"It is nearly time. Please follow your Heads of Houses out into the grounds. Gryffindors, after me." Professor McGonagall said in the Great Hall. Dumbledore's funeral was held an hour before they had to leave.
All the Gryffindor students stood up and followed Professor McGonagall out to the entrance hall. The other Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin students followed behind them with their heads of the house.
They walked to the lake, where there were already several people, including Charlotte's parents, Remus and Tonks, who were holding hands, Sirius, Peter, and Lilliana, who were also holding hands, Kingsley Shack, Mad eye, Madam Maxine, and more.
Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and Charlotte sat in the seats at the back of the row. There was music playing, as people went up to see Dumbledore one more time. They walked as other creatures, like mermaids, and centaurs. The music stopped and a short hairy man walked up to Dumbledore's body. Charlotte heard Harry next to her break down in tears and saw Ginny reach out and hold his hand. She felt like there was suddenly love everywhere, Peter and Lilliana, Remus and Tonks, Bill and Fleur, Harry and Ginny, but now she was all alone, worrying about Draco all the time.
Finally, the short man finished speaking to Dumbledore and sat in his seat. There were several screams when all of a sudden Dumbledore's tomb burst into white flames. They rose so high that no one could see Dumbledore or the table that his body lay in. Showers of arrows were thrown from the centaurs before they disappeared back into the forest, and the mermaids disappeared back into the water.
---
Charlotte got onto the train an hour later. She walked around the train looking for Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. Lavender and Parvati were both taken by their parents, Parvati, the day after Dumbledore's death. She was gone by the morning, while Lavender was taken just yesterday by her scary father. Charlotte tried to avoid the looks she got from the other students on the train.
"Do you think she knew Malfoy was a death eater?" Someone said,
"She had to! He was her boyfriend, after all!"
"So she stayed with a death eater! A Potter stayed with a death eater!"
"I know, what were her family think!"
"You think she knew that he was meant to kill Dumbledore?"
"I don't know."
"Do you think she helped him?"
"No way! I saw her with Hermione Granger and Luna Lovegood the night Dumbledore died."
"Well, she could have helped him earlier."
"That's true."
"Charlotte! Over here!" Harry yelled, poking his head out of his compartment. Charlotte pulled herself away from the conversation the two four years were having about her and walked to Harry's compartment. She sat down next to Hermione and Ron.
"How are you feeling?" Hermione asked, nervously.
"Fine," Charlotte said, shrugging, as she rested her head against the window, and watched the other students getting on.
"Charlotte, have you been in contact with Malfoy at all?" Harry asked. Charlotte shook her head. Her breath fogging up the glass.
"I haven't heard from him."
"Malfoy wasn't going to do it," Harry announced to the group.
"He wasn't going to kill Dumbledore?" Hermione asked. Harry nodded.
"No, he lowered his wand before the death eaters came in."
"He was never going to," Charlotte whispered. They didn't hear her as the train started moving.
"It's not going to be the same," Ginny said, watching the school disappear.
"Dumbledore protected us, now who's going too?" She asked,
"No one. Not there." Charlotte said, shaking her head. Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at each other, sharing a knowing glance that they wouldn't be there next year to find out what was going to happen.
---
The train entered the king's crossing station; Charlotte could see her parents from the window. King's crossing was emptier than usual since so many students were taken by their parents before the year had ended. They stood right by the tracks, wanting to be close so they could quickly grab their things and leave.
The five of them walked off the train, grabbing their luggage and saying goodbye at the exit before going to their families.
"I'd love to properly hug you both, but we need to go," James said, eyeing a report that was walking towards them.
"Sir-"
"No," James yelled at him, as the twins pushed their carts of luggage. The four of them ran out towards the exit, knowing the report couldn't follow them when the muggles were present.
"I think we lost him," Lily said, looking over her shoulder.
"Good, let's go home, quickly," James said. This second war, James felt, would be harder than the first. He had two teenagers who wanted to fight, not two toddlers that could barely walk. They shoved the luggage into the trunk and quickly got into the car.