We Say Goodbye - The Funeral of Ignatius Rivers

[ELLEN MARIBEL ACKERLEY]

for ignatius
song: i will remember you

Ellen stared into her mirror at home - her red, puffy eyes staring back at her. Her friend, Ignatius, had been found killed by some kind of ravage animal and she could hardly believe it. He was always so cautious, so safe. He would never have gone out on his own late in the night; at least, she didn't think he would. Iggy was just...he was much more content in the comfort of his home than that, she thought. Ellen didn't know what took Ignatius out of his house where he met death so soon, but it broke her heart and she couldn't even pretend she was okay.

As she walked down the steps of her home and looked into her father's face, Ellen collapsed into her father's open arms. She buried her head in his shoulder, feeling the tears sting her cold cheeks as she sobbed. Ellen finally pulled herself out of her father's shoulder and shook her head, running a hand through her hair. "He didn't deserve this," she whispered, hugging her father once more.

After insisting she wanted to do this alone, Ellen made her way toward the funeral home where the memorial and funeral to Ignatius would be held. She occasionally gulped as she walked slowly toward the brick building. This was unfamiliar to her. Death, that is. Of course Ellen had people leave her life before from choice, thinking she was too soft and quiet to be a true friend, but to have someone ripped away without having the chance to say goodbye...it was very rough on her. She was only sixteen after all. Ellen had very few people she considered close friends and Ignatius was one of them. If she had only known that the last time they spoke would be the very last time they talked, she would have said something more. Given him a longer hug. Kiss him on the cheek...something. She knew he had a crush on her for a long time and she was just the type of girl who kept herself sheltered and closed off, afraid to let people in. How could she let Jens in and not Ignatius? She didn't know the answer to that, only that she wished she'd let Iggy in as he wanted. She wished she would have at least kissed him now. He left too soon, and now Ellen was left with a hole in her chest and wandering regret.

Ellen opened one side of the French doors and walked into the funeral home where she was immediately greeted by a collage of moving portraits of Ignatius situated on a black easel. She approached the canvas of pictures and tears found her eyes once more, falling slowly down her cheeks. There were pictures of him as a child, on his first trip to Diagon Alley, during Christmas and summer, and on his birthday. There were so many things he could have done with his life, so much more he had to look forward to and it was all taken away from him so quickly, like a bandage ripped from a wound. Ellen could only wish his death had been quick and painless, that he didn't even know. She would have been more comforted if it'd been evident that Ignatius fell into death like a deep sleep succumbing someone of over-exhaustion. Unfortunately, she didn't imagine being attacked by a creature would have been pleasant. It only made the tears roll down her cheek faster.

She walked past the canvas and picked up a program for the funeral and looked up, finding the face of one of Ignatius' and her mutual friend. Ellen approached her, unable to speak but simply nodding at her. When her friend embraced her, Ellen had to choke back the sobs that wished to escape her. She pulled away from the hug, unable to bear the pain any longer, and took a seat in the second row of the funeral home, her eyes unable to leave the closed casket that sat at the front of the room.

@nellie

[Deleted]

Did Hagrid know Ignatius well? No. There were a lot of students he hadn't met and would never meet. Was Hagrid a man who paid his respects to a fallen student nonetheless? Of course. That was the kind of man Hagrid was. The students at Hogwarts were his life and made waking up and going to work every day worth it. And it hurt him to a great deal that one would fall before he had a chance to shine as an adult.

Hagrid stood solemnly, greeting people as they greeted him, but otherwise being quiet and respectful. If anyone needed his comfort, he would allow them to ask for it. He didn't want to disturb anyone who might want to keep to themselves on such a sad occasion.

One thing that ran through his mind though was how Ignatius was killed. He knew the wolves in the area well, and they wouldn't dare just attack someone without proper cause.

While Hagrid showed genuine condolences, Hiromi Yen put up quite an act. No one knew what happened that night except for her and Morgaine, and as far as she believed, no one ever would. So she pretended to be sad for the loss of her "friend". It continued to take suspicion away from her. After all, why would the killer bother to show up at the victim's funeral?