Kurt sat on the bench that overlooked the whomping willow, sandwiched between Charlie and Hermione. They moved in sync, taking long thoughtful drags of their cigarettes and exhaling lazy clouds of smoke. It was the last day of sixth year and they had one last task to complete before beginning their summer vacation, Kurt had been dreading this for the whole year but he had to eulogise Professor Dumbledore.

"It's kind of sad, isn't it?"

"Yes," Charlie threw his arm over Kurt, Pulling him into a hug, "Professor-"

Hermione shook her head, "That's not what he means."

"What does he mean then?"

"I don't know," she shrugged, "But Kurt doesn't think the death of his mentor is 'kind of sad'."

"I guess you don't know him as well as you think because he thinks Professor Dumbledore's death is kind of funny."

"Kurt is not an unfeeling robot," Hermione sniped back in his defence, "he is deeply moved."

Charlie shook his head, "he's probably sad that there's something Dumbledore never told him."

"You're both wrong," Kurt interjected. They stared at him, "I still speak for myself and as hot as jealousy is on Charles, this bores me."

"Yes Charles…" Kurt glared at Hermione and her voice died out, "Charlie?" he nodded his approval, "right. Hipster Weasley, you bore Kurt."

"Only Kurt calls me Charles," the young man stuck out his tongue like a child, "it's special."

"It's your name."

Kurt rolled his eyes, "as I was saying, it's kind of sad that Professor Dumbledore is being buried here at Hogwarts. It kind of cements the idea that he had no life outside of Hogwarts, none of the other Headmasters are buried here."

"Not even the founders?"

"No," Charlie shuddered, "Rowena Ravenclaw's skeleton is still very much intact in her family crypt not too far from here. A bleached skeleton with nothing but her clothes and minimal jewellery, very tasteful."

Hermione gaped at him, "Are you a grave robber in your spare time?"

"No," Charlie crossed his arms, "but Druella possibly thinks I'm a necrophiliac."

Kurt took his boyfriend's hand in his, "I promise you, she doesn't think of you."

"I'm not sure if that's comforting or hurtful."

"Hurtful," Hermione chuckled, "you're a non-factor in her life, not even an obstacle in her dream of Kurt and Goyle ending up together."

"Andromeda called me handsome," Charlie shrugged, "your grandmother can't take that away with her indifference."

"So," Hermione narrowed her gaze, "other than making Druella think less of Kurt, why would she know anything about you exhuming Rowena Ravenclaw?"

"I didn't exhume her," Charlie rolled his eyes, "It's a crypt; she wasn't buried."

"That doesn't answer my question," Hermione smiled condescendingly.

"Rowena Ravenclaw isn't the only dead person I've seen lately."

Kurt gaped at him, "Is that a Finn joke?"

"No!"

"He needed the key to the Black family crypt from Druella," Kurt rolled his eyes at his friend, "I sent him to check the crypt for the deplorable word."

"And Rowena Ravenclaw is buried in the Black crypt?"

"No, for Haim Black," Kurt nodded, "He closed his eyes and thought of England with his wife; sired the entire black line after Rowena turned him down, then they carried on being the worst together so she might have left it with him."

"His wife isn't even in the crypt," Charlie chuckled, "she's largely lost to history."

"That's so sad," Hermione shook her head, "that'll be you in a few years Charlie, forgotten to history."

"Play nice," Kurt reprimanded the pair, "let's continue with my thread of being mean to Professor Dumbledore and how sad it is that he died unmarried and with no children."

"I thought you hated children," Charlie quirked a confused brow.

"I do," Kurt nodded, "I'm applying archaic sentiments that are often shared about women who dare to dedicate themselves to the other pursuits of life as opposed to building a home and family."

"Does the fact that he's being buried here say something about how dedicated he was to the education of children and his career…"

"Or that this was all he had, there was nothing more for him outside of this school and fighting Voldemort?"

"It's a matter of how you look at it," Charlie explained with a shrug, "you can see him as having thrown himself completely into his work because it meant so much to him, or doing so because he didn't have anything else going on." He turned to Kurt, "you're eulogising him, how have you framed it."

"Something about him touching the lives… blah, blah, blah…" Kurt shuffled through his queue cards as he tried to recall the specifics, "shaping the future…. Blah, blah, blah… Whitney Houston quote."

