Mischief Managed
It was the most beautiful summer's day. On the lawns around the Burrow bloomed lilies of the valley and pansies while robins sang in the trees. The wheather was just as beautiful as it had been at Dumbledore's funeral at the lake and Harry thought, while they were sitting there, that Fred Weasley deserved just as big a funeral as Dumbledore's. The Weasleys had their own little graveyard close to the field where he had played Quidditch with Fred so often, on a small clearing in an idyllic grove. Most of the graves were old, but fresh flowers bloomed on all of them, as the Weasleys didn't forget their dead. Although there were many funerals in these sad days, a lot of people had come to say farewell. Harry's old team was there, Wood, Katie, and Angelina, who quietly cried at Alicia's shoulder, just like Lee Jordan and other friends of Fred and George. Verity, their shop assistant had come to pay her respects, together with the red-haired Weasley relatives led by Aunt Muriel, who wide-eyedly stared at the Minister for Magic sitting next to Hagrid with a grave face.
Harry was seated in the second row between Hermione and Ginny, next to Ron, Percy and his girlfriend Penelope, behind the rest of the Weasleys: Mr. and Mrs. Weasley who sat to both sides of George, and Bill, Fleur, and Charlie. Fred's simple oaken coffin was placed next to the grave, and as a light breeze made the black cloth above it move, Harry felt his throat tighten and cursed the injustice of the world: why was Fred dead, Fred, who had made so many people laugh, who had always been eager to make everything a bit better for everyone around him with his never-ending creaticitiy and happiness?
When the little wizard who had also performed Dumbledore's funeral and Bill and Fleur's wedding stepped slowly to the coffin, Ginny slipped her hand in his and grabbed him so tight that he could feel her fingernails pierce him. On his other side, Hermione did the same and leaned against Ron's shoulder. Ron's eyes were wet, while Harry felt as if he had no tears left. In front of them, George's parents put their arms around him.
''Fred Weasley was a truly extraordinary person'', the tiny wizard said quietly and loud at the same time. ''An extraordinary son, brother, and friend. He devoted his entire life to making other people laugh. To make them happy. This is a rare gift for which we all will miss him even more in these hard times of grief and sadness.''
Hagrid snorted into his handkerchief loudly.
''Darkness has passed, but Fred Weasley will not see the new, bright world of light, although he gave his life for it, and that leaves us here alone, without him. But a part of him remains within everyone of us who knew and loved him: in his jokes, in his deeds, in his laugh.''
Quietly crying, Ginny leaned her head on Harry's shoulder.
''Fred wasn't only witty and funny, he was also brave. A true Gryffindor. He did not have to fight, but he did it without hesitation, because he knew he was fighting for a better world than the one we had to face last year. With him, we lose an amazing, wonderful person who charmed everbody that had the privilege to get to know him.''
Now Harry couldn't stop the tears any more, they ran down his face slowly and unstoppable, falling on Ginnys hair.
''Remember him and smile, because that is what he always wanted, and remember him and the big sacrifice he made, the biggest of them all, when you have to decide between what is easy and what is right. Remember Fred.''
The tiny wizard was quiet for a moment, then he moved his wand elegantly and Fred's coffin slowly glided into the grave. One after another, they rose from their chairs and stepped to the grave to leave a rose, George being the first, followed by his parents. Harry meant to let Ginny go ahead of him, but she didn't let go of his hand and so he knew that she wanted him by her side which made it a bit less terrifying to step forward to that deep hole, deep like the hole in him where Fred had been before.
''I'll never forget you, Fred'', Ginny said hoarsely. ''I'll never forget how often you made Mum made, or how mad I was at you when you died my doll's hair. Even Ron never managed to make me that furious.''
She cried quietly.
''I miss you, Fred, I miss you so much, you bloody idiot. You made me who I am. You'll always be my brother.''
Harry waited, but Ginny seemed to have said her part and when she slowly let her white rose fall into the grave he realised that it was his turn now.
''Thanks for everything, Fred'', he said, but that didn't seem to be enough. ''I'll never forget how you had that stupid beard, or how we put that gnome on the christmas tree.''
Again, there was this big thing in his throat.
''I am so sorry, Fred. I wish I had stopped it. I wish I had been done one day earlier. I'll never forget you, I promise.''
He let go of the rose and they stepped aside for Percy and Penelope and hugged the others. None of them accused him, but deep inside he knew that it was all his fault: if he had finished the damn task one day earlier, Fred would still be alive, just like Lupin, Tonks, and all the others.
Most people had left immediately after the funeral, but some took the opportunity to say farewell to Fred at his grave by saying a couple of words and shaking the Weasley's hands. Angelina was sobbing so desperately that Alicia and Katie had to hold her up. The parts of Hagrid's face that weren't hidden behind his thick beard were swollen and red of tears. Kingsley drew a red phoenox feather out of his cloak and let it fall on the coffin before he hugged all of them. Finally, when they had all paid Fred their respect, the tiny wizard softly swung his wand and the pile of earth next to the grave filled it, leaving a smooth hillock. He whispered a quiet charm and a beautiful red stone appeared on top of it that said under a rising phoenix:
Fred Septimus Weasley
born 1 April 1978
died 2 May 1998
Mischief Managed.
