Backfire • Cedric Diggory [✓]

• TWENTY-FOUR •

    "When you were gone, my Lord, the mark's disappeared. But when you were becoming stronger, the mark began to become more and more visible, I decided to stay away from work and home, waiting silently for your return."

    "Ah, but you see, waiting silently for my return is not nearly good enough as actually putting yourself to the task of proving where your loyalties lay. You had your time betraying your brothers and sisters, bringing them to Azkaban, but no time to stay faithful to me, searching for me and doing whatever it took to bring me back to life like our dear Wormtail here. I pity your lack of spine, Avery." Voldemort said before crying, "Crucio!" Cedric's ears were met with a small zap, followed by blood-curling yells from a man. "You clearly have no loyalty to me," Voldemort said once he was finished terrorizing the man. "None of you have any loyalty to me. Not even you, Lucius." He said as another man fell on his knees. As Voldemort and Lucius Malfoy were talking to one another, Cedric tried to understand the fact that Holland's father was the same kind of person who had tried to kill him. Should he tell her what he'd gone through if he could even make it out of the graveyard alive? Would she even believe him? Was she actually aware of her father's loyalties and is actually waiting for the day she joins his side? Cedric's ponder was interrupted once more when he felt his head being moved by what seemed to be a cold foot.

    "Such a handsome boy," Voldemort's shrill voice tutted. Cedric was enraged, being toyed like a rag doll and treated like vermin while he was motionless and unable to defend himself.

    "Don't touch him!" Harry yells out from wherever he was.

    "Harry, I'd almost forgotten you were here," Voldemort said in an ironically casual tone. "Standing on the bones of my father. I'd introduce you but word has it is you're almost as famous as me these days. The boy who lived. How lies have fed your legend, Harry," Cedric couldn't begin to imagine how else things could go wrong in that graveyard. Was he about to witness Harry Potter's demise, how he thought he'd witnessed Cedric's demise? The fact that he could do nothing about it was one of the worst feelings he's ever experienced, the bewitched vines no longer as traumatic to even make its way back to his mind. "Shall I reveal what really happened that night thirteen years ago? Shall I divulge how I truly lost my powers?" It seemed as if it were only Harry and Voldemort now, his death eaters not bothering to make a sound. It was mind-boggling for Cedric, how all these grown dark wizards congregated together to try and kill a fourteen-year-old boy. Despite how terrifying they were, the idea was actually pathetic on their end. It seemed so epic, the unexplainable tale of how Harry Potter had effortlessly defeated Voldemort. And now that he was here, Cedric couldn't believe his ears.

    "It was love, you see." Voldemort continued. "When dear, sweet Lily Potter gave up her life for her only son, she provided the ultimate protection, I couldn't touch you. It was old magic, something I should have foreseen," It was unbelievable how strong love really was. Despite himself, Cedric wondered if Holland could ever love himself that much, and maybe that was why he didn't die when the curse was thrown at him. But Holland did nothing to sacrifice herself for him, Cedric was merely fooling himself at a situation where he should be nothing but focused and serious. "But no matter, no matter. I can touch you now," In that moment, he'd probably touched Harry to emphasize his point as Harry let out the most agonizing yell he'd ever done. "Astonishing what a few drops of your blood will do, Harry!" He said as he basked in the glory of Harry's very evident anguish. Just then, a sound of another thud ringing in Cedric's ears. "Pick up your wand, Potter! Pick it up, pick it up!" Cedric's heart was racing faster by the second, what was about to happen between Harry and Voldemort?

    "You've been taught how to duel, I presume? Yes? First we bow to each other, come on now, Harry," He said, audibly struggling as he was probably casting the Imperius curse on Harry. "The niceties must be observed. Dumbledore wouldn't want you to forget your manners. I said bow!" He roared once more. Cedric figured that judging by the evident struggle and disappointment in Voldemort's voice that Harry was trying to work against the curse and was being successful in doing so. It didn't matter for long, though as Voldemort had moved on to another Unforgivable curse to give to the boy, the same one Holland's father had been given. "Crucio!" The curse slid from his tongue as if he'd been saying the word since he was a baby. He dd it once more, Harry writhing for what felt like the hundredth time that night. "Your parents would be proud, especially your filthy muggle mother,"

    "Expelliarmus!" Harry cried before grunting, sounding as if he'd been rolling on the ground.

