Harry sat silent at Dumbledore's funeral. He knew that Dumbledore had been one of the most respected wizards of his age, but the sheer number of people who attended was still astonishing. There were dozens of people he didn't even recognise. Most of the student body gathered, save some of the Slytherins, and throughout the ceremony, the merpeople of the lake surfaced, and the centaurs of the forest came to pay their respects.

He gripped the fake locket tightly in his robes, knowing it was the thing Dumbledore had died over. Had he not been so weak after the potion, Harry knew that he could have escaped. It was cruel that the locket wasn't even a horcrux. They had devastatingly gone after the one that Regulus already had. He had been suspicious after Dumbledore apparated them to a cave, knowing Regulus had died in one, but he didn't know how to voice his uncertainty without betraying Draco. Ironic that Draco would be the one to betray him that same night.

It was at that moment, seeing what Dumbledore had meant to so much of the wizarding world, that everything became real. Draco had killed him. He had killed one of the best men Harry knew without hesitation. Harry had avoided thinking about that night, but now he was faced with the devastation that Draco had left behind. People around him cried. The air was mournful. He couldn't deny it anymore.

Dumbledore was gone. Draco had abandoned him. Harry was alone.

His brain felt fuzzy as the events continued. The weight of destroying Voldemort was crushing now that he was alone and Regulus and Draco had never even told him where the real locket was or about Ravenclaw's. He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice that the ceremony was over until several people came to talk with him. He dismissed most of them with shared condolences. That included Minister Scrimgeor, who was trying to convince Harry to have aurors as a security detail. Harry didn't even try to entertain him retreating back to his friends quickly.

Ginny must have seen how overwhelmed he was and pulled him aside. During the funeral, he had intentionally sat on the end of a row with Ron next to him so she had to sit farther away. He'd been evading her. He had no clue how to say, 'I was cheating on you with a man who also happened to be Dumbledore's murderer.' So, instead, he had avoided her like a coward.

"Are you okay?" she asked, grabbing his hand gently.

He wasn't, and she knew it. He looked out over the lake instead of answering.

"Talk to me."

Harry wasn't good at talking.

He liked Ginny. She was independent and let him be whoever he wanted to be, but Draco had pushed him to be better. He challenged his assumptions, and more than that, there was that spark between them. Kissing Ginny had been nice, but it was right when he was with Draco. He couldn't deny it, and she deserved someone who thought that way about her.

Instead, all he said was, "I want to end things between us."

She snapped her head to look at him. "Why? It's for some noble reason, isn't it?" She said mockingly.

"No, I am not very noble." Harry refused to look at her.

She sighed, "I know you, Harry. You do everything for other people. So if you want to end things, you are doing it for the sake of someone else."

He swallowed. "No, I messed up."

"So what, you are protecting me? Think that I deserve better?"

"You do."

"I know you. If anything, I don't deserve you," she said and leaned in closer. Harry pulled back.

But she didn't know him. "I cheated on you."

That shut her up. She waited a moment, probably hoping he would take it back. When he didn't, she asked, "Who?"

"I can't say."

"Of all things you could have said, I would have never expected that." She shoved away his hand bitterly. "I hope she's worth it."

She marched off, and Harry found himself feeling even more guilty. She should have cursed him for it. He deserved to be yelled at. She should have made a scene, but she just left him feeling all that more guilty because Harry knew Draco hadn't been worth it.

He walked back to the crowd, his gut still twisting. As he neared, he heard Draco's name being whispered amongst the guests. No official report ever named Draco, but the rumour had spread all the same. Few believed that he was capable, assuming that another Death Eater had dealt the final blow. Harry wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't seen it himself, and even then, he wasn't fully convinced that Draco had done it intentionally. Something had made him remove the rings.

He spotted Ron and Hermione pulling away from the mass of people, so he joined them. Over the last few days, Ron had been one of the ones to throw around Draco's name, oblivious to how it bothered Harry. Where Harry had been conflicted when the Prophet didn't name Draco as Dumbledore's murderer, Ron had been pissed.

Hermione was commenting on how Hogwarts would be a completely different school after this year. Ron responded with frustration, "That prick just had to ruin everything, ay? He should have been the one to get launched off the Astronomy Tower."

Something in Harry snapped, and he whirled on Ron."Don't you ever say that again!"

"Harry -" Hermione interjected, but Harry jammed a finger at her.

"Either of you. Don't talk about stuff you don't understand," he shouted.

"Stop yelling at us!" Hermione said as Ron grumbled, "Whatever, mate," and walked away. Hermione glanced between the two, undecided on who to go to. After a second, she chose Harry. Realising how relieved he was that she had stayed, he immediately regretted the outburst.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. It's been a long day."

She walked out into the courtyard and took a seat. Harry joined her. "I know, but you can't jump down our throats like that. We want to help you."

"I know."

"It's because of Draco, isn't it?" Harry tensed and didn't look at her. "Please don't get mad at me. But you've been seeing him, haven't you?"

Harry's brain shorted. No one was supposed to know. He gasped, "How?"

"When your obsession over proving he was a Death Eater disappeared overnight, and then you were constantly 'studying,' but you were never in the library, I knew something was up."

