Time lost its meaning and it began to seem the whole of his life had been spent lying next to Hermione's hospital bed. Nurses and doctors and life continued to pass just beyond the door, but Knight was not interested in it so long as it did not think to come in and harm Hermione.

It became another universe, adjacent to the normal one, where only he and Hermione existed. So it was a rattling intrusion when, some time later, or maybe a lifetime and a half later, the door opened and a crowd of people poured into the small room.

Actually, it was Molly, Arthur, Ron, Fred, and George, but in a world made for two it was a stadium's worth of people.

Molly went straight to Hermione's bedside. "Oh, gracious, the poor dear! Look at her, all torn up! Those vile, disgusting, cruel, bloody…"

"Careful, Mum, or you'll pull something," Fred teased half-heartedly… or maybe it was George.

The Weasley clan pressed close around the bed in their collective concern, and Knight cared not for the crowding, even if they were very mindful not to tread on him. He got up and went to the far end of the room, still in a place where he could watch over Hermione but free from the gaggle of Weasleys.

"There there, Molly," Arthur said as he patted his wife's shoulder, "she has the best doctors in Saint Mungo's seeing to her. She's receiving the best care you could possibly ask for."

Molly was crying. Fred and George were surreptitiously casting endlessly fascinated glances at Knight where the jaguar sat a short distance away. They were looking and practically bursting with curiosity, but neither approached.

But Ron did. He broke from his family's vigilant post around Hermione's bed and crossed the room to join Knight. He sat down with a weary sigh beside his friend and leaned back against the wall. "Hey, mate."

Knight glanced back briefly at Ron, then returned his attention to Hermione.

"I'll never complain about exam days being the longest days in history ever again," Ron commented as he sagged against the wall. "Blimey, I feel like I could sleep for a month and still not feel rested. Who knew fighting evil could be so exhausting. Don't worry, I'm all right. Dumbledore told us about Sirius… really sorry about that. Would have been nice if it hadn't ended up that way."

Knight didn't act as though he'd heard, so single-minded was his focus on Hermione.

"Ginny would have come in for a visit, too," Ron said with a schooled expression, "but Seamus showed up. Seems he dropped everything and came looking for her the moment he heard about the attack. They're outside being all huggy and touchy. Better out there than in here where we'd have to watch it." Ron frowned and brushed at a bit of dirt on his trousers. "You know, really, I suppose Ginny could have done loads worse than Finnegan."

Finally, the twins, seeing their younger brother chummy with the jaguar, worked up their courage sufficiently to leave Hermione's bed and go over to the large cat. They both sat down in front of Knight, side by side. Knight disliked that they would presume to put themselves between him and Hermione, but he was not so far gone that he would attack a Weasley. But he still didn't like it.

"Harry… have to say, this…" the one speaking gestured at Knight's body, "wicked!"

Hermione was lying in bed, grievously injured, and the twins wanted to chatter about animagi. Place themselves between him and Hermione and twitter about cats and neat magical tricks. Knight laid back his ears, annoyed.

"Leave him be, you two," Ron grumbled. "It's been a pisser of a day and his girlfriend's in the hospital. He wants none of your funning. Sheesh, and people call me dense."

One identical redhead elbowed the other. "Sorry, Harry… it's a real shame about Hermione. But she'll pull through, you know? Haven't seen anything yet that could stop that bird. Real mule-headed when she wants to be."

In its own way, it was meant as a compliment, but Knight was not in the mood to be accommodating to the Weasley sense of humor.

He was spared having to tolerate any further unintended insults toward Hermione when Arthur said sternly from behind his two sons, "Don't you two have better sense than to heckle a dragon?"

"Come on, Dad, it's just Harry."

"Just Harry… who relieved You Know Who of his head."

Both twins looked a little ill and seemed, despite being a year older than Harry, unfathomably younger than he just then.

"Go to your mother, she could use some comforting. And for Merlin's sake, try to keep your mouths shut. She doesn't need your foolishness in the state she's in. She's still wound about Ron and Ginny being at Hogwarts during the attack, so mind yourselves."

The twins rose and obediently went over to their sobbing mother. When they were gone, Arthur sat on the floor on Knight's other side, opposite Ron.

"You probably couldn't care less about this right now, but all the same, damn good show, Harry. I'll hardly be the last to say it, but we're all indebted to you for offing that sodding bastard."

Arthur was right, Knight didn't care.

At one point in the visit, Molly left Hermione's bed to go to Knight, take his head in her hands, and pepper his brow with kisses and tears like he was a beloved pet who had dragged one of her kids to safety from a burning building. Knight suffered it with as much composure as he could, but all their ruckus made it hard to listen for Hermione's breathing.

The Weasleys stayed for a while, but when the only occupants in the room were an unconscious girl and a cat, conversation died on the vine. The silence became, to them, uncomfortable. Eventually, they decided they were doing more good outside running interference for anyone who had a notion to get an audience with the boy who killed Voldemort. With promises to Knight that they would be close at hand should he need or want anything and that he need only call on them, they packed out of the hospital room.

