"Every single person who defended Hogwarts a month ago chose to do what was right."
/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
"You could always make notes," Hermione offered.
Ginny could've predicted Harry's reaction. He rolled his eyes. "I could, but in case you've forgotten, the memorial is tomorrow morning. Besides, I don't want to seem like I'm acting or something."
Hermione crossed her arms. "Why do you ask for help when you dismiss everything I suggest?"
Harry sighed exasperatedly. "Sorry. It's just that reading a speech off a piece of parchment isn't me. It'll make it seem fake, like I don't actually care."
"Everyone knows you care, mate." Ron quickly responded, but Harry just shook his head.
"Kingsley acts like most people have no idea what I think, even though my speech was in the bloody Prophet."
"Then just wing it," Ginny said, seeing that as the only sensible solution.
Hermione's jaw dropped. "Ginny, you can't possibly be suggesting–"
"Yeah, I'm suggesting he doesn't prepare anything at all. Harry, the speeches you gave at Remus and Colin's funerals were both fantastic, and you didn't do anything to prepare for those. You didn't even know you were speaking at Colin's until right before! You're incredible under pressure. You know how you feel, and you'll find the right words to express that tomorrow morning."
Harry seemed to consider the suggestion before nodding slowly. "I could do that," he mused as he looked out over the orchard, still thinking about it.
"Harry, I really think you should at least have some talking points or something," Hermione emphasised, but Harry shook his head.
"No, I think Ginny's right about this. Kingsley said I could say whatever I wanted to. If I just go up there and talk, it'll… well, it'll at least be from the heart, if nothing else."
Hermione shook her head and shrugged resignedly. "If you say so, Harry. It's your speech."
Harry smiled at her. "You'll still write some notes for me in case I need them, won't you?"
Hermione looked down at the ground and blushed. "Probably."
Ron put his arm around her and kissed her cheek. "Always taking that extra step," he said proudly.
Hermione rolled her eyes but smiled softly, looking rather pleased. Ginny chuckled at the two of them. Their relationship never ceased to confuse her. It wasn't anything like hers and Harry's. She turned to look at her boyfriend and noticed that he was looking at something behind her with dark, clouded eyes. She didn't see anything, but when she looked back at him, she saw that he was starting to shake and breathe rapidly.
Ron and Hermione both stared in shock as Ginny quickly grabbed Harry's shoulders. As calmly as she could, she spoke to him. "Hey, Harry– stay with me. I've got you. Everything's okay. Harry, wake up babe. Please wake up, it's all okay. I love you Harry; I'm not letting go." He was still shaking and looking at nothingness. For some reason Ginny wasn't sure she'd ever understand, she leaned forward and kissed him softly. She tasted his sweat and kissed him again, praying that she'd guessed right.
Then Harry kissed her back, just as softly as she had before. She leaned back and rested her forehead on his, not caring that his sweat was on her face now too. His eyes were brighter again, and they were looking right at her.
"I love you," she whispered shakily, still trying to process the fact that he'd just had his first waking attack in about two weeks.
He hugged her tightly. "I love you too."
"Did you kiss me to wake me up?" he asked after she leaned back in his lap again.
She chuckled, wiping some moisture from her eyes. "I was hoping it would work," she admitted.
He smiled at her. "That was some good thinking. I bet Amelia will be impressed with your medical expertise."
Ginny snorted and rolled her eyes. "Just be grateful it was me trying that and not Bill." That got both of them laughing again, and when they calmed down, Ginny turned, suddenly remembering that Ron and Hermione were right there. They looked mostly confused and still a little scared.
"So… that– that was a panic attack?" Ron asked, noticing both Ginny and Harry looking at him.
They both nodded. "You seem to handle those… very differently than I would've expected," Hermione said.
"I just do what Bill told me to do. Except the kissing. I made that up today," Ginny responded, very pleased that it had worked.
Hermione shook her head. "I mean afterwards. The attacks are terrifying for both of you, but you're both joking and laughing right after it's over."
Ginny shrugged. "Honestly, if you don't laugh, you'll cry. And this was my first time getting him through a waking attack, but I've seen Bill handle one. I've gotten him through a handful of nightmares too, so I'm at least prepared for them now."
"She's the funniest person I know. If I can't laugh with her, I won't ever laugh. So even though it's scary, I try to let myself just be with her in the moment rather than dwelling on what I see," Harry added.
"And what did you see this time?" Hermione asked curiously. Ginny involuntarily tensed, wanting to protect Harry's right to privacy with stuff like this if he wanted it, but he just put his hand calmly on her thigh as he answered.
"Pretty much the same as usual. Talking about the memorial and funerals got me in that sort of headspace, I guess. Then Ron said that thing about taking an extra step, and I was at the battle. That's what I was thinking when I walked to the forest and what I think in my attacks. Keep forcing myself to take another step and keep on breathing. I hear Snape accusing Dumbledore of raising me like a pig for slaughter. I see the people I love dying. I force myself to– to walk past Ginny without saying anything, and then I watch the green light coming at me."
Ginny hugged Harry tightly again, willing the tears not to fall. It was so much more than horrible that he'd had to experience that once in real life, but to keep experiencing it in these attacks was just so unfair. She pulled away slightly, but he kept one arm around her, still holding her close to him. She looked at Ron and Hermione, who looked sick, terrified, and sympathetic all at once.
"Holy shit, mate… I– I had no idea that's what those were like for you," Ron said, frowning as he shook his head.
"We had no idea that's what it was like for you the first time," Hermione added quietly as tears swam in her eyes.
Harry smiled sadly at them both. "It's okay. I mean… it's still really difficult, but… I made it out. That's what matters. And if I had to, I'd make that walk again for you all."
"You're insane, mate." Ron said at the exact same time that Hermione asked, "How are you so brave?"
That broke the tension, making them all laugh. "Two sides of the same Galleon, really," Harry managed to get out eventually.
Hermione shook her head. "It's not insane at all. It's just incredibly brave." Harry shrugged, and Ginny tightened her hold on his torso. He'd know that meant she agreed without her having to say anything.
After a few moments, Ron suddenly asked, "Did you two say you loved each other when Harry woke up?"
