Disclaimer: The characters belong to JKR, the poem belongs to me, and the Irish Blessing is not mine.
Chapter 3
Harry joined the quartet again. Their eyes glistened with tears, as they raised their wands with the others in the ceremonial gesture. "Valedico accendo adforari magnanimitas." The mourners chanted over the coffins. It was a traditional burning for witches and wizards. The twin coffins caught alight in twin purple flames. It took less than a minute, but when the fires burned out, the bodies and coffins were no more than ash. Where Hermione had lay, was a pile of white ash, and where Luna had been, there was blue. Hermione's ash rose and transformed itself into an small otter. This had been her soul. A light silver vapor engulfed the otter; that was her magic core. The otter looked over at the blue ash, where the Luna's soul's figure was rising. It took the shape of a raven. Luna's core was light blue. The otter jumped onto the raven's back and the two soared off into the now dark sky full of stars.
There was a collective sigh from the group as they watched the two souls and cores of their friends disappear into the distance. The crowd began to disperse; not a single eye was dry. The quartet thanked people for coming. There were few left to come, but they appreciated every one of them. Percy, Bill, Mr. Weasley, Dean, Padma, Cho, Ernie, Hannah, Viktor, Kingsley, Moody, and Fleur had all died in the war. The four men and women stood together in the dark. They lit their wands, and walked over to the twisted tree trunk. It was customary to leave a memento to remember the dead.
"Well, this is it, we're actually saying goodbye." Said Ron in a barely audible voice. "I can't believe they're gone forever."
"But they're not gone, Ron." Argued Harry, "They're here in our hearts and heads. They are in the memories we will keep forever. No one is gone, not forever, we'll see them on the other side."
"Harry's right you know." Ginny offered.
"Let's get this over with, it's been a long night." Draco said. "Who wants to do what?"
"Let's all do it. It'll mean more to them." Contributed Ginny.
The four wizards and witch, bent over the trunk and branches with their wands. It took a few minutes to finish. They stepped back to admire their handiwork. "Well," said Harry, "We're done. I'll see you guys later." The men and women disapparated from the cemetery. Only the tree was left.
It was different. It no longer was a dead stump. It had grown branches and leaves, and it bloomed into full health. It wasn't only that which was different. On each branch was inscribed a line of a poem they had written, and on the trunk was a message to Hermione and Luna. The poem on the branches would read forever more:
We won't forget your smile,
We won't forget your laugh,
You'll live in our heart forever more,
We will remember you.
Don't forget our world,
Don't forget the times we had,
Hold us close wherever you are,
We will remember you.
The words glowed golden on the swaying branches, bathed in moonlight. The trunk had an Irish prayer inscribed on it.
"May the road rise up to meet you,
May the wind be always with you,
May the sunshine warm you always,
`Til we meet again."
Below it was the Hogwarts Crest and a symbol for each of the four wizards and witch who had cared so much about the dead. A stag's antlers and a dog's footprint for Harry, a white ferret riding a dragon for Draco, a quill on a heart for Ginny, and a black knight a black bishop, and a black rook for Ron. Harry was in bed at Number 12 Grimmauld Place, Ron was in The Three Broomsticks, and Ginny and Draco were walking in Diagon Alley, hand in hand. The emblems on the tree shone with magic light. The stars twinkled, the man on the moon winked, and two female angels who just got their wings smiled down on the tree and their friends from the starry sky.
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