All lessons were suspended, all examinations postponed. Some students were hurried away from Soleanna by their parents over the next couple of days. Leeta and Lyco were gone before breakfast on the morning following Locke's death, and Speedy was escorted from the castle by his haughty-looking father. Larry, on the other hand, refused point-blank to accompany his mother home; they had a shouting match in the entrance hall that was resolved when she agreed that he could remain behind for the funeral. She had difficulty in finding a bed in Spiral Hill, for wizards and witches were pouring into the village, preparing to pay their last respects to Locke. Some excitement was caused among the younger students, who had never seen it before, when Lady Windermere arrived on her flying carriage. Meanwhile a delegation of Ministry officials, including the Minister of Magic himself, was being accommodated within the castle. Silver was diligently avoiding contact with any of them; he was sure that, sooner or later, he would be asked again to account for Locke's last excursion from Soleanna. He, Razor, Coral, and Blaze were spending all of their time together. The beautiful weather seemed to mock them; Silver could imagine how it would have been if Locke had not died, and they had had this time together at the very end of the year, Blaze's examinations finished, the pressure of homework lifted and hour by hour, he put off saying the thing that he knew he must say, doing what he knew was right to do, because it was too hard to forgo his best source of comfort.
They visited the hospital wing twice a day, Antion had been there after whatever Infinite did to him but was quickly discharged as it was nothing serious. But Ash remained under Vanilla's care. His scars were as bad as ever but in personality he seemed just the same. All that appeared to have changed was that he now had a great liking for very rare steaks "Eet ees lucky 'e is marrying me, because ze Mercians overcook their meat, I 'ave always said this" Mina said.
In the Common Room after the visit Blaze said "I guess I'm just going to have to get used to her" "She's not that bad…Ugly though" Silver added when Blaze raised an eyebrow. Razor noticed Coral opening the latest Daily Prophet "Anyone else we know died?" "No. They're still looking for Infinite". Silver wasn't expecting Infinite to be caught, he'd probably be with Finitevus. Blaze yawned "I'm going to bed. I haven't gotten much sleep lately". She kissed Silver and left. The moment she closed the door Coral leaned forward "Silver, I found something in the library" "M.T.T?" Silver asked sitting up straight. Coral regrettably shook her head "No. I've been trying, Silver, but I haven't found anything. There are a couple of reasonably well-known wizards with those initials but none of them seem to fit at all. Judging by that note, the person who stole the Shard knew Finitevus, and I can't find a shred of evidence that any of them have. No, actually, it's about the…Half Blood Prince". Silver rolled his eyes and was waved her off "I get it, Coral. You were right. You don't have to rub it in" "No, not that. It about Ledain Prince. I was partly right. She was Infinite's mother". Silver looked up "What?" "I found a report on her marrying a Muggle Jackal. It makes sense then, doesn't it. Infinite used his mother's name". Silver's mind suddenly had a bad thought about Locke. Half blood, wizard mother, ashamed of his Muggle father, obsessed with the Dark Arts and even gave himself a nickname to separate himself from his father. He's just like Finitevus. How could Locke have not seen it? Silver shook that thought out of his head and looked out the window. He felt tainted, he spent almost a year defending and praising that murderer. He should have shown that book to Locke the moment he realised how dangerous it was. Silence fell between them, each of them lost in their own thoughts, but Silver was sure that they, like him, were thinking about the following morning, when Locke's body would be laid to rest.
He had never attended a funeral before; there had been no body to bury when Elias had died. He did not know what to expect and was a little worried about what he might see, about how he would feel. He wondered whether Locke's death would be more real to him once it was over. Though he had moments when the horrible fact of it threatened to overwhelm him, there were blank stretches of numbness where, despite the fact that nobody was talking about anything else in the whole castle, he still found it difficult to believe that Locke had really gone. Admittedly he had not, as he had with Elias, looked desperately for some kind of loophole, some way that Locke would come back. He carried the fake Core Shard with him everywhere, not as a trophy, but as a reminder of what it had cost and what remained still to do. Silver rose early to pack the next day; the Soleanna Express would be leaving an hour after the funeral. Downstairs, he found the mood in the Great Hall subdued and no one seemed very hungry. Echo had left the thronelike chair in the middle of the staff table empty. Big's chair was deserted too; Silver thought that perhaps he had not been able to face breakfast, but Infinite's place had been unceremoniously filled by Saline. Silver avoided his eyes as they scanned the Hall; Silver had the uncomfortable feeling that Saline was looking for him. Among Saline's entourage Silver spotted Hamlin. Razor gave no sign that he was aware of his brother apart from stabbing pieces of kipper with unneeded venom. Over at the Raiju table Rough and Tumble were muttering together. They looked oddly lonely without Rutan between them, bossing them around. Silver had not spared Rutan much thought. His animosity was all for Infinite, but he had not forgotten the fear in Rutan's voice on that tower top, nor the fact that he had lowered his hand before the other Nocturnus arrived. Silver did not believe that Rutan would have killed Locke.
