During breakfast at the Burrow, the atmosphere was very somber. Fred's funeral was scheduled for tomorrow, and the reality of it was already starting to sink in. The fact that Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny were supposed to go to Colin's funeral later that day only added to the weight. They ate mostly in silence, with only bits of conversation heard between them. Soon after the meal, Arthur and Percy left for work, and Harry started to prepare to go to Hogwarts.

"Harry dear, I hope you will not be working today," said Molly.

"Don't worry, the only thing I need to do is to speak with Professor McGonagall. Then I am coming straight back here."

"Why do you need to talk to the Headmistress?" asked Hermione, surprised.

"Kingsley asked me to do it, and I'm sorry, but I can't say more for now."

While everyone wanted to know more, they knew better than to ask. A few minutes later, Harry was ready, so he said goodbye and left for Hogwarts. After a short visit to the hospital wing for a daily checkup, he went to the Headmistress's office. As always since the battle, the gargoyle jumped aside, showing him the stairs. He knocked on the door, and soon he heard permission to enter.

"Good morning, Potter, sit down. I got your letter yesterday, and I spoke to Miss Bones. They are all awaiting a message that you have arrived and will be here shortly."

She then called a Hogwarts Head House Elf. When he appeared, she ordered him to inform the teachers that Harry had arrived. Only a few minutes later, they began to arrive, and soon enough, they were all there, waiting for Harry to speak.

"Thank you, everyone, for coming here. To not waste our time, as we all have better things to do today, I'll try to be short and simple. Who among you knows what MMA is?" Harry started.

Luckily, only Susan was not aware of it, so Harry quickly explained what it was.

"Sue, MMA is a magical school in Britain. This school gathers Muggle-born students from almost all of Europe."

"From Britain as well? Why were our Muggle-borns attending there instead of Hogwarts?" asked Susan.

"Decades ago, the Board of Governors decided that only powerful or rich Muggle-borns would be allowed in Hogwarts. So they created a school for those who did not qualify. And as in Europe, they discriminate against Muggle-borns even more than British people, they are all sending their kids to study in MMA as they have the best chance for good education there."

"I hope hell will swallow those pricks," she growled. "But what does that have to do with us?"

"A few weeks ago, Death Eaters attacked the school. Somehow, all the students and teachers managed to escape, but the school was destroyed. As technically, the Ministry owns the school, it is their job to find them a new place. But Kingsley and his team are asking us if we will be willing to join the schools together here at Hogwarts."

"And what did you tell him?" asked Susan.

"That even though I think we can make that work, I will not make any decision without talking with you first. Then I will set up a meeting with their teaching staff. And if we are all on the same page, we will do it. Otherwise, the Ministry will need to come up with something else."

"Alright, let's talk this through. First question: how many students does MMA have?"

"According to Kingsley, over 900."

"Right now, we are expecting less than six hundred from us next year. So it will put us at 1500 potential students. Do we have the capacity for that?"

"We do," replied the Headmistress.

"What about their teaching staff? I think we can reasonably assume that they will also expect to be hired here."

"I don't have any information on that, but you are right. And don't worry, no matter what we decide, your positions are safe here."

"Glad to hear that," replied Sprout.

"To be honest with you, I already had plans to hire additional teachers to ease our workload, so I think that there will be no conflicts on that matter."

"Will they accept the rules that are here? I am pretty sure that they are working differently than we do," asked Professor Vector.

"At this moment, there is no point in talking to them about that. We need to wait until we decide what changes we are making here."

"About that, do you have any plans for that?" asked the Headmistress.

"I do, but I think we need to speed up the plans. No matter if we decide to combine the schools, I think we need to give ourselves as much time as we can before the 1st of September."

"So, what do you propose, Harry?" asked Susan.

"Like I said, I want us all to write down our ideas of what we would like to change and discuss this all. But I also think that we should invite a few more people here."

"Who do you have in mind?"

"I think that we should ask some parents of students to join us as this will give us more perspective. I also think that having a few students here would be beneficial. Maybe the Head Duo?"

"Not a bad idea. I think that we should choose some parents from different backgrounds. Some parents from Muggle-borns, and some from old pureblood families as well," suggested Flitwick.

"I agree with that. Sue, what would you say if both of us would invite two sets of parents?"

