The four met up together at the clocktower courtyard. They looked over at the view.
"What did Draco say?" Harry said.
Maurelle took out the Elder Wand and showed it to them. They were all surprised that she came back with it.
"Wow, I guess he has changed." Ron said.
"It's not that he's changed, but just out of his father's watch. You'll start to see what I see in him." Maurelle said.
"Did he want you to keep it?" Harry said.
"No, he wanted the wand returned back to Dumbledore, where it should be." Maurelle said.
"I agree." Hermione said.
"So what are we going to do now?" Ron said.
"Seeing how the war has devastated countless of people, I believe they are going to have a break period to get everything back in its works, especially the Ministry." Hermione said.
"Speaking of the Ministry, Kingsley came up to Neville and me, he wanted us to work for the Ministry as Aurors. You too, Ron." Harry said.
"But what about graduation?! Exams?! It's a requirement." Hermione said.
"Screw that, I'm taking that offer." Ron said.
"I think beating Voldemort, destroying Horcruxes, and battling an army of dark creatures is enough." Maurelle chuckled.
"Don't tell me you are coming back to finish?" Ron said.
"Ron...this is Hermione we are talking about. Wouldn't be unusual if she didn't?" Harry said.
"You're right." Ron said.
"And what about you, Maurelle?" Hermione said.
"I accepted the offer, but I'd like to finish up at Hogwarts. I didn't waste six years of my life to not finish." Maurelle said.
"Technically, five." Ron said.
"Thanks, smartass. Five" Maurelle laughed.
"Good, it'd be nice to have you as a study buddy again." Hermione said.
"So you are doing both? Hogwarts and Ministry?" Harry said.
"Yeah, I plan to help them out, especially the aftermath. It is still partially my fault." Maurelle said.
"Maurelle, I thought I told you to stop beating yourself up." Hermione said.
"I mean I created the dark creatures everyone fought, so it really is." Maurelle said.
"Oh ok, nevermind then." Hermione said.
"And murdered a handful of people, but who's to say it could've been my father." Maurelle shrugged it off, but her friends were wide-eyed.
"Maurelle?!" they said.
"They are fine, it wasn't painful." Maurelle said.
"Are you sure you aren't Voldemort?" Ron said.
"Have I killed you guys yet?" Maurelle said.
"Not now." Harry joked.
"Then I would've done it minutes ago." Maurelle said.
"Maybe you'll do it in our sleep." Ron said.
"Okay, that's enough guys. Let's go." Hermione said, pushing them to walk forward.
The four met up with everyone else and helped rebuild the castle.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It has been a few weeks since the battle. Ava and Augustana are with Tom and Iris's bodies.
"Wow, she looks just as I last saw her." Augustana said.
"Yup, not a bit of dust has settled on her." Ava said.
"So any news on Tom?" Augustana said.
"Same thing with Iris. No signs of rotting. But everything else in his body is dead. Dormant really." Ava said.
"This is strange. You think there is something linking them?" Augustana said.
"That could be a possibility. They are the only ones that show this weird case." Ava said.
Augustana took a closer look at Tom, "Is it just me or Tom is starting to look like Tom?"
Ava walks over to where Augustana was, "Huh, you are right. He isn't pale and has a...nose?"
"Oh shut up, Ava." Augustana said.
Ava started laughing, "Am I wrong?"
"Whatever. Wait, why would he be reversing age?" Augustana said.
"I don't know, but it looks like the curse has been lifted as well. Tom went through great lengths when he dealt with dark magic. It's the reason why he looks....not so handsome. It looks like Iris has certain features that change but for the most part, she stayed the same." Ava said.
"Wow, I'd have to be honest with you, Tom was a bachelor indeed," Augustana said.
"I know, I guess I fell in love with his good looks and power. Just like everyone else." Ava said.
"Maybe that was why he stayed with Iris, why he was so intrigued with her. When she came back, Iris did not give him one bit of attention. His good looks were nothing compared to the bond they once had. They had so much in common when we were younger. They had uncontrollable powers, shared the same birthday, and had a horrible childhood." Augustana said.
"Iris was the only one who didn't fall for his charm. She only fell for the man she thought he was going to be. I guess it all makes sense now." Ava said.
"What makes sense?" Augustana said.
