A/N: I know that HP book 7 is coming out in a month, and I told myself not to write before then, but the plot bunny jumping around in my head won't go away! Rawr, so I guess I'll be working on this and my LOTR one at the same time. I'll try to make them as canon-y as possible…but…no guarantees! There's going to be some naughty parts in later chapters, hence the M rating, but it IS a romance FanFic.
R&R
Prologue
"Hermione?" A bushy, brown-hair girl looked up. Her eyes were red and puffy.
"Sorry, Ron, I just never thought that this would actually happen…I so hoped I was wrong for once…" Tears started springing up in here eyes again. She lowered her face in shame and tried to bite back the sobs that were threatening to return. Strong arms wrapped themselves around her as Ron held her close.
"I can't believe he's really gone!" Hermione finally lost it and surrendered herself to the sobs that were both racking hers, and now Ron's bodies. She cried hard into his chest. The funeral of Harry Potter was more heart wrenching than that of Albus Dumbledore the year before. Hermione and Ron sat next to the Weasleys, minus Bill and Percy, who had also perished in the final battle. Voldemort was dead, but the Light had many losses throughout the year leading up to it: Tonks, Kingsley, Mundungus Fletcher, and many other Ministry members. Their funerals had been held the week before. Remus Lupin and Minerva McGonagall were seated on the other side of the sobbing couple. No one had dry eyes.
The minister was reading aloud from the Bible over Harry's casket. They could not have had an open casket; Harry's face had been too mutilated by Voldemort before Harry struck the final blow.
Ron was rubbing Hermione's back, and rocking her slightly. The minister then called to the assembly and asked if people would like to say anything to the memory of Harry Potter. Hermione looked up. Yes, she had something to say, but Arthur Weasley stood and walked up to the podium. His face was a mess, eyes red and swollen. A long cut across his cheek had been bandaged, but nothing could have been to save his right eye, cursed off by Lucius Malfoy. He wore a large patch over it. He opened his mouth to speak, but Hermione buried her head back into Ron's chest.
When Arthur Weasley had finished, Hermione untangled herself from Ron and stood. Ron gave her hand a squeeze and let her walk up to the podium.
When Hermione reached the podium, she had to rub her eyes to get the room back into focus, which made them burn more. She looked at the audience of people, which was monumental. She was angry to see Dolores Umbridge in one of the front rows, seated next to Cornelius Fudge. She gave them a death glare and then thought about what she was going to say. She had no idea.
"I am Hermione Granger, and I was best friends with Harry Potter for seven years during our time at Hogwarts. Our first memory was a meeting on the train, when both Harry and Ron thought I was a book-bound know-it-all, which I was. We didn't become friend until Halloween of our first year. Harry and Ron saved me from a troll that was released from the dungeons by Professor Quirrell." She smiled at the memory.
"After that, I was his constant companion, along with Ron Weasley, and I will…sorely...miss…him," tears started flowing down her cheeks again. She sniffed loudly and continued. "Harry was a true Gryffindor. He was brave, fearless, altruistic, and loyal. He risked his life several times to save us, and the Wizarding world. He went up against Voldemort seven times in life. Six while he was at school, and once as a baby. The seventh time was his last."
"The number seven in the case is significant to the life of Harry Potter, for Harry was the subject of a Prophecy that foretold the end of the Dark times, or the end of the Light times, forever. Harry would have to kill Voldemort, or be killed by him. There was no other way to rid the world of Voldemort's taint. Harry would either murder, or be murdered." Gasps were heard around the room. Many of the wizards and witches were looking at Hermione in pure horror for having said "Voldemort" so many times. Harry had long ago taught Hermione to say his name.
"Fear of a name, only increases fear of the thing itself. Those were the words of Albus Dumbledore, counsel he had given to Harry early on in his life. Harry was one of the few wizards brave enough to say Voldemort's name. Harry also taught me this as well. I must tell you this of Harry, so you will truly know…how wonderful and brave he had to have been to do what he did: save us all."
