A/N : Nothing much, except please review.
Chapter Three : The Funeral
"DAMN THIS MOLLY! I AM HARRY'S GODFATHER AFTER ALL!" Sirius yelled. It was the 29th of July, and they were deciding who would be in the party that would pick Harry up. "Besides, I want to see his face when he knows that he was chosen to be a prefect."
"I could tell him when he is here Sirius. It's of no hurry at all." Dumbledore spoke.
Chuckling, Dumbledore went away from the kitchen, where Molly Weasley and Sirius Black were arguing, faces red with anger.
In her room, Hermione found herself looking at a photo. Rather, looking at the boy in the photo, a certain raven-haired, disorderly, lightning scar just showing. His emerald eyes struck at her, and she forcefully tore herself from the picture to start reading her books again. In the end, she just gave up, as when she read, she kept seeing his face everywhere, smiling, looking at her.
She was very perplexed by the dreams she started to have, which started from platonic relationships with Harry to become raunchy. She blushed at the mere thought of it, before deciding to take a hot shower to keep her mind off Harry.
As she stepped in the shower, she wondered why did his emerald eyes plague her that much. She enjoyed the sensation of the water droplets pelting her body, finally being able to get her mind off Harry Potter. As she enjoyed the bath, oblivious of the shouting match just in the kitchen, the faint popping sounds of various figures Apparating could be heard.
One was the figure of Nymphadora Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Mad Eye Moody, Arthur Weasley, Bill Weasley, and Charlie Weasley. They were selected to be the advance guards, chosen for their skill and abilities. They would be crucial to allowing Harry to escape from the iron fist of the Ministry, and allow him to spend the rest of the break with his god father.
It was finally established two hours later, when Ron and Hermione joined in on Sirius's side, also requesting to be able to be part of the Advance Guards, when Dumbledore chuckled at the side, before finally making his choice. He allowed them to be part of the Advance Guards, except that they had to stay by the side of someone from the Order. Ron had cheered, before being pulled by the ear to an abandoned bedroom to be screamed at by his mother.
"Unacceptable... Ridiculous... Mad... Insane..." Wafts of the conversation floated to where the rest sat, and Dumbledore chuckled again.
On the 31st, all of them mounted their brooms, and promptly flew off, in the direction of 4 Privet Drive.
Hermione gripped her broom tightly, and almost crashed into Tonks when she finally decided she should calm down. The journey proceeded smoothly, except when Ron dived down to swipe a pizza of a shrieking waiter.
They had arrived just as the Death Eaters came crashing, and Dumbledore seemed to have suddenly transformed. No longer was he the kind headmaster, willing to help out students in anything they did not know, the twinkle in his eye, gone. Wraith eradiated from his aging frame, the eyes now full of fury, his robes flapping in some non-existent wind.
"Nice to meet you Albus."
"What do you want, Tom?"
"Simply Potter's dead body! AVADA KEDAVRA!"
Dumbledore trudged on, the killing curse rebounded somewhere two meters from Dumbledore's body. The flash of green crumpled a Death Eater's body.
"WHAT? I get it. You were tutored by the ancestors of the Arch Elves, no?"
"Did it really take you that long to figure that out, Tom? Or were you that oblivious? Fly. Like the irritating mosquito you are."
The force of the spell picked Voldemort up and threw him far off. Voldemort picked himself up, before screaming a torrent of Curses at Dumbledore, which all ended up bouncing off and injuring his own side.
"You never learn do you, Tom? The most powerful magic is love, as demonstrated tonight. The love I have for my student easily overpowers your insignificant desires. When will you learn and stop being such a coward?"
The tall form of Dumbledore overshadowed Voldemort. Voldemort quickly gathered his followers and Apparated out. Dumbledore turned around, to see a bunch of Aurors flying here.
