Ron stared, unseeing, at his dark shoes. He felt Hermione trembling next to him as he held her close and she sobbed quietly into her hands. On his left, his sister Ginny stared at Harry's casket, tears streaming silently down her cheeks. Dumbledore stood and stepped forward, his hands clasped in front of him, looking grave. "I was told that young Mr. Weasley would like to say something today," He announced to the somber crowd. "Mr. Weasley, if you please."
Ron squeezed Hermione's knee gently, before striding over to the podium which was engraved with the Hogwart's crest. He stepped around it, leaning against it heavily. He looked to his right where his best friend's casket lay. He unstuck his throat, took a deep breath and began to speak. "I have known Harry Potter since I was 11 years old. He was my first true friend and I was his too. Ever since that first day at Hogwarts, me and him….We were just always best friends. And, although I have quite enough brothers to go around," He indicated to the 4 red-haired young men (Percy excluded) whom we sitting around their hysterical mother. "Harry was like a brother to me. He might have even become a real brother if he'd married Ginny like he said he would."
At this, Ginny gave an involuntary sob and Hermione put her arm around the younger witch. Ron continued. "Harry was with out a doubt the bravest, most humble, heroic, and talented wizard I have ever met. Me, him and Hermione, we didn't-" He stumbled over his words, feeling his throat choking up again. He blinked, gripping the sides of the podium. He took a deep, steadying breath. "We didn't realize when we went after Voldemort-" He smiled to himself, knowing how proud Harry would have been to see that not one of them shuddered at the name. "That when we killed Voldemort I should say…that Harry would also have to die." He blinked back tears again. "But when he finally figured it out, he took it in stride. He knew what he had to do. And he was willing, for the good of the Wizarding world. For the good of the muggle world too, I would imagine."
He paused again, looking around at all of the faces. At all the people who had shown up to 'the Chosen One's' funeral. He picked out those who actually looked forlorn, and those who had only come to get one last look at 'the Boy who once Lived' as some were now insolently calling him.
It finally dawned upon Ron just how lonely Harry's life must have been. Until he looked at Hermione and Ginny, huddled together, crying and giving each other comfort. He looked across the aisle at his mother who was sobbing onto his father's shoulder. His father hugged her tightly, tears in his own eyes. Next to them were Ron's elder brothers and his eldest brother's wife, Fleur. Fleur was weeping into lacy handkerchief and his four brothers looked as though they were holding back tears of their own. He stole a glance at the Hogwarts staff. Professor McGonagall looked as though she was trying very hard to keep her cool, while Dumbledore on the other hand, allowed his tears to spill freely from his blue eyes, a small and comforting smile upon his care worn face.
Ron sighed deeply before beginning again. "No one can possibly know how much Harry will be missed by those who truly cared about him and knew him better than all others," At this, he looked at his sister and girlfriend. They stared back, nodding silently and Hermione gave him a very small smile through her tears. "I just want to say, that although he saved the world, Harry was more than that. He was the best friend anyone could ask for." Ron finally allowed tears to drop silently from his eyes. "I could just picture him, sitting there. Smiling at Ginny. And it makes me sad to know that he'll never get to live the life he should have lived. He'll never marry Ginny and become my brother in law as well as in my heart. He'll never become an Auror like he always wanted. He'll never be my best man at me and Hermione's wedding, nor will he ever be our children's godfather. He'll never even be a father himself." His voice shook and he took a deep breath, regaining control of it.
"And all because he was brave. All because he was a hero. He will never live the life that should have been his because he was a hero." Ron once again looked over at his best friend's casket, stepped towards it and placed his right hand on its top. "I just came up here to say that I want you to all not only remember him for the boy he was, but for the man he would become. I want you all to take with you the idea that he was more than 'the Boy who Lived'. He was also the boy who died for us. He gave up his life so you could live yours. I want you all to remember that. I want you all to remember my best friend." Ron stepped down from the podium, feeling drained. More tears slid down his cheeks. Ginny seemed uncontrollable at this point, her head on Hermione's shoulder, wetting her shirt with her tears. He looked at all the sadness around him and knew that in time it would recede. His brothers would go on with their lives. Even his mother would learn to not think of it as much, though she had loved Harry like a son. But at that moment he realized that neither he, nor Hermione, nor Ginny would ever fully recover from this terrible loss. They would always remember the day that their best friend was ripped so horribly from their lives. There would forever be a hole in their hearts where Harry should have been.