The Greatest Victory: Final Chapter
Einar sat on the living room sofa, sipping his drink calmly while listening to the noise coming from the yard. They weren't the usual cheerful laughs of children playing; they were explosions, metallic clashes, and battle cries that would have made anyone think it was a fight to the death. However, from experience, Einar knew that as long as he didn't hear his name, everything was under control.
He smiled faintly, bringing a hand to his forehead.
"The Dragonborn with problems with women… who would have thought?" he murmured to himself in a tone of almost amused self-criticism.
He remembered, not without a certain discomfort, the day Sofie decided to "help" him by setting up a date with Fleur. By chance, when he arrived at the library, Hermione was there as well. The silence that followed was so dense it felt like the air had frozen. Hermione eventually left with a forced smile, leaving a heavy awkwardness behind.
In Skyrim, he had never had that problem. There, the women who approached him sought his power, his titles, or his wealth. He, too young and always on the verge of another battle, had never had time to think about something as mundane as romance. But now, with almost all problems resolved and life reduced to keeping the peace and cleaning up what remained, he could no longer ignore the matter. Still, he didn't want to hurt any of them.
He took another sip of wine, his expression hardening.
Then he felt it.
Something changed.
He looked around. The noise of his children had vanished completely, as if someone had ripped the sound from the world. The flames in the fireplace began to waver strangely until they froze in the air, suspended in an eternal instant. Time itself had stopped.
Einar was the only one still able to move.
Without warning, a figure appeared behind him. It moved with the familiarity of someone walking through their own home and sat down on the adjacent sofa. Einar turned his head slightly.
It was a young man, with hair like the golden light of dawn and eyes that radiated molten gold. He wore gleaming armor, forged with a brilliance impossible to replicate. He didn't look a day over thirty, but Einar recognized him instantly—not because he had seen him in that form before, but because he felt him deep inside, in the core of his very soul.
"Akatosh…" said Einar seriously.
The man smiled faintly, carrying such an imposing presence that any mortal would have fallen to their knees before him—any mortal except Einar.
"Hello, little dragon," greeted the god in a deep, harmonious voice, charged with a power that seemed to uphold the very flow of time. "I'm sorry to appear like this, without warning." With a gesture of his hand, a golden goblet materialized, filled with a wine that gave off a rich, intoxicating aroma. He held it calmly, as if the entire universe had all the time in the world to wait.
"What do you want? Did you come to take me to another world again?" asked Einar, frowning slightly.
"No," Akatosh replied after taking a sip. "I came to give you explanations. You have many questions, don't you?"
Einar watched him in silence for several seconds.
"I'm your son… aren't I?"
"That's right," said Akatosh, his gaze hardening for a moment as if revisiting memories only he could understand. "It came at a high price. Much sacrifice—especially from your mother. Gods cannot directly sire children, so we used two mortals as vessels. We chose poorly… but even seeing it, I did not stop it, because only with them could it work. And I knew that, sooner or later, you would reach where we dwell. When you did, I would accept whatever you brought me: anger, resentment, hatred."
Einar kept his gaze steady.
"Why did you send me here?"
"When a dragon dies, its soul returns to the lands of its creator… to my domain," explained Akatosh, swirling the goblet slightly to watch how the wine caught the frozen light of the fireplace. "That should have happened to you, but you are no ordinary dragon. Your soul is divine. The Daedric Princes noticed this. That is why so many sought to bargain with you. And the stronger you become, as the souls of the dragons within you merge with your own, there will come a time when your mortal body will no longer be able to contain you. They will do everything to stop that, because possessing you would give them power enough to destroy everything. Sending you to another world, in a different space and time, was the most I could do to hide you. Those who came with you—even that black horse—play their part in keeping you hidden. Although, as you know, there are forces impossible to predict. You don't need more power or more experience—only… time."
There was a brief silence before Einar asked the question burning within him:
"Why do I exist?"
Akatosh looked at him directly, and for an instant, in those golden eyes, there was no power—only something more human.
"The union of your parents' love needs no reason for their child to exist," he said with a warm smile that, for a moment, seemed to stop time even further. "This is the longest I can stay here without being detected. Your mother will come one day. Do not hold resentment against her. She loves you more than you imagine and suffers every instant of being away from you. We will see each other again—perhaps in years, decades, or millennia. Enjoy this world. It is peaceful. Here, no one should trouble you."
He stood up, and before vanishing, added with a faint glint in his eye:
"Oh, by the way… you are a demigod. And when your divinity is complete, you will be able to take with you anyone you wish." He smiled and disappeared in a burst of golden light.
Time began to move again—slowly at first, then returning to its normal pace. The flames resumed their dance, and the noise of the children returned as if it had never ceased.
