(Book Four) Brave {CLP SERIES}

{Chapter 42}

C R Y S T A L ' S P O V

When I looked back, even a month later, I found I had only scattered memories of the next few days. It was as though I had been through too much to take in any more. The recollections I did have were very painful. The worst, perhaps, was the meeting with the Diggorys that took place the following morning.

They did not blame either Harry or I for what had happened; on the contrary, both thanked us 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 and Ai had told her how Cedric had died. "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 I and said, "You look after yourself, now."

Harry seized the sack of gold on the bedside table. Our winnings, which had previously been split into two, were now in the same bag, containing 1000 galleons.

"You take this," I muttered to her. "It should've been Cedric's, he got there first, you take it -"

But she backed away from me.

"Oh no, it's yours, dear, I couldn't . . . you keep it."

Harry and I returned to Gryffindor Tower the following evening. From what Hermione and Ron told him, Dumbledore had spoken to the school that morning at breakfast. He had merely requested that they leave Harry and I alone, that nobody ask him questions or badger him to tell the story of what had happened in the maze. Most people, I noticed, were skirting us in the corridors, avoiding our eyes. Some whispered behind their hands as we passed. I guessed that many of them had believed Rita Skeeter's article about how disturbed and possibly dangerous Harry was. Perhaps they were formulating their own theories about how Cedric had died. I found I didn't care very much. I liked it best when I was with Fred and George and they were talking about other things, or else letting me sit in silence while they attempted to play chess.

It was the same type of thing when I was with Ron and Hermione, or Ginny and Luna.

I felt as though all of us had reached an understanding we didn't need to put into words; that each of us 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 we knew anything for certain.

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

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

"Why?" said Harry.

It was kind of bittersweet. I knew I was never going to have to go back to the Dursley's again, and that I got to live with Andromeda and Tonks, but I couldn't tell my own brother about it.

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

Another person that I felt I was able to talk to was Hagrid. As there was no longer a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, we had those lessons free. I 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 we approached, barking and wagging his tail madly.

"Who's that?" called Hagrid, coming to the door. "Crystal!"
He strode out to meet us, pulled me into a one-armed hug, ruffled my hair, and said, "Good ter see yeh. Good ter see yeh."

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

"Bin havin' a cuppa with Olympe," Hagrid said. "She's jus' left."

"Who?" said Fred curiously.

"Madame Maxime, o' course!" said Hagrid.

"You two made up, have you?" said George.

"Dunno what yeh're talkin' about," said Hagrid airily, fetching more cups from the dresser.

When he had made tea and offered around a plate of doughy cookies, he leaned back in his chair and surveyed me closely through his beetle-black eyes.

"You all righ'?" he said gruffly.

"Yeah," I said softly.

"No, yeh're not," said Hagrid. " 'Course yeh're not. But yeh will be."

I said nothing.

"Knew he was goin' ter come back," said Hagrid, and Fred, George, and I looked up at him, shocked.

"Known it fer years. Knew he was out there, bidin' his time. It had ter happen. Well, now it has, an' we'll jus' have ter get on with it. We'll fight. Migh' be able ter stop him before he gets a good hold. That's Dumbledore's plan, anyway. Great man, Dumbledore. 'S long as we've got him, I'm not too worried."

Hagrid raised his bushy eyebrows at the disbelieving expressions on our faces.

"No good sittin' worryin' abou' it," he said. "What's comin' will come, an' we'll meet it when it does. Dumbledore told me wha' you did, Crystal."

Hagrid's chest swelled as he looked at me.

"Yeh did as much as yer father or mother would've done, an' I can' give yeh no higher praise than that."

I smiled back at him. It was the first time I'd smiled in days.

"What's Dumbledore asked you to do, Hagrid?" I asked. "He sent Professor McGonagall to ask you and Madame Maxime to meet him - that night."

"Got a little job fer me over the summer," said Hagrid. "Secret, though. I'm not s'pposed ter talk abou' it, no, not even ter you lot. Olympe - Madame Maxime ter you - might be comin' with me. I think she will. Think I got her persuaded."

"Is it to do with Voldemort?"

Hagrid flinched at the sound of the name.

"Migh' be," he said evasively. "Now . . . who'd like ter come an' visit the las' skrewt with me? I was jokin' - jokin'!" he added hastily, seeing the looks on their faces, especially Fred and George's.