Ridiculously late. The ministry is slipping too much. I should have hexed Fudge's ass to kingdom come, when I had the chance. Dumbledore thought, before finally letting the stress of totally using up his core catch up with him, and toppled unconscious into the shrieking arms of Tonks. Kingsley relieved her of his weight, and Apparated immediately to St Mungo's.
The Aurors started to question the involved parties, and soon, Tonks was irritated by their dumb questions, and seeked an escape. She sidestepped one of the junior ranking Aurors, before stopping in front of 4 Privet Drive.
Another sound indicated that Kingsley was back, along with another person. She spun around, to come face to face with the Dumbledore they knew very well. Old, wise, kind, and caring Dumbledore, not angry, powerful, and serious Dumbledore. He seemed revived, with a clueless Kingsley behind him.
"I am alright, it was just that in the heat of the moment, I used too much of my magic."
The Aurors could not gather anything else, so bidding goodbye to the possibly strongest wizard of the time, flew off, hastily, in order to escape after they saw Dumbledore's burst of anger. The rest walked into the destroyed house, surveying the damage. They came across the dead bodies of the Dursleys, and when they reached Harry's room, Hermione broke down, sobbing. Dumbledore placed a comforting hand on her, and led her to Harry's room.
When they entered the room, the thought a cyclone had hit. Everything was tossed upside down, with destroyed furniture adorning the sides, leaving the centre empty. Dumbledore walked forward, noticing some books.
He picked them up, before being worried. The fact that they were books on Arch Elves did not help at all. He suddenly became painfully aware about his lack of attention to details.
"They should have been protected. What happened to the spell?"
Dumbledore tested the wards, which were crumbling badly. The reason seemed to be that Harry Potter could not be found, partially thanks to Rickysio's magic, which altered the reason.
Dumbledore felt his tears trickle down his cheek. It appeared that Harry was, well, gone. The wards never lied. As Dumbledore turned around, he saw the stricken figures of Ron and Hermione. He walked over to them, before telling them the truth, for he believed that with the truth, it would lead to understanding, and it would be for the best.
"Harry... is dead."
Dumbledore walked away, Apparating to tell Minerva the news. How he dreaded being the carrier.
The funeral was supposed to be small, but with most of the wizarding world wishing to pay their last respects to the Boy-Who-Lived, it was packed in the Great Hall. Dumbledore seemed to lose focus, staring out of the window. The Weasley family had broken down into sobs when they heard what happened.
Dumbledore went up the podium to deliver his speech.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, fellow professionals and students. It is with great sorrow that I have been chosen to give Harry his parting speech. He has long been known for having survived Voldemort, and he will be missed. His ability to keep optimistic in all situations, no matter how bleak, is one I can never possess. He is a true Gryffindor, sticking it out for his friends till the very end, loyal, brave, and headstrong. The fact that the old is sending the young is particularly depressing for me. I shall not bore you further with the whining of an old man, and allow his friends to express their dedications to him."
His speech was received with light applause, and most of the Gryffindors took their turns on stage, when it was finally Harry's best friend's turns.
First up was Ginny, which was on the edge of collapse, and had to pause several times in her speech to steady herself.
"Harry is, and will always be the best friend I've ever made. He was loyal to a fault, and never had any prejudice against anybody. He will be sorely missed. I will always remember the time he saved me from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."
Ron's speech was shorter, but he was stronger, although his eyes were brimming with tears threatening to fall, he held them in.
"Harry fell out with me several times, when I was being an insensitive git. I truly admire his courage and his kindness. He always accepted my apologies after I was either smacked awake or hexed awake by Hermione or Ginny. I've already starting to miss him." His speech lifted some of the somber mood present.
Hermione was the worst hit, her eyes red from crying, the black eye bags under her eyes testament to the days she spent crying the night away. She attempted to make a speech, but her voice betrayed her.
"Harry..."
It was then she toppled.
Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey were attending to her quickly. Madam Pomfrey sent some students to get some Calming Draught from her office, while for once, the Potions Master was not so sure on what potion to use.
