They arrived near the temporary platform that had been constructed to hold the funeral ceremony. But they had still to wait for sometime as Edgar Bones was yet to arrive.
They did not have to wait long before Edgar arrived at the cemetery using a portkey, accompanied by Minerva McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore.
The moment Edgar spotted his sister, all the grief and emotion he had been holding inside burst forth. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he strode toward Amelia, and the siblings fell into a tight embrace. Amelia was no different than her brother. Tears were streaming down her face as well and it was plastered with an expression of sadness and grief.
The siblings held each other in complete silence. The visitors were sensitive enough not to disturb this private and emotional moment. Their embrace, though brief, provided them both with much needed comfort and emotional support. They were the only remaining family of each other and they knew that they had to rely on each other in these tough times.
"Edgar," Amelia whispered, her voice thick with emotion as she stared into her brother's eyes.
"Sister," Edgar responded with the same intensity.
The duo nodded to one another, and no further words were exchanged. Edgar arrived at the platform with his sister and the funeral ceremony began shortly after.
The magical rituals were neither lengthy nor complicated, concluding quickly to make way for Antonio. Amelia had requested that he deliver her father's eulogy, and he had solemnly agreed. The man who had sacrificed his life to save him deserved as such.
"It has been an unpredictable, uncertain, and shocking few days," Antonio began, his voice steady despite the weight of the occasion. "Before this began, no one could have imagined that things would spiral so far, so fast. At moments, it still feels as if we are only trapped in a nightmare and none of what has happened is reality."
"The Wizengamot was attacked," Antonio said, pausing for a few moments of heavy silence. "And Lord Edmund Bones was killed."
"Lord Edmund Bones was a good man," Antonio continued, his voice amplified by magic so that it echoed across the entire cemetery. "A great man, in fact."
"It is tradition to praise a man at his eulogy even if he performed no great deeds, but I believe and most of you would agree with me that Lord Bones deserves genuine praise."
"I was not acquainted with him for long, around one month, to be precise. But in that short interval, we developed a bond that transcended our age difference. I do not think I am stretching the truth to say we became friends."
"A young man and a middle aged man become friends. Quite an odd scenario," he remarked with a small chuckle which was filled with the pain of his loss.
"Lord Bones was a politician, a vocal and stubborn one, at that. I do not need to elaborate on his ideals and thoughts," he said. "After all, it was those very ideals that cost him his life."
"I do not wish to use this time to talk about political ideologies, but what I can safely say is that whatever he did, or was planning to do, he did for the whole of Wizarding Britain. He was not a man to think only of his personal interests while ignoring the ruin his actions might bring upon society."
"He was a brave man," Antonio added. "A man of character. He was a man who could not be bought with wealth, and a man who would not be deterred by any person, in any situation, be it the Dark Lord himself."
A suffocating silence enveloped the cemetery at the mention of the Dark Lord.
"His sacrifice to save my life is the greatest testament to that," Antonio concluded the eulogy.
The funeral concluded with Antonio's eulogy. Edgar and Amelia stationed themselves at the edge of the platform to receive condolences and the well wishes from the visitors, while Antonio found himself standing below with Albus Dumbledore.
"Lord Olario," the old man greeted him in his usual style, a gentle smile and a serene expression on his face.
"Headmaster Dumbledore," Antonio greeted him back.
"How are you?" Dumbledore questioned. "I hope that you have made a complete recovery."
"I am absolutely fine, Headmaster," Antonio responded.
"And," he continued, "I must express my gratitude for your intervention. I doubt I will ever be able to repay the debt I owe you for saving my life."
"It is nothing worth mentioning, Lord Olario," Dumbledore said with a light chuckle. "I was merely doing what had to be done."
"People like Voldemort are a scourge on society and must be eliminated. There should be no two ways about it."
Antonio masked his surprise perfectly, nodding in response. Dumbledore's bluntness regarding elimination was unexpected.
"Wise words, Headmaster," he replied. "And I agree completely. He and his organization must be dismantled."
Dumbledore remained silent for a moment before continuing.
"What do you think of your experience fighting Voldemort?" He questioned. "How do you think you would fare if you were to face him in battle once again?"
"Though I would have likely died without your intervention, I cannot deny that it was a profound and a great experience," Antonio said without missing a beat. "It may sound like overconfidence, but the next time I face Voldemort, I intend to defeat him."
"Not at all, Lord Olario," Dumbledore remarked. "That is not overconfidence. If not for certain coincidences and Voldemort's runic formation, you might have very well defeated him then."
"Perhaps I would have," Antonio did not deny it. It was the truth.
"Lord Olario," Dumbledore said, his voice turning more serious than it had been. "I think it is safe to assume that our goals regarding the Dark Lord are one and the same."
Antonio narrowed his eyes, a slight frown appearing on his face. "Where are you going with this, Headmaster?" He questioned.
"You are remarkably perceptive," Dumbledore smiled. "You picked up on my intention instantly. Yes, I do have a request. I was wondering if you would be willing to join me, and a few other like-minded individuals, in our mission to eliminate the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters?"
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