Hogwarts: A Snake in the Grass - BOOK 6 (A Harry Potter Fanfic)

11: The True War Begins

All lessons were suspended, all examinations postponed. Some students were hurried away from Hogwarts by their parents over the next couple of days - the Patil twins were gone before breakfast on the morning following Dumbledore's death and Zacharias Smith was escorted from the castle by his haughty-looking father. Seamus Finnigan, on the other hand, refused point-blank to accompany his mother home; they had a shouting match in the Entrance Hall which was resolved when she agreed that he could remain behind for the funeral. She had difficulty in finding a bed in Hogsmeade, Seamus told a few people, for wizards and witches were pouring into the village, preparing to pay their last respects to Dumbledore.

Seamus had been being nicer to me. Probably because I saved his life. He didn't mention me being a werewolf, in fact, no one did.

Some excitement was caused among the younger students, who had never seen it before, when a powder-blue carriage the size of a house, pulled by a dozen giant winged palominos, came soaring out of the sky in the late afternoon before the funeral and landed on the edge of the Forest.

The book that Harry had been using had turned out to be Snape's. He was the 'Half-Blood Prince'.

I went down to the Great Hall but didn't eat anything.

'It is nearly time,' she said. 'Please follow your Heads of House out into the grounds. Gryffindors, after me.'

They filed out from behind their benches in near silence. I glimpsed Slughorn at the head of the Slytherin column, wearing magnificent long emerald-green robes embroidered with silver. I had never seen Professor Sprout, Head of the Hufflepuffs, looking so clean; there was not a single patch on her hat, and when they reached the Entrance Hall, we found Madam Pince standing beside Filch, she in a thick black veil that fell to her knees, he in an ancient black suit and tie reeking of mothballs.

We were heading, as I saw when I stepped out on to the stone steps from the front doors, towards the lake. The warmth of the sun caressed my face as we followed Professor McGonagall in silence to the place where hundreds of chairs had been set out in rows. An aisle ran down the centre of them: there was a marble table standing at the front, all chairs facing it. It was the most beautiful summer's day.

An extraordinary assortment of people had already settled into half of the chairs: shabby and smart, old and young. Most I did not recognise, but there were a few that I did, including members of the Order of the Phoenix: Kingsley Shacklebolt, Mad-Eye Moody, Tonks, her hair miraculously returned to most vivid pink, Remus, with whom she seemed to be holding hands, Mr and Mrs Weasley, Bill supported by Fleur and followed by Fred and George, who were wearing jackets of black dragonskin. Then there was Madame Maxime, who took up two-and-a-half chairs on her own, Tom, the landlord of the Leaky Cauldron, Arabella Figg, Harry's Squib neighbour, the hairy bass player from the wizarding group the Weird Sisters, Ernie Frang, driver of the Knight Bus, Madam Malkin, of the robe shop in Diagon Alley, and some people whom I merely knew by sight, such as the barman of the Hog's Head and the witch who pushed the trolley on the Hogwarts Express. The castle ghosts were there too, barely visible in the bright sunlight, discernible only when they moved, shimmering insubstantially in the gleaming air. Remus caught my eye and gave me slight smile, then returned to looking solemn. I saw down at the back next to Nico and Josh.

Cornelius Fudge walked past us towards the front rows, his expression miserable, twirling his green bowler hat as usual; I next recognised Rita Skeeter, who, I was infuriated to see, had a notebook clutched in her hand; and then, with a worse jolt of fury, Dolores Umbridge, an unconvincing expression of grief upon her toadlike face, a black velvet bow set atop her iron-coloured curls. At the sight of the centaur Firenze, who was standing like a sentinel near the water's edge, she gave a start and scurried hastily into a seat a good distance away.

The staff were seated at last. I could see Scrimgeour looking grave and dignified in the front row with Professor McGonagall. I wondered whether Scrimgeour or any of these important people were really sorry that Dumbledore was dead. But then I heard a strange, screeching music and I forgot my dislike of the Ministry in looking around for the source of it. I was not the only one: many heads were turning, searching, a little alarmed.

It turned out it was the mermaids. Nico nudged me and I turned to the front, just in time to see Hagrid placing the body on the table.

A little tufty-haired man in plain black robes had got to his feet and stood now in front of Dumbledore's body. I could not hear what he was saying. Odd words floated back to them over the hundreds of beads. 'Nobility of spirit' ... 'intellectual contribution' ... 'greatness of heart' ... it did not mean very much. It had little to do with Dumbledore as I had known him. I suddenly remembered Dumbledore's idea of a few words: 'nitwit', 'oddment', 'blubber' and 'tweak'.

The little man in black had stopped speaking at last and resumed his seat. I waited for somebody else to get to their feet; I expected speeches, probably from the Minister, but nobody moved.

Then several people screamed. Bright, white flames had erupted around Dumbledore's body and the table upon which it lay: higher and higher they rose, obscuring the body. White smoke spiralled into the air and made strange shapes: I thought, for one heart-stopping moment, that I saw a phoenix fly joyfully into the blue, but next second the fire had vanished. In its place was a white marble tomb, encasing Dumbledore's body and the table on which he had rested.

There were a few more cries of shock as a shower of arrows soared through the air, but they fell far short of the crowd. It was, I knew, the centaurs' tribute: I saw them turn tail and disappear back into the cool trees. Likewise, the merpeople sank slowly back into the green water and were lost from view.

We all stood up and left soon after. I knew I would probably not be back to this school to learn ever again. It wasn't safe. I would help the Order, and Harry, as much as I could. Nico and Josh would have to return, they had no choice. Would I ever get to see them again?

The three of us stood by the gates, completely silent.

I sighed and looked at them both.

'I guess this is goodbye, for now anyway,' I told them, 'I won't be back next year. I hope I will see you again. Don't try to contact me. I'll be travelling all over the place, probably with my pack. Goodbye,' I hugged them both tightly then stepped back.

Before I could Apparate to Remus' house, Josh stepped forward. He grabbed my face and pulled me into a kiss. Tears streamed down both of our faces and he stepped back again.

'Goodbye,' he whispered.

Then, I Apparated. It was the last time I saw them for a long while.