I thought I knew my ending - Year 1 and 2

Chapter 22 - The Patronus (part 2)

The next day, I got up early to make my suitcase. I shook off Severus and Evelyne so they wouldn't walk with me to the train station by telling them that I needed to continue practising the patronus with Peterson. I felt guilty for lying to them again, but they would have wanted to come with me if I told them what I was going to do before I went home. And then they would find out that I was not the only one who had tried to help Hazel.

I walked by myself across the grounds towards the Forbidden Forest. My trunk hobbled awkwardly behind me. When I arrived at the clearing, only Hagrid was there already. By the looks of it, he had been digging a huge grave for several hours.

'Hey, Hagrid,' I said softly. I took a shovel lying next to him (made to Hagrid's size), wanted to dig with him, but couldn't lift it up.

'Hey, Lilly.' He had stopped digging, brought out a red handkerchief with white dots and sniffed his nose loudly. 'Unbelievable, huh? Just a few days ago she was hopping around...' I stared at the pile lying under the black cloth a few feet away and my stomach contracted into a tiny ball.

'Hey, Hagrid!' shouted James who came running towards us with the rest of his friends. I wanted to roll my eyes and look at him angrily because he sounded so cheerful until I saw what they had with them. By the looks of it, the Gryffindors had been picking wildflowers which they had brought with them in some crates. Remus kept his head down as he set one of the crates down. He didn't dare to look at Hagrid. I wondered if... Hagrid put his arm around Remus and said, 'I'm glad you' re here, Remus, and don't worry about it. Dumbledore should have had the Shrieking Shack locked up much more firmly. You shouldn't feel guilty.'

'Thanks, Hagrid,' he muttered blushing, but I could see it took a huge load off his shoulders to hear that. I gave him a secret smile.

Hagrid wanted to lift Hazel to hoist her into the grave, but Sirius came forward and said, 'Leave it to us Hagrid, we've been practising.' He looked at Remus, Peter and James and nodded. They collectively raised their wands in the air and said, 'Wingardium Leviosa.'

I felt my stomach drop as I watched them lift Hazel of the ground and then they lowered her limp body into the grave.

They took the crates with flowers, but Hagrid cleared his throat and said through his tears, 'I would like to say something before we say goodbye.' He looked at me. 'I um, would like to thank you, Lily. You were the only one who had the guts to help Hazel, really help her, not just by feeding her and I'm never going to forget that.' He roughly wiped the tears from his eyes. I didn't know what to say, but Hagrid had already turned back to Hazel's grave.

'I wish you the best, dear Hazel. You would have been a wonderful mother, but at least now we know you are with your little one again.' Sirius and I looked at each other. He gave me a sad smile. 'I'll miss your company,' Hagrid whispered. I walked up to him and held out my hand, which he gratefully accepted.

James walked towards the crates and looked at Hagrid questioningly, who nodded and the four boys threw the flowers over the black cloth in the grave.

'Wait,' I said, also walking forward and looking into the grave. The wildflowers the Gryffindors had picked lay together in a messy heap as if someone had thrown out the vegetable waste. I closed my eyes. How did that spell go again? When I opened them again, I noticed everyone staring at me. My cheeks burned while I pointed my wand at the flowers and made them slowly float around, forming groups of the same kind and coming down in a pattern with the word Hazel spelled out in the middle with daisies.

'What the fuck,' I heard James whisper, staring at me open-mouthed, 'how does she do that?'

'Thanks, Lily,' said Hagrid putting his arm around me which almost made me fall into the grave, with the other he was blowing his nose.