Title: The Funeral
Author: Johnny Falls
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Spoilers for Deathly Hallows
Characters/Pairings: George Weasley
Word Count: 1313.
Summary: The funeral procession taking place following the final battle against Voldemort.
Author's Notes: Hope you like it, that's all I can say.
It was most certainly a day of mourning.
The Hogwarts grounds were packed more than they had been the day of Dumbledore's funeral the year prior. White chairs lined the lawn; no attempt at decorations of flowers could be seen. A train of people filled the seats, dressed to perfection. In the front row, a bald black man sat near the middle aisle. Next to him sat a woman with long, black hair. And next to her was a larger woman, with fair red hair. The three all conversed quietly under a shroud of tears. The final people took their seats and a small man stepped forward.
"A week ago," he began. His high-pitched voice would often be one to ridicule for the students, but there was no laughter at the moment. It felt as if the Dementors had taken the happiness away from the world. He hesitated to continue, not sure if he wanted to say the next word he had rehearsed, worried of the taboo still being in progress. "Lord Voldemort…" he said, pausing again, feeling proud of himself for saying the name and not being murdered seconds after. "Was killed, here, by a brave young man. Under most circumstances, celebrating the death of one of our own would be cruel, but I feel it is safe to say that a rush of relief is what we were all feeling when we heard the news.
"But, then, we stop and think. What of those who fought valiantly to the end, for the good of the world? I suppose one could say it began with the death of Amelia Susan Bones. Then, there was the death of Albus Dumbledore, a dear friend and confidante of mine." He stopped here, wiping a tear away from his eyes. "But tonight… and in the recent months… more have gone.
"We begin with Alastor Moody. He was a great, brave man. The Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, would like to say a few words…" The small man stopped again, nodding to the black man, who stood as his name was addressed. A light smattering of applause followed his introduction, but he quickly hushed it.
"Mad-Eye… was an amazing man. He died trying to protect Harry Potter, the Chosen One. The one who our hopes rode on for every year of his existence. Alastor Moody was an impeccable Auror, and…" the deep voice of Shacklebolt wavered slightly as his eyes narrowed and he lowered his head, shaking it. "That is all," he said, turning his head back to the row of caskets behind him, staring at them before returning to his seat.
The short man seemed surprised at the lack of length in the Minister's speech, returning to the podium, propping himself up with books. Clearing his throat before speaking, he began: "Next would be Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin. Newly wed and a newly born son, named after her late father, Ted, they still fought courageously to protect themselves and their child. Nymphadora's mother, Andromeda Tonks, would like to say a few words…" Seemingly annoyed, the short man jumped off the books again, not realizing why he had to move around so much. The black haired woman seated next to Kingsley stood. A looked of fear arose in those who did not know her—Andromeda Tonks bore a striking resemblance to her sister, Bellatrix Lestrange, a famed death eater from was killed by the woman seated next to Andromeda in the procession.
As she spoke, her cool, clear voice echoed over the fields. "My daughter…" she began, already beginning to tear up. "And her husband…" She raised her arm and wiped away at her eyes with her wrist. "Had a baby late last year. Their one fear would be that… that their child expressed the werewolf features of her father." Again, she paused, not quite sure what to say next. Werewolves were still considered a taboo among wizards and Remus was no different. Despite a few disgusted faces, it was taken well. "Luckily for us… I-I mean them, Ted showed abilities as a metamorphmagus instead. I… I initially didn't approve of their relationship. Like many, I was worried of what a werewolf would do to my daughter. But… but as time went on, my husband and I grew to accept him more and more. When my husband was murdered, Remus comforted me and assured everything would work out… for the best.
"I suppose he was right. I—we all live in a free world now: free of imminent danger, free of the fear of being killed on our doorsteps. I have both of them to thank for that," she explained, trying to keep a level head. With a sigh, she fanned at the tears on her face and turned away from the podium, sitting down without another word. As she sat, the larger woman next to her placed an arm on Andromeda's shoulder, patting it gently.
The short man returned for the third time to the podium, scuffing his suit off as he did. There was a solemn look in his eyes, as if he had cried through the entire speech. "Lastly…" he began, making strange facial expressions in an attempt to hide his displeasure. "We had Fred Weasley and Colin Creevey…"
Before the man could continue, somebody a few seats down from the large, red-haired woman. He bore a striking resemblance to her, the same deep red hair. He slowly walked towards the podium. "Excuse me, Professor," he said. His voice was deep and he sounded troubled, like he had been crying for a while. The professor nodded and stepped away from the podium again, allowing the boy to stand in front of it and look towards the audience. "Hi," he said in a nonchalant way, though his voice was still as heavy as it had been before. "I'm… uh… George Weasley. Fred was… is… my twin brother." He scanned through the audience, his eyes puffed and red. "He was a good brother, though he may not have acted like it." He turned his head to another red-haired boy in the front row. "Ron," he began, "remember when you got poisoned? It was Fred… it was Fred who wanted to help you and make sure you were okay. Ginny, when you came crying to us over Harry dumping you, he was the one who cared, not me. I just wanted you to shut up."
The tone of his voice seemed to be changing—he was cheering up now.
"Percy, when… I can't think of anything for you, but I know Fred cared about you before you became a prat—well, you always were one, but…" A quiet burst of laughter followed that comment, surprisingly, Percy Weasley joined in on the joke.
"Mum… Dad…" George continued, his voice still perking up. "I know Fred loved you. All the jokes we pulled… the hell we raised… I'm sorry." A smile lined his face as he glanced off into the distance. "Now," he said, and there was a loud explosion.
From behind George and the caskets, a burst of fireworks went off, clearly visible against the cloudy sky. A large sounding of applause began from one blonde haired girl in particular, whose face was beaming despite the solemn event. It appeared to be infectious, as a brown-haired, tall boy next to her joined in the applause. On the other side of the middle aisle, a pink-faced, black haired witch began as well. Within minutes, the entire group of people was cheering, all in memory of the fallen.
The large woman rose from her seat, finally done calming the upset Andromeda (who now appeared perky as ever) and walked over to her son, grasping him in a tight hug. "Oh, George…" she whispered as he hugged her back.
"It was time to move on," he whispered in response, smiling.