He finally glanced at her. Her face was filled with pity.

"He's not a bad person," Harry said defensively.

"I never said he was."

"But you don't believe me."

She sighed. "He killed Dumbledore."

"You don't understand. He wasn't in his right mind."

"You have to mean the curse. You don't just accidentally do it."

That was what pushed him over the edge. He had held it together through the funeral, but now, having another person say that Draco had meant it and someone he trusted at that, he couldn't hold it back. Tears rolled down his face as Hermione wrapped an arm around him.

"It's okay," she said comfortingly.

"I was going to get him out," Harry said in a rush. "He was going to go to Dumbledore and ask to join the Order. We talked about it hours before I went with Dumbledore to get the locket. I was trying to save him."

He brushed away the tears and breathed out, "He could be dead right now."

"He wouldn't be killed over killing Dumbledore," Hermione said reasonably.

Harry supposed that was true. Draco was probably being praised for it.

He took a few moments to steady himself and when he had calmed down, Hermoine said, "You should be with Ginny. She's upset, too."

"I broke up with her."

Hermione looked at him, stunned. "Why?"

He looked at her, confused. "I've been seeing Draco." Hermione already knew that. She'd said it.

Her eyes went wide. "I thought you were meeting with him. Not, you know…" She gestured vaguely.

Harry blushed, this wasn't how he intended to come out. "Yeah, well."

"Oh, I am so sorry." She held him tighter.

Harry thought Draco liked him, but it was looking more and more like he was just using him. Hermione didn't say anything. She probably thought it was obvious Draco was using him but knew better than to say it out loud. So they sat there in silence and mourned more than just Dumbledore.

It felt like half of the Order greeted him at King's Cross station. From the second he stepped off the train, he spotted several members around the perimeter. He'd never had such a full detail; they must be nervous after Dumbledore.

Lupin caught his eye with a wave as he walked forward. "A moment, Harry? Before you go with your aunt and uncle."

Both Ron and Hermione said their goodbyes, promising to write and then walked off to meet their families. Lupin lead him to a quiet part of the platform.

"What did you want to talk about?" Harry asked after glancing around for anyone standing too close.

"I know it might still be difficult to talk about, but we need to know what happened the night Dumbledore died. I know you said you were suspicious of Snape, but someone warned us of the attack. Are you sure it couldn't have been him?"

"Someone warned you?"

"Someone sent a patronus to me stating that Hogwarts was under attack. We have no other leads of who it could be. Are you sure Snape wouldn't have done it?"

"What was the patronus?"

"A hawk."

Harry almost burst out laughing. It was Draco. It was so fitting. A predator, taking opportunities as they arose and something smarter than his stag. Even the fact that it was a bird was fitting; he'd want to be free.

"It was Draco," Harry said with certainty.

"Are you sure? But he -"

"It was him."

"Why would he do that?" Lupin asked still doubtful.

"He probably didn't want any students hurt."

"Then why did he bring the Death Eaters in the first place?"

That was getting too close to the truth. His vow to Draco held his tongue, so he shrugged instead.

Lupin sighed. "I know you want to help him, but it's too late. He's made his choice."

Harry knew that, but knowing Draco cast the patronus gave him hope. Not wanting to think about it anymore, he asked, "Is that all?"

Lupin looked a bit uneasy. "Since we are on the topic, did you give Draco a ring?"

The mention of a ring made Harry freeze. "What ring?"

"It's simple with a dark band. It's a unique colour, and Draco wore it on his right hand." He was talking about Regulus's ring.

"No, why would I give it to him?" Harry said honestly.

"It was your father's. I rarely saw him without it."

His father's? Lupin must have gotten it wrong. "But - Draco got it from Kreacher."

"Kreacher? Did Sirius have it?" Lupin asked, eyebrows pulled in.

"Sirius? Why would Sirius have it? It was Regulus's," Harry spoke before he had the thought that maybe he should keep knowledge of Regulus to himself.

Lupin was shocked at that revelation. "You know about Regulus?"

"Yes," Harry said hesitantly. Draco had been sure that no one else knew about the ring.

"I didn't realise. Not many people knew. Especially after he got with Lilly, no one thought much of it. How d-"

"What's my mother got to do with it?" Harry interrupted.

Lupin's shock faded to confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"What are you?"

Lupin spoke slowly. "Your father dated Regulus. Well, dating isn't quite right. It was a secret."

Harry stared at him. Dated?

"I'm sorry, I thought you knew," Lupin said sheepishly, wringing his hands nervously.

"I - no, I didn't." Harry gaped at him.

"It's time," Moody growled walking towards them.

"Wait -"

Lupin stepped back, almost looking relieved. "We can talk more another time, Moody's right."

Harry wanted to protest, but the Order members were gathering, and he needed to have this conversation in private. His father had dated Regulus? It was baffling. Draco must have known, considering how close he and Regulus were. His frustration grew as he was escorted out of the station and got ready to apparate. How dare Draco keep that from him? It was probably the only reason Regulus even asked Draco to help him in the first place. He fumed, wanting to throw something.

Tonks gave him an odd look as she grabbed his arm and he tried to school his face. He was better off not thinking of Regulus or Draco anymore. Clearly, they couldn't be trusted.