suddenly, harry appeared out of nowhere on the grass, sobbing above cedric and clutching the triwizard cup. everyone began to cheer and whistle, until they realised something was terribly wrong.
"harry!" dumbledore yelled, rushing towards him with great haste.
the trumpets and music stopped, creating a deafening silence.
"he's back! he's back!" harry croaked out, blood and tears covering his face as he leaned over cedric. "voldemort's back!"
cornelius fudge's face went pale white at this. "cedric— he- he asked me to bring his body back. i couldn't leave him—" he cried. "not there."
"it's alright harry—" dumbledore took his face in his hands. "he's home— you both are."
"keep everybody in their seats!" fudge shouted. "a boy has just been killed!"
"let me through! let me through!" cedric's father, amos diggory, pushed and shoved past the crowd, running down the steps towards his son's frail body. "that's my son!" he cried, collapsing onto his knees. "that's my boy! my boy!"
the people in the crowd didn't say anything, too shocked to muster a word. a few started crying at the sight, others looking down solemnly at the loss of a schoolmate, a boy with a kind soul who was loved by all.
mad eye dragged harry away from the scene, and he struggled, trying to get back to cedric.
"TODAY, WE ACKNOWLEDGE AN EXTREMELY TERRIBLE LOSS." dumbledore spoke in a somber voice, addressing all of the students in the great hall. "cedric diggory was, as you all know, exceptionally hard-working, infinitely fair minded, and most importantly— a fierce, fierce friend. and i think that therefore, you have the right to know how he died."
paris hung her head in grief. she never had really spoken to cedric, and she couldn't imagine how the people close to him were feeling. she couldn't imagine how his father was feeling, how cho was feeling— how harry was feeling. she had experienced loss before— but at a very young age. and now, she was fully understanding of the such impact it had.
"cedric diggory was murdered. by lord voldemort! the ministry of magic does not wish for me to tell you this. but not to do so, i think would be an insult to his memory! now, the pain we all feel reminds me, reminds us, that even though we may come from different places, and speak in different tongues, our hearts beat as one. and in light of this event, the bonds of friendship we made this year are more important than ever! remember that. cedric diggory wouldn't have died in vain. you remember that! and we will celebrate a boy who was kind, and honest, and brave and true. right to the very end."
EVERYONE GATHERED IN THE COURTYARD to bid goodbye to the students of durmstrang and beauxbatons before they boarded their boats.
"paris!" hermione approached her after her conversation with krum. "you've been avoiding me since the yule ball. is something wrong?"
"no, nothing." paris shook her head. "sorry."
hermione went in to hug her goodbye, but paris held her hand out for the latter to shake it at the same time. instead of making the situation awkward, they chuckled softly and both went in for a hug again. hermione closed her eyes, resting her chin on paris' shoulder. "you'll write to me, won't you?"
"you know i won't, granger." paris chuckled.
"please,"
"fine." she mumbled. "but count yourself lucky. only for you i'd do this."
this last line left butterflies and confused feelings in hermione's stomach. she had always been attracted to paris, although at first she assumed it was just hatred. at some point, she wondered whether the brunette felt the same way. especially at the ball, when she saw harry and her dancing together, she wondered if it was more than platonic. she has never felt such jealousy when she watched girls fall at viktor's feet, or fleur showering ron with kisses on the cheek.
"can. i. let. go. now?" paris squeaked, although she truly wanted to hug her for longer— she pulled away from the flustered hermione.
"right— sorry." hermione murmured, her cheeks pink.
"aw, she's blushing." paris teased.
"now i know you've gone back to normal." the muggle-born smiled.
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