Author's Note: This is the end, the finale, the last piece of a puzzle that has kept me going for three years plus. I originally went for the first epilogue, but added the second after a bit of thought. Final thoughts and reviewer comments will be in the profile. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for following this story to journey's end. I literally teared up as I finished this and I suppose for good reason. Grace, I owe you so much for being my beta reader… you rock my world. For those of you awaiting the arrival of Book 7, the wait is almost over! Read it, cherish it and enjoy it because it will be the last one. The title comes from one song I listened to while writing the last chapter that positively made me bawl, 'If We Hold On Together' from 'Land Before Time'.

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Epilogue

Wonders Are Waiting to Start

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"Family isn't about whose blood you have. It's about who you care about."

- Trey Parker & Matt Stone

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The warmth of the sun shone down upon them, a slight breeze rippling through the longer grasses. One figure stood at a podium, students gathered on chairs behind them while hundreds more were seated out below a precipice. The single figure stared at the crowd for a moment, pausing in her speech, before continuing on.

"We have lost those we care for, those we consider friends, those we count amongst out family," Headmistress McGonagall spoke from a bitter truth, having lived through two wars. She saw the understanding the eyes of the parents whose children had just lived out the final war. "There are those that should be standing here with us today, but aren't."

From where he stood before his seat, Harry Potter let his eyes wander. On the opposite side of the stage were empty seats, each decorated with a paper bow, each leaving a gaping hole in the legacy of each unique soul left behind. For a moment, he thought his eyes would tear up. But the moment passed. He had shed enough tears for this now, knowing that he would be graduating and that others he knew should have been there weren't. He swallowed hard, forcing himself to return his gaze to the Headmistress named after Dumbledore's death.

"We are now returning home, but the world isn't quite what it was the last time we were there. We face a future that is unclear, a path that is uncertain. I cannot tell you the future or show you the way. This must be decided amongst yourselves. I can only guide you to the next step and you have been taught all you need to know."

Harry let his eyes wander to the audience below, again somewhat disgusted by how large it was. He found his sister easily enough. He always had a sight for power and she was easily one of the most powerful women in the world, if not the most powerful strength-wise. She stood next to a young girl who was slightly taller than her. Dark auburn hair curled down her shoulders and her pale eyes blinked back at him, not really seeing or knowing. With a pang, Harry realized that this was either a new Slayer or else Buffy was babysitting minors again. On Buffy's opposite side was Willow. He felt a slight leap in his heart at seeing her, even as her eyes met his and she grinned. He couldn't explain why he suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of liking her, but it was there and it was tangible and he knew it was because Willow was one of Buffy's best friends. His eyes shifted further and he saw Tara. He felt her power as well, different and yet Mother Earth to Willow's rather sharp entrance into magic. Both women had incredible skills but both were just so different… Willow had chosen a direct path while Tara still sought hers from the earth.

He spied the Weasleys a few rows back, all somber and sitting with vague looks of pride on their face. He saw Sirius, Remus, Tonks and a few others from the Order of the Phoenix sitting in the row behind the Weasleys. Behind them, lurking towards the trees, was the enormous form of Hagrid. He felt an enormous stab of pride that they were all here on this day, the day of their Leaving Ceremony.

"You will take the memories you have made, the lessons you learned, the friends that will never leave you and your new soul, one tarnished by the darkness and one strengthened by the light and you will become the person you were born to be," the Headmistress continued, her voice choked with slight emotion as she stared fondly at the students behind her. "Take a look at the faces of the students standing behind me, the ones that braved a dark world in order to win a war to save this world. Remember their faces, for you will one day tell your children and your grandchildren that you knew such men and women that would defend their school and their world with their lives, if they needed to. You will find great leaders, promising politicians, those great with skills in business and enterprise… and you will find those who long for stability. These are the faces you see here today and these are the faces you will always remember. To the class that delivered the world from the darkness of Voldemort, I announce today that you will take your leave of Hogwarts, to find your way."