"I understand your suggestion, but we need to decide on a specific date so that they can make arrangements," Susan replied.

"How about next Thursday? The last funeral is on Wednesday, so we will have a whole week to prepare," Harry suggested.

"That's fine with me," Susan agreed, looking at the teachers, who all nodded in agreement. "So what are we doing about MMA?"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but none of you are against inviting them here, right?" Harry asked, looking at the teachers.

"We're all behind this idea at the moment," replied the Headmistress, looking around at the teaching staff. As everyone agreed with her, Harry continued.

"In that case, Sue, I will try to set up a meeting with the headmaster. When I have a date, I will contact you to see if you are available. If they decide to join Hogwarts, we will invite them to our meeting on Thursday."

Susan agreed to the idea, and when no one had any more questions, they ended the meeting and parted ways. Before leaving Hogwarts, Harry decided to check his mail. When he entered the antechamber, he paled as he saw that the pile had more than doubled in size. He checked the latest letters and took two of them. One was from Barchoke, and one was from the Headmaster of MMA. He was surprised that the headmaster had written to him already, but decided not to dwell on it for too long. After checking the letter for curses, he opened it.

"Dear Lord Potter,

My name is David Craig, and I am the Headmaster of Manchester Magical Academy. I am contacting you as Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt came up with the idea of merging our school with Hogwarts and informed me that you are one of the decisive people in Hogwarts. So, I would like to set up a meeting between you, me, and my teaching staff to discuss that idea in detail. I suggest this Thursday at 10 A.M. as a date for that gathering. If that date is not working for you, of course, we will try to choose some other day. If it is possible, we would like to meet with you at Hogwarts, so we could see the school ourselves. Please let me know if that date and place are agreeable for you.

With regards,

David Craig

Headmaster of Manchester Magical Academy"

Nothing in this letter surprised him, so he quickly folded it and left the chamber to find Susan. She had told him that she would be helping Professor Sprout that day, so he went towards the greenhouses. After a few minutes, he found her cleaning up the greenhouse.

"Did you forget something, Harry?" she asked.

"No, I didn't. You see, I went to check my mail that is stored in the antechamber, and I was surprised to find that the headmaster had already contacted me, even though I talked to Kingsley about that idea only yesterday afternoon. He wants to meet and suggested Thursday at 10 to meet. Are you available then?"

"Yes, I am. You can confirm that date with him. I'm surprised as well that he wrote you a letter so soon, but I am certainly not complaining."

"Same for me. Alright, then I will write to him and confirm the date."

They talked for a moment longer, then Harry said goodbye again and left for the Burrow. When he arrived there, he found a strangely quiet and empty house. He looked out the window and spotted Ginny, so he went there to find out where everyone had gone. When he was outside, Ginny spotted him and flew to him.

"Hi, Harry," she greeted.

"Hi, Ginny. Where is everyone?"

Ginny sighed heavily and explained everything.

"Mom had another breakdown, so Bill took her to the bedroom to calm her down and get her to sleep. George was even worse, so Charlie gave him a calming drought and took him to the shop, as somehow he was calmed there. Fleur left to do some grocery shopping, and Ron and Hermione went for a walk. So overall, we are pretty alone here."

"What about you? Would you like some company, or do you prefer to be alone for the moment?"

"If you don't mind, I would like to stay alone for a bit."

"Sure thing. If you change your mind and would like company, I will be in the hammock, working a bit."

"Thanks for understanding and the offer," she smiled at him and flew away.

Before he went down to lie in the hammock, he wrote a letter to Headmaster Craig to confirm the date. After he did it, he opened the letter from Barchoke. When he broke the seal, two pieces of parchment fell out. The first one he picked up looked like a letter, so he started with that.

Dear Lord Potter,

I am writing to you as I have prepared a list of available lawyers who are experienced enough to handle your matters. I have attached that list on a separate parchment.

With regards,

Barchoke

Potter and Black account manager

Harry was looking at a list of names when he saw the Greengrass family. Although they were known for being neutral, they opposed Voldemort, making them a potential ally for Harry. He evaluated each name on the list, weighing the pros and cons of each firm, but he couldn't shake his focus on the Greengrass name. So, when he concluded that they were the best choice for him, he decided to write to Cyrus Greengrass and ask for a meeting.

