Chapter Eighteen Scared
Elizabeth hadn't attended many funerals in her lifetime. The only one she could actually remember was her second uncle on her father's side. It had been a somber event, held inside a bulbous church that she had thought resembled a clay igloo, there had been much black and tears and she had walked between her parents to look into the coffin of the still figure that she had only ever seen in life at weddings and the rare family gathering. After arriving home with her family, she decided that she didn't quite like funerals but was relieved that her parents took it in stride and didn't allow sadness to linger in the home.
This funeral was a startling contrast to the last one. There was black and there were tears, but there was no procession to walk past an open coffin – on the contrary, there was no coffin at all. A large number of chairs were laid out on the school grounds all facing an empty pure white table of sorts. Elizabeth arrived somewhat early with Seamus, Lavena, Dean, Neville and Luna and were fortunate to find seats together as they were quickly filling up with students, ministry workers, members of the public and all manner of humans and creatures alike.
The services commenced with Professor Hagrid walking somberly and tearfully to the white pedestal at the front. In his arms he carried a purple shrouded figure, which – with a suddenly cold feeling overtaking her whole body – Elizabeth realized was the body of her Headmaster. The figure was laid down with intense care and the Professor walked away.
Elizabeth tried her best to remain as attentive as Seamus and his mother were beside her, to follow the words of the short man outlining her Headmaster's life and achievements, but she found her eyes wandering through the crowd instead. There were already many tear streaked faces; men and women, children and adults alike expressed their sorrow in the same manner. Looking back, she saw Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione were sitting just behind her group. Silent tears were rolling steadily down Hermione and Ginny's cheeks. Ron sat with a comforting arm around Hermione, but Harry seemed to be suffering with the same attention issue that Elizabeth was.
As she watched Harry staring out over the lake, she realized that she hardly knew half of what Professor Dumbledore had done for Harry, and yet all the late headmaster had done for her in the past few months could not match it, even to a small fraction. She found a tightness in her chest as she watched a small look of realization dawn on Harry's features and turning her eyes back on the front, she began to find it hard to breathe, her mind's eye replaying the kindness of the old man, his patience and the care he had shown when Seamus – maimed and broken – had been retuned to her.
A weight on her knee made Elizabeth look down to find Seamus's hand – palm up – resting there. She relinquished her grasp on the handkerchief she had been twisting, and threaded her fingers with his. She looked up and saw that his eyes were a watery blue, tormented in anguish and looking back at their linked hands, a thought came suddenly to her that she probably hadn't been the only regular visitor he'd had while in the hospital wing.
Looking back up at Seamus, the sight of a tear falling from his eye was still not enough to cause her own, the only change it brought was that the tightness in her chest increased. Taking her hand back, she wrapped her arm around his back and took his other hand. His muscles tensed for a moment as she applied slight pressure to his back, but he relaxed immediately and leaned into her, his hand coming up to caress the back of her head.
The small man concluded the eulogy and took his seat. Elizabeth jumped suddenly, her reaction mirrored by many others as white flames shot from the pedestal and engulfed the purple shroud. Within seconds, a pure white marble tomb encased her professor and a perfect stillness fell over the grounds, broken only by a number of arrows that flew through the sky from the Forbidden Forest, landing just short of the seats.
The crowd began to thin, a buzz of conversation settling over the area. Feeling Lavena's hand on hers, Elizabeth looked over to find that unlike her own, Lavena's eyes overflowed.
"I guess that's it," Seamus said quietly. Elizabeth looked up and saw two perfectly straight tear streaks down either of his cheeks. Reaching up with her handkerchief still in hand, she gently dabbed at the offending moisture.
They remained seated, each lost in their own thoughts. Elizabeth heard low voices behind herself and after a minute she saw Ginny walk past her and towards the tomb where she paused briefly, touching the pure marble before walking away.
&
Elizabeth was changing slowly into a pair of jeans and a striped polo shirt when Hermione entered their dormitory.
" 'bit empty, isn't it?" Elizabeth asked as Hermione walked past Lavender and Parvati's empty beds before stopping at the foot of Elizabeth's.
"A bit," Hermione nodded. Reaching for Elizabeth's discarded robe, she began to fold it at a snail's pace.
"I'm sorry I'm leaving you here all by yourself," Elizabeth said, looking up from the buckle she was fastening on her jeans to see a Hermione's expression soften slightly. "Something's happening, isn't it?"
"Nothing's happening," Hermione answered quickly but her expression told Elizabeth otherwise.
"Are –"
"Even if I knew," Hermione cut her off with a meaningful look. "I wouldn't be able to tell you." Hermione moved beside Elizabeth, adding the robe to the top of the already packed trunk and sat heavily on the bed. "I really am sorry."
"It's alright," Elizabeth reassured. Sitting beside Hermione, she wrapped an arm around the other's shoulder. They sat in silence for a minute before Elizabeth heard her name called up the staircase. "We're going to miss you," She said, relinquishing her embrace on her friend after a slight squeeze. "Both of us, you've helped us a lot."
"A shame we didn't actually get to do exams," Hermione sighed wistfully. Elizabeth laughed at her.
Shouldering her book bag and carefully lifting her heavy trunk, Elizabeth turned back to Hermione as she reached the door. "Be careful," She warned in a quiet voice.
"You too," Hermione answered with a nod and a sad expression.
That does it.
That's the end of Why.
Nothing cryptic (well actually there is, but you'd have to be taking university English classes to fully appreciate what's hidden here), not artful like I had started; just the end.
Stay tuned for the sequel!
-MM