The Bravest Man We Ever Knew
Hermione sighed and breathed softly into his neck. When she pulled away, she left Harry's glasses askew.
"Are you sure you don't want us to come along?" she asked for the hundredth time, her brow knitted with concern.
"No." said Harry firmly, taking off his glasses and putting them on again, "I told you. This is something I have to do."
Outside, thunder rumbled loudly and the rain lashed mercilessly.
Ron laid his long arm on Harry's shoulder and squeezed it tightly, "Are you sure? Maybe, maybe, it would help if you took Ginny along?"
Hermione rolled her eyes, unnoticed by Ron, and on sudden inspiration seized Harry's glasses. She took out her wand and tapped the frame muttering 'Impervius'.
Harry rubbed the bridge of his nose from his glasses had been yanked off and said, "Thanks Hermione. And don't worry Ron, I'll be fine. I know where it is. I'll just Apparate to Godric's Hollow and Disapparate back in a few hours.
Ron nodded silently, still looking unconvinced. Hermione bit her lip as she stepped back, clutching Ron's arm. "Ready?" she asked.
Harry nodded, attempting to half-smile at his two best friends. Then he turned on the spot and he was gone.
Harry staggered on the sidewalk as he tried to regain his balance from the Apparition. The rain beat down on him like thousands of sharp needles. He ran to take shelter under a tree, cursing himself for not bringing an umbrella. His usually short, messy, unruly black hair clung to his scalp and Harry tried to run his fingers through them as he squinted into the darkness, trying to figure out where to go next.
He could see the church in the distance. And the graveyard with the kissing gate.
The same graveyard Hermione and he had first visited less than six months ago.
Harry braced himself as he began to walk briskly towards the gate. He almost tripped on the sidewalk again. His long, black robes and his travelling cloak, already drenched from the rain clung uncomfortably to his ankles.
Even in the darkness of the night, Harry could sense someone in the distance, behind him, following him.
Instinctively, his fist closed around his wand and he pulled it out and turned around to face the person.
"Oi, Potter!" The figure waved at him.
Harry squinted, grateful for Hermione's spell that he wasn't completely blind in this rain. The lack of any streetlamps along the road was acutely annoying. And 'Lumos' wouldn't help in this kind of visibility.
The figure finally caught up with him. It was wearing dragon-hide boots and gloves, a black travelling cloak and cape with silver and emerald fastenings and a half-smirk. It was also carrying a giant , transparent umbrella.
Draco Malfoy.
"What? You didn't think I'd let you bury my godfather without me, did you Potter?"
Disregarding Harry's dropped jaw, Draco continued walking.
"How did you know where…" Harry began in an undertone, making sure he stayed well away from Draco and his umbrella.
"My mother told me your parents are buried here, and she figured that's where you'll be. She's down right upset. Wanted to come along. But I told her, it's better this way." said Draco infuriatingly calmly.
Harry opened his mouth and then closed it again, striding next to Draco towards the kissing gate.
A short, plump wizard was already standing there, next to a pile of freshly dug earth, wearing a bored expression. Harry was glad to see the grave and the coffin were well protected by a canopy the short wizard had magicked to repel the rain.
The wizard took out a small, gold watch from his pocket and shook his head, putting it back inside. His small, beady eyes followed Harry and Draco as they entered through the kissing gate and made their way through the tombstones to where he was standing, next to the graves of the Potters.
"Mr. Potter, you are very nearly late." he said in a low, wheezy voice.
"I know. Sorry about that. Er…this is Draco…Malfoy." he said pointing at the tall, blonde wizard.
The short wizard made no comment, but drew out his wand and flicked it once. "If you're ready Mr. Potter. Then we shall begin."
Harry nodded silently.
This felt different. He couldn't explain it. This last week had by no means been easy.