Dear Lord Greengrass,

I am writing to inquire about retaining a lawyer for a legal matter I need assistance with. I would like to request a meeting with you to discuss a potential cooperation. If you are interested, please let me know your availability for the meeting.

Thank you and I look forward to hearing back from you soon.

With Regards,

Lord Harry James Potter

Head of Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter

Head of Most Ancient and Noble House of Black

Harry was satisfied with the letter and planned to send it later that afternoon. When he checked his watch, he saw that it was only 1 PM and he had some free time before Colin's funeral at 4 PM. He decided to use this time to create a basic plan for Hogwarts and what he wanted to change. His priority was to ensure the school's independence, which required financial stability. He realized that the school needed its funds so that no one could pressure them. To achieve financial stability, he needed to spend less money, which meant finding ways to cut costs. He had an idea, but he needed to check something at Hogwarts and speak with a head house elf.

As the minutes passed, Harry found it harder to concentrate, so he put away his papers and started to walk around. Fleur then called everyone for lunch, which was a silent affair. They were all lost in their thoughts, staring numbly at their meals, wishing that they could skip the next three days and wake up when all the funerals were over. When it was 2:30 PM, the teens had to change their clothes and prepare themselves to leave the Burrow.

They all met at Hogwarts, where they would take the portkey. Hermione gave them a quick summary of what to expect and how to behave since almost none of them had ever been to a muggle funeral, let alone a Catholic one. At 3:45 PM, they touched a long rope, and Professor McGonagall activated the portkey. When they landed, Crevveys helped them find their seats, and they learned the cover story that Colin's muggle family was told. They were told that he died during a robbery, saving the life of his friend, to honor Colin and help his family remember him as a hero. The funeral lasted about an hour, with several people speaking about Colin, including his parents, Dennis, Professor McGonagall, and his best friend, Adam Ferenc. When the funeral ended, they all returned by portkey to Hogwarts and went their separate ways.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny returned just in time for Molly, who had managed to leave her room, to finish preparing the meal. The atmosphere was somber, and no one was really hungry, but they ate everything to try to cheer up Molly. After the meal, even though it was only 7 PM, everyone called it a night and went to their rooms to rest as much as possible before the next day.

Harry woke up early the next day to prepare breakfast because he knew that Molly wouldn't be in the right state to do so. He anticipated that Fleur would be focused on Bill, so he took it upon himself to prepare a meal. Hermione and Fleur were the first ones to join him in the kitchen, and Harry greeted them. He was cooking a full English breakfast.

"I didn't know that you can cook, Harry," exclaimed Fleur.

"The Dursleys taught me how to cook when I was tall enough to reach the stove," he replied.

"I think they should be punished for how they were treating you," said Hermione angrily.

"Mione, I don't care about it. I am glad I don't have to see them ever again, and I don't want to waste even a second more of my life thinking about them. They are in the past, and let's not bring them up again."

"As you wish, Harry."

It took about 15 minutes longer, and breakfast was ready. Hermione and Fleur went to wake up everybody, while Harry had set the table for the meal. Moments later, the girls had come back, and behind them, all the Weasleys had marched slowly into the kitchen.

"Harry dear, you didn't have to do this..." started Molly, but Harry had cut her off.

"Don't worry about that, Molly. Come on, sit here and eat."

She hugged him closely and sat at the table. Like yesterday, they did not speak a lot and were mostly focused on other things. When they finished breakfast, Percy left to check that everything was in place for the ceremony, and the rest of them went to sit in the living room. They paired up, with Arthur sitting with Molly, Bill with Fleur, George with Charlie, and Ron with Ginny. Harry and Hermione stood up together, ready to help if anyone needed it. They spoke silently in pairs, waiting for Percy to come back. It took him about 30 minutes, but he was back in the house and simply announced that everything was ready. Everyone took that as a signal to go to their rooms and prepare themselves. It took everyone about an hour, but around 9:30, they were all ready, standing up in the living room. They decided to bury Fred in their orchard, so they did not have to worry about transport. On a silent signal, they all went outside and started their walk towards the orchard. After a moment, they arrived there, and as Percy had said, everything was ready. Stools were placed in rows, a pedestal with a coffin was ready, and so was the grave. Seeing that they all had started crying pretty hard, Harry had gently led them into the front row so they could take their seats. He and Hermione had volunteered to welcome everyone who arrived there and take them to their seats. So he turned to Arthur to let him know where they were going.

