With the chamber scanned, it was time for the dormitories. The few students who stayed for the holidays were moved to some guest lodgings, already scanned for curses, allowing the curse breakers to work quickly and efficiently. It only took three days to scan all boys', girls' and common rooms, along with the bathrooms and loos. Only some old remnants were found and removed, mainly in and near the Slytherin dorms.
Meanwhile, Harry and his wives had discussed the best way to handle the basilisk, after consulting with the expert from Gringotts and another, independent one. They decided to have Gringotts render the carcass and put the ingredients in stasis boxes that would be stored in the Potter vault and released for sale gradually, to achieve the best balance between prices and availability, mainly considering some healing potions that used basilisk parts. It also helped in preventing some dark wizards from trying to use the parts for nefarious causes, since those usually required much larger quantities.
The goblins weren't sure about the shed skin. As part of the basilisk, it belonged to Harry, but since it had been shed before that monster was killed, he couldn't honestly claim it. Harry solved their dilemma. "Since it was found on school grounds and nobody can rightfully claim it, I think it belongs to Hogwarts. I believe the Headmistress can find some good uses for the money it can bring."
McGonagall was indeed happy to have another source of income for the school. Dumbledore only looked pensive when this subject came up. Harry was sure that he was berating himself for not investigating the chamber of secrets some more when he could. In a way, this also showed that Dumbledore was no longer fit for the headmaster position and justified his resignment.
\/\/\/
The Potters finally left Hogwarts a day before Christmas and spent the holiday with both the Granger and Delacour families in France.
Ron seemed to only notice the lack of scar and goggles on the train back to school, despite having seen it before.
"Hey, mate. What happened to your scar and why are you not wearing glasses?"
Harry chuckled. "Don't you remember? I already told you about the treatment that healed both areas. It was just before that 'plague', so it seems."
Ron nodded, suddenly remembering things he hadn't previously paid much attention to. "Yes, that plague made my attention go to other matters, and you already know I find it hard to pay attention to more than one subject at a time."
Harry didn't really agree with that statement. Chess and Quidditch required paying attention to quite a few things at the same time, and Ron was doing quite well with them. It was things that Ron considered uninteresting that he paid no attention to, but it was futile to point at that.
Draco was also evident by not coming to harass them. That was a welcome change.
Indeed, not all the students who lost a family member to the plague returned to school. Evident in his absence was Vincent Crabbe. His grades, even with Snape's help, had been bottom line, and his family just couldn't afford the tuition without the generous help Lucius Malfoy was giving them so that Vince would serve as Draco's body guard. With his father taken by the plague and his mother jobless, there was no chance of him returning. Harry was wondering what future that boy might have.
Gregory Goyle returned. He seemed to have changed his clothing and his attitude while away from school. He was still big, but looked much more friendly and showed eagerness to better himself. He also kept his distance from Draco. Harry hoped that this signified a better future for that boy.
Nott didn't return either. He was rumoured to have been sent to Drumstrang, where some distant relative of his was teaching. It didn't look like anybody missed him.
Harry was surprised at the change in Pansy Parkinson. While her family wasn't touched by the plague, he expected her to keep staying with Draco and support his views. She did neither. He later heard why.
Lavender told Parvati in the common room, not very quietly, while Harry was sitting nearby, "Pansy was under a betrothal contract to Draco since a day after she was born. With Lucius Malfoy dead, Narcissa was quite eager to cancel the contract with no meaningful penalty. It looks like the mothers don't like each other much, and neither do the children."
Indeed, Draco didn't seem to mind Pansy at all. He was staring occasionally at Daphne Greengrass, but she wouldn't even look at him. Besides, without Snape to protect him and his father to use his influence, Draco was back to his natural position, as the spoiled child of a rich family. Nobody seemed to mind him any longer and whatever he said stayed unheard. Harry didn't think Draco would change much as he matured, but without his father, Harry hoped the spoiled boy would get a more realistic view of the world.
