𝗙𝗔𝗩𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗠𝗘

ACT TWO, CHAPTER TEN
they say these are the golden years.

IT WASN'T LONG when the savior himself appeared in their little group. Well, not appeared physically — he was evidently under the Invisibility Cloak.

"It's me," Harry's voice muttered, but it was loud enough to hear over the chatter of the Great Hall. "Will you come with me?"

Penelope, Ron, Hermione, Elijah, Charlotte, and Venus all stood up at once. Together, they moved through the Great Hall. Penelope looked around. Ginny was two tables away, sitting with her head on her mother's shoulder. Neville was eating with a couple of people, the sword of Gryffindor lying beside his plate. Along the aisle between the tables, there were the three Malfoys, huddled together. Penelope kept her gaze on them as she walked past, and Draco was the only one who looked up at her. She gave him the tiniest smile. There would be time to talk later, hours and days and maybe years that they had to talk.

They climbed the marble staircase which was missing great chunks and part of the balustrade. Rubble and bloodstains were pretty much on all of the steps that they climbed. And somewhere in the distance they could hear Peeves zooming through the corridors, singing a victory song.

We did it, we bashed them, wee Potter's the one,
And Voldy's gone moldy, so now let's have fun!

"Really gives a feeling for the scope and tragedy of the thing, doesn't it?" Ron asked, pushing open a door to let them all through, and Harry finally took off his Imvisibility Cloak.

If she was being honest, all Penelope wanted to do was curl up in bed with Ron and sleep. She was exhausted, not only physically but mentally. Losing Fred, Remus, and Nymphadora all in one night pierced through her heart like a dagger. Penelope had no idea how long it would take to heal from that, if it ever would. But she knew she owed one thing to Nymphadora and Remus — taking care of Teddy. She wasn't named his godmother for nothing.

Harry then spoke up to explain everything. Once they had gone to the Great Hall after Snape died, he had left to go to the headmaster's office. There, he had looked at Snape's memories, which had showed him and Lily Potter's friendship blooming, crashing down, and how he had pleaded with Dumbledore to spare Lily. Harry then told him what had happened when he went into the Forbidden Forest, where he had talked to some of those who died with the Resurrection Stone, how Voldemort had killed the Horcrux inside of him, and how he had talked to Dumbledore in a dream.

All of them barely had any time to express their feelings about it when they reached their final destination. None of them had mentioned where they were going, but they all knew. The Gargoyle guarding the entrance to the headmaster's office had been knocked aside. It stood lopsided and looked a little punch-drunk.

"Can we go up?" Harry questioned to the Gargoyle.

"Feel free," the statue groaned in response.

The group of seven clambered over the Gargoyle and onto the spiral stone staircase that moved slowly upwards like an escalator. Harry pushed open the door at the top.

A sudden noise made Penelope jump, suddenly on high alert. However, it wasn't curses or returning Death Eaters — it was applause. All around the walls, the headmasters and headmistresses of Hogwarts were giving Harry a standing ovation in their portraits. They were waving their hats and wigs, reaching through their frames to grip each other's hands, and danced up and down on the chairs that they had been painted on. Dilys Derwent was sobbing unashamedly and Dexter Fortescue was waving his ear-trumpet.

"And let it benoted that Slytherin House played its part!" Phineas Nigellus called. "Let our contribution notbe forgotten!"

Penelope nodded. "True."

Her and Charlotte shared a high-five.

However, all of them only had eyes for the man who stood in the largest portrait directly behind the headmaster's chair. Tears were dripping down from behind the half-moon spectacles into his long silver beard. The amount of pride that was expelling from him made Penelope slightly smile. She reached over and took Ron's hand, interlocking their fingers together before moving closer to him.

Harry held up his hands, and all the portraits fell respectfully silent, beaming at him and wiping away their tears. They waited eagerly for him to speak. Harry kept his eyes on Dumbledore's portrait.

"The thing that was hidden in the Snitch, I dropped it in the forest," Harry stated. "I don't know exactly where, but I'm not going to go looking for it again. Do you agree?"

"My dear boy, I do," Dumbledore replied. "A wise and courageous decision, but no less than I would have expected of you. Does anyone else know where it fell?"

