I don't own anything, J.K Rowling does.
WARNING: Mature themes brought up so if you are less than 18 and/or easily triggered by mature content DO NOT READ THIS STORY. You have been warned.
A/N: This chapter is only Fred's funeral. So, I will talk about the process of mourning and describing funeral rites like I think they are in the wizarding world. I know this is a touchy subject so I'd rather warn you before it is too late. If you don't think you can cope with the emotional character of this particular chapter. I would recommend not reading it.
Chapter 24
They woke up at 7 a.m. and went down into the kitchen to take their breakfast. She then went in the bedroom and pulled her new robes on her. She had decided to wear her hairs in a tight bun with a very light makeup and a pair of onyx earing Severus gifted her with. Severus wore his usual teaching robe but without the billowing cape and the usual white shirt he wore almost every single day was replaced with a black one. They both put their shoes on before checking themselves in the mirror in the entry way of the cabin and Apparating away.
They arrived at the Burrow and made sure their outfits hadn't been too undone before heading for the tent were the service would be held. Severus placed his lips on hers and gave her a quick recomforting kiss before they both entered the tent, Severus holding Hermione's hand to support her. It had been a rough night for her and he had felt her move around a lot in her sleep.
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were standing in the entryway of the tent greeting the guests who were entering it. Then followed George, Bill, Charlie, Percy, Ron and Ginny. Harry was standing right behind her his head lowered respectfully. When they entered the tent, Mrs. Weasley rushed towards Hermione who hugged her.
"Oh, Molly, we are so sorry for your loss. If there is anything we can do. You know where to find us." Hermione said smiling at the little woman in front of her.
"Thank you for being here Hermione, you too Mr. Snape. Fred would have wanted you to be there. I know that you have helped him for the confection of some of the articles they sell now in their jokes shop. As for you Hermione, I know he considered you as his own sister." The little woman said tears welling up in the back of her throat.
"Fred was a very fine lad, you can be very proud of him Mrs. Weasley." Severus said as softly as he could.
"Thank you, Mr. Snape." Molly said sincerely.
They finished saying their condolences to the other family members before going towards the back of the room. Before they had the time to sit, Mrs. Weasley rushed towards the both of them and asked Hermione and Severus to sit in the front. They accepted and sat down next to Harry behind the whole entire family row.
The ceremony began by the entry of Fred's coffin into the tent. The six funeral home employees carried the white coffin up to the front of the tent and onto a small podium. They all bent their heads as the coffin passed. A few people were crying and blowing their noses into handkerchiefs almost silently. Then it was the turn of Fred's wand to be brought in. It had been placed in a small glass box that had his full name engraved on top of it.
Then, Kingsley Shacklebolt, the acting Minister of Magic, went up to the podium. He wore darker mauve robes than usual and had in his hand a small booklet that Hermione assumed to be the booklet with all the texts and speeches that would be given along with the proceeding of the ceremony.
"Hello everyone, we come together on this day to remind the life, both temporal and eternal, of one whom we have and will always love dearly. As a son, brother and friend, Fred Weasley has lived in our hearts and shall live there forever.
We release what was and make room for what shall be, as we testify within our minds that life does not end but merely transmutes, that today we say good-bye and yet we say hello. We say goodbye to the physical focus of our relationship with this person, and greet the relationship with his soul that now begins anew. As he will always stay with us in spirit.
And so, it is that our service today is twofold: we are here to release what has been – the very human dramas of our love for Fred Weasley, our shared stories, our histories. Yet we also open our hearts today to keep a spiritual bound with him throughout the rest of our lives.
To the family we say, surely the presence of those who are here today proves to you the high regard in which he held in this community. He made a difference. He touched our hearts and fought valiantly for his ideals. May you hold in your minds forever the truth we agree upon today: Fred Weasley yet lives in the hearts and in the mind of his friends, his siblings and his parents. He shall yet communicate his love for you, for he lives in spirit and shall not forget you." Kingsley had spoke with a voice full of emotion. He was visibly touched by the death of one of the Weasley twins.
Hermione looked around her and saw that there wasn't one dry eye in the audience. Even Severus who only knew him as a student and as a business partner. He was looking at her and held her hand into his own rubbing his thumb against her hand. She smiled weakly at him and turned her attention back to the podium. George was now standing next to his brother's casket and began speaking.
