[✓] 𝐴𝑆𝑇𝐸𝑅𝐼𝑆𝑀 | 𝐂𝐄𝐃𝐑𝐈𝐂 𝐃𝐈𝐆𝐆𝐎𝐑𝐘

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘-𝐎𝐍𝐄

Liliana immediately came to the right of the bed as his parents approached the left. Her eyes examined him, and her heart sank with everything she noticed.

The cuts were deep and still gushing blood; the bruises were darkening in colour, leaving no space for any of his usual fair skin; some of his messy hair was sticking to his face, in both a mixture of sweat and blood; the clothes he wore were filthy, and there were several burn marks.

Hurriedly, her eyes searched for any sign of life—a short breath, a quiet groan, twitching fingers, just anything.

She held her breath as her eyes lowered to his chest.

Nothing.

She shook her head slightly. There was no way, no way he could be . . . She didn't want to accept it. She couldn't accept it. Her breathing was beginning to become uneven, but her eyes remained fixated on his chest.

And then—

It rose. Then fell.

He was alive.

Liliana let out a sigh of relief and felt tears come to her eyes once more, although these particular tears were happier. She took his hand, caressing the skin gently as she gazed down at his face. He was breathing rather slowly, but surely.

Mrs. Diggory was silently crying as Mr. Diggory comforted her. Both of their faces were pale and stained with tears, but they had the same look of relief in their eyes that Liliana had.

Madam Pomfrey gently moved Liliana out of the way and began to work on the boy. Mrs. Diggory soon came over to her and embraced her in a tight hug, one that lasted for several minutes.

Cedric's skin was beginning to regain its colour, and his fingers would twitch every so often. Madam Pomfrey had healed his cuts and bruises and didn't seem too worried about his condition either, which was something that relieved Liliana greatly.

About twenty minutes after Madam Pomfrey had finished with him, Cedric's eyes fluttered open. They were confused at first as they flitted around the dim lighting of the hospital wing, then registering all of the faces. His eyes landed on Liliana and rested on her face as she took his hand once more.

"Cedric, darling," his mother cooed softly as she placed a hand on his now-healed cheek, "are you all right? How do you feel?"

"I'm—I'm fine," he reassured them with a small smile.

"Are you sure?" Liliana asked, her eyebrows furrowed with worry as she looked down at his face.

He gave a small nod. "I'm sure, love, don't worry."

"What . . ." Mr. Diggory's voice was hardly more than a whisper, so soft that Cedric had to lean towards him to hear better, "what happened?"

"I don't . . . I don't remember much." Cedric shook his head, slowly sitting up with the help of his mother. He rubbed the back of his head, his eyebrows knit tightly together. "Um . . . but Krum . . ."

"What about him?" Liliana questioned, her head tilted.

His lips formed into a frown. "He snuck up behind me and he . . . he used the Cruciatus Curse on me. And on Fleur. Harry saved me though—knocked Krum out."

"The Cruciatus Curse?" Mrs. Diggory whispered in horror, displaying the same shock the others were. "Why on Earth would he—"

"I don't know, Mum. But, later on, Harry and I, we made it to the Cup at the same time . . . I told him to take it, but he refused. We sort of just went on back and forth, telling each other to take it but then he suggested that we both take it. A double Hogwarts victory, you know?" A goofy smile appeared on his face before he became serious once more. "But the Cup . . . it some sort of portkey, and we landed in this . . . graveyard, and then . . . a red light—stunning spell—I don't remember anything after that."