Ch 58 The Death of James
Saturday June twenty-seventh, twenty-twenty-six was the last game of the regular Quidditch season. James Potter's Chudley Cannons had a chance to have an undefeated season, and there was a great deal of excitement in the sports world over the fabulous season the team was having.
The demand for tickets to the game were large enough that the game was scheduled to be played in the stadium that had been used for the World Cup of Quidditch.
Harry had a team of Aurors from around the world guarding the stadium, since there were a fair number of foreign visitors.
In a family box Harry, Ginny and Minerva sat up front, with Ron and Hermione next to them. George and his family were working at the store, there being a larger than normal number of foreign visitors in England for the match. They did have the radio on, turned to the broadcast of the game.
Percy and his family were there, including Lucy, although she was engaged in childcare. Rose and Scorpius and their three children were there. Molly and Arthur were also there, along with Bill and Fleur.
Lily was in a special section reserved for players' families, as was Erica. Their children were there, and there were enough small children that there was a special childcare section, tended by a couple of mothers.
At least twice the snitch was spotted. The first time James was not as close as the opposing seeker, but a well-aimed Bludger distracted her, aided by James, and by the time James recovered to look for the snitch it was gone. The second time James was flying in the wrong direction, and instead of trying and failing to catch the snitch he distracted the other seeker, and again when he tried to look for the snitch it was gone.
The score was four-hundred-and ten to one-hundred-and ten, with the Cannons so far ahead that even if the other team caught the snitch the Cannons would win, when the snitch appeared again. This time James was right on its tail, and he started to chase it, slowing down when it slowed down, speeding up when it sped up.
'Catch the damn snitch' Harry and Ginny both thought. James was playing with it instead of quickly ending the game, something which always worried Harry.
Erica was not feeling well, with an upset stomach, but Lily was sitting next to James Jr., pointing out his father. "See your father chase the snitch," she would say as James Jr. watched his father fly.
"Daddy! Daddy!" James Jr. would yell, "Snitch!" James Jr. stood on the chair, jumping up and down, watching his father.
James flew at the cast iron supports at least twice, almost hitting them both times, as the broom and James suddenly turned aside and then went back to following the snitch.
About fifteen minutes into the chase, as the Cannons continued to score unneeded points, the snitch picked up tremendous speed and headed towards one of the cast iron supports, going right through an opening that was about a foot (30cm) square. James broom followed, and then James started to follow. Except the hole was too small for his intact body to fit through the hole, and his body hit the support. His death was quick but bloody.
Ginny looked at Harry in horror. "NO! NO! NO1" she screamed.
"I TOLD him to be careful!" Harry yelled.
Dementors started to descend right where Harry was standing.
"Patronus!" Harry yelled, as the Dementors jeered at him. Harry looked at Ginny and thought of all the good times, of their children and grandchildren, and yelled, "Expecto Patronus."
It didn't work. He was unable to create a Patronus. Other people could see what was happening, and several Patronuses were formed, and the Dementors driven away. At least for the time being, they were driven away. Harry knew they would be back.
Hopefully the next time he would be able to produce a Patronus. He hated this. After all these years of Dementors taunting him about losing a child for no reason it seemed that, at least for now, the Dementors had won.
Ginny was sitting down bawling. She had not been able to produce a Patronus either.
'Damn Dementors. Damn prophesies!' Harry thought.
Jake and Billy Lionheart quickly conferred, and then told the referee, "The game is over."
"The only way I can end the game without the snitch being caught is to have you forfeit the game."
Billy and Jake looked at each other and nodded, and Jake told the referee, "We forfeit the game."
"We tried to tell him," Billy grumbled, his face contorted in sorrow and rage.
"We all did, Billy," Jake confirmed. "His parents, his wife, everyone pled for him not to grandstand like he did. He took my advice in everything but that."
The referee flew up to the announcer, and it was announced that the Cannons had forfeited the game, and it was over.
Meanwhile Janes Jr. asked Lily, "Daddy?"