Hermione sniffled loudly, "The blah, blah, blah part was so touching."

"Catch yourself on," Kurt swatted her shoulder.

"Ouch," she squealed.

"You deserve!" Kurt and Charlie agreed.

A comfortable silence washed over their little piece of the world, Hermione's eyes widened in horror, "Do you think they're sending anyone to get us?"

"What do you mean?" Kurt quirked a curious brow.

"I mean when the funeral is starting," Hermione looked between the pair, "is someone going to tell us?"

"I'm the keynote speaker," Kurt scoffed, "obviously they'll send someone to get me."

"Are you sure?"

"Do you think they'd just announce him without checking if he's actually there?"

"I think that could definitely happen," Hermione chewed her lip nervously, "considering how wracked with grief everyone is, aside from the two of you."

Kurt gasped in horror and swatted her arm, "Take it back!"

"Professor Dumbledore was like one of our top five favourite old people," Charlie raised his hands defensively, "We're also still in the honeymoon phase."

Charlie kissed him and Kurt's world tilted; as soon as his senses recalibrated themselves, he noticed something, "Do you guys hear that?"

"No," Hermione shook her head, "the castle's been abandoned, they've started without us!"

"Those bastards!"

"Careful," Charlie looked around them with feigned caution, "That's Professor McGonagall you're talking about."

The three of them got up and made their way between the greenhouses, through the castle and out toward the lake's edge where they found the funeral in progress. Everyone watched as they made their way to their empty seats in the front, the mermaids were singing a song that didn't translate well above the water- a mess of low notes with no real harmony. Kurt guessed that this was because only sounds on the lower end of the spectrum penetrated solid objects, and the song had more to it under water.

Hermione pointed across the aisle, "You have the current and former Ministers for Magic giving you stink eye."

Kurt looked down at his all black outfit and shrugged, "As always I'm dressed appropriately. So, what have I done to them now?"

"Well," Hermione shrugged, "You were asked to deliver the only eulogy at the funeral of one of the most famous and respected wizards of the twentieth century instead of them."

"Minister Fudge spent his last year as Minister for Magic trying to discredit the man," Kurt rolled his eyes, adjusting his dragon brooche, "Minister Scrimgeor barely interacted with the man."

"They've held the highest office in the land and feel entitle to the right of first refusal," Hermione shrugged.

"Aren't they a little old for jealousy?"

"Jealousy isn't a rational feeling."

"You two are being most inappropriate," Charlie chided them.

"Sorry," Hermione mumbled.

Kurt turned his head when the mermaids stopped singing and watched the Headmaster's sole pallbearer, Rubeus Hagrid, carry his shrouded body down the centre aisle; the large man sniffled loudly as he squeezed down the too narrow aisle. He laid the body on a white marble table and unwrapped the bedazzled purple shroud, exposing the recently deceased to the funeral goers. Kurt rolled his eyes when he heard one or his peers begin to sob but used all his restraint to maintain his composure as he got to his feet and took his place in front of the stone table.

"My name is Kurt Elizabeth Hummel and I was asked to eulogise a man of character today," Kurt took a deep breath, looking over his notes, "Professor Dumbledore was a private man, I will not betray that by revealing the intimate details of his life. Today I will focus on how he touched the lives of all those present today; as an educator, as a colleague and as a leader.

"Albus Dumbledore was known to many and changed the lives of all that knew him," Kurt smiled sadly, "I will not speak as if we agreed about everything, chief amongst our disagreements was the fact that he saw me as his protégé and I saw him as mine." Kurt paused for laughter, "Despite everything he had to learn from me, he still took a moment now and again to teach me something. He imparted a wealth of wisdom upon me- not something you'd expect from a former Gryffindor but the world exists to surprise us."

The crowd laughed politely as Kurt tried his hardest to inject Professor Dumbledore's eccentric nature into his memorial, just as he'd done for Finn's. Kurt's world stilled, he'd made a grave mistake thinking of Finn and he couldn't go back now. Tears welled up in his eyes and Kurt took a deep breath to steady himself before anyone could see this moment of imperfection; Hermione could see him fracturing, Charlie saw it too.

