Chapter Fifty Four

Harry didn't dress in his white robes. He could tell people it was because of respect; Dumbledore showed no sign of following the old ways and was a great advocate for muggle ways, black would be more respectful.

Draco, Neville, Pansy and Daphne had all made the same choice, dressed in neat, expensive black robes. They all looked as though they could have been going to a business meeting.

Harry noticed that there weren't any white robes from his family, although several other students were wearing theirs.

Madam Maxime was there, standing close to Fleur and Hagrid. She kept dabbing her eyes with a black lace handkerchief that was as large as a small hand towel.

Hundreds of chairs had been set out in neat rows, many of which were already filled when Harry walked down towards the lake, surrounded by his friends and family.

Danica couldn't walk yet. She sat in a small, hovering chair looking very small and lost. Kreacher had hand sewn a new dress for her, with long black lace sleeves and floor length skirt. She said it had made her feel a little more normal, one of the rare occasions she had reacted at all since being hurt.

Harry slid into a free row of seats, managing to slip passed the Minister for Magic and his group of other officials that had been there to show their respects.

Lily sat on one side, Nikka on the other. Remus was sticking very close to Danica since her attack, neither of them had even noticed until Draco pointed it out. Tonks said it wasn't surprising, they were siblings now, in a way.

There was a flower covered aisle in the middle of the seats that led up to a marble table. The sadness filled the air, you could almost feel it. Dumbledore had been loved and respected and was now sorely missed.

Harry wondered what it would be like if he had still felt even an inch of respect for Dumbledore before he'd died. Would he be sitting here crying, like so many others were, or would he be feeling as numb as he was now?

The heads of houses led the other students to their seats in four neat rows. Professor Sprout looked flawless, without a single patch on her hat in deep yellow and black robes. Slughorn made a point to pat Harry on the shoulder as he led the Slytherins passed them, wearing magnificent emerald green robes with silver thread embroidery.

McGonagall and Flitwick were dressed in deep, slightly sparkling, black. Both of them looking very regal as they hurried their students along. McGonagall took the time to come over to Harry and check he was all right.

He'd nodded and said he was fine, even though he felt anything but.

All of the seats were filled now, several people already sobbing loudly. Their sadness was soon drowned out however, as the merpeople from the lake rose to just below the surface, singing a hauntingly beautiful song that covered the rows and rows of people.

"It's beautiful." Danica said softly, "Do you ever think I'll be able to go swimming again?"

"Yes, baby." Lily promised her.

Danica smiled blankly, trying to hide a wince as she turned to face her mother slightly more, "I'm going to swim with the merpeople one day, then."

Hagrid stepped forward, walking slowly down the aisle, carrying Dumbledore's body, draped in rich, purple velvet.

He laid Dumbledore on on the marble table and walked back down the aisle, his eyes almost swollen shut from crying so much.

Harry felt his heart harden even more against the deceased headmaster. He hated Dumbledore for what he'd done to Danica, and how he was hurting everyone else as well. There was a horrible thought at the back of his mind, that even when they could tell the world the truth, no one would believe him that Dumbledore had been a monster.

The selfish and cruel man would always be viewed as a saint.

Harry could just about see a tufty-haired man in plain black robes step forwards and stand in front of Dumbledore's body.

They were too far back to really hear what was being said, and Harry wasn't listening, zoning out as all that was being said was the normal stuff.

"Nobility of spirit… intellectual contribution… greatness of heart…"

None of it meant anything, not really. Whatever goodness Dumbledore had brought to the world was shattered and irrelevant when he'd chosen to trick Lily and sacrifice Danica. Nothing would ever change Harry's mind on that.

Harry glanced over to the forest, seeing the centaurs standing at the edge of the trees, also paying their respects.

Centaurs were meant to be great fortune tellers. Did they know the truth about what Dumbledore did? Harry had a feeling that they knew, they just were able to take a step back and see the bigger picture, something that Harry was unable to do over this.

The man finally stopped talking and bowed deeply to Dumbledore's resting place before taking his seat. No one moved.

Harry gasped as the marble bust into pure white flames, the smoke swirling into strange shapes before their eyes.

Then, as quickly as it had started, the flames died, leaving a solid marble cover to the tomb.

It had been a perfect send off for Dumbledore. Dramatic and heartfelt with at least a thousand people gathered around. It was the sort of funeral that helped no one move on but no one would ever forget.

Harry didn't bother hanging around; he needed to get changed and make it to the second funeral of the day.

This time, they all dressed in white and this time Harry really did feel like a piece of him was missing as he walked slowly back out of the castle, Daphne, Pansy and Draco with him.

Hermione had managed to find a white dress, although it was more of a party dress than robes but Harry smiled at her and gave her a hug.

The chairs and aisle had been cleared away from earlier that day, leaving just the marble coffin breaking the view.

Harry ignored it, walking round to the edge of the forest where Lucius was waiting with a dozen or so others.

Remus and Tonks sat with Danica, Nikka and Kreacher, talking quietly next to them. Alice and Frank were holding tightly to their children, including Neville, and talking to Lily. Lily spotted them and came over to Harry, giving him a hug before leading him over to a deep hole, lined with green silk.

Dobby stood at the entrance to the hole, tears rolling down his cheeks in never ending streams.

"Harry Potter… thanking you for coming. Thanking you alls." Dobby said with a loud sniff.

Harry took his place around the grave, kneeling on the warm soil as Dobby asked them to.