"Daddy had an accident," Lily replied, her stomach in knots. She looked over at Erica, who was crying and throwing up and was just obviously in awful shape.
Arthur and Molly ran down to the box where Erica and Lily were. Donna Lionheart had told them, "I need to get Bill home." It looked like Bill Lionheart Sr. was in shock.
"Do you want to come to our house?" Molly asked Erica and Lily. "Victoire is a healer, and she can help take care of you."
Erica nodded yes, crying and starting to throw up, and Molly Apparated away with Erica.
"Let us take the children by Floo," a crying Lily told her grandfather, and she collected James Jr, Will, and Eileen. They went to the box where Harry and the rest were, since it had a private Floo, and took the Floo to the New Burrow.
Harry called Lavender. "I think we are going to need mind healers," he told her.
"I heard what has happened," Lavender replied. "Between St. Mungo's and people Gray knows we should have help. If it is as bad as we have heard I don't know if we will have enough, but we will work on it."
"Thank you, Lavender," Harry ended with.
"What now?" Ginny wondered, a look of total devastation in her whole bearing.
"You have to write about THIS game?" Harry wondered.
"How can you be ready to bawl, break down and cry, and be mad at the stupid child at the same time," Ginny growled, tears falling, as she turned and buried her face in Harry's chest. "Stupid IDIOT! We TRIED to tell him." Ginny followed her outbursts with several minutes of sobbing, mumbling "We TRIED to tell him," over and over, as Harry held her.
A very somber Fleur followed Lily to the New Burrow, but Bill went down to confer with Jake and Billy.
"I hate to be crass, but we need a board meeting as soon as possible," Jake told Bill Weasley and Billy Lionheart. "Get Harry and Ron here."
Bill waved at his brothers-in-law, and they and their wives came down to the field, to where the other players were standing around.
"You are all excused," Jake told the players. "I will send a message to all of you as soon as we know when we will have a funeral for James, and what our next steps will be.
"We have lost a key player, but you all still have jobs with an excellent team. You did an excellent job today, and all year. Thank you."
When everybody was gone Jake said, "Come into my office, please."
Billy, Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione and Bill Weasley went into Jake's office. Everyone in the office was obviously devastated.
Everyone hugged Harry, and Ginny, who was obviously having an even harder time holding it together.
"I told the players that the team would continue on, but as I'm not an owner, I wanted to make sure I was not assuming anything," Jake told the group. "Was this team just for James, or am I still employed with the mandate to manage a winning, profitable team?
"I'm sorry to bring it up now, but people will ask."
"You need a new, good seeker," Ron replied.
"I have candidates," Jake told the group.
"I say we continue on," Harry quietly replied, looking a little lost.
"I do as well," Bill Weasley added. "I think the team would have been more profitable with James, but if you can field a winning team it should still be a good investment."
"It seems like a winning Cannons is more of a tribute to James than to just abandon everything," Ginny suggested. Ginny grimaced, still furious at James as well as mourning.
"I am sorry I had to bring up business so soon, but I had to ask," Jake finished with. "You need to get back to your family. Billy, can you stay? We have plans we need to make."
As they left Jake's office a healer approached Harry. "We need to know what to do with your son's body," she told him apologetically.
"Take it to St. Mungo's, and I will try and have an answer for you tonight or tomorrow," Harry replied.
"We can do that," the healer confirmed.
"Erica has been sick for the last couple of days," Lily told Victoire as the she came into the New Burrow, James Jr, Will and Eileen in tow.
"Sick to my stomach for a couple of weeks, but it has become much worse the last two days," Erica told Victoire. "I was going to see a healer Monday if this didn't get better."
"Did James really die?" Victoire wondered.
"My STUPID reckless brother tried to go through a too small opening and destroyed himself," Lily snapped. "DAMN! DAMN! DAMN!" Lily started to cry.
Erica threw up, looking extremely sick.
"Let us go into a bedroom and examine you," Victoire told Erica. They climbed the stairs from the main floor to the first floor bedrooms, and Victoire led Erica into a bedroom.
