Chapter 4
Mourning
Classes had been canceled until their hero's murderer was punished. All were told to garb themselves in black until the funeral, which even the Slytherins obliged since they had never wanted the little Gryffindor to die. All of the students spent their time decorating the Great Hall for the memorial service.
No one had seen Albus, Minerva r Severus since after they had come back from informing Harry's family of what had taken place. After the aurors had taken Quirrel into custody, having kept him locked in the school for two days after the murder, the three adults had secluded themselves away in the headmaster's office and had made it impossible for anyone to enter until the three of them came back out.
The strangest thing of all, though, was the fact that Peeves the Poltergeist had actually been subdued since the the quiet boy's death. He had been remarkably helpful. He had been helping the students set up, he had helped Filch clean, and he had even offered to help people to the Great all for when the memorial service took place. Peeves had even been seen crying whenever he was near the Gryffindor common room.
Girls were often seen huddling in groups, crying. It didn't matter if they were from different houses or not, they all mourned together. In one group of first years, Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini, Hermione Granger and Susan Bones were all clinging to one another, sobbing softly while reliving things that Harry had done or said in class or in the halls.
The boys were also mourning, the younger ones crying while the older ones were trying to be there for the younger years or for the girls. About one fourth of the boys could be seen in groups with the girls, sobbing their eyes out. One group in particular was Ron Weasely, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Neville Longbottom, Fred and George Weasely. Ron, Dean, Seamus and Neville were crying while the twins comforted them.
Every night, though, after everyone had gone to bed, there wasn't a single dry eye in the entire castle. Everyone mourned for Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived now dead.
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