Chapter 26 - Epilogue - Starting Anew

We have come to the end of this story. I began with a tale of two men, but I think I ended with a tale of three.

I hope those who have read this have been entertained if only for a short while. Thank you for reading and leaving me such wonderful reviews.

All canon characters belong to JKR.

As always, a huge thanks to June. Without her help and suggestions, this would probably have run on sentences and missing commas galore.

Chapter 26 - Epilogue – Starting Anew

Ten months after the battle, in the Tuscany region of Italy...

The dark-haired man with a well manicured beard sat in his villa, overlooking the vineyard he'd purchased with the money he'd taken from Gringotts.

Even though he lived in Italy, he'd taken to reading El Pais, a Spanish newspaper, which had both Muggle and magical editions. He would read the papers regularly, looking for any bit of information on Isabella Ortiz. Immediately after the war, she was a popular news subject because she was the longest-held prisoner from the St. Mungo's attack, led on a magical chain by Voldemort himself. She had been rescued by Rodolphus Lestrange, the tragic hero who had snatched her out of the Dark Lord's burning lair. She refused media interviews, but facts had leaked out from her Ministry interviews.

Months later, he read of her work as a highly regarded expert on Muggle diseases. She was consulted by Muggle and magical authorities, and he read her professional articles.

Today he noticed her mentioned in the Muggle society page; the formal engagement photo showed her with a young man. He noted there was a caption, but didn't bother to read it. Today he would see her. He'd waited long enough and hoped he hadn't waited too long.

Rodolphus had truly started over. He was a very successful man. He had taken what was once a decrepit home and made it into a small palatial estate, and had worked its dry lands until they produced some of the finest wine grapes in Europe. All of this would normally take years, but he and all his workers were wizards. Also, he had ordered some herbal plant remedies and fertilizers from Longbottom's. He could sell his wine only to wizarding customers for now, since Muggles would be suspicious of good wine grapes grown in less than a year.

He was now called Dante Monte Cristo. His name was taken from a book he'd read just after purchasing the villa and its vineyard. The book's hero was a man who had been blessed with a great future, only to have it taken away by greedy and power-hungry men, who were envious of him. But in the end he became a great man, never forgetting his past, but living his life to the fullest after avenging himself.

"Alejandro!" he called his servant as he prepared to leave.

"I am here, sir." Alejandro, a short stout older man, walked into the study from the kitchens.

Rodolphus had hired the old wizard shortly after buying the property. Alejandro was Spanish but his family had emigrated to Britain years ago; at Rodolphus' request, Alejandro had taught him to speak and read Spanish. Most of Rodolphus' workers had fought in the war as Order members or sympathizers, as Alejandro had. All his workers had lost their homes and livelihood, and many had lost family members, such as the Aurors' widows he'd hired. Now they all lived in the workers' residential housing surrounding the main villa, enjoying their life in the sunny countryside of Italy, raising grapes, making wine, and working for a patron who was kind and shared the profits of his business.

"I need to go out for a while, Alejandro. Cancel my afternoon appointment, please, and reschedule it."

"Yes sir. Is there anything wrong?"

"No, I just need to finish something," Rodolphus never revealed to anyone his true identity, but many of his workers had guessed who he was, who he'd been. They shared their copies of the Daily Prophet and Witch Weekly, and had read the stories of who he used to be, but they also knew that without his help, their world would have been a darker place. Besides, all of them wanted to forget the war, so no one mentioned Death Eaters or Voldemort. Alejandro knew that his patron was making up for past deeds, and everyone deserved a second chance.

Rodolphus walked outside his villa and Apparated to the home he knew to be Isabella's. After he rescued her from Voldemort's mansion, he'd taken her back to her own home in Barcelona. Since the final battle, he'd often come here to watch her from a hidden spot behind the large stone fence. He knew she had been betrothed to a young Muggle man of noble birth before she'd even been born, but he could not stop himself from thinking of her and her dark brown eyes.

Today, when he Apparated to Isabella's home, he noticed people in the garden. Placing a Disillusionment charm on himself, he made his way into the home, walking past guests laughing and talking about the "young couple."

He easily walked to her room, having seen it from the outside many times.

"No more visitors, Isabella. Your hair is done, you are dressed, and you are alone now, so get some rest, and I will go to the kitchen to check on the food," her mother said.

Rodolphus mentally thanked Alejandro for teaching him Spanish. He watched her mother leave the room and shut the door, before she headed for the kitchen. He looked around to make sure no one else was coming, and made himself visible before he Apparated into the room.

Isabella was there, looking out the window. She was wearing a wedding dress. Slowly she turned and looked at him.

"Am I to dream of you my entire life?" she whispered. "How cruel this vision of you is to me." Isabella turned away from him and continued looking out the window.

"I am no vision, I am real."

Quickly she turned back to him, her breathing now coming in gasps.

"I...I thought you had died. You never came back." Isabella approached him.

"I'm sorry, I...I didn't think it would matter," he said.

"Not matter? You risked your life to take me away from that beast, to keep me from burning in that prison he held me in. You were safe here, but instead of staying with me, you left me to fight in the war against...against Voldemort, and you didn't think it would matter to me if I never saw you again?"

"Isabella, I once followed him. You are a Muggle-born witch. I did not think you would ever want to have anything to do with me beyond that moment when I brought you home."

Isabella now wiped her tears, and raised her head.

"I know who you are. I have read the papers, I have asked questions. I have spoken to Neville Longbottom; you know he and I were prisoners together. A Death Eater does not help a Mudblood live, and does not give away their family home to a friend of Harry Potter's."

He winced at her using the word Mudblood. It had always been such a harsh word, especially now that he'd changed his views on so many things.

"I don't care what you were in some other life. I am interested in who are you now; that is what matters."