"My friend, my confident, my associate and most importantly my brother,
You told me just before being sorted that if you would always be there for me. You have held your promise although not fully as you didn't wait for me to leave this world. The year after, you challenged me to pull the most prank on Filch possible. What I didn't know was that you tipped him off and I got detention with Professor Snape for two full months. In our third year, remember how we used to brag about the fact that Potter was in our house and in the quidditch team. In our forth year, we stole dad's car and flew to Privet Drive to rescue Harry. Remember how angry she was when we came back but was all soft and kind with Harry. She had taken our brooms from us for a full month. In our fifth year, we began creating the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, which you can still buy at Diagon Alley by the way. In our sixth year, we tried getting past Dumbledore's Age Line and failed… obviously. Harry did the tournament and won the money which he gave us to finally fully launch our products. During our seventh year, we took our Apparition tests and that became our hobby. I remember Apparating and Disapparating all the time. That made mom furious with us and she clearly showed it. At school we tested our products on the pupils and Hermione didn't stop pursuing us and tried to make us stop but she failed… obviously." He said looking at Hermione and speaking in a Snape like manner only Hermione and Severus caught "then there was Umbridge. Remember that at the end of the year exam, we made a little show right in the middle of the Great Hall and in the Courtyard. That was the actual beginning of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Remember, what mother told us when we told her we had bought a local in Diagon Alley to open our own Jokes shop. I thought she was about to curse us in the next millennium. 'Are you barking mad the both of you. Do you realize how much your father and I had hope for you to take a job at the Ministry of Magic. But no, you think that it is better to open a joke shop and ruin any hope for a brilliant career'. But the second she stepped into the shop, she began babbling and saying how perfect it is. Then the war came and you left us.
I just wanted you to know that you will always be here in my heart and that I'll be there for your girlfriend as you asked me. You told me you loved her just before the battle began and told me that you were going to ask her to marry you if you survived this war.
Goodbye Fred. You will miss me a lot." George said as he placed his hand on the coffin.
Chuckles had erupted in the crowd as George had made his little speech. He was true to himself and to his brother. Always finding the best opportunity to make a joke. Severus looked at her softly and squeezed her hand in support. Her pregnancy hormones were sensibly playing with her and she was now crying abundantly on his chest.
"Are you alright love? Come now it's nearly finished. Then there will be the final send off and the burial. I love you darling" he whispered in her ear holding her against his chest and rubbing her back softly to ease the pain she was feeling deep inside her heart.
"I now invite you all to come forward and place a Memoriam spell on the coffin. You may leave a message which will stay with Fred until the end of the world. The family may come forward." Kingsley said inviting the family forward.
They pulled their wands out of their cloaks and pointed them towards the white coffin. Molly's wand made a little gold spark which incased itself in the wood of the coffin. Artur's made a bright red spark and wrote a small freddylkin in the paint. George left a long message which retraced their life briefly. Ron only touched he coffin with his wand which didn't make any spark nor left any trace on the coffin. Percy only bowed his head while Charlie and Bill left the jokes shop's logo on it. Then it was Harry's turn. He did a little broom and a bludger swirling around it. Hermione did a magnificent flower which bloomed before her eyes and had a bright red and gold color. Severus left the name of the products he had worked on with the twins.
The other guests carved more symbols and it finished with Angelina Johnson Fred's girlfriend who was supported by George and Molly. She placed a light kiss on his coffin and finished by placing an envelope on the coffin. Hermione looked at her with admiration. She was so relieved not to be in Angelina's situation and having to endure the grief of losing her loved one.
She looked at the podium, Kingsley was back on it and was once again talking.
"Dearest friends and family of Mr. Fred Weasley. I invite you to raise your wand for the final send off. Then the person who have been invited to the burial will join me to Hogwarts where the burial will be. You will be able to Apparate as the wards have been made in order to let you in." Kingsley began "Quo resurgens Conditor Nos acceptis virgis in ordine ad salutem Fred Weasley celebramus. Merlinus anima ejus, et exaudi nos in perpetuum ipse erit enim quiesceret umquam delebit oblivio" (*)
The crowd raised their wands for a few minutes before they began filing out of the tent, saying a last goodbye to the close family. As Hermione and Severus passed, Molly stopped them.
"Hermione, my dear, you are invited for the burial." She began taking one of Hermione's hand in her own. "You too, Mr. Snape, you are after all part of the family now. Don't look that surprised. I have seen the paper and the way you look at her and act around her shows me that you are head over heals for her. Plus, the ring on her finger confirms it all. I am very happy for the both of you." She finished smiling at them sweetly.
"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley. And please, do call me Severus." He said taking Hermione by the shoulder and holding her petite frame against his much larger one.
They went back into the cabin. They were now a group of twenty people upmost. There was the 10 Weasley family members, Harry, McGonagall, Angelina Johnson, Flitwick, Fleur, Kingsley, Seamus Finnigan, Olivander, Hermione and Severus. They all Apparated away and waited in a small foyer for the arrival of the magical hearse containing the coffin in which Fred laid.