Ginny opened her mouth to answer, but Harry beat her to it, proudly saying, "We did. We've been saying it since the night I told Ginny everything."
Ginny smiled up at him, very pleased that he hadn't been embarrassed at all to tell her brother that. Then she looked pointedly at Ron, whose eyebrows were raised. "We've loved each other for a long time, and it was about time we started saying it. Do you have a problem with that?"
Harry started trembling slightly as he held in a laugh. Ron's face surprisingly returned to a mostly normal expression. "Honestly, not really. I expected to, but I'm actually just happy for the two of you. Besides, we all knew it already, so it's not like it's something new."
Ginny was impressed. "I think it's about time for bed, love," she said to Harry, standing up and reaching out to him. He smiled up at her and took her hand. They told Ron and Hermione good night, and Ginny actually hugged Ron to thank him for being happy for them. Then they made their way to Ginny's bed.
"You okay?" Ginny asked as they pulled the blankets over them.
"Yeah, I think so. Like Amelia said, they can still come around every once in a while, especially when I'm reminded of things from the battle. You did brilliantly though," he said with a smile.
Ginny chuckled. "I just can't ever resist kissing you." And as if to prove a point, she didn't resist at all when he kissed her before she happily snuggled against him, falling asleep hoping they'd all make it through the memorial.
HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG
The next morning, the entire family seemed to be back in their pre-funeral moods from the first weeks after the battle. Nobody was hungry enough to make breakfast, and everyone was dressed in black again. When the time came, they all apparated to the gates of Hogwarts, including George, who surprised everyone by joining them.
Almost immediately, people began noticing that he'd arrived, gaping and pointing at him. He was surprised and incredibly thankful when the entire Weasley family wordlessly surrounded him, protecting him from curious onlookers as they walked through the gates and to the castle. Ginny stood next to him, and he took her hand, squeezing it gratefully.
Once in the castle, they all gathered in a corner of the Great Hall. The house tables had been removed to accommodate more people. For a moment, the empty space pulled Harry back to the last time he'd seen the Great Hall like this. He'd faced Riddle for the last time. Ginny had been inches from death. As the memory became more real, he felt Ginny's lips on his again, very briefly, but it woke him up.
"Thanks," he whispered, and she nodded, not taking her eyes off him. Thankfully, nobody else seemed to have noticed.
They were waiting for the memorial to begin when Kingsley and McGonagall walked up to the Weasleys, clearly looking to speak with Harry. "Come with us, Potter," McGonagall said quickly.
Harry raised his eyebrow, feeling slightly on edge. Without thinking about it, his hand drifted to his wand inside his robe, wrapping around the handle. "What did you do when you found out I shouted at Umbridge and called her a liar?"
Everyone looked at him strangely. McGonagall frowned at him, but Harry didn't back down. "I gave you a biscuit," she said after a moment.
Harry nodded before looking at Kingsley. "Who were you with the night I left Privet Drive for the last time?"
Kingsley nodded his head. "I was with Hermione, who took Polyjuice Potion to look like you."
Harry exhaled. "Sorry, I've just– I've had a weird feeling today, and I didn't know why you'd want to take me away from everyone."
Kingsley waved his hand to dismiss the apology. "Always better to be safe than dead."
Professor McGonagall answered his question. "The three of us are supposed to enter last. We wanted to make sure you were ready since it's about to start."
"I can't stay with the Weasleys?" Harry asked. Kingsley shifted on his feet, looking slightly uneasy.
"It's okay, Harry. We'll be waiting for you afterwards," Bill promised.
He looked to Ginny, who nodded encouragingly. "You're going to do great. Just remember to speak from there." She pointed to his heart. "I love you." Then she kissed him quickly before smiling briefly at him. "For luck," she whispered, and he nodded, smiling at her.
"Love you too."
Nodding to the rest of the family, he walked away with Kingsley and McGonagall, who surprisingly took him into the same room he'd been in after his name had come out of the Goblet of Fire. "Are you ready?" Kingsley asked once he'd closed the door.
Harry shrugged. "Ready as I'll ever be, I guess."
"If it's anything like the speech in the Prophet, it'll be great," Kingsley said with a tense smile.
"Guess we'll find out when I get up there."
Kingsley looked a little surprised. "You didn't write it?"
Harry shook his head. "I gave that speech you liked with a five minute warning. I know how I feel, and I'll figure out how to say it when I need to." Kingsley nodded, still looking slightly concerned but realising it was out of his hands now.
"Your last speech was very well done; I have no doubt this one will be as well," McGonagall stated encouragingly.
Harry smiled at her, suddenly remembering something. "Professor, I read what you said about my speech in the Prophet–"
She cut him off. "I meant every word," she said simply. Harry continued smiling, pleased that she thought so highly of him, even if she didn't want to talk about it.
"So what is actually happening with the memorial today?" Harry asked.
Kingsley looked surprised. "Did nobody tell you?" Harry shook his head, unsure who would've told him other than one of the two of them. "Right now, the crowd is gathering by the Black Lake. When the bells in the clock tower begin ringing, the families of the fallen are going to walk from the castle to the statue, and we'll follow the families."
"What statue?"
Kingsley started to speak but McGonagall answered first. "It'll be best for you to just see it." Kingsley nodded, and Harry sighed, wishing they had more information to give him.
"You'll know when it's your time to do something, Harry," Kingsley promised.
Harry nodded, hoping that was true. A moment later, the bells in the clock tower began to toll. They stood there for another minute or two before walking into the Great Hall, which was empty, save for the Weasleys, last in the alphabetical order of the families. They were all filing out in the long line of families walking towards the lake. McGonagall and Kingsley kept Harry far enough back from the Weasleys that he didn't go up and join them. Clearly, they were wanting a distinction between the families and the three of them.
As they exited the castle and began walking towards the Black Lake, Harry's eyes widened, seeing the huge crowd and the massive sculpture of something that looked like a bird standing near Dumbledore's tomb. "How many people are here?" he whispered to Kingsley, who smiled down at him.
"We expected about a thousand. Looks like a couple hundred more showed up though." He sounded pleased, but Harry suddenly felt very ill. Kingsley patted Harry gently on the back. "You'll be fine," he assured. Harry's stomach disagreed, but he kept walking forward, knowing at least that this walk was a lot better than a similar, ominous walk he'd had to make from the castle recently.