"Poppy, clear the way. She needs to be in the infirmary."
The mourners parted to allow Dumbledore to pass through, and in the midst of the confusion, Fred and George Weasley had their hands on Rita Skeeter's shoulders, who was struggling not to reach for her quill.
"If something leaks to the press..." said George.
"... you know that to expect." Fred finished.
They left her, while she fought back her habits, only to lose.
George and Fred were not amused. Rather, they were just about to Apparate and punch the living daylights out of Rita Skeeter when Molly Weasley stopped them.
"I will not allow Harry's memories to be defiled, but attacking her does no use."
The wind blew, blowing the issue of the Daily Prophet open, revealing headlines of "Harry Potter and Hermione Granger – Couple? By Rita Skeeter."
There was a huge crack as Fawkes flame travelled onto the table, effectively burning the Daily Prophet. Molly walked over and retrieved the letter in Fawkes beak. Fawkes then left the way it came, burning the ashes of the Daily Prophet again.
Dear Molly,
Please be present at 12 Grimmauld Place tomorrow. Bring along Ron, Hermione, and Arthur. Sirius will also be there.
Forever Yours,
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.
The fire place crackled, when the forms of Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger and Sirius Black staggered out of the fire place.
"I tell you, a dog is seriously not suited for Flooing."
"Be quiet. The Ministry will catch you if you even tried to Apparate one meter away." The Apparating forms of Molly Weasley and Arthur Weasley appeared in the middle of the room.
On cue, Dumbledore entered the room, and proceeded to lead them to Harry's bed room.
"Laid here is all that Harry has left us. His Gringotts accounts remains locked, and the goblins have no idea why, for that means that Harry is still alive if his account is inaccessible. There are also a few sets of school uniforms, the pile of books we found, his Firebolt, and his invisibility cloak. If there are no objections, I shall give the cloak to Sirius, so as to aid him in avoiding the Ministry Officials."
They soon divided the memento's Harry left them, with Arthur and Molly Weasley getting a pair of Harry's Hogwarts uniforms, Sirius getting a set of uniform and the cloak, Ron getting a Firebolt, and Hermione received the books.
When Hermione was alone, she started packing the books in her trunk, only to discover the parchment, which Dumbledore had not seen. She felt her heart break again as she realised that Harry's confession came too late, and he was dead. She cried herself to sleep that night...
Few months later, on the train back to Hogwarts, the train was decked in black, standing as a sign of mourning for Harry Potter. Dobby had kept trying to punish himself so much that in a fit of anger, Dumbledore had to Body Bind him. Hermione tried her best not to show any sign of her sadness, but she failed miserabably. She had asked Dumbledore to charm the parchment into a necklace she could wear as an everlasting memento to Harry. She personally casted more protective spells on it, and it was quite invulnerable to the elements. The Sorting Hat also caught on the mood, his song suddenly much shorter than the previous years.
Welcome young ones,
To Hogwarts,
Where you shall learn more.
In Gryffindor the braves go,
Chivalrous and trustworthy.
The Hufflepuffs, the loyal seek,
Fair and hardworking.
The Ravenclaws, the creative attracted,
Full of wit and wisdom.
The Slytherins, the cunning,
The ambitious gather.
But even as here we gather,
We must not forget.
Those who have gone before us,
We must keep them in remembrance.
It was met with light applause, and for once Hermione found the hat actually even going out of tune.
The sorting was soon over, and after they feasted, they were led back to their dormitories. Dumbledore had kindly excused Hermione from prefect duty, and she slept, clutching the pillow Harry used for all the years here.
Hermione did not pay much attention in class, but the professors had Dumbledore's express orders not to pay special attention to her because of that. Dumbledore knew that she just needed time to mend her wounds, then she would return back to normal again.
