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SIYE Time:7:49 on 29th March 2024
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Alone
By coastwatcher

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Category: Alternate Universe
Characters:Harry/Ginny
Genres: Action/Adventure
Warnings: Disturbing Imagery
Story is Complete
Rating: PG
Reviews: 160
Summary: Dumbledore is dead. Harry ran away from the Dursley's before getting his Hogwarts letter. Who will save the magical world now?
Hitcount: Story Total: 85389; Chapter Total: 5015
Awards: View Trophy Room




Author's Notes:
The obligatory epilogue so you can find out what happened to all your favorite characters (or, at least, the writer's favorite characters).




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Epilogue

Pollux, Nephele, and two younger centaurs from the Devon centaur village clopped past the sign reading "Potter-Weasley New School of Magic." The last two words were only visible to magical creatures, and to the semi-magical centaur eyes, they seemed to fade in and out. Under the name of the school, smaller letters read:

Headmistress: Ginny Potter-Weasley

Assistant Headmaster: Harry Weasley-Potter

Pollux and his retinue entered the school to find Harry Potter hanging decorations for an upcoming holiday, something to do with pumpkins and witches on broomsticks. "Pollux, Nephele, so good to see you," said Harry, barely pausing from his work. "I'm glad you're considering sending your son, Lapithus, here to school next year."

Pollux immediately knelt on his forelegs, saying, "I am ever in your service, Harry Potter, and in the service of Lady Slytherin."

"Oh, get up, you old nag," said Harry carelessly. "You know I don't believe in that sort of thing."

Pollux scowled but remained on his knees. "The proprieties must be observed," he said.

"Oh, all right," said Harry, who produced a sword seemingly from nowhere. Touching the blade of the sword to Pollux's high shoulder, he said, "I accept your service, but as a friend and equal, not as a lord and vassal." The sword disappeared, and Harry mumbled, "Oat muncher."

Pollux growled, "Scar head."

"Manure spreader," said Harry more loudly.

"Mop top," retorted Pollux. The younger centaurs were fingering their bows, wondering if a fight was going to break out, when suddenly their leader and the black-haired man erupted into raucous laughter.

"Come on, Pollux, I'll show you around the school. Your associates may want to go outside and explore our fields and forests," Harry added, gesturing in the direction of the exit. Pollux gave a short nod and the two smaller centaurs trotted outside.

They walked down a hall and Harry opened an office door. "Ginny, Pollux and Nephele are here." A cold breeze wafted from the office.

"Great!" she said. "I'll be out as soon as I'm done talking with the leader." Harry closed the door.

"You keep a dark creature like that in your school?"

"Like what? Oh, you mean the Dementor. No, he works with Ginny on another of our projects. She promised them suitable work after the war. At first, we thought they could be natural air conditioners, but the side effects were unacceptable. Then we heard that the Queen's Muggle government wanted to privatize Muggle prisons. Ginny submitted the low bid. Now, prisons that once required hundreds of guards are kept safe with just a handful of former Death Eaters and some Dementors.

"Of course, Muggles can't see the Dementors, but the prisoners remain very compliant with low-level Dementor presence. The Muggle authorities couldn't figure out how we kept the prisoners so obedient with so few human guards, so they tested them to see if we were drugging them, which of course we weren't. The best part is that the rate of recidivism has dramatically dropped because no one wants to go back to one of our prisons. Here at school, we have a Dementor once or twice a year for the Care of Magical Creatures class, but otherwise they are never here except when the leader reports to Ginny."

As they walked down the hall, Nephele said, "Pollux dear, I am going to the meeting." Then she clopped off in the opposite direction.

Harry and Pollux stepped up to a classroom, and before opening the door, Harry said, "This is our first-year transfiguration class. As you will see, for the first couple of years, students of every magical species take our core courses." Then he opened the door and they quietly--at least as quietly as a 2,000-pound centaur could do--stepped in. Professor Tonks was overseeing a class that included young goblins, centaurs, Manticores, humans, a Redhorn, and even a Sphinx.

"Doesn't it discourage students who are incapable of wand magic to have to take courses in it along side those who can do it?" asked Pollux.

"We've found that, while it is true that different species differ in their capabilities, all species have the same foundation in magic. For example, while centaurs in general excel in divination, and wizards excel in wand magic, wizards and witches have some ability to see the future while centaurs, when given a wand, can perform many simple and some not-so-simple spells."

As if to prove it, a young centaur filly waved her wand and transfigured a rat into a goblet. "Excellent work, Miss Dancer," said the professor. "Five points for the centaurs."

"Our point system," Harry explained, "appears to pit species against species, but it is really designed to show that all species are equal. Competition is friendly but fierce, and at the end of the year the points are always very close. No species has ever won the most points twice in a row."

Pollux looked stunned as he watched the centaur filly adeptly transfigure objects into other, quite different objects. "I feel like I have been deprived my whole life," he said. "Is there . . . is there any chance someone as old as me could learn to use a wand?"

