AN: A drabble I wrote in honour of the Battle of Hogwarts and the International Harry Potter day - today, the 2nd of May. I'd also like to thank my good friend Mican00 for the fantastic cover image she supplied me with, thanks~ More of her wonderful work can be found under at instagram.
The Second of May is always such a strange day, Albus reflects as he tries to survey the crowds. He can't really, of course, because he's nine and his genes dictate that he be 'a scrawny little midget like his father' as his uncle George likes to put it. But uncle George would never dream of saying that today. Would never dream of making jokes even. Because today is too serious. And even though half the crowd is cheering and congratulating Albus's dad the other half is mourning, crying, sobbing, because today is the day they get to properly mourn the ones they lost to the war without anyone questioning it.
Albus doesn't like the memorial at the Ministry. Because it's never made sense to him how some people can jump with joy while others cry in sorrow. At the Ministry Memorial they celebrate and congratulate and make Albus's family and their friends hold speeches about the defeat of the Dark Lord Voldemort even though today should be when they get left alone unlike every other day. Today his mother and uncles should be allowed to mourn his late uncle Fred and his father should be allowed to mourn the loss of his friends, but they can't, at least not at the Ministry. No, here they've got to show how happy they are that Voldemort is gone, which they are, but they can never be truly happy today.
That's why they arrive at eleven o'clock, as demanded, make their speeches and then leave. It's not only his own family that leaves either, it's uncle Neville and Hannah, it's auntie Luna and Rolf, it's Draco Malfoy and his wife Astoria, it's every single Hogwarts student from back in the day and every other person who were there during the battle.
They leave and go to Hogwarts instead for their own celebration and mourning. They hold a memorial at Hogwarts too, but it doesn't begin until three o'clock in the afternoon in order to let anyone who goes to the whole Ministry Memorial get there without missing anything. So the ones who are there already help with the preparations, simple but elegant here instead of the posh decorations at the Ministry; they set up the podium where they hold speeches and polish the huge slab of marble that holds the names of every single witch, wizard and otherwise who died during the war, whether they fought a single battle or not, an extra time.
The memorial holds all kinds of names; from Remus and Nymphadora Tonks-Lupin to Dobby the Free Elf to Severus Snape or Dorcas Meadows. It has the names of those who suffered fates worse than death like Frank and Alice Longbottom and the many others who led similar fates as well. Albus never got to know any of them, because he wasn't even born back then, but he's still proud to know that his parents knew them, that they helped create the world they live in today.
A quarter to three more people beyond the war heroes and their families start arriving; Ministry officials, shop merchants, Aurors, anyone and everyone. Then ten minutes to three the student body of Hogwarts starts emerging from the castle, led by Headmistress Minerva McGonagall.
Among them are every one of Albus's family-members who aren't already there; his many cousins already at Hogwarts, his brother James, and his godbrother Teddy. James and his cousins join them at the front of the crowd, but Teddy doesn't. This year he is going to be holding a speech, Albus knows, he has been composing this speech since the summer after he turned fifteen and now, at seventeen, he is finally going to let everyone else hear it.
And so he goes to stand near the podium with Neville - who is the representative of the D.A this year - and Albus's dad - who never gets out of holding a speech - along with uncle Ron and uncle Percy - whose turns it is this year. The Weasley-Potter family has a roster for who holds a speech, every year two of them stand up there along with his dad, a D.A member - because the D.A thought the Weasley system was pretty neat and did the same - along with one of Teddy's blood-relatives, usually one of the remaining two Black Sisters who made up after the battle, one of the Hogwarts staff, and whoever else wants to give a speech. Unlike the speeches held at the Ministry they all do this willingly. Here they get to speak of what they want and who they want. They don't have to pretend because everyone here feel the same as themselves.
This year Teddy is the one giving a speech for his relatives and Albus knows that he's nervous, because Teddy's been nervous about this ever since he realised that he one day would have the chance to hold a speech at this podium, but Albus believes that he'll do well, even if Teddy himself doesn't believe it.
James ruffles Albus's hair in greeting while slinging an arm around the seven year old Lily's shoulders for a one-armed hug and brings Albus out of his thoughts. He doesn't grin his usual grin, just gives them muted both smiles. That's another reason the 2nd of May is strange; James is always happy, always (except maybe for the rare occasions when he's angry) and it's strange to see him like this. But he knows that today isn't the right day to be happy, and he isn't really anyway, he's sad for Teddy and his parents, he's sad for Freddie, Roxanne and uncle George because uncle Fred isn't here, he's sad for dad and everyone he lost, he's sad for grandma and grandpa for the loss of their respective brothers and the loss of their son, and he's sad for everyone else who ever lost anyone to the war. Albus doesn't always like his brother - he's a teasing prat most of the time - but times like this he loves his big brother more than ever because James can be strong for all of them and sad for them at the same time, and that always helps someone, one way or another.
Albus glances around and spots uncle George. He rarely speaks on this day, nor on the First of May, nor the First of April, Albus knows, but that doesn't stop him from gripping tightly at Roxy's back when she hugs him, nor does it hinder the sad smile he gives his son when Fred grabs his hand and holds on. Fred's a big boy - twelve, like James - but on the special days he takes his father's hand anyways, more for George's sake than his own which is something else that makes it a strange day, because both James and Fred always act so big, but not today.
Although… Albus reconsiders this when he observes James giving their mother a hug where she is staring up at the marble memorial, maybe today is the day when James and Fred are really big, and their parents are young and hurt. It doesn't really matter that it's been seventeen years since the war ended, because today the wounds are fresh and the scars obvious and everyone weep like they're still as young as they ever were.
Then there is the sound of someone clearing their throat and a call for attention and they all look up to the podium. They all listen intently when Professor McGonagall holds her annual speech - not even the worst of troublemakers would dream of doing anything else today - and leaves the podium with the introduction of the next speaker; Teddy Lupin.
Teddy takes the stage and clears his throat nervously, shuffling his papers, before he looks up and out over the big crowd. He's nervous but Albus can tell that he's determined too - his hair is a pale orange but streaked with red, though Teddy probably doesn't know that - there's no waver in his voice when he begins just as he rehearsed - Albus had once overheard him practicing.
"I did not participate in the war." Teddy starts. "I am not a warrior, nor did I have to live with the fear and worry that many back then did, but I am a child of the war." The nervousness melts away when he realises that he isn't going to mess up, not this, and his hair settles into a calm green streaked with brown instead. "I am a child of the warriors who fought for what they believed in, warriors who did not make it out alive, but warriors that I am proud to call my parents." His voice is strong and steady now, and it's easy to believe that Albus's dad did great things at the very same age when he looks up at his godbrother who speaks with confidence, like this is what he was made to do. "That's why we are here today, to honour the ones we lost and the ones who survived, the ones who fought and the ones who didn't…"
The Second of May is a strange day and Teddy is more confident in his own skin than ever, but still everything makes sense - though in a strange way.