The sun shone brightly down on their heads and backs as Severus sat in a folding chair on the platform behind the podium. He was starting to get nervous as people filled in the empty seats in front of him. Not only the entire school had turned out, but it seemed that the entire wizarding world had also shown up. Not one of them had a smile on their face, even Rita Skeeter was sitting quietly in the audience with a handkerchief in her hand instead of that damn quick quotes quill she usually had out dictating lies for her.

Finally Dumbledore was walking across the grass towards the podium as the last few seats filled up and people began sitting on the grass and standing behind the back row, and Severus readied himself as best he could for the service.

Albus stood behind the podium, and as was usual people quieted and waited for him to speak.

“We used to think to ourselves, there will come a day when this darkness is come to pass… there will come a day when the sun will shine through the clearer… there will come a day when we will not have to worry about evil standing on our doorstep… tomorrow is that day. Today, we mourn for those lost to unnecessary hate. Today we remember what has come to pass, so that it cannot happen again.” The crowd was silent.

“While we do not have Harry’s body to remember him by, we do have his closest friends… and family.” Here he turned to Severus, who stood and felt as if there was an awkward moment because most people had not known that he was Harry’s surrogate father. When Dumbledore took his seat, Severus moved to the podium and cleared his throat.

Figuring that he should introduce how he knew Harry better than most, as he could see the dubious looks on some faces in the crowd already, he started, “Most people don’t know that Harry was like a son to me. It didn’t start out that way… things between us started out with me treating Harry unfairly, and assuming that he was someone that he was not. It took a long time for me to figure out that the boy who lived was really the boy who lacked. He lacked a family that cared for him, and he lacked the love that he deserved.” Here he paused and cleared his throat again, trying to look at the crowd in general and not pick out any one face, although he did spot Draco, who gave him an encouraging look.

“For most of Harry’s life he lived with Muggle relatives who mistreated him. They made him live in a cupboard under the stairs until he came to Hogwarts, and they did unspeakable things that no child should have to endure. For all intensive purposes he was not a nephew or cousin to them, but a slave. Until two years ago, most people had no idea the kind of life that Harry lived, including myself. But by a twist of fate Harry and I were thrown out into the wild together, and I began to see Harry for who he really was. After that I spent the next year getting to know him and realizing the kind of young man he was. He saved my life twice over the course of that year. That’s the kind of young man he was… the kind that sacrificed his own safety to save others, even if they had treated him unfairly and unkindly.

“Finally Harry was allowed to get away from his Muggle relatives and live at Hogwarts last summer for safety reasons. He continued to show us not only what kind of young man he was, but what kind of man he was becoming. He was the student who broke all the social rules and bridged the gap between feuding houses. He was the student who stood up to his friends when he felt they were doing wrong, and who stood up for those who needed help. Harry lost friends in the process of uniting school houses, but he continued on because he believed it was right. I am privileged to have gotten the chance to learn who he really was. I am privileged to have gotten his forgiveness and his affection as a surrogate son. And I am privileged to be here today speaking on his behalf.

Harry Potter was not only the boy who lived. He is the man who died saving us from the worst evil the world has ever seen. He was my son, and I will miss him.”

He stepped back from the podium as he felt tears getting ready to burst forth and tear him asunder. Once he was in his seat he remembered Draco’s request and whispered it into Dumbledore’s ear.

Albus stood again in front of the podium and said, “A few of Harry’s friends would like to say some things about him.”

Here around 200 students stood up, including students who had already graduated but had shown up anyway. They formed a line leading up to the platform and podium, and the crowd was in awe of how many people wished to say something about him, including Severus.