Nearing the large gathering, Harry could see that the bird was actually a phoenix. Its wings were spread wide as it seemed to be soaring skyward. At the base of the statue was a smaller sculpture that looked like Hogwarts.
Kingsley and McGonagall slowed further, allowing for all the families to finish making their way to the front as sombre music played from unseen instruments. Then, McGonagall stepped in front of Harry, and Kingsley stepped in front of him. Harry felt slightly sick but also a little annoyed as he realised what they were doing. He would be the last one to enter, and even though they were ahead of him, he would look and feel completely alone– the solitary hero of the Battle of Hogwarts. If he hadn't promised that he'd do this and seen all the families of the fallen already, he would've turned and walked away. Either way, he knew, as he slowly followed McGonagall and Kingsley down the central aisle, that they'd be having a conversation about this when it was over.
Harry's eyes found Ginny's as he somehow made his way towards the elevated platform placed in front of the statue. He knew he looked uncomfortable even though he was trying his best to look sombre and sincere, but Ginny's blazing look, in the midst of her grief, reassured him. No matter what, she was still going to be there. Kingsley stepped up to the podium while McGonagall sat down on a chair to the side of the podium. Seeing the empty chair next to McGonagall, he walked over to it, taking in the bottom portion of the statue as he did. There seemed to be something carved into the tail feathers of the phoenix. It rose over the statue of Hogwarts, which was almost as tall as him. He also saw that there were smaller statuettes around it that looked like people, but he still couldn't really tell what those actually were.
He sat down as Kingsley pointed his wand at his neck and began speaking. "Today is a sombre occasion of remembrance. Exactly one month ago, one of the most terrible battles in wizarding history occurred here, at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. More than a hundred wizards and witches defended the castle overnight, resisting the dark forces of Tom Riddle, otherwise known as Lord Voldemort, and his army of Death Eaters. Every defender of Hogwarts made the decision to fight for what was right, to protect goodness and justice from those who wanted to destroy it.
"Every defender of Hogwarts is a hero. However, there is nothing more heroic than laying down one's life for family, for friends, for what is good and true and right. Fifty brave souls did exactly that. They fought to their very last breath to secure a happier and safer future for the rest of us. I've strived every day since, as Minister for Magic, to honour those heroes and rebuild our world into something they can be proud of. We should all strive to honour the heroes of Hogwarts every single day. But today, we all are joining together to ceremonially honour the Fallen Fifty of the Battle of Hogwarts, so that none of their names will ever be forgotten. When future generations see this memorial and the names burning on it, they will know what these heroes fought and died for. I hope that this memorial will stand forever here at Hogwarts, reminding all who see it to live lives worthy of that selfless sacrifice. This phoenix, rising from the ashes of a battletorn school, will serve as an everlasting reminder of the power of love and goodness over evil.
"Now, I hand this service to Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts." Kingsley changed positions with McGonagall, returning his voice to a normal volume as he sat next to Harry.
McGonagall cleared her throat before amplifying her voice. "Thank you all for joining us today. This isn't a position I ever thought I'd be in when I began working at Hogwarts. It's typically incredibly rare for us to lose a student. But in one horrible day, we lost thirty." Harry felt a pounding in his ears. He'd heard the number fifty thrown around, but hearing that thirty people he'd shared a school with for years had died in defence of Hogwarts made his insides churn as his mouth went dry.
Desperately, his eyes found Ginny once again, who was staring resolutely back at him. 'You're okay. I love you,' she mouthed, and somehow, Harry felt his senses returning. He nodded at her, able to hear what McGonagall was saying once more.
"We also lost twenty other adults, who bravely entered Hogwarts even though they didn't have to. Fifty lives were lost in defence of goodness, and fifty families are still dealing with unimaginable pain as they cope with that loss. We owe it to all those heroes and their families to live lives that honour them and to be as kind and encouraging as we can possibly be to each other. As Minister Shacklebolt said, the hope for this memorial is that every person who sees this will be reminded of the sacrifices made by these fifty brave souls.
"We are determined to make sure we honour them forever, immortalising their names in the fire the phoenix rises out of. I will now be reading the names of the Fallen Fifty. For each name, we invite one person to ignite the fire on the feather bearing that name."
She paused for a moment as she opened a scroll. "Daniel Abernathy," she read. As a large wizard with a brown beard stood, wiping his eyes, Harry vaguely remembered that name. Maybe a Hufflepuff he hadn't ever known well? The thought that he wouldn't know all these people made him feel even more guilty than he already did. Harry turned in his seat to see the man Harry assumed was Daniel's father raising his wand, pointing it at a feather that had Daniel's name etched into it. Immediately, it lit on fire from within, and Daniel's name shone brightly.
"Lavender Brown," McGonagall read, and Harry watched Mrs. Brown stand up. He avoided looking at Mr. Brown as she made her way up the stairs to the platform and repeated the process. Another two names were read before McGonagall said, "Colin Creevey." Dennis stood up with a blank expression on his face, walking almost mechanically to the stage.
Harry found himself trying to remember every person's face as their names were read, disappointed that there were many he couldn't picture at all. He lost where they were in the order until he heard, "Nymphadora Lupin," and saw Andromeda stand up from next to Molly, who was holding Teddy and crying. Andromeda walked up, holding herself together surprisingly well, and illuminated Tonks' name with fire. Harry winced as he anticipated the next name. "Remus Lupin."
He turned back, expecting Andromeda to do Remus' name too, but she beckoned for Harry to come over. Surprised, he stood, shakily, and found Remus' name next to Tonks. He closed his eyes, remembering Lupin's face when he told them that Teddy had been born. A tear fell down his cheek, and he pointed the wand at the feather, whispering, "Incendio." Andromeda surprised him again by pulling him into a quick but firm hug before she walked off the stage and Harry returned to his seat.
He lost himself once again in trying to remember faces, keeping Tonks and Lupin's in the back of his mind, and he was incredibly surprised when he heard McGonagall read, "Severus Snape."
He looked up quickly and saw several people looking around in a confused manner. He glanced over at Kingsley, who nodded, whispering, "You were right. He was a hero."
