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Funerals are always sad moments, even more so when the deceased is a child that had been forced to live hidden by the shadows, for no one to see and hear. That had been the fate of Ariana Dumbledore.
A child whose existence was hidden by everyone but a handful of people.
Her brothers, her magical historian neighbor, two friends of her older brother, a friend of her younger brother, a potions teacher. Few people knew of her existence, less than that were at the funeral.
Elphias was one of those people. Albus had confided during his 4th year. Since then he had helped Albus in his research of Obscurials. One of their travel plans had included a visit to the family of the oldest obscurial alive registered by the International Wizard Community in Italy and a visit to the only known researcher of the phenomenon.
He came to England after receiving the news of Ariana's death, interrupting his stay at the Ottoman Empire, ready to help the family with whatever they needed. Elphias felt like he owned Albus, after all he did for him.
But as the girl's life had not known peace, her death and funeral had not known it either.
Her death strained the relationship between her two only brothers as if it had to be possible to destroy it more. They did not trade a hug, words, and not even a glance. They looked like two strangers.
As Bathilda said some words, Aberforth cries intensified. He had always loved his sister. He took care of her, as young as he was, a mere boy with too much responsibility.
One second, Albus put his hand on Aberforth's shoulder after Abe let out a huge sob, the next Albus was on the floor, nose bleeding, his brother over him.
"This is your fault."
Aberforth jumped on Albus, shaking him, punching him, to the shock of everyone around them. Aberforth was blinded with rage. Everyone was in shock
Their potions teacher, an ex-Auror to whom Aberforth had confessed Ariana's existence in hopes he would know some more information on Obscurial, tried to hold Aberforth, but the boy was strong and took advantage of his teacher's bad leg to get himself free.
"Stop now" Elphias pointed his wand at Aberforth, in other circumstances, he would never point a wand outside of a duel but seeing Albus hurt touched something within him.
It took two a couple of immobilization spells and a mobilicorpus to manage to stop and separate Aberforth from his brother. Albus was quiet, still on the floor. His nose was broken, his glasses shattered, and blood and tears running down his face and clothes. Elphias took his jacket and gave it to Albus.
"It should have been you!" Screamed Abe. If he could not hurt Albus with his fists, he would remind him of what he had done."She was innocent, Albus! INNOCENT, AN INNOCENT GIRL THAT YOU AND THAT MONSTER NEVER CARED ABOUT! '' Aberforth kept screaming " NOW GO! YOU ARE FREE TO GO WITH HIM! GO! DON'T YOU HAVE HIS BED TO WARM!"
"Aberforth, stop. There is no need for this." Said Bathilda, their neighbor, the great aunt of the boy, the friend of Albus that whom Aberforth was directing his hate.
"Of course there is need, Albus is a hypocrite. There is a reason Durmstrang expelled him, Albus. You… you traded your sister for a pretty face and a nice cock…
Albus was hiding his face with Elphias coat, not wanting to face his brother, nor deal with the shame of having his past relationship exposed like that.
Elphias cast a silencing spell on Aberforth. There was no need to continue this public humiliation. Not in poor Ariana's funeral.
Albus was on the floor, ugly sobbing, hugging his knees. He looked like a lost child, nothing like the merry wizard Elphias knew and loved. The arrogance he had was missing, the kindness had left its space for sorrow, he was a hollow shell of the boy he had grown to be.
The boy on the floor made Elphias question what happened during that summer that had changed his friend so much.
Elphias asked their teacher and Bathilda to take care of Aberforth while he would take care of Albus. They spoke for a while about technicalities, especially since Aberforth was by all means a minor, and there was no interest in having the boy drop school when he was so near the end. The boy needed a legal guardian, and Albus, brilliant as he was, was not fit for the role. As much as he loved his family, he had never been fit for it.
He apparated them both to Albus' house and took him to his room, sitting him on the bed.
Elphias had never come to the room of his friend but he was not surprised by the piles of books and parchment paper around.
Elphias sat in front of Albus, using his handkerchief to clean the blood and tears off his face.
"Why didn't you defend yourself?"
He had never seen Albus like this. So broken, miserable.
"He is right, then why should I defend myself." said Albus, tears still falling
"Don't be an idiot. You never wanted Ariana to die."
That was not the entire truth, Albus thought. a small voice in his head thought Arianna was the reason he stayed at Godric Hollow and he would never leave as long as she was alive. He had been trapped by her and he resented her, even if only for seconds. But he loved and cared for her. He had planned to take her. He never wanted her to die.
Guilt was consuming him slowly. If he had been a better brother this would not have happened.
"You are coming with me to my house. I do not believe your brother will be calmer once he returns. Now let's pack your things."
"They are already packed, the most important things at least. Me… I and Gellert had plans to leave with Ariana before …" Albus let out a sob, not even able to finish his sentence.
Elphias did not know this Gellert everyone was talking about, but the fact that he had not been here to help Albus deal with the aftermath of his sister's death, made Elphias hate him almost instantly.
"Where is this Gellert? What happened?"
"I don't want to talk about it, not yet"
Elphias respected. It was clear Albus was in pain, and all he wanted to do was not make it worse.
Elphias enchanted the rest of the parchments, books, and clothes which had not been packed yet. A couple of levitation and shrinking spells and everything was packed in a small bag.
"This mirror?" Elphias pointed to the big mirror in the hall. It had been enchanted, maybe some experiment Albus did during summer.
"Leave it."
Elphias returned his focus to Albus. He had not moved since they arrived at the room. Still
"OK, now let me heal you, I think he did break your nose, let me fix that bone"
"Leave it. Just stop the bleeding."
Bathilda talked with me and said she would take custody of him while he was still a minor. Professor Sharp said he would help too. You are coming with me." Albus looked at him confused. " Don't give me that look, my grandad left me his old flat on Piccadilly. I moved there just the day before leaving for Spain."
Albus was a different boy from what Elphias remembered. That summer changed him. Broke him. He had lost his mother, his sister, his first great love, and now his relationship with Aberforth was ruined. He was willing to go with Elphias, a new start, with a good friend.
Elphias would take good care of him. For once he could let someone take care of him.