𝐑𝐄𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒-ℍ𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕪 ℙ𝕠𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣❥

𝐆𝐎𝐅 𝟑𝟒

When she looked back, even a month later, Emily found she had only scattered memories of the next few days. It was as though she had been through too much to take in any more.

The recollections she did have were very painful. The worst, perhaps, was seeing Ethan cry to Remus when they thought she was asleep. And the meeting with Harry and the Diggorys the next morning.

They did not blame them for what had happened; on the contrary, both thanked Harry for returning Cedric's body to them. Mr. Diggory sobbed through most of the interview. Mrs. Diggory's grief seemed to be beyond tears.

"He suffered very little then," she said, when Harry had told her how Cedric had died. Emily hadn't really spoken. "And after all, Amos ... he died just when he'd won the tournament. He must have been happy."

When they got to their feet, she looked down at Harry and Emily and said, "You look after yourselfs, now."

Harry seized the sack of gold on the bedside table.
"You take this," he muttered to her. "It should've been Cedric's, he got there first, you take it -"

But she backed away from him.
"Oh no, it's yours, dear, I couldn't. . . you keep it."

Emily and Harry returned to Gryffindor Tower the following evening.

From what Hermione and Ron told them, Dumbledore had spoken to the school that morning at breakfast. He had merely requested that they leave Emily and Harry alone, that nobody ask them questions or badger them to tell the story of what had happened in the maze. Most people, Emily noticed, were skirting her in the corridors, avoiding her eyes. Some whispered behind their hands as she passed. She guessed that many of them had believed Rita Skeeter's article about how Harry treats her and that her powers could be dangerous. And that her father had tried to bite her.

Perhaps they were formulating their own theories about how Cedric had died. She found she didn't care very much.

She liked it best when she was with Harry, Ron and Hermione and they were talking about other things, or else letting her sit in silence while they played chess. She felt as though all four of them had reached an understanding they didn't need to put into words; that each was waiting for some sign, some word, of what was going on outside Hogwarts - and that it was useless to speculate about what might be coming until they knew anything for certain.

The only time they touched upon the subject was when Ron told Harry about a meeting Mrs. Weasley had had with Dumbledore before going home.

"She went to ask him if you could come straight to us this summer," he said. "But he wants you to go back to the Dursleys, at least at first."

"Why?" said Harry.
"She said Dumbledore's got his reasons," said Ron, shaking his head darkly. "I suppose we've got to trust him, haven't we?"

The only person apart from Ron, Harry ,Hermione, her dads and brothers that she felt able to talk to was Hagrid. As there was no longer a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, they had those lessons free. They used the one on Thursday afternoon to go down and visit Hagrid in his cabin. It was a bright and sunny day; Fang bounded out of the open door as they approached, barking and wagging his tail madly.

"Who's that?" called Hagrid, coming to the door. "Harry! Emily!"

He strode out to meet them, pulled Harry into a one-armed hug, ruffled his hair, and said, "Good ter see yeh, mate. Good ter see yeh."

He grabbed Emily and pulled her into a hug, tighter then they had ever hugged before "Ya scars healing up alrigh'?" He asked finally letting her go "Sort of."

Emily had a scar going down her arm and three across her stomach. They were healed but left massive marks.

They saw two bucket-size cups and saucers on the wooden table in front of the fireplace when they entered Hagrid's cabin.