Harry found he was actually somewhat glad that Snape was being honoured here. Almost as soon as he thought that, he realised that there wasn't anybody here for Snape. Before he even knew what he was doing, he stood and walked back to the statue. He found Snape's name and cast "Incendio," hoping Snape wasn't too offended that Harry had done this for him.
He returned to his seat and saw Ginny trying not to cry, but she looked sort of proud of him, which made Harry feel better about what he'd done, even as people continued looking around in confusion. McGonagall read the rest of the names before reaching the last one on the list.
"Fred Weasley."
George stood up shakily and began walking slowly to the steps. He took the first step and stumbled slightly, so Harry instinctively hurried to help him up the stairs, keeping an arm around him. He started to let George go after he reached the top, but instead, George held on and led him to the statue. Tears were freely pouring out of George's eyes and his voice cracked as he cast the spell to ignite Fred's name. Then he pulled Harry into a tight hug, holding onto him for several seconds before letting go. Harry started walking him to the stairs, but George seemed to be a little bit better and released Harry, walking down the stairs and returning to his seat much easier than the walk up had been.
Harry saw McGonagall turn and wave her wand at the statue. He saw the fire burn brighter for an instant, and he suspected that she'd cast a charm Flitwick had talked about before to turn fire into everlasting Gubraithian Fire. As he returned to his seat, the image of the phoenix rising from fire that preserved the names of the Fallen Fifty was seared into his brain. It was a surprisingly beautiful and moving tribute that seemed very appropriate for the memorial.
Professor McGonagall spoke again. "This fire has been charmed to burn eternally. As long as this fire illuminates the names of the Fallen Fifty, let us honour them with our lives." She now looked at Harry. "Our final speaker is someone who doesn't need and probably doesn't want an introduction. He's been called many things throughout his young life: The Boy Who Lived, The Chosen One, and most recently, The Saviour of the Wizarding World. As accurate as I believe these names to be, he strongly dislikes all these titles, as evidenced by the grimace on his face–" Harry was indeed grimacing "– which only proves my opinion of him to be true. I've had the honour of being his Head of House and professor for the past seven years, so I know him well enough to make this claim. Despite all the titles people have given him, he remains a humble, kind, honourable, and brave man who, whether he'll admit it or not, is responsible for the defeat of the greatest evil our kind has ever faced." Harry's eyes widened, a little stunned at the praise she was giving him. She continued, "I'm sure he'll also want me to say that he had a lot of help doing that. I'm very thankful that he has agreed to speak today, so, without further ado, allow me to introduce Mister Harry Potter."
Harry stood, still staring in confusion at McGonagall. That was something else to ask about later. He took a deep breath, stepping to the podium. He looked at Ginny, and for an instant, he was back in his nightmare, expecting Voldemort to rise behind Ginny and attack her. Instead, she smiled encouragingly at him, and he nodded, taking another deep breath before pointing his wand at his neck. "Sonorus," he cast, magically amplifying his voice as he began speaking, suddenly knowing what he wanted to say.
"When Tom Riddle first returned and murdered Cedric Diggory three years ago, Albus Dumbledore gave a speech at the End of Term Feast at Hogwarts. He told us that if we ever faced a choice between what is right and what is easy, we must remember what happened to Cedric, a good, kind person, who was killed because he was in Riddle's way. Every single person who defended Hogwarts a month ago chose to do what was right. It would've been easy to flee the castle, but all of its defenders, especially the fifty who died, refused to take the easy way out.
"I don't know if there will ever be a day where I don't think about the battle, even though it's all over and Riddle's gone for good. I see it in my dreams. I see it when I'm awake. I also don't know if there will ever be a day that I think about the battle and don't get incredibly angry. I know for a fact that I'll always feel devastated and heartbroken thinking about it. I lost several people I loved that night, friends and people I considered family, and my heart goes out to every family who has lost someone in this horrible war.
"But my anger remains, and that's because of how senseless this all was. The people who started this war and attacked Hogwarts a month ago were people who enjoyed preying on the defenceless, promoting cruelty over kindness, and believed themselves to be superior to all others. I'm outraged that these evil people destroyed so many lives in the name of their own senseless cause. But the thing that concerns me is that I believe the ideas promoted by Riddle and his Death Eaters still exist in our society."
Like when McGonagall read Snape's name, several people looked around in surprise, but there was no chance that would stop Harry. "I'm not saying that there are murderers lurking in our midst. But I do know that a lot of wizards and witches believe that the purity of their blood makes them better than people with 'less pure' blood. And that's a ridiculous way to look at the world. Tom Riddle, for all his pandering about how important blood purity is, was a half-blood. I'm being called The Saviour of the Wizarding World– a name I truly detest, by the way– and I'm also a half-blood.
"Similarly, I think wizards and witches look down on everyone else in the world that isn't exactly like us. For instance, there are more than a thousand people here today, but there were less than two hundred wizards and witches defending Hogwarts that night. I won't judge anybody for not fighting, but the fact remains that, while many of you were hidden in your homes, centaurs, house elves, a werewolf, and a giant fought for us. Yet a lot of witches and wizards look down on these species, calling them things like 'creatures with near-human intelligence' and treating them like second-class citizens at best and monsters at worst. The statue that used to be in the Ministry of Magic– the Fountain of Magical Brethren– was a disgusting attempt to glorify wizardkind, making it seem like we're above the rest of our magical brethren, who watch everything we do with adoration. It was a sham, and it's a damn good thing that statue was removed.
"However, the statue that took its place was even more horrific. Magic is Might, it was called. For those of you who never saw it, it was a statue of a witch and a wizard sitting on thrones made out of Muggles. It may surprise some of you to learn that I grew up with Muggles for my entire childhood, and every summer, I lived in the Muggle world. Believe it or not, Muggles can do things that we can't even understand, and they do it all without magic. That doesn't make us better than them. Does it make us different? Only slightly. Because the fact of the matter is that we're all still human. We all share the same abilities to love, to hate, to grieve, and to be happy.
