Cedric left Hogwarts to see Amos and catch up on a year worth of school work. Unfortunately, he couldn't go peacefully. Melody and Harry watched as he got attacked by reporters, and then cameras flashing in his face. Cedric put his hand over his eyes to shield the light.
"Mister Diggory, did you fake your death?" Melody heard Rita Skeeter ask.
"No. Why would I do that?" He answered.
"I mean, it runs in the family. Your mother, your stepfather..."
"Erm, okay..." Cedric rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "If you'll excuse me..." He moved past Rita.
Melody flashed him a sad smile. She felt horrible about everything. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to be gone so long and everything be different. Harry noticed Melody's expression and leaned in to whisper in her ear.
"He'll be okay, you know."
"I know. It just seems hard. Coming back from the dead and the unwanted attention he's been getting must be hard."
"He always liked a challenge," Harry whispered back. "I have another detention with Umbridge, so I have to go, but he'll be fine. Promise. Love you," Harry said and kissed her cheek before going to his detention.
Melody stood there a few more minutes, and then she turned into her common room. She plopped down next to Ron on the couch; Hermione was on the floor.
"Hey, Melody, are you a dog or cat person? Hermione says cats are better, but I say otherwise."
"Um, a dog person," Melody answered.
"Ha! Take that, 'Mione!" Ron boasted.
"You're just upset Crookshanks killed your rat!" she argued.
"I still am upset about that, actually," he said thoughtfully. "Melody, if you ever get a dog, you are naming it Ronald the II."
"I am not naming my future dog after you," Melody laughed.
"I think Hermione's a better fit."
"Rubbish. Ronald the II is loads better!" Hermione then stood up and started chasing him around the common room. "Melody! I may not make it alive, so I leave all my candy to Harry!" He shouted as the two ran out of the common room.
Melody laughed and shook her head. Elijah then wandered into the common room and sat down next to Melody. "I heard your brothers back from the dead," he said.
"Yeah," she sighed.
"How are you? That must be just-wow."
"I'm okay. I just feel so bad. Harry even told me there was a possibility he was alive a few days ago, and I called him crazy," Melody scoffed. "Or I might as well have called him crazy."
"It's not your fault, Melody. I'd probably call Daphne crazy if she told me my dead brother was back from the dead too."
"But it is my fault. He died because of me."
"Huh? I heard he fell off his broom during quidditch," Elijah said confusedly.
"That's the cover story," she sighed before continuing. "I'm sure you heard of the whole Petrova Curse thing. Well, we were trying to break it. Cedric wasn't supposed to come, and I let him. If Cedric hadn't come that night, he would've never been in a coma. He would've been here all this time. So it is my fault, Elijah."
"How did he die then?"
"When me, Leo, and Dahlia were breaking the curse, the room swarmed with masked men. We defeated the men, but another woman was still standing. She knocked everyone out unexpectedly, but I managed to block the spell. She then... killed Cedric to prove a point, and the rest is a blur, really," she explained. "Oh my god. That's the first time I've ever told the whole story without crying." She smiled to herself proudly.
"That amazing, Melody. I'm so proud of you." Elijah wrapped his arms around her torso, so did Melody. They stayed like that for what felt like hours. "And it's not your fault. You can't predict the future any better than Trelawney can," he laughed.
Melody laughed at his attempt to cheer her up. "You are amazing, Elijah."
"I get that a lot," he said cheekily. "I'm kidding. You are amazing too, Melody Petrova Diggory."
"I get that a lot," she said in the same tone he did.
Just then, Hermione and Ron ran back into the common room panting. Elijah and Melody separated quickly; they both didn't want Ron and Hermione to get the wrong idea.
"I'm alive! Don't give my candy to Harry!" Ron panted.
"Because I spared you," Hermione muttered.
Elijah chuckled. "I should get going. I have to go meet with Daphne." He leaned in to whisper, "I really am proud of you." He then walked out.
"I actually have to go do my work. Hermione, don't kill Ron! Ron, don't provoke her!" Melody instructed.
"I will try my best. No promises."
She chuckled. "Alright. See you later." She went up to her dorm room. When Melody left, Harry walked in.
"Umbridge let me off early; McGonagall convinced her to let me go."
"That's lucky. Look, I don't know if we should tell you, it's really not our place..."
"Really, Ron, the one time you don't talk," Harry laughed. "Seriously, what's going on?"
"Melody and Elijah were sitting very close, knee touching," said Ron.
Harry had an uneasy face. "It's fine. Elijah has a girlfriend, and I trust Melody."
"Your face says otherwise, Harry," Hermione inspected.
"It's fine, really. There are far more important things going on than Elijah and Melody sitting close."
"Then he whispered something in her ear..."
"Could you please not..." he trailed off.
"Sorry."
"So, Harry, are you a dog or a cat person..."
-
Later that day, Melody met up with McGonagall. She sounded very demanding when she asked Melody to come to her office, so she hoped nothing terrible happened.
"Melody, I've called you here in regards to Cedric." She looked over a piece of parchment. "Cedric is not being held accountable for his coma, but the Ministry is not pleased with how this all happened."
"What are you saying?"
"The Ministry wants to know how Cedric actually got put in a coma. They say if you refuse, Cedric will be thrown in Azkaban. Your mother has a lot of power over the Ministry, but unfortunately, she couldn't throw this one. What will it be? Tell them or..."
"The obvious solution is to tell them, right?"
"In my opinion, yes. But Melody, the whole story has to include the woman that killed Cedric. I know you killed her after she killed your brother, and the minister is looking for any reason the throw you in Azkaban. So what I'm saying is, you may go to Azkaban too."
"What? Why? What I did was self-defense!"
"And I know that, but the minster doesn't care. And since no one was conscious when you did it, you have no allies. It's your word against a roomful of people."
"Why won't they just test me on Veritaserum?"
"They are. And since you've been taught to resist truth veritaserum, I have an idea..." she hesitated before continuing. "Lie. Tell the minister that what you did was purely self-defense, and the minister will have no choice but to let you go."
"This is why you've always been my favorite," she beamed.