The DA didn't get any sleep that night. They knew that all over the school, students were being wakened and told of the horrific battle. Rather than joining their fellow classmates, the DA stayed separated. Their's was a different grief; subdued, yet triumphant.
When the injured were released from the hospital wing, the first place they went was the Room of Requirement. They silently took their seats. Not a word had been spoken amongst them since the previous night. Harry, taking his place before them, looked over his friends and smiled.
"I want to have a little memorial for those we've lost," he said gently. "For Colin and Dennis Creevey. Hannah Abbot. Seamus Finnigan. Zacharias Smith and Cho Chang. You all know them as well as or better than I do so it's not fitting that I talk about them all. If you have anything to say, memories to share, feel free to do so."
Harry sat back down and it was silent for several minutes before Ernie McMillan rose.
"Hannah Abbot has been my best friend since our first year at Hogwarts. She's always been the sweetest person I've ever met. She had more compassion than most people I know and was sympathetic to anyone's problems. When she graduated, she wanted to come back here and teach."
Ernie smiled. "She wanted to teach Transfiguration. She leaves behind her parents and her little sister, Meghan. Meghan always looked Hannah and is going to start here at Hogwarts in the fall." Ernie looked down at his hands, then back up as his eyes started to fill with tears.
"I guess that's all I have to say," he finished quickly, then returned to his seat. They sat in silence once more until Harry stood up.
"Colin and Dennis Creevey were inseperable as only brothers can be. They were always loyal to their friends and I am honored to count myself as one. They sacrificed themselves to save me and I will always be grateful to them."
Harry chuckled softly at the memory. "I can still see Colin as he was the first day I met him. He had a camera strung about his neck and he was begging for my picture. He was the most annoying first year I had ever met-until Dennis came along, of course." He sighed.
"And now they're gone. They had so much life in them, it doesn't seem fair."
As Harry sat down, Dean took his place.
"Seamus always had a passion for causing things to explode. We all still remember the first time he burned his eyebrows off. And the second. And probably the third. After that, we just stopped noticing. He was always laughing and joking around; a jolly, bright, Irish chap to the end."
After Dean sat down, an uncomfortable silence filled the room. It lasted several minutes until Michael Corner stood.
"Not a lot of people knew Zacharias well. I've known him since we were young. Zacharias found it difficult to trust people, especially after his mum left him and his dad. It took a lot for him to come to DA meetings. I never knew why he left us that day, but I can only imagine that he was afraid. Afraid of dying." Michael's voice shook as he started to cry.
"He didn't want his father to be left alone. But he came back when we needed him and he sacrificed his life for all of us!"
Michael returned to his seat with tears streaming down his face. Kyla put an arm around his shoulder as he cried.
Harry once more addressed his classmates and friends.
"That leaves Cho," he said, shakily. Michael's tears had suddenly made him more unsteady. "Our Head Girl. She was strong and beautiful and highly intelligent. One would never guess the tragedies she had experienced in life. The loss of her parents at an early age, the death of Cedric Diggory. Her adopted parents will be shattered as we are. Now, though, I believe that Cho is happy. She can be with her mother, father, and Cedric; the ones she loves."
Harry cleared his throat. "As you know, not only were students taken in the battle last night, but three teachers as well. Sibyll Trelawney was a kind woman, even with her flair for eccentricity." Harry suddenly laughed, remembering.
"I'll never forget when she told Umbridge that I'd live to be Minister of Magic and have twelve children. In fact, I don't think any of us can forget her."
"The next one is difficult for me, but all the more necessary. Severus Snape. It would be a stretch to say that I liked him. The truth is, I hated him as he hated me. Few people know that he once walked a dark road as one of Voldemort's Death Eaters."
There was a sharp intake of breath and the members of the DA lifted their heads, shocked.
"But Dumbledore trusted him," Harry hastened to explain. "He trusted him when few people would. I know that I didn't. Last night, however, he betrayed Voldemort when he found against Bellatrix Lestrange. No, I never liked Professor Snape. But he's earned my respect."
Looking at Ginny, he saw her smile, encouragingly.
"Professor Dumbledore. Why mourn him? He's not really gone. How could it be possible for us to forget the barmy old codger? A man, so obsessed with sweets that the password to his office always ran along the lines of, "Lemon Drops," "Licorice Wands," and Cockroach Clusters." The man was clearly insane!"
Harry waited for a moment to allow the sparse laughter to disperse.
"Go on," he urged. "Laugh. It's what he would have wanted."
Despite his words, Harry felt a lone tear fall on his cheek.
"I loved him," he said, his voice husky with emotion. "I challenge you to find one person who truly knew him that didn't. His life wasn't about the great things he did for the world. It was about the little things he did for the people he loved. So yes, cry for him and laugh for him. I only have a few more words to say." His
voice was quiet.
"They are Nitwit. Oddment. Blubber. And tweak."
Harry returned to his seat, allowing the tears to fall freely, yet he felt strangely lightened. He could still laugh, yes, and that was more rewarding than tears. Hermione glanced over at him and he nodded.
"The names of. . .their names are to be commemorated in this room," she said, steadily. "The question now is this: We are Dumbledore's Army. Do we disband now? Do we move on, or will the DA continue? It's your choice, your decision."
Luna spoke for the first time. "I need this," she said, simply. "I need you all. Out there, I'm Loony Lovegood. You people are the only friends that I have," she finished honestly.
"It's all part of remembering Dumbledore," Neville added. "To disband-it would be like we were pushing him away."
"Only we know what we've been through together," said Kyla. "Nobody else understands."
