish sentiment. Now, I realize just how important it is. We can't honor every person that fell to Lord Voldemort with a statue. Instead, we honor all of them with one. When that statue was built, it was intended to honor the lives lost here at the Battle of Hogwarts."

Finally, the tears that Harry had fought for two years, for ten years, for twenty years, began to fall. He had been too young to mourn for the loss his parents in any true way. He didn't remember them and didn't remember the sacrifice they had made for him. But now he understood.

"I see my parents in that statue. They saved me by giving their lives to Lord Voldemort. I see Cedric Diggory, Sirius Black. I see Amelia Bones and Albus Dumbledore. I see Dobby, the free elf. But even more, I see Fred Weasley. I see Nymphadora Tonks. I see Remus Lupin."

Looking down, Harry saw Andromeda holding little Teddy Lupin in her lap. It was the first time he had seen his godson in well over a year. He already looked so much like Tonks, his hair currently a red that would have tricked anyone into thinking he was a Weasley.

He met Andromeda's gaze for a moment, asking permission to continue. A short nod was all he needed.

"These are the deaths from the Battle that hurt me the most. The Weasleys effectively adopted myself and Hermione into their family the moment I asked them how to board the Hogwarts Express. Each summer, I spent a significant amount of time at the Burrow, their wonderful home. They treated me like a son and a brother and I look at them as if they are my own flesh and blood, despite having no real family left in the world."

Harry looked away, knowing that he need to continue but also know that he couldn't meet the eyes of his family.

"Fred Weasley was my brother." Harry said, fighting through the tears that were now freely falling. "And if Fred was my brother, then Remus was one of the closest things to a father that I knew. He was one of my father's best friends and while he wasn't my godfather, he loved me like one of his own. He even named me godfather to his only child."

Another look showed that Teddy's hair was now jet black, a mirror of the man he was looking at on the stage.

"Remus was a werewolf. In the eyes of society, he was a menace, a blight. But in the eyes of those that loved him, he was the kindest man most of us ever had the pleasure of meeting. He fought injustice with an iron fist but loved with the softest of hearts. His wife, Tonks, was about as opposite as you could have imagined. She was bubbly, sometimes childish and always the prankster, a mentor of sorts to the young Weasley twins. If you looked at the pair of them, you couldn't have imagined them together and yet…...and yet, it worked. They loved each other fiercely, always seeking to protect each other from savagery of the world."

Finally, Harry had to brace himself against the podium in front of him. As Harry sobbed, he felt the warmth of a hand on his back. Turning his saw Hermione standing behind him, silently urging him to continue. They both knew that this speech was two years in the making, something that he had needed to say but couldn't figure out how.

"They shouldn't have even been here." Harry said, looking at Hermione intensely. "They had a newborn. They should have stayed home. But they believed in me and they believed in the mission that I had set out to compete. So, when the call came for the Order of the Phoenix, they answered the call. They answered that call because they loved each other intensely. They died together because they loved each intensely. When Remus was beaten by Antonin Dolohov, he pleaded for the life of his wife. Instead, Tonks gave hers, jumping in front of a curse meant for him. Dolohov then kill Lupin anyway."

"Love makes you do stupid things like that. But without that love, we would all be no better than Lord Voldemort himself. That's what I see when I see that statue. It allows me to see the love that those people had: for me, for each other and for the world they lived in. It was that love that allowed me to succeed. George," Harry looked down at Fred's twin. "He loved you. All of you. Andromeda and little Teddy, they loved you. Without you, their lives, and their deaths, would have meant nothing. Without you, my life and our success would have meant nothing. Without you, I have no idea who I would be but with you, I do."

Finally, Harry turned back to Hermione and kissed her again.

"I love you."

"I love you." she whispered in return.

Smiling, Harry turned back to the crowd.

"In the end, love and family: it's all we have. Let that love be the light that keeps the darkness at bay."

September 1, 2000

"Slytherin!"

Once again, the house closest to the far wall cheered as another student joined their ranks. Harry smirked from his location at the Head Table as he watched the young girl who had just been sorted join her new classmates. She may have been sorted in Slytherin but Harry had to be happy for her: she was starting an experience that would change her life.

Looking up, Harry was glad to see that the stars were shining bright inside the newly re-enchanted Great Hall. It was one of the clearest nights that Harry could remember and so even if it was simply a reflection of the image outside, it was amazing.

"Gryffindor!"

A small boy leapt from the stool where he had previously sat and raced down to one of the central tables, one of that Harry was intimately familiar with. As Harry watched the boy, Minerva leaned over to him.

"How does it feel to watch from the other side, Potter?"

"I can't explain it." Harry admitted. "It's like watching your childhood."

"I hope these students have a very different childhood from your own."

"Same here." Harry grinned. "It has to be different the longer you see it from this perspective. Does that feeling go away."

"No." Minerva said with a wry smile. "In fact, the longer I do this, the more that unexplainable feeling gets me."

With one final "Ravenclaw!," the Sorting Hat finished and was removed from the hall by an ancient looking Mr. Filch. Apparently, the war had not been good for him. Seeing this as her time to speak, Minerva stood.

"Good evening, one and all, and welcome to what is sure to be another wonderful year at Hogwarts School of Magic."

The name change had been a collaboration between Harry and Angelina. Both of them felt that by isolating witches and wizards, the name of the school itself encouraged separation. By simply stating that they were there to teach magic, they hoped it would convey an encouraging and collaborative spirit.