There was sudden applause in the crowd. Ron Weasley stifled a yawn as he brought his hands together a few times before the students were, at last, allowed to sit. Headmistress McGonagall turned the podium over to Rufus Scrimgeour, the new Minister of Magic. His speech wasn't quite as longwinded as the Headmistress' but at least he got the point across. Once his speech was done, they heard Professor Flitwick's chorus strike up again and, at last, the ceremony came to an end.

Watching his family, his friends, the entire captive audience get to their feet and clap their hands, the applause was overwhelming, the sound bringing tears to his eyes.

At last, he left the stage and stepped into his sister's arms.

"I am so proud of you," Buffy said, holding him for a moment before stepping back, pressing a hand to his cheek.

"I really hope you didn't have to sit through something like that," Harry replied fervently as he quickly leaned over to hug Willow.

"No," Willow laughed as she squeezed Harry for a minute. "Our commencement speaker turned into a big snake and tried to eat us." Harry froze as he pulled back, looking appalled. "But I'm sure it only happened in Sunnydale," she assured him quickly at the panic-stricken look on his face. "I don't think that your Headmistress will turn into a giant demon snake, right?"

"I think we're safe there," Buffy chuckled as she took the arm of the young woman to her left and drew her forward. "Harry, I want you to meet someone… this is Molly."

Harry blinked at the auburn-haired woman as she stepped forward, offering him a pale hand to shake. He hesitated a moment before she rolled her eyes, saying, "I don't have cooties. I'm not that kind of girl."

"Noted," Harry said, shaking her hand and watching as she stepped closer to Buffy. "I'm Harry."

"I kind of figured that. You match her description pretty exact-like," the girl, Molly, replied.

"She's the new Slayer," Willow breathed into his ear. "Buffy found her at an all-girl's school in Scotland and has been training her since."

"So you're the new Slayer," Harry said, turning back to Molly. He had hoped to inject some warmth and curiosity into his tone, but it came off sounding both pained and shallow. He gave her an apologetic smile as he swallowed hard.

"I am," Molly replied. "Bit of a shock when I found out, let me tell you."

"I'd imagine," he replied dryly. Before he could continue talking with her, he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned into Mrs. Weasley's warm embrace.

"Harry, dear, good to see you. Both you and Ron, this is a dream come true," she continued, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. "It was a long time coming and I am so very, very proud of both of you."

"That goes for the rest of us," Tara agreed as she and Willow quietly slipped away.

Harry grinned as he spotted Ron getting mobbed by Juliet's family. He couldn't help but tease his best mate over his choice of a girl, even if she was in Slytherin. But Ron actually seemed to enjoy Juliet's company and their friendship had grown beyond its boundaries just after the N.E.W.T. tests. He couldn't wait to see what their children looked like.

His eyes rolled as he saw Percy talking to his elder brother with Emma at his side. He blinked as he realized just what that meant and turned to Ron, who had joined him. "Did you know they were together?"

"They've been together for months, mate," Ron replied, thumping him on the back as they turned to walk to the front part of the castle. "Blimey, would you look at that?"

Harry had to crane his neck to see two triangular pillars on either side of Dumbledore's white tomb. He felt his heart warm at the sight of a spring trickling water over a single glowing orb as a sign of life, even in death. He reached the pillars and was stunned to see names carved into the stone. "Would you look at this?"

"Oh, yes, we were told of this," Ron whispered, staring at it. "I didn't think they could finish the project so quickly. They must've gotten this in during the ceremony, eh?"

"They must've," Harry murmured, his fingers tracing over the well-familiar names: James Potter, Hermione Granger, Lily Evans and, last but not least, Delita Black. He couldn't help but feel the pang of sadness knowing what he had lost and what little there was to look forward to.

"Come on, Harry!" he heard his sister's voice shout. "We've got partying to do!"

Ron chuckled as he joined Harry's side, looking over his friend's shoulder. "Does it really seem like a time to party?" he scoffed.

"If your mother's cooking is involved, I'm in," Harry replied seriously. "Besides… we saved the world, I say we party."

"You really have been spending too much time around Buffy."

"All right, you two?"

"Hello, Hagrid," Harry said, grinning up at the half-Giant as he towered over them, tears leaking from his eyes as he smiled at both boys beneath him.