He despised Rutan still for his infatuation with the Dark Arts, but now the tiniest drop of pity mingled with his dislike. Where, Silver wondered, was Rutan now, and what was Finitevus making him do under threat of killing him and his parents? Silver's thoughts were interrupted by a nudge in the ribs from Blaze. Echo had risen to her feet, and the mournful hum in the Hall died away at once "It is nearly time. Please follow your Heads of Houses out into the grounds. Shinobis, after me". They filed out from behind their benches in near silence. When they reached the door they found Misty-Re standing beside Rykor, she in a thick black veil that fell to her knees, he in an ancient black suit. They were heading, as Silver saw when he stepped out onto the stone steps from the front doors, toward the lake. Charmy made no attempt to disrupt the groups. Any other day such a large pack of people travelling through the castle would have something thrown at them but Charmy seemed to have no desire to cause trouble on the day of Locke's funeral. The warmth of the sun caressed Silver's face as they followed Echo in silence to the place where hundreds of chairs had been set out in rows. An aisle ran down the centre of them. There was a marble table standing at the front, all chairs facing it. It was the most beautiful summer's day. An extraordinary assortment of people had already settled into half of the chairs; shabby and smart, old and young. Most Silver did not recognize, but a few he did, including members of the Order of Wisp. Striker was there looking for the first time quite shaken, Silver knew why as he was one of Locke's oldest friends. Next to him was Espio, Julie-Su (Her fur had returned to her usual healthy pink. She was holding hands with Knuckles with whom she seemed to be holding hands. Mari-An and Rob; Ash supported by Mina and followed by Mighty and Ray. Then there was Lady Windermere who took up two and a half chairs on her own. Sammy, the landlord of the Groovy Train in Knothole. Mrs Rosie, Silver's Squib neighbour, Cliff, the driver of the Mirage Express; Sophia, of the clothes shop in Avalon; and some people whom Silver merely knew by sight, such as the barman of the Enerjak and the lady who pushed the trolley on the Soleanna Express.
The castle ghosts were there too, barely visible in the bright sunlight, discernible only when they moved, shimmering insubstantially on the gleaming air. Silver, Razor, Coral, and Blaze filed into seats at the end of a row beside the lake. People were whispering to each other; it sounded like a breeze in the grass, but the birdsong was louder by far. The crowd continued to swell, with a great rush of affection for both of them, Silver saw Antione sitting with Marine. Max the Chipmunk walked past toward the front rows, his expression miserable. Silver next recognized Breezie, who, he was infuriated to see, had a notebook clutched in her hand, and then, with a worse jolt of fury, Vera Veruca, an unconvincing expression of grief upon her face. At the sight of the Voxai Thebes, who was hovering like a sentinel near the water's edge, she gave a start and scurried hastily into a seat a good distance away. The staff was seated at last. Silver could see Saline looking grave and dignified in the front row with Echo. He wondered whether Saline or any of these important people were really sorry that Locke was dead. But then he heard music, strange, otherworldly music, and he forgot his dislike of the Ministry in looking around for the source of it. He was not the only one, many heads were turning, searching, a little alarmed. "In there" whispered Blaze in Silver's ear. And he saw them in the clear green sunlit water, inches below the surface, reminding him horribly of the EXEs: a chorus of Merobians singing in a strange language he did not understand, their pallid faces rippling, their purplish hair flowing all around them. The music made the hair on Silver's neck stand up, and yet it was not unpleasant. It spoke very clearly of loss and of despair. As he looked down into the wild faces of the singers, he had the feeling that they, at least, were sorry for Locke's passing. Then Blaze nudged him again and he looked around. Big was walking slowly up the aisle between the chairs. He was crying quite silently, his face gleaming with tears, and in his arms, wrapped in a white blanket, was what Silver knew to be Locke's body.
