Inconnu
by Silberner Wolf
Sorry about the long wait! This has been sitting on my computer, waiting for when I had a chance to upload.
Enjoy. (though, personally, I think it deserves burning….)
-Silberner
Thank you lajoie56 and Jenny for the reviews.
Disclaimer: I can dream, can't I?
Interlude: The Funeral
There were many people at the Potters' funeral. Very few of them had actually known the Potters, but now Lily and James were famous because of their son–the Boy Who Lived.
A thick, freezing fog swirled around the crowd and the occasional raindrop splashed on the head of a witch or wizard, who did their best to ignore it.
The service was conducted by a Muggle pastor who, rumor had it, knew very well that he was not among other Muggles, despite the fact that Dumbledore had made it extremely clear that no one was to use magic. What little magic was used was kept well concealed–more out of fear that Dumbledore would find out than any Muggle.
A pair of caskets were suspended side-by-side above two graves, both of them closed against the weather. Both were made of a fine wood that had a glossy and reddish finish and gleaming silver trim.
Dumbledore stood toward the front with McGonagall and the towering figure of Hagrid.
Remus Lupin stood alone off to the side. He seemed to be in shock. No one could blame him. He had been awoken early that morning and told that Lily and James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, and nearly a dozen unnamed Muggles had died by the hand of Sirius Black, who was a Death Eater and was now in Azkaban. The unexpected news had hit him very hard.
At the edge of the crowd, someone that no one had expected to see there, no matter how famous the Potters were, prowled, black eyes flashing. Some just assumed that he was there because of Dumbledore, but no one dared to ask. In fact, most of them shied away from the greasy-haired man. They all knew very well that Severus Snape was never in a mood to chat.
The Minister of Magic was very near the caskets, as were the members of law enforcement that had apprehended Black, including the young Cornelius Fudge.
A few yards away was another cluster of professors from the nearby wizarding school, Hogwarts, where Dumbledore was headmaster. One of them, Professor Sprout, gave a small squeak as a large gray rat darted past her, gaining her a few glares. The rat, which looked very much like Peter Pettigrew, continued to the edge of the wood where it stopped to take one last look before disappearing into the shadows between the towering trees.
The service ended shortly thereafter, right before it truly began to rain, then pour, and, finally, come down in torrential sheets.
Witches and wizards departed quickly until only a few remained–Hagrid, the pastor, Lupin, Dumbledore, and the other professors–including, surprisingly, Snape. All of them stared for a moment at the two fresh mounds of earth, expressions ranging from relief that they were no longer crowded and could see the graves to mournfulness to slightly bewildered, before seeking shelter in a nearby building.
A few of the women cried quietly and most of the men had fallen into a moody silence. Snape continued to lurk around the edges of the group, face expressionless and eyes unreadable.
And that, my friends, was the end of part 1. Part 2 coming soon. Hopefully it starts to get a bit more interesting. Please review.
-Silberner