Fred's funeral had been heart-wrenching. Everyone in the Weasley-Prewett clan had been present. For Colin Creevey and the other children who had died in Battle, there had been a ceremony in Hogwarts. All students, parents and teachers had come. For Remus and Tonks, the whole Order had been present, along with Andromeda Tonks and Harry's little orphan godson, Teddy. In a desperate fit for closure, Harry had arranged a funeral for Sirius. An empty grave lay next to James Potter's, with a simple tombstone that read:
Sirius Orion Black
1959-1996
He was their friend.
But Harry was standing on the other side of his parent's grave. Next to the tombstone that read 'Lily Potter'. Where the earth had been dug and a coffin carefully placed, containing the body of Severus Snape.
"We are gathered here today..." the short, old man started to drone.
Neither Harry nor Draco were protected by the canopy so as the ceremony progressed, the rain continued to lash down and beat on Harry's back like a whiplash. Draco stood beneath his large, transparent umbrella, looking unruffled, while Harry was beginning to look more and more like a drenched crow.
"From dust were thou made and to dust thou shalt return." The wizard flicked his wand and a pile of earth levitated and settled itself inside the grave.
"Now, Mr. Potter, what would you like the tombstone to read?" he said in his monotonous voice, his wrist still making the flicking movement as he pointed levitated yet another pile of earth with his wand and made it settle on the grave.
"The bravest man we ever knew." said Harry quietly. He could feel Malfoy's eyes turn to look at him sharply.
"Are you sure? He was a Headmaster of Hogwarts, was he not?" the short wizard suggested.
Harry shot him a sharp look and he droned on, using his wand now, to etch the writing on the tombstone. "Severus Tobias Snape, born on the 9th of January 1960. Taught Potions at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Later became Headmaster. Touched and enriched the lives of many young witches and wizards. Missed by his friends. Survived by….not survived by any kith or kin." he corrected himself and carried on.
"Excuse me?" Draco cleared his throat, shifting his umbrella from his left hand to his right.
Harry looked at him intently, studying his pale, pointy, angular features. Draco's grey eyes were narrowed and he frowned at the short wizard. He knew what was troubling him.
Harry turned to the minister and said, "Yes. That isn't right. We survive him. Malfoy and I. " nodding his head towards Malfoy, taking a step closer to him.
"I'm alive thanks to him. Same goes for Potter." said Draco gruffly.
"Very well then," wheezed the short wizard, "Names."
Draco opened his mouth to say his name. But Harry didn't catch a word. The wind howled in his ears…
"Don't talk about what you don't understand!"
"Like father, like son."
"Dumbledore happens to trust me."
"Then prove it! Master yourself! Control your anger, discipline your mind!"
"Apparently I underestimated you Potter. Who would have thought you knew such dark magic? Who taught you that spell?"
"Look at me."
Harry felt as in in a daze. He realised that his eyes were stinging. He shivered involuntarily. Even in the middle of May, the thunderstorm blew a chilly wind as the rain seeped through Harry's cloak and robes, into his skin.
Harry saw Draco draw out his wand and levitate the umbrella so that it stood above both their heads. Sheltered from the rain, Harry took a step closer to Draco.
"Survived by one Harry James Potter and godson Draco Abraxas Malfoy…." the minister went on, oblivious to the other two.
"I will always be indebted to you." muttered Harry. Draco turned again to look at him and smiled softly. Almost as a reflex, Harry rested his head on his shoulder."
"We offer up this prayer in the name of…"
Somewhere, far away, Harry could picture a little girl with long, red hair and vivid, green eyes running across a field full of golden, yellow mustard flowers to find her best friend. A small, scrawny boy with dark hair and the happiest expression waited for her at the other end, his black eyes dancing with joy as she pulled him into a tight hug.
Harry's lips curved into a smile, something that Draco did not miss, as he wrapped one gloved arm around his shoulder. Harry raised his wand arm to perform a simple spell he had seen Hermione perform before. As he finished, a wreath of white lilies rested on the grave, beneath the new tombstone.
The minister had finished, he shuffled and wrapped up his notes.
Harry put his free arm around Draco's back as both of them, raised their wands in unison, to bid goodbye to their Potions master.