A sharp pain rose in Silver's throat at this sight. For a moment, the strange music and the knowledge that Locke's body was so close seemed to take all warmth from the day. Razor looked white and shocked. Tears were falling thick and fast into both Blaze's and Coral's laps. They could not see clearly what was happening at the front. Big seemed to have placed the body carefully upon the table. Now he retreated down the aisle, blowing his nose with loud trumpeting noises that drew scandalized looks from some, including, Silver saw, Veruca. But Silver knew that Locke would not have cared. He tried to make a friendly gesture to Big as he passed, but Big's eyes were so swollen it was a wonder he could see where he was going. Silver glanced at the back row to which Big was heading and realized what was guiding him, for there, dressed in a jacket and trousers each the size of a small marquee, was Eddy the Yeti, his massive head bowed. Big sat down next to his half-brother, and Eddy patted Big hard on the head, so that his chair legs sank into the ground. Silver had a wonderful momentary urge to laugh. But then the music stopped, and he turned to face the front again. A little green Seedrian in plain black robes had got to his feet and stood now in front of Locke's body. Silver could not hear what he was saying. Odd words floated back to them over the hundreds of heads "Nobility of spirit…Intellectual contribution…Greatness of heart". It did not mean very much. It had little to do with Locke as Silver had known him. He suddenly remembered Locke's idea of a few words "Nitwit, oddment, blubber, tweak" and again had to suppress a grin. What was the matter with him? There was a soft splashing noise to his left and he saw that the Merobians had broken the surface to listen too. He remembered Locke crouching at the water's edge two years ago, very close to where Silver now sat, and conversing in Mermish with the Merchieftainess.
Silver wondered where Locke had learned Mermish. There was so much he had never asked him, so much he should have said. And then, without warning, it swept over him, the dreadful truth, more completely and undeniably than it had until now. Locke was dead, gone. He clutched the cold locket in his hand so tightly that it hurt, but he could not prevent hot tears spilling from his eyes. He looked away from Blaze and the others and stared out over the lake, toward the forest, as the little man in black droned on. There was movement among the trees. The Voxai had come to pay their respects too. They did not move into the open but Silver saw them hovering quite still, half hidden in shadow, watching the wizards. And Silver remembered his first nightmarish trip into the forest, the first time he had ever encountered the thing that was then Finitevus, and how he had faced him, and how he and Locke had discussed fighting a losing battle not long thereafter. It was important, Locke said, to fight, and fight again, and keep fighting, for only then could evil be kept at bay, though never quite eradicated. And Silver saw very clearly as he sat there under the hot sun how people who cared about him had stood in front of him one by one, his mother, his father, his godfather, and finally Locke, all determined to protect him; but now that was over. He could not let anybody else stand between him and Finitevus; he must abandon forever the illusion he ought to have lost at the age of one, that the shelter of a parent's arms meant that nothing could hurt him.
There was no waking from his nightmare, no comforting whisper in the dark that he was safe really, that it was all in his imagination; the last and greatest of his protectors had died, and he was more alone than he had ever been before. The little man in black had stopped speaking at last and resumed his seat. Silver waited for somebody else to get to their feet; he expected speeches, probably from the Minister, but nobody moved. Then several people screamed. Bright, white flames had erupted around Locke's body and the table upon which it lay. Higher and higher they rose, obscuring the body. White smoke spiralled into the air and made strange shapes. Silver thought, for one heart-stopping moment, that he saw a a Wisp fly joyfully into the blue, but next second the fire had vanished. In its place was a white marble tomb, encasing Locke's body and the table on which he had rested. There were a few more cries of shock as a shower of pink lasers passed harmlessly above the crowd. Silver knew, this was the Voxai's tribute. He saw them turn tail and disappear back into the cool trees. Likewise, the merpeople sank slowly back into the green water and were lost from view.
There were now at the reception which was taking place back in the Great Hall. Silver didn't talk much to anyone. Everyone he wanted to open up to about Locke's death he had already done so. He looked at Blaze, Razor, and Coral. Razor's face had been screwed up and his eyes red since the lake. He kept avoiding looking at the others. Coral's face was glazed with tears, but Blaze was no longer crying. She met Silver's gaze with the same hard, blazing look that he had seen when she had hugged him after winning the Sky Chase Cup in his absence, and he knew that at that moment they understood each other perfectly, and that when he told her what he was going to do now she would accept his decision, because she would not have expected anything less of him. And so he steeled himself to say what he had known he must say ever since Locke had died "Blaze, can we talk?". She nodded and they moved out to the entrance hall which was thankfully empty "Blaze, listen…We…I don't…" "You're leaving aren't you?". Silver gulped and slowly nodded "I have to". Blaze surprisingly smiled in a twisted way "It's for some stupid noble reason isn't it?". Silver managed a laugh "Yeah". Ther was a long pause and then "This…This was good. But we can't keep going. Finitevus uses people his enemies are close to. He's already used you as bait once, and that was just because you're my best friend's sister. Think how much danger you'll be in if we keep this up. He'll know, he'll find out. He'll try and get to me through you" "What if I don't care?" "I care". Blaze sighed, she didn't cry or whine. She simply looked back at Silver "I never really gave up on you. Not really. I always hoped…Coral told me to get on with life, maybe go out with some other people, relax a bit around you, because I never used to be able to talk if you were in the room, remember? And she thought you might take a bit more notice if I was a bit more…Myself".