"Actually, a pureblood wizard shares that same ability with a Muggle-born witch too. Just like I share that same ability with a centaur or a house elf or a goblin. Just like all of us here share that with Muggles. Why do we insist on trying to rank ourselves? Why do we have to be better than someone else? These pieces of wood–" Harry held up his wand for emphasis "– have made us so arrogant that we fight all the time. Have any of you ever stopped to wonder why on earth we train children at Hogwarts from the time they're eleven to be able to defend themselves from the Dark Arts? In the Muggle world, it would be insane to arm a child with a deadly weapon, telling them to be ready because they could be attacked any day.
"It's our arrogance and our desire to be better than one another that causes that. Because for some people, it's just passive bigotry. A wizard sees a goblin in Gringotts and subconsciously thinks that the goblin is lesser than him. But when people take that bigotry and act on it, we end up with horrific violence, death, and destruction like what's been unleashed on our world by Riddle and his Death Eaters for decades. The ideas had always been there. They were just the ones who chose to act on them.
"If we truly want to honour the lives of the people who died to end that reign of terror, we have to do better. We can't keep looking at people and creatures who are a little different than us and thinking that they don't matter as much as we do. Because when society does that, people come along who believe they can end any life they think doesn't matter. I wouldn't have been able to defeat Riddle, let alone be alive now, without help from several people. Those include my pureblood and Muggle-born best friends, a goblin, and a house elf named Dobby, who was my friend and one of the bravest people I've ever known.
"I'm not saying it's easy to put that prejudice behind you, especially when it's been ingrained in you your whole life. But it's not about what's easy. Everyone has to make choices between what is easy and what is right. Remember what happened to these fifty people who died fighting a monstrous army that acted on their terrible, bigoted beliefs anytime you have to make that choice. Because, as difficult as it might be to change and make the right choice, it's still much easier to make the choice to be a better person than it was for these fifty people to make the choice to stand up for what is right and die for it. They sacrificed their lives fighting that hate. If you truly want to honour their sacrifice, let the hate and prejudice be consumed by the fire immortalising their names. We have the opportunity to improve as a society. Our world has been burned down, but we can rise, like a phoenix from the ashes, and do better, be better, so that the hate and bigotry that caused all these deaths won't ever have a chance to do harm again. That is how we honour the Fallen Fifty."
"Quietus," Harry murmured, looking at the crowd again. The scene was eerily similar to the one at Colin's funeral. Nobody moved, let alone spoke.
Kingsley stood back up and as Harry moved to take his seat, Kingsley nodded at him with a proud look in his eyes. "Thank you once again for coming. Let us live our lives honouring the Fallen Fifty." He raised his wand to shoot gold sparks into the air, and that action was followed by the crowd, creating a brief golden glow in the sky.
"That was some speech," McGonagall said to him as the crowd began talking and they could speak freely.
Harry nodded his thanks. "That was some introduction," he responded.
She smiled at him. "I've already told you, Potter. I'm not quite as stoic as everyone thinks I am, particularly when it relates to my favourite students." Harry's eyes widened at the implications of this, but she just walked down the stairs and away from him before he could say anything.
He didn't have much time to dwell on it before Kingsley approached him again. It was just the two of them on the stage now. Kingsley reached out his hand, and Harry looked down at it before looking back up at him. "What the hell was that whole routine walking down the aisle?"
Kingsley looked confused. "What?"
"The families are what matter today, Kingsley. You had us walk in last, me especially, and it felt like you were wanting to make me into some sort of spectacle. I thought we were gonna be going together, and instead, I'm left trailing behind for everyone to stare at and forget all the mourning families that this memorial was supposed to be for!"
Kingsley held up his hand. "Harry, I'm genuinely sorry if that's how you felt. I assumed you wouldn't like the implication of you leading the Minister for Magic and the Headmistress of Hogwarts into the memorial, so I let you follow us instead. My intention wasn't to take any attention away from the families. On the contrary, I thought that if the three of us were already on the stage when the families walked in, people would be staring at us– mostly you– and not considering the losses the families had suffered. I already told you that I'm not interested in making you some sort of puppet for the Ministry. You're your own person, and I respect that. I don't feel like I've treated you any differently than I did before the battle, but you're acting like the title I have now has changed who I am."
Harry sighed, running his hands through his hair and considering Kingsley's words. "Damn. I hadn't thought about it like that. I've just– ever since I entered this world, the Ministry has either been trying to use me or hurting me, especially in the last few years. It's– it's hard to get my head around the idea that you're trying to reform the Ministry, and you're still you. I'm sorry for lashing out like that… honestly."
Kingsley nodded. "Harry, if anyone deserves some grace and patience, it's you. If you never want to attend another Ministry event, I'll understand– that's your choice. But I do hope that you'll give me the chance to fix things. At the very least, I hope your opinion of my position has changed when comparing me to my predecessors," he said with a half smile.
Harry nodded, smiling back at the man he considered to be a friend, despite their age difference. "I definitely prefer you to all the other Ministers I've met."
Kingsley's half smile turned into a full one. "I appreciate that. Now, as I was about to say, that speech was even more powerful than the one that was in the Prophet. I think most of wizarding Britain heard that over the wireless. I fully believe that speech is going to be critically important for the coming changes I want to bring to the Ministry. Your emphasis on non-human rights and better treatment of Muggles were very wise, and I think you'll be pleased to know that I'm planning on making a push to update outdated laws regarding their treatment. They deserve better, and, with your very vocal support, I think there's a good chance that there will be real change."
Harry nodded, pleased to hear it. Kingsley extended his hand again, more hopeful this time. Harry smiled and shook it. "Thanks Kingsley, and… thanks for being there for me. During the war and now."
Kingsley smiled back at him and clapped him on the shoulder. "What are friends for?" he asked as they tentatively made their way down the stairs, trying to remain on the outskirts of the crowd. Surprisingly, there wasn't any mob that formed around them. As Harry made his way towards the Weasleys, he stopped to speak to a few people that he knew. Parvati Patil surprisingly hugged him when he asked how she was doing, and Neville and his grandmother were very pleased to see him. Still making his way across the large seating area, he stopped again to speak to Luna, seeing her sitting by herself.
"Did you come alone?" he asked after saying hello.
Luna shook her head, and her earrings that looked like radishes shook wildly. "I came with Daddy, but I don't see him now. That was a great speech you gave, Harry," Luna commented offhandedly as if they'd already been talking about that.