"It's a great honor seein' you there ter-day, that's fer sure," Hagrid said, wiping his eyes with massive fists. "You'll come back an' visit, right?"

"Of course, Hagrid," Harry said warmly as Ron echoed his words. "You won't be able to keep us away."

The two friends left the pillars and an openly-weeping Hagrid behind. They continued towards the gate where the carriages led by Threstrals would lead them back to the Hogwarts Express. He could see his sister's small form ahead weaving in and out of the crowd. He could also see Ron's family and his sister deep in conversation, likely about the party that he knew Buffy had been planning for months. It definitely gave his grieving sister something to look forward to, that much was for certain.

"Hey," Ron said, suddenly touching his arm. Harry jumped and blinked at Ron before following his friend's gaze back to Hogwarts.

"It's just a school, mate," Harry replied, realizing for the first time that he would never again walk the halls, never again enjoy a Halloween feast, never again sit in on a class or enjoy the portraits trying to confuse them with complex passwords or watch the enchanted ceiling on a stormy night or hear the sound of Dumbledore's voice as he passed on knowledge…

And just as soon as the pang hit him, it passed. He was a better man for it, that he knew. Everything he was he became because of this place. Everything. And, judging by the look on Ron's face, he knew that his friend was thinking the same thing. A moment later, Harry smirked and turned away. "You know, Hagrid said this is where I would learn it all."

"And did you?" Ron inquired. "Learn it all, I mean?"

Harry couldn't help but take one last look at his beloved school. His lips quirked into a half-smile as he replied, "I think I did. I really, really think I did."

Together, the best friends walked away from the school.

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Christmas Day

Harry couldn't help but smile at the warm, chaotic home. Large snowflakes fell into overflowing drifts outside, but it did nothing to dim the interior of the house that Buffy had bought from the funds left to her in Giles' will. Two enormous and rather tediously decorated trees sat in either corner of the large drawing room and a fire crackled merrily in the fireplace. The room was dark and stunning with squashy dark red chairs and sofas on a dark wooden floor. This was Harry's favorite room in the entire house, mainly because he loved the mantelpiece. A small clay urn sat in the center but the rest of the mantle had been devoted to a dozen framed pictures. Most were the moving pictures of the memories Harry treasured the most. There was a picture of Buffy, Xander and Willow that always made him smile because Buffy looked so young. It was hard to believe his sister had ever been that young.

He had moved into Buffy's house after the leaving ceremony. After he had done so, he found himself with a family. Buffy was a wonderful woman but a terrible cook, something that Oliver's presence more than made up for. He had apparently spent time with his mother and his grandmother in the kitchen because his cooking could have put Mrs. Weasley's to shame.

And then there was Molly. He had felt an instant connection to her but he supposed that every Slayer he met he would feel the same connection to. But he had been around her for the past few months and had learned that she was more of a surrogate sister to him than anything. For the first time in his life, he was playing the role of big brother to a sixteen-year-old.

"Who wants hot cocoa?"

Harry glanced up at the doorway and tried not to laugh. Buffy had walked in carrying a tray loaded with steaming mugs. She was garbed in a red dress inspired by Santa, even complete with white faux-fur trim. She gave a slight curtsy and quickly came into the room, handing Sirius and Remus a mug. Harry turned towards the commotion at the coffee table. Luna and Ginny were crouched down, watching as Fred and George danced around the large room while pretending to fly and sprout antennae. Molly had pulled out a Muggle game called Charades and this was apparently the Wizarding version of it. Ginny was frowning at her brothers as they danced around Tonks' chair as she tried not to laugh while she accepted her cocoa.

"Are you nargles?" Luna asked in confusion as she took a mug from Buffy as well. When she looked inside, she glanced back up. "I don't suppose you have any fairy dust? I heard they turn your hot cocoa into magic."

Harry tried not to snort in mirth as he curled in his armchair, resting his head on the edge. Even Ron, sitting next to him, smirked as Juliet shifted her weight against him, her hand easily clasping his.

