Chapter 31

The Funeral

I woke up that morning and sighed, resting my head on Draco's chest. That day was the day of Professor Dumbledore's funeral, and the day we all left Hogwarts.

All my things were packed and on the train already. The Hogwarts Express was leaving an hour after the funeral, which was right after breakfast ended.

I cast a Tempus Charm and saw it was five in the morning, I started getting up when Draco grabbed my waist, moaning into my hair.

"Come on, Han, it's early." he whispered sleepily "You still have time to have your shower and style your hair and everything."

I yawned, letting Draco pull me back into the bed as he wrapped me in his arms again. "Fine, but if I oversleep, it's on your ass."

Draco smirked, kissing my neck "Don't worry, Hannah, I won't let you oversleep." he promised.

I sighed and let my eyes close again. "Wake me up with enough time to take a shower." I said sleepily before letting myself relax.

It seemed I had slept for mere minutes when Draco was gently taking his arm from around my waist.

I stirred, wanting to stay asleep for a little while longer, especially since it was in a Hogwarts bed and the next night I'd be miles away from the blond.

"Come on, Hannah, time to get up."

"Five more minutes." I muttered sleepily.

"Come on, Oreo, you wanted a shower, didn't you?" Draco asked.

I sighed, opening my eyes and sitting up. "Fine, I'm up." I said, collecting my shirt and putting it on. "I have to head to my dorm to shower and change. I laid out my funeral garb on my bed." I explained, kissing Draco quickly and rushing out of the dorm to shower and change.

I blew my hair dry and had Pansy braid it, tying my hair together with my black hair scrunchie.

I flipped my long braid over my shoulder as I slipped into my black dress.

It wasn't anything like the dress I wore to Slughorn's Christmas party, but believe it or not, it was.

I Transfigured my dress to make me look less sexy and more conservative for the funeral. I added sleeves and made it end around my knees.

When I zipped it up, I put my braid back behind me as I added a light coat of makeup as I fastened the silver necklace Draco gave me in fourth year around my neck and clasped on the snake bracelet that Draco gave me after our first term ended.

I slipped on some pantyhose and toed in some black ballet flats and I was ready to go.

All of us in the dorm didn't say a word as we got ready. There was time to talk after the funeral, when we were on the train to go home.

It's a good thing I borrowed Monique's waterproof makeup. I thought, heading down to the common room to wait for Draco. Something told me I was going to be doing a lot of crying that day.

Well, duh! Today's the day of your Headmaster's funeral, you dumbass! I thought to myself as Draco came down from the boys' dorm, dressed in a typical black suit.

"Well, shall we?" Draco asked, holding out his arm with a sombre expression.

I nodded, taking it "We shall." I said, smiling slightly to myself at the memory of him doing that very deed when we first met on the train in first year.

No one was talking much at breakfast, no one was really eating. They were all just sitting there, picking at their food not talking to anyone.

Snape's seat was empty…and so was Professor Dumbledore's throne like chair in the middle of the staff table.

They were both gone. The latter was dead, and the previous had committed the murder of the latter as Draco and I watched.

"Things will never be the same again." I said quietly, looking down at my breakfast. "With Dumbledore gone, it'll be only a matter of time until…" I paused, too scared to continue.

"Until he takes over." Draco finished for me in a stony tone, but I swore I heard a slight quiver in his voice. "When that day comes, no one will be safe."

"If that day comes." I corrected, my face draining of colour.

"Here's hoping you're right." Draco said, wrapping an arm around my shoulder.

"I don't want that day to come." I whispered.

"I know." Draco muttered as Blaise muttered the same thing to Ivy, who was in the same position as me with Blaise.

Ivy was wearing a pair of black dress pants and a black dress shirt. I guess she wasn't all into the whole dress up thing.

McGonagall rose from her seat next to the vacant throne "It's nearly time." she announced. "Houses please follow your heads out onto the grounds. Gryffindors after me."

McGonagall started out of the Hall, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Dominique following her with the rest of the Gryffindors.

Professor Sprout rose next, and so did the Hufflepuffs (I teared up quietly, every Hufflepuff bar She-Cat.), following her out onto the grounds.

Flitwick rose next, Sheila and the Ravenclaws following his lead out onto the grounds (Sheila's lizard, Fireball looked just darling in his black suit.)

And finally, Professor Slughorn rose and so did the Slytherins (and Ivy.), following him out onto the grounds as Sheila stood back to wait for me.

"It's so sad." she said, tears falling already down her cheeks "Who will protect us now from him?"

I shrugged "I guess Harry and I got to." I whispered as Fireball flew onto my shoulder and handed me a tissue. "Thanks, Fireball." I said, wiping my already teary eyes as the five of us took seats with Luna Lovegood and her cousin Archemedies.