Dobby clicked his fingers and a neatly dressed Petal appeared, floating beside him. She was dressed in a white gown that fitted her perfectly, with small puffed sleeves that flowed down to her wrists. The white silk was covered in tiny falling petals embroidered in gold thread.

Dobby let out a loud sob and ran his fingers over the hem of the dress, "Petal was a good Mother. She loves me, I loves her. Too soon was she stolen froms us, but she dies fighting for her beloved families."

Petal moved to over the pit, floating peacefully over the grave, looking just like she was sleeping.

"We gives mother clothes, so she will now be forever frees." Dobby continued, "She was a good house elf, a loyal house elf. There are peoples who should be here… who… who…"

Dobby broke down into tears.

Lucius placed a comforting hand on Dobby's back and cleared his throat, "Petal was the first house elf I ever 'owned' myself. I never viewed it as being owned; she was family and I loved her as such. She came with Narcissa when we married and she made my over-large and foreboding house a home. We will never forget her, nor stop missing the hole she has left in our hearts and lives."

Dobby hugged Lucius's arm and sobbed.

No one moved, they sat waiting for Dobby to sit up and wiped his eyes on his t-shirt.

"I is sorry." Dobby sniffed.

"You don't have to be sorry." Lily said, handing him a handkerchief.

Dobby took it and blew his nose before taking a deep breath, "We must all holds hands."

Harry took Draco and Lily's hands and looked at Petal, still floating in front of them.

"It is nice, to says something about Petal, to says go… good… goodbyes." Dobby said, barely able to stop himself from breaking into tears again.

"Petal was the one who would bring us tea and shortbread, after our greatest losses." Lucius said, crying slightly himself now, "She always did make the best shortbread."

Harry listened as they went around the circle.

"Petal helped me learn to horse ride when I was embarrassed to start my lessons, in case I fell off." Draco said, smiling at the memory.

"Petal never cared what mischief we got up to." Neville shrugged, "She even came up with a few of our pranks, while we were at school."

"Petal made me feel at home, even when I was little and didn't act properly." Danica said, wiping tears from her face, "I promised I would go for a walk with her next time we could visit."

"Petal was…" Harry didn't know which memory to say, "I don't know which memory to pick, there are so many wonderful memories I have of her as a truly wonderful person. But the feeling I have most of her, is that Petal was like sunshine."

The memories continued and Petal slowly descended into her grave, until she was resting softly on the ground.

Dobby clicked his fingers and the dirt from the walls slowly cascaded over Petal's body, leaving a neat mound with them all sitting around, hands linked.

"I wants to comes home." Dobby said softly, the sun setting slightly behind them, "Nots forevers… just for a little bits?"

"Dobby you are always welcome at home." Lucius said kindly.

They slowly dispersed, Danica was starting to get cold and needed to have her bandages changed. Alice and Frank said their goodbyes and walked Neville, Matthew and Thomas back to their dorm before apparating home with the twins.

Harry, eventually was left alone, saying he just needed a few minutes more and then he'd be in. He would head in, he just needed a few minutes of quiet before everything got so busy again.

His trunks were packed already, sitting in the hospital wing. It would be just Draco and him that evening, Danica would be spending her last night for a while at Grimmauld Place, having asked to be allowed just one more night in her old bed. Madam Pomfrey said it might help her get back to normal in her head, and it was only one night.

It was still warm, although there was now a cold breeze coming off the lake. It rustled through the trees and made Harry feel instantly calm. He waked over to the marble tome and laid a hand on the cold stone.

"I… I wish I could forgive you." Harry said, "But I'm not sure I ever will. Danica is alive… unlike you. I watched you die… or rather I heard it and I hate you for that, as well as everything else. Was it worth it? I'm going to find the Horcruxes, but not for you; for Danica. I thought about not doing it, just letting Voldemort win… to spite you… but there is every chance that she's a werewolf now and… and Voldemort's world will be no good for her. So I'll do the right thing and then… I will tell everyone what you did, even if you died before they knew, they will know that you aren't a hero. Petal was the hero that night, she died trying to stop Gemini from using her, something that you just let happen. Mark my words, because I promise you, I will see this tomb, this empty, meaningless symbol, destroyed."

Harry walked away, wave after wave of exhaustion crashing over him as he made he way slowly to the castle.

Cho was waiting for him, just inside the doorway.

"I ran into Hermione, she said you were still out here." Cho explained, linking hands with him, "I thought you might need a hug?"

"Not really." Harry shrugged, "I mean, hugs are always good but… right now I feel like… I'm resigned to it all, I guess. Five stages of grief and all that."

"We're going to get through this." Cho said, raising her hand to his face.

"Yeah, we always do, right?" Harry smiled.

Cho blushed, "I… I meant us, we are going to make it through this." she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small velvet pouch, handing it to Harry.

Harry opened it pulling out a ring, "Cho I…"

"I don't mean to steal your thunder, and not saying you would propose in the future because it's very early but… I want you to know that I'm yours. This is what this is- a promise ring." Cho explained.

Harry slipped it onto his finger, "Thank you. I'm yours as well. I can't pretend that I've not thought about asking you, it's just…"

"It's too early." Cho nodded, "I know that."

Harry kissed her, "Thank you."

He watched her walk away as they went to their own rooms for the night. He felt far happier than he felt he should of under the current circumstances, but he just couldn't be filled with despair with her ring pressed on his finger.