2. Remus Lupin

I was asked to give a speech. I was told that "being their closest friend, it would be nice if I said something."

What am I supposed to say?

This isn't right. There's nothing right about this day. What should any of us say?

The preacher seems to have a lot to say. No one is really listening to him, though. His picture of Lily and James is completely wrong. He drones on and on about them.

There is a lot to say about them.

But I can't think of one thing.

It hurts me so much.

I remember school with them. Actually, I remember the first day that I met them. They were happy and funny and witty.

And at each other's throats all the time.

Then came the 7th year when Lily said 'yes' to James.

I have never seen him so happy.

Well, no, that's not true. I saw him that happy when he proposed and she said 'yes'. I saw him that happy when they were getting married. I saw him that happy when Harry was born.

But mostly I remember how compassionate they were. Mostly I remember how they reacted when they found out about my "furry little problem". Mostly I remember how they made me laugh.

They were perfect together. Everyone loved them. Everyone should.

Tears are streaming down my cheeks. I look blankly ahead. My note cards are in my pocket, but I don't know if they do justice to their memory. I tried my hardest to come up with something to say when I get up there. It was agony.

I knew what they'd want me to say.

They would want me to say that they had no regrets. They would want me to say that their only concern now is for Harry. They would want me to say that everything that they would have done everything all over again. They would want me to say that they wouldn't change a thing.

It's too hard to put that into writing.

Because really, I feel like shouting at them. I feel like telling them that they should have changed something…anything. I feel like being selfish.

But I can't blame them.

It's not their fault.

I don't really think anyone is at fault. Because reality comes down like a bomb in the end and you have to ask yourself a question:

What could you have changed?

The preacher finally closes his speech with the only real thing that I can relate to today.

"We remember James and Lily Potter today."

We remember James and Lily Potter. The people who could have done anything and wouldn't have changed anything they did.