Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes and Whatnot

After Hagrid came in, informing McGonagall that he had moved Dumbledore’s body, she and Harry left. The rest of us stayed in the hospital wing until Madam Pomfrey kicked us out.

“I swear to God,” George said as they were saying goodbye to me, “if you have to fight any more Death Eaters while we’re not here”

“He’s seriously going to lose it” Fred finished.

“Really if it happens again”

“You better let us know, so we can help”

I smiled, “I think I’m probably done for this year”

“Good” Fred said as I hugged him.

Then George pulled me into his arms.

“Be careful” he whispered.

“I will” I said and kissed him.

Then, they left with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

The next couple days, we had no lessons, and all exams had been postponed. Several students had gone home, even Seamus’s mother wanted him to leave, but he refused to go with her and they were shouting at each other in the entrance hall for quite awhile. Eventually, she agreed to let him stay for Dumbledore’s funeral.

Hogsmeade was apparently packed with people, Ministry officials were staying in the school, even Madam Maxine arrived in her giant, flying carriage and flung herself into Hagrid’s waiting arms.

We visited the hospital wing often. Neville had finally been released, but Bill was still under Madam Pomfrey’s constant care. He was much better, his scars were awful, but he was awake and he seemed to be the same Bill, just with a liking for very rare steaks. Fleur was also still here, she stayed and watched over Bill. It was really very sweet. You just had to get past the ridiculous, annoying accent.

The day of Dumbledore’s funeral, we all got up early to pack. The Hogwarts Express was leaving right after. But this time, I wouldn’t be on it. Fred and George insisted that I come back with them. I agreed because I would most likely be staying there all summer, anyways. My mom was still in Ireland, and although she’d written to say she was sorry to hear about what happened, she wasn’t coming to the funeral. I couldn’t exactly blame her, she left to get away from the memories, and coming back here would only make her more miserable.

In the Great Hall, everyone was subdued. We were all dressed in our dress robes, and although there was a feast before us as always, nobody seemed very hungry. Dumbledore’s chair at the center of the staff table remained empty.

McGonagall rose to her feet, “It’s nearly time. Please follow your Heads of Houses out into the grounds. Gryffindors, after me.”

We filed out after her in near silence, walking out onto the grounds to the lake. When we reached the area, we saw rows upon rows of chairs, hundreds of witches and wizards already gathering. I recognized members of the Order; a few people who worked in Hogsmeade; Mr. and Mrs. Weasley; Bill, being supported by Fleur; Fred and George wearing matching dragonskin jackets; Madam Maxine; the woman with the trolley from the Hogwarts express; but, most of the others, I didn’t recognize.

We filed into seats at the end of a row, near the lake. The phoenix was singing, you could hear it over all the whispering. We sat quietly until everybody was seated, the staff last.

Then, we heard strange, sad, beautiful, otherworldly music. It was coming from the lake. When we looked towards the water, we saw a group of merpeople just below the surface, singing. Paying their respects.

Then, Hagrid came walking slowly up the center aisle, tears trickling down his face. He was carrying what I knew to be Dumbledore’s body, wrapped in purple velvet covered in stars. Tears came to my eyes, and a lump rose in my throat. This made it so much more true, so much more real, that he was actually gone.

It looked like Hagrid had placed Dumbledore on the table at the front, although we could not see clearly what was happening. He retreated down the aisle, blowing his nose loudly into a hankerchief. Some people looked scandalized by this, but I knew Dumbledore wouldn’t have minded.

Then, a little tufty-haired wizard got to his feet and stood in front of the table. He began speaking, but we couldn’t hear most of what he was saying. Only odd words floated back to us on the breeze. It didn’t matter what was being said, though, because no words could properly express the kind of teacher, the kind of wizard, the kind of person, Dumbledore was.

Eventually, he stopped and sat down. We waited to see if anyone else would speak. Nobody got up. Then, bright, white flames erupted around Dumbledore’s body and the table, causing several people to scream. They spiraled up, making strange shapes, before it vanished, leaving a white marble tomb in its place.