    "I'm going to kill you, Harry Potter." Cedric felt more hot tears streaming down his face, some sliding down his neck and falling on the grass. "I'm going to destroy you. After tonight, no one will ever again question my powers. After tonight, if they speak of you, they'll speak only of how you begged for death,
    "And I being the merciful Lord, obliged." He concludes his small monologue. Harry must have stood to his feet and run to take cover as Voldemort quickly roared in anger before Cedric's ears had heard another wordless spell being shot out. "Don't you dare turn your back on me, Harry Potter! I want you to look at me when I kill you! I want to see the light leave your eyes!" Cedric tried to think of a way to get him and Harry out of this mess and away as quickly as possible. All he needed was to get to the portkey. But how on earth would he be able to get the portkey before Harry without the portkey bringing him back to Hogwarts and leaving Harry behind? It was impossible, and Cedric knew he had to get to Harry before the cup. Cedric tried to move again, starting small and lifting his fingers, still to no avail. As he tried to see if his toes could move, Harry's voice rang through the large graveyard.

    "Have it your way," And almost instantly, Voldemort and Harry both let out their spells as the deafening sound of their spells buzzed through everyone's eardrums.

    "Avada kedavra!"

    "Expelliarmus!" Cedric felt the ground shake, as if a massive earthquake was taking place. It was astounding how powerful both wizards were to be able to make the ground move the way it did. Despite himself, Cedric found himself amazed at how powerful Harry Potter really was. At the age of fourteen, courageously battling Lord Voldemort once more and making the earth move with just a simple disarming spell. It was no wonder he'd done so well, not just surviving the tasks in the tournament. He was extraordinary. Just then, Cedric began to feel a faint sensation on his shoulders, as if somebody was gently nudging him awake. "Sweetheart, talk to Harry. Tell him to take the cup," He heard a woman say. Cedric had no idea whose voice it was, knowing fully well it wasn't his mother's. But despite the suddenness, he found himself quickly obliging to her command. Cedric willed himself to somehow be able to send a message to Harry. He knew he wasn't actually screwing his eyes shut, but he worked his mind so hard he found himself sweating. And then, without opening his eyes, his vision was welcomed by a very alarming sight. It was Harry and Voldemort, pointing their wands towards each other, their spells connected as if by a tether. Death Eaters all around found no effective way to be helpful, simply watching the scene unfold. Cedric was somehow watching them from above, as if he were merely a shadow painted in the sky. Then, he remembered what he was there to do.

    "We haven't much time," the voice of the woman who woke him up said. He turned to look at her, he was met with a woman who had the most familiar, piercing green eyes. She was standing next to a man that looked exactly like Harry. Cedric was floating above the entire scene with Harry's parents. He couldn't help but wonder,

    "Am I dead?" He asked them. Lily Potter smiled gently before turning to look at her husband. Cedric found himself not worrying about the gesture, accepting his fate.

    "Harry, when the connection is broken, you must get to the portkey! We can linger for a moment to give you some time, but only for a moment do you understand?" His father says, Harry nodded at him. Lily put her arm on Cedric's shoulder once more, wordlessly telling him it was his turn to talk. Cedric decided to think about the people he loved the most.

    "Harry, take my body back, will you? Take my body back to Holland and my father," Harry struggled as he kept his hands on his wand as he nodded to Cedric, then it was his mother's turn to speak.

    "Let go. Sweetheart, you're ready. Let go. Let go," She coaxed, Harry mustering all the strength he could to break the connection. Once the connection broke, Cedric was met with a visionless state once more, feeling Harry struggle against the ground before grabbing a hold on to his chest and then the cup. Harry was finally on his way back to Hogwarts.