Quinn, Blaine, Kurt, Puck, and Rachel traveled upstairs without speaking. They were each absorbed in their own thoughts, braced and edgily waiting for whatever they may find. Quinn drifted lonelily in the middle of the couples, pondering Draco's sudden absence with a desperate longing for him to come back and hold her hand. She felt extremely awkward just being there. Rachel undoubtably sensed that and clutched Quinn's hand along with Puck's suddenly before smiling at her. Quinn looked at their hands for a second in mild disbelief before smiling back, feeling nervous and more exposed than ever. Rachel had a way of knowing just what she was thinking and while it was helpful, it was annoying. She didn't want to feel like she had to be more comfortable around Rachel than anyone for it, although that's what was happening as of late. The entrance hall was deserted, and there was a certain, strange feel about it. It was as though it had only just been abandoned, and everyone looked around at the stone walls and high ceilings anxiously, as if looking for some sort of answer. "Well… Let's go outside…" Kurt said, gesturing to the open doors with his free hand where people were moving and gasping in surprise. They all exchanged anxious looks before slowly shuffling towards the great oak doors and into the crowd that was making their way over to the base of the Astronomy tower. It seemed no one could see what was going on. "Is someone hurt?" Quinn asked the group as a whole, in a whispered voice as if she didn't want to disturb someone who was sleeping. Everyone shrugged a bit and tried to make their way to what was pulling their attention. The group of five could clearly see Hagrid then, towering above everyone around what was so interesting on the ground. Rachel was muttering intently about how someone obviously was madly hurt and who could it have been and why everyone was panicking… Suddenly, a chill blew through the semi circle of people surrounding the Astronomy tower just before the whispers passed, everyone fell silent until the breeze of words blew back from the firsthand witnesses to the people at the back of the crowd.Dumbledore's dead.It brought a tense, stiff jointed manner over everyone and there was a group shortage of breath until the words died off like smoke when it hit the five friends that were the last to come out of the castle. "That can't be true…" Kurt whispered, breaking the icy silence that fell, and he grabbed Blaine's hand and moved the stunned students aside. He refused to believe it, absolutely refused. He reached the front of the crowd to find Finn and Sam there, unblinking eyes fixed on the silhouettes on the ground, trembling slightly. Blaine soon resembled Finn, his eyes locked hard on the quivering figure of Harry Potter clutching the broken, lifeless figure of Dumbledore. His grip on Kurt's hand tightened tenfold as his brain refused to believe what his eyes were registering. His heart sped up, but if felt as though it had stopped and was creeping up his throat. He felt if he spoke, he would choke, but his boyfriend's stony indifferent face brought him to words. "Kurt…" he whispered, his voice croaky. "That can't be right." Kurt said, every crease in his face screaming denial. "Kurt, it's right there…" Blaine whispered, swallowing. "No, that can't be Dumbledore." he said, shaking his head slowly. "It is." Blaine said, his voice growing a bit thin. "No, no it isn't. Dumbledore doesn't just die, he doesn't just… I never even talked to him, I didn't even… Why do I care? I- I- I don't believe it, I just…." Kurt stammered crazily, his head shaking speeding up with his words. Blaine nodded, understanding perfectly how Kurt was feeling. He moved over just a bit and wrapped his arms around Kurt as they both kept their eyes staring blankly at Harry Potter continued to shake miserably over Dumbledore. Blaine was reminded briefly of his mad, fan-like infatuation over Harry and how Neville helped him recover and find Kurt… In his arms… Kurt was right. He didn't know Dumbledore personally. They had talked when Blaine had the same sort of mindless obsession with the Weasley twins and he let them rope him into stupid pranks before he knew what was going on, and he had talked to Dumbledore up in his office then. He had such a mystic presence, always kind and caring and making people feel as though they were equals, which was a stunning feat on it's own as everyone knew no one could measure up to Dumbledore. Even when the Prophet was lying about him, he was still regal, still proud of his school… When it came to that, who cared if they knew him personally? Everyone knew of Dumbledore's devotion to Hogwarts and it saved their school multiple times over, and he was a respected genius. If that wasn't something to grieve over, then what was? There wouldn't be a proper Hogwarts without Dumbledore… So how would they go on without him?Ginny Weasley was then shoving through the crowd as Kurt and Blaine had, except she had a set, determined face. She was there for a purpose. Dave Karofsky followed right behind her. There were no complaints, as the crowd seemed to be made of hollowly muttering empty shells that swayed easily by when the two made their way through. Ginny moved right forwards from where the crowd stopped and up to Harry. She moved slowly and gently around him, slowly slipped her hand into his. Dave stopped, next to Kurt and Blaine. "Dumbledore…" he whispered, obviously just going through the shock they had just experienced. Kurt nodded. "We know." he said, looking up at Dave. Blaine's arms were wrapped around Kurt's waist, leaving his shoulders