Chapter 4
It was the day of the Hogwarts memorial. In just an hour, he, Hermione and the Weasleys were going to apparate to Hogsmeade, where they were going to be transported into the castle grounds before everyone else arrived, to avoid large crowds.
He and Ginny were sitting in the garden, softly talking. During the past month, they had talked about everything. He explained to her what he had been doing and she told him more about what had happened at Hogwarts. She was grateful, of course, for what he had done, but saddened by what he had to be through. He told her every single detail, leaving only Ron´s brief disappearance out of his story, he felt like that wasn't his story to tell and that if Ron wanted his family to know about it he would tell them himself.
They hadn't talked much about the future, because for the first time in years it seemed as if they actually had one. The thought was both exhilarating and terrifying. She had two more years in school, and he… he couldn't see himself return there anytime soon.
He had spoken to Kingsley about it, and had gotten the advice to wait. Sooner or later he would figure out what he wanted… at least he hoped he so.
Their relationship was different. Before it had been fun, long walks and kissing. Now it was, deeper. They kissed of course, and it was amazing. But it was like the crush had developed into love. In the months they had spent apart, they had both matured and so had the relationship. He knew that there was a chance they wouldn't make it, but right then it felt as if it would last forever.
The first weeks they had struggled a bit, feeling almost nervous around each other, but now that was nearly gone. If everything they had been through had taught them anything, it was that love was worth the risk. Fred, Remus, Tonks, Dumbledore, Dobby, Sirius, Snape, his parents and so many more had died believing that. Harry was alive because of it. The family still mourned Fred and the others they had lost. George still hadn't showed up since the day before Fred´s funeral and they were all starting to worry but had decided not to look for him.
("He´s of age," Mr. Weasley said when Mrs. Weasley had insisted. "He´ll do what he has to and we can´t stop him.")
Ron and Hermione however, seemed to have completely skipped the awkward first part of a relationship, probably due to their long friendship. They spent as much time together as Harry and Ginny, if not more. It was strange, but still something he was relived about. He was happy for his friends, and despite them dating, they spent no less time with him. They actually seemed to be going out of their way to spend more time with him, probably because they feared that he would feel left out.
Although there were some parts of their relationship he could do without, like constantly walking in on them snogging on Ron´s bed (Ron apparently refused to do it in Ginny´s room, which Hermione was currently sharing with her), and the awkwardness that came after. Although, it did give him a lot of time alone with Ginny in her room, so it wasn't all that bad.
Something crunched in his pocket, pulling him away from his thoughts. He took it out, just to put in back in again with a slight scowl. It was the letter Kingsley had given to him from McGonagall. In the letter, she asked him if he wanted to speak at the ceremony. He hadn't even responded, she knew what his answer would be. Hadn't he done enough?
"Alright, time to go" Mrs. Weasley said as the family gathered in the kitchen.
"Is everyone here?" Percy asked and counted. He stopped at Ginny, looking down at his feet. It was Mr. Weasley who finally broke the tension.
"George knows the memorial is today, if he feels capable he will…" the rest was drowned out by the sound of someone opening and slamming the door. That someone then continued through the hallway and into the kitchen, only stopping when they realized that the whole family was there.
"What on earth have you done to your hair?!" Mrs. Weasley said, shocked, to George. He looked tired and weary, like he hadn't slept in days. And his hair was in a brilliant emerald green, which accentuated his missing ear. For a moment he looked like he didn't want to respond before opening his mouth and clearing his throat, as if it was unused to talking.
"Every time I looked in the mirror, I thought I saw…" his voice broke and he looked down. The family was quiet.
"Well then" Arthur said, trying to keep his voice from breaking "We need to get going. Harry?" Harry nodded and put on his invisibility cloak hoping to ward of the reporters that would be waiting for them there.
Hogsmeade was quiet, unsettlingly quiet. All of the shops were closed, the windows dark, even Three Broomsticks seemed closed. It was like a ghost town, so unlike the beautiful, lively place he remembered from his years at Hogwarts. As soon as they got there, they expected to be swarmed by people only to be met by absolute silence. Cautiously, Harry took of his cloak and looked around, wand in his hand.
Soon, a tiny figure appeared and they heard the familiar voice of Fillius Flitwick.
"Hello, and welcome to you all," he said, with a small smile.
"Where is everyone?" Hermione asked.
"Most people are at Hogwarts, helping to set up the ceremony. The shops have been closed for a few days because everyone wanted to pitch in and help," he paused. "I think… I think you will like it." And with that he scuttled off, with the others following closely behind him.
Soon they were inside Hogwarts grounds, the castle visible from where they stood. It looked strange. The last time they had seen it, it had been in shambles. Now it was almost fully restored, but with newer patches standing out like bright pink paint against the façade.