Draco was the first to the podium. “Professor Snape was a father to Harry first, and I was jealous of that, because like Harry I really had no parents… at least not ones who cared about me. Because of that I was pretty awful to Harry for quite a while. I ended up staying here for the summer too, and I can tell you I wasn’t happy about spending my summer with him. But Harry didn’t see things that way. He offered his friendship to me freely, even though I had been awful to him, and even though my father was one of Voldemort’s followers who was after him. My own house had pretty much disowned me because I had decided to fight against Voldemort, and Harry offered to be not only my friend, but my brother. I was the one Harry stood up for all year when other’s turned their back on me, and I was the one that Harry lost friends over, because they didn’t think I deserved a second chance. But Harry was the one who didn’t lose hope in me. It’s because of Harry that I had such a good example to follow, and it’s because of him that I now live a different life… one filled with hope instead of despair. I honestly believe that if I can be half the man he was when he died, then I will live happily.

“Harry and I spent a lot of time together this year, and I would like to think that I know him fairly well. Harry liked it when people were happy, and I know he wouldn’t want everybody moping around because he did what had to be done. Harry would want us to remember all that was good about him, not how he isn’t here anymore. If people look at the good example Harry set about how to be good and righteous, then he’s not really dead… just living on in a different way… through us.”

Here Draco stepped down from the podium, and Hermione stepped up. She spoke about what a stellar student Harry was and what a loyal friend he had been. Ron spoke after that, tears in his eyes about how he had been his best friend for so long and had lost sight of what it meant to be best friends and brothers in their last year there, and how he hadn’t realized it until the end.

Student after student filed up to the podium and then back down. Some students only had a few things to say, such as, “Harry helped me with my homework whenever I needed help, even though he was busy trying to do his own,” and, “Harry saved me from a bully who was making me stand in a girl’s toilet last year.”

It was at least an hour before the last people stepped up to the podium. It was Fred and George Weasley. “Harry was one of the only people who truly appreciated our jokes when we were still at school,” Fred said solemnly. “He gave us the money we needed to start our joke shop on Diagonalley, and he continued to support us thereafter, testing products and giving us feedback.”

“You might not believe us when we tell you this,” George said, “but Harry knew that this might happen. There was a prophecy, and he knew that he was the only one who would be able to get rid of Voldemort. In case of his death, he left us this note,” here he held up a note written in Harry’s own writing, and he read it aloud. “Fred and George, don’t let them cry over me. I did what I was meant to do. They are going to live better lives now. If I die (although I don’t plan on it anytime soon) please give them something to make them laugh. –Harry.”

“We intend to honor his last wish,” Fred told the crowd. People had looks of curiosity, wondering what was coming next, as most of them knew some of the outrageous stunts Fred and George often pulled. Fred pulled a small box out of his pocket, and opened it up. Nothing happened until he took it to the back of the platform and dumped it into the lake. The water began to turn colors, and people began to stand to see what was going on. The colors spread and even Severus stood and turned to see the lake turning red and yellow. There was a sudden bubbling coming from the center of the lake and people held their breath, unsure of what to expect. Another moment and the giant octopus that took residence there in the depths of the lake surfaced, looking confused. He had an enormous lightening shaped scar on his forehead and his tentacles were different colors, alternating in red and gold…Gryffindor’s colors.

“We hereby dub this unofficially, Potter lake. Because from now on whenever you see the octopus he will be a member of Gryffindor to take Harry’s place.”

People chuckled as the octopus looked confused and submerged himself once again, one tentacle curled and waving as if he were waving a fist at the twins.

“Cry today, but celebrate tomorrow,” George finished at the podium. “Celebrate the death of Voldemort and the life that Harry lived. He wanted it that way.”

People in the crowd nodded, and began to talk amongst themselves, sharing stories and memories that had not yet been said, and laughing at the octopus as he surfaced here and there trying to wash the colors off of his body.

Draco found Severus sitting on the edge of the podium with his hand in his head. “Dad?”

Severus looked up and Draco said, “Harry’s gone, but we still have each other. We’re family now. We should do like Harry wanted and just remember all the good things about him.”

Without warning Severus pulled his son into a hug and said, “I know. There is a time to mourn, and after that there is a time to live again. We will get there… son. We’ll get there.”

* * *

Four Years Later:

Sun shone brilliantly down on the back of his neck, and he reveled in the smell of freshly cut grass and newly bloomed spring flowers. A gentle breeze blew through his hair, making his blond bangs fall down into his eyes.