exposed. Dave rubbed them gently, in a slow, comforting way. Dave looked at Blaine for a tense seconds and Blaine gave his head a tiny nod, telling Dave that yes, he could do that. Right now, at that moment, it didn't matter what relationships existed and which ones didn't, who was connected by fate and who wasn't, all that mattered was that Hogwarts had lost it's heart. The entire group knew it to be true. Ginny had coaxed Harry off the ground and was leading him up, away from the body and back to wherever she came from. Dave looked after her once she had broken free of everyone, and turned to follow her. Kurt and Blaine followed their lead. Led by Kurt, the two traveled back to find their friends. They were all waiting for them with half dead, half eager eyes. "Dumbledore is dead." Blaine said a bit haltingly, looking at the ground in some sort of respect. Rachel, Quinn, and Puck all pursed their lips and looked down as well, pushed to by some unknown force, all suddenly grieving with Kurt and Blaine. Then Puck looked up, drawn by a not too distant motion. They all followed his lead but it was nothing more than Hagrid carrying Dumbledore away to be prepared for whatever came next. Solidifying the fact that he was dead. "I don't even know what to feel… I'm heartbroken, obviously, but…" Rachel murmured, blinking rapidly down at the ground. "I know… He did so many things to protect us…" Quinn said, her voice soft and low as if she was in the library. "Maybe this is some big joke. Like, Death Eaters are sick people right? Listen, maybe they fed a guy polyjuice potion and shoved him off the tower…" Puck said, but Blaine started shaking his head. The crowd was disassembling to move back to their dormitories to wait until the sun rose. "Then the real Dumbledore would have come out to investigate." Kurt said, and with that last strand of desperate hope tossed away, they made their ways to their separate common rooms to lay in their bed and let the minutes drag by like hours until someone managed to get them all up for breakfast.-The funeral crept up in them like a tiger on it's prey. The arrival of witches and wizards around the world only brought light to the fact that Dumbledore had passed. Madame Maxine wouldn't have bothered to come from France if she wasn't sure. The Minister of Magic wouldn't be there if it wasn't necessary. Events that would be considered good, the arrival of interesting guests, postponed exams, an early end to the school year and more, were just thrown into a bad light and brought only slight satisfaction. It wasn't as though the whole school was openly weeping about it and even if a student didn't like Dumbledore they had appreciated or respected him, everyone settled into a maddening gloom. The day of the funeral was gorgeous. It was a day that would usually be spent out by the lake or on the quiditch pitch. Instead, they were all in dress robes, not meeting each others eyes and being led out onto the grounds by the lake by their heads of houses. Kurt was clutching Rachel's hand unnecessarily hard and she was clothing his back. Their fingernails were digging into the back of each other's hand, but the raw numbness of the moment left them both slightly ignorant of the pain they were giving each other. When they sat down, Puck came to sit next to Rachel. She buried her face in his chest and he wrapped his arms around her, staring at the marble table set up in front of the lake with a strangely determined expression on his face. Kurt only had to bear two seconds of jealousy before Blaine was there and both of this hands were on top of one of Kurt's. They smiled briefly at each other, knowing they should smile at all. It didn't reach their eyes though. It was only a way of saying hello. Quinn followed shortly behind them. It didn't take long for her to realize Draco wasn't going to come back and help her, at least for a while. He had said it himself. She had nothing to do but believe him. She didn't bother to try and cover up the bags under her eyes. Isabella was wonderful, and beautiful, but somewhere inside her she knew she might not be able to handle it all. She sat next to Rachel, who held her was still in the hospital with Bill Weasley. Brittany stayed close to Dave and they were the ones sitting with each other, almost at the very back of all the rows of seats. She seemed comfortable enough with him and leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her shoulders. It was natural and they were friends. Dave finally started asking himself "Why not?" instead of "why?".Artie was sitting on Dave's other side, looking slightly nervously between Dave and Luna. Luna was acting respectful and grim, but seemed far more disconnected then everyone else… Or she could have been more connected… Well, all Artie knew was that she wasn't crying like everyone else. Just sitting silently and alertly. She insisted on helping Neville down from the hospital wing and Neville smiled apologetically at Artie, trying to banish the sadness from his eyes when he did so. Mermaids started to appear a few inches below the lake just behind the marble table, and they began to sing. It was eerie, no one there spoke their language, but they were so clearly communicating their loss and despair that the song was almost enviable. Rachel was drawn to it. It, although directed towards the painful events at hand, momentarily distracted her. Rachel knew she was a marvelous singer, and didn't mind flaunting it. But these creatures, their singing was clear communication. There were no lyrics to misinterpret, only pure emotion. Rachel felt it, right in her heart, and leaned