"Thank you, Christina," said Godric Gryffindor. "Thank you for everything you have done for my son. Thank you. Truly."
"Please don't –" Chris said feeling embarrassed and emotional.
"No, really. I hope you have a great life ahead," Godric Gryffindor smiled. "You should know it was an honour to have you as a Gryffindor because you were a true Gryffindor at heart."
"And as much as I hate to admit," Salazar Slytherin cleared his throat. "You were a good student of the school. A true witch, even. You killed my Basilisk, yes, but you were also kind to my students and didn't have much prejudice towards them. I never imagined how my fear of muggles and protecting the wizard-kind would affect the next generations. I never wanted to create a legacy where my students would hate any half-blood or muggle-borns, a legacy where innocent wizards and witches would be killed. I'm glad you understood that I never wanted it to be about pure-blood superiority but about stopping muggles from harming the witches and wizards."
"I know," Chris nodded and Salazar Slytherin smiled.
"That was the only reason I accepted you as my successor."
"Sir Salazar, can I ask you something?" Chris asked as she probably wouldn't get a chance to meet the founders.
"Yes."
"Almost everyone around me, everyone who was an Animagus had the same Patronus as their Animagus form, but mine was very different. Completely different even. My Animagus was a snake but my Patronus was an eagle, is that because of you and Madam Ravenlaw?"
"No," Salazar Slytherin looked impressed at the question. "It had nothing to do with us. It was in fact, you and Fergus—more specifically Fergus's magic. See, the Animagus form comes from the magical side and what kind of witch you are, and what your powers are, but a patronus is a reflection of your soul, emotions, and your memories. A patronus is a reflection of who you are. Usually, for a witch or wizard, both are the same. In your case, however, your patronus form comes from you but the Animagus comes from your powers, which are Fergus's powers to be precise. Since your magical core is very different from your soul, you had two different forms."
Chris nodded until the word "had" registered in her brain. Had. Because she didn't have those forms anymore. When she goes back she would have neither her Patronus nor her Animagus form.
Chris quickly shook it off and smiled at Salazar Slytherin.
"Thank you, sir."
Salazar gave a nod with a small smile on his lips as if he understood what was going through Chris's head and he said those words on purpose.
"Are you ready to go, Christina?" Madam Helga asked.
"Yeah," Chris nodded and looked at Fergus. "Bye. I will miss you."
"I will miss you too," Fergus smiled with teary eyes.
Chris was about to back away but stopped at the last moment.
"Fergus, if on the other side you see . . . Jason . . ." Chris breathed out slowly to buy herself some time. The raw emotions from the war, from loosing so many people just came crashing back to her. "Tell him . . . I wanted to thank him for all he did for me . . . for sacrificing his life for . . . me."
"I will," Fergus reassured.
"And thank Remus and Tonks, if you find them and Mr. Nelson and –"
"I will, Chris. Each and every person, who gave their life for us," Fergus smiled and Chris nodded with a small smile as well.
"I would be get going then," Chris waved a little to Fergus and he waved back.
"Let's go, darling," Madam Helga said and with a nod Chris turned around to walk away.
"Christina?"
Suddenly, Madam Rowena called Chris's name hesitantly, so she turned around.
"Yes, madam?"
"I . . ." Rowena Ravenclaw hesitated again and Chris looked at her surprised. Since Chris had arrived, Madam Rowena was nothing but calm and confident but right now she looked hesitant and remorseful. "Will you . . . do me a favor? I know it's asking too much but –"
"What is it, Madam Rowena?" Chris asked.
"Would you tell her . . . my daughter . . . Helena, that I . . . am very sorry, that I apologize for the way I treated her and I regret that I wasn't a better mother to her. I only saw her as my successor, my legacy and not my child and I regret all of it and . . . that I am truly very sorry. Tell her that her mother may have been the wisest and most brilliant witch but she was never the wisest mother or she would have done good to her own daughter." A tear escaped Madam Rowena's eyes and Salazar Slytherin immediately wrapped his arm around Madam Rowena's shoulder as she tried to compose herself. "Will you – can you do that for me? It's perfectly alright if you can't. Helena can be mean sometimes and I won't blame you if you can't –"
"I will do it," Chris answered instantly.
Rowena Ravenclaw looked surprised at the quick response but after a moment relief and joy washed over her face.
"Thank you, Christina. I will always remember your kindness."
"It's alright," Chris said feeling embarrassed.
"Now, c'mon," Helga Hufflepuff prompted.
Chris and Madam Helga finally turned around and started to climb the hill.
"Do we have to go back all the way to that dark room?" Chris asked.
"No, just the top of the hill is fine. You can go back from anywhere, actually," Madam Helga replied.
"Then why are we hiking to the top?" Chris asked confused.
"Because I have something to give you," Madam Helga said with a mischiveous smile. "Something I am not supposed to."
Chris got more confused.
"But don't rest of the founders already know that we can travel from anywhere? Why didn't they ask anything then?"
"Because, darling, they can know all they want but they cannot stop me," Madam Helga smiled and stopped walking as they reached the top. "Specially when I know, it's unfair and you deserve better."
"What?" Chris stooped as well and turned to Madam Helga, only for Madam Helga to wave her fingers at Chris, and then she snapped her fingers.
And . . . nothing happened. Chris felt no magic and looked just more surprised.
"What was that?"
"A gift," Madam Helga smiled mysteriously. "Now close your eyes, honey."
"But –" Chris wanted to ask what was going on but she knew if Madam Helga wanted to tell she already would have, so she sighed and looked back down the hill where Fergus, the three founders and Dumbledore was standing. All of them smiled looking at her and smiling back, taking a last look at Madam Helga's proud face, Chris closed her eyes.
"Now think of Hogwarts and where you think your body is. You will be there," Madam Helga instructed and Chris followed her words.
Chris concentrated where her body would be. She imagined herself in Hogwarts, surrounded by her friend and Harry, and she immediately felt the connection. Her soul wanted to go back to the body as soon as the connection was built.
"I found it," Chris told Madam Helga without opening her eyes.
"Good. Christina, I hope you don't think we enjoyed putting you through all those things. We didn't but you rose to those challenges and I couldn't be prouder to call you my descendant. I hope you tell your children our stories and tell your youngest daughter, she is my favorite."
"What?" Chris yelled, hearing Madam Helga, but it was too late. She was already pulled through time and space itself. Everything felt fast and slow at the same time, hot and cold at the same time, and too little and too much at the same time . . . until she felt the cold ground under her, a strong pair of arms wrapped around her, her face buried in a familiar chest, a familiar scent, and cries and screams of familiar voices.
Chris stirred and blearily opened her eyes, and a pair of bright green eyes came into focus.
Harry looked at Chris as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. His eyes were still teary, his face tear-streaken, brusied, muddy and his glasses broken.
"Chris . . .?" He whispered under his breath as if he took her name out loud, the spell would break and she would gone again.
"You broke your glasses again. I don't have a wand. You should fix them," Chris whispered back and Harry laughed out loud as fresh tears surfaced in his eyes.
"You are alive! ALIVE! YOU ARE ALIVE!" Harry yelled and kissed her.
Chris kissed him back and she could feel Harry's relief through the kiss. She smiled while kissing him. They pulled back to look at each other but Ginny, Colin and Luna dived to hug Chris.
"Don't you dare scare us like that again!" Ginny yelled between sobs.
"You three once made me think you all were dead," Chris joked and Ginny elbowed her.
"I hate you!"
"I love you too," Chris replied and hugged her friends as tightly as possible.
She was back with them.
She was back home.
She was back.
[To be continued]