Everyone was getting ready for the ceremony. They all put on their dress robes and made sure their hair wasn't sticking up and their shoes were clean. They carefully tucked away their items and some kept a stash of tissues in their pockets. The sun was still hanging in the sky when the students marched silently down to the lake. All the teachers were there, pointing their wands at the fire and making it grow. The students circled around the bonfire and took a deep breath.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming to the Annual Battle of Hogwarts Remembrance Ceremony. We are here to honor those who fought during the battle, and those who passed away because of it. The brave witches and wizards who fought to protect this school shall never be forgotten. They not only stood up for themselves, they stood up for their futures and the next generation. They stood up for you. They may not be with us now, but we shall thank their memory and keep them in our hearts. Now, if any of you has an item you would like to share or a story you would like to tell, you may step forward now." A few tears escaped some eyes and a small Slytherin boy came forward.
"Um, my name is Artemis Crabbe and my Uncle Vincent Crabbe died during the battle. I don't have anything of his, but I do wish I could have met him." the students raised their wands in memory of Vincent Crabbe. Two Gryffindors stood forward. A small dark- haired boy and his red-haired sister were holding hands and shaking.
"We were both born after the battle, but we lost quite a few people that we should have met. James and I often listen to our dad's stories, and it makes us sad that we never got to know the wonderful people that died sixteen years ago." Lily's voice was strong, but her eyes were glistening with tears. "Please keep the memory of these people in your hearts. Their sacrifice and loyalty should never be taken for granted. Thank you." They went back over to their cousins, and the students raised their wands again, even more wiping their eyes as they did so. A dozen or so more came up and talked about their lost ones. Heather went up with Victoire and her other best friend Aurora.
"My mother died during the battle. I don't really remember her; all I have are some pictures and her wedding ring. She left it on the kitchen table before she left to fight because she didn't want to lose it. My dad's a Muggle, so he still doesn't fully understand everything that happened that night." Wands were raised.
"My mum fought in the battle as well," said Aurora. "Luckily she made it alive, but she had to bury many of her friends." The airy blonde looked around through her Spectrospects. "Victoire, you can tell them about that." Victoire motioned for her cousins to step up next to her. She took Fred's hand who took Roxanne's who took Molly's who took Lucy's who took Dominique's who took Lily's who took James'.
"All of us lost someone very dear to our family during the Battle of Hogwarts. Our Uncle Fred was killed, and though only Molly remembers him, he is special to all of us. Fred was caring to those in need. He always had a smile on his face, even on the moment he died. Fred made everyone laugh. He always put family first, and was loyal to the very end." All wands were high in the air. "Also, my dad was in the battle. He survived, but was brutally attacked by Fenrir Greyback. My dad is one of the bravest men I have ever met. I know I couldn't survive a werewolf attack. My mother still looks at him with stars in her eyes, even through the scars on his face. I love my dad so much. I wish we could say the same about our Uncle Fred; that he survived with only some scars. But we can't." she took a deep breath and put her arm around Fred, who was crying. "We can only remember those who lost their lives and thank them for protecting us." Almost everyone was crying now, even Professor McGonnagall. Teddy walked over to Victoire and embraced her. she kissed his ear and wrapped her arms around his back. "You should say something," she whispered. Teddy sighed. He knew he should, but he felt guilty. He felt Victoire squeeze his hand.
"I'm Teddy Lupin," he started. He cleared his throat and clenched his fists. "Um, my parents were Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin. They were both killed in the Battle of Hogwarts." McGonnagall burst into tears. Most of the students knew that Teddy was an orphan, but only a few knew that both his parents were killed during the battle. "Um, my dad was a werewolf and he didn't want to hurt my mum, but she loved him so much that she said it didn't matter. I actually have Vi's mum to thank for that," he smiled at Victoire, who was holding onto his arm. She smiled back and a few tears slipped past her lashes. "So, yeah…my dad was a teacher here for a year, and he helped Sirius Black get free from being unjustly imprisoned. He also was in the Order of the Phoenix, with my mum. She was an Auror, and she was in some dangerous missions before she met Harry or my dad. Both of my parents helped Harry safely get to the Burrow, and they protected him quite a few times. Um, what else? My dad was best friends with Sirius Black and James Potter, that's probably not important. Uh…" he looked at Victoire, unsure of what to say.
"You can just talk about what you wish you knew." Teddy cleared his throat again and stood up straight.
"I don't remember anything about my parents. I was born just a month before they died, and my grandparents raised me. I love my grandparents, but sometimes I wish I could have had a mum or a dad, you know? Like, they don't know how to relate to someone forty- five years younger. And they're not supposed to. I just wish I could at least know what they looked like. I don't even have a recent picture." Teddy could feel his heart pumping and his face heat up. "It's just not fair that I'll never get to see their faces." He looked around. It was dark now, the fire providing the only light. He saw tear- streaked faces. He saw friends and siblings holding each other. He saw some older students biting their lip and tilting their heads back. He realized that he was not alone, and there were so many others just like him. "It's not fair that none of us will get to see them again. But that's what connects us. We are all alive today because of what they did for us." He raised his wand up and everyone followed. The soft light radiating from the wands lit up the dark sky, ready for a new day. After they all had the chance to speak, each student and staff member placed a white rose on the gleaming marble coffin marked Albus Percival Wilfric Bryan Dumbledore.