Chapter 323: Farewell

The castle was abuzz early in the morning. Students poured into the Great Hall, but unlike the usual morning lethargy, people walked in groups, talking among themselves in whispers and peeling their ears on what others were talking about.

"Was your room locked last night?" Eddie asked. He moved around restlessly, looking around the hall.

Quinn nodded his head, "I woke up when I heard the noise. I tried to see what was going on but couldn't open my door."

"Neither could we, the door refused to budge. Though I did get to see the Dark Mark in the sky. Barton's window had a clear view of it. It was mad creepy— I mean, ugh, the snake coming out of the skull's mouth, looking at it made me feel like a snake would slither out of my mouth. . . disgusting."

"I couldn't see it," said Quinn. "I have a great lake-side view, but not of the Astronomy Tower. . . a pity, really. I wanted to break the door but felt bad for the portrait outside; it would've been wrecked if I tried something."

He had managed to isolate the ruckus of his fight with Fenrir Greyback on the seventh floor, but his fight with Snape had been anything but silent. The Defense Against The Dark Arts professor had thrown more dark curses and spells than all other Death Eaters combined. Quinn had to be on alert to make sure none of those nasty spells nicked him, so the thought of creating a sound barrier had not been the priority. Moreover, people breaking his ice barrier had also made noise.

"Did they tell you anything about what happened last night?" Marcus asked Quinn.

Quinn shook his head, "I went to the faculty office with Clarrise" — Headgirl — "and the other seventh year Prefects, but the professors sent us away— told us they'd inform us after breakfast with everyone else." He jutted his chin towards the hall entrance where two Prefects stood, sending people going out back into the hall. "We were also ordered to not let anyone leave the Great Hall."

"Someone died," said Eddie, suddenly.

Quinn froze for a moment before he relaxed his shoulder.

Eddie continued, "I mean Death Eaters only cast it when they kill someone, right?"

"Who do you think died?" asked Marcus. "I asked around, all the dorms were closed just like ours, so it must be a faculty member."

"When you went to the office, was there someone missing?" Eddie asked Quinn.

"I. . . there were a couple of them missing," said Quinn. He clenched his fist under the table. "But not all the professors come to the office first thing in the morning, so. . . ."

"No use thinking about it; the professors are here," said Marcus.

Quinn turned his eyes towards the 'back entrance' of the Great Hall. It was a small regular-sized door near the faculty table. The entrance was used by some professors who preferred not to take the main entrance for their respective reasons. But today, all the professors (including Hagrid, who crouched to save his head) entered the Great Hall from the back entrance.

The Great Hall lulled into whispers which were somehow louder than them talking usually. Their eyes followed the stream of professors as they walked to the faculty table and took their seats.

Marcus had been watching the professors as they sat down just like everybody else was doing, but then his eyes widened as he noticed something off about what he was seeing.

"O-One. . . one of them is missing," he said.

Eddie's brows were squished together, but they rose up when he saw what Marcus was seeing. There was indeed only one professor missing from the bunch.

Marcus' shocking revelation reached the ears of his neighbors and then set the trigger on what seemed like a complex, far-spreading domino chain that reached every corner of the Great Hall. In the time the professors took their seats, the whispers had blown up into full-blown heated discussions.

Quinn didn't say anything; instead, he watched the wall behind the faculty table. The Great Hall was usually decorated with four house colors. Today, however, there were black drapes on the wall behind the teachers' table. Quinn knew instantly that they were there as a mark of respect to Snape.

Dumbledore ended Quinn's musings by standing up at the staff table. The Great Hall, which was boisterous in discussions, became very quiet.

"All of you," said Dumbledore, looking around at them all, "must have heard or even seen that there was a Dark Mark over Hogwarts yesterday."

He paused, and his eyes fell upon the Slytherin table. Theirs had been the most subdued table before he had gotten to his feet, and theirs was the saddest and palest faces after they had realized what had happened.

"There is much that I would like to say to you all tonight," said Dumbledore, "but I must first acknowledge the loss of a very fine person, who should be sitting here," he pointed to an empty chair on the faculty table, "enjoying our feast with us. . . . I'm sorry to inform all of you that last night. . . Professor Severus Snape passed away."

The quiet that Dumbledore had commanded shattered and blusterous sound rushed into the Great Hall as if trying to fill a void left behind a vacuum. Stunned and frightened, every face in the hall was turned toward Dumbledore now.

On the Slytherin table, people could be seen hugging each other, crying with bowed heads, and trying to comfort each other. Severus Snape might have been hated by most Hogwarts, but to Slytherin, he was everything a house could want from their head— he supported them, always took their sides, taught them how to behave like Slytherins, and was synonymous support symbol to all those who wore green.

