The Astronomy Tower < #wattys2016 >

The Funeral

July 10th, Wednesday, 1996

Those who wanted to stayed for the funeral stayed for another week at Hogwarts. Those who left were either loyal to Lord Voldemort, or had parents who were too worried to let them stay. The remaining student had a heck of a time figuring out who was which.

The Funeral was brief, but it seemed to last forever. While watching all of the people she loved cry, Hermione felt selfishly lonely. Ron had Lavender, Harry had Ginny, and Neville and Luna looked to each other for support; Hermione had no one. No one to support her, reassure her that is was going to be ok. She had lost that the moment she had lifted Draco's sleeve and revealed his dark mark.

Oh Draco. Hermione felt such sympathy for the boy. The boy who was confused, and allowed his loyalty's to lie on the wrong side.

Hermione got a pain in her chest whenever she thought of him. Her draco, who had betrayed her, and hurt her so badly. It sickened Hermione because she knew, deep down in her heart, that she still cared for him.

Hermione was up in her dormitory, packing her things, when Lavender came upstairs. Lavender and Ron were still dating, and ever since Hermione and Ron had agreed that their friendship was too strong to seek an intimate relationship, the girl had warmed up to Hermione.

"Ron and Harry wish to see you," she said with a week smile.

Hermione set down was she had been packing and went down to the common room. 

When she got there Harry and Ron led her out of the castle, and down to the lak, where the funeral had been held earlier that day.

They sat down in the grass and looed out onto the water.

"Even if Hogwarts stays open after all of this, I'm not coming back." Harry said without looking at them.

"I knew that you would say that," said Hermione softly. "But then what will you do?"

"I'll go back to the Dursley's once more, because Dumbledore wanted me to, but it'll be a shot visit, and then I'll be gone for good," spoke Harry.

"But where will you go if you don't come back to school?" Asked Ron.

"I thought I might go to Godrics hollow. For me, it started there, all of it. I've just got a feeling I need to go there. And I can visit my parents graves, I'd like that." Said Harry.

"And then what?" asked Ron.

"Then I've got to track down the rest of the Horcruxes, haven't I?" said Harry. "That's what he wanted me to do, that's why he told me all about them. If Dumbledore was right- and I'm sure he was-  there are four of them out there. I've got to find them and destroy them and then I've got to go after the seventh bit of Voldemort's soul, the bit that's still in his body, and I'm the one who's going to kill him. And if I meet Severus Snape along the way, so much the better for me, so much the worst for him."

They were quiet for a few moments, then Ron spoke.

"We'll be there Harry."

"What?"

"At your aunt and uncle's house. And then we'll go with you wherever you're going." Said Ron.

"No-" Harry started, only to be interrupted by Hermione.

"You said to us once before, that there was a time to turn back if we wanted to. We've had time, haven't we?" she said quietly.

"We're with you whatever happens. But mate, you're going to have to come round my Mum and Dad's house before we do anything else, even Godrics Hollow."