Dumbledore's Funeral

-Enough! -McGonagall and others blanched at the sight of the golems' alertness. She had witnessed some of their "defensive actions" as well as the students who were rescued and had no desire to see members of the Order of the Phoenix being slaughtered by the castle's new defenses over a sudden misunderstanding.

Much less in the presence of all the students!

As for Moody, he just took another swig from the flask as if he had predicted this reaction, meanwhile, Tonks was sweating profusely without realizing when it started and mentally thanked her mentor for not letting her raise her wand out of pure reflex.

She didn't feel it before, but once the golems revealed their "eyes" to look at them, the sense of menace kicked in and she felt her bottom tighten.

-Should we consider searching for and retrieving the headmaster's body before preparing a funeral? -Soisen looked away and tried to focus everyone's mind on something different, "If he fell from the Astronomy Tower, the search shouldn't be complicated.

Flitwick, Pomona and the rest of the people present suddenly realized that.

Albus died and no one seemed to remember to retrieve the body for the funeral!

If Dumbledore were here with them, he would cry.

What's the point of being such a famous and well-known wizard if no one remembers to bury you?

The state of the Great Dining Hall suddenly changed and everyone forgot about the little conflict. Potter was left with the school nurse and the teachers and members of the Order of the Phoenix went out to find Albus' mortal remains. Or what was left of him.

They could not allow the students to take on this role, no matter how much they insisted on helping.

Following Soisen's instructions, some house elves in the kitchens prepared hot chocolate to help calm the others. Whether it was fear, sadness, or whatever emotion they were feeling at the moment, hot chocolate could help a little to calm them down.

-Thank you," a second year Slytherin student approached Soisen and thanked her through tears. She had the misfortune of becoming one of the hostages that the Death Eaters caught in their desperation while her friends were hiding and if it wasn't for the golems, she might never see her parents or her three year old baby brother again.

Soisen could only give her a few encouraging pats on the shoulder, for when one person took the initiative, many others who were also saved came forward to say thank you.

They were calmer now, even joking a bit to let go of the trauma and suggested that he should give some matching hats to the golems.

He wouldn't do that, but he heard enough to be considerate.

-"Soisen," Hermione called once everyone was done thanking him, "I know Potter was out of line, but couldn't you just pass him out? You're strong enough that he can't even react," at the end of the day, while he understood his best friend's reaction, he didn't like violence and still preferred a gentler path.

Preferably, with fewer protruding teeth.

Perhaps it was because his parents were dentists?

-You're right, Hermione," Soisen actually could have knocked Potter out cold, but that tone he used and the look he gave her caused him to feel very upset ultimately, "It was an overreaction and I should try to control myself in the future. Thank you for pointing out my mistake," he admitted and apologized to her.

You could say that Potter didn't deserve her reaction like that, he wasn't worthy of her paying him so much attention. At this point, he just hoped he wouldn't have to take her place if he ended up failing against Voldemort in this timeline, that would be annoying.

Hermione, who hadn't expected Soisen to actually reflect on his actions, nodded with a smile. That he would listen to her opinion seriously even under these circumstances made her feel that no matter how high her friend reached, they would still be able to talk as equals comfortably.

Soisen spent the rest of the time comforting the members of her House and handing out some potions she had in reserve for cases like this, to heal minor injuries and some calming potions for those on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

With Pomfrey's authorization, of course. The head of the Infirmary had enough knowledge regarding the Galegold heir to know that her potions were of the necessary quality standard to be applied to injured people. And if that wasn't enough, Snape was present as a deterrent in the Great Dining Hall to ensure that no one took more than the recommended dosage.

When he was finished with his House, he also began to distribute some of these potions among the rest of the houses without prioritizing anyone in particular with the help of Ginny, Luna and company. Everyone appreciated the gesture and there were no disputes, though perhaps it was due to the presence of the Potions professor and the golems who had returned to their positions.

Soisen approached Snape once everyone was better and sat next to him at the teachers' table. While he could sit in Dumbledore's place, he was not insensitive enough to do so under the current circumstances.

-Will you need help getting around, Professor? -He asked as he gazed at the others without meeting their gazes and waved a field of isolation so that their voices would not be heard by the others.

-A couple of house elves would be a great help in moving my things," Snape admitted with a tired expression. Somehow getting out of this dispute made him realize what an enormous strain it was for him to stay in the middle from an outside perspective- How is the progress of the potion coming along?

-She'll be ready in two weeks," Soisen assured him as he reminded himself, "I've already tested the potion and there won't be any problems, apart from a bit of pain and that she'll need to eat a lot for a few days to replenish nutrients.

Snape snorted, pain was nothing to someone like him who had lived and been through so much.

-How about your side? -He took care of the physical aspect, but the part of the soul connected to the Dark Mark was something only Snape had enough knowledge of to dare take action.

-I did some research and found a ritual for this very purpose, but we'll have to wait for the next new moon, which is in exactly sixteen days," Snape explained without giving too many details.

-Well, once the ritual is over you can take the potion right away," Soisen nodded, "Did you think about how to disappear for a while until everything passes?

Snape's retirement did not imply that he would cut off contact with the world forever, he would settle and hide in the magical stronghold until the fall of Voldemort and later, he could return and interact with the magical community without hindrance.

-I will simply leave quietly, leaving nothing but a letter behind, so that Minerva can find another potions teacher for the school for next year," said Snape simply as he looked around the Great Dining Hall, "Once everything is over, I will just say that I was fulfilling Dumbledore's last wish, which is a secret. He's fooled me so many times, it won't be a problem to use him as a shield one last time.

Soisen nodded. Less explanation will lead to less doubt.

-After the Headmaster's funeral takes place, send me the magical contract for examination," Snape asked as he stood up and walked away as he saw other teachers returning with sad expressions, a sign that the body had been successfully found.

The funeral took place three days later, as the event of Dumbledore's death shook the magical community, confirming once again the return of Voldemort for those who were still in denial and needed to prepare a majestic funeral for the departure of such a great wizard.

As Soisen expected, Dumbledore was buried on the small island near the school with the Elder Wand between his hands folded in peace. Those attending the funeral included many important people, wizards prominent in numerous fields, many of the students who received his guidance, and people who came to pay tribute to him.

Even though they were technically burying someone on his property and without his permission, he decided to tactfully keep quiet. This would be the last time she would let him get away with it, even if he had already departed to the afterlife.