Funeral of Albus Dumbledore

The Funeral of Albus Dumbledore is a ceremony conducted to pay respect or give tribute to him, for his works and his achievements after his death in 1997. The event was held at Hogwarts, to honour Dumbledore's wish to be laid to rest there, and it was presided by a small, tufty-haired wizard.

All lessons at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were suspended, all examinations are postponed. It was the first time that Harry attended a wizarding funeral.

Dumbledore's Death
"A jet of green light shot from the end of Snape's wand and hit Dumbledore squarely in the chest... he [Harry] was forced to watch as Dumbledore was blasted into the air... he seemed to hang suspended beneath the shining skull, and then he fell slowly backward, like a great rag doll, over the battlements and out of sight."

- The Author's description on Dumbledore's death in the Astronomy Tower in 1998

Near the end of the 1996-1997 school year, Harry Potter and Professor Dumbledore went to a mysterious cave, where they believed one of the Horcruxes made by Voldemort was hidden. They successfully obtained a locket from a lake inside the cave, where they narrowly escaped from a group of Inferi. Harry and Dumbledore escaped together and managed to Apparate back to Hogsmeade. When Harry moved towards the location of the castle, Madam Rosmerta appeared and warned Dumbledore that the Dark Mark had been cast over the school. Using a pair of Rosmerta's broomsticks, Dumbledore and Harry flew up to the Astronomy Tower.

When they landed, Dumbledore commanded Harry to get Snape, and talk to no one else. But when Harry headed towards the door leading to the spiral staircase, they heard footsteps coming up the stairs. When the door burst open, Dumbledore immobilized Harry nonverbally.

The person who Disarmed Dumbledore was soon revealed to be Draco Malfoy. Dumbledore pleasantly made conversation, revealing that he already knew Malfoy had been tasked into killing him. While Dumbledore tried to convince Draco to defect, promising to protect his family, Death Eaters Amycus Carrow, Alecto Carrow, Thorfinn Rowle arrived, along with the Werewolf Fenrir Greyback. They congratulated Draco for capturing the Hogwarts Headmaster, and questioned why he had not yet killed him. In arrogance, Greyback attempted to attack Dumbledore, but he was blasted out of the way; Alecto ordered Draco to fulfill the mission, but he was unable to strike the killing blow. A few moments later, Snape arrived. After a plead from Dumbledore, Snape walked forward and pushed Malfoy roughly out of the way. After a few tense moments, Snape then cast the Killing Curse.

Discovery of Albus' Dead Body
"Dumbledore's eyes were closed; but for the strange angle of his arms and legs, he might have been sleeping. Harry reached out, straightened the half-moon spectacles upon the crooked nose, and wiped a trickle of blood from the mouth with his own sleeve. Then he gazed down at the wise old face and tried to absorb the enormous and incomprehensible truth: that never again would Dumbledore speak to him, never again could he help..."

- The Author's description on the dead body of Albus Dumbledore.

After killing Dumbledore, Snape ordered Draco and the Death Eaters to retreat. After they vanished from the Astronomy room, Harry was able to move again and gave chase. Reaching the grounds shortly behind Snape, he tried to curse the Potions master, but Snape was able to counter the jinxes. While one of the Death Eaters set Hagrid's hut on fire, Harry and Snape continued to duel; Snape then revealed that he was the Half-Blood Prince. After the Death Eaters managed to escape, Harry helped Hagrid extinguish the hut fire.

Harry then told Hagrid that Snape killed Dumbledore; Hagrid refused to believe it, but Harry was adamant. Reaching the base of the Astronomy Tower, Hagrid learned the Headmaster was indeed dead. Noticing the locket had fallen out of Dumbledore's pocket, Harry picked it up and opened it. He found a note from an anonymous "R.A.B.", which said the real Horcrux had been stolen. Harry crumpled up the note in anger, feeling his trip with Dumbledore had been for nothing.

The Lament of Fawkes
After Dumbledore's body was removed from the grounds, Ginny prompted Harry to go to the Hospital wing. On their way, Harry was pleased to learn that no one on their side was killed, but saddened that Bill Weasley, Neville Longbottom and Professor Flitwick were all injured. Arriving at the hospital wing, he saw Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Luna Lovegood, Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin gathered in front of Bill's bed. Madam Pomfrey was slowly applying a green ointment on Bill's wounds. They had little conversation until they also learned that Dumbledore was dead. A few moments later, Professor McGonagall arrived and informed the group that Arthur and Molly Weasley were on the way to the Hospital. She then asked Harry had happened, and Harry informed her that Snape killed Dumbledore. Arthur and Molly then arrived, along with Fleur Delacour. After a few more conversations, McGonagall decided to leave to prepare for the arrival of the Ministry officials. She ordered Hagrid to call the other Heads of the Houses to meet them all in the Headmaster's Office and summoned Harry to come with her.