When they were gone, leaving the room in welcome silence, Knight returned to his previous spot lying next to Hermione's bed.

❾¾ ❾¾❾¾❾¾ ❾¾❾¾❾¾ ❾¾❾¾

"We've tried to stem the tide as best we could, but the students who were there have told their parents, who've told others, and the Saint Mungo's staff has whispered it to their loved ones, who spread it even further… it's wildfire at this point. It's out in the Daily Prophet that Harry Potter is an animagus."

"It's unimportant now if the world knows that secret, now that Voldemort is gone. Because I don't imagine the ministry would give either Harry or Miss Granger any grief for being rogues."

"They're putting them on the Animagus Registry even as we speak. No fuss."

"Good."

Knight listened to McGonagall and Dumbledore talk outside Hermione's room.

McGonagall's voice dropped so low that even Knight had to put some effort into hearing it. "Albus… those of us who saw what Mister Potter did to those Death Eaters without his wand… Ronald and Ginerva Weasley, Professor Sprout, and I… we've made a pact to never breathe a word of what really happened to another soul.

"We've agreed to tell everyone that when the Death Eaters were taken by surprise when Mister Potter and Miss Granger's animagus forms were revealed, the four of us recovered our wands and joined the fight. The official story will be that we killed the Death Eaters, since the state of Mister Potter's wand would exclude him from being capable of using it to inflict the damage that was caused."

"And have each of you accepted that, in so doing, you will implicate yourselves in some very borderline use of magic? As you yourself observed, dark magic?"

"Yes. We know. We accept that responsibility. It's worth it, Albus. If people were to know the truth, what really happened… Mister Potter doesn't need that. There would be many and more who would make his life unspeakably difficult for the knowledge of what he's capable of doing, regardless of the service he did us all."

"Witches and wizards are not so dissimilar from muggles in that regard… fear and misunderstanding can make them ruthless. They would undoubtedly tear down their own savior in fear."

"He doesn't deserve that."

"No… and had I been there, I would take blame for the Death Eaters' deaths so that none of you would have to bear this burden. But it is noble and admirable of you four to take this upon yourselves."

"It's a small price to pay."

"I'm certain, if Harry knew, after he protested and tried to dissuade you, he would be grateful."

The witch and wizard were quiet a moment and the sound of someone's footsteps, approaching then fading away, explained why.

"The press is getting increasingly persistent to have a word with Mister Potter, official word from the Vanquisher of Lord Voldemort as they've taken to calling him now. As though 'the Boy Who Lived' wasn't cumbersome enough."

"At least it means they're saying his name," Dumbledore observed keenly. "Would suggest that they are beginning to truly believe that the veil of terror has been lifted. As to the weighty title… it seems Harry's unenviable fate that his name will never be left at simply 'Harry'. He'll always be 'Harry Potter' something or other. At least he's a strong enough wizard to handle such a hefty title. He got used to the Boy Who Lived; he'll adjust to Vanquisher of Lord Voldemort."

"What about the reporters?"

"You could grant them a moment of time with the Vanquisher of Lord Voldemort, I suppose, but I doubt snarls and roars will make for very intriguing reading."

In any other circumstance, Knight might have found that amusing. Instead, he just listened placidly.

McGonagall was tensely quiet for a few second. "He's not changed back once since the battle. I'm concerned."

"I am as well, but we can do nothing about it. He won't change because we ask him to; he certainly won't change because the Daily Prophet wants a statement."

"I'm worried about what his refusal to change might mean… what it says of his state of mind."

"If he feels better able to cope as the jaguar, Minevra, then leave him be. He's earned the right to have us respect his wishes."

"But what if… I don't truly believe for a moment it will happen, but what if Miss Granger doesn't make it?" McGonagall's voice dropped, "What if she were to die? Harry would change back eventually… wouldn't he?"

"I honestly do not know if he would."

"But… but what… what would the wizarding world dowith a hero who's forever a jaguar?"

"Learn to send steaks instead of fan mail."

"Don't joke, Albus, this is serious. The public is the least of our worries if, Merlin forbid, Miss Granger passes away and this jaguar state of his becomes permanent. What about Harry?!"

"I assure you I am thinking of Harry. If he finds some modicum of solace in being a beast that need never answer for his actions, or speak to his heartaches, who are we to refuse him that small comfort?"

"It's just so… wrong. He won. He defeated the monster. His trials should be over now… he should have the opportunity to rest."

"I know."

McGonagall let out a long, weary sigh. "I saw you a moment ago speaking with the ministry's Head Auror. Is there any news?"

"Nothing new. Voldemort's followers are scattering like scared rabbits. Some are being caught and prosecuted, others will no doubt disappear back into the woodwork. It's a sad thing, but we'll never catch them all. At least there's no longer any chance that Voldemort with gather them to his cause again.

