Funeral

"We are gathered here today to remember the life of Harry James Potter, husband and father, orphan and hero, who died on the twenty-first of August two-thousand and fifty-five, aged seventy-five," said the man. Nobody knew who he was, a priest, maybe. Ginevra Molly Potter stood by the coffin, her face covered with a black veil. Her two eldest children stood beside her, the twins Jem and Jon, each with a hand on one of her shoulders.

"Harry was the best friend a girl could have," said Hermione, choking through her tears. "He never thought of himself, but always of others. He had so much pressure on him during his childhood - pressure I know I could never have coped with. It wasn't his fault he managed to defeat Voldemort the first time, but from then on he became somebody he was not to the public.

"When Harry destroyed Voldemort the second time, everyone was stunned. Even those of us at Hogwarts, who were sure he was going to do it, were especially surprised. I don't think any of us, even at the end, knew just how much hatred Harry had for him. His... his godfather, Sirius... he wasn't allowed to see him often, because he was wrongly accused of murder... and the last time he saw him, he was killed. Harry couldn't... he couldn't even say goodbye.

"I think Harry was glad it was all over. He vanished for a while, to be by himself. We thought he was dead for a while... but he returned to us. Harry needed that time alone, because... he suffered more than we could ever imagine. But he came back. And he married Ginny... Luna would have wanted that, I know. And they had five wonderful children - Jem, and Jon, and Lily, and Chas, and Lea..."

Tears ran down Hermione's face, and down Ron's face too. He put his arms around her, and she held him tightly for a moment. The veil hid Ginny's tears, but her body shook as her sons held her more tightly.

"I know that Harry's been a wonderful Dad to them all. He taught them everything they know... and his memory will live on forever..."

Hermione stepped down from where she had been reading, and embraced Ron tightly before he stepped up to the microphone.

"I don't really know how to follow that. Harry was a great friend, a great companion. He was an excellent Quidditch player. He had a Nimbus 2000, and he'd rather have kept that than bought the Firebolt he could still have afforded... because he didn't need it. Harry knew there were much better things to do than buy what you wanted. It was Sirius who bought Harry his Firebolt... he has always had it...

"When Harry disappeared, I had no idea what to make of it. He came back in the middle of my wedding, that was rather scary! Luna... Luna died when he vanished. We knew Harry loved Luna, and Luna always held that he hadn't died... and she was right too. She told us... she knew she was dying... she told us that Harry should marry Ginny when he came back. Luna knew everything. And we miss her dearly. And Harry missed her when he returned. He said some guardian spirit had protected him when he was alone... he said it was Luna, or his mother....

"Harry was the best friend I could ever have asked for, and a wonderful brother in law. If he was here today, I know what he'd be telling me. 'Ron, cheer up and go snog Hermione.'" A laugh ran through the crowd as Ron stepped down from the podium, and Ginny smiled under her veil slightly. Then she and her family walked up to the place he had just vacated.

"I've attended many funerals in my life... Percy, Mum, Dad, Charlie... but none like this. I have expected Harry to die many times, but never like this, so peaceful. He wanted to die like this, although we all expected him to go in battle. He was the best husband he could have been, and a wonderful father to my children..." she put her arms around Lily and Lea, who were also crying silently. "Harry, I miss you..."

As Jem led his mother back to the coffin, with her arm carefully around her, Lea stepped up to the microphone.

"I've written this poem about my Dad:"

"His name is in the History books,

Facts and figures I do not know.

His name is written in my heart,

A love that my Dad always showed.

Some know him for the hero,

Some know him for the sport.

I know him for the love he gave,

I know him for the thoughts.

Many people came today,

They do not know his life.

I came for he's my father,

And my mother was his wife.

Those who did not know him well,

The man behind the scar is he.

Loving father, husband, friend,

Your name lives on in history."

Lea fell silent. The whole crowd of people was silent. The poem had struck them in their hearts, for its honesty and simplicity. There was nothing more to say, really. Harry Potter had died, but he lived on in those he loved...

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