Harry smiled. "Thanks Luna. I appreciate it. Do you want to come with me? I was going to find the Weasleys."
Luna nodded. "Oh yes, I'd love to see all my friends." Harry smiled again, extending his hand to help her up before they finally made their way to the Weasleys. He was looking for Ginny, who was talking to Andromeda and holding Teddy. He didn't have long enough to look though because Hermione threw herself at him at that moment, causing him to stumble backwards from the force of the hug.
"How on earth did you say all that without any preparation?" Hermione asked incredulously, shaking her head as she stepped back from him.
He shrugged. "Like Ginny said, it just needed to come from the heart."
"That speech very obviously came from your heart. Everyone could feel it," Luna said while looking up at a cloud. Harry smiled at her.
Hermione nodded. "It was amazing. I think that speech could do a lot to start improving wizarding relations with other magical species."
"Kingsley said something like that," Harry responded. "Apparently he's wanting to work to improve the laws on the treatment of non-wizards."
"Really?" Hermione asked, glancing around now for Kingsley.
Harry chuckled. "Yeah, you should talk to him about it. He was talking to some stuffy-looking wizard by the stage a few minutes ago." Hermione nodded quickly, already walking away to find Kingsley. He'd probably be much more interested in Hermione's thoughts on the legal side of the issue than Harry.
He was still wanting to get to Ginny when Percy stopped him, and at this point, Luna just walked past Percy and toward the Weasleys. "I know you're not very interested in the inner workings of the Ministry and lawmaking, but I thought you ought to know that speech will likely be quoted in the Ministry for years as laws are changed. You– you've grown up a lot since I was your prefect." He then strode away abruptly, and Harry realised that was about as close to a compliment as he'd get from Percy.
Almost immediately as Harry left, he felt a tap on his lower back. He turned around and saw Professor Flitwick looking up at him. "Mister Potter, do you mind if I have a word?" Harry nodded his agreement and sat down next to Flitwick, putting them slightly closer to the same height.
"I don't know if you know this, but my great, great grandfather was a goblin." Harry shook his head, having always just thought the Charms professor was just short. Flitwick continued, "I and my father, grandfather, and great-grandfather before me endured quite a bit of ridicule and scorn because of our heritage. None of them were allowed to enrol in Hogwarts because they had too much goblin blood in them, according to school policies of the time. I was the first in four generations to be allowed to attend Hogwarts because less than ten percent of my blood is goblin.
"None of my ancestors with goblin blood ever found much work. The goblins rejected them as traitors for being half-bred with wizards. Wizards looked down on them and me as inferior because our wizarding blood had been corrupted by a lesser, non-human species. I was sure that I wouldn't ever find work, so I spent several years after graduation duelling for money. It wasn't safe, but fortunately, if I may boast, I was very good. But it was tiring, and I wanted more stability in my life than wandering Europe to attend tournaments every other week. Professor Dumbledore granted that to me almost thirty years ago, giving me the gift of being able to teach while having a stable job and home.
"I've taught a lot of students at Hogwarts, some who were incredibly extraordinary and have done great things. But… in all my years, I've never taught someone like you before though. Of course you were famous, even among the teachers, when you came to Hogwarts. You excel at practical magic, but it's been obvious to all of your professors for years that homework didn't interest you all that much. And who could blame you, considering everything else that's been going on in your life?
"What makes you different is your selflessness and care for others. I've seen your bravery firsthand, multiple times. But it takes just as much bravery to duel a dark wizard as it does to stand up to the accepted traditions of society because they're wrong and unjust. You've unsettled a lot of powerful people today, I'm sure. But there are many more people, like me, who know what it's like to be ostracised because we're different. And to every single one of those people, you've proved yourself just as heroic, if not more, as when you defeated Tom Riddle."
Harry stared down at his professor, surprised at the candid conversation they'd had and the praise he'd been given. "Professor, I– I don't know what to say."
Flitwick chuckled heartily. "That's quite alright, Potter. You knew what to say a few moments ago, and that's what counts. I just wanted to express my gratitude to you for that speech, as well as everything else you've done for all of us." He shook Harry's hand, clasping it with both of his much smaller hands, before beginning to walk back up to the castle. Harry shook his head, still a little surprised, but he smiled as he saw Ginny talking to Professor McGonagall. Without hesitation, he walked up to the two of them.
HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG
It hadn't been an easy day. From the moment the bells had chimed, Ginny found herself struggling with sliding back into the feeling of despair she'd wrestled with after the battle and during the funerals. Frankly, what was this if not one more funeral for all the Fallen Fifty? Their family was the last to leave the Great Hall, and Ginny walked silently next to Ron and Hermione until they reached their seats. She heard murmurings behind them and turned, seeing Kingsley, McGonagall, and Harry walking up the aisle they'd just walked.
Harry looked so uncomfortable, like he'd rather be anywhere else. He hated feeling everyone's eyes on him, and she could tell that's all he was feeling right now. Well, she had a pair of eyes that mattered more to him than anybody else's, and she wasn't afraid to use them. She stared intently at Harry, willing him to look at her. As if by magic, his eyes found hers, and his expression softened slightly, his gait becoming more natural. Pleased with herself, Ginny turned in her seat back towards the stage, trying to hear what Kingsley was saying, but she never took her eyes off Harry.
When McGonagall began speaking, she saw Harry's reaction to the number of dead students. Even from a distance, she could see his eyes darkening. Look at me, she thought. Immediately, his eyes were on her. 'You're okay. I love you," she mouthed to him, and his expression returned to normal. She nodded reassuringly, glad that he was back for now.
She allowed herself to take her eyes off Harry for a moment as each feather was ignited. She saw several people she recognised walk up to the stage. The whole time, Harry was staring blankly in front of him, but at least he wasn't having another panic attack. Ginny felt an emotional stirring in her when Andromeda walked up and lit Tonks' feather, and that was magnified when Harry lit Lupin's and the two of them hugged. Just moments later, Professor Snape's name was read, and Ginny could tell from the hushed whispers in the crowd that many were very unsure about that.