"No one," Harry revealed, and Dumbledore nodded in satisfaction. "I'm going to keep Ignotus' present, though."

Dumbledore beamed. "But of course, Harry, it is yours forever, until you pass it on!"

"And then there's this."

Harry held up the Elder Wand. Penelope slightly tilted her head at it. Sure, that wand was powerful, but it had also done so many horrible things. Just like Bellatrix's. Speaking of that, she actually had that wand in the back pocket of her jeans. She was waiting to go to a high place so she could break it in half and throw it away for good.

"I don't want it," Harry admitted.

"What?" Ron said loudly. "Are you mental?"

"I know it's powerful," Harry responded wearily. "But I was happier with mine. So . . ."

Harry then rummaged in the pouch that hung around his neck. He pulled out the two halves of his wand which were still just connected by the finest thread of Phoenix feather. He laid his broken wand upon the headmaster's desk and touched it with the very tip of the Elder Wand.

"Reparo," Harry recited.

His wand immediately resealed, and red sparks flew out of its end. Penelope smiled softly as Harry picked up his own wand.

"I'm putting the Elder Wand back where it came from," Harry announced to Dumbledore. "It can stay there. If I die a natural death like Ignotus, its power will be broken, won't it? The previous master will never have been defeated. That'll be the end of it."

Dumbledore nodded, and him and Harry smiled at each other.

"Are you sure?" Ron inquired, the faintest trace of longing in his voice as he looked at the Elder Wand.

Penelope nodded, squeezing his hand a little. "Yeah, he's sure."

"Harry saves the day once again," Charlotte teased, her eyes sparkling.

Elijah looked down at her. "You're going to make those jokes forever now, aren't you, Lottie?"

"Oh yeah, they're never stopping. Get used to it."

Venus then laughed, saying that she couldn't wait.

"I think Harry's right," Hermione voiced quietly.

"That wand's more trouble than it's worth," Harry stated. "And quite honestly—" he turned away from the painted portraits and pulled Venus in close to him, resting his head on top of hers "—I've had enough trouble for a lifetime."

・゜・。・゜。・。・゜★

"HUGO."

"YEAH."

"HUGO."

"Why do you keep repeating it?"

"I'm so sorry, baby, but I am not allowing our kid to be named Hugo."

To say that Ron and Penelope had a little disagreement about names was an understatement.

Okay, let's rewind a little.

Penelope Lestrange and Ron Weasley were known as the odd couple when they started dating back in fifth year. A Lestrange and a Weasley, a Slytherin and a Gryffindor. Literal total opposites. Yet, they seemed to work. Especially now, with all the shared trauma, they leaned on each other and loved each other more than ever.

After the war, Penelope took up her role as godmother. Although Teddy usually stayed at Andromeda's house, Penelope was constantly there, raising him like Nymphadora would've wanted. Harry was also there, being just as reckless of a godfather that Sirius Black was to him.

There was an option to go back to Hogwarts, and Penelope took it. She still wanted to be a Healer and had to finish her N.E.W.T.'s. Ron, on the other hand, skipped that and went to go train to be an Auror with Harry.

Fast forward a couple years into the future, and Penelope and Ron were stronger than ever. Penelope got a job at St. Mungo's as a Healer just like she always wanted and Ron was an Auror with Harry. They had gotten married at the ripe age of twenty-one and were living together.

And then Penelope got pregnant.

Twice, actually. First was a girl, named Andromeda Nymphadora Weasley. Andromeda — the aunt — had nearly cried when she heard. The second, only a few years younger than Andromeda, was named Remus Edward Weasley after Remus (obviously) and Ted. Ron had begrudgingly given up the name Hugo, but it was fine.

And now, Penelope and Ron were walking on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. It was Andromeda's first year at Hogwarts, which made Penelope extremely emotional, but she already promised her daughter that she wouldn't cry. They emerged from the mist and found a familiar group of people.

It was Venus and Harry and their three children James, Lily, and Leo, Charlotte with her one daughter (Neville worked as a professor at Hogwarts, so he wasn't there to see her off) Jennifer, and Hermione and Elijah with their two children Rose and Jared. Everyone had made it successfully.