Harry looked over to George who smiled sadly under his tears. For a while they remained standing at the grave until Bill put his arm around Fleurs shoulders and led her back to the Burrow, followed by the others. Ginny was still holding his hand, but Harry freed himself and then laid his arm around her, just like Bill had done with Fleur.
''I wasn't sure if you'd be here'', she said quietly, rubbing away her tears forcefully. ''I thought you'd bury yourself at Grimmauld Place or God knows where, and that you'd never come out again.''
She knew him too well.
''I did, but I had to come. I owed it to your brother.''
- ''He was your brother too.''
She picked at his dark wizard's robes.
''This suits you well, you know. Perhaps you should wear these more often.''
- ''But for happier occasions'', he said feebly.
In the Burrow's garden, Ron and Charlie had placed tables and banks for everbody. When the last people arrived from the graveyard, Bill and Fleur had already distributed tea for all of them. Harry found himself between Ginny and Ron, whose shoulder he patted shortly before sitting down. Hermione was on Ron's other side, looking into the depths of her tea cup.
''You look like Trelawney'', Ron said with half a smile.
''It's too soon to laugh again'', she answered quietly and leaned on his shoulder again. In that moment, a gnome hurried across the lawn next to their table and disappeared in the blackberry bushes at the fence.
''What was that about, what you said at the grave? With the gnome an the christmas tree?'', Ginny asked quietly.
Harry shared a sad smile with Ron. ''That was two years ago. It had bitten Fred on the ankle when he pulled up carrots for christmas dinner, so we stunned him and put him up there. George gave him the lovely wings.''
- ''I didn't know.''
- '' 'course not'', Ron said. ''You were busy bombing the living room with lametta.''
George suddenly smiled. ''D'you remeber when we showed Harry how to degnome the garden?''
- ''Didn't he get bitten and then nearly threw the poor guy up to London?'', Ron grinned. ''That's still the record, I think.''
Lee leaned over to them. ''Are you sharing your best memories, or what?''
He looked at George who shrugged. ''Go on, maybe it helps.''
- ''When you sent me that toilet seat to the hospital wing at the end of the first year'', Harry said immediately. Mr. Weasley was listening carefully, he noticed.
''How you left Hogwarts'', Hermione said, leaving Ron's shoulder. ''I'll never forget Umbridge's face. That was priceless.''
- ''That swamp was better'', Ron said.
''Did Filch really have to bring people to class by boat because of that?'', Bill asked and the all nodded happily. Ginny cleared her throat. ''Anyway, the best thing ever was when you transfigured Ron's teddy into a spider.'' Ron made a face while the others laughed quietly.
Wood stopped wolfing down chocolate cake. ''All the stuff you did during Quidditch practice. Preteding to fall off your brooms. Aiming badgers at each other. Stuffing pimple powder in the cloaks. You were the best beaters in the entire school, but you made me completely mad.''
- ''Believe me, Oliver, there are definitely worse beaters'', Angelina laughed, rubbing away her tears. ''You'd have murdered Jack Sloper and Andrew Kirke after one week of practice with them.'' She looked at Harry. ''How's your team now?''
- ''It's not my team any more'', Harry said, but Ginny waved that away energically.
''Of course it is. There was no Cup last year.''
She looked around. ''Guess what? We should play Quidditch.''
- ''Ginny'', Mrs. Weasley sighed deeply. ''Do you really think that is a good idea?''
Ginny bit her lip, but George rose from his place. ''Damn it, let's play. Fred would approve'', he added and Mrs. Weasley shared a look with her husband and didn't argue with him.
''And you'll all come with us, some fun will be good for you'', Bill said and pulled his mother to her feet.
In the Weasley's broom shed were enough broomsticks for all of them who wanted to play, although some of them had seen their best years long ago. Harry found himself holding Mr. Weasley's old Cleansweep Five which hadn't been flown for ten years.
''How do we make teams?'', Ron asked.
''Easy'', Wood said. ''Old team against new team.''
- ''Okay'', Harry said. ''But we keep Katie.''
- ''And who do we get?'', Angelina asked critically.
''Percy'', Charlie said, grinning widely.
Percy winced. ''Eh, I never said I'd...''
George pressed a Comet Two-Forty against his brother's chest. ''No protest accepted here, Perce. Come on, you won't fall down.''
Sighing deeply, Percy accepted his fate. They played six to six, without badgers and beaters, but with snitch and seekers, for Ginny finally wanted to know whether Harry or Charlie was better: Wood, George, Angelina, Alicia, Charlie, and Percy against Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Bill, Katie, and Harry. Hermione and Percy were both abysmally bad, so teams were evenly strong. The others sat down at the side of the field, only Lee Jordan ran around on his feet while he was commenting the game.
