I was just thinking

[alt_harry]

I was just thinking today about all the people who were here when I started Hogwarts, who've been lost, one way or another, along the way.

There were the students:

Hannah Abbott
Thomas Capper
Sarah Fawcett
Dean Thomas
Draco Malfoy
Teddy Nott

And teachers and other staff:

Remus Lupin
Walden Macnair
John Dawlish
Gilderoy Lockhart
Amycus and Alecto Carrow
Dolores Umbridge
Minerva McGonagall
Rabastan Lestrange
Horace Slughorn
Rolanda Hooch

And servants:

Dennis
Boot
Granger

And of course the Weasleys lost their father and Darius Warrington lost his. Regulus Black disappeared. Lucius Malfoy was sent to Azkaban. Percy Weasley died and so did the Towler's brother. Samantha Montgomery wasn't able to finish her NEWTs and spent months at St Mungo's.

We've lost a lot of people, which is especially tragic and shocking in a land as safe and protected as the Protectorate. Of course not all of them are dead, I believe Professor Lockhart is in St Mungo's or somewhere similar, and others disappeared rather than dying. And Professor Slughorn just retired.

But nonetheless. Many, many losses.

Many losses to remember.