Chapter 19; Epilogue
In the space between two worlds, Truth contemplated the changes wrought by the movement of a young alchemist into a world of magic. Incredible how it was enough to throw this human in a situation to cause upheaval. Again, we were talking about the only human to have conquered his Truth.
People who should have died survived and more rarely people who should have died had lost their lives. No one wondered how the Dementors had disappeared, nor how the Death Eaters had suddenly lost the ability to do magic. Nobody wondered what would have happened if a certain Edward Elric hadn't passed by to upset a story that could have taken place perfectly without him: after all, all humans had forgotten him, with a few rare exceptions.
For those who had not forgotten him, life did not end with his absence. They simply continued to advance, faithful to the teaching of their friend who would have hated to see them standing still. In another story, they would probably have confined themselves to their happy ending, with a job, a family, a friendship always full of tenderness. Either way, it wouldn't have been a bad ending. After all, each of them could live without possessing more glory than that acquired during their youth.
But they had met Edward Elric and if glory interested them very little, on the other hand the latter escorts the great men and the great women of History, without them having a say. But their friend had taught them that you could laugh at your own fame while mocking your own glory and yet use it to accomplish your goals. And in this, each member of the Circle applied the lesson.
They actively participated in the political, intellectual, social and economic life of the magical world. A Council of Magic was born, bringing together nationals of each people. New laws were enacted and the Goblins gained access to wands and in exchange, new techniques for manipulating magic appeared in learning, then in the school curriculum itself.
The Weasley clan were among the first, especially with Ron, helped by Fred and George. The shop began to go far beyond the simple framework of pranks and tricks. Creation of new alloys with incredible magical properties, manufacture of enchanted objects that can last for millennia, new inventions imitating the technological revolution of Muggles... Establishing branches all over the country, this new financial empire did not stop at Great Britain and expanded internationally.
Half a century later, if a wizard had been told that once the Weasleys were among the poorest families in magical Britain, he would have laughed out loud at how absurd it would seem. And despite everything, this family remained attached to the family values that had sustained them during their days of poverty. We could never have found a more united and loving family, but above all so humble in the face of their success.
Within the Department of Mysteries, an intellectual revolution was born under the aegis of Hermione. The young girl introduced Muggle protocols based on the scientific method while being wise enough to adapt them to magic. Nevertheless, peer-reviewed, reproducible tests, fewer risky experiments became the norm in research.
This resulted in a great number of discoveries concerning the manifestations of magic and in particular, the way in which the latter could manifest in Squibs, then in Muggles. The Granger protocol had emerged. An urban legend claims that this protocol first saw the light of day in a precious little notebook, carefully kept by Hermione Granger.
But instead of remaining confined to a few initiates, this knowledge became accessible to the population to the point that it would eventually change its name to become the more sober Research Departments. Funded by the Ministry, and therefore, the taxes of the population, requests had been made to make this knowledge more democratized.
This ended up being done via very detailed press articles. The Quibbler still maintained its defiant tone, encouraging its readers to challenge what they knew. There were articles on scientific phenomena, the discovery of new creatures, and criticism of the power that led to the government reform of 2002. The newspaper eventually became so dense that it separated into several magazines, with the hiring of other press directors of very different origins and having a wide scope for what they wanted to publish. . It was the Lovegood method.
A man of deep compassion, great patience and above all not resentful, the young Longbottom had started seeing Professor Snape during his last year of school. The latter's blindness and bad temper would have made him a hermit, who would have gone into exile on a cold and rainy island, before dying forgotten by all. But the Circle would never have allowed him that…
It was Professor Snape who had advised Neville Longbottom to become a Healer but also not to neglect Muggle knowledge, very advanced compared to the wizarding world. The young man had therefore disappeared for eight years in the Muggle World. He came back with a doctor's degree from Muggle University and new ideas about neuronal regeneration and neurosurgery in general.
Back home, he went to Professor Snape to offer his ideas. Together, with great effort, they developed the first potion to repair the neurological damage caused by Cruciatus. Professor Snape received half of the income and this first success persuaded him to continue on the path of research, even if he could not brew himself.
