Sorry for the delay! With vacation, back to school, a new video game, and a broken computer, I barely had any time to right. Please Review Please!
Chapter 3: The Burial of Fred Weasley
When Harry entered the Burrow with Ron, Hermione and Ginny, he was alarmed to find the house in a state of disarray. Books and clothes were scattered across the floor, the plants on the windowsill were wilting, and all of the furniture was coated with a fresh layer of dust. It was clear that Mrs. Weasley had been neglecting housework after her son's passing.
As Harry looked around the worn out living room, he saw an unusual grandfather clock, which had nine golden hands instead of the usual two. Each hand held a picture of one member of the Weasley family, with the numbers replaced by their locations. Everyone's hands were on home except for Fred's, which was which was spinning repeatedly around the clock. His hand was broken, as was the real Fred.
"Oh, thank goodness you're safe!" Molly Weasley exclaimed frantically, bringing all four of them into a group embrace. It was clear that none of them had seen Mrs. Weasley come down the stairs, as they were all surprised by her sudden appearance. "Did you hear? Three Death Eaters escaped on the way to Azkaban."
"It's fine, Mum," said Ron. "The four of us have survived much worse danger than this. Voldemort's dead now. If we weren't killed by Voldemort and his hundreds of Death Eaters, I don't think three escapees are going to do us in."
"I know," said Mrs. Weasley. "I'm being too overprotective. It's just that, ever since Fred-." Upon saying her late son's name, she burst into tears. Feeling sorry for their mother, Ron and Ginny came to her side to console her. Eventually, her tears subsided. "Oh, thank you so much, both of you. I am so lucky to have you two."
"So who were the three Death Eaters that escaped?" Harry asked.
"They are Alecto and Amycus Carrow, and Augustus Rookwood," stated Hermione. Ginny tightened her hand into a fist at the sound of this.
"What's wrong, Gin?" questioned Harry concernedly.
"Augustus Rookwood is Fred's murderer," Ginny said heatedly. Instantly, Harry and Ron remembered what happened the day Fred died. Percy chased Rookwood down the hallways after Rookwood shot a killing curse at the elder Weasley twin. Ron's blood boiled at the thought of his brother's killer escaping.
"Wow, look at the time," said Molly, checking the clock, which read 1:00 a.m. "It's past midnight. You kids had better get to sleep. Harry, you can sleep in Ron's room, and Hermione, you can sleep in Ginny's." After bidding Mrs. Weasley goodnight, the four teenagers climbed up the stairs and entered their respective bedrooms.
"Good Night Gin," said Harry, giving his girlfriend a small peck on the lips. He and Ron entered their room on the sixth floor, while Hermione and Ginny continued up the stairs into their room on the top floor.
"'Hey Ron?" asked Harry while pasting his toothbrush. "Does your mum know that I'm dating Ginny yet?"
"You'd bet she does," Ron replied. "Ginny talks about you all the time. It's the most she's mentioned your name since her first year. Why do you think she wouldn't let you two sleep in the same room?"
"Oh, she talks about me. That's so sweet. Could you give her a kiss for me when you see her?"
"Ew, I'm not snogging my little sister!"
"Relax, I didn't mean it literally." After Harry and Ron finished brushing their teeth, he and Ron changed into their nightclothes and slid into their beds.
"Hey Ron, why isn't there a spell to clean your teeth?" asked Harry.
"It's still in development," replied Ron. "'Night Harry."
"Good night mate," said Harry. Harry slept rather soundly that night, considering what he had coming up the next day. Tomorrow was the funeral of Fred, along with Tonks and Lupin, which were planned one after the other. It was not going to be a fun day.
"Good morning, Harry," said Ron dismally, as Harry woke up from his slumber. "I couldn't sleep last night."
"I'm sorry Ron," Harry stated sympathetically. "I know how you must feel."
"No you don't!" Ron snapped, tears welling up in his eyes. "You don't know what it's like to lose a brother!"
"I lost both of my parents, and my godfather! I've lived 16 years as an orphan!" Harry yelled back. "Look, I know how hard this must be, but don't take it out on your friends."
"I'm sorry, mate," apologized Ron. "Let's just forget about this and get dressed for the funeral." Both of them did just that and within 15 minutes they were ready to go.
"Wait up, Ronald, let me fix your tie," said Molly as they came down the stairs.
"Mom," groaned Ron. However, before he could continue to complain, Mr. Weasley pulled him aside.
"Please, let her do whatever your mother wants today," Arthur said sternly. "You have no idea what she's been through."
"Alright," said Ron, and he went over to his mother to get his tie fixed. When everyone was ready, the Weasleys piled into the car and made their way to the cemetery.