They played for over an hour, and afterwards they were all dirty and dented, but they laughed and felt reasonably better. Harry had caught the snitch out of pure luck, as it had come out of a beech's branches while he was passing it. Charlie had spotted it immediately, but his hasty dive on his broom had been to late and had only resulted in Percy falling off his broom one foot over the ground which had made everyone laugh, even Mrs. Weasley. They marched back the Burrow together where Bill poured everyone a glass of firewhisky which drank on Fred.
When the sun disappeared on the horizon, the guests went home one after onother, until only the Weasleys, Hermione, and Harry remained. Percy and Penelope were already gone, for he had to be back at the office early in the morning, as he told them pompuously. Bill and Fleur were the next to go.
''I have to get back to work tomorrow, too'', he told his father and nodded over to where the others sat. ''I need to help cleaning up the mess this three made in the bank.''
Not long after them, the others went to bed, but before Ginny left, she kissed Harry softly on the cheek. Only the three of them stayed in the garden and Ron opened his mouth, undoubtedly to ask him about Ginny, but Harry forestalled him.
''Did you find your parents, Hermione?''
She nodded. ''Yes, it wasn't hard to get to them. We came back home yesterday.''
- ''How did they react?''
Hermione picked at her bushy hair. ''Well, you can imagine that they weren't exactly happy that I moved out of the country and erased their memories, but they know I did it to protect them.''
- ''It'll be fine'', Ron said confidently.
''What do we do now, Harry?'', Hermione asked.
He laughed. ''Why do you ask me?''
She snorted like a dragon. ''Because you know more than Ron and me. Ron's Dad told us that you've been at the ministry yesterday.''
Harry nodded, pulled the papers out of his cloak and aimed his wand at them.
''Engorgio.''
Of course, Hermione started reading them immediately, while Ron only waved with his.
''What are these?''
- ''Kingsley wants us to become aurors'', Harry answered. ''To get the remaining Death Eaters behind bars. At least until the new term starts, in case we want to return.''
- ''Dunno'', Ron muttered. ''Haven't we left school behind us?''
He scrolled through the contract.
''Fifty galleons per week?!"
His mouth stood open as he imagined that amount of money.
''Shut it, before a midge gets in'', Hermione said absently.
Harry looked at her and said: ''You don't want to do it.''
She responded to his look in the same critical manner. ''And you've already said yes.''
He nodded. ''Without talking to us about it?'', she asked taken aback.
''This is a decision every one of us needs to make on his own'', Harry said quietly. ''Personally, I know it's not over until every Death Eater is in Azkaban.''
- ''I know that, too'', Hermione replied sharply. ''But the ministry can do that on its own. That's what they have aurors for. We are no aurors, Harry - we have no idea how to catch dark wizards, we're only good at surviving.''
Harry made a face. ''I said something like that to Kingsley when he proposed it.''
- ''So, why did you say yes if you agree with me?''
- ''Because he thinks we can help, and if Kingsley thinks so, I trust his judgement.''
- ''You really don't want to do it?'', Ron said and looked at her unbelievingly.
''No, Ron, I don't. I think we've done enough already. More than enough. We've been risking our lives for the better part of seven years and we've nearly died a dozen times, and I just feel that it's enough now. I want to live my life without having to look over my shoulder the whole time. Remember Mad-Eye. I don't want to end like that.''
- ''Me neither'', Harry said. ''But as long as there are Death Eaters out there, I have to look over my shoulder, because I highly doubt that they ever want to make friends with me.''
- ''And once there are no Death Eaters left? Do you think it's over then? Do you think, there won't be criminals after them?''
Harry shrugged. ''After them...I dunno. But until August I'll do my best to see them in jail.''
Hermione shook her head what made her hair fly around her. ''I understand you, Harry. I really do. But this time, you have to do it without me. I need to be there for my parents now, and I'll definitely go back to Hogwarts. I want to take my NEWTs, because I think that we should finish our education before we enter work life.''
- ''I'm in, mate'', Ron simply said. ''When do we start?''
Hermione sighed deeply. ''I suspected as much. You'll both die and I'll die old and lonely.''
- ''You'll find someone better than Ron, I guess'', Harry grinned. ''Besides, nothing will happen to me. Remember what Trelawney told us in our fifth year? I'll be old as the hills, minister for magic and father of twenty children.''
- ''She only said that because you've made that interview'', Hermione said, but she laughed.
''And you really don't want to go back?''
Harry shrugged again and scratched his scar. ''I dunno, Hermione. For me, Hogwarts is...tainted. From the battle. I don't think I'll ever be able to walk through that corridor on the seventh floor again without remembering that Fred died there. Or that I can ever have breakfast again in the Great Hall where I saw Lupin and Tonks.''
- ''You mean that same Great Hall where you finished him, right?'', Ron asked.
Harry sighed. ''What about you? D'you want to go back?''
Ron scratched his long nose. ''I need to figure that out. It's quite cool, being of age and all that, and we could be aurors, just like that. But if Hermione goes back, I'll have to go to, I guess.''
Hermione kissed his cheek. ''That, Ronald Weasley, was the second-most romantic thing you've ever said.''