The Girl Who Saw Tomorrow II » Harry Potter

2.71 | The Choice Between Right and Easy

Returning to Hogwarts the morning after Dumbledore's death felt underwhelming at first. The castle still stood in its proud glory, the spring sun peeking above the tall towers.

Once inside, however, the awareness of the night's terrible happenings was spread to every inch of the school. Everyone, from the students and professors to the portraits and ghosts, was talking about Dumbledore.

All lessons were suspended and all examinations were postponed. Some students were hurried away from Hogwarts by their parents over the next couple of days. Meanwhile, wizards and witches from all around were pouring into Hogsmeade, preparing to pay their last respects to Dumbledore.

Meanwhile, a delegation of Ministry officials, including the Minister of Magic himself, was being accommodated within the castle.

A day before the funeral, a white and blue carriage the size of a house, pulled by a dozen giant winged horses, came soaring out of the sky in the late afternoon

Margaret, who had not yet met Madam Maxime, saw the handsome olive-skinned and black-haired woman descend from the carriage and throw herself into the waiting Hagrid's arms.

Margaret, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were spending all of their time together.

They visited the hospital wing twice a day: Neville had been discharged, but Bill remained under Madam Pomfrey's care.

Due to the phoenix tears, his wounds had healed completely. Some of the scars remained, distorting his features a little, but his face was no longer grotesque-looking. In personality, Bill seemed just the same as ever. All that appeared to have changed was that he now had a great liking for very rare steaks.

The beautiful weather seemed to mock them; however, it felt almost fitting that it did not storm or flood after Dumbledore's death, but instead clear and sunny skies greeted them each morning.

On one such morning, one day before Dumbledore's funeral, the five of them were sitting under the shade of the beech tree by the Black Lake. Harry had separated from the group a few minutes ago, and now stood several feet away, silently fiddling with the fake Horcrux that he carried with him everywhere.

Margaret excused herself from the game of Exploding Snap that she, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were playing. She got up and walked over to Harry.

"Wild year, huh?"

"Wilder than usual," says Harry quietly. "Still no idea about this R.A.B. then?"

Margaret shrugged.

Harry watched the lake in silence for a while, fiddled with the locket, opening and closing it. There seemed to be a battle going on within his head, a sort of tug-war that was pulling his thoughts in two different directions. Then, at last, he held out the locket to Margaret.

"We have got to finish what Dumbledore started," states Harry. "That's what he wanted us to do, that's why he told us all about them. If he was right – and I'm sure he was – then there are still four Horcruxes out there. We've got to find them and destroy them, we've got to finish the journey Dumbledore started."

There was a long stretch of silence. They watched the Giant Squid's tentacles peek out and wave at them as they stared at the lake. At last, Margaret opened the locket and read the note again.

"Do you remember, long ago, when I promised you that no matter what happens you won't be alone?" asks Margaret. Harry nodded. "I don't want to back away from that promise, but in the past year, something became clear to me: Someone's gotta protect the world while you try to save it."

"What do you mean?"

"You're right that Dumbledore wanted to destroy the Horcruxes – but it's a task he left for you. I was present in those lessons, watching the memories, but I was on the sidelines. It was you who Dumbledore was speaking to. It was you who he gave the task of collecting Slughorn's memory. Do you know why?"