The most heartbroken was Marietta Edgecombe from Ravenclaw. The plague and the investigation that followed it made her realize that her beloved mother was a ruthlessly cruel Death Eater who helped kill several families. That was even worse than her mother's death. Luckily, her father, who had divorced her mother shortly after her birth, was ready to support Marietta both financially and morally. She also got support from her best friend, Cho Chang. Harry felt sure that Marietta would turn just fine.
\/\/\/
The rest of the school year passed as normally as it could be at Hogwarts.
Minerva proved to be a much stricter headmistress, as expected. She no longer tolerated any of the Slytherin's prejudices and taunting of others, punishing quite severely every offence and even involving the DMLE when it seemed justified. This was a far cry from Albus's leniency.
Albus, on the other hand, proved to be a very good transfiguration teacher. Despite not acting in class as strictly as Minerva, he had no discipline problems and his lessons were keeping the mood lighter while still adhering to all needed safety precautions.
\/\/\/
Fleur continued teaching DADA until the young couple graduated. Still, as time passed, she became more eager to become a mother, despite knowing it wouldn't be wise to do it before Harry and Hermione graduated.
By the time of the winter vacation of their seventh year, Fleur would wait no longer. "I feel that I need to get pregnant already. I knew it would be unwise to burden you with a child while at school but I can wait no longer."
Harry didn't look surprised. "I thought you would. I appreciate the fact that you didn't just stop using the potion without telling us. Of course, I expect to enjoy helping you get pregnant." The teasing tone in the last sentence was evident.
Hermione also nodded, but she had some more to say. "I was also contemplating pregnancy. I'm younger than Fleur, but my urges are very similar, yet I don't want that to stop me from achieving the best NEWT results that I can. I think I'll wait a bit before trying for a baby, so that even if we immediately succeed, I won't get too heavy by the time of the exams."
Fleur made sure to become pregnant before the new year. Hermione considered it a challenge. She became pregnant only a few weeks later, before the spring equinox. Fleur birthed a boy at the end of September. Hermione brought her son into the world two months later, along with her daughter – yes, twins. This didn't stop her from completing her muggle studies before the first summer of the children, dragging her mates along.
The next three years were spent studying at Cambridge, raising their children and planning careers. The three Potters finished as the leading students of that year. Both women also looked quite pregnant during the graduation ceremony, although they gave birth only two months later, both on the same night. Fleur had a girl and Hermione had a boy. Harry was so tired after helping both, that he was given a hospital bed to recuperate in.
With two wives and five children, Harry felt content. "I now have what I craved since before I can remember – a loving family. That's what I consider my most important achievement."
He also put more effort into managing his businesses, once his studies were over, achieving better results than Gringotts. Well, he was willing to take greater risks too.
Harry also started being active in politics, soon becoming "the voice of the young" and pushing for reforms. That went quite slowly, yet much faster than he dared hope. Within twenty years, Magical Britain became almost as modern as its muggle counterpart. There were differences, of course, just like Scotland differs from England or Wales, but young wizards and witches were finally able to enjoy all the benefits of the modern world without giving up the ones Magic gave them.
Although Harry thought that five children were enough, his wives had different ideas. Each brought him two more children, one of each gender, before they also decided it was enough. Still, twelve years later, both found themselves pregnant, despite all the precautions. The children were just as welcome, though.
Between pregnancies, Fleur became an enchantress, using runes and charms to create enchanted objects of great value, just like the Lord and Lady rings. She spent most of her time at home, taking care of all the children and basking in their love.
Hermione finished a doctorate in politics and one in social studies, first. It was followed by mastery in runes and then charms and transfiguration. She joined Harry in his political career until both served two terms as Ministers for Magic. Then, about thirty years after starting their political careers, they left the field for their children and moved to teach at Hogwarts, becoming renowned for the love they gave and received from the students. Eventually, Harry became the headmaster, after Hermione refused that position, preferring to teach Transfiguration. Fleur gained mastery at Defence some years earlier and was quite glad to resume teaching DADA until all three retired to finish their lives leisurely, engulfed in love.
The end