Epilogue - After the War
The war was over.
For the first time in many years, Hogwarts was quiet.
Not the quiet of a castle waiting for an attack.
Not the suffocating silence that came before a Killing Curse.
It was simply quiet.
The kind of quiet that came after everyone had finally become too exhausted to speak.
The Great Hall had been transformed into a temporary medical ward. Rows of beds filled the space where students had once sat beneath the enchanted ceiling. Healers moved between them, checking wounds, distributing potions, and occasionally shouting at students who insisted they were perfectly healthy despite bleeding through their robes.
Outside, the courtyard was littered with broken stone.
Statues had been shattered. Windows had been blown out. Parts of the castle wall had collapsed.
But Hogwarts was still standing.
And so were its people.
Harry sat beneath a damaged archway with Ron beside him. Neither spoke.
After everything they had witnessed, words seemed strangely unnecessary.
Professor McGonagall stood near the entrance to the Great Hall, giving instructions to several professors.
Professor Flitwick was already organising repairs.
Slughorn had somehow acquired an enormous tea set despite half the castle being destroyed.
And Hagrid was crying.
Nobody knew why.
He insisted it was because he was happy.
Nobody believed him.
Across the courtyard, Luna was feeding a small group of exhausted Thestrals.
Pansy sat alone on a stone bench.
She had barely spoken since Draco's surgery.
Every few minutes, however, her eyes would drift towards the doors of the hospital wing.
Hermione noticed.
She noticed everything.
She had been sitting outside Draco's room for nearly three hours.
Again.
Fleur had already told her to leave.
Hermione had ignored her.
Fleur had told her twice.
Hermione had ignored her twice.
The third time, Fleur simply locked the door.
Hermione had stared at the door for several seconds before quietly sitting back down.
Now she was there again.
Her head rested against the stone wall.
Her eyes were closed.
She was exhausted.
But she couldn't sleep.
Every time she closed her eyes, she remembered the battlefield.
The green light.
Draco stepping in front of her.
The Dementors.
Nagini.
The blood.
And then—
Nothing.
She opened her eyes.
The door remained closed.
"He's going to be fine."
Luna's voice came from beside her.
Hermione looked up.
"When did you get here?"
"A while ago."
Luna smiled.
"I was watching Pansy."
Hermione followed her gaze.
Pansy was still sitting on the bench.
"She's worried."
"She's pretending not to be."
Luna tilted her head.
"Everyone is."
Hermione lowered her eyes.
"Do you think he'll really wake up?"
Luna smiled again.
"I know he will."
"How?"
"Because he hasn't finished annoying everyone yet."
Hermione stared at her.
Then, despite herself, she laughed.
It was a small laugh.
But it was the first genuine one she had managed since the battle.
The hospital-wing door suddenly opened.
Both girls immediately stood.
Fleur stepped out.
"He's awake."
Pansy appeared from nowhere.
"Draco!"
Fleur immediately raised her wand.
"Quiet."
Pansy froze.
"He just woke up. If you make too much noise, I'll personally stun you."
Pansy covered her mouth.
Hermione didn't say anything.
She simply walked inside.
Draco was sitting upright on the bed.
His face was still pale.
His right hand was heavily bandaged.
His chest was wrapped in layers of white cloth, and several potion bottles stood beside the bed.
But he was awake.
His grey eyes slowly moved towards the door.
He looked at Hermione.
Then at Pansy.
Then at Luna.
Then at Fleur.
There was a long silence.
Draco sighed.
"I was hoping you'd all disappear."
Pansy immediately burst into tears.
"You—!"
She rushed towards him.
Fleur caught her by the collar.
"Absolutely not."
"But he's awake!"
"He's injured."
"But—"
"Do you want to kill him?"
Pansy immediately became quiet.
Draco looked at Fleur gratefully.
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me."
Fleur crossed her arms.
"I'm the one who spent hours repairing your body."
Draco smiled.
"Then I owe you."
"You do."
Fleur's expression softened for a moment.
Her memories had returned.
Everything had returned.
The adventures.
The arguments.
The laughter.
The moments she had forgotten.
And, most importantly, the boy who had somehow become such an important part of her life.
She looked away.
"Get some rest."
Then she left.
Pansy sat beside the bed.
Luna remained standing.
Hermione stood at the foot of the bed.
Nobody spoke.
Draco looked between them.
"So…"
He paused.
"Who is going to explain what happened while I was unconscious?"
Pansy immediately pointed at Hermione.
"She knows."
Hermione pointed at Pansy.
"She knows more."
Luna raised her hand.
"I know something too."
Draco looked at her.
"Of course you do."
Luna smiled.
Then Draco noticed something.
His eyes narrowed.
"Wait."
He looked at Hermione.
Then at Pansy.
Then at Luna.
"Did you all come into my room while I was unconscious?"
Silence.
Draco's expression slowly changed.
Pansy looked away.
Hermione suddenly became very interested in the floor.
Luna smiled innocently.
"I did."
"You did what?"
"I talked to you."
"Only talked?"
Luna nodded.
"Mostly."
Draco narrowed his eyes.
"Mostly?"
Luna smiled.