"I haven't been very honest about Tom. Before Tom killed Iris that night, we were raiding some of Grindelwald's belongings. Minutes before he was cursed, he broke down. For the first time, he gave up. He wanted to leave all of what he had done behind. But he was frustrated with how he can live the life he wanted with Iris. If he turned himself in, he would have spent the rest of his prime years in Azkaban. If he were to escape and go incognito, Iris would not have allowed that. He was so angry that he threw one of the vases that contained Grindelwald's curse. He went ballistic. Before he apparated, I heard Grindelwald's voice telling him to go to Iris. That was how I was able to meet up with him. But Grindelwald made sure I wasn't behind. He locked me in that place and it took me sometime before I could escape. When I finally got out and head to where Tom was, I was too late. That moment he turned around to face me, was the first time he truly felt guilt and regret. Tears in his eyes, for once he felt sadness." Ava said.
"Yeah, I saw him cry. I lost my best friend that day, but to lose the love of your life would have been harder." Augustana said.
"You were right about him Augustana, about him being able to love. I just refused to believe it, but it reminds me about that night." Ava said.
"I remember Iris would tell me how Tom would always seem happy every time he came home. He would walk through the front door and when they both see each other, they lit up. I never believed her. She always said that she was making progress, but I doubted it." Augustana said.
"She was making progress. He was always angry and frustrated when he was working with us. Always eager to go home. He used to be passionate about his work, but ever since Iris stopped working alongside him, and chose to do her own thing. He slowly became uninterested. It was just one mistake that led him to go down a dark path. Pity, really." Ava said.
"And when Maurelle came along?" Augustana said.
"I gave him the newspapers that morning. When I showed it to him, in that split second, I saw that Tom. I could tell he was very happy to find out he had a child with Iris. But of course, with him being cursed and was too far off in the dark path, his heartfelt intentions to reconcile with his daughter were tainted by dark ones. I wouldn't blame Maurelle if she didn't buy his feelings." Ava said.
"He would have been a great father." Augustana said.
"If only we could turn back time, things would have been different." Ava said.
They both looked at each other with nostalgic eyes, seeing how oddly different it would have been. Augustana then turned the subject back to their situation.
"Something is linking them together. It is very very unusual that Tom is becoming younger and his curse will be lifted." Augustana said.
"Should we let Maurelle know?" Ava said.
"Uhh, until we have all the answers. It is best we should hide this for a while longer. It's not like it is hindering her from anything. Besides, she needs to worry about herself rather than her parents. I think she has worried about them enough. Let her believe that all is well." Augustana said.
"What if she might know something." Ava said.
"Let us deal with this on our own and then we can decide whether we need her help" Augustana said.
"Alright....this is your call." Ava said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cut forward many years later Hermione became the Minister of Magic, a position Maurelle passed and appointed her in her place. Maurelle decided to petition a new department specifically for the use of Dark Magic and a better way to regulate. She became head of the department of the illegal use of Dark Arts as well as an advisor for the Minister. This department not only gave redemption to previous death eaters and dark arts users but gave them a start for a new life. She was able to locate illegal use of advanced dark magic and found a way to ban the use of dementors and other dark creatures under the Ministry.
Harry Potter became Head of the Auror department since 2007. Ron helped Harry with the Auror department and worked as an Auror for a few years until he decided to help out George with their store.
Draco married Astoria and had a son. With the wealth from his family he didn't really need a job just like Maurelle and Harry. But he wanted to start a new life and make amends with those he has hurt in the past. Unfortunately, after two years since dropping off their only son, She died from a family blood curse.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*While we still live as we are now, may bid us apart
But nothing can break the love in our hearts
Once death comes upon us
We will reunite once more
And appear in our happiest and powerful form
No power on earth can break this spell*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Save me!!"
"Maurelle, help!"
"Stop.....Stop!"
"What have you done?!"
"How could you do this to me?!"
Maurelle suddenly woke up from her sleep. She was drenched in sweat and had short breathes. Harry noticed Maurelle was awake. He quickly fixed himself up and check on her.
"What happened, hun?" Harry said.
"I-I don't know. A nightmare I guess?" She said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hermione apparated to the Ministry in the middle of the night as she received a call from Kingsley.
"Kingsley? What is going on that you had to call me at this hour?" Hermione said as she walked toward him. His face was all too serious and it seemed he has something urgent to tell her.
"Follow me." Kingsley said.
They got on the elevator and went to the very bottom level of the Ministry. When the doors opened, it revealed Ava and Augustana.
"Minister Granger, you have to come. This is urgent!" Augustana said.
They quickly ran to the room that held Iris and Tom's bodies.
Hermione couldn't believe it.
"Tom's body is gone." Ava said.
"Who moved it?!" Hermione said.