Victoire waved her wand over Erica several times, and said several spells. Eventually she had Erica sit on the edge of a bed in the room and took a chair opposite her.
"I know why you are sick to your stomach," Victoire let Erica know. "You are pregnant."
"Pregnant? Pregnant! Oh No!" Erica put her head in her hands. "James, we're pregnant, and you're not here." Erica started to hyperventilate, and it looked like she was going to throw up again.
"I will get some potions for you," Victoire told the sobbing young woman. "I will also tell the family. We will take care of you, and little James, and this new baby."
Victoire found a bowl for Erica to use if she vomited again, and then came out of the bedroom to find Lily waiting.
"Erica is pregnant, and I am going to get potions to help with the nausea and keep her healthy," Victoire announced. "I think she is going to need a lot of loving over the next months, and probably over the next years."
"Oh no!" Lily exclaimed. She went into the bedroom to try and comfort Erica.
Victoire then went downstairs and into the kitchen, where there was a small crowd, and told them, "Erica is pregnant, and I am going to get some potions for the nausea and the pregnancy."
Molly looked down at baby Eileen, who was beginning to fuss. "Is Lily up with Erica?" she asked.
Victoire nodded 'yes.'
"I think Eileen needs to nurse," Molly said. "I will bring her up to Lily and stay with Erica. Erica is going to need a lot of support after what James did to himself, and the family."
Shortly after Victoire left for St. Mungo's and Molly left with Eileen, Harry, Ginny, Bill, Ron and Hermione came through the Floo.
"The team is going to continue, with the same owners," Harry announced. "One thing I have learned over my lifetime is that life goes on even after someone dies. Sometimes it feels like it shouldn't, but it does."
"Even new life," Audrey announced. "Erica is pregnant."
"Oh no!" Harry gasped.
"Speaking of life needing to go on, I need to get the Quidditch column written," Ginny told the group. "I'd like to just go into my bedroom and cry, but I'm not going to let anyone else write about the game."
"Should I get Lily?" Harry asked.
"If she is up to it, that may be better. It may be easier to do it together than to do it myself," Ginny thought. "I'm not going to let someone else write about James' death, especially Rita!" Ginny started to tear up again, all but yelling, "Stupid reckless … stupid … boggarts!" She sniffed, wiped her eyes, and stood waiting for Lily.
Harry found Lily, and Lily and Eileen left with Ginny and Mitzi to go and write the Quidditch column with the day's scores, along with an article about James death.
After Victoire returned, Audrey accompanied her up to the bedroom where Erica was and took over for Molly. Molly and Victoire then did what the family did when they gathered, fixed a dinner for the people who were there.
Erica came down for dinner, looking only a little better than she had when she had arrived at the New Burrow, Audrey walking with her. Ginny with Mitzi and Lily with Eileen arrived just as dinner was starting. "We have to finish up after dinner, but Lily and I have started to write a story for the Prophet, and Lily has compiled the scores."
"I guess mum has just made me a fussy editor, but too many of the stringers write awkward hard to read or figure out prose," Lily complained. "If we just posted what was sent it would be horrible. I don't want THAT!"
"I told my editor that we may have a week off after the column in the Sunday Prophet," Ginny announced. "I feel sick and angry and like I should just bawl, but I don't want an article about James death and the funeral written by Rita Skeeter."
"I think we are going to have to invite Cindy Hudson to write about the next few days, and have Henry take photographs," Harry replied.
The family agreed. They could either contribute to and try to control the publicity, or allow people who did not know what they were talking about speculate.
The first meal after a death, especially a sudden death, is always awkward. The little children really did not know what was going on, although everyone could tell that something serious had. The children who saw the accident were traumatized, those who were old enough to understand what they saw, and were mostly quiet or talking very quietly to a parent.
"I don't think Gregory saw anything," Minerva told her parents at the dinner table, a table that included Erica, little James, Harry, Ginny, Lily, Billy, Will, Minerva and Gregory.