"Hello, everyone." Luna said sombrely.

"Hi, Luna." Ivy, Sheila and I said together as we took our seats around the front row of glistening white chairs that gleamed in the late May sun. it was almost like the weather was taunting us for our loss.

"It's odd that it would be sunny on such a sad day." Luna commented. "I guess the Nargles had something to do with that."

"Or because Dumbledore was a very sunny person." Sheila said, shrugging.

I was just about to answer when in came Hagrid holding a mess of stars and crescent moons stitched into a robe.

"Why is Hagrid carrying Dumbledore's body?" I whispered as Hagrid let Dumbledore down gently before taking out his tablecloth handkerchief and dabbing his eyes.

"It's wizarding tradition." Draco whispered to me "We did it when my grandfather Aberaxas died."

"Oh," I said as a wizard with twine-like hair came and stood in front of the pillar where Dumbledore's body rested.

He started by telling of the many things that Dumbledore did in his life, which I mostly tuned out by the number of people that were there.

There was Ernie, the driver of the Knight Bus; the lead singer from the band the Weird Sisters, Dolores Umbridge (I growled when I saw her, nodding in her direction when Draco turned to me.); the Minister for Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour; the old Minister, Cornelius Fudge; not to mention all the professors and old students of Hogwarts and the people who worked on the Hogwarts Express. There was literally, a wizard from every continent there to pay their respects to Dumbledore.

I couldn't help but giggle a little when the twine-haired guy listed Dumbledore's favourite words "Nitwit, Blubber, Oddment," and "Tweak".

I mean, what was the matter with him? Even to this day I don't know.

I heard a splash by the Black Lake. The mermaids had showed up for the funeral. As did Hagrid's enormous half brother, Gwarp, who with his head bowed and in a shaggy black suit, looked more human that I had ever seen him.

Suddenly, there was a large dark cloud of arrows that fell down around us. Draco grabbed my wrist and pulled me under our seats as an arrow struck where I was not sitting three seconds prior.

I looked over to the Forest and the remnants of Hagrid's cabin. The centaurs were standing at the edge of it with their bows out.

"They were paying their respects to Dumbledore." I whispered, turning to a stunned Draco.

"You think so?" Draco whispered, pulling me back up as I snatched an arrow from my seat and sitting back down.

"It's not what I think…it's what I know." I said, observing the arrow. "You know, I've always wanted to learn to shoot one of these." I said as the twine-haired guy started the final rites for Dumbledore.

"Surprise, surprise." Draco said sarcastically. "You with your constant violence, I had thought you'd wanted a cheerleading uniform and a set of pom-poms." (Let's just say I had expressed a desire beforehand to learn to shoot a bow and arrow.)

The twine-haired guy stepped back from the podium as it was raised up into the sky.

White sparks started coming from around Dumbledore's body as more arrows were shot into the air. The mermaids started singing a mournful song as the sparks enveloped the entire scene.

"Is this another wizard's tradition?" I asked, turning to Draco, who shrugged.

"We didn't have this at Grandfather Aberaxas's funeral!" he called as the sparks cleared away.

"Wizard funerals are scary." I said as I looked at where the podium on which Dumbledore's body lay was.

It wasn't there. Instead, it was replaced with a large white marble tomb.

"The funeral has ended." the twine-haired guy said to us all. "You are dismissed."

I stood up, turning to Draco after I looked at the white tomb where Dumbledore's body laid "It's official, that was the weirdest funeral I ever attended."

"The only funeral you ever attended." Ivy corrected.

"Whatever!" I snapped, walking down to the Forest and having a swooping feeling that something bad was going to happen. And not to me, to my owl.

Now, don't get me wrong, I love Gwendolyn more than anything, so, believe me when I say that I had to give her up…just until the danger passed.

Because, to be brutally honest, I had a sickening feeling that I wouldn't be able to return to Hogwarts the next September.

I turned to Draco. "Draco?" I asked.

"Hmm?" he asked.

"I have a bad feeling that something bad is going to happen to Gwen." I admitted. "I also have a hunch that it involves me not returning to Hogwarts." I added, lowering my head.

"Yeah, and?" he asked.

"Could you…could you maybe keep her safe for me?" I asked, looking up at him with pleading eyes "Just until this whole mess gets sorted out."

Draco smirked and took me around the waist "You know I would." he said with a smile.

I grinned "Thank you. She'll be on the platform." I said.

"Han, I gotta talk to you." Ivy said, walking away from Blaise.

I nodded, turning to Draco again "I'll see you on the train." I said, walking off with Ivy to what I knew was going to be a long winded conversation.