"The headmaster would often tell me that he had few fears," Kurt smiled, "That he'd never live up to my majesty was one of them but death was not. Professor Dumbledore often said that death was simply the next great adventure for the well prepared, and that in his old age he had become accustomed to the idea of greeting death as his equal." Kurt bowed his head, "I'm not sure that this was how he had imagined it happening."

Kurt was silent for a moment, "I'm sure he hadn't anticipated departing on this voyage broken from his fall from the Astronomy tower, a victim of…" Kurt's voice faltered for a moment, "but he understood that in life there were forces beyond our control, that we must play the hand we are dealt to the best of our ability."

Kurt smiled broadly, "For a man with few equals, Professor Dumbledore with a grace and humility that was uncommon in somebody of his station. He spoke of his colleagues and friends, never his subordinates. He treated everyone with respect whether it was rightfully earned," Kurt shot a pointed look at Professor McGonagall, then swept his gaze across the audience to Minister Fudge, "Or not."

"Professor Dumbledore joked that they could strip him of his Order of Merlin, title as Grand Sorcerer, and remove him from every position that he held- and believe me, they tried." Kurt narrowed his gaze, raining shame on Cornilius Fudge, "He said he would be happy to lose it all, just as long as he was not removed from the collection of Chocolate frog cards."

"the card will be amended soon, as he is no longer Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft," Kurt looked away from the former Minister for Magic and smiled once more, "but his countless achievements will remain… to amaze generations to come with the memory of Albus Dumbledore, who was the greatest wizard of all time."

"Professor Dumbledore's favourite quote was from a muggle song, he said that it perfectly summed up his ethos," Kurt pocketed his notes, "Whitney Houston sings, 'I believe the children are our are future, teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them all the beauty they possess inside, give them a sense of pride to make it easier. Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be'." Kurt turned his nose up at the crowd, "Altera Maximum."

White flames exploded from the platform as Kurt walked back to his seat, they swirled around the table and obscuring the Headmaster's corpse; Kurt took his seat and the flames dissipated just as quickly as they had appeared. In the place of the stone table was a sarcophagus of white marble, there was a great neigh from the treeline and an honour guard of centaurs fired off several volleys of arrows in what Kurt assumed to be their culture's equivalent to a twenty-one-gun salute. The arrows burst into sparks halfway through their arch through the sky and the white tomb started to float to the water's edge and then over the Black Lake to the small island at its centre.

~0~

Kurt twirled in Professor Dumbledore's old chair, Hermione sat across from him as they waited for their peers to join them. Charlie had returned to London with the remainder of the Order of the Phoenix, he had tried his hardest to convince Kurt to come with him seeing as the funeral was the last activity of term but Kurt had insisted on taking the Hogwarts Express with his peers. He was waiting for his friends to finish packing their things and join him in the Headmaster's office for the last meeting of management.

Kurt spun the chair lazily, letting all that had happened melt away as he focused his mind on the great battle to come; made himself comfortable with all that he would have to do to see the other side of this conflict.

Kurt heard himself starting to hum a familiar tune, "A dream that will need, all the love you can give. Every day of your life, for as long as you live." Hermione peered at him curiously, "Climb every mountain, ford every stream. Follow every rainbow, till you find your dream."

"Why are you singing Rodgers and Hammerstein?"

"Their works have received thirty-four Tony Awards," Kurt shrugged.

Hermione shook her head, "That doesn't answer my question."

"I don't understand the premise of the question," Kurt shook his head.

"Is there a reason you're singing like a nun who is about to face down the Nazis?"

"It's not completely inappropriate," Kurt shrugged.

"Except for the part where you have no nun like qualities," Hermione raised a challenging brow, "I saw how you were hanging on to Hipster Weasley."

"You can't judge me," Kurt shook his head, "not when I said nothing after Viktor's visit to muff town."

"I'm not judging you," she tapped her chest over her heart and raised her arm, "I'm just honest about your relationship, anyone with eyes would say the same thing." She stared him down, "you are very good at deflecting."

"I like The Sound of Music," Kurt shrugged, "and I don't have people asking me if I'm a Liverpool fan when I sing it."

"What does Liverpool have to do with the price of eggs?"

"You'll never walk alone," Kurt stared at her expectantly, but her face remained blank, "it's from Carousel, also by Rodgers and Hammerstein."

"I was better off not knowing," she rolled her eyes.

