=== February 22, 1998 ===
To say that Harry was dreading today would be a severe understatement. Today the magical world celebrates the one-year anniversary of the defeat of Voldemort and his minions. That means they are celebrating him and Hermione, the defeaters of Voldemort.
Harry looks at himself in the full-length mirror of the preparation room inside the Ministry. Hermione has used some gel to sweep his hair away from his now faded scar. A pair of silver framed glasses sit on his face. He is wearing a new set of black robes; the Hogwarts emblem drawn on the back, each house its own color, the school motto written in silver. A silver sphinx pin sits on his collar, and the Gryffindor lion is emblazoned on his chest.
"You look good." Hermione says drawing Harry's attention to her. Her usually bushy hair is mostly tamed thanks to some Sleekeazy's hair potion, and a pair of eagle-shaped hair clips keep her hair out of her face. She wears a set of robes identical to Harry's except for the Ravenclaw eagle is emblazoned on her chest.
"So do you." Harry says as he leans in to kiss her, when there's a knock on the door. "I swear if that's Fudge I'm going to skin him alive."
Whoever it is knocks again. "I'll hold him still for you." Hermione grins as she moves to the door and opens it. "Malachi?" She asks in surprise of seeing their mentor. "What are you doing here?"
"I've been working on something for each of you, and I thought you might want them for your speeches." Malachi answers.
"What do you have?" Harry asks.
From his robes Malachi pulls out a black scabbard, the Gryffindor lion inscribed on it in silver. "This is for your sword." Malachi instructs.
Harry summons his sword and sheathes it. "Perfect fit."
"This goes with it." Malachi says as hands Harry a black belt with silver rings in its holes and a silver buckle.
Harry belts the scabbarded sword on then looks in the mirror. "This completes the outfit." He says.
"It sure does." Hermione says.
"Now, Hermione, it's your turn." Malachi says as he pulls out a pair of dagger sheaths on a belt similar to Harry's. The sheaths each have one of Odin's ravens etched on them in silver, and her belt has a silver belt buckle shaped like an eagle.
Hermione takes the belt and puts it on before summoning her daggers, slipping them into their sheaths. "This is perfect!" Hermione exclaims.
"I'm glad you like them." Malachi says.
Someone knocks on the door, Malachi opens the door, and Kingsley steps in. "Are you two almost ready?" Kingsley asks. "Im not sure how much longer Fudge can stall."
"We're ready." Harry says as he steps towards Kingsley, the hilt of his sword with the ruby in its pommel standing out against his robes.
"You look like you're expecting a fight." Kingsley says.
"Never know what might happen." Hermione says.
#####
Fudge stands at a podium in front of a crowd nervously stalling when sees the face of Kingsley poking out from behind the curtain giving him the signal telling him everything was ready. Fudge sighs in relief as he turns to the audience. "Now, I'd like you all to welcome the saviors of the wizarding world!" He introduces them as if they were a pair of sideshow freaks.
Harry and Hermione walk through the curtain, magical spotlights find them and a murmur goes through the crowd as they see their weapons. Harry walks up to the podium. "Thank you, Minister Fudge." He clears his throat. "Now I'm sure you are all wondering why we are carrying weapons."
"I'd say we are." Fudge mutters.
"Without these weapons you see on us we wouldn't be here." Harry explains. "It was with a sword not unlike the one on my hip that I did what no one else could do. I beheaded and defeated Tom Marvolo Riddle; an individual you know better as Voldemort."
A gasp goes through the crowd. "I did not do this alone." Harry says. "My wife was there right beside me, with the very daggers you see on her hips now. Our mentor, Malachi Meris, was there and lended a hand."
'Or an arm.' Hermione snickers through their bond.
Harry smiles lightly as he continues. "I could go on all day, there are countless others that all deserve the title savior of the wizarding world as much if not more than we do."
Hermione steps up next to Harry and starts speaking. "Today we would like to remember those that paid the ultimate price during the war. Each and every one of you here lost somebody during the war. In that regard Minister Fudge has given us a list of those he feels should be posthumously be award an Order of Merlin, first class." She waves her hand and board with medals appears.
"If you hear your family member's names please come forward and collect their award for them." Hermione says as a scroll appears in her hand. "Albus Percival Wulfric Dumbledore!'
Aberforth stands up, his talk, thin frame allows him to get to the front fast. "You didn't need to do this." He says gruffly.
"We had no hand in making the list." Hermione says.
"We thought that it would mean more if we handed out the awards then some random government official." Harry says.
Aberforth nods as he takes the award. "He would have liked this."
Harry nods. "He would have."
Aberforth walks off and Hermione looks at the scroll. "Charles Francis Brown!"
Lavender and Lilac come up. Lilac takes the award. "Thank you," Lilac says softly.
"Your father was a hero," Harry says. "This should have been awarded right after he died."
"That doesn't matter." Lavender says. "We knew who he was, and we proud of him before this."
"Now everyone else knows it too." Lilac says as they walk off.
Harry watches them walk off, tears in his eyes. "Are you okay?" Hermione asks.
Harry nods. "It just feels good, us honoring their father like this."
"Then you'll really like the next names." Hermione says then reads from the scroll. "Frank and Alice Longbottom!"
Neville gets up,and comes up to them. "Thank you for convincing me to come." He says.
"I wish I could have told you why." Hermione says.
"I prefer it this way." Neville says.
Hermione nods as she hands him both awards. "They both deserve it."