From the day he'd Apparated away into the battle, Isabella had done nothing but think of the man who'd rescued her. His face was engraved in her mind; his scent was everywhere she went. He had become an obsession to her, so much that she now dreaded her impending marriage more than ever.

Two days after the war ended, she'd received an invitation to Neville Longbottom's wedding. During the reception, she spoke with Neville, telling him about the unknown man who had saved her. When Neville told her how the Lestranges had given their lives to help him and that she was now standing in their old house, she'd asked about the man, Rodolphus. Neville showed her the only painting there was of him, a small one at that; she realized he had been her rescuer. When Neville said he had died on the battlefield, she was devastated, but by that time it was already too late. She'd fallen in love with a ghost.

"For the past ten months, your specter has followed me everywhere and there were days when I would be looking outside and see your face in the gardens," she said. "I thought it was a ghost, but seeing you now, I realize it was not a ghost. It was you, but you never spoke to me. Why did you come here today?"

"I came because I needed to see you, one final time. And...to congratulate you on your marriage." He shook his head. "Were I not such a coward, I would have come long before now." He bowed his head and turned away from her.

Isabella walked to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "I am not married, not yet."

He turned to her now. But before he could say a word, there was a knock on the door and an older man walked inside.

"Isa, it is..." Isabella's father, Hernan, stopped and looked at the two standing next to each other. "Who is this stranger?" he asked as he quickly approached, only to realize it was the same man who had rescued his daughter.

"Papa, this is..." Isabella looked uncertainly at Rodolphus, as he held his hand out.

"Dante Monte Cristo, sir."

Isabella's father looked to her, then back at the man standing next to his daughter. Hernan shook the man's hand but said nothing. Being a Muggle, it had been difficult to do his own research in the wizarding world, but Hernan had a contact there, a man by the name of Albus Dumbledore. When Isabella had her eleventh birthday, the old wizard had visited him about his daughter having a place at Hogwarts if he chose to send her there. While Isabella went to a wizarding school in the Americas, Hernan often kept in contact with the wizard. And Dumbledore had been very informative about this man, who now called himself Dante Monte Cristo.

"Monte Cristo," said Hernan. "Do you have any connection with the Monte Cristo family, the wine makers in Tuscany?"

"Those are my vineyards, yes," said Rodolphus proudly. His vineyards produced some of the highest regarded wines in the wizarding world.

"I first tasted your wine at a reception held by the Spanish Ministry of Magic. I have a few friends who are high ranking wizards in the Ministry here. I enjoy your wine very much, Mr. Monte Cristo. I should also thank you for saving my daughter. You left before I had the opportunity to do so the last time I saw you."

Rodolphus looked back to Isabella, who was now nervously twisting the handkerchief she held in her hand.

"I was just leaving. I came to congratulate Isabella on her marriage, and to wish her well." Rodolphus turned to leave, but was held back by Hernan.

"Wait." Hernan looked at his daughter and stood next to her. "Before my daughter was born, my family and another decided that our children would someday marry. Isabella and Arturo have known one another since they were children. I know it is an archaic practice, to choose your children's partner, but I know a bit of your world, so I think you will understand this."

Rodolphus nodded and sadly looked to Isabella, whose tears were flowing freely down her cheeks.

"Arturo is not a wizard, like you are. You and my daughter, I imagine, would have much in common. I also know that my daughter will live far longer than any non-magical man she could ever marry. This is something her mother has not wanted to understand, but I do."

Hernan now turned to Isabella, and lifted his hands to caress his daughter's cheeks. "She is a treasure, my Isabella. A treasure I am entrusting to you now, Mr. Lestrange."

Both Rodolphus and Isabella now took a deep breath, not believing what they'd heard.

"Papa, how did you know?" asked Isabella in wonder.

"I cannot tell you all of my secrets, Isa. Go, take your wizard and make your life. I know you will never truly be happy with Arturo." Hernan placed Isabella's hand in Rodolphus' and smiled. "Don't worry about your mother. She will be upset, but I am sure she will eventually overcome her anger. Perhaps a grandchild or two will ease her pain slightly."

Rodolphus was speechless. He pulled Isabella close to him and looked at Hernan.

"Thank you." He took a card from his pocket and handed it to the man who would soon be his father-in-law. "My home is your home, sir."

"Goodbye, Isa, I expect to see you soon. And remember, take care of my daughter."

Rodolphus nodded and Apparated out of the room, with Isabella in tow.

When they were gone, Hernan shook his head and sighed heavily.

"Mi esposa me va a matar."

In Tuscany, Rodolphus and Isabella arrived outside the gates of his home. Here they would live and be happy as Dante and Isabella Monte Cristo.

In the coming years, they would have four children, all magical, and all would attend Hogwarts. Their children would often invite their schoolfriends to their villa for the holidays. There were many Christmas parties at the Monte Cristo home, and they would all include Snapes, Malfoys, and even Longbottoms.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Translation: Mi esposa me va a matar. = My wife is going to kill me.

There you have it. I had originally thought, when I wrote him into this, that Rodolphus would be his end very quickly, but I soon grew to really enjoy writing him this way. I think in the end he deserved to start over, even though he'd been a Death Eater, he risked his life and lost those he loved to rid the world of Voldemort. He saw the error of his ways, and in some small way tried to repay Neville for all that he'd suffered at the hands of the Lestranges.

I also thought that the use of Dante Monte Cristo, would be a way for him to remember his past as well. If any of you have read the Count of Monte Cristo you will note that I have taken the last name of Edmund Dantes, and the name Monte Cristo, thus his past and present. I think that is something Rodolphus would want to never forget, both his past and present.

I thank you all for reading this story. I hope you enjoyed it.