"Are you two talking about my brother?" Ron groaned.

"No," Kurt shook his head, "musical theatre."

"Cool," Ron nodded to himself, "that was a beautiful eulogy you gave."

"I know," Kurt smirked, "it made everyone feel like they knew the former Headmaster without divulging every intimate detail of his life."

"Yeah," Ron furrowed his brow, "I don't know anything about Professor Dumbledore."

"And you didn't learn anything that wasn't public knowledge from me," Kurt spun in the office chair, "Twirl with me."

Ron dropped into the seat beside Hermione and twirled with glee, "I'm doing it!"

"Yes you are!"

"You two are acting like children," Hermione rolled her eyes.

"We are children," Kurt looked her dead in the eye as he spoke, "we might be facing an unthinkable task but we're still children."

"I thought the children were my responsibility now," Tracey teased, earning a giggle from Mandy, Neville and Lisa as they followed her into the room.

"As Head Boy," Neville paused for applause, "I share in the responsibility of my Head Girl, I too care for the children."

"Not everything is about you Neville," Kurt scolded, "no matter how proud you've made me and your grandmother."

"She and my Uncle Algie are taking me to Finland," Neville looked down at his hands, "You know they named it after him."

The room was silent for a moment, then Harry disturbed the peace with Luna and Ginny following closely. Kurt quirked a curious brow, "What is this?"

"Ginny just told him she loved him," Luna explained.

"She what?" Lisa glared at the redhaired girl, "am I going to have to fight you?"

"I thought she was a lesbian," Mandy looked confused. Neville shrugged, "You don't think of her, do you?"

"Not since the Yule Ball," he shook his head, "I actually forget about her most of the time."

"Can I speak?" Harry drew everyone's attention back to him, "I have an announcement to make."

"I swear, if he loves her too then I'm becoming a Death Eater."

Mandy stroked her friend's hair, "Relax."

"Professor Dumbledore and I recently discovered something-"

"Horcruxes," Neville nodded, "we know."

"What?" Harry's brave façade crumbled, "I don't understand."

"We had a seminar on the matter," Neville explained, "You guys are going to quit school to go find them all and we're going to take care of the children."

"That's why I'm Head Girl," Tracey smirked, "I most qualified for the job."

"Kurt will look after the children himself," Harry shook his head, "I'm doing this alone."

"Really Harry?" Lisa stepped up to him and cupped his cheek in her hand, "you might be the single least qualified person in this room for that task. Do you even know the unlocking charm?"

"You know I'm picking you, right?" Harry whispered to his girlfriend, "there's no need to be this mean."

Kurt held back a giggle, "she's simply pushing home the fact that Hermione, Ron and myself are coming with you."

Ginny raised her hand, "what function does Ron serve? You're the most powerful wizard, maybe ever, and Hermione's the brightest witch of the age… why are you taking Ron?"

"He's pretty to look at," Hermione teased.

Kurt mirrored her doe eyed expression, "and my bags won't carry themselves."

"You know what," Hermione turned to him with a stern expression, "Ginny has a point."

"She does?" Kurt, Ron and Ginny chorused with different degrees of confusion.

"Hipster Weasley could carry more bags," Hermione shrugged, "and he's prettier."

"There's another reason we're taking Ron," Kurt leaned back in his seat, swinging slightly, "and it's none of anyone's fucking business, least of all Ginny Weasley's." Kurt scoffed, "nobody is asking what function you've served on this committee."

"Savage," Lisa smirked.

Harry shook his head, "I can't let you-"

"Let us?" Hermione gaped.

"Who are you to 'let' Kurt Elizabeth Hummel?" Kurt got to his feet and he filled his lungs, "Professor Dumbledore is dead, I'm in charge of this resistance now and I say we all go." Kurt shook his head, "not like, all-all but you get what I mean."

"Okay," Tracey crossed her arms, "this is cute and all but why am I here?"

Kurt produced a velvet box from nowhere and then another, he slid both boxes across the table, "Tracey, Neville."

The shy boy stepped forward and picked up the box, Neville opened it and Kurt saw his golden phoenix brooch reflected in the boy's blue eyes. Tracey held his emerald encrusted serpent in her palm, gaping at him in shock, "this is a loan, I want my jewellery back when this is over!"