"Thank you." Neville says as he takes the awards and walks off.
"Looks like there's one left." Harry says as he looks at the last award. "Want me to read it?"
"Sure," Hermione says with a smile as she hands him the scroll.
Harry takes the scroll and reads the last name. "Sirius Orion Black!" It's only after he says the name that he realizes what name he said. He looks at Hermione. "What is this?"
"You know very well what this is." Hermione answers.
"But how?" Harry asks, obviously confused.
"When Fudge asked for recommendations I included Sirius, including how he died. Apparently he thought he deserved to receive the award." Hermione answers.
"But nobody is here to receive it." Harry says.
"Yes, there is," Hermione insists. "You!"
Harry hands Hermione the scroll, then takes the award. "I can't believe this." He mutters to himself.
Hermione steps up and a box appears where the awards were. "The Ministry has decided that everyone else be awarded an order of Merlin third-class, if you would please come up here one at a time the box should give you the appropriate award. Any questions?"
"What if we feel that our loved one deserves better?" A male voice shouts from the crowd.
Hermione smiles and a stack of papers appears beside the box. "Just grab one of the forms beside the box and send it in. We have been assured that the Minister will review all these requests and get back to the requester."
One at a time the crowd comes up and goes to the box, retrieves the award and heads off, occasionally someone grabs one of the forms. Near the end of the crowd a woman walks up to them. "I couldn't help but notice that you two did not receive Orders of Merlin." She says.
"We were offered them, but refused them." Hermione says.
"Why?"
"What's your name?" Harry asks.
"Claire Dearing, my husband was killed by the fiendfyre."
Harry winces. "I'm sorry to hear that. Is there anything we can do to help?"
Claire shakes her head. "I appreciate it, but the Ministry is taking care of me."
"I'm glad to hear it." Harry says.
"Would you answer my question though?" Claire asks.
Harry nods. "We refused so he would honor the fallen."
"I'm afraid I don't follow you." Claire says.
"We told him we wouldn't even consider accepting it until he honored those that died." Hermione says.
"So you'll accept it now?" Claire asks. "Use our loved ones to make your names more known?" She accuses
"No," Harry admits. "We have no intention of ever accepting the award."
Claire looks shocked. "Really?"
"All we did was what we had to do so we could survive and raise our children." Hermione answers. "So no, we don't want the award, we don't deserve it."
"People like your husband, people who didn't have to fight and did so anyway. They are the heroes." Harry says.
"But everyone will still remember you, not them." Claire says.
"She has a good point." Harry says.
"I have an idea." Hermione says. "But I'll need a list of all those that were honored today."
#####
Sometime later they walk out into the main foyer of the Ministry, Harry holding a large scroll. "Let's do this." Hermione says as she summons the grimoire and it opens to the intended page.
Hermione softly chants the spell, soon her whole body starts to glow attracting the attention of everyone in the room. "What's going on here?" A guard asks.
"My wife is making a permanent memorial." Harry answers as the scroll in his hand starts glowing and is lifted out of his hand.
"I'm going to have to ask you to stop." The guard says as he draws his wand.
"Put your wand down and let her finish, we'll face whatever repercussions afterwards." Harry says.
The guard looks unsure what to say or do.
"What's your name?" Harry asks.
"Stephan."
"Stephan, do you see the amount of magic my wife has gathered?" Harry asks and Stephan nods. "Then I'm sure you can see she's at the point that it would be unsafe to stop now."
Stephan sighs. "Hand me your wand so I know you won't run away."
Harry nods as he hands Stephan his wand. "Fair enough."
Hermione stops chanting and releases a blinding flash of light. When everyone can see again Harry and Hermione stand there looking at the statue Hermione created: A stone dark mark sits inside a red circle that's bisected by a red line. The names of all those that died are inscribed in gold inside that circle.
"What is the meaning of this?" Fudge asks as he walks up to the statue.
"We decided that we needed something so that nobody would forget the names of the fallen." Harry says.
"You decided?" Fudge asks.
"Do you have a problem with that?" Hermione asks.
"Of course not." Fudge says, "if you had said something we could have arranged for the press to be at the unveiling."
Harry and Hermione both shrug. "Too late now." Hermione says.
Fudge sighs. "I suppose it is." He looks at the memorial. "You did a good job."
"How long will it last?" Stephan asks as he runs a hand over it.
"As long as the Ministry." Hermione answers. "It's tied to the ward stone."
"You can do that?" Fudge asks.
"Of course, I made the stone, remember?" Hermione rebuts.
"Of course." Fudge replies, "I just didn't know you could access them when not in the room."
Hermione nods. "It's not an easy task."
Fudge nods. "Well, thank you for making this."
Hermione nods and Fudge walks off. She and Harry turn back to the memorial and see Stephan standing there tracing a name. "Is everything okay?" Hermione asks.
"My wife died in the attack here." Stephan replies with tears in his eyes. "I thought her name would be forgotten, but I can see it will not."
"That's the idea." Harry says.
"I don't remember seeing you at the presentation." Hermione says.
"Our son wanted to go." Stephan says. "So I came to work."
"That's very noble of you." Harry says.
"It was the right thing to do." Stephan says.
"Is there anything we can do to help you?" Harry asks.
"You've already done more than I could imagine." Stephan answers. "Though, it's clear I can give this back to you." He hands Harry back his wand.
Harry takes his wand. "Thank you."