Disclaimer they are not my characters.

I'm only Seventeen years old

Harry Potter awoke to find himself in a four poster bed in the Gryffindor dorm; it was several seconds before he remembered the events of the previous day. As he rolled over to reach for his glasses his body gave him a painful reminder of his encounter with Voldemort in the forbidden forest. Memories of the day he gave his life for others poured through his mind, resting on his encounter with the dead Dumbledore. Harry decided right then that people like Rita Skeeter and Dolores Umbridge should no longer be allowed to cause the discord and heart break that until now the Wizarding communities had allowed them to get away with, he promised himself that he would do all in his power to make sure that the future would be so much better than the past, he would work towards making the wizarding society a place to be happy, a place where corruption and greed would be fought against and stamped out as far as was possible.

Harry rolled out of the bed and with his stiff and bruised body retaliating against the movement by causing numerous pains even in places he never realised could hurt, he slowly made his way down to the common room. A slight cough caught his attention as he pushed his glasses onto the bridge of his nose, his bruised frame felt uncomfortable as he looked at the three women who stood by the fire place.

Minerva McGonagall the true headmistress of Hogwarts, Harry remembered her anguished cry when Voldemort had declared him dead and displayed his body for all to see. Poppy Pomfrey the school healer, who even as he looked on, was casting diagnostic and healing spells over his bruised body.

Harry held out his arms to the third woman, tears dripped down his still dirt covered cheeks when he saw her face erupt into a huge smile.

"Hermione," was all he could manage before she had thrown herself into his open arms. The kiss he gave her told her he had forgiven her for leaving him to be with Ron, for the pain he had been put through when she had kissed their other friend. For a moment he thought his heart might burst with happiness. Holding her in his arms he realised that the part of Voldemort that had resided in him was gone, taking with it all the anger and depression that had plagued his young life, he was now free to live a happy life.

Another small cough from behind Hermione bought Harry back to reality, still holding onto her he looked at his former professor, a small smile played on his face as he considered the formidable woman.

"Harry! Kingsley has sent a message, there are problems at the Ministry and he needs to talk to you when you are ready," she told him "I told them as soon as Poppy says you are fit to travel…" she stopped talking to wipe a tear from her face before she rushed forward and grabbed him in a tight motherly hug "I'm so proud of you Harry," she whispered before regaining control of her emotions.

Poppy with tears in her eyes cast several healing spells removing the cuts scrapes and bruises that covered most of his body, then she gave him a pepper up potion "You might just need this," she said as she handed it too him, tears falling slowly down her smiling face.

Harry and Hermione followed McGonagall through the damaged corridors of the castle to the headmistress's office. Seconds after arriving in the office the head of the temporary Minister of Magic appeared in the fireplace. "Harry we have chaos here at the ministry, in fact we are practically under siege by hundreds of people, do you think you could come to London and help, I'm worried there might be riots if something isn't done soon."

"What would you want me for, have you forgotten there is a rather large price on my head," Harry asked knowing what the answer would be.

"All that has been dealt with, you're the one that beat him Harry, you're the hero, you're the one they want," Kingsley told him.

"I have a few things to sort out here, people to see, to say thank you too, but we will be there when we can," Harry told the new minister

"You don't really have any choice love, the wizarding world still needs Harry Potter the boy who lived," Hermione said as Kingsley's head retreated from the fire.

Taking Hermione's hand he led the way down to the great hall, telling her as they walked that he was never going to let her go again. He told her of his feelings through all the nights he had spent in the tent with her just a few feet away from him, and how he had been longing to be with her, how the last few hours since he had seen her kiss Ron had been so painful. Hermione explained she had been so pleased that Ron had finally done something useful and that was the only reason she had kissed him, she had not expected Ron to respond the way he did. She now regretted the rash move but Harry had already forgiven her.