Harry and Ginny got married at the end of the summer and they remained a happy couple. Ginny, initially very involved in Quidditch and journalism with Luna, was then tempted to embark on international politics. Representative of Great Britain, she became the youngest president of the worthy assembly and distinguished herself from the first day by her speech which will remain in the annals by her first sentences: "We must open the magic society to the world. When an element is cut off from everything, they become impoverished as together they open the door to a future full of promise."
Of course, Harry had more than approved, given that he had worked on this project for years. Many people wondered why he hadn't become an Auror or even Minister of Magic. After all, his path had been mapped out from an early age. But if Harry had learned anything from Professor Dumbledore, it was that you could change a society first and foremost through education. He became a teacher, then the youngest Headmaster of Hogwarts.
He didn't fall into the mistakes of his former mentor: he didn't manipulate, didn't tolerate bullying, and respected every child in his care. He made the school more secure, so that no student had to become friends because they faced a Troll in first year. His pedagogy was done above all by setting an example, again and again, devoting himself without counting for his students.
He remained amiable, even to those who had once opposed him. He never hesitated to debate, always with politeness and respect for his interlocutor, listening attentively before answering. And even his opponents realized that they were conquered, not by his formidable magical power, but by his calmly formulated arguments.
He did not neglect his family, however: Alethéïa Lily Potter was followed, five years later by Raphaël James Potter and then, two years later, by the twins Nathanaël Sirius and Sophia Dora. He was a tender and loving father and his children followed the example set by their father. They were good friends with Edwin and Philia Longbottom-Lovegood, as well as Rosa and Martin Weasley-Granger. They were all going to bed demanding the stories about Edward Elric. Sometimes they even caught a glimpse of a rather small figure and then they wondered if he really existed.
Truth turned to the world of the Alchemists.
Edward Elric had returned home, having relinquished all his immense power without regret. When he came back, he had been pleased to see that Roy had "miraculously" regained his sight. His brother Alphonse had been relieved to find him, having obviously feared that something was going to happen.
The first thing Edward did was to tell his father that he had nothing to forgive him for: he had now. His father's tears didn't make him as uncomfortable as the night before the Promised Day. For everyone it was the day before, for him it was three years ago. And now Edward understood his father better than he ever had.
Then Edward and Al headed home. There were several things to do: Telling their story, rehabilitating Alphonse, rebuilding their house, learning to appreciate the simple things in life. They began to elaborate future projects for their future: always more research to bring to the world as much as this world had brought to them. Edward confessed his feelings to Winry. The founding of a new Elric generation seemed fast approaching.
But Edward had always been hiding something from Winry: his desire to travel. He wanted to discover new horizons, learn new forms of alchemy (or other powers), meet new people, blend into other societies to discover them from within. He wanted to continue to enjoy life as it was offered to him during his travels. But the young man knew that this type of life would not suit Winry or a family life. And he would never impose on his future children the same suffering that he and Alphonse had felt when their father left.
Then Edward found himself before the Truth asking him for a new favor.
The Truth could never have asked for a better servant: to help other worlds out of a dead end situation by integrating into these worlds. In return, he wanted only two things: that his departure last only a moment for his family so that the latter would never be neglected and that they could return to see his friends from different worlds from time to time. A negligible price compared to the dangers he would face.
But Truth knew.
Edward Elric will have a short life, which will not exceed fifty years. Barely enough time to witness the birth of his grandchildren. He had sacrificed more than half of his life expectancy to survive his impalement when he had faced Kimbley. His choices had decided that and he was able to assume them. He had done it knowingly.
But in those worlds, he could live the amount of time he should have had if he hadn't sacrificed his life expectancy that day facing Kimbley. He would lead several lives, stuck at the age of sixteen (as well as at his size then.) He would stay for a few years which would not age him. But on the other hand, his missions would be filled with essential things, growing in wisdom. Jumping from world to world, learning, loving, crying, bleeding, fighting, he remained true to himself and to the goal he had set.
And at the end, when the hour of departure, it would not matter that his life in his native world was short, he would always welcome the Truth as an old friend and would definitely pass the Gate behind which he would end up finding all his very many friends.