Einar looked at the spot where Akatosh had stood, then at his goblet, and downed it in a single drink. This time, his smile was calmer. He rose and left the room.
…
Several years later:
A massive black dragon flew over an island, descending toward an imposing mansion that stood at its center, surrounded by a small village. As it landed, the dragon crouched so its rider—a young man carrying a little girl of about four years old—could jump down to the ground.
"Thanks for flying us here, Viir," said Harry with a smile, stroking the dragon's head.
Viir shrank in size until his head barely reached Harry's waist. He nodded and walked off calmly, finding the shade of a large tree before lying down to sleep.
Harry watched the scene with a smile, but the little girl in his arms urged him on, squirming with excitement.
"Hurry up, Daddy," she said enthusiastically. "I want to play with the others."
"Yes, yes, sorry," said Harry with a gentle smile as he walked toward the mansion's entrance.
"Oho… we've got the Director of the Auror Office here," said a friendly voice approaching.
Harry turned to see Cedric walking toward him with a grin.
"If you hadn't retired so young, I probably would've had to fight you for the position," Harry said, returning the greeting.
"I'll pass. Married life keeps me plenty busy," Cedric replied, giving him a pat on the back. "By the way, do me a favor—if you see Runa, tell her I'll be outside with the kids."
"Sure," Harry said as he kept walking.
"Aunt Lucia!" the little girl in his arms called out. Harry turned his head to see Lucia—no longer a little girl, but now a beautiful teenager, though she still had that mischievous, childlike smile. She ran over and hugged Lily warmly.
"Oh, little Lily," said Lucia. "You arrived just in time. We found a bunch of basilisk eggs. Want to come see them?"
"Ahem… I'd prefer you didn't take my daughter to dangerous places," Harry said seriously.
"Quiet, junior," Lucia teased.
"I'm older than you," Harry replied.
"But not stronger… and you arrived last," she answered proudly, holding Lily.
"But I want to see Grandpa first," Lily said, unsure what to do.
"Right," said Lucia, handing Lily back to Harry. "I've got to keep running." She suddenly remembered something, then dashed off at full speed, almost vanishing from sight.
At that moment, Harry saw a fire spell streaking through the air toward where Lucia had fled. Quickly raising his wand, he conjured a shield to block the heat from Lily.
"Lucia!" A figure appeared—a beautiful blonde with an angry face. In her hand was a pink diary and a ball of fire ready to throw, even from a distance. "I told you not to read my diary!" Sofie shouted, preparing another spell.
"Aunt Sofie," Lily said suddenly. Sofie stopped and looked to the side. The fury on her face melted away instantly.
"Lily," she said in a much softer voice, hugging her tightly. Then, as if just noticing Harry, she added, "Oh… and Harry."
"Hi. We came to visit the Master," Harry said calmly.
"I think he went fishing with Blaise, Hroar, and Alesan, but he should be back soon," Sofie replied.
"Then I'll wait for him in the living room," said Harry.
"Alright. I still have things to do," Sofie said, handing Lily back and heading off in the direction Lucia had escaped.
Harry smiled at this and made his way to the living room. Inside, he saw Runa, Sissel, and Samuel sitting in front of the television, eating snacks. Runa raised a hand in a silent greeting, Sissel nodded, and Samuel lazily waved. They were the three TV addicts, and everyone knew interrupting them was a bad idea. Lily looked at her father and, putting a finger to her lips, went "shh."
At that moment, the fireplace flared with green flames, and Hroar stepped out first. He was now huge—at least two meters tall—though still shorter than Hagrid. Behind him came Blaise, his hair longer now, clearly imitating Einar a bit, though its reddish hue made him stand out even more. Alesan followed, smiling and carrying a bucket full of fish. Finally, Einar emerged, looking exactly the same as always, as if time had never touched him.
Einar glanced toward Harry and walked over.
"Grandpa!" Lily exclaimed with joy, reaching her arms out to him.
Einar smiled slightly and picked her up.
"It's 'Master,' not 'Grandpa,'" Harry corrected.
"No, Grandpa," Lily insisted.
"It's fine, she can call me whatever she likes," Einar said calmly. "Neville didn't come with you?"
"He went to visit his parents with his wife today," Harry replied. "The Auror Office has been pretty quiet lately, so we took a break. Though… I'd appreciate it if you didn't leave so much destruction behind when you catch criminals for fun. Cleaning up afterward is a real pain," he said, glancing at Blaise and the others.
"You can say that when you can beat us, Dragon Priest," Blaise shot back with a smirk.
Harry just rolled his eyes. That was the excuse they always used.
"You're neglecting your training too much," Einar commented, watching him closely.
Harry could grow much faster if he trained regularly, but as Director of the Auror Office, perhaps he had grown a bit too confident. That was why he still couldn't surpass the others.