There was still a huge crowd in the great hall; total silence fell as they entered hand in hand. The silence lasted no more than a few seconds as all eyes turned on the young couple. Cheers suddenly erupted, even the injured joined in welcoming their unwilling hero. Harry was called on from all sides to give some sort of speech. Nervously he climbed onto what was left of the teachers' platform with Hermione at his side. As he looked down on the tired injured and dusty crowd his knees shook, he had never been happy being in the spotlight and now with so many expectant faces looking up at him he wanted nothing more than to fade into the background. Hermione gave his hand a squeeze and then nudged him gently in the ribs

"You need to say something Harry," she whispered.

Taking a deep breath Harry falteringly began "Ron could you join us up here please."

Once both his best friends were by his side and were giving him reassuring glances Harry started his impromptu speech. "When I first started out on the journey that has brought me to this point in time, I did it because I thought I had no choice. I've learnt over time that I did actually have a choice, I could have ignored the prophesy that said I was the one to end Voldemort's reign of terror. Truth is I wanted to be… I just wanted to live a normal life that is until I fell in love. You may think I'm too young to be in love, but it was being in love and wanting Hermione the girl I love to be able to live her life in peace and happiness that gave me the will to go on even when things got bad. Along side that love there was also the friendship and loyalty of my best friend Ron who was with me through most of it, with out their selfless commitment to helping me we would never have arrived where we are today."

Harry turned to his two friends and with a small bow he said "Hermione Granger with out whose brains and selfless devotion I would probably still be wandering around wondering where to begin. Ron Weasley without whose tactical skill and bravery I would never have survived to get through Hogwarts. So I ask you now to offer these two extraordinarily brave people a vote of thanks."

A huge cheer rent the quiet air and both blushing furiously Ron and Hermione took a bow, then Ron quickly shuffled behind Harry.

"There is just one more thing I want to do here before I leave for the ministry in London," Harry voiced, then turning to Hermione, right there in front of the huge crowd Harry got down on one knee and looked up at her tear filled eyes and asked "Hermione Jane Granger, will you marry me?"

To Ron's utter shock Hermione's answer was a delighted "Yes," as she threw herself into Harry's arms, a resounding cheer rang out that shook the windows around the hall.

The crowds outside the Ministry parted as Harry and Hermione walked hand in hand toward the main entrance of the ministry building, followed by Ron, Neville, Ginny and the remaining members of the DA and the Order of the Phoenix. The cheers began gradually as the witches and wizards realised who was approaching them, by the time Harry reached the entrance the roar of the crowd was deafening. Turning to the crowd Harry tried to talk to them but was almost mobbed by eager people all wanting to touch the boy who lived. The members of the DA surrounded Harry and Hermione forcing the crowd back, Hermione conjured a small podium "Talk to them Harry," she whispered in his ear.

Harry climbed onto the small podium and looked down on the faces of a vast crowd and wondered what he could say to these people who had suffered so much. Casting a sonorous charm on himself Harry held up his arms asking for quiet, it took a few minutes before there was silence then it became the sort of silence that could be heard and felt.

"I just want to ask you all to go home for now, now that Voldemort is gone for good, I promise that we will do all we can to put things right, so that you can once more live in freedom and peace, we just need a little time to rest before the work to rebuild our society begins, so I ask you go home and start living in freedom from tyranny again." after a quick wave Harry led the way into the Atrium of the ministry.

Harry was met by Kingsley who for the first time Harry could ever remember looked flustered. "Thanks for coming Harry; things are getting out of hand here, even the Aurors are refusing to help," Kingsley whispered as they shook hands.

Three hours later Harry was pacing up and down in the minister's office "I just don't believe it. How can they expect me to do the dam job? I'm only Seventeen years old for Pete's sake," Harry yelled for the tenth time.

"Well at the moment we don't have a choice. Thousands of witches and wizards are demanding it; they are coming from all over the country. If you don't do it there will be riots and mayhem," Kingsley said in exasperation.

"Oh yeah it's a brilliant idea. A nearly eighteen year old minister of magic," Harry whispered finally giving up and flopping into a chair.

Hermione was the one to speak up first "Well perhaps you could become co-minister, you and someone that is well known."

