The rainy weather cleared up, for a little while at least, and in that time an investigation had sprung up. With four "anonymous" letters, the Ministry of Magic had looked into the case of little Jessica, though without a complete body, nothing would be solved. They were, however, giving her a funeral, as it had been Dark Wizards who'd murdered her so many years ago.
Harry was sitting with the Weasleys, and Hermione was next to them as well. He touched the butterfly charm that was in his pocket, looking around. Harry knew that HE would be here...it would look bad otherwise. And Jessica's real father would not want to look bad in front of everyone.
A family of three passed in fron of the rows of chairs that had been set up in a field for the service and Harry knew that it was them. He pulled the charm out of his pocket and waited apprehensively.
"I can't believe he had the nerve to come,"Ron hissed in Harry's ear, casting a fould glance at Lucious Malfoy. "He's even playing sympatheitc! If I were older I'd-"
"What, Ron?" Hermione demanded. "Make him pay for it? You'd end up in Azkaban with him. His own conscience will make him pay."
"I don't think he has one," Ron grumbled.
Harry thought about that while the service went on. How would the father react when the charm was placed in his hands? Would he weep? Harry couldn't picture him weeping in public. Maybe at home, in a private study? Somehow Harry couldn't picture that either. Would he even keep the charm, or would he just cast it aside? No. He'd keep it. The service ended with the Minister of Magic casting Jessica's ashes to the wind. After a moment of silence, everyone rose to leave.
"I'll be right back!"Harry called to his friends. They gave him odd looks and were about to ask questions, but he'd already disappeared into the crowd. "Mr. Malfoy!" he called, when the wizard was away from his family.
"What do you want?" Malfoy sneered.
"You know, I know what happened to Jessica Bennet." If Malfoy was frightened, or angered, he did well to conceal it. "She had a message to be relayed to you. She wanted you to have this." He thrust the small charm into Malfoy's hands and took a step back. "I'm not going to tell anyone. You can live with the guilt yourself, knowing you killed the child who always loved a man she never knew." And with that Harry left the man to his own thoughts.
"Harry, what were you doing talking to Malfoy?" Ron asked, shocked.
"I was taking care of a favor, Ron," Harry answered. "Now it really is finally over."
Harry was sitting with the Weasleys, and Hermione was next to them as well. He touched the butterfly charm that was in his pocket, looking around. Harry knew that HE would be here...it would look bad otherwise. And Jessica's real father would not want to look bad in front of everyone.
A family of three passed in fron of the rows of chairs that had been set up in a field for the service and Harry knew that it was them. He pulled the charm out of his pocket and waited apprehensively.
"I can't believe he had the nerve to come,"Ron hissed in Harry's ear, casting a fould glance at Lucious Malfoy. "He's even playing sympatheitc! If I were older I'd-"
"What, Ron?" Hermione demanded. "Make him pay for it? You'd end up in Azkaban with him. His own conscience will make him pay."
"I don't think he has one," Ron grumbled.
Harry thought about that while the service went on. How would the father react when the charm was placed in his hands? Would he weep? Harry couldn't picture him weeping in public. Maybe at home, in a private study? Somehow Harry couldn't picture that either. Would he even keep the charm, or would he just cast it aside? No. He'd keep it. The service ended with the Minister of Magic casting Jessica's ashes to the wind. After a moment of silence, everyone rose to leave.
"I'll be right back!"Harry called to his friends. They gave him odd looks and were about to ask questions, but he'd already disappeared into the crowd. "Mr. Malfoy!" he called, when the wizard was away from his family.
"What do you want?" Malfoy sneered.
"You know, I know what happened to Jessica Bennet." If Malfoy was frightened, or angered, he did well to conceal it. "She had a message to be relayed to you. She wanted you to have this." He thrust the small charm into Malfoy's hands and took a step back. "I'm not going to tell anyone. You can live with the guilt yourself, knowing you killed the child who always loved a man she never knew." And with that Harry left the man to his own thoughts.
"Harry, what were you doing talking to Malfoy?" Ron asked, shocked.
"I was taking care of a favor, Ron," Harry answered. "Now it really is finally over."