She nearly exploded in Potions, resulting in a loss of a hundred points for insulting Snape. She was sorely tempted to throw the boiling potion in his face to scald the greasy git. It resulted from one of Snape's traditional Anti-Potter speeches, and about how glad he was without an idiot in his class to divert his attention from the talented ones. She had scolded him a bunch of obscene vulgarities in his face, which he did not take too kindly to. Professor Flitwick was quite offended by her aim, which had missed him by inches, when he taught them a new spell. To add to the injury, Dumbledore started asking her if she needed counseling. Okay, maybe she would admit that she was down, but she argued that if your best friend died what would he have done, which was the first time Dumbledore lacked a response to anything.
He tried to comfort her, but she brushed away his arms. Dumbledore sighed. He walked off, not before a tear escaped.
Hermione lay on the bed, one week after school started. She had not paid any attention at all to the teachers, but they did not really worry about her that much, for she would be able to catch up easily when she got over the loss.
She held the parchment near her heart, and re-read Harry's confession over and over again. Her eyes blurred before she got to the end, and missed the three words written in a different handwriting. She wiped the tears off her face. Harry would not want her to do this. He definitely wanted her to face tomorrow with bravery and not keep mourning for him. She steeled her resolve. She would return back into the bookworm she was tomorrow. No more crying in class.
She went to sleep, with the smile of someone who had finally decided on something lingering on her lips.
----
Albus Dumbledore sighed. He was in his office, when the various portraits of the previous headmasters surged forward to question about Harry's death. His thoughts wondered.
Well, Trelawney must be wrong then. Or if she is accurate, this means that Voldemort has died, which is impossible. Unless he killed Harry. Does this spell the end for us? Memories may be one of my weapons, but it, and fire, is not going to help Miss Granger.
Not to mention that Hogwarts chose Harry to be one of the prefects. Am I lucky that I managed to stop the owl before it left to prevent undue distress to the Weasley family. This has never occurred before. It must be a glitch in the spells the four founders casted, being such old magic. I'll have to see what can I do before it starts sending letters to the already dead to tell them that they are prefects. I do think the families wouldn't take this kindly.
I must be getting old. That took quite a lot out of me. Am I glad that Tom chickened out before I collapsed. I'm not entirely too sure who can stop him now. If only I could have been tutored longer at the Land of the Timeless. WAIT!
Dumbledore bolted upright in his chair. Where is that? How do I even know? The only place I have been tutored is Hogwarts and the Land of the Timeless. Here it is again. I guess a visit to the library is in order first thing tomorrow.
----
Ronald Weasley could not sleep that night. The Firebolt, all mine! But why am I so happy over this, I should be sad over Harry's death! I knew that I was a jealous git, but the sorting hat placed me here, not Slytherin, so why am I thinking like this? Gah, I hate having to deal with these sort of emotions. Well, Quidditch, here comes Ronald Weasley!
He fell asleep, with a smug smile on his lips as he dreamed being the Gryffindor Keeper, and Hermione going gaga over his skills.
----
Ginny Weasley was lying on her bed, unable to sleep. Her crush was now dead, and she had no more direction, no more kind Harry that made her heart flutter. She took it easier than Hermione, being that she spent lesser time with them. She regretted not getting nearer to Harry, but now it is already too late. Sigh, Hogwarts without Harry seems like a Wizard without a Wand. Or Quidditch without brooms. Now, I guess someone else will have to do. Seamus has grown since the holidays...
----
Hermione gasped when she saw the notice board when she woke up the next day. The next visit to Hogsmeade was the weekend, and today was Thursday. It would allow her time to hang out with the rest, making up for the lost time when she wasted herself away. The rest expressed the same sentiment, and they left for classes, with a uplifted feeling in their hearts.
They had their Hogsmeade visit soon enough, and as they stepped out of the castle, full of memories of the time spent with Harry, they made their way to the Three Broom Sticks.
End Of Chapter Three.
A/N : No updates till 10 October. Remember, what I said about examinations?