"Normally, I'd say 'yes,'" said Harry with a smirk, "but in your case, you old curmudgeon, I'll withhold judgment." Stepping out of the room together, Harry pulled several wands from his pocket and said, "Here, try these." Pollux grasped the handful of wands in his large hand and gave them a wave. To his amazement, two or three of them gave off a shower of sparks. Harry took them back, pulled one out and handed it over to Pollux. "Here you go, compliments of the New School of Magic."

Nephele rolled her eyes as she walked away from Harry and Pollux. Despite his respect for Harry and Nephele's close relationship with Ginny, Pollux had resisted learning anything about the New School until today. She knew he was in for an eye-opening experience. She then stepped into a large room paneled in fine woods, at the center of which was a large table. The floor of the room stepped down so that creatures of a variety of sizes could comfortably sit or stand, as they preferred, at the table and all view each other at eye level. At the far end of the table was a human-sized tank of water.

"Good morning, Nephele," said Sophia. "You and I are the first ones here. It seems strange that we live practically next to one another in Devon, yet we only see each other here at the New School."

Nephele gave the Manticore a hug. "That's why I love to serve on this board," she said. "It gives me so many opportunities to see my friends."

The door opened and Winky and Treehook came in, presenting a contrast in their heights and overall appearance. "I was shocked when Wolfslayer announced she was retiring and that she asked me to take her place on this board," Treehook was saying.

"Of course, you are a natural for the spot," assured Winky, "as you are such a good friend to Ginny and Harry."

The door opened again, and Hermione and Lucius Malfoy stepped in. "I'm just asking," Lucius was saying, "that, for a school that prides itself on diversity, why am I the only token male on the board?"

"As the Headmaster Emeritus, we have to let you be on the board," said Hermione with a smile. "Otherwise, we wouldn't have any males on the board at all. Males are too prone to settle disputes through violence. Neville says he's perfectly happy to watch young Augusta while I go to what he calls 'a bunch of boring meetings.'"

The door opened once more and a pale young woman with black hair entered with a brunette. "Lupin's research has so improved the Wolfsbane potion that it appears we werewolves will soon be able to function as humans even during the full moon," said the brunette. "Though I'll still want to let out the wolf and run in the moonlight once in a while."

"Now, if only magical researchers could find a way of making pig's blood taste better," said the pale woman.

"Try cinnamon," said the brunette. "A blond vampire I recently met told me he learned about that in the states."

The group chatted for a few minutes, then the door opened and Ginny stepped in levitating a woman with scales and fins instead of legs. Ginny waved her wand and the mermaid drifted over to the water tank and splashed in. "Thank you, Ginny," said Tilapia. "That feels so much better. Being out of the water is so harsh on my sensitive skin."

"Yes, well, try having skin that is likely to combust in full sunlight and see how you like it," laughed the pale woman.

Also accompanying Ginny was a spider about the size of a large dog. Ginny gestured for the spider to sit in a chair against the wall, and sat down herself at the head of the table nearest the door. "Sorry we're a bit late," she said. "My meeting with the leader of the People about expanding our private prison operations on the continent took a bit longer than I planned."

"Why do you always call him 'the leader of the People'?" asked Hermione. "Don't the People have names?"

"They do, but their names can't be translated into our language. I offered to suggest human names for them, but they are a proud race and declined the honour."

"From some points of view, human names might be more of a curse than an honour," agreed the mermaid.

"Anyway, I'd like to introduce Adamma, who is here visiting the school today," said Ginny, gesturing to the Acromantula. "I now call to order this autumn, 2020, meeting of the New School Board of Directors," said Ginny. Malfoy muttered something. "What was that, Lucius?" prodded Ginny.

"You might as well call it what it is: the central cabinet for Britain's magical government."

"Why, Lucius, you know we only make recommendations to the magical parliament," said Ginny, feigning horror at the suggestion. Turning to Adamma, she explained, "The upper house of our parliament consists of two members from each magical species selected by the governing body of that species, while the lower house consists of representatives of each species proportional to their populations and elected by the adult members of that species. They are the real governing bodies of magical Britain."

"Try telling that to Draco," said Malfoy. "After he was elected Minister of Magic last year, he soon learned that the magical parliament exists mainly to delay any action from being taken. Only last week, he came to me and said that he finally realized that, if he wants something done, he has to come to you."

"Since you're his father, I'd think you would have told him that before now," said Hermione.

"After 36 years, I've come to realize that he is the type of person that learns best by personal experience," said Malfoy.

"Getting back to the meeting," said Ginny sternly, "our first order of business is an application by the Acromantulas to send students to the school. Adamma is here to answer any questions."

"As long as they don't eat the other students," said Nephele, "is there any reason to object?"

"One question is whether they actually have any magical abilities or if they are just giant spiders who can talk," said the werewolf. "Werewolf students are only accepted into the school if they also have magical skills."

"Adamma, can you answer that question?" asked Ginny.

"As far as I know, we have never been tested for our magical abilities," said Adamma in a low growl.

"We've done few studies of the Acromantula because, if Adamma will pardon me for saying so, few people who've entered their lairs have managed to survive long enough to report," Hermione said. "However, if Adamma will consent to send a few candidate students here, we will be glad to test them."

