Remembering When
He straightened his glasses and looked in the mirror. His black hair stood up in all directions as always and he tried to flatten it as much as he could. Today was the day. One week had passed since the battle had ended. Since so many loved ones had perished in the attempt to defend. Since he had sacrificed himself to save those he loved. Since he brought down Voldemort.
Now everyone was once again gathered in a common outpouring of grief and comfort. The official memorial service was today, and Harry had been asked to speak. Normally he tried to avoid things of this nature if it was possible, but he had been strangely compelled to agree to speak. He had something to share.
The last of the funerals had taken place the day before. No one had begun to heal yet, but that would only come with time.
He looked at his watch. He had five minutes before he needed to leave. After only somewhat successfully taming his hair, he gave himself a quick glance over to make sure he wasn't forgetting anything, stowed his wand up the sleeve of his robes, and walked outside. The bright sunshine and cloudless sky seemed to be mocking the occasion, and only served to highlight the contrasting depression of the event.
The memorial ceremony itself was to be held on Hogwarts grounds as the house elves had just finished repairing the damage to the outside of the castle. Harry knew what they would see if they walked inside, but from the outside the castle looked pristine and untarnished. The only difference on the grounds was the slanted rectangular monument placed about twenty feet directly behind a white marble tomb. The monument was made of the same material as the tomb with dimensions five feet long and three feet wide, with the top being about four feet off the ground and the bottom of the rectangle a few centimeters above the ground. If one were close enough they could see the scrolling inscriptions. Along the bottom of the rectangle more than a hundred names were artfully engraved, each one the name of a person who had perished while fighting in the second war against Voldemort. Harry walked over to the monument and watched as the name Frederick Weasley was highlighted. In the center of the monument new words appeared.
Frederick Weasley
Known by his friends and family as Fred, Mr. Weasley was
A dedicated member of Dumbledore's Army and the Order of the Phoenix
As well as part owner of the shop Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes.
He perished at the age of 19 in the Battle of Hogwarts.
He leaves behind his parents, five brothers including his twin, George Weasley, and his sister.
Remember Fred Weasley.
And so it went on. But one particular name caught Harry's attention when it appeared in the middle of the monument.
Severus Snape
Long time potions master and headmaster of Hogwarts for one year,
Severus Snape was a member of the Order of the Phoenix,
And a double agent working for the light against Voldemort.
Though he leaves behind no family,
He leaves behind a conflicted legacy that all would do well to remember:
That even though we make mistakes does not mean we cannot later make the right choices.
Remember Severus Snape.
Harry stood there captivated as name after name scrolled across, all with the message to remember the person. He turned away when he began to feel tears slip down his face. He wiped them away, and then went to go find his seat. The monument was perfect. Because remembering what happened one week ago, and over the past few years was what was important. Remembering the past shaped the future. And Harry wanted to make sure that everyone understood that.
Hundreds of people organized themselves in the chairs set up to face the podium that stood in front of the lake. Harry was one of the last people to be seated. Small sniffles and sobs could be heard occasionally across the grieving multitude. Once all were seated, Kingsley Shacklebolt, still acting as Interim Minister, stood and took his place at the podium.
The slow and measured tones of his voice were touched with the undertone of sadness permeating those assembled. "Today," he began, "We have gathered to remember. What happened here one week ago was merely the culmination of years of fighting, fear, and loss." He paused. "We remember those who fought and died to honor the memories they have left behind. This war lasted far too long. Any war lasts far too long. And what do we remember from this war? Because though there was fear and loss felt by all in these dark times, there was also bravery and love. The fact that such positive things have survived says that one thing was never given up: hope. Maybe some of us did give up hope, but we never gave in. We never surrendered. And we are here to honor those who made that brave choice and died because of it."
Kingsley continued with his speech, and eventually left the podium to allow the next speaker to come up. Speaker after speaker came up and spoke about the war efforts and the legacy of those who died. Harry's attention wandered and he felt numb. So much loss attributed to one man. Well, kind of man, kind of snake, whatever. Finally it was time for the last speaker: Harry.
As he took the podium and the attention of the lamenting masses, applause started and grew until everyone was clapping. After a few moments everyone calmed down and Harry swallowed reflexively. "Thank you," he said. "First I would like to thank the rest of today's speakers for sharing their thoughts and inspirations. I am going to speak of something that may seem a little different. I would like to share with you first the reason why I believe the dead must be remembered. We remember those who died because they have left us behind. Death comes to all. It is not something to be feared." Harry took a deep breath. Thinking about the time he spent with Dumbledore in limbo, or whatever it was, he continued.
"What awaits us after death is peace. Warmth and comfort. Freedom from fear. I tell you this because those who died are truly in a better place. We grieve because we miss them. We grieve because they are gone from our lives and cannot return. But they themselves no longer suffer. Believe me when I say this. Because though they are missing here, they will remain in our hearts until, when it is our time, we are reunited with them once more.
"So grieve, because grieving is the first step to healing. And I know that, like me, many of you know that we will never fully heal. And that is okay because it makes us who we are. It shows that we can love. It shows how wonderful that love can be, that someone can be so missed.
"And though it may seem impossible to find something positive in this situation, life goes on. We are the survivors. We have all seen horrors that no one should have to see. But we have persevered. And so we must grieve and live on. I do not say move on, because like I said earlier, everyone here will probably not heal completely, and that's okay. What is important is that we remember."
Feeling a small ironic smile grace his face, he said, "We remember the sacrifices we made to be able to sit beneath this cloudless sky without fear of oppression. Without fear of how many tomorrows we will yet see. Without the unknown hanging over our heads. This beautiful day is ours to enjoy. To celebrate the fact that we are alive. We have conquered." Harry's voice grew slightly louder and more passionate.
"Through everything, we have arrived at the day when we can look at the future and see it clearly before us. But that is the future. So celebrate the day today and the golden days ahead, but remember those who sacrificed their lives so that we could have this chance." Smiling once again, Harry added, "As long as we are loyal to them they will remain forever in our hearts. They will never truly be gone if we just remember."
Harry took a step back from the podium and was surprised to see a massive upheaval as every person sitting in front of him stood and applauded him. And he might have imagined it, but he thought he heard a faint thread of phoenix song, just for a second.
Little did Harry know that he had touched every heart there and had helped them understand and heal. After a few moments the congregation broke up and Harry slowly made his way to greet the three people who were already approaching him. Ginny threw her arms around her first, and Harry was surprised to see tears on Ginny's and Hermione's faces. When Ginny let go of him, Hermione and Ron hugged him. Hermione spoke first.
"Harry, I don't know when you got so wise, but that speech touched everyone here. I think you helped to start to heal a lot of hearts today," Hermione said with a weak smile as she wiped away her tears.
Ginny continued, "Really Harry, it was perfect. I'm sure that everyone looking down right now knows that you've done right by them."
Harry's heart swelled when he heard this, as that was what he was trying to achieve. He only wanted to do right by them. He knew that his own name would be the one people remembered the most, but he hoped that people remembered the words he had spoken today. That they remembered the lost love ones. That they remembered when the world was not a safe place. That they remembered when danger and fear drove people. That they remembered when brave people made the right choice, knowing and accepting the consequences and the sacrifice. That they remembered when standing together led to victory. He hoped they were remembering when. . . .