Ron stood up. "I move that Dumbledore's Army stays together. Every year we can accept new members and teach them. We become an actual club."
"I second that," Ginny said.
"All in favor?" Hermione asked.
Harry felt hope and peace spring within him as he saw the hands raised unanimously in the air.
"The ayes have it," Hermione said in a choked voice.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Where are you going, Neville?" Ron asked a couple hours later in their dormitory. Neville had just fastened a traveling cloak about his neck. "You're going to miss the interview."
"Bellatrix Lestrange goes to trial today," he explained. "I'll be there representing my parents and giving testimony."
Harry nodded. "And how are you feeling?"
"Better than I have in years," Neville said with a smile.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Harry not only insisted on having The Quibbler do the article, but he also wanted the DA members there. He felt that they were the heros, more than he was, and that they deserved it.
Professor McGonagall had arranged for a classroom to be set up for their use that evening, however, a few DA members had opted to not show up. Harry didn't blame them. He'd had enough publicity to last him three lifetimes. Hopefully this would be the last of it.
"Do you know where Luna is?" Harry asked Ginny as they waited for the reporter to show up. "She said she'd be here."
Ginny shook her head. "She was in the hospital wing earlier. Madame Pomfrey said it was a miracle that she didn't sustain extensive brain damage."
"Well," Harry said, quietly. "It's a mioracle that nobody's injuries were life threatening. I don't think we could bear to lose any more."
The door to the classroom opened and Luna walked in, accompanied by a smartly dressed man carrying a camera. He was tall with grey hair, neatly combed back. He wore serious looking glasses and conservative black dress robes.
"Hi," Luna said as they came forward. "Everyone, this is my father, Head Editor of the Quibbler."
Ron's mouth dropped open and Harry knew his must look the same. This neat, tidy man was Luna's father?
Mr. Lovegood reached out and shook Harry's hand. "Nice to meet you," he said cheerfully. "My name is Ralph Lovegood. I want to thank you for that smashing interview you gave last year. Circulation's been well up ever since."
"You're welcome," Harry said, smiling in spite of himself. When Mr. Lovegood had moved to shake his hand, his robes had parted slightly, and revealed a brightly covered shirt, covered in fancy beadwork. This man was definitely Luna's father.
"This interview will work very simply," Mr. Lovegood explained. "I'll ask questions and you answer them. I want everyone's story in this. At the end, I'll get a group picture. Simple, right?"
Everyone nodded and Mr. Lovegood grinned. "Why don't we get comfortable, then." Waving his wand, a lot of armchairs appeared and they all settled themselves.
"First question: Why call it Dumbledore's Army? You." He pointed to Hermione.
"Back when the Ministry was controlling the school last year, we weren't being taught any defense. We came up with the idea to start a defense club where we could teach ourselves. We called it Dumbledore's Army because we figured it was the one thing that the Minstry was truly afraid of."
"What kind of spells did you learn?"
Dean answered. "All sorts, but mostly defense. By the end of the year, everyone could conjure a Patronus."
"A Patronus?" Mr. Lovegood was visibly impressed. "Not many adult wizards are capable of that. You're telling me that mere teenagers managed it?"
"We were really drived," Harry responded. "One thing I've noticed about people is that when they want something bad enough, they'll do anything to get it. We were no different."
The interview continued on much that way. Mr. Lovegood would put forth a question and select someone to answer. Everyone was fairly represented, which was exactly what Harry wanted.
"What does it mean to you to know that You-Know-Who's gone forever?" Mr. Lovegood asked. "I want each of you to answer."
The members of the DA looked at each other, each thinking of what they'd gone through and when they answered, they all said the same two words.
"I'm free."
Mr. Lovegood finished writing and tucked his quill and parchment away.
"You're an inspiration to me and the rest of the Wizarding world," he said with a choked voice. "Thank you for sharing with me your triumph over You-Know-Who."
"Do us a favor," Harry said. "Call him by name. Prove that there is nothing left to fear."
Mr. Lovegood smiled. "Voldemort," he said clearly.
"Thank you," Harry replied. "One day the world will be able to say it as well."
"That day will come sooner than you think," said Mr. Lovegood. "And now for the picture."
He arranged the students carefully and stood back. After snapping the picture several times, he put the camera away.
"This will come out in an early edition tomorrow," he said, as he prepared to leave. "I'll send several copies to Luna and she'll be able to give them to you." He put an arm around his daughter.
"I want to thank you all once more for everything you've done." After a round of handshaking, he departed, Luna at his side.
"I guess that's it," Ron said, as they headed back to the Gryffindor tower. "We've done our part."
"Dumbledore's memorial is tomorrow," Harry reminded him. "We still need to get through that before we're finished picking up the pieces."
"It's interesting how differrent this feels," Hermione commented as they walked past everyone eating in the dining room.
"What do you mean?" asked Ginny.
"You know. How we're not part of them anymore. The other students. We're different somehow."
"I guess that's what we fight for, isn't it," Harry said. "So they can stay the same as we move further apart."
"At least we're in good company," Ginny said, giving Hermione a hug.
I was more than disappointed with Dumbledore's funeral at the end of HBP, which of course, was the point of it. I wanted him and the students to have a real memorial, done by the people who cared about them. These last two chapters are meant to tie up any loose ends I left and hopefully I will get them all.
The next chapter is the last, and since you've been so good, I'll give you the last spoiler for this story.
"I vowed then and there that if I made it through, I would tell you something I've been wanting to say for several weeks now."
To See You Through The Dark by Narwen3
Chapter Notes: I'm sorry for the delay!!!