Disclaimer: All of the characters belong to the brilliant mind of J.K. Rowling. Only the plot belongs to me and quite honestly, I'm not selfish. Cheers.
That's what was left of Harry's immediate memory of that day. It continued to flash through his mind.
There was never a gloomier day for a funeral. It was raining, windy, and freezing cold. Harry Potter, now nineteen and active in his Auror training and Quidditch, stood near a family of redheads at the top of a hill where there was an open grave covered by a white casket with flowers. A canvas had been erected to block the rain and many chairs had been set up in lines on top of Astroturf to keep from sinking. Among the many redheads was an older woman with soft streaks of gray running through her red hair. A man with long red hair pulled back in a ponytail had one arm around her shoulders and his other was holding a beautiful young woman with long silvery blonde hair who was sobbing softly against his shoulder. Harry's best friend, Ron Weasley, was at his side.
Harry's turn at the podium was next and as he walked along the people sitting in chairs beneath the canopy to keep the rain out he saw many familiar faces. Remus Lupin, whose brown hair was nearly completely silver didn't look up from his lap. A woman besides him covered his wringing hands with her own and looked up to Harry with red eyes that were a complete contrast to her short purple hair. Further on he saw members of the Order, though Kingsley and Dedalus Diggle who had been there to pick him up in his fifth year and on, had been dead for a year now. At the podium he looked into the front audience, Dumbledore was still with them though his old age was beginning to catch up on him very quickly. Harry felt a bit of courage from Dumbledore's wink and saw that Professor McGonagall, also with much more gray, kept dabbing at her eyes.
His fingers curled over the edge to steady himself, hoping his voice wasn't going to crack. "Good afternoon, though the weather doesn't like to think so." He said with a casual shrug, some people managed weak chuckles. "My name is Harry Potter, most of you know me as the Boy-Who-Lived, but this man never knew me by that name. Arthur Weasley was a wonderful friend, hard and devoted worker, but most of all he was a top notch Dad to many people. Hermione and I," he motioned for the audience to look to the side where the Weasley family stood in a tight group. Ron and Hermione, close to engaged, were holding onto one another and Hermione managed a weak smile before dissolving into more tears. "We were considered as family, and I for one was – am – proud to say that I am apart of the Weasley family. But although we've lost a fantastic person we'll pull through, just as Mr. Weasley always did." He looked over at the white casket with an enormous bouquet of flowers was a foot away. Taking a step closer Harry put his hand against it, fighting to keep his tears back even while his voice quivered as he said, "Keep an eye out for me, Dad."
He left the podium, dimly aware of the scattered applause and there were more sniffs in the audience now. Moving back to his spot besides Ron on the fringes of the Weasley family he caught sight of Mrs. Weasley reaching out for him. As stealthily as he could so as not to disturb Remus Lupin as he spoke, he crept closer to Mrs. Weasley and looked into his adopted mother's eyes full of tears. "Arthur would've been so proud." Mrs. Weasley whispered through a sad smile as she patted his cheek. After planting a kiss on his cheek she wrapped him into a motherly hug and Harry murmured against her shoulder, "I know he would, Mum…" Feeling on the verge of tears Harry James Potter let the years of pain and loses finally overcome him and allowed them to fall.
At the end many people were invited back to the Weasley's for a remembrance dinner. And while people left the site for where Arthur Weasley was being laid to rest many people came to shake hands with Bill and his wife Fleur, Charlie, Fred and Angelina, George, Ron and Hermione, and many enveloped Mrs. Weasley in tight hugs to whisper their condolences. All came up to Harry to vigorously shake his hand with both of theirs and tell him, "My you're growing up to be a handsome young man!" "Good luck with the Quidditch cup next year!" "Arthur was lucky to have so many fabulous children!" Harry usually just smiled and thanked them before they left. One old lady actually kissed his cheek with a watery smile before rushing off, blowing her nose in her kerchief.
Soon everyone was gone except Harry, Ron, and Hermione. The Golden Trio, reunited again. Ron and Hermione had been diligently working alongside Harry in the ministry and training to become Aurors. Hermione wiped her eyes and turned to leave but then saw Harry's wandering eye. "What is it Harry?"
"I haven't seen Ginny," Harry said without looking at Hermione. He kept looking around the bottom of the hill. She had been with everyone else during the ceremony but as soon as it was over she was gone.
"I think she's up there," responded Hermione as she handed Ron her kerchief so he could blow his nose.
Harry started back up the hill but Ron reached out and grabbed her hand. "No," he said in a choked voice and shook his head. "Just give her some time, she's taken it pretty hard."
Glancing back up the hill Harry saw Ginny's silhouette against the stormy clouds and even though it had stopped raining the wind was still brisk and cold. But with two cracks behind him he knew that Ron and Hermione had disapparated. Glancing back up the hill he closed his eyes, and whispered, "So long Dad…" once more before concentrating. Left on the pavement were two teardrops.