The hearse arrived ten minutes later. They arrived by broomsticks carrying the coffin on a kind of suspended platform which was secured to the broomsticks. They landed and placed the coffin lightly on the ground. They then made the platform and broomstick disappear and took the coffin to their shoulder. Another funerary employee had his wand and box attached to the end of the broomstick.
"If you would please follow us to the grave." Kingsley said going towards the close circle of friends and family.
They all walked out of the foyer and into the grounds, near the forbidden forest. There a large monument stood in place of where Hagrid's cabin used to be. It represented the Hogwarts crests and each part of the crest representing the different houses. Kingsley placed the tip of his wand on the white marble and drew Fred's name on it. He then walked back a few steps before a door opened.
The funerary employees placed the coffin through the door and waited by the open door for everyone to gather up.
"We are here to say our final good bye to Fred Weasley. I will now place his wand among the wand of the fallen fifty. Those fifty persons are all the people who fought for a better world of acceptance and allowance. Their wands will be stored in the upper part of the monument while their body will be down into the earth of Hogwarts ground." Kingsley said taking the box containing Fred's wand.
He tapped the name he had previously engraved on the marble and a small trapdoor which was the exact same size as the box opened up. Kingsley pushed the box in and sealed the opening back magically. They then all went towards the coffin one last time and deposed a flower they took from a vase next to it before placing it onto the coffin.
The casket lowered itself into the ground and when the door closed on it, Hermione heard soft cries behind her shoulder. Angelina was just behind her and was sobbing uncontrollably. Mrs. Weasley went to her and held her into a tight embrace for a few moments whispering to her like to a little child.
"I know, let it all out, you'll feel much better after. We must be strong for him now. You must make him proud. Make sure he didn't die for nothing. I am sure you will do just fine. I know it seems impossible at the moment but you need to be strong and look at the bright side of things." She held the young woman in her arms for a few more moments before letting her go.
Just at that moment ten bright purple cloaked wizards Apparated next to them.
"Is Mr. Severus Tobias Snape, son of Mr. Tobias Snape and Mrs. Eileen Snape née Prince here?" The tallest man said looking at each of the mourners.
"How dare you come and interrupt a funerary ritual?" Kingsley bellowed at the man taking him by the arm and leading him away from the group.
"Sir, I am very sorry from intruding, but we have got proofs of Mr. Snape's involvement with Voldemort and the letter told us that he wasn't on our side as he made it believe so. The Upper Council for War Crimes has given me a warrant to arrest Mr. Snape immediately and bring him in for questioning at the Ministry." The wizard said his head bowed in deference in embarrassment.
"Give me this warrant. Now!" Kingsley said.
I Dolores Umbridge, new head of the Upper Council for War Crime, give permission to Mr. Fillius Bonewa to arrest and bring in Mr. Severus Tobias Snape for questioning at the Minister of Magic.
He will be arrested on the following grounds:
High treason
Usage of 3 of the 3 Unforgivable Curses
Murder of Albus Percival Wulfric Dumbledore
Crime against the Wizarding World
This warrant takes immediate effect.
Dolores Jane Umbridge
Head of the Upper Council for War Crimes
Kingsley looked at the paper and handed it back to the man.
"You may proceed, but be aware, one false movement, accusation or mistreating will have consequences. Also try and do it as discretely as possible and gently." He said his voice filled with worry. He knew that the man was innocent and had been forced by either Dumbledore or Voldemort to do those things. He would just have to prove it. But would he cope with the interrogation? That was an all other question.
"Mister Severus Tobias Snape you're under arrest for high treason, usage of 3 of the 3 Unforgivable Curses, murder of Albus Percival Wulfric Dumbledore and Crime against the Wizarding World. You may remain silenced everything you say can be used against you." The tall wizard said while the ten other purple cloaked wizards had their wands pointed at his chest.
"Why? What is happening? Please, explain to me don't take him away from me like this. I can't live without him." Hermione started sobbing as Severus was getting magically cuffed and his wand took away from him.
"Calm down darling. Stay with the Weasley's. Call my banker and tell her to call my lawyer. Don't you worry, keep you and the baby as stress free as possible. Alright my love?" Severus said trying to mask his anxiety.
"Ok, take care love" Hermione said before rushing towards him and kissing her passionately before feeling herself being jerked away from him.
With a blink, he and the other purple clothed wizards were gone.
(*) We raise our wands in order to celebrate the life of Fred Weasley. Merlin hear us and let his soul be at rest for he shall forever be remembered