Funeral
By MariKenobi
Author's notes: Of course not owned by me at all. This is filled with DH SPOILERS and it was just me coping with the end.
After the battle of Hogwarts there was a small memorial for the fallen. Harry felt very uncomfortable talking in their memory. So many deaths. Unnecessary. He wished...
But it didn't matter. He couldn't do anything about it. He was being invited to all the funerals. He tried to make it to all of them. After all, they gave their lives to give him a chance. He couldn't deny that some hurt more than others. He still hadn't gotten over Fred's death. They had the funeral already and Harry had wept quietly through it, grateful that he wasn't expected to say anything. His respect for George grew immensely just by the way he soldiered on, carried everyone in his family, and promised that Fred would always be alive through him.
Today's was different. He was the one carrying it through. He had promised Andromeda he would. He was the first to speak. "I first met Remus Lupin as a baby I'm told. But I knew him when he became my professor during my 3rd year at Hogwarts. I first met Nymphadora Tonks when the Order of the Phoenix rescued me. I saw them together a lot and never realized they had fallen in love, yet after knowing this I couldn't imagine them as anything but." Harry continued talking, looking to his friends for support. He finished by promising to always make sure that Teddy knew who his parents had been.
After Harry sat down a rush of people stood up to share memories of then. In most cases it made Harry happy to see that people held them in such high respect but at the same time he knew that a lot of those were saying it because they were war heroes. They wouldn't be speaking of them in such high regard if they had been alive. After death, the fact that he was a werewolf was forgotten. He spent his time looking at the people in attendance. Aurors, members of the Order, the Weasleys, former students, all of Dumbledore's Army, and a few of Tonks' friends. Most surprisingly was Narcissa Malfoy sitting alone in the back. He couldn't feel ill will towards her. If it weren't for her, he'd probably be dead. He still hadn't come to grips that in a way someone's love for Draco saved the world. Even more that Lucius handed himself to Kingsley, most likely to save Draco from having to pay. He figured Narcissa might want to try and rekindle her relationship with her sister. He saw her flinch and he tuned back into the speakers.
"They died saving our lives." Harry saw Michael Corner standing in front of a few students. "We were running away from Bellatrix and Greyback. They were dealing with Dolohov and others." Harry could see the others crying and Michael holding back the tears. Harry could feel his own falling. "She was blowing everything around us, wanting to get to someone. It was only a matter of time... And then our old Professor and his wife gave us enough time to escape them. But at a great cost to them."
Harry didn't listen anymore. He couldn't. He saw that Neville, who was silently tearing up as well, stood up and went outside. He followed.
"It was my fault. Bellatrix was after me and she kept trying to blow away everything around me. If she might have, they might be alive with their baby. Instead there's another baby, like us, who will not grow up with his parents."
Harry closed his eyes. Neville was expressing everything he had been thinking for the last few days. "Don't blame yourself. If you hadn't lived, who would have killed Nagini? We would all be dead. We can't start thinking of the 'what ifs.' Trust me, as much as I wish they had stayed home with Teddy that was not in their nature. They would have preferred to die making sure that Teddy could live in a better world. And our job is to make sure Teddy just does that and he knows very well the wonderful parents he had."
Neville nodded at him solemnly. "You are right. In the future, when he gets to Hogwarts, I'll be as wonderful a teacher to him as his father was to me."
Harry raised his eyes, "Professor Longbottom? I would have never guessed. That is great."
"Well nothing's official yet and it wouldn't be for a few years. I need to get more experience first, but I'm already on my way. The professors have been excellent help in that."
"He would be very proud of you. Never forget that."
"You too. Harry. Who would have ever thought I would have had such a great part in all of this. Most people would have expected me to die."
If he only knew how big his part could have been. "Neville there are a few things I want to talk to you about. Maybe we could grab a drink later on."
"Anytime Harry."
"Great. Now I should go back in, there's a godson inside I still haven't held today."
As Harry walked back inside, he knew they would make their memory proud.