"Yes," Tracey nodded, not looking up from the intricate metal work of the snake wrapped around a walnut sized sapphire, "but why?"

"If ever things get too bad and between all of you in this group, you can't find a solution," Kurt took a deep breath, "when you're at the end of your rope, tap one of these brooches with your wand and say 'Altera Maximum'. I will come to your rescue."

"What does that mean?" Harry interjected, "Professor Dumbledore said it the day he died, then you said it at his funeral… I've never heard it before."

"It means 'next great'," Kurt explained, "it's an ode to death, an acceptance of that which is beyond your power."

"So, we're going to die if we use this?" Neville gaped at him, "or at least, invite death?"

"If you're calling me back here then I assume it's a life or death situation," Kurt shook his head, "it's a last resort, not to be used because you miss me."

"You don't have to worry about that from me," Tracey nodded, fixing the brooch on her robes opposite her Prefect badge.

"You will have each other to bounce ideas off of," Kurt looked them each in the eye, "you don't know how valuable a resource you are, keep each other safe, Keep Hogwarts safe. Don't do it for Professor Dumbledore or because Finn died young or because it's the right thing, do it for yourselves and your futures." There was a small round of applause, "off you go, before you miss the train."

"Not you two," Hermione pointed the statement at Ron and Harry.

Harry furrowed his brow, "Are you guys going to be mean to me?"

"Please don't be mean to me," Ron pleaded, "or tag team us."

Kurt slid a pile of books over to the trio, "this is everything Professor Dumbledore had on Horcruxes, study it."

"Homework?" Ron groaned, "I changed my mind, be mean."

"Horcrux," Harry repeated patting himself down, digging in the inner pocked of his robed and producing an ugly necklace, "Dumbledore and I found one the day he died, I forgot because of all the death and sadness and memorials."

Kurt grabbed the necklace and analysed it, "I know this."

"What do you mean?"

"I recognise this," Kurt explained, "From a dream. This is Salazar Slytherin's locket, he had it around his neck when he got nasty."

"Slytherin was his ancestor," Ron pointed out, "and you said the horcruxes would be objects that meant something to him."

"That part is fine but…" Kurt shook his head, "something isn't right, it doesn't seem evil."

"Did you expect it to have devil horns and a pitchfork?" Hermione teased.

"No," Kurt rolled his eyes.

"Or did you think it would possess him like the diary did Ginny?" Ron asked.

"Exactly," Kurt nodded, "Harry's been carrying this thing around in his pocket with no side effects. I wouldn't expect it to be on the diary's level, but Professor Dumbledore said that the ring tried to influence him and I would expect the same from this."

"Why wouldn't it be like the diary?" Harry furrowed his brow.

"The diary already had Tom Riddle in it, he wrote down all his thoughts and feelings in it," Kurt explained, "that's why it could communicate and think the way it did, and eventually manifest a physical form without the need for a rebirthing spell like the one he used in the graveyard during the Triwizard Tournament."

"So, what is it supposed to be?"

"I've never handled a horcrux," Kurt glared at Hermione, "but I think it should feel alive, magical."

"Let's open it," Ron suggested, "I'll get the sword of Gryffindor from the sorting hat and we can destroy whatever comes out of it."

"That's a good idea," Hermione agreed.

"We should probably steal the sword for the rest of them," Ron called out as he grabbed the sorting hat.

"Put me down, you buffoon," the hat scolded him, "the sword was taken by the Headmaster."

Kurt shrugged, "I know darker magic, I can take whatever's inside."

"Are you sure?" Harry furrowed his brow.

"It'll have to do," Kurt nodded to himself, handing the locket to Harry and igniting his hand. He took a deep breath, "Open." Nothing happened, "this is the locket of Salazar Slytherin, it should open when instructed in parseltongue."

"Apparently not," Hermione shook her head.

"There's a button," Ron reached out and pushed the button, the locket flipped open and a piece of folded parchment fell out. The red-haired boy furrowed his brow, "That was anticlimactic."

Kurt extinguished his hand and picked up the parchment, "To the Dark Lord, I know I will be dead long before you read this but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match you will be mortal once more."

"Is it signed?"

"R.A.B."

"Who is R.A.B.?" Harry looked at Kurt.

"I have no idea."

Hope you liked it, Reviews are love.