"That's the thing. We don't know how someone got inside here. It is under heavy surveillance and it is impossible to carry a body unnoticed." Augustana said.
"Did you check records of apparition activity, check-ins, and other workers who might have had access?" Hermione said.
"Of course. Even when no one was in the room, there are guards. Someone would've been very clever to avoid detection and somehow managed to get through the guards, then carry Tom's body out. They would have had to conceal Tom's body or at least get through without anyone noticing. No once can apparate at this level. The only way to get out is to go back to the elevator." Ava said.
"This is an inside job. Someone who knows the Ministry in and out could have done something like this." Kingsley said.
"You don't think it could've been someone from Maurelle's department." Augustana said.
"As a former death eater, I'd like to say that would be out of the question. Tom's followers were nowhere near loyal. When he disappeared that night he killed Harry's parents, they were scared. They would not go through the lengths that I and my former comrades went through. To go through the trouble of grabbing their former dead leader is out of their expertise and not their problem anymore. They are finally out of his control and are happy with their current lives." Ava said.
"What do you think, Minister Granger?" Augustana said.
This was the most stressful thing Hermione had to deal with in a long time, "As much as I'd like to take in your consideration for these people, it is only reasonable that we should go through Maurelle's department. It is logical that they are our prime suspects. If the Investigation department sees to this, then they'd say the same. We can't make assumptions just yet." Hermione said.
"If this involves Maurelle's department, then I think it is time that Maurelle knows the truth," Kingsley said.
"Not only that, but Harry is head of the Auror department. To get the Investigation department in on this, you'd have to go through him." Ava said.
"Maurelle is going to hate me." Augustana said.
"Oh dear" Hermione sighed deeply as she was worried. The one thing Hermione feared since they first told her about Maurelle's mother on her first year working as the Minister. But what the others didn't know, that Hermione had a prime suspect in mind. Draco told her something that even the Ministry doesn't know.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The spirits returned back from the mortal world. They were discussing how lovely it was to see their friends and family once more. How they helped them one last time.
"Guys! Guys! You should have seen George's face when I saved him from this giant troll. That bloody bastard was asking for a death wish, good thing I was right on time. I couldn't let him join my fate and leave mum behind." Fred said.
"Well done, Fred. A sibling's love is a wonderful and powerful thing." Dumbledore said.
"Have you seen Tom's soul?" Iris approached them.
"No, I don't think we have." Tonks said.
"He could have had the same problem as you did, Iris. As a corrupted and sad soul, Tom is, he may take some time." Grindelwald said.
"How long did it take for me to arrive?" Iris said.
"Seeing as how time works differently here, it wasn't too long. When I got here it didn't take much time for you to follow after." Grindelwald said.
"I'm going to check....it" Iris talked about the frail creature.
She ran to where the body was located and the group followed her. They saw her stop her tracks with a worried look on her face.
"It's gone," she said.
"Impossible." Grindelwald said.
"How can this be?" Salazar said.
The spirit world began to shake and rumble. The light started to fade and the white scenery above them is clouded with darkness.
"What's going on?!" Iris said.
The portal opens and a grim creature appears, levitating before them.
"The cycle has been broken." it said.
"What?" Iris said.
It raises its boney hand and points to Iris, "And you don't belong here."
"Where is Tom?" Iris said.
"You will find out soon enough. Until you fix the mess you've created, you are hereby banished from the spirit world, when you return you won't wake up here. You won't wake up at all." it said.
"I didn't break any rules in this world" Iris said.
"Not here, but by what you did when you were once alive." it said.
"I-I don't remember, please. Tell me." Iris said
"Enough! I condemned you back to the mortal world." the grim creates suction from the portal where the wind only picked up Iris.
"Iris!" Salazar said.
"What on heaven's gate is this?" Dumbledore said.
"This is preposterous!" Grindelwald tried to grab Iris from the air, but the grim used its powers to push them away from her. They fell to the ground.
"Noooooo!" Iris yelled as she was sucked into the portal. Her voice echoed.
"Let this be a warning." it said then vanished into thin air. The darkness disappears along with it.
Iris was floating in the portal, falling in a pitfall with no end.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"We've got him! We actually did it." a young woman said.
"Now, now. Don't get your hopes up. Once he wakes up, then the real fun begins." an older woman said.
"And what about Iris?" the young woman said.
"We will take care of her when the time comes. But for now, tend to your father." the old woman said.
"Yes, Madam Rakepick." the young woman said.
"Like I said, Maurelle. I'll make your life a living hell." she mumbled to herself.