Chapter One
The Life Debt Ritual
Tears stream down your face^
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes
(Fix You - Coldplay)July 2nd, 1997"Harry, his funeral is today," Hermione tried to reason with her best friend once
again. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, but we need to focus on the future and destroying
Voldemort. That's what's important." Her tears had been threatening to spill over for some
time now. The look on Harry's face kept her in perpetual grief; more so on his behalf than
her own. "It's what Dumbledore would have wanted."
Their headmaster, the greatest wizard who ever existed, was dead. Though the rest
of the world seemed all too ready to embrace grief and move forward, Harry Potter was
determined to find a way around it. Hermione knew he blamed himself for Dumbledore's
death, regardless of how often she and Ron insisted otherwise. The fault rested in the hands
of the Death Eaters who had broken into the school, Draco Malfoy for letting them breach
the protective wards of Hogwarts, and the murderer himself: Severus Snape.
It almost felt obscene to be at school after everything that had happened, but shortly
after the funeral, they would be getting back on the Hogwarts Express and heading home
to an uncertain future. While the professors and house-elves prepared for the funeral, most
of the students were happy to be outdoors now that the weather was decent enough. As
gloomy as the castle felt without Dumbledore at the helm, the majority of students could
not stop themselves from embracing the typical excitement that came from preparing to
go home for the summer. Either that or they were nosy and wanted to watch as funeral
guests arrived.
Gryffindor Tower was empty save for Harry and Hermione. However warm it was
outside, the common room felt cold even as embers continued to dance in the fireplace.
Ginny, holding her head high after her breakup with Harry, had abandoned last minute