"That's good," Ginny replied. "I don't think any of us who saw the accident will ever forget it."
"I know, dad, that you have had to deal with death. Is it always this hard?" Minerva wondered.
"It is seldom easy," Harry replied. "It is different if someone has lived a long life and is ready to go. Sudden deaths of people in the prime of life are always hard. In my life and in my job, have had to deal with too much sudden death, and it is never easy."
"The funeral for Monica Jane just had the family and a few friends," Minerva observed. "Will the funeral for James be different?"
"Yes, I expect it will be," Harry sighed. They were going to have to plan a funeral for all the people who deserved to be able to come, and somehow restrict the funeral to keep fans and others who did not need to be there from attending. Harry didn't want a circus side show atmosphere at the funeral.
Harry was on one side of Ginny, and Erica was on the other side of her. Harry looked over to Erica and told her, "We can work on funeral plans tomorrow."
"What is going to happen to the Cannons?" Erica sniffed as she picked at her food, often daubing her eyes with a cloth.
"Don't cry," James pled as he patted her. "The healers will fix him."
Erica turned to pick up James, but he was messily shoveling food into his mouth, so she let James eat. The time would come soon when people needed to explain to James that his father was not coming back, but not at this time.
"The Cannons will continue," Harry replied. "Jake, Billy and the investors have already decided. We briefly talked about managing the next days and weeks, and finding another good seeker or two, shortly after the accident."
"You are busily trying to take care of what has to be done, and I just feel so lost, and useless, and sick, and," Erica broke down in tears again.
"You will always have the support of your family, the entire extended family you have married into," Harry told her. "Financially and emotionally, we are here for you."
"Just like we adopted Harry," Ginny told Erica. "Your mother may have to be tied up taking care of your father for a while, but you can spend as much time over there, and as much time with our family, as you need."
"I will need to find a job," Erica whispered. "How will I take care of two children and work and …"
"You are not alone, Erica!" Harry emphasized. "If all you want to do is to take care of your children at first, we can make that happen. If you want to work, we can help you make that happen too. And money will not be a problem, I assure you."
"Thank you," Erica muttered, as the tears continued to fall.
Bill, Fleur and Jean-Paul left right after dinner, as did the Granger-Weasley and Granger-Malfoy families. Victoire asked Erica, "Do you want to go back to your apartment, or spend the night here?"
"I still feel sick," Erica replied. "Can you take care of James?"
"We would be delighted to take care of James," Victoire told her. "You can sleep here and if you have any problems, I will be there to take care of you."
"I'm going to be going to the early church service tomorrow, and then talk to Father Lewis about a funeral," Harry told the people who were left.
"Will you take care of the funeral, Mr. Potter, dad?" Erica asked Harry.
"I will, but I will let you know what we have planned and make sure we have your input and approval," Harry answered back.
Erica went into Harry's arms and started to bawl again.
Victoire took James upstairs to spend the night with his cousins.
The Potter family left for Grimmauld Place, Lily, Billy and family accompanying them so Ginny and Lily could finish the Quidditch column and story.
Victoire eventually came back downstairs to find Erica sitting in the kitchen talking to Molly. Victoire went with Erica to find a couple of days of clothes for Erica and little James at their apartment, and when they were back at the New Burrow put her to bed in one of the many extra bedrooms.
Cleo and Albus were in the garden area of the castle in Switzerland, up on the roof. It may have been on a roof, but it was still a garden area with a nice grass lawn, and various plantings. The few trees were in pots to give them enough space for roots. It was the end of May, so flowers were blooming and the whole space smelled of spring and new life.
In addition to their children, Rich and Molly Hudson were there with their two children, and Jesus and Ginny Wang Rios were there with their son.
"Are both of Jacob Isaias's grandparents going to be coming to this year's ICWW?" Cleo wondered.
"Coming a little early to spend some quality time with their grandson," Jesus volunteered.
"Mum's wondering if Jacob is going to have a sibling soon," Ginny frowned. "I told her not soon. Maybe once Jacob is in school all day and can take care of himself."