"Mostly, Amelia and I were putting together a clearer picture of the events that lead to that horrible confrontation at Hogwarts. Much of it is speculation on our part, of course, but it tracks so closely to the events that unfolded that I would hazard to say we're guessing right more than we are guessing wrong.

"By our proposed timeline, last summer, Voldemort stayed relatively inactive while he rebuilt his forces and his strength. The kidnap of Alastor was a search for knowledge, intelligence, but still Voldemort had matters to attend to before he struck against Harry. He had to insure that what happened at the end of the Triwizard Tournament, the priori incantatum, would not run afoul his efforts again. At that point we lost Mister Ollivander. It was not until the wandsmith succeeded, a fantastic accomplishment that will garner him awe in its own way, posthumously, of course, that Voldemort was ready to strike. But by then, he had another problem. Harry wasn't where he should have been. Harry just so happened to choose this Christmas to spend away from Hogwarts.

"I imagine Voldemort hadn't foreseen that being a problem when he was making his plans; his sources within Hogwarts…" McGonagall muttered something that sounded like 'Malfoy', but Dumbledore only paused a fraction of a second before he continued speaking, "his sources in the school would have informed him that Harry always stayed the Christmas holiday at Hogwarts, and it would have been a correct observation until this year. This Christmas was the first one Harry ever chose to spend away from the school. It seems that when Harry left for Hermione's grandmother's for Christmas the Death Eaters couldn't find him. An elderly muggle woman named Roberta Richardson was not a clear connection to famous boy wizard Harry Potter. Voldemort had to draw Harry out of hiding.

"So he attacked the Dursleys and killed Harry's cousin. It was a strategic chess move, and the first moment when I played to Voldemort's hand. He knew I would get twitchy after someone so close to Harry had been murdered, he knew I would want Harry close to me… he knew I would take him back to Hogwarts.

"Young Draco Malfoy was there and waiting. His efforts to rile Harry into violence worked splendidly, better than even Mister Malfoy could have foreseen I am certain, and I have no doubt Lucius was waiting expectantly for word from his son of the attack so that he might go to the right people and demand Harry be expelled for his uncontrollable violent tendencies. Voldemort wanted to know where he could find Harry, so he forced my hand to bring him back to Hogwarts, but Voldemort did not want to face me, so once he knew where Harry was, he needed to get him away from the school and my protection. Flight from a foreknown point, providing a perfect opportunity to close in and make the kill. The expulsion tactic would have worked toward that end nicely.

"When that failed, Voldemort turned to the next logical solution. Get me away from Hogwarts and leave Harry vulnerable.

"It was a masterfully crafted plan, one that will have me second-guessing myself and keep me up many nights wondering how I might have done differently, I'm sure."

"You mean the part about Sirius."

"Yes. It was always a risk having Sirius on the hunt for Voldemort, we knew that. Mister Pettigrew was working for Voldemort, and he knew of Sirius's animagus form. And Aberforth was registered with the ministry. There was no great mystery in their animagus forms, merely the advantages both forms lent the wizards using them. It was a risk, but no one could hope to seek out Voldemort and be free of risk.

"Sirius and Abeforth were captured at Dane, and Aberforth was allowed to escape to bring word back to Hogwarts of Sirius's captivity… Hogwarts, where Voldemort knew for a fact Harry was.

"I am ashamed of how well Voldemort predicted what I would do in that scenario. He knew I would come myself, especially with the seat of evil sitting so close to my beloved school. He left enough Death Eaters to keep the attack force on Dane busy while he took a smaller contingent and advanced on Hogwarts.

"By the time we found Sirius, or what was left of him, slain long before we arrived, and no sign of Voldemort, we realized we'd been played, and our own safeguards protecting Hogwarts worked against us. We couldn't apparate straight to the school to join the battle here.

"We returned at once to Hogsmeade to find a fireplace so we could floo into my office, but it wouldn't connect, I know now because the floo in my office was being used to transfer students to Saint Mungo's. Needless to say, by the time we arrived at Hogwarts it was already over."

"It's a chilling sequence of events," intoned McGonagall's weary voice. "It makes me all the more relieved that we need never worry about him again… one thing in all of this I still don't understand is why he destroyed the school's hospital wing."

"Because he knew my brother was there. Aberforth was grievously injured, but all the same Voldemort did not want to chance having to go up against a Dumbledore."

McGonagall sounded overwhelmed. "I think, at times, that it will never all have out. There's just so much to uncover. Moments like this, I think we'll never know the full truth of it all."

"Perhaps not. Harry and Hermione's children may never know more than the fact that there was once, long ago, an evil wizard who died and when he did everyone was free from fear."

"To think that this will ever seem as though it happened a long time ago… I don't know if I believe that."

"It probably never will be, for us. But the first children born to parents who live without fear of Voldemort… for them, it will be."

"I'll envy those children."

"So will I."