"You'll have to figure that out yourself."
Draco sighed.
"I was better off unconscious."
Hermione suddenly stepped forward.
"Draco."
He looked at her.
Her expression had changed.
There was no embarrassment now.
No anger.
No argument waiting to happen.
Only sincerity.
"Thank you."
Draco blinked.
"For what?"
"For saving me."
He looked away.
"You don't need to thank me."
"I do."
Hermione took another step closer.
"You saved me more times than I can count."
Draco remained silent.
"And I…"
She hesitated.
"I never told you properly."
"Told me what?"
Hermione's face turned red.
"That I was sorry."
Draco stared at her for several seconds.
Then he smiled.
"You've said it enough."
"No."
Hermione shook her head.
"Not enough."
She looked directly into his eyes.
"I was wrong about you."
Draco raised an eyebrow.
"That's a rare admission."
"Don't ruin the moment."
"Sorry."
Hermione took a breath.
"I thought you were selfish. Arrogant. Reckless."
"I am."
"And annoying."
"Definitely."
"And sometimes completely unbearable."
"Obviously."
Hermione smiled.
"But…"
Her voice became softer.
"You were never the person I thought you were."
Draco's smile faded.
He looked at her quietly.
"You kept trying to protect everyone, even when nobody understood why."
Hermione's eyes became slightly moist.
"And you kept pretending you didn't care."
Draco looked away.
"That part was genuine."
"No, it wasn't."
Hermione smiled.
"I know you now."
Draco was silent for a moment.
Then he sighed.
"That's troublesome."
"Why?"
"Because now I can't fool you anymore."
Hermione smiled.
"Exactly."
A comfortable silence settled over the room.
For the first time, neither of them felt the need to fill it.
Outside the window, sunlight entered through the broken glass.
The war was over.
There was no Voldemort.
No Horcruxes.
No Death Eaters waiting in the shadows.
No prophecy.
No final battle.
Only tomorrow.
Draco looked towards the window.
"What happens now?"
Hermione answered quietly.
"We rebuild."
Pansy added:
"And graduate."
Luna smiled.
"And find the Crumple-Horned Snorkack."
Draco stared at her.
"You're still serious about that?"
"Of course."
He sighed.
"I should have known."
Then the door opened.
Dumbledore entered.
He looked considerably older than before.
His right hand remained badly burned, and his movements were slower.
Behind him stood Grindelwald.
The two old men looked at Draco.
"How are you feeling?"
Dumbledore asked.
"Like I've been hit by a train."
"That is probably because you were nearly killed several times."
"Thank you for reminding me."
Dumbledore smiled.
"You're welcome."
Grindelwald walked towards the bed.
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then he placed a hand on Draco's shoulder.
"You did well."
Draco looked up at him.
"That's all?"
"What else do you want?"
"A medal."
Grindelwald laughed.
Dumbledore shook his head.
"You've become greedy."
"I nearly died."
"True."
Dumbledore nodded solemnly.
"Perhaps two medals."
Draco smiled.
The old headmaster turned towards the window.
"Hogwarts will take time to recover."
"So will everyone else."
He paused.
"But that is what peace is for."
Draco looked around the room.
At Hermione.
At Pansy.
At Luna.
At Fleur standing outside the doorway.
At the professors rebuilding the castle.
At the students slowly returning to their lives.
For the first time, he realised something.
He had spent so long preparing for the future that he had almost forgotten to live in the present.
There would be no more battles.
No more secret missions.
No more pretending to be someone he wasn't.
He could finally choose what came next.
Draco smiled.
"Then let's rebuild."
---
Several months later.
The Hogwarts Express slowly left Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
The castle had been repaired.
Not completely.
Some scars remained.
But perhaps that was better.
Hogwarts did not need to pretend that the war had never happened.
The students had returned.
Lessons had resumed.
The Great Hall once again filled with laughter.
And the world outside the castle had begun moving forward.
At the station, Fleur watched the train disappear into the distance.
Pansy stood beside her.
Luna was holding a strange-looking book.
Hermione was standing slightly apart from them.
"What are you reading?" Pansy asked.
Luna smiled.
"A book about magical creatures."
"Of course."
Hermione sighed.
Then she looked towards the disappearing train.
"Do you think he'll be all right?"
Luna smiled.
"Probably."
"Probably?"
"He has three girls watching him."
Luna counted on her fingers.
"Maybe four."
Hermione's face immediately turned red.
"Don't say things like that."
Pansy laughed.
Fleur simply smiled.
Far away, inside the moving train, Draco sneezed.
He looked around suspiciously.
"Someone is talking about me."
Harry glanced over.
"Probably Hermione."
Ron nodded.
"Definitely Hermione."
Draco frowned.
"Why?"
Harry shrugged.
"Because she usually does."
Draco leaned back against the seat.
Outside the window, the countryside passed by in the golden light of sunset.
For the first time, there was no destination he had to reach.
No enemy waiting for him.
No secret he needed to uncover.
No war he needed to win.
Only the future.
And this time, he intended to enjoy it.
Draco closed his eyes.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
The story was over.
But his life had only just begun.
—The End—
Thank you everyone for reading.