forward towards the lake just slightly. She was still clutching onto Puck's sleeve, and he was listening avidly as well. Luna found the mermaid's song particularly entrancing as well. The respect and clarity it brought to the event, so grim and filled with murky, half formed ideas of what happened that night on the astronomy tower, was astonishing to her. Real sadness was brought to her face as the merpeople finished their song and disappeared back into the depths of the lake. The large group barely had time to recover from the strange song before Hagrid was walking up the aisle. Everyone's eyes were glued to him, although no one wanted to believe what they were seeing. Dumbledore was in his arms, dressed in purple, and people caught the faintest glimpse of him as Hagrid moved with slow, deliberate steps up to the marble table. Kurt's breath caught in his throat as he watched them pass, and when he looked at Blaine for some sort of consolation he was not alone in his sorrow, he saw Blaine with a hardly changed facial expression but streaks of tears catching sunlight on his face. Kurt rubbed Blaine's hands softly, trying not to cry himself. He knew Rachel was already staining Puck's shirtsleeve and he didn't want to look pathetic by turning around to see if everyone else was crying too. He looked up at the front, painfully still, as Hagrid returned back to his seat and was blowing his nose forcefully loud. Brittany turned to look at everyone, despite the tears welling up in her eyes. Tina Cohen-Chang was sitting with Mike Chang, who Brittany knew from being around the common room with him for six years. They were both shaking a bit, more out of surprised sadness then anything. Cho Chang, Tina's sister, was sitting with them too, openly crying. Sam Evans, Mercedes Jones, Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas were sitting near the front, she couldn't see their faces. Sam and Mercedes were obviously holding hands, however. She saw all the people who had been around to help when she had been going through troubled times, and all the people that caused her troubles. It was sadly comforting to know that they were united under a death, and may never be together like this otherwise. She snuggled up to Dave again, focusing on where Dumbledore lay on the table. A short man made his way to the front and began to speak. He tried to describe Dumbledore's life, his achievements, his advances. Like that was all that mattered. Dave didn't like the little man's speech much. Dave didn't know Dumbledore well, but he doubted anyone did. But at this point, it was no use pretending Dumbledore wasn't human, and he had uninspired, angry, and depressed times like the rest of them. That was a comforting thought to Dave, because he knew hurt came before advancement. If Dumbledore wasn't the most advanced, intelligent person he knew of, he was sure he experienced the strife Dave did. It was comforting, and gave him the impression that he wasn't alone. He smiled softly to himself before viciously thinking that he shouldn't be smiling at a funeral like that. It seemed as though the speech lasted shorter than it should have. What would they all do when it was over? Would they all just have to realize Dumbledore was gone, and wouldn't be coming back? It didn't seem there was a clear path to go down when the little man stopped talking. But he did. Puck took a sends to look away from the top of Rachel's head, which was buried in his chest, to look a few rows behind him at Finn. He was sitting there, in a jumble of students Puck assumed he hung out with more now. Finn was staring at Dumbledore on the marble table with an expression that said he didn't quite understand everything that was happening. However, Puck knew him better then to think he was really confused. That was Finn's denial face. When the little man stopped speaking, many people let out shrieks. The white table had burst into flames around the edges, and everyone watched as the flames rose up around the table, seemingly consuming Dumbledore's body. White smoke spiraled out of the flames and twisted to make funny shapes in midair. Then suddenly, it was all gone. A white marble tomb that matched the table that was no longer visible concealed Dumbledore's body. There were a few seconds where everyone waited in anticipation for something else to happen. Then, a few more people screamed as a stream of arrows flew from the forrest and stuck into the ground just a few feet from the crowd. A few people turned their heads just in time to see the centaurs turn away and move back into the forrest. Like that, it was over. People started to shift about. Get up. Talk. Some people stayed in their seats to express their sentiments with one another. Some just had to get away. Brittany and Dave went up to the castle right away, for Santana. Dave gave Kurt a last look. Kurt had his address, he'd send letters over the summer, he promised. He wasn't going to interfere with the last few hours he had with Blaine, no matter how much he wanted to. He reminded himself he wasn't that kind of person as Brittany's warm, slender hand slipped into his big one and she guided him back up to the castle. Artie expected, although he couldn't tell himself why, to be the one to hold Luna and comfort her during this process. It wasn't as though she was unaffected by the ceremony and the sadness in the air, but it was though as more she was in touch and accepting of it than anyone else. She was absentmindedly rubbing his arm, making slow steady motions with her hand to keep him steady. They didn't need to talk to one another to express themselves just