This is a Post-canon AU story told immediately after The Battle Of Hogwarts with some small changes:

Fred survives and the twins are whole and not "saint-like"

Tonks and Remus also survive, although I'm not sure if they will be together or not at this point.

It goes without saying that I'm just playing in the wonderful sandbox that Ms. Rowling lets all of us play in.

I am rating this MA just to be safe. We will be dealing with Harry/Multi eventually.

An Ancient Advisor

Harry wandered through the wreckage, stepping over bodies, skirting pools of blood, and mangled bits and pieces of Merlin knows what or whom. He felt sick that all this destruction was because of a prophecy, that the idiot Tom had believed it, and as much as he didn't want to admit it, so did he.

Harry sat down heavily, he didn't know what to do next, he had defeated Voldemort, the most powerful lunatic in recent history… and all he wanted to do was rest. His brain, however, kept asking what's next? What could Harry do with his life? He had thought he wanted to be an Auror, but with Voldemort dead, it just didn't seem to be that appealing anymore. He was tired and just wanted to sleep, free from dreams and prophesies, to fall into Morpheus's quiet embrace and be still.

Unconsciously, he leaned to his right and jumped almost a foot in the air as his head collided with a soft shoulder. Heart racing, he turned and saw that Hermione had sat next to him. Hermione looked at him for a moment and then smiled, "Sorry Harry, didn't mean to startle you, but I have been sitting here for five minutes"

Oh, had he been here that long already?

"No problem, 'Mione, I was just lost in my thoughts."

She cocked her head and studied him. She leaned forward and took his hands, pulling him up. "Come, Harry, let's get you away from all this and get you some rest"

Sweeter words Harry had never heard. He stood up and let her guide him through the rubble, up the stairs to the Gryffindor Common Room. She maneuvered him to a couch and he laid down, she positioned herself so his head was in her lap. She looked down at him and said, "shhh, I'll keep watch over you. Sleep now, Harry, and I'll be right here when you wake up."

Harry slept, although his dreams were far from restful:

He stood in a field, surveying a wheat crop with a forest to the east, separating him from a castle in the distance. He heard a great boom, and a beautiful, but cruel voice rang out across the landscape, "Free at last!" The wind howled and the trees shook, but Harry stood still, unable to move. The landscape shifted and blurred, and he staggered at the sudden heat. Harry stood before a massive anvil and forge and watched a leather-clad figure drop a glowing metal rod down on the anvil. The ringing of his ears subsided. Without turning around, the blacksmith spoke over his shoulder in a deep, gravelly voice, "Learn your heritage, boy and then come and find me."

Harry woke with a start, lifted his head and found his face planted right into the underside of Hermione's sensually soft left breast. He froze, not sure what to do, and then a soft voice said, "I'm glad you finally made your acquaintance, would you like to meet her twin?"

Harry just backed up and stammered out a quick apology, before getting up and almost flying to the bathroom, his face so red, you could have mistaken him for a Weasley. After relieving himself, Harry stood in front of the mirror, inspecting his face, where it had been planted right in the underside of Hermione's bosom. Harry was mortified, but still rather intrigued. Harry hadn't realized just how shapely Hermione had become. True, she didn't have the more-than-full-figured rack of Susan Bones, but she wasn't a twig like Ginny either.

"She's your best friend, besides, she's with Ron now," he told himself. By the way, where had Ron gone off to? Harry didn't remember seeing him after the battle. Tiptoeing out of the bathroom, Harry had almost made it to the common room entrance when he felt a firm hand on his arm. He looked back and Hermione had him. He looked down, struggling to look at the floor and not her wonderful chest, while his face burned.

"Harry, look at me," Hermione said as she lifted his head by his chin. "It's okay, it was nothing to be embarrassed about… besides, I kinda liked it…"

Harry just goggled at her, completely at a loss for words. "But, what about you and Ron?"

Hermione's lovely eyes, normally a beautiful shade of chocolate, flashed amber like molten firewhiskey. "That fucking traitorous toerag? You mean, Ron, who abandoned us during the search for the horcruxes? The one who I'm now certain was using Love Charms on me?" Hermione's voice grew cold and furious, "I sat there last night, wondering why I suddenly had feelings for you and not for Ron. It was a long night, and I said I would keep watch, so I sat and thought about it. Harry… Ron and I did nothing but fight until last year when I suddenly started liking him. And then Ron left while we were hunting the horcruxes, and we danced that night and I felt happier than I can ever remember feeling. Then Ron came back and it was like that dance never happened. I didn't put two and two together until around 2am when Neville showed up."

Harry was still a bit in shock over hearing Hermione curse for the first time that he could ever recall, and his head was spinning, but Hermione wasn't finished either.

"Neville came and found me and told me that Ron and his mum had died during the fighting. At that point, it all became clear. When a wizard or witch dies, their charms will fail immediately, since their magic no longer powers the Charm. Molly," Hermione's voice dripped with venom, "taught her little Ronniekins how to apply Love Charms so her precious little boy could rut with a witch and produce Molly some little sprogs." Hermione shuddered, "I nearly vomited right then and there, but remembered you were in my lap. So we won't have to deal with that witch or her son anymore. Neville said Ron did himself in by panicking during the battle, firing off cutting curses, managing to hit his mum and then bounced one off a mirror and back at himself. Neville is out searching for Ginny, she seems to have disappeared after the battle. "

Harry just stared at her, unable to process much beyond the fact she wasn't in love with Ron. His heart sang with joy, even as his fists balled in fury at what Molly and Ron had done. He stood there, just staring and desperately tried to figure out what he could possibly say to such a set of revelations.