When they arrived at the Headmaster's office, McGonagall asked Harry what he and Dumbledore were doing before the tragic incident. Harry steadfastly refused to explain, telling her Dumbledore asked him to remain quiet. He also informed her that Madam Rosmerta was under the Imperius Curse. When professors Sprout, Flitwick, and Slughorn arrived, followed by Hagrid, the group discussed what should happen regarding the school remaining open.

The Arrival of Guests
The news of Prof. Dumbledore's death spread over the wizarding world. After a couple of days since the death and discovery Albus Dumbledore's body, the scheduled day for Albus' funeral came. In the late afternoon before the ceremony, a powder-blue carriage the size of a house, pulled by a dozen giant winged palominos, arrived flying from the sky and landed on the edge of the Forest. Harry saw Prof. Olympe Maxime from the Beauxbatons Academy leave from the carriage then accompanied by Hagrid. Meanwhile a delegation of Ministry officials, including the Minister for Magic himself, was being accommodated within the castle.

Reception
The place where the ceremony is being held is set up outside of the castle near the Hogwarts Lake. Hundreds of golden chairs had been set out in rows. An aisle ran down the centre of them: there was a marble table standing at the front, all chairs facing it. An extraordinary assortment of people had settled into half of the chairs: shabby and smart, old and young. Most of them Harry did not recognise. The Ministry of Magic was seated in the front row. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny filed into seats at the end of a row beside the lake. People were whispering to each other. Fawkes still heard singing aloud by far.

Known Attendees

 * A delegation of Ministry officials including the Minister for Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour.
 * Madam Maxime from the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic
 * Some residence of Hogsmeade
 * Tom-the landlord of the Leaky Cauldron
 * Donaghan Tremlett, Bass player of the Weird Sisters band
 * Ernie Prang-driver of the Knight Bus
 * Madam Malkin of the robe shop in Diagon Alley
 * Aberforth Dumbledore
 * The lady who pushed the trolley on the Hogwarts Express
 * Arabella Figg
 * The Centaurs including Firenze
 * The Merpeople of the Hogwarts Lake.
 * Hagrid's half-brother giant Grawp
 * Dolores Umbridge
 * Rita Skeeter of the Daily Prophet
 * Hogwarts' students
 * Hogwarts' staff
 * Hogwarts' ghosts
 * Harry Potter
 * Ginny Weasley
 * Hermione Granger
 * Ron Weasley
 * Members of the Order of the Phoenix.
 * Ceremony official

The Ceremony
While people busy buzzing with each others. They heard strange music, Music that cannot understand by all the attendees on the Hogwarts grounds including Harry. The music came from the Merpeople from the lake and it made the hair on Harry’s neck stand up and yet it was not unpleasant. The tune of the music really showed the loss and despair. Then later on, Hagrid walked slowly up the aisle between the chairs, crying and carrying Albus Dumbledore's body wrapped in a purple velvet spangled with golden stars. Most of them specially Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were crying too. After Hagrid placed the body upon the table in front, A little tufty-haired man in plain black robes appeared and stood infront of Dumbledore's body then speak odd words that Harry can't hear nor understand. The centaurs had come to pay their respects, too. They didn't move into the open but Harry saw them standing quite still, half-hidden in shadow of the forest, watching the wizards, their bows hanging at their sides, until several people screamed. Bright, white flames had erupted around Dumbledore's body and the table upon which it lay: higher and higher they rose, obscuring the body. White smoke spiralled into the air and made strange shapes: Harry thought, for one heart-stopping moment that he saw a phoenix fly joyfully into the blue, but next second the fire had vanished. In its place was a white marble tomb, encasing Dumbledore's body and the table on which he had rested. There were a few more cries of shock as a shower of arrows soared through the air, but they fell far short of the crowd. It was, Harry knew, the centaurs' tribute: he saw them turn tail and disappear back into the trees. Likewise the merpeople sank slowly back into the green water and were lost from view. Harry finally confronted Ginny, Ron and Hermione: Ron's face was screwed up as though the sunlight was blinding him. Hermione's face was glazed with tears, but Ginny was no longer crying.