"Mr. Filch has asked me to remind you that once again, all Weasley Wizarding Wheezes products are forbidden on school grounds." Minerva said, although Harry thought he saw the smallest of smirks at the corner of her mouth. "Quidditch captains will post their tryout times within the week. As always, no students are to be out of bed after curfew and the Forbidden Forest is, of course, forbidden."

Finally, Minerva turned to Harry.

"In conclusion, I am proud to introduce our new staff members. Taking over for the recently retired Professor Slughorn will be Angelina Johnson, former Gryffindor Quidditch captain and Healer at St. Mungo's."

There was a period of polite applause as Angelina gave a short bow before returning to her seat at the far end of the table.

"Sarah Fawcett has been added to the staff as an Apprentice Professor, teaching first and second year charms. Sarah belonged to Ravenclaw House, was a member of the Dueling Club and had some of the highest marks in her class."

Sarah neglected to stand at the mention of her name. Instead, she simply waved a hand at the students in front of her, especially towards some of the older Ravenclaw students that she had been in school with.

"Madam Hooch has finally retired from her post as Flying Instructor. Zacharias Smith has graciously joined us to fill the position."

Harry rolled his eyes as Zacharias stood and waved joylessly for a moment before returning to his seat. Only someone with such a lack of joy in their heart could appear to be so lifeless while teaching children how to fly.

"Our next new hire is one of the greatest feats I've managed to pull in my many years at Hogwarts. Taking over for Rebeus Hagrid, who has retired from his duties as a professor, will be Luna Lovegood, the world renowned magizoologist as our new teacher for Care of Magical Creatures."

Sitting at the far end of the table across from the Ravenclaw table, Luna stood and gave a dramatic bow before turning to Harry and giving him a small wink. In truth, having Luna on board at Hogwarts was part of the reason why he was so excited for the start of the coming term.

"Finally, as I mentioned at the end of last year, our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Penelope Clearwater, has vacated both her positions here and at St. Mungo's to accept a position as the Headmaster at a school for the healing arts in south Spain. This led to a search for a new professor….and a new Headmaster."

Instantly, there was quite a murmur around the room as it seemed that Minerva was announcing her retirement.

"I do not yet know when I will be done at this school. However, I am well aware that day is coming. So, to use the Muggle phrase, I killed two birds with one stone. I am sure you are all familiar with Mr. Potter." Minerva said, a particular lack of irony on the end of her previous sentence. "As far as experience goes, I believe that there is no one that is better suited to teaching you how to defend yourself from those that would seek to harm you than Mr. Potter. However, in addition to being named your new Defense Professor, I have also named Mr. Potter to the position of Deputy Headmaster. As part of Mr. Potter's agreement to take the post, should I vacate my position for any reason, Mr. Potter will automatically be granted my position."

The murmur in the room had grown from a small buzz to a fully blown conversational riot at this point. Rather than wait it out, Minerva raised her wand in the air and fired, creating a loud bang that silenced the room.

"I tell you this so that you understand that Mr. Potter is the future of this school. For those of you that may one day wish to be hired here, consider your actions in his classroom. For those of you who will be here for the next five to seven years, I suggest that you ensure that your behavior in his room is impeccable as he will one day shortly be the one deciding on whether you become a Prefect or Head Boy or Girl."

"But mostly, I tell you this because I believe that Mr. Potter has an overwhelming wealth of knowledge to share with us. Wasting his time only deprives you of the chance to learn from the greatest wizard of his generation."

To say that Harry was speechless was to be an understatement. Standing, Harry turned to Minerva and embraced her tightly, something that was quickly returned by the elder witch.

"Thank you for this, Minerva."

"Don't make me regret this, Potter." Minerva cackled softly. "I just put quite a weight on your shoulders."

"For the first time in a long time, I think I'm actually ready for it."

"I should hope so." Minerva said before turning back to the rest of the students. "Now, as my dear friend Albus used to say: tuck in!"

As always, the opening feast was a joyous affair, filling with the laughter of children and the chuckles of the adults at the far end of the room, who watched the new students with envy.

Each of every one of them wished they could go back to that first day they had experienced the joy of Hogwarts. It was a magic unlike any other they were likely to experience.

However, as Harry watched the festivities in front of him, he couldn't help but feel happier than he had in years. A new policy set forth by Minerva to encourage professors to have a normal family life meant that Harry got to return to London each weekend to see Hermione. While their relationship was by no means perfect, she made Harry happier than he could ever remember being.

For the first time in his life, Harry was truly content. He knew that he was loved and that there were those that he loved.

For the first time in his life, Harry James Potter didn't have to wonder who he was or how he fit into the world.

Instead, for the first time in Harry's life, all was well.

A/N: This is the final chapter of this particular episode. I appreciate all of the reviews that have been left and have taken each of them quite seriously, even if (and especially when) I didn't agree with them.

There is a follow-up to this story in the works. However, I would rather not rush it as it is not completely outlined yet. Likely, the story will involve Harry's time at Hogwarts for a second time around while Hermione continues her work at the Ministry to make the world a better place for witches and wizards of all backgrounds. I do have one rather central plot point planned that I find particularly interesting but we'll see how much of that makes the final draft.

Thank you again for reading and commenting. I hope you enjoyed it!