The ceremony began with the funeral of Fred Weasley, followed by Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks.
"Ahem," said a solemn voice, which Harry saw to be the same small, tufty-haired wizard that had performed all of the magical ceremonies Harry had ever been to. His voice was in stark contrast to the singsong voice at the wedding, sounding more of his mood at Dumbledore's funeral. "Welcome, family and friends of the dearly departed. It is with deep sadness that I lay Fred Gideon Weasley to rest. The eulogy will be said by the mother, Arthur Septimus, and the twin brother, George Fabian."
"What can I say about Fred," began Arthur. "Fred was the best son my wife and I could ever have asked for. Though sometimes he may have gotten himself into trouble, Fred was always there for you with a smile on his face. He was a loving son, a caring brother, and a fierce friend. If you are here with us today, Fred, then I hope you know that I wish you the best of wishes that I can give, and that I love you more than you will ever know." After Arthur had finished his eulogy, he returned to his seat wiping tears from his eyes. After Mr. Weasley was sitting, George rose from his seat and stood at the podium.
"Hey, everyone," George started. "As you all know Fred was my twin brother. But Fred wasn't just that. He was my best mate. I always loved the mischief and the tricks Fred and me used to pull off, even if nobody else did." This joke drew chuckles from the crowd. "I can't even begin to tell you how much I am going to miss Fred. I doubt I will ever truly recover from this loss. However, if I know Fred, and you'd bet I do, then I know Fred wouldn't want everyone to be all depressed because of him. Fred would want us to celebrate in honor of his wonderful life.
"That said, I want everyone to think of a fond memory you've had with Fred Weasley, because I know that everyone here has had one," George continued. "Now, everyone join me in a salute to Fred Gideon Weasley." George drew his wand and pointed it up to the sky. All of-age wizards in the crowd did the same, and everyone sent sparks into the air, illuminating the cyan blue sky. Finished with his eulogy, George sat down next to Percy, a small smile on his face and bittersweet tears welling up in his eyes.
As the elder Weasley twin was buried in the ground, an air of solemnity once again took over. The Weasley children were barely remaining strong, tears welling up in their eyes. Molly was sobbing openly, while Arthur managed to suppress the arriving tears. Hermione wept into Ron's chest, while Ginny leaned her head on Harry's shoulder, Harry running his fingers through her soft hair and whispering comforting words into her ear.
Many people, such as Kingsley, McGonagall, and Slughorn, felt uncertain about what to do, with the bittersweet tension that had filled the air. Hagrid was crying into his oversized handkerchief, while Grawp was bawling loudly beside him, shedding tears the size of small bowling balls. Then finally, the grave had closed, never to be opened again.
The funeral of Nymphadora and Remus Lupin was very similar to Fred's, with the exception of some different guests. Many of the Weasley cousins, who had not known Tonks and Lupin, left after the ceremony, while relatives of the two of them showed up for the second funeral. The new arrivals included Mrs. Tonks with Teddy Lupin, Romulus and Larentia Lupin, and, surprisingly enough, Draco and Narcissa Malfoy.
After the ceremony, Harry saw Andromeda Tonks coming in his direction. She looked so much like her sister Bellatrix, but with softer features and mousy brown hair. She looked older than the last time Harry had seen her, her wrinkle more prominent and her hair beginning to turn grey. This was clearly because of all the stress she was under, losing her husband, her daughter, and her son-in-law all at once. In her arms was a baby, sleeping peacefully in her arms. Harry instantly loved the baby as if it were his own son.
"Hello Mrs. Tonks," Harry said. "I'm so sorry for your loss. Dora meant a lot to me too, and I know how hard it must be."
"Thank you, Harry," said Mrs. Tonks, tears in her eyes. "Before her death, Nymphadora informed that you were made Teddy's godfather, am I correct?" Harry nodded. "That means that you are his legal guardian now."
"So, is there any paperwork I need to sign?" asked Harry. Andromeda took out some forms from her purse and handed them to Harry.
"I already signed these forms. Now all you have to do is sign them and he will be yours. Just please, come and pick him up on Friday. I want to have a few more days with him before I say goodbye."
"That sounds good. I'll get this paperwork signed straightaway, and come pick him up on Friday." Harry bade Andromeda a fond farewell, and she went on her way. As Harry saw Mrs. Tonks walking away, the little baby in her hands, thoughts came flooding into Harry's brain. He was going to raise a child, and be responsible for another life. He had always expected to be a parent, but he had not expected so soon. However, Harry decided to forget about it for now, and enjoy the next few days he had with Ginny, Ron, and Hermione.
Well, I hope you liked it! I want some reviews for this chapter! And for Avatar: The Last Airbender fans out their, read The Book of Fire, by Me.