Harry was pacing back and forth in front of the door of Grimmuald Place. He was waiting anxiously for the team to return from the battle. The mirror had cut off when Sirius went to the Ministry, at Amelia's request. They had taken down every word, and they made sure that all three, that were in the house, had a copy. They didn't want to take any chances of someone, who will not be named, would make the evidence disappear. They also stored with the documents, their memories of listening to the byplay of Albus and Tom.
Harry's head was going a thousand miles a minute, waiting for some news that everything was okay, and everybody was alright. Andi was by his side also waiting for news for evidence to make sure everybody was at least alive. Tonks had gone back to Hogwarts, to see if the Headmaster said anything. She was sure the old man would pull her aside and question her whereabouts. Good thing she had an excuse.
Suddenly the door opened, and Sirius and Remus walked in.
"Well?" Harry blurted out, not even giving them time to remove their cloaks.
"You know Riddle is dead, what else do you need?" Sirius said, teasing him a bit.
"Come on, Sirius, be serious," Harry said, giving him a cheeky grin.
"I'm never serious, yet I always am," the dogman laughed.
"Okay, you two, enough byplay," Andi said, walking towards the kitchen. "I want to know what happened after you got to the Ministry," she added, going to the stove and putting the kettle on.
"It was pretty dull, actually. We got there, scared the living crap out of everyone, by floating the Dork Lord through the lobby. Bones made sure that everyone present knew that the man was dead, and not coming back. She claimed that she didn't know who killed him, but was positive that it was not Harry," Remus explained, sitting at the table and resting he head on his folded arms. It had been one hell of a night. "Everyone on our team survived but only just," he added, as an afterthought.
"That is good to hear," Andi said, taking cups out of the cupboard with her wand.
"Yeah," Harry agreed. "What happened then?" he asked, turning back to his brother.
"We took Voldy down to the Dept. of Mysteries and were met by the Unspeakables. They showed us to the Veil Room, without us even asking, mind you. Once we got there, Amelia just floated the boy through. It was anticlimactic," the older man sighed.
"What did you expect to happen? Death to show up and thank you for killing off the man who ran from him?" Harry asked, giving his brother a queer look.
"Maybe," Sirius said, sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.
"What about Snape? I know you got him, so what happened to him?" the teen asked, looking at Remus's head, then back to Sirius. His brother looked just as tired as his wolfy friend, but he seemed more determined to answer Harry's questions.
"He's locked up for the night. Amelia said she was too tired to play games with him. That and time in the cell will make whatever he's taken, which we are sure he has, time to weaken. There are potions that will counter Veritaserum."
"Oh, I didn't know that." the boy said, thinking hard on what that would take. Still, Snape was a master of potions.
"Anything else we should know?" Andi asked, bringing a tea service to the table, with lots of sweets to boost their energy, if they could get up enough to actually eat them.
"Malfoy's, the seniors, were the only ones left standing, and Moody got them with a very powerful Lumos," Sirius explained, glad he knew were that light had come from. For a while there he thought the muggles had dropped a bomb. From what Lily had showed them once, in a book, it looked pretty much like that.
"Oh," Harry said knowingly.
"The exploding sound you heard on the mirror, was Lucius's wand when he tried to counter-curse blindly. His hand will never be the same. Not that it mattered, he's going away for life. So's Narcissa. I was upset to hear that. And now that I know she didn't carry the Dark Mark, but was planning on it, I booted her out of the family. I don't know what to do about Draco, but that's a problem for another time," Sirius finished, all worn out now. He joined Moony with putting his head down too.
"Can't Draco live with Pansy? I mean, aren't they betrothed or something?" Harry asked, sitting with his tea, not pouring Sirius or Remus any. It looked like they could use a nap.
"Maybe, we don't know. Most of the Death Eaters that died have kids at Hogwarts. There were a few still alive, and Remus ported them to St. Mungo's," Sirius said, turning his head sideways so that he wasn't talking to the table.
"But all of you are alright, right?" the teen asked again, just to make sure.
"Yeah, we're good," was the mumbled answer from both men, before they started softly snoring.
"Shouldn't we make them go to bed?" Harry asked Andi, worried that they might wake up with a crick in their necks.
"They'll be fine for a little while. Let's finish our tea, and if they have roused by then, we'll float them upstairs," she said, looking fondly at the two Marauders.
"If you say so," Harry said, picking up his cup and grabbing a pastry. His eyes not quite leaving the two men.