"Sorry, I don't got dust," Buffy replied, snatching a basket from the tray and tossing it onto the table. "I've got mini-marshmallows though, which I think is fortunate because I did not do the shopping this week."

"That would have been my job," Oliver said, coming into the room with another loaded tray. He removed the last mug on Buffy's and switched trays with her to take the empty to the kitchen. He handed the last mug to Juliet, who accepted it with a smile. Buffy just smiled at him as she circled behind him to deliver the rest of the hot beverages.

"You want cocoa, bro?" Buffy asked, finally standing at his side. She was watching as Ginny now stood up, pretending to project her voice while Fred and George attempted to guess what she was doing. Shortly after Luna's guess, Ginny had called the twins and said they were butterflies. Now Ginny was doing her best to sing without actually opening her mouth, going so far as to hold a makeshift microphone in the shape of her fist to her mouth and wiggle her hips.

Once the cocoa had been distributed, Harry sat drinking his as Oliver returned to the room, bringing with him the mouthwatering aroma of baking meat. Buffy had insisted that since Thanksgiving wasn't celebrated in England that she would give them a proper Thanksgiving meal for Christmas. Mrs. Weasley, sitting across the room with her husband and her sons kept her hands underneath her bottom though she cast anxious glances towards the kitchen, telling her husband that she regretted saying she would give up kitchen rights. Even as Buffy gave her a winning smile and perched on the edge of Oliver's chair did she regret her decision. Buffy was no cook. That much she knew from the few failed attempts of Buffy making dinner with or without magic. Harry watched with a soft smile as Oliver pulled Buffy into his lap, his arms wrapping around her narrow waist. It was a tender moment shared between them and Harry could ask for none better than Oliver for his sister. Despite their mismatched career choices, they were a good match.

"You look like you're thinking," Ginny said, suddenly appearing at his side as she sat at his feet.

"I am," Harry replied as he turned to look at her. He suddenly realized she was holding a chain in her hand and bent down to look at it. When he saw it was a dragon pendant, he gave her a questioning look.

"Oh, don't look at me that way," Ginny said defensively as she snatched back the necklace.

Harry said nothing but felt his lips quiver into a smirk.

"You sound like Dad when he saw the box," Ginny snapped, turning back and crossing her arms huffily.

"Here, give it." Ginny blinked down as Harry removed the chain. Before she could protest, she felt the cool silver around her neck as he put the necklace on her.

"I figure if an evil git can buy a good woman jewelry, maybe he's not such a git after all." Harry had said this lightly, but suddenly felt deeply envious of this moment, even as Ginny looked down to admire the way the dragon charm looked on her. He had never been able to buy either of his women jewelry before their deaths and for that, well, he knew he had to make up for it. He found himself glancing at Molly again, but she was talking with Percy and Emma on the sofa the three sat on. Molly was apparently going over her training regiment, which included waking Harry up at five in the morning every day as she ran up and down the steps the twenty times Buffy had tasked her for. He knew more about her than he ever wanted to, which added to his feelings that she was little more than a sister to him. Molly had taken quite the interest in Harry's former suitemates, especially Dean, which had somewhat irked Ginny. Yet Harry found it amusing that Molly had an interest at all, given that Buffy kept her so busy with her training.

Harry watched as Wesley and Tonks made their way over to Molly. With Wesley's schedule at the Ministry, it made it difficult for him to spend any time at all with the new Slayer. But Tonks seemed to know more about Molly which meant that Buffy and Tonks were finally putting bad blood behind them. It may have also had to do with the fact that Tonks had been Faith's cousin. Eight months after her death and she was still a painful memory in Harry's mind. Each day was hard, but still things were getting easier, day by day. It helped to have his sister at his side, helping him through it. They carried one another through and that, most of all, made up for it.

There was a sudden crash from the kitchen as a tall woman arrived with a quiet smile, especially as she eyed her son and, perhaps, future daughter-in-law. "Dinner will be ready in about an hour."

"Yes!" Luna cried in her dreamy voice, gazing at a card as Ginny slowly crawled back to her. "We have time to finish the game!"

"We're ahead of you like a bazillion to naught," Fred replied as he cheekily peeked at his new card. "Oi, gotta love this one, eh George?"