Quinn turned to his back. Daphne, Astoria, and Tracey sat directly behind him. Astoria was leaning into Daphne as her sister hugged her from the side while Tracey sat to their side with her head buried in her hands, hunched over the table.

He wanted to go comfort them but held himself back. Right now, it felt like he would be an outsider going into something he didn't understand and wasn't a part of.

'I will console her later,' he thought while watching Daphne. And as the thought passed his mind, Quinn paused for a moment and waited for something he was expecting. . . . but nothing happened.

"Yesterday," Dumbledore started again, "a group of Death Eaters broke into Hogwarts to cause harm and sow disaster. They appeared to have come to get rid of me" — there were gasps — "and the fact that I'm standing in front of you safe and sound, it is clear that they failed and were captured. . . however, in that defeat, they took away the life of Professor Snape, who bravely faced them, but tragically sacrificed for the safety of the school. . . ."

Quinn knew this was going to come. The truth of the matter couldn't come to light. If the fact that Snape swore an Unbreakable Vow to kill Dumbledore even became public knowledge, it would be a disaster and ruin Snape's reputation beyond all repair. That wasn't something the Order of Phoenix could do— even if not well-liked, Snape was still a member.

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". . . his sacrifice would never be forgotten, so I would like you all, please, to stand, and raise your glasses to Severus Snape."

They did it, all of them; the benches scraped as everyone in the hall stood, and raised their goblets, and echoed, in one loud, low, rumbling voice, "Severus Snape."

Quinn glanced back at the Slytherin table. His eyes searched for Draco, but the young Malfoy was nowhere to be found. It seemed that the Order had already hidden Draco hidden. Hogwarts was no longer safe for Draco— if Draco could be a Junior Death Eater, then others could be as well, and they might not have any qualms about taking a life, especially if their target was a 'betrayer.'

"Severus was not the friendliest of person, but those who knew him were aware of his qualities that made him a great individual," Dumbledore continued. "He was a good and loyal friend, even better confidant, a hard worker, he valued commitment and dedication above anything else. His death has affected you all, whether you knew him well or not."

Dumbledore looked sad. His line of sight would always be forward, full of confidence, but today his eyes were lowered as he spoke to the students. Seeing their headmaster like this was a first for all. A sense of sadness for the most disliked person in Hogwarts spread through the hall.

"Everyone in this hall," said Dumbledore, and his eyes lingered on the Slytherin students, "will be welcomed back here at any time, should they wish to come. Once again, I say to you all— in the light of Lord Voldemort's return, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences in background and culture are nothing if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.

It is my belief — and never have I so hoped that I am mistaken — that we are all facing dark and difficult times. Some of you in this hall have already suffered directly at the hands of Lord Voldemort. Many of your families have been torn asunder. Yesterday, an exemplary man was taken from our midst.

Remember Severus Snape. Remember, if the time should come when you have to choose between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a man who was good, loyal, and brave because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Severus Snape."

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- (Scene Break) -

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Quinn waved his hand over a sheet of paper. It wriggled over his palm and folded itself into a bird. The paper bird flapped its wings and flew away into the sky, heading into the building. On the other hand, he walked out of the castle to sit in the grass and get away from all the Snape talk that was happening no matter where ever he went.

He wanted a moment of silence and peace.

He looked around to find a comfortable spot with some shade. He didn't have to look for long as there was one right in front of him. . . but the perfect spot was occupied.

A smile appeared on his face. He wanted some alone time, but he guessed that some company wouldn't hurt.

"Fancy seeing you here," said Quinn.

Ivy Potter, who had been sitting under the shade of the tree with her back against the trunk. She opened her eyes and came across the smiling face of Quinn West. She blinked in surprise and sat up straighter.

"What?" he asked.

". . . No, it's nothing," she shook her head. "What is it?"

"May I join you?"

". . . Sure."

Quinn smiled wider and sat down under the shade, but unlike Ivy, he laid down in the shade.

Ivy continued to stare at Quinn, making him ask: "Is something wrong?"

"There's something different about you, today. . . ?" she said.

Quinn chuckled. He took a deep breath and put his hands behind his head. "I guess there's something different. The annoyance had been silent."

Indeed, there had been nothing but silence.

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-*-*-*-*-*-

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Quinn West - MC - Drinking in the silence.

Albus Dumbledore - Headmaster - A simple white lie.

FictionOnlyReader - Author - Alright, that was enough of a break; we're getting back on track.

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