Chapter 14
      
      All ate a hearty breakfast without much conversation, while rooms were being made up for everyone. Elayne had insisted on bringing everyone back to the palace for food and rest before they made their journeys back to their own worlds. She even had a couple cows brought outside for Kazul, who was too big to fit through any of the palace doors and preferred the open air anyway.
After they were finished eating, everyone went to their rooms to talk, sleep, and engage in other various activities. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny gathered in Sirius’s room. He told them all about what had happened to him after being pushed through that doorway- the chaotic world, the woman he had saved, who had then saved him by bringing him back with her to her world. He related his entire story up to the beginning of the battle, and no one interrupted once. The children related the events of the past year as well, including the death of Dumbledore. Sirius shed a single tear, but mostly looked exhausted. After a few moments of silence he looked back up at them.
      “Well,” he said. “The man would be proud of us. Especially of all of you. You all had a part to play in this, and you succeeded. You did very well.”
      Harry smiled, but then looked at Sirius intently, as if he suddenly remembered something he had forgotten. “What happened to Snape?” he asked, looked around at all of them. “I didn’t see.”
      “Oh,” said Sirius. He paused for a moment, and then said, “Snape is dead, Harry.” Harry merely looked at him. Sirius continued. “We were having a…confrontation when a dementor appeared from behind him and administered the kiss. I got rid of the dementor, but it was too late.” Sirius shook his head. “I despised the man, I still do, especially after hearing about Dumbledore, but I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. So I killed his body.” He looked at Harry. “His soul was already gone.” There was another moment of pensive silence. Hermione broke it.
      “It was the right thing to do,” she said matter-of-factly, and when she said it, they all knew it was true. “I have a question,” Hermione said in a lighter tone. “I know we probably don’t have to worry overly much about him, but did anyone see Peter Pettigrew tonight?”
      The corners of Sirius’s mouth turned upward and he looked at Crookshanks, who was sitting on the bed next to him. Crookshanks looked at Hermione, who gasped a second later. Crookshanks licked his lips and everyone laughed.
      “Alright,” said Sirius, with a wide yawn. “It’s time to get some rest. Go on. I’ll see you later on.”
      They all left him to sleep and to find their own rooms.
      
     ~~~
      
      Hermione walked into her room and Ron followed her in. She sat down heavily on the bed. He took a chair and slid it over near her. Hermione sighed, and it finally hit her that the danger was over. And she could not help it, the thoughts about her parents came rushing back, and the tears came out in a flood. She put her face in her hands and sobbed. After a few moments, she felt Ron hugging her and she buried her face in his shoulder. He rubbed her back a little awkwardly. Once her sobs had died down, she pulled away and wiped her face.
      “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to…” she trailed off.
      Ron shook his head. He picked up her hands in his. “You can stay with us until school starts,” he said carefully. She nodded sadly. “And then, if…after school is done, I mean…if you want, we could, um, we could get a place of our own if you wanted. I mean, I’d live with you, so you don’t have to be alone…” he trailed off, seeming to realize he sounded stupid.
      But Hermione’s eyes teared up again, this time with happiness. “Oh Ron,” she said, and threw her arms around him. “Thank you,” she whispered, and kissed him on the cheek. Ron went bright red.
      
     ~~~
      
      Ginny and Harry went to Harry’s room. They lay down on the bed, facing each other and talking. Ginny was about to say something about how her mum was probably worrying when her eyes went wide and her hand shot to Harry’s forehead. She smoothed back his hair and squinted her eyes, staring.
      “Harry,” she exclaimed, “your scar’s gone! It’s not there!”
      Harry raised his hand to his forehead too. He could not feel it. Then he remembered. “Snape attacked me and a couple of the women from this world healed me with their magic. They didn’t even have wands. It must have gotten rid of the scar, too.”
      Harry fell silent. He was not sure at first how he felt about that. The scar had been a big part of his identity. But then he realized he was glad. He did not want that to be his identity. He had his father’s hair and his mother’s eyes and that was who he wanted to be. The scar was from Voldemort, and that was behind him. He would not be so famous and recognizable anymore, except by those who knew his parents, and he would rather be associated with them than Voldemort.
      Harry smiled at Ginny. “I’m glad it’s gone,” he said. She seemed to understand, and just smiled.
      Harry suddenly remembered something that had been nagging at him ever since the battle had begun. “How did you get out of Voldemort’s trance?” he asked Ginny. “He’s a powerful Legilimens, and he thought he had control over you.”
      Ginny smiled. “I suppose there’s no harm in telling you now,” she said. “After what happened with Voldemort’s diary in my first year, Dumbledore started teaching me some Occlumency. He didn’t want me to be susceptible to being possessed again. It was just the basics, until my fourth year, when he apparently tried to teach you and you didn’t do so well with it. Then he started teaching me more advanced Occlumency. He even taught me some basic Legilimency, just to understand it.” She grinned mischievously. “I could probably get you to clean my room and cook me dinner if I wanted.”
      Harry laughed, but he was stunned. He had had no idea about Dumbledore teaching her Occlumency as well. Of course, he should have known that he was hardly the only student Dumbledore had personal contact with, and it was only natural he would do something after she was possessed by Voldemort himself.
      “Anyway,” she continued, “I learned some advanced Occlumency, like how to allow someone into your mind, but only let them see what you want them to see. Even how to make them feel like they’re in control. That was a bit difficult.”
      A bit difficult? Harry thought. He had not even been able to do the basics. He stared at her in astonishment.
      “I didn’t know why he was teaching me all of this until this past year, when we…you know,” she said, blushing. “I think he knew we would be together. And he obviously knew you wouldn’t be able to leave me behind, whether you let me come or I just followed you anyway.” She smiled, and Harry thought she was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. He gazed at her with amazement, admiration, and bit of envy.
      “So you liked learning Occlumency, then,” he said, still in disbelief.
      Ginny laughed. “It was a breeze, I loved it,” she said with a smile. “I wish I could have taken that instead of Potions. Were you going to say something?” she asked, because Harry had opened his mouth.
      He looked into her eyes and smiled. “I love you,” he said.
      
     ~~~
      
      Buffy lay with Spike in the afterglow of some very passionate love-making. She rested her head on his chest as he smoked a cigarette. He took a long drag and let it out.
      “I missed that,” he said, sounding relaxed.
      Buffy moved closer to him. “Me too,” she said, closing her eyes.
      “Not just that…” he said, and his lazy tone was gone. She opened her eyes again. “I’m sorry I didn’t come find you, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was alive.” He cut his eyes downward to look at her. “I love you, you know.”
      Buffy raised her head to look him in the eyes. He paused a moment, then asked. “Do you love me?”
She looked into his eyes for a long moment, then said, “I love you.” She put her head back down on his chest and snuggled close again. “But I’ll stake you if you ever do that again,” she added.
      Spike chuckled. “That’s my girl.”
      
~~~