The room was dark. Not in color or décor. Dark was the atmosphere. The room was filled with nothing but heartache and pain. The gentle morning sunlight was streaming in, either mocking the moods of those there or as if the angels themselves wished to lighten the heavy agony felt by everyone. The golden wood of the room was warmed by the sunlight, as a woman blew her nose in her handkerchief.
He stood behind a podium facing toward the group of people, his face reflecting the emotions of his tortured heart. His suit was a dark black, and the tie he wore felt tight against the lump in his throat. He tried clearing it in order to speak. He shuffled the papers in front of him, but the words on the paper were somehow not processing in his mind. His eyes were too glazed with tears to make out the words.
He spoke, his voice filled with suppressed tears, "I-uh, I'm having trouble reading what I had planned to say. So instead I'm just going to talk about what comes to mind." He took a shuddering deep breath. "He was a wonderful human being. There was not a shred of selfishness or meanness in him. Words will never be able to justice to the beautiful person that he was. He cared for everyone. As a boy he would bring all kinds of stray pets to us, wanting to help a bird with a broken wing, a kitten with a broken paw and even a dog who suffered from a bad case of fleas. He always put others before himself, and that is one of the many reasons why he is loved by so many people. He had a way of lighting up a room when he walked in. His bright personality and goofy smile made you happy just to know him. I remember one night when he was a boy and had had a nightmare; he came to our room, I told him not to be afraid. He told me he wasn't: he said that he knew he was safe being next to me. But he put too much trust in me. When he needed me most I wasn't there to protect him, I wasn't there to save him, to keep him safe. He was so trusting of those around him. He loved everyone from the bottom of his heart. As a teenager he was respectful and loving and I knew that one day he would grow up to live a happy life. He was an intelligent, smart, young man, always leading with his inquisitive mind, desperate to learn more. One of his favorite spots was to curl up in front of the fireplace with a good book in his hand. Though of course he had a wild side to him too. A daring, adventures love for mischief. As a boy he would insist that he had not taken all the cookies for himself but because he was positive the house owl had a sweet tooth and needed instant sugar. I remember the first time he lost a tooth, the first time he rode a broom, the first time he said he loved me. And now all those memories are so bittersweet. Sweet because he will always have a part of my heart, but bitter because he is gone. He's gone. My beautiful boy, gone. Dead so young. Life snatched from him, just as he was blossoming into a strong, independent man ready to make a family of his own. And it just rips me apart to know that I outlived him. That I will never be able to see his smile, or hear him laugh ever again. I just want to hold him in my arms and tell him I love him. I miss him with an ache that consumes my very soul. My boy, my son, my Teddy: You'll be missed by all that knew you.
And with that Harry stepped down, walked over to his wife, held her close and wept with a grief that was inconsolable.