"It's nice to feel normal," Harry said with a smile.
Though he was extremely powerful—perhaps on par with Dumbledore in his prime—every time he visited this place and saw the "monsters" who lived here, he felt like just another ordinary man. Something he had once longed for in the past.
Einar stroked Lily's head as she beamed happily.
"We came to see the babies," she said excitedly.
"That's right… I think they should be awake by now," Einar said, glancing toward the door just as it opened.
Two women entered, each carrying a small child. The first had bright white hair and a stoic expression despite being barely a year old, only turning his head to look at Einar. The second was a brown-haired boy with a big smile, waving his hands in excitement.
Both had their father's unmistakable golden eyes, with vertical pupils like a dragon's.
Einar smiled as he looked over the entire gathered family. Outside, the island was calm, bathed in the warm light of the setting sun. For the first time in a long while, there were no urgencies, no threats—only peace.
And that, he thought, was the greatest victory of all.
—
Epilogue
Over the years, life in the wizarding world and beyond found a balance. Not a perfect one, but one in which laughter and everyday troubles replaced wars and conspiracies.
Neville Longbottom, now Deputy Head of the Auror Office, married Hannah Abbott, just as in the original story. Both managed their work and family lives with calm, while Neville's parents enjoyed a well-deserved retirement, living peacefully away from the hustle and bustle.
Harry Potter ended up marrying Ginny Weasley and building a family with three children. James and Albus, due to disciplinary reasons (which Sirius swore he had nothing to do with… though everyone knew otherwise), couldn't join their sister Lily on that last visit to Einar. Lily, however, remained everyone's favorite—especially her grandfather… even if Harry insisted on calling him "Master."
Sirius Black, against all odds, continued to be a bad influence, especially on James and Albus, teaching them "useful tricks" that always ended in explosions, punishments, and laughter.
Percy Weasley had risen far in the Ministry, becoming one of its most respected directors. His support to Amelia Bones during her term as Minister was so significant that, when elections came around, they wanted to offer him the position of Minister. Percy declined, claiming he already had enough work and preferred to avoid "the headaches that come with that chair."
Hermione Granger also served as Minister for a time. Later, she married and had a beautiful child… though, for some reason, the little one had the same eyes as Fleur Delacour's children. Fleur, for her part, also married and started a family. Her children shared the same peculiar trait: golden eyes with slit pupils, like a dragon's. No one dared to ask who the father was—out of respect… and fear.
Of course, theories were inevitable, and the most popular one claimed that the same man was the father of both… and that man was none other than Einar Dovahkiin, the current Headmaster of Hogwarts. After all, a demigod doesn't "choose" just one option. He takes them all.
Cedric Diggory, officially, married Runa. Unofficially, he was "kidnapped" by her. Tonks, inspired by her friend's success, repeated the feat with Remus Lupin, though she preferred to call it "a mutually agreed-upon wedding under friendly pressure."
Sofie became a professor at Hogwarts. Her fame drew countless suitors, but none managed to get close enough… partly because for her to accept someone, at least one of her brothers had to take a fight seriously. And, honestly, that didn't seem possible.
Hogwarts changed under Einar's leadership. New subjects were added: Archery, Weapon Handling, Blacksmithing, Enchanting, and Tactical Dueling. Several members of the Storm became professors, which had a clear advantage—keeping them in one place instead of letting them loose for "friendly competitions" that could end up destroying half a country while hunting dark wizards or dangerous beasts.
Einar himself never lost his youthful appearance nor his calm gaze. He lived surrounded by children, grandchildren, students, and friends, always keeping watch over the world's balance. He never spoke of everything he had sacrificed to get there. He simply enjoyed the peace he had fought so hard to achieve.
And so, with past wars turned into stories for the fireplace, and uncertain futures no longer weighing on his shoulders, the Dovahkiin could finally sit down and smile.
It had been a long journey—fun, bloody at times, and always full of surprises. Thank you for accompanying him.
And just in case, keep a piece of delicious cheese at home… you never know when Uncle Sheogorath might show up to ask for it.
The End.
—-
A/N: I had thought about continuing a little further, but it would have felt forced, because technically I've already closed everything… I think. If I forgot something, let me know, but I'm pretty sure it's fine.
I wanted to add more romance, but considering the story had only a minimal level of romance until now, it would have felt strange. If it were a story where romance appeared in every chapter, it would have been easier to include, but that wasn't the case.
Oh, and in the epilogue I forgot to mention what happened to Ron. Well… he just felt guilty and moved to another country. Hahaha, I know, I'm terrible.
I'll take one or two days off before starting the next story. It seems the one that won was Percy and Harry's, though on weekends I'll also prepare some chapters for Miraak.