Exploding in anger seemed the only thing he could do. "I would kill him if the git hadn't already done himself in! How dare he do that to you, it's not right, it's not fair, it's not …"

Harry trailed off as Hermione approached and put a finger to his lips. She hugged him tightly, nestled her head in the crook of his shoulder, and told him to be quiet. Harry just stood there and let himself be hugged, he never realized just how damn good it felt to get a "Hermi-Hug"… Hermione shifted her head, and whispered in his ear, "Harry, just hold me". Instinctively, Harry wrapped his arms around her, enveloping her, holding her body closer than he ever dared before.

Harry would have happily stayed in that hug forever, except that a rather unusual bird swooped into the common room through the broken windows and perched right on a bookshelf only a foot to Harry's right. The "bird" if that's what you could call it, was something out of myth, out of a long-forgotten tale. It looked like a huge jet-black owl with black wings tipped in flaming red feathers. Four claws on each leg with gold metallic talons and an armored gold beak. Its eyes were round and golden, without pupils. Around its neck on a slim golden chain, hung a medallion with a stylized G engraved in it, and in its claw, it held a roll of parchment with a golden seal.

"Umm… Hermione, what's that?"

Hermione unwrapped herself from Harry, and Harry's body moaned in protest. She turned and gasped. Hermione said in awe and just a touch of fear, "Harry, that's a Strix! I thought they were extinct!"

Harry frowned, "I don't remember covering them in Care of Magical Creatures."

Hermione explained, "We wouldn't have covered them, they are practically a legend. The Greeks thought they were humans, punished by the Gods for being cannibals, but the Romans used them as the personal messenger birds of the Emperor. Emperor Gaius Marius was particularly fond of sending his personal Strix flying over the battlefield, so his enemies would know that he was close and despair. "

"That's really… umm… cool… but what's with the medallion?"

"Harry, that's a Gringotts symbol! Why would they be sending you a message?"

Hermione slowly reached forward to take the parchment. The Strix's eyes flamed, and it snapped its metal beak at Hermione and hissed. Hermione backed up slowly and the great bird straightened up and stared at Harry once more. Taking the hint, Harry moved around Hermione and slowly reached for the parchment. The Strix offered the parchment up and Harry took it.

Harry and Hermione moved to a table and unrolled the scroll.

To Harry James Potter, Vanquisher of the Dark Lord,

The Goblin Nation owes you a debt of gratitude for what you have done this day. We have been monitoring certain vaults and when they indicated a change of ownership from the House of Slytherin to you, Mr. Potter, we knew you had been successful in defeating Tom Marvolo Riddle.

Along with the vaults changing ownership, you are now of age and need to claim your Potter Family heritage as well. It is imperative you visit Gringotts at your earliest possible convenience, there is much to discuss.

The medallion is a Gringotts portkey, hold it along with another person of your choosing who may accompany you, just put a drop of your blood onto the medallion to activate it.

This bird is a Strix, a war bird kept exclusively by the leaders of the warriors of the Goblin Nation. Your defeat of the Dark Lord, by unanimous consent, has earned you a place of honor in the halls of the Goblin Citadel. This bird presented itself at the Citadel and requested to join you, a rare recognition of your achievements, even amongst the Goblin Warriors. Offer the Strix fresh blood from your finger, and you and he will have sworn an oath of allegiance to each other.

Respectfully,

Ragnok

Executive Director of Gringotts

Harry glanced over that the fearsome bird and slowly walked over, and using his wand, sliced his index finger on his left-hand open and offered it to the bird. The Strix considered him carefully, Harry felt like it was looking into his eyes and deep down into his soul, taking his measure. The great bird bowed its head low and, ever so precisely, licked a delicate tongue along his finger, drawing his digit further into his mouth, until it snicked its beak and pierced his finger. A blood red light instantly issued forth from the bite, filling the room and bathing Harry with a renewed sense of strength, purpose, and clarity of thought. Harry didn't even flinch, for his brain was overwhelmed in the same moment, by an ancient intelligence, a deeply masculine voice rumbling alongside his consciousness.

Well met, Warrior. I have seen your deeds, and you have been judged worthy.

"Hello, my name is Harry Potter."

And I am Tiberius the Elder, of the BloodWing Legion. Does your mate have a name as well?

"Umm… her name is Hermione Granger, but she's not my mate!"

Hermione cocked an eyebrow, and in a voice that demanded the unvarnished truth asked, "Did it assume I was your… mate?!"

Harry, having just proven that he could survive the best a Dark Lord could throw at him, panicked. "Umm… He asked what my mate's name is"

Your feelings towards her are strong and firm in their convictions.

"Not helping, Tiberius."

Hermione stared at the war bird, "is Tiberius… talking… to you?"

Harry responded with a shrug, "I can hear him in my head, it's like how I would imagine an ancient deity would sound like."

"That's incredible, Harry, he's magnificent", Hermione breathed in awe and wonder at the apparently non-extinct warbird in front of her.

"His name is Tiberius the Elder, of the BloodWing Legion," Harry informed her.

Hermione eyes focused back on Harry and then drifted upwards to his hair. "Ummm, Harry? Did you know that you've got a stripe of red hair behind your left ear?"

"What?!" Harry darted to a mirror on the wall and inspected his reflection.

Peace, young warrior. It is a sign of our bond. You are one of us. Welcome, brother, to the BloodWing Legion of the Strix.

Please rate and review, this is by far the most nerve-wracking thing I've ever done, to put this online. I have several chapters written and a pretty long outline of what I want to happen, although I will admit to being stymied in parts. It is my hope that you, dear readers, will be able to help me forge a path forward.