A few more cries of shock came from the front as arrows showered down over the tomb. But they didn’t fall into the crowd, it was just a tribute from the centaurs standing at the edge of the forest.

People began to get to their feet. Some were still crying, including Hermione, whom Ron was trying to comfort. Harry was talking quietly to Ginny. I looked out over the water, wondering what came next. What was Hogwarts without Dumbledore?

I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see George had found me. I wrapped my arms around him, not saying anything, just putting my head against his chest. He didn’t say anything either while he stroked my hair.

It felt like a long time that we stood there, but eventually, I pulled away. I looked across the lake again and saw that Harry and Scrimgeour were on the bank of it, farther down.

“Are you ready to go?” Fred asked, suddenly appearing behind George.

“Almost…just…one more thing” I said.

Hermione and Ron had noticed Harry with the Minister too, and the three of us went after him as the Minister walked away.

“What did Scrimgeour want?” Hermione whispered.

“Same as he wanted at Christmas,” Harry shrugged. “Wanted me to give him information on Dumbledore and be the Ministry’s new poster boy”

Ron seemed to be struggling with something, then said loudly to Hermione, “Look, let me go back and hit Percy!”

“No,” she said, grabbing his arm.

“It’ll make me feel better!”

Harry and I laughed, and even Hermione grinned a little. It felt good to laugh. Hermione’s smile faded as she looked up at the castle.

“I can’t bear the idea that we might never come back,” she said. “How can Hogwarts close?”

“Maybe it won’t” said Ron. “We’re not in any more danger here than we are at home, are we? Everywhere’s the same now. I’d even say Hogwarts is safer, there are more wizards inside to defend the place.”

“That may be true, but you can’t convince everyone of it.” I said.

“What d’you reckon, Harry?” Ron asked.

“I’m not coming back even if it does reopen” Harry said.

Ron stared at him, open-mouthed. I sighed, I had thought he might do that. Everything seemed so much closer now, he wouldn’t be able to just go back to school and put off the inevitable, that wasn’t Harry.

“I knew you were going to say that” Hermione said sadly. “But then what will you do?”

“I’m going back to the Dursleys’ once more, because Dumbledore wanted me to. But it’ll be a short visit, and then I’ll be gone for good”

“But where will you go if you don’t come back to school?” asked Ron.

“I thought I might go to Godric’s Hollow,” Harry muttered. “For me, it started there, all of it. I’ve just got a feeling I need to go there. And I can visit my parents’ graves, I’d like that”

“And then what?” I said.

“Then, I’ve got to track down the rest of the Horcruxes, haven’t I?” Harry said, looking at the marble tomb. “That’s what he wanted me to do, that’s why he told me all about them. If Dumbledore was right – and I’m sure he was – there are still four of them out there. I’ve got to find them and destroy them, and then I’ve got to go after the seventh bit of Voldemort’s soul, the bit that’s still in his body, and I’m the one who’s going to kill him. And if I meet Severus Snape along the way, so much the better for me, so much the worse for him.”

We were quiet for a moment.

“We’ll be there, Harry” said Ron.

“What?”

“At your aunt and uncle’s house” Ron said. “And then we’ll go with you wherever you’re going”

“Just because you’re the one who has to kill Voldemort doesn’t mean you have to make the journey alone” I said.

“No – “ Harry said quickly.

“You said to us once before,” said Hermione quietly, “that there was time to turn back if we wanted to. We’ve had time, haven’t we?”

“We’re with you whatever happens,” said Ron. “But, mate, you’re going to have to come round my mum and dad’s house before we do anything else, even Godric’s Hollow.”

“Why?”

“Bill and Fleur’s wedding, remember?”

Harry looked startled for a moment. I’m sure a wedding had not been a part of his itinerary for tracking down Horcruxes.

“Yeah, we shouldn’t miss that,” he said finally.

It’s weird, if you think about it. That in the midst of death, sadness, loss, and fear, you can still have something to look forward to. But I guess that’s life.