The ceremony, Flitwick explained, was to be held just by the lake, not far from the place Dumbledore was buried. A stage had been built, chairs sitting all around it and plenty of space for people to stand when they ran out of them.
Flitwick started to lead them to the front row, but Mr. Weasley shook his head and the family took seats in the fourth row instead.
Soon, people started getting there. First came the professors, the inhabitants of Hogsmeade and the workers who had helped with the restoration. With them came Charlie, who quietly sat down next to his father. Then more people started to arrive. Bill and Fleur came with the remains of the order, all of them taking places beside or behind the Weasleys. Kingsley also arrived, with a ministry party. He waved at them, before taking a seat at the front.
After that, it was mostly a blur to Harry. He could remember Dean and Seamus seating themselves in the row in front of him. Most of the DA sat with them; Luna and her father (who was battered, but alright), Neville and his grandmother, Cho Chang and everyone else. More and more kept coming, the area behind the chairs already running out. It seemed as if the entire Wizarding World had decided to show up, all of them taking their places quietly, their heads bowed in respect.
Not long after that, Kingsley went up to speak, his voice ringing clear over the crowd.
"Exactly one month ago, an event that rocked our world took place here at Hogwarts. A battle, facing against invaders. Lord Voldemort was killed, and his followers, scattered. But this came to a great cost, not only during this battle, but all of the battles before this one as well. We are here today to mourn and celebrate, the brave people who died for what they believed in. The people who did not care about the danger they were facing and gave their life´s so that we could keep on living. But we are also here to celebrate the survivors, who have gone through so much and who fought to keep us safe. Battle is not a glorious thing. It is horror, and pain and death. Those who have fought know this, but they still chose to fight, to fight for what is right. And even though it may not feel like it now, we are entering a new era. An era of safety and peace and love. We will rebuild our world, we will heal and we will continue on, to honor those who died for us and celebrate those who fought. And that is why, today I and Minister of Magic declare that anyone, in this world or the next, who fought for us in this battle, will be awarded a Merlin order of second degree" the crowd seemed to explode, shouts and cries echoing across the lake. Kingsley stayed up on the stage, waiting for everyone to calm down. Harry just felt empty inside, an award? It felt like nothing. It didn't matter. An award would not bring back the ones who had died, it would not heal the wounds.
"We can´t forget what happened. We shouldn't either. It is important that we remember, so we don't make the same mistakes again. And that is why we have created this monument," he flicked his wand, revealing a large wall with things inscribed all over it. "These are the names of all of those who died for our world, and so that you remember them, I will read them all."
The list of names was long, far too long. Some he didn't recognize, some he had only known vaguely. And some hit him like a blow in the stomach.
"Fred Weasley"
"Remus Lupin"
"Nymphadora Tonks Lupin"
"Colin Creevy"
"Lavender Brown"
"Sirius Black"
"Severus Snape" there was a collective gasp and he bowed his head. He had asked Kingsley to add Snape´s name to the list. He owed it to the man.
The list continued on, until finally ending with:
"Albus Dumbledore"
"Lily and James Potter"
He felt his eyes tear up, but he didn't care. He cried, for the first time in months. On his left side, Hermione was sniffling and Ron hugging her tightly. On his right was Ginny, her head against his shoulder and her arm around him. She didn't cry, but her eyes glistened. They all sat there for a collective minute, nothing but the occasional sniffle breaking the silence. After that, many more talked. Some from the ministry, some of the Professors. When all of the speeches were finished, McGonagall flicked her wand, pointing at the Entrance hall, where the monument would be displayed as a part of the wall.
After the formal ceremony was over, most people left. In the end, only about eighty people were still there. The order and DA stayed, sitting in various places just talking. There was a feeling of peacefulness in the air, the ceremony had left them all with a sense of lightness, a burden lifted from their chests.
He, Ron, Ginny and Hermione stayed with the crowd for a while before leaving. They went to the tree, the same tree that he and Ginny had met under after the battle, the same tree his father and his friends had sat under in Snape´s memory. They just lay there, not talking. They didn't need to.
A loud clicking sound made them all jump and turn around, hands halfway to their wands.
There, just a few yards away, stood Dennis Creevy with a camera.
"I´m sorry," he said "I just… it looked so peaceful. It felt like a moment to save".
"Yeah," Ron said.
"Is that Colin´s camera?" Harry couldn't help but ask.
"Yes" Dennis said and smiled shyly "I couldn't just… It didn't feel right to just let it collect dust. He would have wanted me to continue." Harry nodded.
"I´m sorry about your brother," he said.
