TOGETHER (A HARRY POTTER LOVE STORY) 4

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MILLIE'S POV:

For a second that contained an eternity, I stared at Cedric's face, at his open grey eyes, blank and expressionless as the windows of a deserted classroom, at his half-open mouth, which looked slightly surprised. And then, before I could feel anything but numb disbelief, a figure had appeared in front of me, and I looked up through shocked eyes at Cornelius Fudge's face.

"Millie, your father wouldn't want you to see this!" he said firmly, blocking my view as he placed harsh hands on each of my shoulders.

Vacantly, my gaze dropped to his grip on me, digging my fingernails into my palms as I muttered, "Move."

With an exasperated growl, the Minister removed his hands from me, and I shoved past him, mustering all my internal strength as I focused all of my attention on ensuring the health of one person, my eyes flicking past the body of the boy I considered my brother and landing on Harry.

The dark-haired boy was covered in blood and deep cuts, apparently on the very edge of consciousness as he clutched weakly onto both the handle of the Triwizard cup and Cedric's body. Dumbledore had seized him roughly so that the cup was slipping from his grip, though he seemed to clutch Cedric to him tighter than ever, his emerald eyes swimming in and out of focus.

It took every little thing inside of me not to sob at the sight, biting my lip so harshly I could taste blood myself.

"...Harry, let go of him," Fudge was shouting stupidly, while multiple men tried to prise Harry from Cedric's limp body, but he wouldn't let go. "Come on, boy...!"

Dumbledore was watching Harry intensely, and a fierce anger smashed through my emotional block as he simply knelt there, allowing these random people to push the barely-alive boy around.

"Harry!" I spoke up, wishing desperately that my voice would stop shaking as I began fighting my way past the people to try and reach him. "H, please, it's me..."

Harry's head rolled to the side, looking up at me through half-open, glossy eyes, his handsome face barely visible through all the blood. Slapping the first tear that escaped my left eye from my cheek, I dropped onto my knees beside him, lacing my trembling fingers through his un-moving ones, and bringing his grazed knuckles to my lips, keeping them there as I spoke.

"H, you can't help him now..." I muttered against his cut skin, desperately willing myself to stay strong for him, the shock of it all blocking any other emotion out. "It's over...you're safe now..."

"He wanted me to bring him back..." he croaked distantly, his voice sounding completely and utterly broken. I nodded despite not understanding, my heart feeling as though it was about to physically break in half. "He wanted me to bring him back to his parents..."

"That's right, Harry..." Dumbledore said, watching, almost studying, the two of us, "that's right...just let go, now..."

Dumbledore bent down, and, before I could do anything, raised Harry from the ground so that his fingers were torn from mine, and set him on his feet. Harry immediately swayed, and I pushed myself up and looped his arm around my shoulders, whimpering uselessly as I fought to hold him still. People were still only just realising what had happened, the deathening screams and cries only increasing.

"Professor!" I called out weakly, grunting again as Harry's head lolled forward unconsciously. Dumbledore didn't seem to hear me, his body turned away from us as he spoke fiercely to a group of people.

"Professor Dumbledore!" I tried again, shaking uncontrollably as it became increasingly difficult to support Harry's weight.

"Dumbledore! Professor, please..."