"Excellent," said Ginny. "The next order of business is an application by Muggleborn and half-blood students to be recognized as separate from pureblood students."

"What does that mean?" asked Treehook.

"They want to collect points separately from the purebloods," said Hermione. "They feel that purebloods are too prone to misbehave, losing points for magical humans."

"Really, they're trying to set a precedent to have Muggleborns be a separate species in the magical parliament," sniffed Nephele. "That would give human magicals two more votes in the upper house."

Lucius had an I-told-you-so look on his face as the chair recognized him. "There's no reason for non-humans to be threatened by recognizing Muggleborns as separate," he said. "Despite Draco's best efforts at conciliation, the Wizengamot remains prejudiced against Muggleborns. Draco won election as Minister because Muggleborns have an equal vote in that race, but for all legislative decisions, the Wizengamot remains as pureblood as ever. Thus, Muggleborns in parliament are unlikely to vote with purebloods."

"Nevertheless," said Nephele, "species should be determined by genetics, not political beliefs. Many centaurs, including my own mate, remain suspicious of human magicals, and giving them additional votes will only feed those suspicions. The next thing you know, the half-bloods will want to separate from the Muggleborns, giving humans another two votes."

Tilapia called for a vote, and Ginny counted six votes against and two in favor of separating Muggleborns from purebloods, with Granger and Malfoy in the minority.

The meeting continued for several more items. Finally, Ginny asked, "Is there any new business?" Malfoy raised his hand.

"As you know, magical humans celebrate this day not only as Hallowe'en but as Potter Day, in commemoration of Harry Potter's original defeat of the Dark Lord and in memory of his parents," said Malfoy. "Should the school take any note of this celebration?"

"It's thoughtful of you to suggest this," said Ginny, "but you know as well as I do that Harry would never go along with it. He prefers to remember his parents in private and to remind everyone that many people were responsible for Tom's downfall."

"Either of you two would be a shoe-in for magical prime minister if ever you run," reminded Malfoy.

"Yes, but why go to all those boring meetings when I can run everything from here?" Ginny said with a smile and a wink. With that, she adjourned the meeting.

"The school leases nearly two thousand acres of grasslands and forests that we manage to optimize as deer and other game habitat," Harry told Pollux, as they watched Pollux's younger companions running through the fields with a number of older students. "Not every magical species can fly a broomstick. So, in addition to Quidditch, we've encouraged several other sports.

"Although our cafeteria feeds boarding students up to three meals a day of their favorite foods, as well as lunches for non-boarding students, game hunting has become our most popular sport, partly because nearly all species can compete, even those that don't eat a lot of meat. Instead of killing the deer, competitors attempt to mark them with spray paint. They are scored based on the accuracy of their hits and the time it takes to achieve a hit that would have killed the deer. You really should come see our competition one day."

"What other sports do you encourage?" asked Pollux.

"We've taken up a few Muggle sports as a part of our program to integrate magical species, where appropriate, into Muggle society. Centaurs are among the species that play basketball here at the New School. While centaurs obviously don't play with Muggles, some of the star players on the Cheshire Jets and Sheffield Sharks are elf graduates of the New School. And we aren't just about sports and charms. Professor Slytherin teaches a course in magical ethics; Professor Mountbatten teaches magical philosophy; and Professor Margaret Rose teaches Care of Magical Creatures with an emphasis on ecosystems and habitat."

As they went back inside, they met Ginny and Nephele returning from the board meeting. "Harry!" Ginny said, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "I had to fend off another proposal to observe 'Harry Potter day' at the school," she whispered in his ear. Aloud, she said, "So, Pollux, how do you feel about sending young Lapithus to our school next year?"

"Your school, Headmistress Potter-Weasley, is very impressive." Pollux pulled out his wand and generated a few sparks. "I almost wish I could attend myself, but my duties as chief prevent it."

"I'm sure Harry will be glad to give you some personal lessons in wand magic," said Ginny with a smile. "But don't make your decision about where to send your son to school too quickly. You might also consider the school up north." The New School's faculty, staff, and older students never called Hogwarts by its real name.

"I thought that school only accepted human students," said Pollux.

"The board of governors tried to follow that policy, but we attracted so many human students that they couldn't afford to keep a full teaching staff with the students they had. When Minister Malfoy persuaded the board to hire Salazar as headmaster, he convinced them to accept other species just to keep their classrooms full," said Harry. "You remember Bane?"

"Of course," said Pollux. "He is even more paranoid about wizards than I am."

"Two of his grandchildren are going to the school up North," said Harry. "I guess he thinks he can keep a closer eye on them there."

"I am satisfied to send Lapithus here," said Pollux. "After all, the wizard you know is better than the one you don't." They laughed.

"Let's go see if our son Dobby would like to join us for lunch," said Harry, "or if he would prefer not to have us 'old folks' embarrass him in front of his friends." The four of them walked, hand-in-hand, to the school cafeteria, looking forward to a good meal, new students, and a lifetime of peace and friendship.
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