"Thank you for doing that. And when everything is ready, come back here to sit with us. You are family, and your place is here with us," Arthur had told them.

"We will, don't worry," replied Hermione, and they left for the apparition point.

It didn't take long, and the first guests had arrived. One by one, friends and family showed up to say their last goodbye to Fred. The largest group had portkeyed from Hogwarts, and it contained all D.A. members and Fred's yearmates. After 20 minutes, the influx of guests had stopped, so they waited only for a master of ceremonies. After he arrived, he told them to take their seats as they would start soon. When they came back, everyone was already sitting, waiting for a start. Harry and Hermione sat next to the Weasleys and nodded their heads silently to let them know that it would start soon.

After a few minutes had passed, the master of ceremonies had arrived, and he began their traditional rites. When he was done, he asked if anyone would like to say something. Almost all his siblings, Harry, Hermione, Lee Jordan, Angelina Johnson, and Arthur, one by one, stood up and told their favorite memories of Fred. Only George and Molly had stayed in their seats, but none of them was in shape to muster anything. They sat there hugging each other, sobbing uncontrollably. When Arthur had ended his speech, the master of ceremonies took his wand and put Fred to his final rest. When he was done, he vanished from the pedestal, leaving a fresh grave and tombstone. He said his condolences and left, ending the funeral. All the gathered had gathered at his grave in silent vigil, till one by one they left, leaving only the Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione. Around noon, they had decided it was time to come back home.

After arriving home, all the Weasleys decided to go to their rooms to rest and maybe sleep. Harry and Hermione stayed in the living room as they were going later to Lavender Brown's funeral. As they had a few hours, they had prepared lunch in case someone would get hungry, and when the time came, they left the Burrow. Lavender's ceremony was very similar to Fred's, only smaller. They had also decided to say a few words about her. After her rite was completed, they came back to the Burrow. When they entered the front door, they were greeted by Fleur, who was the only person there.

"Hi Fleur, how is everyone doing?"

"As well as you can expect. They are all lying in beds, switching between light sleep and crying. I think that I will give them Dreamless Potion in the evening, so they could get a good sleep."

"Good idea, they need to get some rest," Harry replied and sat down on the couch. "Hey Fleur, what have you been up to in the last few days? Bill told me that you're working with your dad now," Harry asked, hoping to shift the conversation away from the depressing topic.

"Yes, I am. My father is a French representative in the ICW, and Kingsley is using him to establish contact between a ministry and them," she explained. "And what have you and Hermione been working on?" she asked them.

They had talked for quite a while about their tasks and plans for the upcoming days. They didn't realize how much time had passed until they noticed it was getting dark outside. Then they took sleeping potions and fed them to the Weasleys before taking their doses and going to rest.

The next day at breakfast, they were in a better mood, but it was still far from being good. After finishing, Harry went for a last checkup with Madam Pomfrey and sent out his letters. Then he went to Tonks' house to help with preparations for Remus' funeral.

Thankfully, Remus' funeral was almost identical to Fred's, so Harry knew exactly what to do. The rites went smoothly, and many of his friends and former coworkers spoke a few words about him. When the funeral was over, Harry stayed with the Tonks as they had some errands to do, leaving Harry to take care of Dora and Teddy. When they returned late in the afternoon, Harry went back to the Burrow to help Hermione with her last preparations for her journey. When he arrived, he saw that Hermione was irritated but decided to keep quiet as she didn't want to fight anyone at that moment. They all had supper together and waited until it was time for Hermione to go to the airport. Harry offered to accompany her, and she happily agreed. Soon enough, it was time to leave, so after saying goodbye, they used the floo to get to the Leaky Cauldron, and from there they called a taxi to the airport. An hour later, they hugged each other goodbye.

"Remember, if you need anything, just contact me, and I'll help you as much as I can," Harry reminded her.

"I know, Harry. Thank you. Goodbye, and please take care of yourself."

"I will. Bye, Mione." With that, she left for her terminal, and Harry walked a distance from the airport before apparating to the Burrow, making sure no one saw him.