“Daddy!” Draco turned and knelt to scoop up the strawberry blond haired little boy running toward him. Harry was three years old now and had been promised a toy broomstick for his birthday.

Draco ran his hands through his son’s loose hair and kissed the back of his head as he carried him towards the tent filled with orange heads laughing and joking, telling stories of the old days when things had been different. That dark world seemed a lifetime away to him now.

Draco remembered all too well the shadow that he had lived in for the first seventeen years of his life. Even the dimmest day now seemed so bright in comparison.

Looking around, he spotted his wife, and made his way over to her through the crowd that was her family.

She smiled when she saw him and gave him a warm kiss past their son’s head. Harry was looking over Draco’s shoulder at the pile of presents stacked on the picnic table waiting for him to open.

“Presents!” he called happily, reaching past his father with one hand towards them.

Hearing him, his uncles and grandparents laughed.

“Somebody’s getting anxious now aren’t they?” Mrs. Weasley cooed at the child.

“They spoil him,” Severus told her, taking a drink of lemonade as he smiled over at his adopted grandchild.

Draco grinned. “Guess we better get to it then,” he said, setting his son gently on the ground to run to the gifts. Ginny wrapped her arm around Draco’s back and they watched as Fred scooped up the child and set him on his lap. George handed Harry the first gift and Draco called, “That’s not something from your shop is it? I don’t want to change his hair back from purple again this year!”

Everybody laughed. Last year the twins had given Harry a sack of candy that turned his hair colors. After the first piece his hair had turned a violent shade of purple. It had taken Draco and Ginny three days to transform his hair back to its original color, and they hadn’t been entirely sure the candy’s effects hadn’t simply worn off.

“Of course it is!” the twins called back in unison. The present, paper torn off in a hurry revealed a small box of jellybeans labeled: “Better than Bertie Botts.”

“Nothing too dangerous,” Fred told Draco as he approached to look inside the box. The beans were all white. “All they do is transform to whatever flavor the person holding a bean says.”

George handed a bean to Harry and said, “Tell it what flavor you want to try.”

A grin on his face, Harry shouted, “Poop!” The bean turned a mucky color brown immediately and Ginny had it out of his hand just as it went towards the boy’s mouth.

“Harry,” Draco admonished, unable to help the smile creeping across his face as the others around them laughed. This was just one of those things that was too precious to forget.

“I think you should eat this one George,” Ginny said, holding it out to him as Harry reached for another present and began ripping the red and gold paper off of it.

George made a face and pushed the bean away. “We’ll give that one to somebody else and tell them it’s chocolate.”

“George Weasley!” Mrs. Weasley called, trying to sway him against the idea.

Draco took a step back, arms crossed as he watched his family teasing each other, and his son opening a box with a large, soft red Quaffle made of foam. Four years ago, he could not have imagined his life having turned out so well. Four years ago he could not have imagined being able to marry Ginny, the only one he trusted to stand up to him and tell him when he was doing things wrong; the only person aside from their son he could love so much.

His chest rose heavily as he sighed, holding the smile on his face, but remembering his friend… his first best friend; his brother. Harry would never have the chance to know how much he had done for him. He could only hope that somewhere Harry was looking down on them now, smiling and laughing. Harry was the beginning of a world filled with light, and the ending of one filled with darkness, Draco thought to himself. He owed him so much, and yet had given him so little in return.

After his father had died, Draco’s nightmares had stopped for the most part. This was unfortunately for him not enough to erase the painful memories that had been imprinted on him as a child. Harry’s putting an end to Voldemort’s reign of terror however had given Draco the chance to keep his promises to himself. His son would never know the life of terror, hate, and pain that he had known. His son would never feel unwanted, or unloved. And this, Draco thought, was the best way to honor the memory of his blood brother. This was the only way to tell him thank you.

“Draco,” Ginny called, eyes bright.

Draco looked up from the grass and into his wife’s round eyes. Brought back to this lifetime, he smiled, and moved off towards his wife and child.

The End