She wasn't surprised in the slightest when Harry was the one who stood and lit Snape's feather. It was just like him to do something like that, even for Snape. Finally, it was George's turn to light a feather for Fred. He looked like he was in pain, shuffling towards the stage and stumbling on the first step. Within seconds, Harry was with him, and George wouldn't let him go until after the feather had been lit and he'd hugged Harry. Ginny let herself silently shed a tear; it hurt to remember their loss of Fred, but it was beautiful seeing George leaning on Harry, who was there without hesitation.
Ginny smiled as Professor McGonagall introduced Harry. He was obviously uncomfortable with her praise, but he deserved every word and so much more. As Harry spoke, Ginny found herself more and more amazed with the man she loved. It was impossible to explain how she fell more in love with him every day, but she truly did. After everything he'd done, he stood in front of a crowd of a thousand, demanding change to the traditions and social customs of their society. He wasn't doing it for any selfish gain; in fact, he probably didn't realise how important it was for him to be the one to say it. He did it, like he'd done so many things in his life, because it was the right thing to do. How could she not love him even more for that?
Once the memorial was concluded, Harry remained on the stage, talking to McGonagall and Kingsley. Ginny heard a sniff to her right and turned, intrigued to see Hermione wiping tears from her eyes. "Are you alright?" Ginny asked tenderly.
"It's just not fair," Hermione answered.
"What's not fair?" Ginny asked, thinking she was talking about all the losses.
Hermione shook her head. "He just came up with that. And it was so much better than the talking points I gave him in case he needed them."
Ginny almost laughed. "You're crying because Harry's… better at giving speeches than you?"
Hermione shook her head again. "He did more to advance house elf rights in ten minutes than I did in the last four years," she bemoaned despondently, and Ginny couldn't keep herself from laughing anymore. Ron was clearly holding in laughter on the other side of Hermione, but he managed to control himself for the sake of his girlfriend.
"It's not funny," Hermione complained. "I really care about it, and all that work seems like nothing compared to that speech."
"Hermione, let's be honest. It's like Harry just threw the Quaffle in the air. But you're the one who's gonna take it and score with it," Ginny said, hoping that was encouraging. Hermione frowned.
"She means that Harry just got people talking about it, but you're gonna be–" Ron tried to offer helpfully, but he was cut off by a withering look from Hermione.
"I know what she means, Ron. I do understand Quidditch, thank you very much. I just don't understand the obsession with it," she snapped at Ron, who, slightly hurt, stood and walked over to George and Charlie.
"That was a little harsh," Ginny commented tentatively.
Hermione just shrugged. "Maybe a little, but he knows I don't like it when people try to explain things like I don't understand them."
"How often does that happen to you anyways? Everyone knows you're like the bloody smartest witch any of us knows," Ginny asked, a little amused at Hermione's reaction.
"Often enough that it annoys me," Hermione responded, which wasn't really an answer, considering Ginny suspected once would've annoyed Hermione. Thankfully, she saw Harry slowly walking towards them.
"You should tell Harry what you thought of his speech," Ginny suggested, nodding towards him. Hermione nodded and left, heading towards Harry.
Ginny found Andromeda and pulled her into a brief hug. When Andromeda offered her Teddy, Ginny immediately accepted. They talked for a few minutes, reminiscing about Tonks, and, surprisingly, Ginny found that she wasn't overwhelmed by sadness when thinking about her for once.
When Teddy woke up and started fussing, Andromeda quickly took him back. "I think it's time for him to go home. Make sure to tell Harry his speech was excellent, and the two of you can feel free to come over and visit him whenever you want." Ginny nodded, thanking Andromeda for the offer. It seemed very surprising that a month ago, Ginny hadn't even met Teddy or known Andromeda really, and now, she and Harry had an open invitation to visit whenever. It was very kind, especially considering Ginny knew that she couldn't hardly imagine her life without the little baby anymore. They'd definitely be accepting that invitation, she knew.
She looked for Harry, but he was talking to Professor Flitwick now. She was surprised when she saw Professor McGonagall walking away from her mum. "I was just telling her that I was pleased to see your brother today," she said, clearly seeing Ginny's expression.
Ginny nodded, knowing who she was talking about. "I actually don't think he would've come if Harry hadn't talked to him a couple days ago. He told George he needed to let his anger out and gave him a bunch of plates to smash. Harry said he'd destroyed Dumbledore's office once doing the same thing, and it helped a little."
McGonagall smiled thinly. "I remember walking into his office and seeing that mess the next day. When I asked Albus about it, he told me that Harry recognised that he had too much rubbish in his office and was helping him choose what to get rid of."
Ginny smiled fondly. "Dumbledore sure was a funny man."
McGonagall nodded her agreement. "He definitely was. But he loved Harry, more than any other student I've ever seen. Not that I can blame him; Harry is truly special, and I believe Dumbledore saw a version of himself in Harry."
Ginny smiled again, knowing that Dumbledore had actually seen a much better person in Harry than Dumbledore saw in himself. "Harry loved him too, very much. And… I don't think he'll ever say it, but I believe you mean almost as much to him too."
McGonagall nodded, getting a faraway look in her eyes for a moment. Ginny suspected that she was remembering that Harry had shown that feeling when he'd cast the Cruciatus Curse on Amycus Carrow. At that moment, Harry appeared next to her, sliding his arm around her and kissing her on the cheek, not at all embarrassed to be doing that in front of McGonagall.
Ginny blushed as McGonagall refocused her attention on the two of them. "I do have to say, seeing as school is not currently in session and I am not your professor, that I am truly happy that the two of you are together."
"Thanks, Professor," Harry said quietly, smiling slightly.
Ginny nodded in agreement. "Speaking of school being in session, is Hogwarts going to be opening on time for the new term?" she asked curiously.
McGonagall pressed her lips together. "That is the plan; although, we obviously have extensive damage to the castle that we're working on repairing. Progress is slow, but we still hope to be ready by the first of September."
"Do you need more help?" Harry asked, taking the words out of Ginny's mouth.
"I'm sure you have better things to do with your time, Potter," McGonagall answered.
"Honestly, we'd be happy to help, Professor," Ginny insisted.
McGonagall hesitated but nodded. "If you feel strongly about it, I won't turn away extra help. You're welcome to come whenever you'd like, and we'll make sure you have plenty to do."
