I know that I'm late to this, but I really wanted to make a tribute to Robbie Coltrane since I heard about his passing, but I was busy with my studies, so I decided to delay it for a while. It's a bit difficult to a tribute fic like this one, but I hope I tried my best. I was saddened when I heard Robbie Coltrane passed away, because I was so familiar with his performance as Hagrid and I loved him in the role, so it was indeed a tragic loss. This fic will take place years after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows.
In memory of Robbie Coltrane (1950-2022)
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and the Wizarding World. It belongs to JK Rowling and Warner Bros.
St. Jerome's Graveyard, Godric's Hollow
The Wizarding World had suffered a great loss. Rubeus Hagrid, the former Care of Magical Creatures professor and the Keeper of Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts, had passed away from old age. Following the Battle of Hogwarts and the end of the Second Wizarding War, Hagrid remained in touch with Harry, Ron, Hermoine and their friends after they graduated from Hogwarts and still served as the groundskeeper of Hogwarts until he retired at the age of 90. Hagrid also served as the godfather of Harry's son, Albus Severus, and had a close friendship with the young man.
His death affected not only the Potter family and friends, but also the Ministry of Magic and the Staff of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, who had considered Hagrid to be one of the most loyal members of the staff, since they hadn't suffered such a tragic loss since the death of Albus Dumbledore. Hagrid was buried in St. Jerome's Graveyard at Godric's Hollow, where his grave was placed alongside Harry's parents, James and Lily, whose lives were taken by Lord Voldemort so many years ago.
Harry Potter and his family, as well as his friends, Ron and Hermoine, and their children, as well as the Ministry of Magic and the Hogwarts Staff, including Headmaster Minerva McGonagall, as well as Olympe Maxime, attended the funeral to pay their final respects to Hagrid. Hagrid's graveyard was engraved with the words:
In the loving memory of Rubeus Hagrid
A loyal friend and groundkeeper
The Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, prepared his eulogy for Hagrid and stood on the altar.
"Today, we acknowledge a very terrible loss." Shacklebolt started with his eulogy. "The Wizarding World has lost one of the kindest people to have ever existed. Rubeus Hagrid, as you all know, was a brave, loyal, hard-working man who had spent his lifetime helping out everyone and showcased an undying loyalty to his colleagues. Though Rubeus and I never got to know each other well, I had a great honor fighting alongside him during the battle against the Dark Lord's forces. Now with his passing, Hagrid has left behind a legacy of kindness, compassion and generosity. Let us honor his memory every day and the kindness he possessed."
All the attendees mourned for Hagrid for a second before McGonagall took Shacklebolt's place on the altar and cleared her throat as she began her eulogy to Hagrid.
"When I had first met Rubeus Hagrid, I knew that he possessed a kind and brave heart. Though at times he was aggressive and emotional, he was also very courageous and knew to stand up for himself and his friends." McGonagall said. "In many ways, Hagrid represented the best of us and worked very hard every day to ensure the students at Hogwarts were happy. I can't imagine how the school will be now that he's gone." McGonagall continued with her eulogy as she tried to fight back the tears. "During these difficult times, Hagrid helped us get through the hardest days and kept us going forward. Even though his heart wasn't always at the right place, he always cared for the students and his colleagues and showcased his bravery when we were fighting against Lord Voldemort. Hagrid played an internal part to this school and his warmth, compassion and courage should never be forgotten. I think it would disgraceful to his memory if we do not preserve his memory every day and remember the kind-hearted man Hagrid was. I'm going to..." McGonagall suddenly stopped as she felt the flood of tears bursting through her eyes.
As the attendees continued to mourn for Hagrid's loss, McGonagall swallowed her throat and took a deep breath. "I'm going to miss him very much."
When McGonagall finished her eulogy, all the people who attended Hagrid's funeral stood up and embraced each other and began sharing their memories of Hagrid. Harry and Ginny met up with Ron and Hermoine and embraced each other.
"Bloody hell, I still can't believe he's gone." Ron sadly said as he embraced Harry.
"Me too, Ron." Harry told his friend.
While Ginny and Hermoine embraced each other, Harry noticed his young son, Albus Severus, standing beside Hagrid's graveyard, and appeared in front of him, comforting him.
"Hagrid always told me about your relationship with him, dad." Albus told his father. "I just wish he was still here now."
"Albus, listen." Harry told his son as he placed his hand on his son's shoulder and looked into his eyes. "I will always remember the day Hagrid brought me to Privet Drive and changed my life. I owe a lot to him. If it wasn't for him, I would not have learned that I was a wizard and learned more about the wizarding world. I hope somewhere out there, Hagrid is still watching over us and he's very proud of you just as I am."
"Really?" Albus asked.
"Yeah. These are the times when a person is facing one of his greatest losses in life. I faced it when I lost my parents and Dumbledore, but we need to keep moving forward and learn from these losses. Hagrid taught me a lot of things in life and I will always be grateful for these lessons." Harry said.
Harry then hugged his son tightly and kissed him on his head as he looked at his friend's graveyard. Though the wounds left by Hagrid's death were still open, Harry knew that his friends and family still needed him more than ever and that he wouldn't let Hagrid's death affect him for the rest of his life.
"Goodbye, my friend. I hope you're at peace now, wherever you are."
And that's the end of the story. I know I should have released it when Coltrane died in October 14th, but I hope I did my best here. Also, I'm not very good at eulogies and it's the first time I made a tribute to someone who passed away.
I once wrote a Harry Potter fanfiction that was essentially an adaptation of the first Harry Potter film, but I had to delete it because I wasn't satisfied with it and it was very unoriginal.
Let me know your thoughts on this story and I hope you enjoyed it. Stay safe everyone and take care.