Dumbledore's Eulogy

Dumbledore's Eulogy

A tribute to Albus Dumbledore, as recorded at the memorial service by Rita Skeeter of the Daily Prophet, and spoken by friend and Hogwart's professor, Firenze.

"Friends, thank you for allowing me to pay tribute on behalf of all of us to the beloved Albus Dumbledore. Of course, no words we can utter here will honor the great wizard as much as he deserves. Perhaps we can however, show our appreciation for the short time we had together to learn from him, love him, and to assuage our grief. In our hearts, one can sense that a great light has gone out among us.

That grief we share now is made all the more intense with the understanding of how special Albus Dumbledore was to each of us, and to our world as a whole. What more can one wizard do for those he loves? He served loyally as a professor and Headmaster at Hogwarts for many years. He nourished and encouraged the learning and growth of generations of witches and wizards. He served the Ministry and the Wizengamot frequently and lent his considerable knowledge across the wizarding community. He worked in earnest to prevent the spread of clandestine dark magic and those who would do evil to others.

Most importantly, he has known no equal in his ability to love his friends and students, as well as those who may be less deserving of such affection. Even his enemies would acknowledge his penchant for forgiveness and unparalleled ability to see the good in all of us. As he often told his students, there is no force greater than love in our world, and no incantation that can match the enduring power of love that unites us in life and death. This love was manifest through him in many ways, including his gentleness and patience with students, his kindness to those in need, his respect for humanity, magic and muggle alike, and his playfully childlike, reassuring demeanor. Though his magical ability was without equal, he showed magnificent patience and care for those lacking magical talents. This then must be the measure of a great wizard, to possess unprecedented strength but to love with unequivocal capacity.

Few of us can remember a life that began without Albus Dumbledore, and fewer still can imagine one that ends without him. He was the great good that struggled against that malicious unnamed evil which still lurks among us. In a way, he was to many of us a deity and one whom we could consider all-knowing - the light that smothered the darkness of this world. We are experiencing the shock of his loss, and grope for some meaning or understanding of this tragedy. The heavens, though interpreted by far wiser than me, indicate that his death will not be in vain. He has imprinted his will to do good and love upon the students he cared so much for. Within them and within all of us lies a small part of him that will lead to greater things. Some of us will carry that inner light as a guide as we seek to finish the quest the Headmaster began.

Most of us will return again to Hogwarts, despite the death of its greatest Headmaster. The loss of his timeless knowledge of the arts of magic only reinforces the need for an institution that facilitates the transfer of such vital information from one generation to the next. We will be asked to carry the banner of unconditional love and patience he once bore. We must not take this task lightly- for it is here where our duty to honor him is most crucial. There will be a time when our pain and the darkness of this time fades away, revealing once again the brilliant color of life, and the enduring fellowship of Hogwarts.

Rest in peace, Albus Dumbledore. You will never be far from us."