"Albus Dumbledore also shared information with Harry that horrified him at the time, and horrified Ron and me when Harry told us. Voldemort created Horcruxes." There was no response. Many people did not know what Horcruxes were.
"A horcrux's purpose is to contain a piece of a person's soul. A person splits his soul in half when he murders. Voldemort split his soul six times before he was defeated by Harry when he was a baby, and placed the pieces of his soul in different objects." There were horrified gasps around the room. Minerva McGonagall looked at Hermione sharply. Molly Weasley sobbed even harder onto Arthur's shoulder.
"Voldemort created six Horcruxes, with a piece of his soul still inside him. A person could not truly be killed unless all the pieces of the soul were released, thus having Horcruxes would make you immortal." There were mutterings all around the funeral home and frightened whispers. Dolores Umbridge was looking outraged. She puffed herself up in the toad like fashion Hermione remembered and stood up.
"You!" she shrieked and pointed her stubby little finger at Hermione. "Get down from there at once! How dare you tell lies to these people, frightening them who have come to bid Harry Potter their last respects! You should be ashamed of yourself!" She was radiating fury.
"Oh?" Hermione narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Unlike you, I am telling the truth. I loved Harry Potter like a brother, and these people need to understand what the truth actually is! Not some newspaper or Ministry spilling lies for the ignorant and naïve to gobble up! And me, ashamed of myself? I'm not the one who spied on Hogwarts during fifth year! I'm not the one who punished Harry Potter for telling us the truth about Voldemort! I don't serve an evil man who is only out for personal gain!" She pointed at Fudge, "I didn't make him cut words into the back of his own hand night after night!" There were outraged cries and mutterings. Remus Lupin was looking immensely pleased. He nodded to Hermione.
"I did no such thing. I was a good mentor to Harry Potter. I helped him." Umbridge said superciliously. This was met with boos from the crowd.
"You, Ma'am, are a disgrace, and you are the one lying now! Sit down!" Umbridge complied, looking mortified. People around her were hissing at her. Those sitting next to her got up and moved to another seat.
"Voldemort would not be able to be killed whilst his Horcruxes were still in the world. Four, we knew about: a diary that opened the Chamber of Secrets, a ring owned by Voldemort's grandfather, a locket of Salazaar Slytherin's, and an antique cup of Helga Hufflepuff's. Two were already destroyed. Harry, Ron, and I set out in our final year of Hogwarts to find them and the other two Horcruxes. We cut ourselves off from the Wizarding world for our search. We managed to destroy them all. Regulus Black had destroyed the locket, and we found and destroyed Hufflepuff's cup. Nagini, a snake familiar of Voldemort's, we killed. But the sixth one, which was the worst one of all."
"I figured it out one dark night while we were hiding out in a cave up north...Harry himself was a Horcrux." There were gasps and screams. Hermione looked at Ron, waiting for the noise to die down, and nodded to Hermione, tight lipped and white. Lupin, McGonagall, and the Weasleys all looked horrified.
"We were all very depressed, to say the least. We stayed in that cave for weeks, sharing each other's company for what we knew would be the last time. Harry set all of his things in order, and wrote a will and letter. That is when we decided to return in May. The rest, you all know: Voldemort stormed Hogwarts, and Harry, Ron, and I, with several aurors and fighters, had the final battle with Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Harry and Voldemort battled and killed each other." Everyone in the room, save for Umbridge, was crying again. Hermione felt her eyes burn and struggled to hold back her tears.
"H...he…will always be remembered. Goodbye, my friend." She managed to get back to her seat before she started sobbing again. This time, Lupin was the one to wrap his arms around her, for Ron went up to say things himself. Lupin smelled like dryer sheets and earth. She was comforted by the smell, making her think of the woods. She turned and cried into his chest. He wrapped himself tighter around her and rocked slightly.
The rest of the funeral was a blur. She remembered standing, with people talking around her, people coming to offer their sympathy. She remembered Harry's body being burned on a hill over looking Hogwarts, for that's how he wished to be remembered, part of the wind and essence of Hogwarts, the place he truly called home. The thing that kept her sane was the feel of Ron's and Lupin's hands in her own.