Chapter 29: The Phoenix Lament
Posting from the scenic Smoky Mountains. :)
Hagrid tries to move Harry away from Dumbledore’s body, but Harry refuses. Then Ginny arrives and gently takes his hand and leads him away. As she takes him to the hospital wing, where all the others are waiting, she explains that no one else has died, though Bill was bitten by an untransformed Greyback, and no one really knows what effect this will have on him.
In the hospital wing, they find Hermione, Ron, Luna, Lupin, and Tonks all gathered around the unconscious and terribly disfigured Bill. Lupin tells them that although Bill probably won’t be a true werewolf, the bites are still cursed and there are likely to be some aftereffects. Ron says that Dumbledore might know something that would help Bill, prompting Harry and Ginny to reveal the shocking news that Dumbledore is dead.
Harry fills everyone in on the details as best he can, but before anyone can form much reply, Ginny points out that the strange, sad sound of the phoenix singing has filled the grounds. Everyone is transfixed and they listen for a long time until they are interrupted by the arrival of Professor McGonagall.
They bring her up to speed, and everyone begins to discuss how surprised they are that Snape turned on Dumbledore, when it had been so clear that Dumbledore trusted him completely. Harry shares with them the info he learned about Snape having overheard the prophecy and, according to Dumbledore, having regretted causing James and Lily’s deaths. Everyone is amazed that this could have been a good enough story to convince Dumbledore.
The group goes on to rehash the evening’s events, and Harry learns what happened on his friends’ end of things-how the fight with Draco and the Death Eaters began and how everyone fared until Harry arrived. A lot of self-blame goes around.
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley arrive, the former as shaken by Dumbledore’s death as most of the others, the latter more concerned and heartbroken over her eldest son’s wounds. When she laments the fact that Bill “was going to be married,” she offends Fleur, who had also arrived with them. Fleur demands to know what she means by this-that Bill will not love her anymore because of these wounds? Or that Fleur would no longer want to marry him? Had she hoped for that? Fleur asserts that the wounds just mean that her husband is brave, and adds that she is good-looking enough for both of them. (dafljdfalfjda) Moved by Fleur’s speech, Mrs. Weasley humbly asks her to wear Aunt Muriel’s tiara for the wedding, and the two women end up hugging and crying together, much to everyone’s surprise.
But the surprises are not over. This scene prompts an outburst form Tonks, who rounds on Remus and points out that Fleur doesn’t care that Bill has been bitten and still wants to marry him. Lupin argues that the cases are different, since Bill won’t be a full werewolf, but Tonks seizes his robes and tries to shake sense into him, insisting that she doesn’t care, either. Harry puts this together with the earlier clues, and realizes that Tonks has been in love with Remus all along. Remus continues to protest that he is too old, too poor, and too dangerous for Tonks. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley chime in on Tonks’s behalf, and Remus deflects them by saying it’s not the right time to discuss it with Dumbledore’s recent death. But even McGonagall (MCGONAGALL, of all people!) reminds him that Dumbledore was the sort of person who would have been happy to know there was a little more love in the world.
Hagrid arrives and tearfully tells McGonagall that Dumbledore’s body has been moved and the kids sent back to bed. McGonagall stands up and prepares to meet first with the heads of Houses, then with the Ministry. She asks Harry to come to her office, so she can speak with him as well, and he is briefly surprised to note that she leads him to Dumbledore’s old office; of course, she is the Head now that Dumbledore is gone.
McGonagall tries to get Harry to tell her what he and Dumbledore were up to that evening, but Harry refuses. Harry does tell her about the discovery that Madame Rosmerta was under the Imperious curse, so that she can inform the Ministry. The heads of Houses arrive, with Slughorn filling in for Slytherin, and Hagrid apparently unofficially representing Gryffindor, and they discuss the possible closing of Hogwarts, which they decide will be left up to the governors, and Dumbldore’s funeral, which, thanks to Harry’s input, students will be allowed to attend.
Harry finally returns to his dormitory, where he briefly discusses with Ron the fake Horcrux and RAB. Lying in bed, he realizes that the grounds have at last gone silent. Fawkes has ended his lament, and Harry knows that the phoenix, like his master, is gone for good.