So arrangements were made for Harry to become co-minister along with Arthur Weasley. Kingsley was placed as head of the Auror division assisted by the order of the phoenix. Hermione and Ron with some of the prominent DA members, were placed in charge of replacing Voldemort supporters throughout the ministry, Hermione's first and most pleasant task was to have Delores Umbridge arrested for the attempted murder of Harry, use of illegal curses and torture. Even though the idea of sending someone to serve a life sentence in Azkaban was something Hermione thought primitive, she could find no sympathy in her heart for the evil woman who had caused so much pain and suffering. All three Malfoy's were sentenced to serve long terms in Azkaban, Lucius and Narcissa were both given life while Draco got ten years.

Harry and Arthur with the prompting of Hermione disbanded the Wizengamot that had passed so many evil laws, sending many of them to serve terms in Azkaban for assisting the Death Eaters and their cause. Several death eaters were found dead in mysterious circumstances over the next few days. A large number of Voldemort's supporters were handed over to the Auror division or to the Order of the Phoenix by members of the public who were no longer afraid to turn them in.

One month from the day that Harry was sworn in at the ministry he stood in the Atrium facing a large crowd. Harry listened as the new Wizengamot were sworn to a magically binding contract to be fair and just to the best of their abilities. "You have all been chosen by your own communities, from every town and village to serve as members of the new Wizengamot, the people who chose you trust you, so I just want to say, remember where you came from," Arthur Weasley finished before turning to Harry and smiling.

Life at the ministry gradually settled down into a new and peaceful way. Several new laws thought up by Hermione were put in place to protect Muggle borns in the future. Several old laws were repealed. She also oversaw the new liable and slander laws that would now prevent people having to suffer the same sort of thing that both Harry and Dumbledore had had to endure. Rita Skeeter was sent to Azkaban for two years for being an illegal animagus. Harry having spent twelve weeks as a figure head decided it was time to leave Mr Weasley to get on with running things, his departure from the ministry was quiet now that the public knew that they were at last in safe hands.

Job offers for the golden trio arrived from around the world, some offered ridiculous amounts of money. All three teenagers refused all the offers, having decided to ask professor McGonagall if they could return to school to complete their education. Monday morning following their departure from the ministry three owls found Harry and Hermione sitting with Ron and Mrs Weasley in the kitchen of the burrow. Mrs Weasley was a little disappointed that the one big happy family she had hoped for was not to be, but nearly all her family were now safe, in a safe world.

Their Hogwarts letters arrived informing them that although the school was still undergoing repairs they were welcome to return, they were to begin at the start of the next term in their seventh year class. Although Ron was not very happy about how things had turned out for Hermione and him self, he had to admit he had known the truth from the moment he had left them alone in the tent and Hermione had chosen to stay with harry.

Ginny had over the year lost the crush she had on the boy who lived, and had realised she had never actually known the real Harry Potter, she was ready to move on with her life and she was pleased when she discovered she would not have to disappoint Harry when she told him she was over him.

Hermione tried several times to explain to Harry why she had kissed Ron, but in the aftermath of it all she had found it hard to justify the joy she had felt when Ron had finally done something to help them, it was a great relief to her when Harry had forgiven her, especially when she remembered the minutes of the battle when Harry had died and the soul destroying heart ripping pain she had felt when she thought he was dead and she would never get to tell him just how much she loved him, knowing he had gone to his death having seen her kissing Ron as his last memory of his best friends caused her more pain than she imagined was possible, it had been so much more devastating than the cruciatus.

Harry and Hermione were married just before they left for Australia in search of her parents, they were not hard to find, knowing all their likes and dislikes and the suggestions about where they would like to live Hermione had made to them when she changed their memories made it easy to track them down. The three heroes of the wizarding world were shocked when they arrived at Hogwarts on the first of September, they were the only students in a school that was still being rebuilt, all their teachers turned up and with the almost individual tutoring they received they took their N.E.W.T exams half way through the first term.

All three did well, Harry got a few more Outstanding's than Ron, and Hermione got a few more Outstanding's than Harry and with their education complete they were ready to go out and face the world.