"Hi," Leo, Venus and Harry's kid who was also starting Hogwarts, greeted, and Andromeda beamed at him.

"Hi, Leo," Penelope greeted as Ron and Harry went to go lift Leo's trunk and owl onto the train. "Excited for your first year?"

Even though the boy looked slightly sick, he nodded. "At least I have 'Dromeda, Jenny, and Rose to start with."

Ron and Harry then came back onto the platform. Penelope smiled as Ron put an arm around her and kissed her cheek. They then listened into how Lily and Remus were having an animated discussion about which House they would be sorted into when they finally went to Hogwarts.

"If you're not in Gryffindor, we'll disinherit you, but no pressure," Ron voiced.

Penelope rolled his eyes and elbowed his side harshly before smiling at the kids. "Don't listen to him. Coming from a Slytherin over here, whatever house you're sorted into, we'll love you just the same. Coming to think about it, we don't have any Hufflepuffs yet. I'm sure one of you are bound to get sorted there."

"Look who it is," Ron then said quietly.

She looked over. Draco Malfoy was standing there with his wife Astoria Greengrass — Daphne's little sister — and their son Scorpius. Penelope and Draco were on good terms, keeping in touch every once in a while. Scorpius looked a lot like Draco. Draco then caught sight of their group and nodded curtly. Penelope smiled and waved a little at him.

"So that's little Scorpius," Ron voiced. "Make sure you beat him in every test, Andy. Thank God you inherited your mother's brains."

"We literally had them over for dinner last month," Penelope commented. "Andy, be nice to Scorpius, okay? You are cousins, after all. Who knows? Maybe you'll end up like Draco and I."

"Hey!" a new voice then called, and James, Venus and Harry's oldest, appeared. "Teddy's back there. Just seen him! And guess what he's doing? Snogging Victoire!"

Penelope stared down at the boy. Victoire was Bill and Fleur's kid, and to be honest, anybody with eyes could see that her and Teddy liked each other.

"Our Teddy!" James insisted, disappointed by the lack of reaction. "Teddy Lupin! Snogging our Victoire! Our cousin! And I asked Teddy what he was doing—"

Venus then demanded to her son why he was interrupting them.

"—and he said he'd come to see her off! And then he told me to go away. He's snogging her!"

"Well, it's about time," Penelope said. "Charlie, I won the bet."

Charlotte sighed. "I'll give you your money in five business days."

Elijah looked at Penelope. "That means you're never getting it."

"Oh, it would be lovely if they got married!" Lily whispered excitedly. "Teddy would really be part of the family then!"

"He already comes round for dinner about four times a week," Harry admitted. "Why don't we just invite him to live with us and have done with it?"

"Yeah!" James agreed enthusiastically. "I don't mind sharing with Leo — Teddy could have my room!"

"No, you and Leo will share a room only when I want the house demolished." Harry then checked his watch. "It's nearly eleven, you'd better get on board."

Penelope reached out and pulled Andromeda in for a tight hug. "Oh, my baby, you're going to do amazing. Write us right away, okay?"

"I will," Andromeda promised. "Please tell me you're not crying."

"I'm not, but I'm close."

"Mum!"

"Okay, okay."

Penelope squeezed her daughter a little tighter before letting go. Andromeda then hugged Ron before hugging Remus. She then jumped onto the train where she was sharing a compartment with Jennifer, Rose, and Leo, who jumped in at the last moment, Venus shutting the door of the carriage behind him. All around them, faces seemed to stare at Harry.

"Why are they all staring?" Leo demanded.

"Don't let it worry you," Ron told him. "It's me. I'm extremely famous."

Penelope nodded. "Uh-huh."

Ron tugged her in a little closer. Penelope crossed her arms and leaned against her husband, watching as the scarlet steam train glided away. She smiled.

No longer did she have to separate herself from Bellatrix Lestrange. Now she was Penelope Weasley, her own person, known for bravery and being the best kick-ass Healer she could be. All was well.

☆ 彡

𝙴𝙽𝙳 𝙾𝙵 𝙰𝙲𝚃 𝚃𝚆𝙾

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