They both nodded before McGonagall told them goodbye, walking back up to the castle. Ron walked up with Luna just before they started to head for the gates. "Brilliant speech, mate," Ron said, clapping Harry on the back.
"Thanks," Harry responded before Luna said, "Your statue looks great, Harry."
All three of them looked at her in confusion. "My statue?" Harry asked.
Luna nodded, waving vaguely behind her. "Under the phoenix." Seeing they still looked confused, she led them to the base of the statue, easily accessible since the stage had apparently been vanished. Ginny looked up at the magnificent phoenix that must've soared fifty feet in the air. The feathers of its tail were burning, making it look like it was rising from fire while also brightly displaying the names of the Fallen Fifty. Ginny could easily pick out Fred and Tonks' names.
Underneath the phoenix was a statue of Hogwarts that was just taller than Ginny. It still looked stately, but it bore signs of battle. A crumbled tower and a hole in a wall were a few of the obvious signs. Surrounding the castle were several smaller statues that were about a foot tall each. These were about chest-high on Ginny, standing atop the rectangular marble base of the entire statue.
Each of the statues was a different magical species, standing with its back towards Hogwarts. There was a house-elf holding a knife, a centaur armed with a bow, a giant holding a club, and a werewolf baring its teeth. At the centre of the protective semicircle stood a wizard, standing firmly with his wand out. It could've been any wizard, but with messy hair, round glasses, and the exact same clothes Harry had been wearing that night, it was incredibly obvious who this wizard was.
"Merlin," Harry breathed out. "Is that really–"
"Yep, that's you," Ron answered the question Harry had been about to ask.
He shook his head. "I thought Kingsley knew I didn't want any more recognition than was already being forced on me."
"We can't control the recognition others give us when we do something admirable," Luna stated matter-of-factly, and Harry just continued shaking his head, but Ginny knew that was because he didn't have an argument to make against that.
"It's obviously you, Harry. But this is still the memorial for the Fallen Fifty. You'll always be the figure at the centre of all stories of that battle, and I'm sure there will be more statues built of you one day. But it's not about you. It's about what your speech was about. All of these magical brethren standing together, unified against evil," Ginny explained.
Harry exhaled, seeming less annoyed by the statue. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close while they both took in the whole statue. "You would've been a prettier model for the statue," he whispered quietly. Ginny snorted and rolled her eyes, but she never released her hold on him. Looking once more at the base of the statue, she saw its name engraved in the marble, and she smiled softly, thinking it was perfect. Heroes Live Forever.
/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*
A/N: This is a very weirdly full circle moment for me to be posting this chapter, which might sound a little weird but I'll try to explain. So one of the things that I pride myself most on in my writing is that I think (hope?) I'm good at making dialogue feel natural and not stilted or anything. The way I do that is basically by doing a sanity check where I reread a chapter and actually say all the dialogue out loud. So pretty much every piece of dialogue that you read in my writing, I've actually said aloud and decided that it sounds like something that a real person would actually say. Anyways, I have a very vivid memory of reading Harry's speech out loud a couple times and making some small changes here and there the night before the start of my senior year, back in August. And now, I'm publishing this chapter, and I graduate from college about six hours from the time I'm posting. I didn't plan it or anything to release this chapter today, but when I realised it a couple weeks ago, I knew I had to tell this story. Not sure how interested any of you are in my personal life, but it's something that I'm incredibly proud of, and it's a cool milestone for me, knowing just how inextricably linked my memories of my senior year and writing this book are now for me.
Anyways, like I said in my author's note for the last chapter, this one marks the end of most of the significant post-war stuff. There's still emotions being processed and some fallout still to be dealt with, but the focus is really going to be shifting from looking back to looking forward. That's one of the big reasons I decided that the memorial should be held a month after the battle instead of later. So far, everything in the book has just been looking back and dealing with the aftermath of the battle. Harry finishing his story and he and Ginny confessing their love started moving the focus somewhat, but in all my planning for this book, I was always treating this chapter as the line for where things change.
It was important though for it to be a proper and emotional memorial. The battle being so fresh in everyone's minds meant there wasn't another way to do it. The statue of the phoenix was something that was in my mind very early in the writing of the book. It just felt like a perfect symbolic tribute, and having family of the fallen light the feathers was so emotional and impactful at the same time. Surprisingly, I don't have much else to say about the memorial itself. I think it speaks for itself. Harry's speech was something that needed to be said and was done in a different way than his speech at Colin's funeral, and it's going to be interesting to see the ramifications of that in the greater wizarding world. And I don't know if it's weird or not since I'm the one who wrote it, but I do still get chills every time I read it.
I should mention, based on all the conversation we've all had about Snape in the past couple weeks, that, despite the fact that Snape was a real asshole to students and not a particularly good person in my opinion, but he still deserved the honour that the rest of the war heroes received, and I'm positive that's how the characters who knew his whole story would feel too.
The only other comment I really have is that I did toy with the idea of calling this chapter Heroes Live Forever instead of Memorial, but I eventually decided that I preferred the simpler name and the meaning it conveyed in its simplicity. I don't know how much attention you all actually give to the names of chapters; to be honest, when I'm reading fics, I usually barely notice them, but I did genuinely put a lot of thought into every chapter title. Some were very easy to decide on. Others, like this one, took a bit more time, but I tend to think the chapter titles I choose are pretty good on the whole.
And with that, we are ready to move into the next stage of the book, after the memorial, and I think you're really going to like where we're heading!
Coming Tuesday: Setting the Record Straight- "What the hell is that?" Harry erupted.
P.S. I know I said I wasn't going to be giving writing updates on Book 3 every time, and I am going to stick to that, but I thought it was worth at least updating you all to say that I am very happy to say I've finished drafting chapter 3.1! There is literally nothing I could say or reveal from the chapter that wouldn't contain huge spoilers, but I do think it's the most fun I've had with an opening chapter. It's still really weird to me that I'm writing over fifty chapters ahead of what's being released, but I promise if you're enjoying everything so far, you have *so much* to look forward to! I was honestly a little nervous to get back into the writing after taking the past six weeks off for a break and to finish the semester, as if I'd forget how to write or forget how to put myself in the characters' shoes, but it's been going so great so far and I'm so excited to get further into it!