Cedric Diggory's Ghost

Just before she let her eyes close, she saw the familiar face of Cedric, "Cho, I’m sorry." Cedric's voice called to her before darkness surrounded her completely.

When Cho awoke she didn’t find herself in the room where she passed out, but rather by the lake. She instantly recognized the area as the last place she and Cedric had been alone together and felt another wave of sadness wash over her, but before she got the chance to let herself cry a warm hand grabbed her shoulder.

She sighed and turned around, but nearly screamed at surprise of the person she saw behind her for she was looking at Cedric. He looked just as he did on that day so many weeks ago when the two of them last stood by the lake. His brown hair was messy and his grey eyes watched Cho closely as he showed no signs of ever having been dead.

“I-I don’t understand.” Cho whispered as she unconsciously took a step away from the deceased boy before her. She blinked back several tears as her face became hot and she felt as though she were going to be sick, but she didn’t take her eyes off of Cedric out of fear that he would vanish if she did.

Cedric gave her that dreamy smile he always did, “I’m glad to see you again Cho.” He said kindly. “I’ve missed you.” He added in a sad whisper.

Cho swallowed and took another step back from her former boyfriend. “You died…” was all she could manage to say as her throat had suddenly became very dry making it hard for her to talk.

Cedric looked at his feet, “I know, but I had to come back… I had to see you one more time.” He smiled softly and looked back at her. “I’m sorry that I didn’t come back sooner.”

Cho took a deep breath and wiped away the tears that had now started to fall, “But you can’t be here Cedric. This can’t be real… you’re dead.” Her mind tried to race and figure out what was really going on, what she had been doing before waking up near the lake, but it was clouded and the only things she could remember clearly were her moments with Cedric. The day he asked her to Yule Ball, the Ball itself, their first date at Madam Puddifoot’s Tea Shop, their first kiss, their last date in the very spot they now stood, and watching as Harry and him returned at the end of the third task. She remembered being so happy that Cedric was there and thought that he had only been knocked unconscious until she heard Harry’s cries for help and saw the lifeless look on Cedric’s face. She could remember feeling her heart break and her body going numb… but she couldn’t remember anymore as his voice broke through her mind.

“I wasn’t ready to leave you Cho because I didn’t get the chance to tell you…” He smiled and pulled her into a warm hug that she couldn’t break free from… or rather she didn’t want to. She missed the feeling of his arms around her and her head resting under his chin so that she could hear his heart beat.

“Tell me what?” She whispered as she listened to the familiar thump-thump-thump sound she had missed so badly.

She heard Cedric sigh contently as he tried to pull her even closer to him as though to never release her. “I love you Cho.” He whispered, but the voice that entered Cho’s ears was not the sweet and caring voice of Cedric Diggory… this voice was dark and mocking and made Cho’s skin crawl as she pushed away from the man who was supposed to be Cedric.

When she looked at the man she couldn’t help but scream in terror as there was no doubt as to who this man was. He wore dark and billowing robes which contrasted greatly against his pale and scaling skin and his red eyes watched Cho with amusement. This was The Dark Lord, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, You-Know-Who, the man who had killed Cedric Diggory, Lord Voldemort.

His nearly nonexistent mouth curled up into a smirk, “What’s the matter, you don’t love me?” he asked with a malice filled laugh which caused Cho to turn on her heal and run for her life.

She could hear him behind her, running after her, but she didn’t care she had to get away… but suddenly he was standing in front of her. “Cho?” He questioned in that same mocking voice. Cho ignored him and ran again only to find him on the other side of her. “Cho?” He asked again.

She tried to run, but found herself completely surrounded by copies of him. She curled up and screamed as they all closed in on her wanting nothing more than to kill her the way he had killed Cedric. Her scream ceased as her mouth became dry again and one of the many Lord Voldemorts reached out for her. She tried to pull away, but he grabbed her shoulder and oddly enough he began to shake her gently. “Wake up.” He said softly, but the voice that came from his mouth was not his or Cedric’s… it was a distinctly female voice. “Come on Cho, you have to wake up.” The female voice man said again as darkness began to surround her until the only thing left was her and Lord Voldemort who smiled and laughed his regular malice filled laugh.

Cho shot up in a scream suddenly before realizing that she was in the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts and went quite. She could feel tears flowing down her face and her body was shaking violently. Warm arms encircled her and she looked up to see Madam Pomfrey holding her. “It’s okay.” The nurse whispered reassuringly, “You’re okay Miss Chang. Nothing that you saw was real.”

Once Cho had calmed down Madam Pomfrey let her go, but continued to sooth her until she was able to speak. “Wh-what happened?” she asked hoarsely.

“You touched a Jiggry Jack Root dear.” She shook her head, “Nasty plants those are. They make you see what you desire most and contort it so much that it drives you mad. Of course they lure you in with their song and sweet smells. You’re lucky you were found before the poison could fully sink in or else I wouldn’t have been able to save you.”

Cho looked at her hands. That plant had made her dream about Cedric coming back… she shook her head before she started crying again, “Who found me?” She asked in a whisper.

“Professor Sprout found you when she went to get a bit of the root for me and you’re lucky she came when she did. A moment later is all it would have taken for the root to completely drive you mad.”

Cho simply nodded and lay back in her cot. She didn’t want to talk anymore. She just wanted to curl up and cry, but instead she would settle for thinking about her Defense Against the Dark Arts assignment that was due the next week and soon she fell back into a dreamless sleep.