Eve was the only infant. The children were growing up.
Everybody was relaxing in the sun when one of the staff came up to the roof and told Albus, "Your brother has just died, killed playing Quidditch."
Albus stared at the young man in shock. "James?" he asked.
"James Potter was killed chasing a snitch, when he hit a post, tried to go through a too small hole in a support structure of some kind," the man explained. "The announcer was rather frantic, but I guess that James body is in pieces, and it is all a bloody mess. I left to tell you. I'm not sure what else is going on."
Albus grabbed his mobile and called his father.
"Albus!" Harry answered.
"Is James, is it true?" Albus wondered.
"He killed himself trying to fly through a too small opening, and I'm very busy," Harry quickly replied. "You are probably going to want to be over here by late tomorrow at the latest. I'll text you more. Bye."
Albus looked in shock at Cleo, and then the others. "It is true, James tried to fly through an opening that was too small and killed himself. Dad says we will probably want to be over in Britain by late tomorrow at the latest."
"After we put the children to bed, I can get an Elf to watch them as we go over your schedule, our schedule, and see what we need to move or cancel," Jesus suggested.
"I probably need to follow you, and Molly and I probably need to be there in any case," Rich Hudson observed. "I'll meet the four of you when you are working on the schedule, so the papers and news channels will have a story about you suddenly changing your plans and leaving tomorrow."
"Thank you," Albus replied.
Albus turned to Cleo, tears and a little anger showing. "I could never talk to James about how reckless he could be," Albus muttered, shaking his head. "I am less surprised that maybe I should be, and angrier. He was the best seeker in Quidditch, and he didn't need to take all the risks he took. Mum, dad, his teammates, all tried to tell him!"
"I'm sorry," Cleo responded, tears in her eyes, and the two hugged.
Sunday morning Harry told Ginny, "I need to go to church this morning. I will go to the early, eight-thirty service and see if I can talk to Father Lewis."
"I'm going to go over to mum's," Ginny told Harry. "I will take Gregory and you can take Minerva. I'm worried about Erica, and Lily."
The couple dressed silently. Before Harry left for church Ginny went into his arms and started to bawl. "It's not fair!" she moaned. "First Monica Jane, and now James. Oh Harry," and she let the tears flow.
Harry held her, knowing that there was very little he could do to comfort Ginny. The next days were going to be hard.
Harry met Hermione at church. Hermione's mother was with her, looking old, and a little confused. "She has been having T.I.A.'s," Hermione told Harry.
"What?" Harry wondered.
"Little strokes in her brain," Hermione replied. "Her family has a history of strokes, as near as we can tell. The family is not big, but we know a couple of her ancestors died of strokes."
"I'm sorry," Harry consoled Hermione, giving her a hug.
When they were sitting in church Minerva whispered to her father, "Strokes are bad, aren't they?"
"Strokes are bad," Harry confirmed. "The brain stops working the way it should, and eventually it can stop working at all and the person dies."
Minerva looked at Mrs. Granger and quietly said to her father, "I'm sorry."
After the church service Harry approached Father Lewis. Father Lewis told Harry, "I will call you after the ten-thirty mass. I can free up Tuesday for a funeral, at the church, but we have much to talk about."
"I will wait for your call," Harry replied.
When Harry and Minerva arrived at the New Burrow he found Ginny and Lily talking to Cindy and Henry Hudson. Ginny turned to Harry and told him, "If we do not report on the next few days there will be much inappropriate publicity. There are already some rumors of Dementors driving James to suicide or family troubles that caused him to kill himself. We need to tell the story.
"There are also some stories about the family fighting over James, and us abusing Erica or planning on driving her out of the family. Just awful rumors. I do not know why, but this type of tragedy seems to bring out the worst in some people."
Harry nodded. "Can you and Cindy counteract these stories?" he wondered.
"We are going to do our best," Ginny replied. "Gregory is going to stay here with Teddy's family so I can help with the publicity.