"Right, Fred."

"Ooh," Buffy said, suddenly getting to her feet. "Pictures! We need pictures!"

The last thing the house needed was more pictures. There were pictures on the walls going up both staircases. There were pictures on the wall between rooms. There were stacks of photo albums underneath the table where the Weasley twins, Ginny and Luna played. There were pictures on each of the three mantles around the house. There seemed to be pictures everywhere.

Apparently, it was something Emma seemed to agree to. "More?" she groaned, getting to her feet and dragging Percy with her.

"Come on," Buffy said, grabbing her friends by their hands and dragging them over. "When's the next chance we'll all be together as a family again?" she asked cheerily. "I mean, the Aurors will be off doing their Auror things… Oli will be out on his broomstick breaking world records… Ginny and Luna will have graduated and will be off changing the world in their own… unique… ways. Percy will finally be named Minister of Magic because the current one blows. Wesley and Tonks will be on their Greek honeymoon. The twins will be off celebrating the opening of their shop in Kiwi-land. And Harry…" Her voice faltered as she smiled at her brother. "Well, Harry will be off saving the world again."

It was bad enough that Willow, Tara and Buffy's other friends from California had gone back. Once Willow's year at Oxford was over, she had gone back to UC-Sunnydale and had taken Tara with her. He missed them all dearly, but he had made the hardest decision of his life. He needed to get out of the magical world for awhile, but it wasn't an announcement he had made publicly yet. Sure enough, he felt dozens of eyes on him and he gave a quiet, nervous laugh.

"It's true," he said after a moment's pause. "I'm going to Los Angeles after the new year."

"For how long?" Ginny asked him. Ron already knew this, of course, as he had patted Harry on the shoulder to wish him luck. Juliet just gave him a beaming grin.

"For as long as it takes," Harry replied. He knew that Buffy could take care of herself. She had Oliver looking after her. She had Molly to look after. Harry had just survived a huge war with great consequences and he had a lot of power to deal with. He felt the best way to utilize that power and understand the source would be to work for Angel in LA. It wasn't a job he had taken lightly, either. He had always wanted to be an Auror. In fact, it was the only career choice he considered after leaving Hogwarts. But his dreams would have to wait because he wanted to get out of England for awhile.

"We'll miss you, mate," Fred said, hoisting his mug as George continued to flop around on the hardwood floors like a fish.

"Yes, we will," Sirius replied, lowering his head and raising his glass. "But once you return, I know we'll have the time. I just wish you weren't going alone."

"Oh, he won't be going alone," Ron replied with a happy smile. "What sort of best friend would I be if I didn't take the journey with him?" At Harry's rather surprised look, he thumped his mate on the back again before adding, "I've never been to California… it'd be a shame to miss out now."

"In any case, let's get this over with before we're all passing out from the turkey," Buffy said, grabbing a camera on a nearby table. With a groan, all of her houseguests rose to their feet and allowed themselves to be moved like puzzle pieces against the staircase that turned into the room.

Harry found himself wedged next to Molly and he nearly jumped out of his skin when her arm threaded through his. "Smile for your sister, Harry," she said with a shy smirk of her own.

"Yeah," he said, not quite trusting the looks Ginny and Luna were giving him either. Feeling quite embarrassed, he grinned at the camera.

Buffy positioned the tripod and quickly ran forward, snatched to the stairs by Oliver. "Happy Christmas on five everybody!"

Harry was suddenly overcome with emotion as he saw the beaming faces around him. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Ron and Ginny; Juliet Rosier tucked underneath Ron's arm. Emma stood next to Percy on the other side of Oliver who had his arms wrapped around Buffy. In the back were Wesley, Tonks, Sirius, Remus, Mad-Eye and a few other adults. In the front row were Ginny and Luna bent down and still beaming with Laurel and Spencer beneath them. In seven years, they had become his family, his future, his everything… and yet the adventures that awaited them all in the future.

This was what it meant to be a family, he realized as he heard the chorus of voices chant 'Happy Christmas!' as the flash went off.

This was what it would be like to finally come home.

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The End

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