The competing champions

Chapter 4.32 (Fudge's denial)

Sirius was standing there. His face was as white and gaunt as it had been when he had escaped Azkaban. In one swift moment, he had crossed the room and pulled Harry into a hug. "Harry, are you all right? I knew it - I knew something like this - what happened?"

His hands shook as he helped Harry into the chair in front of the desk.

"What happened?" He asked, more urgently. "What happened to her?" His voice shook, his knees were trembling and he looked as if he could fall apart at any moment.

Dumbledore began to tell Sirius everything Barty Crouch had said. Harry was only half listening. So tired every bone in his body was aching, he wanted nothing more than to sit there, undisturbed, for hours and hours, until he fell asleep, and didn't have to think or feel anymore.

"I need to know what happened after you touched the Portkey in the maze, Harry." Said Dumbledore.

"We can leave that 'til morning, can't we, Albus?" Said Sirius harshly. He looked like a broken man. His silver eyes had once again lost their light and he seemed to be dying away before Harry's very eyes. "Let him have a sleep. Let him rest."

"If I thought I could help you," Dumbledore said gently. "By putting you into an enchanted sleep, and allowing you to postpone the moment when you would have to think about what has happened tonight, I would do it. But I know better. Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it. You have shown bravery beyond anything I could have expected of you. I ask you to demonstrate your courage one more time. I ask you to tell us what happened."

"Albus!" Sirius cried in frustration as a single tear rolled down Harry's cheek. He felt sheer panic at the thought of having to relive it all. To tell Sirius exactly how his daughter, the only familymember he had left, died.

The door opened and in came an exhausted and scared-looking Madam Leighton. She glanced around the room. Her eyes widened a little at the sight of Sirius but she didn't speak, instead she stalked over to Harry and wrapped the young boy in her motherly arms, rocking him up and down.

Harry couldn't even cry. He was that tired. Imogen kissed his hair, continuing to rock him.

"Albus, please!" Sirius begged. He had fallen to his knees and was crying.

Dumbledore didn't say anything, he kept staring at Harry.

Of the four people in the room, Imogen seemed to be the only one reasonably in control. She didn't let go of Harry and kept holding him to her like a mother would. Exactly what Harry needed right now.

A few minutes later, Harry finally started talking.

He told them everything.

No one seemed to breathe as he spoke.

His voice was monotonous and calm as he talked about Aurora's death. How he had fallen to the ground because of his scar hurting and how she had bent over him in concern. How Wormtail had raised his wand to kill Cedric, and she had jumped in front of it instead. Deliberately taking the hit and dying as she fell back into Cedric's arms.

But when Harry reached the part where the golden beam of light had connected his and Voldemort's wands, he found his throat obstructed. He tried to keep talking, but the memories of what had come out of Voldemort's wand were flooding into his mind.

He was glad when Sirius broke the silence. "The wands connected?" He said, looking from Harry to Dumbledore. "Why?"

"Priori Incantatem." Dumbledore muttered.

"The reverse spell effect?" Said Sirius sharply.

"Exactly," said Dumbledore. "Harry's wand and Voldemort's wand share cores. This phoenix, in fact," he added, and he pointed at the scarlet and gold bird on his golden perch behind the door.