Harry didn't say anything else. He could tell that Ginny was angry, and instead of blowing up and making things worse she was doing her best to control her anger and direct it into helping with the publicity.
Minerva stayed close to Harry until the noon meal, and after the meal he asked her, "Do you want to stay with me today? I have much to do, but you may stay with me if you want to."
"I would like that," she replied. "I hope I never have to do some of the things you have had to do, dad. It seems like you have had a hard life. I would like to watch you; see how you do what you have to do. I love you and admire you and it just seems to be hard being you sometimes." Minerva smiled a small sorrowful smile.
"Your mother and I have had many more happy times than sad times, Minerva," Harry told his daughter. "We have had our sad times, though, and this is certainly one of them." Harry smiled a small sad smile back at Minerva, and they hugged.
When they separated, Minerva became thoughtful and sad, saying, "I know James is never coming back. I saw him die. It is just hard when you have an older brother and suddenly you don't any more. It really was his fault, wasn't it?"
"I don't know what James did to the spells on his broom, but yes, I think he did something to the spells that he should not have done, something to make everything more exciting but more dangerous," Harry proposed. "I'm not sure if we will ever find out, because the broom is pretty well demolished."
Father Jack Lewis came over shortly after the noon meal was finished. Harry invited him to come into the living room of the New Burrow, and they sat down in one of the comfortable seating areas.
"Do you know where you want to hold the funeral?" Jack asked.
"I do not want to hold it outside," Harry replied. "I'm worried about security, plus the weather Tuesday is supposed to be rainy."
"The church holds about a thousand people, if we use the loft," Jack told Harry. "We can control who comes in. James was a member of the church, and we can hold a funeral mass if you want."
"Minerva, could you get Erica?" Harry asked her daughter. "I do not want to plan anything without her."
"Yes, dad," Minerva replied, and she ran off to find her sister-in-law Erica. A short time later she was back, holding onto Erica's hand.
Erica looked lost, and sad, like she was just holding it together.
"Hello, Erica," Jack said. "I am very sorry for your loss."
"Hello, Father Lewis," Erica quietly responded.
"We need to plan a funeral for James," Jack told James widow. "We were planning on holding it in the church, if that is acceptable."
Erica nodded 'yes.'
"Is James going to be cremated and buried in the columbarium in the church?" the pastor asked.
Erica looked at Harry, not sure what to say.
"I think that would be best," Harry told Erica. "The cemetery in Ottery St. Catchpole is over full, and the older generations, James's grandparents and the first twelve grandchildren, have decided to be cremated and buried in the columbarium at the church."
Erica nodded 'yes' again.
They went through the church service, choosing readings and songs, again with Erica agreeing but saying very little. Harry knew that Billy Lionheart had convinced Lily to be a reasonably faithful church goer, and maybe half the time James and Erica accompanied them, but unlike Billy and Lily, James and Erica really didn't seem very interested in anything but occasionally going to church. Erica was quite content to let the pastor and her father-in-law plan the service.
"Are Albus and Cleo going to be here?" Jack asked Harry.
"I think they will be here this afternoon," Harry replied.
"Our organist and her husband are on a job repairing an organ," Jack explained. "Using magic makes it easier to repair worn out or damaged pipes, and they are on a big job that has to be finished this week. I hope Cleo can play the organ for James."
"I'm sure she will," Harry replied. "As soon as I see her, I will give her the list of music we have chosen."
After Father Lewis left Harry called St. Mungo's and arranged to have James body cremated. He was going to be able to pick up the remains Monday afternoon.
Albus, Cleo, Molly and Rich and their families arrived at the New Burrow Sunday in time for dinner. Cleo readily agreed to play the organ, and they contacted people they knew from both the church and their former band to serve as choir members.
Again, everybody went home except Erica. "Going home to sleep in our bedroom without James is going to be hard," she explained. "We didn't have a dormitory except for the single players, and even there they had individual rooms. One of the ways we recruited players is to make the team family friendly, and we hired a couple of excellent players because even though the hours were long they could go home to their family almost every night."
2023