Silver smiled "Smart girl, that Coral. I just wished I asked you sooner. We could have had longer" "You were too busy saving the Wizarding World" Blaze joked. There was a short silence between the two. Blaze kissed him on the cheek and then returned to the Great Hall. Silver didn't follow, he went out to the courtyard to have a walk but "Silver?". Saline had followed him "I've been hoping to have a word. Do you mind if I walk a little way with you?" "No" said Silver indifferently, and set off again. Saline walked next to him "Silver, this was a dreadful tragedy. I cannot tell you how appalled I was to hear of it. Locke was a very great wizard. We had our disagreements, as you know, but no one knows better than I-" "What do you want?" Silver asked flatly. Saline looked annoyed, but as before, hastily modified his expression to one of sorrowful understanding "You are, of course, devastated. I know that you were very close to Locke. I think you may have been his favourite pupil ever. The bond between the two of you-" "What do you want?" Silver repeated, coming to a halt. Saline stopped and stared at Silver with a shrewd expression "The word is that you were with him when he left the school the night that he died". Silver crossed his arms "Whose word?" "Somebody Stupefied a Nocturnus on top of the tower after Locke died. There were also two boards up there. The Ministry can add two and two, Silver" "Glad to hear it. Well, where I went with Locke and what we did is my business. He didn't want people to know". Saline was restraining his irritation with great difficulty "Such loyalty is admirable, of course, but Locke is gone, Silver. He's gone".
Silver, even as a surprise to himself, smiled "He will only be gone from the school when none here are loyal" "My dear boy. Even Locke cannot return from the…" "I am not saying he can. You wouldn't understand. But I've got nothing to tell you". Saline hesitated, then said, in what was evidently supposed to be a tone of delicacy "The Ministry can offer you all sorts of protection, you know, Silver. I would be delighted to place a couple of my Diamond Cutters at your service". Silver laughed "Finitevus wants to kill me himself, and Diamond Cutters won't stop him. So, thanks for the offer, but no" "So, the request I made of you at Christmas…" "What? Oh yeah, the one where I tell the world what a great job you're doing in. Release Charlie yet?". Saline was scowling now "I see you are-" "Locke's man through and through. That's right". Saline glared at him for another moment, then turned and walked away without another word. Silver could see Hamlin and the rest of the Ministry delegation waiting for him. Razor and Coral were hurrying toward Silver, passing Saline going in the opposite direction. "What did Saline want?" Coral whispered. Silver shrugged "Same as he wanted at Christmas. Wanted me to give him inside information on Locke and be the Ministry's new poster boy". Razor seemed to struggle with himself for a moment, then he said loudly to Coral "Look, let me go back and hit Hamlin!" "No" she said firmly, grabbing his arm. Silver smirked "It'll make me feel better!". Even Coral grinned a little, though her smile faded as she looked back at the castle "I can't bear the idea that we might never come back. How can Soleanna close?" "Maybe it won't. We're not in any more danger here than we are at home, are we? Every where's the same now. I'd even say Soleanna is safer, there are more wizards inside to defend the place. What d'you reckon, Silver?" "I'm not coming back even if it does reopen" said Silver. Razor gaped at him, but Coral said sadly "I knew you were going to say that. But then what will you do?" "I'm going back to Penders Drive once more, because Locke wanted me to. But it'll be a short visit, and then I'll be gone for good. Then…I don't know. I thought I might go back to Vigil's Hollow" Silver muttered.
He had had the idea in his head ever since the night of Locke's death "For me, it started there, all of it. I've just got a feeling I need to go there. And I can visit my parents' graves, I'd like that" "And then what?" Razor asked. Silver shrugged "Then I've got to track down the rest of the Core Shards, haven't I? That's what he wanted me to do, that's why he told me all about them. If Locke was right and I'm sure he was there are still four of them out there. I've got to find them and destroy them, and then…I've got to kill him. And I'm hoping Infinite too a long the way". Silver expected another long silence but Razor then said without hesitation "We'll be there, Silver" "What?" "At your aunt and uncle's house. And then we'll go with you wherever you're going". Silver hadn't counted on this, he though he made it clear he was doing this alone "No" "You said to us once before, that there was time to turn back if we wanted to. We've had time, haven't we?" Coral said. Razor nodded "We're with you whatever happens. But mate, you're going to have to come round my mum and dad's house before we do anything else. You can't miss Ash and Mina's wedding". Silver looked at him, startled; the idea that anything as normal as a wedding could still exist seemed incredible and yet wonderful "Yeah, we shouldn't miss that" he said finally. His hand closed automatically around the fake Core Shard, but in spite of everything, in spite of the dark and twisting path he saw stretching ahead for himself, in spite of the final meeting with Finitevus he knew must come, whether in a month, in a year, or in ten, he felt his heart lift at the thought that there was still one last golden day of peace left to enjoy with Razor and Coral.