Just then Moody Flooed in, he took one look at the sleeping men, snorted, said "Later." Then he stomped upstairs.
"I guess we should leave the rest until morning," Andi said with a sigh, then finished off her tea, nodded to Harry and levitated Remus up the stairs. "Good night, Harry," she said as she left the room.
"Night, Andi," he answered, eating the rest of his pastry, and then doing the same for Sirius. After tucking his brother into bed, he went to bed himself. He was just glad it was over. It was, wasn't it?
Hphphp
Tonks made it back to the castle before Dumbledore. She quickly made to the library, where Hermione was waiting for her.
"Quickly, take these," the bushy-haired witch said, shoving a pile of books into 'Harry's' arms. She then grabbed 'his' elbow and started out of the room. "Thank you, Madam Pince, we got what we were looking for," she whispered quietly to the librarian as they passed the check out desk.
"Be sure you bring my books back unharmed," Pince said with a bit of heat.
"Don't I always?" Hemione said with a huff. Five years she'd been coming here, and no matter how gently she treated the books, this vile woman reacted the same. It was almost a ritual, for her to keep her temper. She had lost it a few times on the woman. She, of course was banned from the library for a week, until she protested to a teacher, usually Flitwick, and they reinstated her privileges.
"Come on, Hermione, let's get out of here. I'm beat with all the reading you made me do," 'Harry' said in his typical fashion.
"Oh, alright," Hermione said, sweeping up the checked-out books and all but stomping out of the library.
As the two were making their way up the stairs to Gryffindor tower, they were stopped by the Headmaster. "Harry, my boy, after tomorrow's breakfast hour, I would like to see you in my office," the old man said, looking over his glasses in a knowing manner.
"Have I done something wrong?" 'Harry' asked, looking lost and confused. "I mean, I've been in the library with Hemione all night," 'he' added, pointing to 'his' best friend.
"Yes, we were studying DADA since we don't have a teacher at the moment," Hermione added, lifting the books for Dumbledore to see. They were, as noted, DADA books.
"Ah, the tenacious of the youth. Good show, to you both, and ten points to Gryffindor for taking the initiative," the old man said, carefully looking at the titles. "Nevertheless, in my office after breakfast. I find I like Sugar Quills this month," Albus added, turning around to leave the area. He had a bit to think about. He was sure the two were lying, but they had rudimentary Occlumency shields. The like of which he had never come across outside of a werewolf.
"Fine," 'Harry' huffed, and then stomped up the stairs. Hermione in 'his' wake.
When they got to the common room, they both fell into chairs next to the fireplace.
"Well?" Ron asked, picking up one of the books, noting the title and then dropping it back on the table. He already had that one.
"As far as I know, it's over," Tonks said, with a huge grin.
"Really?" came the cautious question from three teens, who were all leaning forward to hear what was to be said.
"Yes," she confirmed. Then she too leaned forward, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, and Neville, were almost touching heads as they all met in the center. "I heard the whole thing, Sirius was invisible, and while Riddle and Dumbledore were being witty, he took a shot and bam, one dead Dark Lord," she said, leaning back with a smile.
"Thank Merlin," Ginny sighed. Neville nodded in agreement.
"So, why does the Headmaster want to see you, if you weren't there?" Hermione asked, picking up a book and skimming the pages. She was trying to look normal.
"Like I said, he didn't see who did what, so he automatically assumed it was 'me'," 'Harry' stated, shrugging a shoulder.
"Well, let's hope our alibi worked," Hermione said, closing the book and standing. "I'm headed to bed. It's been a nerve-wracking night. Good night, all."
"Night," came the acknowledgments of the rest of the group.
"I'm beat too," Tonks said, going up to the fifth-year boys' dorm. She closed the curtains and waited until they all went to sleep. She hadn't done much, but like Hermione said, it was nerve wracking to wait for news. Once all the boys were out, she snuck to the Head girl's room. It took all of five seconds for her to be in the land of Morpheus.
Hphphp
The next morning, at Grimmuald Place, everyone was in much better spirits. They were eating a typical English Breakfast, when Tonks Flooed in. She tripped as usual, but that didn't stop her from laughing.
"Nymphadora, what is so funny?" her mother asked, waving her wand and cleaning up the juice the young woman had knocked over with practiced ease.
"I just left Dumbledore's office, let's just say he is not happy with me," Tonks said with a grin, sitting next to Remus and filling up her plate.
"Caught you out, did he?" Moody asked, waving his wand over his food. After all this time, no one took offence that he did so.
