Chapter 25

The next week was devoted to fixing the grounds and paying tribute to those who had been lost in the battle. Everything felt so surreal to Selenity, like she was sleepwalking through time. The days kept moving by so fast, but she herself was hardly moving at all. Deep inside she felt a hollow and empty thudding pain whenever she thought of Mark and Wick.

She tried to talk to Hannah a couple of times, but her efforts were pointless. Hannah avoided talking to everyone, and if someone did approach her, she quickly made up so excuse to leave and then disappeared for hours.

The only way Selenity was able to keep herself from going crazy was helping Headmistress McGonagall with the castle restoration. Noah helped her too, but they hardly ever spoke.

He knew she needed quiet time to think, but he also knew that she desperately needed him with her. And so passed the days leading up to the funeral.

The day of the funeral was a warm spring afternoon. The grounds were beautiful; the flowers were blooming, the trees were covered in varying shades of green, and the sky was a crystal blue. All of the seats set up on the lawn were filled. Mark's and Wick's coffins were set upon the bier in front of the seating. There was also a podium at the front where an old man with glasses was standing silently while people were arriving.

Once everyone was seated, the man began to speak of the journey after life. Selenity let his words sink into her as she looked around at everyone who had shown up.

She was sitting toward the front, next to Noah. In the first rows sat Harry and Ginny along side Ron and Hermione. On each of their faces was a look Selenity had never seen before: pure grief and suffering. Henry, Mark's brother, sat with his parents. His face was unreadable as he stared off into the distance, obviously not fully aware of where he was or what he was doing.

In the row in front of Selenity sat Hannah. Streams of hot tears poured down her face as she hugged her body and swayed back in forth in her seat. Selenity placed a comforting hand on her should, and her sobs slowed until she was nearly silent.

Selenity noticed the old man take a long pause, and then he began again. "Wick Potter and Mark Weasley were great young men, and they will both be sorely missed. Although they are gone, they will never be forgotten. I now invite any of you who wish to say a few words about either of these boys to come up and make your peace."

A few moments passed before Hannah stood up and walked unsteadily to the podium. She was silent for a minute, but the she began to speak in a slow and shaky voice.

"I'm only sixteen," she began, "but I know that Mark was—is—the love of my life. He was such a remarkable person that I know that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him.

"He was the most kind and caring person I've ever met. And he was so sensitive." Tears were pouring down her face, but Hannah looked determined to say what she wanted to. "I remember this one time I was really upset, because I got a bad grade on my charms test. I told him that I was a failure and I would never get anywhere in life. When I told him this he just smiled, took my hand, and told me that it didn't matter if I was the worst witch at Charms—or any subject—and that I would always be perfect to him.

"He then made fun of me for saying I was a failure based on one test. He always put things in perspective for me when I was being an idiot." Hannah paused to take a shaky breath and then continued.

"Now that he's… gone, I don't really know what to do with myself. I had this whole life planned out for me, and he was in it. But I've been doing some thinking recently, and the one thing I know I could never live with is Mark being forgotten. Please remember him as the perfect, beautiful boy that you couldn't possibly know and not loves."

With that Hannah stepped down from the podium. She began to walk back to her seat, but Hermione quickly got up and walked to her. Hermione pulled Hannah into her arms in a tight hug and whispered something in her ear. They then both returned to their seats in tears, but Selenity could see a faint glimmer of hope in Hannah's otherwise grief stricken eyes.

Many students followed after Hannah's lead, getting up to the podium and sharing memorable times they had spent with Mark and Wick. Finally, Selenity decided that it was her turn.

She walked determinedly up to the podium, and when she stopped she was as steady as an iron building. "Mark and Wick were my first friends at Hogwarts. They were the first people to talk to me, show me around, or even be kind to me. They were my best friends here, and I want all of you to remember them as the great people they were.

"Mark was always so kind and funny. I don't think there is anyone who could possibly measure up to his kindness. And Wick—Wick was the first person to love me for who I was. He cared so much about me, and all of his friends. If he thought something was threatening to them, he didn't everything he could to protect them.

"Please don't remember Wick for what happened to him in the end. The last few months of his life he wasn't himself. Something came over him, and the only person who really tried to help him was Mark. Wick was overly hard on himself. I should have been there for him.

"Instead of remembering the end, remember all of the great moments from before. He was such a sweet guy. You all knew what he was like. Remember him as the great person he was. Remember both of them. They were two of the best people I've ever known."

Selenity stepped down and went back to her seat. She took Noah's hand and let out a ragged sigh. A single tear rolled down her face.

After Selenity a few more students and teachers spoke before Harry, Ginny, Hermione, and Ron walked to the stand as one. They spent the remainder of the ceremony recalling great memories and thanking everyone for sharing their memories of their sons.

A procession carrying Mark's and Wick's coffin to their burial sight. Everyone watched as the coffins were covered in the secret spot where Wick used to go to be alone. Selenity had shown them the spot, and everyone agreed that it was an appropriate burial sight.

The last thing Selenity saw before heading back up the castle was Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Harry clinging to each other, supporting each other from the pain they were feeling, just as they always had.

---------------------------------------

The evening before all Hogwarts students were to return home, Selenity sat by Mark's and Wick's graves. She stared off into the sunset as she speculated on how could be so beautiful yet so painful.

Behind her she heard something stir, and she turned around to be faced with Noah. He walked over and sat down next to her. He stared at her, an unreadable look on his face.

"I know you never liked him," Selenity said, nodding to Wick's grave, "but he really was a great person. I didn't just make up this image of him in my head. He was good"

"I know," Noah replied. "Some things are hard for people to get over. He could never get over who I was, and after a while I couldn't get over who he was."

They sat in silence for a little longer before Selenity spoke again. "Nothing will ever be the same again."

"No," Noah said, "it won't. But Mark and Wick will never truly leave you. Bonds as strong as the ones you built with them are never broken. Not even after they're gone."

Selenity smiled. "Yeah," she agreed. "They'll be with me forever."

And as Selenity came to peace with what had happened, she stared into the light of the burning sun and thought of the hope for the future.