Disclaimer: I'm afraid of course that I do not own any of the beloved characters in this story. I am however honored that I was able to borrow them for a little bit.
Harry looked at the sea of people in front of him. It seemed funny that the idea of giving a speech scared him so much. It had only been a month since Voldemort's fall and Harry could not remember being half as scared then as he was now. He was reminded of his fourth year when he had had to find a date for the Yule Ball; he would still pick to fight the dragon over the task at hand. Trying to calmhis nerves Harry looked towards the crowd to find a familiar face.
He found few. In the front row he looked into the eyes of his old defense teacher, Remus Lupin. Poor Remus had lot almost everyone he loved now, his eyes had become dull and were lacking that spark that loving life brings. Noticing Harry's gaze Remus gave a small, encouraging smile. Further down the line Harry saw Mr. and Mrs. Weasly. It seemed their hair was the only color in the crowd, and even it didn't seem to have the same brilliance that it once shown with. Harry looked at the only family he had ever truly felt a part of. There were only 5 Weaslys left now, Mr. and Mrs. Weasly, Ginny, Fred, and George. Harry looked to the twins hoping to see a little cheer, but today they held none of the festivity that Harry had needed to see. Looking deeper into the crowd Harry began to study the faces of people unknown to him. Pain was etched in every one of them, but he could see a glimmer of hope too. Focusing on that hope Harry walked up to the podium.
Touching his wand to his throat he looked down at his speech. He had spent hours and hours on this speech. But nothing he wrote seemed enough to honor all those that had died in fight against Voldemort. Harry turned and looked at the glossy black wall behind him. Upon it was inscribed the name of every person who had fought in the war. First the names of those who had died and then the ones of the people who had lived to tell their tale. Looking back down at his speech Harry knew he would not be using it. Taking a deep breath Harry began,
"We are here to honor those who fought for the light against the power of Voldemort. There are no words grand enough to describe them but I hope that what I say here today will be a good start.
To those that gave their lives I hope that you can look down on us in the days, months, and years to come and be proud of what you fought and died for. I'm not a religious man, but I hope where ever you are you feel no pain, and that you are not saddened by the pain felt by all of us still left on this earth. To all of those still here I hope you can overcome the pain while continuing to honor the sacrifice made by the brave men and women that gave up their lives to make our world a safer place.
And you will overcome the pain, I've been in this situation a few times and although it never really stops, there will be a day when you wake up and sorrow will not be the first thing you feel. As time goes on you'll even be able to enjoy yourself, without feeling guilty. And as you're enjoying yourself you may remember the ones you have lost, the memory will bring a smile instead of pain as you remember your best mates fear of spiders or the time your father managed to burn the tea when left alone in charge for the first time. But even as we move on and we begin to experience new things it is important to always keep a part of your loved ones in your heart.
I remember this old muggle I used to see when I still lived with my aunt and uncle. He owned a store in town and always kept a good humor about him. Every Tuesday morning I would see him go to the graveyard as I went to school. And every time I would stop to watch his little ritual. It was always the same. He had a white rose with a black ribbon tied around the thorn-free stem, which he would lay on top of a grave. In the same motion as setting the new rose down he would pick the old one up and pocket it. Then he would sit down on the bench under the willow tree near by and just look out. Every Tuesday he would do this, rain or shine. This simple act of devoted friendship symbolized everything I wanted as a child. The glamorous childhood of the boy-who-lived was not so glamorous as some of you may believe, until that first day on the train to Hogwarts I did not know what it was like to have a friend; let alone the volume of kinship that comes from this bond. But as that small boy living as a muggle in Surey I wondered why, after so many years, the man would continue to come visit week after week. One day, my curiosity getting the better of me I sat down on the bench beside him and asked. He simply looked at me and said 'True friendship never dies and although my friend would not condone me wasting my life living in the past this weekly visit allows me to remember him and times gone past." Then he turned away. Last time I went home the man was still visiting his friend. Although it has been many years since I have seen him, I've found that in the recent months I've been thinking of him more and more. And thinking about how blessed I have been to find friendships as true as the one between that man and his best mate.
I see pain in all of your faces, and I'm sure you see the pain in mine, and I tell you this story for a reason. Living is okay; it's no sin to enjoy your life even though someone you love is no longer with you. True friendship never dies, just like he said. He left a message on the ribbon that was tied to rose he left every week. 'Amicitiae nostrae memoriam spero sempiternam fore,' meaning I hope this friendship will be everlasting. And I know that just as that friendship was everlasting, so are the ones between the people on this wall and all of you. And our friends would not want us living out our lives in misery; they didn't die to save a world full of sorrow and regret. So let's honor them by living lives that are happy and full of love."
Harry turned to the wall and placed his hand where Ron's name was engraved. "I will remember you always," he whispered before retreating off the stage. As Harry found his seat in the front row next to Hermione the crowd came to life. A solitary clap rang out amongst the crowd. It was soon accompanied by the sounds of others rising in the crowd, joining in. In an instant everyone was on their feet, applauding the young boy who was now sitting among them.
Harry sat baffled at the response his speech had earned. Turning, he gave Hermione a confused look, to which she just gave a small smile, kissed him on the cheek and then began to clap along with everyone else. Overwhelmed Harry sat mute as the crowd continued to clap for what seemed an eternity.
Hours later, after many others had given their speeches and everyone had lingered in front of the wall honoring the memories of those they cherished, only a few remained behind. Harry sat back, gazing at the wall and thinking of all it symbolized. Hermione sat next to him, holding his hand, waiting dutifully for him to say he was ready to leave.
"That was a beautiful speech you gave today." She whispered, not daring to raise her voice high enough to pierce the silence that surrounded them.
"Do you think he heard?" Harry asked.
"I'm sure of it." She replied patting his hand.
"Me too."
They sat together a moment longer, soaking in the peacefulness of this place. Harry stood, taking one last long look at the wall and sighing. "I suppose it's time for us to go." He murmured.
"Yeah" Hermione agreed, stretching as she rose. Leaving Harry's side, she walked up to the wall and placed a soft kiss on Ron's name. "Wait for me love" she whispered.
It began to drizzle as Hermione came back down from the wall. " I was thinking we could go down to Hogsmead for lunch today," she offered.
"That would be nice" Harry replied, taking her hand as they way their way out of the park.
A/n: so this is just a story I've been working on piece by piece for a while now. I got the quote from a challenge I read ages ago and have long since forgotten. Eventually I'll have another chapter added to this story but I don't know when that will be.