"I´m not." The response shocked them, but Dennis just continued "I mean, I´m sad that he died. The first weeks were terrible, I just couldn't do anything. But then I thought that he wouldn't have wanted me to do that. He wouldn't have wanted me to just shut the world out and refuse to let him go. He… he died, but he died fighting for what he believed in". He paused for a second and then continued. "It´s like he said" he nodded at Kingsley. "He died fighting for what was right, he died a Gryffindor." Dennis turned away to leave.
"Wait," Harry got up. "Before you go, can you do me a favor?"
George was sitting far away from the rest of the group. He couldn't handle it, the condolences, and the well-wishers. It all just felt fake.
Steps alerted him about someone approaching and he prepared to be bombarded once again. But once the turned around, he found a small boy, no older than 14, standing behind him with a camera.
"Hi," the boy said. George just looked at him, there was something vaguely familiar about the boy, and he just couldn't put his finger on it. "Can I sit? I just need to get away for a minute." George didn't say anything, which the boy seemed to take as approval because he sat down. "You´re George right? George Weasley?" He nodded. "I'm Dennis, Dennis Creevy."
Aha, now he remembered. It was the younger brother of Colin Creevy, the little guy who practically worshipped Harry. Colin Creevy had died in the battle he remembered. Suddenly it felt like he knew why the boy wanted to get away.
"I heard your brother´s name, he died in the battle?" George nodded again. "I´m sorry"
"I´m sorry about your brother too." George found himself responding.
"Why did you dye your hair?" the question was unexpected and caught him off guard.
"Because every time I saw myself…" he stopped, looking down.
"You thought you saw him?" Dennis finished for him. "I remember him, you two were quite inseparable." They sat in silence for a minute. "So why aren't you out there?" Did this kid ever stop asking questions?
"I can´t take it, all the kindness. They all want to cry and move on, but I can´t help but… I feel empty inside." He couldn't talk with his family, or his friends. But this little kid made him spill everything, like he was forcing it out of him. He told Dennis all of it, how he had shut himself out from the rest of the family, how he feared his own reflection which had led to him deciding to dye his hair. And how he spent his days fighting the emptiness that was threatening to swallow him whole.
"Well," Dennis said when he was finished. "I didn´t know your brother. But from what I remember, he seemed like a pretty jolly fella´, not the kind of guy who would want you to mope around like this."
"I just don´t know who I am without him." it was only a whispered thought, but Dennis heard it.
"And you never will, unless you find out. And you won´t do it like this. My brother died too, and I have found a way to honor him" he raised the camera and snapped a picture. "What will you do to honor yours?"
George knew the answer to that question. Fred was the one that had first come up with the idea of the joke shop. Those hours inventing, hatching ideas and plans, were some of the best he ever had. The joke shop had been theirs, and now it was just his. A constant reminder of his brother, just like him.
"Thanks," he said to Dennis and got up. "And just so you know, you aren't you brother either, you don't have to do everything that he did. Find what you like to do, and do that."
And with those words he walked away, towards his family and friends, because they were all he had left and he´d be damned if he lost them too.
That night, they ate a huge dinner at the burrow. They had invited everyone, and so many had decided to accept the offer that they had to move tables outside. It was a beautiful night, and with the lanterns in the trees, it felt almost magical. Harry spent the night chatting with Neville and Luna, who were both happy to be home. Neville still had the sword of Gryffindor, but said he was planning on returning it to Hogwarts as soon as he could.
The dinner was a success and all guest went home, slightly bigger than they had been when they got there.
When Harry got up to the room he and Ron shared, he found an owl. The letter was thick and when he opened it, a picture fell out. He looked in the parcel and found a note.
Harry
It came out pretty well don't you think? Colin would have loved it.
Dennis
The picture was the one he had asked Dennis to take down by the lake. It was him, Hermione, Ron and Ginny standing closely together. Ron had his arm around Hermione´s waist and Harry had his left arm around Hermione´s shoulders and the other around Ginny. They were all smiling with tear stained faces. It was a muggle photo, and it felt right somehow. He smiled. Then he noticed that the owl had dropped another parcel, picking it up, he read the name on it and frowned.
line
When George finally got into his room, the one that used to be Bill´s, he noticed a parcel lying on the floor like it had been shuffled under the door. Confused he picked it up and opened it. A note fell out.
George
It came out good, I thought you might want it.
Dennis Creevy
He looked in the parcel and found a photo. It was the picture Colin had taken while they talked. His green hair clashed terribly with his ginger eyebrows, his missing ear even more visible than usual. But it was him, he didn't jump or cry because he thought he saw someone else. For the first time in weeks he saw only himself.
Another chapter done. Great thanks to Kitt who betaed this chapter and helped me out with making it readable. Hope you liked it, please review if there is anything you would like to comment on. Or just to tell me if you liked it or not.