Hagrid tries to move Harry away from Dumbledore’s body, but Harry refuses. Then Ginny arrives and gently takes his hand and leads him away. As she takes him to the hospital wing, where all the others are waiting, she explains that no one else has died, though Bill was bitten by an untransformed Greyback, and no one really knows what effect this will have on him.
In the hospital wing, they find Hermione, Ron, Luna, Lupin, and Tonks all gathered around the unconscious and terribly disfigured Bill. Lupin tells them that although Bill probably won’t be a true werewolf, the bites are still cursed and there are likely to be some aftereffects. Ron says that Dumbledore might know something that would help Bill, prompting Harry and Ginny to reveal the shocking news that Dumbledore is dead.
Harry fills everyone in on the details as best he can, but before anyone can form much reply, Ginny points out that the strange, sad sound of the phoenix singing has filled the grounds. Everyone is transfixed and they listen for a long time until they are interrupted by the arrival of Professor McGonagall.
They bring her up to speed, and everyone begins to discuss how surprised they are that Snape turned on Dumbledore, when it had been so clear that Dumbledore trusted him completely. Harry shares with them the info he learned about Snape having overheard the prophecy and, according to Dumbledore, having regretted causing James and Lily’s deaths. Everyone is amazed that this could have been a good enough story to convince Dumbledore.
The group goes on to rehash the evening’s events, and Harry learns what happened on his friends’ end of things-how the fight with Draco and the Death Eaters began and how everyone fared until Harry arrived. A lot of self-blame goes around.
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley arrive, the former as shaken by Dumbledore’s death as most of the others, the latter more concerned and heartbroken over her eldest son’s wounds. When she laments the fact that Bill “was going to be married,” she offends Fleur, who had also arrived with them. Fleur demands to know what she means by this-that Bill will not love her anymore because of these wounds? Or that Fleur would no longer want to marry him? Had she hoped for that? Fleur asserts that the wounds just mean that her husband is brave, and adds that she is good-looking enough for both of them. (dafljdfalfjda) Moved by Fleur’s speech, Mrs. Weasley humbly asks her to wear Aunt Muriel’s tiara for the wedding, and the two women end up hugging and crying together, much to everyone’s surprise.
But the surprises are not over. This scene prompts an outburst form Tonks, who rounds on Remus and points out that Fleur doesn’t care that Bill has been bitten and still wants to marry him. Lupin argues that the cases are different, since Bill won’t be a full werewolf, but Tonks seizes his robes and tries to shake sense into him, insisting that she doesn’t care, either. Harry puts this together with the earlier clues, and realizes that Tonks has been in love with Remus all along. Remus continues to protest that he is too old, too poor, and too dangerous for Tonks. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley chime in on Tonks’s behalf, and Remus deflects them by saying it’s not the right time to discuss it with Dumbledore’s recent death. But even McGonagall (MCGONAGALL, of all people!) reminds him that Dumbledore was the sort of person who would have been happy to know there was a little more love in the world.
Hagrid arrives and tearfully tells McGonagall that Dumbledore’s body has been moved and the kids sent back to bed. McGonagall stands up and prepares to meet first with the heads of Houses, then with the Ministry. She asks Harry to come to her office, so she can speak with him as well, and he is briefly surprised to note that she leads him to Dumbledore’s old office; of course, she is the Head now that Dumbledore is gone.
McGonagall tries to get Harry to tell her what he and Dumbledore were up to that evening, but Harry refuses. Harry does tell her about the discovery that Madame Rosmerta was under the Imperious curse, so that she can inform the Ministry. The heads of Houses arrive, with Slughorn filling in for Slytherin, and Hagrid apparently unofficially representing Gryffindor, and they discuss the possible closing of Hogwarts, which they decide will be left up to the governors, and Dumbldore’s funeral, which, thanks to Harry’s input, students will be allowed to attend.
Harry finally returns to his dormitory, where he briefly discusses with Ron the fake Horcrux and RAB. Lying in bed, he realizes that the grounds have at last gone silent. Fawkes has ended his lament, and Harry knows that the phoenix, like his master, is gone for good.