then. Luna knew they would talk on the train home. Finn watched Puck and Rachel stand up and start talking. He sighed to himself and tried to pay attention to what Sam was saying next to him. He didn't miss Rachel as a girlfriend, and he was glad they had all moved on. But now as he watched her, he thought about the whole year and how many mistakes they made. How many stupid things she had done, and things he had done, and how different everything would be if they had avoided all that. There wasn't a longing or regret there for him, his emotions had been muted by the strange stress the funeral had brought onto him. Finn then looked up at the castle. He was going home. He and Kurt would fully warm up to each other and act like brothers again, away from the stresses that came from being in rival houses. He would spend the summer around Burt and his mom. Things would be normal. But he knew that, now matter how much he denied it, he couldn't wait for another year with Puck, Quinn, and Rachel and whatever dramas it brought. Kurt stood up eventually and gently pulled Blaine up with him. They looked at each other for just a few seconds, understanding each other's melancholy and sadness. Blaine was the first one to speak. "What am I going to do all summer without you?" he said, a half sad grin creeping up onto his face. Kurt returned the little, soft grin. "Write a lot. Invite me over to your house. Come over to mine." "Sounds like a plan." Blaine said, and took both of Kurt's hands before leaning forward and pressing their lips together. The kiss was gentle, delicate and sweet. It brought hope to the day. Kurt was reminded he didn't have to isolate himself to be able to show pain and sadness. He had Blaine, who promised to always be there for him. Blaine, who would listen and care and love unconditionally. They slowly pulled away form each other, smiling softly, knowing they had each other. Quinn watched her friends pair off. Find the person they wanted to comfort them the most. She was left alone. Her longing for Draco to come back flared up more than ever. She scanned the crowd on instinct, so she would at least look as thought she was doing something. Then she spotted them. Draco had described them to her, as a precaution to any situation where Quinn would need them, that they assumed wouldn't happen. But there the situation was. They were unmistakable. Draco said the woman would have pink hair, and she'd recognize the other one as Professor Lupin. They were holding hands. She took a deep breath and walked over to them. Her intent of wanting to talk to them was clear, so they turned their heads to see her right away. She put on her biggest, most winning smile. No matter what she'd gone through that year, it didn't affect her capability to charm. "Hello. I'm Quinn Fabray." she said, and Lupin smiled in remembrance. Tonks stuck out her hand, and Quinn shook it gently. "Hello Quinn. It's good to see you're doing well." Lupin said. Quinn nodded. "You too."There was a small silence as she composed what she was going to say next. "And you're Miss…?" she asked, looking at Tonks. "Nyphadora Tonks." she said with a quick nod, adjusting her fingers entwined in Lupins. "Yes, and you're Draco Malfoy's cousin?" Quinn asked, and Tonk's expression grew sour. "I don't like to associate with that side of the family much." she muttered, not hiding her dislike for her relatives. Quinn only saw this as a minor setback."Well, I don't mean to be invasive and I apologize if I'm overstepping my boundaries, but are you two married?" Lupin shook his head. "We only decided to be together officially yesterday. Why do you ask?"Quinn knew her plan wouldn't work any longer. There was no way at all they would cooperate. She sighed anyway, and told him because he had asked. "I'm not sure if you had been told, but just under three weeks ago Draco became a father. Not biologically, of course, but he openly accepted the role of father to my child. He even named her. But because of… recent events he's left me alone with her and there's no way I'm going to be able to raise her on my own. He told me about you two and how you were in love. I figured, if you were a couple, or married, and interested in having children you could help me. But…" Quinn trailed off and made as if to turn around and walk away. "Wait!" Tonks said and grabbed Quinn's shoulder. Quinn looked at her, surprised. "We're certainly not ready for a baby yet, but I know people who could raise her… And if all else fails you could just keep in contact with us and we could help you." she said, right away. Quinn was taken aback by her sympathy, but gave Tonks her address and was let go with a wave and two smiles. She walked back over to Kurt, Blaine, Puck, and Rachel. "I have to go get Isabella." she said before walking up to the castle where Isabella had been left in the care of Madam Pomfrey. The friends watched her go for a little while before turning back to each other. "I… Guess that's it." Blaine said, looking wistfully around at the dispersing crowds. Harry Potter talking to the Minister of Magic. He remembered the beginning of the year, and his silly crush. He almost wished he was back there, when things weren't as complicated. But he looked up at Kurt, and changed his mind. You couldn't get to anything worth fighting for without obstacles. Kurt smiled sadly at him. "That's it." replied softly. "We should go up to the castle and get our things. You know, before the train…" Rachel said. Puck nodded in agreement, wrapping his arm protectively around her shoulders. They headed back up to the castle together, finally feeling peaceful.