A/N: Children are supposed to bury their parents, not the other way around. It's really a sad event when a parent has to bury his/her child. This is a drabble collection for all the parents who had to bury their children due to the War. Now I'm just in my 20's. Never buried a child or lost someone in a war, so don't kill me if it's not a good representation.

Summary: Amos says his final words to his son, Cedric. Edit (22/06/15): Someone pointed out to me that Mrs Diggory was quite alive, so I will not have her dead here.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter 1 - His Son's Funeral

The coffin is lowered into the ground among the soft sobs and tears shed by those gathered around the hole. Many have come to pay their respects to the young man who was full of so much life, so much vigour and so much love for anyone he met.

At the beginning of the funeral, many had walked up to him and shared stories of his son's impact on their lives. Some were family members who could remember his son, the cute yet mischievous child who loved to poke fun but could always be counted upon to listen to any story or fear, whether or not he fully understood. Some were friends from school, sharing with him stories of his times at Hogwarts, some which his son had told him of and others which he hoped his son would have eventually gotten around to. His girlfriend had showed up too, her eyes a never-ending river of tears. He could tell that his son had had a great impact on her and hoped that she would remember him not like this, a body in a box, but as the man he was.

But now, as he stares at the faceless box disappearing below the earth, he wonders if he could take his own advice. He knows his son lies behind the oak finish, but the only other memory he can draw upon at the moment is that horrible night.

A scream pierces the night air, snuffing out the sounds of the band and the chatter like a dying candle. Another scream, this one deeper is heard and then there is a commotion, people rising from their seats and trying to escape the confines of the stands.

Amos stands as tall as he can. He is not a tall man but he must see what is happening about.

Then someone shouts his son's name and he feels the cold settle in. It is his son they are clamouring about. It is his son that is causing the screaming.

"He's back! He's back!" someone shouts desperately, but no one is really listening. Everyone is still looking at the ground, pointing and gasping.

Amos pushes past the crowd. He must know. He must see for himself. He must-

He stops as he is met with the truth. His son's eyes stare straight into his, but there is nothing behind them. There is no joy, there is no sadness, there is no pain. There is nothing as his son is no longer there.

He runs out onto the grounds and everyone parts before him. They know it is his son. They can see the pain on his face and hear his cries of sheer terror and disbelief, though he cannot hear them himself. All he can hear is the laughter of his son that is not matching the scene before him.

He drops at his son's body, pushing off the scared boy who had been clutching him, and cradles it to his chest. The body is no longer his son. It is just a shell, but the resemblance causes him to break down. He wishes that his son were here, and he has a selfish thought where he wishes the scared boy on his left had switched places with his son.

There is a flurry of motion. He and the boy are taken away from his son's body. He screams again as he watches others take his son's body in another direction. There is nothing he can do as they lead him away, widening the gap between father and son even further.

The hole is filled now, the grass and earth returned to its pristine state by magic, as if his son isn't laying six feet below. His wife and the other attendees have walked away to give him a few minutes alone with his son.

A lone tear is shed. He had already said all he could, every day and night since he held his body. He has prayed to all gods for the safe passage of his son's soul. He has offered up all his sins and forgiveness, hoping that his son would understand that though he was not a perfect man, he truly loved him. He has even bargained with lesser gods to trade places with his son, though he knows that is even less likely. When souls are called home, no other can go in their place.

He pats the tombstone twice and says, "I love you, Cedric," before walking towards the crowd.