"Sorta, I mean, I did let him know who I was. After about an hour of him accusing me of killing Riddle," she said, with a self-satisfied smirk.
"You let him go on for an hour?" Harry exclaimed, thinking of all the times he folded within minutes of being in the old man's company.
"Trust me, he's got nothing on Moody here," she answered with a snort.
"So, what, you told him, and he booked you out?" Sirius asked, putting his beans on his toast, making Andi sniff at his non-pureblood behavior.
"Actually, I had to run for it," she confessed sheepishly.
"Why?" was Harry's question.
"That old bastard tried to use Legilimency on me. He wanted to know what I know about where you are," Tonks said, folding her arms at the affront.
"Not that it would do him any good. This place is still hidden," Sirius said, smugly. "He hasn't been able to find it since I booted him out ages ago."
"I know, and I know it's protected, but it made me so mad at his casual use of Legilimency," Tonks huffed. "So, when I say I had to run, it was because I was so angry that I almost got into a duel. I had to hightail it out of there before I could get myself into something, I knew I couldn't win," she finished with finality.
"Have we heard from Amelia yet," Ted asked, speaking for the first time.
"No, and I don't expect to until she's finished questioning Snape," Moody said, eating the last of his eggs.
"Oh, well, I guess we'll just have to wait," Harry said, drinking the rest of his orange juice. He hated waiting.
"Don't worry, Harry, I'm sure news will come soon," Sirius said, knowing that Amelia wanted it all in order as soon as possible.
"Sure, I get that," Harry said, picking up a scone and lathering it with cream. "I just hate waiting," he added.
"I'll head to the Ministry," Moody said, standing to do just that. "I'll Floo as soon as I know anything," he finished, then stomped to the Floo.
"Thanks, Moody," the teen said, stuffing the rest of his breakfast in his mouth.
Hphphp
An hour later, Moody and Bones came through the Floo. Amelia made it to the table first.
"Well, you'll be happy to know that Snape is going to be going away for quite some time," she said, as she reached across the table, and grabbed a cup of tea. It had been a long night and she wanted fortification.
"Really," Harry said, looking in her direction. "Why?"
"Well," the Head of the DMLE said, "I can't really tell you everything. It's still an open investigation, but what I can tell you is that he has not been completely honest with everybody for the last 10 years. While, what Dumbledore said was true, Snape was a spy, he was a double spy." She took a deep sip of her tea and sighed in satisfaction.
"Oh," the teen said, a confused look on his face.
"I always knew it," Sirius said, "That slimy bastard was always self-centered. If there's one thing we learned, going to school with that man, is that he will always look out for himself."
"I guess," Harry said, thinking about what he truly knew of Snape. All he really knew that the Potions Master had once been friends with his mother. He knew that they had gotten into a fight, and that they had separated. he didn't know if they had ever made up after that, but it was doubtful. He knew that his professor and his father, and friends, didn't get along well. Above all, he knew that Snape was a bastard towards him and his friends. Not much good could be said of the man.
"Wait, didn't he try to warn us?" Bill asked from his place by the fire.
"Yes," Bones answered with a nod. "I didn't say he was completely evil or anything, but even good men break the law." She shrugged, like it was just the way it was.
"Oh," was a collective answer.
"Don't think too hard on it, Harry. You'll just give yourself a headache," Remus added as he moved into the room.
"So, is that it? Does that mean it's all over?" Tonks asked, sitting next to Remus.
"Let's see," Sirius said, lifting a finger, "One, the Dark Dick is dead for good, all his little trinkets with him. Two, I'm free. Three, Harry is free. Four, Snape it in jail. Five, all the Death Eaters are dead or in jail. Six, Dumbledore is muzzled." He had lifted a finger for each point. And then, he thought hard for a few minutes. And then added, "What else is important?"
"Nothing that I can think of," Harry said, with a big smile.
"I think that covers all the important stuff," Remus said, giving Tonks a knowing grin. Now that it was over, they could explore the feelings they were having.
"It's all neat and tidy on my end. Umbridge dead. Fudge, like Dumbledore is muzzled. All the bad guys we know about are, like Sirius said, dead or in jail," Amelia said, finishing her tea.
"Thank Merlin," Harry said, heaving a huge sigh and then smiling bright enough for everyone to feel his happiness.
"Yes, thank Merlin," his brother said, getting up and pulling Harry out of his chair, where he proceeded to hug the stuffing out of him.
"It's done," Andi said, hugging her husband.