The Phoenix Lament (HBP)

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The Phoenix Lament is the twenty-ninth chapter of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Aftermath

Hagrid tries to get Harry to stand up and move away from Dumbledore's corpse, and fails; Ginny effortlessly succeeds, and takes her boyfriend to the hospital wing.

He asks her who else is dead. Ginny replies that Bill was heavily injured by Fenrir Greyback—Madam Pomfrey is of the opinion that he will never look the same, but the effects of an untransformed werewolf's bite are unknown—, but none of their people has died. Neville and Flitwick are both hurt, and a Death Eater was hit by a Killing Curse sent by the huge, blond wizard.

She mentions that, if it weren't for Felix Felicis, the members of the D.A. who fought in the battle of the Astronomy Tower would certainly have been killed.

Hospital wing

Inside the hospital wing, Neville is asleep. Ron, Hermione, Luna, Tonks and Remus are gathered around Bill's bed. When the couple enters, Hermione runs to hug Harry, who asks about Bill. He then sees the unrecognisable face on the pillow, completely slashed and ripped.

Madam Pomfrey applies a harsh-smelling green ointment on the wounds. When Harry suggests a charm, she notes that there is no cure for werewolf bites. Remus confirms this: the injuries are cursed and unlikely to heal completely. Bill may develop some wolfish characteristics, even though he will not be a true werewolf.

When somebody suggests asking Albus for help, Ginny announces that he is dead.

Remus collapses on a chair. Everyone is shocked, and Tonks asks how it happened. Harry narrates how Snape committed the murder.

Requiem

Pomfrey starts crying. Ginny asks her to be quiet: somewhere outside, a phoenix sings a beautiful lament that seems to mirror Harry's grief and to lessen the pain inside them somehow.

Minerva McGonagall enters the hospital wing—her face is grazed and her robes, torn—and announces, breaking the spell of the music, that Molly and Arthur are on their way. Upon hearing the name of the murderer, she sways and collapses on a chair as well.

Minerva mulls over the ironclad reasoning Dumbledore always hinted at as the reason behind his trust on the former Death Eater. Remus points out that they always knew Severus was an excellent Occlumens.