He returned as steady as the Mountain Wind

Chapter 13: Epilogue

Godric and Salazar arrived late into the night. They didn't want to postpone their trip, as there was still the lingering threat of danger Salazar had foreseen. So when a dishevelled looking Minerva McGonagall greeted them, before ushering them to the hospital wing...well, they weren't exactly surprised. What did shock them however was the story that Minerva relayed to them. Not only had their twelve year old son slain an ancient basilisk, he had also in the process saved the victim of a Horcrux, and stopped the school from being closed down.

When they asked how on earth Harry could have killed the serpent without a wand or wind magic, Minerva had finally shown them to their son's bed. Arranged on the nightstand were several objects Salazar hadn't expected to ever see again. A basilisk egg, Fawkes the phoenix, the Sorting Hat, a little black book, a basilisk fang stuck in the book, and a blood- and venom stained Sword of Gryffindor. Professor McGonagall explained how Regulus had stabbed the book with the fang that had also poisoned Harry, and how the venom had destroyed whatever Fiendish magic had resided within. Salazar was pleased to note that McGonagall had made a difference between Dark and Fiendish.

Godric however was still looking quite shell shocked. When Minerva left them alone, he muttered: "How could he have pulled the sword out? I mean, I'm glad he did, but it requires a mind-set completely different from his own..."

Salazar snorted: "My dear Gryffindor, our son has a thing for saving people, combined with a strong tendency for self-sacrifice. If I hadn't been so adamant in teaching him the ways of political intrigue, he would very well have been in Gryffindor. Pulling out the sword in his moment of need simply proves that. He is a lion just as much as he is a snake. You should be proud."

"I am! I can't even put into words how proud I am. I just didn't expect it. I...you were always much closer to him. And...I just thought that it simply meant that he didn't see me as much of a role model," Godric's voice remained steady but his face showed how much it pained him, both the thought that he wasn't good enough and the fact that he had completely misunderstood his son.

"If I know one thing about Harry it's the fact that he worships the ground you stand on. He admires you. But that also made him put you on a pedestal. He also believes that you don't approve of his behaviour so he remains distant. I think...I think we all need to sit down together and talk. Really talk. About how we perceive each other and how we can learn to communicate better. I mean, look at what happened last summer, we didn't tell Harry what was going on and then were cut off from him for most of the year. I believe – and I know I'm sounding like Helga right now – I believe we need to be more open with each other. We are a family and Harry is growing up with every day that passes. It's time to include him into decisions we make."

"If he wakes up that is." Godric still looked downtrodden, though I a bit more hopeful now that there was an actual plan to follow.

"He will, just look at his familiar egg. He will wake up sooner than you might expect."

Draco Malfoy was sitting in the newly reappointed Headmaster's office. Just a few hours after the petrification victims had woken up, Dumbledore had stood on the doorsteps of the school, eyes ever-twinkling. He had then grandfatherly asked Draco to come into his office after breakfast. Draco had known something was up, but had hardened himself to get through it. He had always been made to carry the consequences of his father's actions. It had helped him a great deal, as Lucius Malfoy was a man of many achievements, but he had always expected that it would one day turn against him.

Therefore he had been more than shocked when the Lords Emrys and LeFay joined him after breakfast. He wasn't surprised by the Lords' general presence in the castle – Blaise and Regulus had only been too happy to tell how their group had saved the school – no, he had been surprised at how the two grown men simply slotted into pace besides him and Blaise. A questioning glance at the Zabini heir gave him more answers than he ever needed: "No changing that, Draco. You're part of the group now. That means dealing with the usual craziness, pranks, unsolicited fashion advice, and overbearing mother henning."