| Firecrab
Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Stalking my Student Dictionary. Avvie brought to you by flasewishes (LJ).
Posts: 712
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The funeral was held on a Friday on the Hogwarts grounds, in front of the forest. The whole of Hogwarts turned out, even thought it had been raining only hours before and the grounds were bleak and soggy. Heavy grey clouds rolled overhead and a light wind rustled the trees of the Forbidden Forest.
To four students; Amy, Dan, Molly, and Brian, it felt unreal and cruel. Dan and Brian had considered staying behind, but Molly had convinced them that they had to pay their respects. Amy secretly wondered if Molly was trying to punish herself for what she helped to do- she knew that seeing Snape lying dead in a coffin was the last thing she wanted. Amy herself was unsure how she would react, and pondered this as she walked down the sloping lawns towards a mass of chairs which stood before a small mahogany coffin. She was surrounded by silent students, who were under the belief that Snape had died an accidental death. She wondered ruefully what they would do if they knew the truth.
Turning her head to look at Molly, Amy caught sight of Daraco Malfoy. She had always known he adored Snape, and she felt a pang of pity for him, mean as he was. His face was pale as parchment, his eyes downcast as tears threatened to leak out. Turning away, she was confronted by the sight of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley. They were always together, and now they walked slowly. Hermione was crying, and the boys looked lost.
Amy turned to Dan, walking next to her. “I don’t know if I can do this.” She whispered softly to him. Dan glanced at her, forcing a small, sad smile. Reaching her hand, he gave it a squeeze and didn’t let go.
When they reached their seats, Amy sank into hers weakly. Save for the rustle of trees and sniffling of students, the air was silent. Reaching over, Amy grasped Molly’s hand in her own, still holding Dan’s in her other. In turn, Molly held Brian’s, and they formed a chain. A chain of guilt, pain, and sorrow. Of lost innocence and missed purity.
It seemed like hours before everyone was seated, an eternity of waiting. Amy felt her eyes drawn to the elaborately carved wooden box where her former teacher rested, never to rise again. Feeling the tears welling up, she closed her eyes and waited. When she finally opened them, Dumbledore had stood up and was approaching the coffin. His walk was slow and labored, and his face was drawn and cracked with the lines of age. He stood before the school and the teachers, surveying them for a moment before speaking.
“Professor Severus Snape was a great man.” He said softly, his voice, so full of emotion, somehow managing to carry to everyone. “We come today to remember him, and to mourn the loss of a great man.”
Dumbledore paused, his eyes flicking to members of the crowd. “Some of you will remember him as your head if house, others as a potions professor. No mater what he was to you, he has affected you and his death will as well. Snape died of a tragic accident- an illness if you will. Magic can not bring back the dead, and we must live with that fact for the rest of our lives.”
Amy tuned out, trying her best not to cry. If she did, she knew it would be all too real. Snape’s death, her guilt, and the irreversibility of it all. After a time, she returned to herself and glanced at the headmaster.
Dumbledore was glancing around somberly, gesturing at the coffin behind him. “I want you to say your final goodbyes in whatever way you feel necessary. But first, let us have a moment of silence.”
All of the students bowed their heads. Amy heard repressed around her and she had to blink back tears. When Dumbledore finally raised his head, students began to get up. Some headed for the coffin, others for the school. Dan tugged her in the direction of Hogwarts and Amy follow meekly, Brian and Molly trailing behind them.
“So, he’s really gone, isn’t he?” Dan said softly, his voice full of remorse.
Amy glanced at him sorrowfully, knowing he wanted her to tell him it was all a dream. “Yes, Dan, he is gone.” She said quietly, staring ahead with determination.
“If only we could go back, do things over…” He muttered. Amy felt herself shudder.
“You can’t meddle with time, what’s past is past. We….” Her voice broke, and a tear slid down her cheek. She had broken. “We have to be strong, keep going.”
They had reached the doors to Hogwarts, left open during the ceremony. Students passed quietly thought them, shedding their sorrow and attempting to go on. Amy, Dan, Molly, and Brian headed for the Ravenclaw common room. When they reached it, they al sank into chairs by the roaring fire.
After a time, Dan spoke. “That was…”
“Awful.” Brian muttered.
“Terrible.” Molly said at the same time. They lapsed into silence for a moment, before Molly spoke again.
“I’m going to go to my room for a moment and change into dry robes. I’ll be right back.” She said, getting up and heading up the spiral staircase. Dan and Brain sat around lethargically, staring into the flames. It was several minutes later that they heard a scream coming from the girls dorms. Amy didn’t have time to rise before Molly came running down the stairs, her face white and her hands shaking. She was clutching a piece of paper.
“What is it?” Dan asked in alarm. Molly stood there for a moment, at a loss for words. Finally she spoke, her voice shaking and hands trembling.
“I- I went upstairs…” She stammered. “And…. And I found t-this.” She raised her hand, with the piece of nondescript parchment clutched between her fingers.
“And…?” Brain asked a little impatiently.
“It says; ‘I know what you did. You’re next.’”
Dan looked ill, and Amy gasped, feeling the blood drain from her face. As for Brian, he looked confused.
“What’s that got to do with anything?” Brain asked.
“It means,” Amy said slowly. “That someone knows what we did. Someone knows we killed Snape, and they want to kill us.”
This was the final ‘installment’ of Killing Snape. I hope you enjoyed reading it, with its ‘I know what you did last summer’ parallel at the end. Thank you to everyone who commented! I’ll be asking the Mods to move this in a few days, so it wont be in the ‘Other’ section for too much longer. Thanks again for reading! |