THIRD TASK-035
Cho will be out of character, sorta like Lavender in HBP.
ONE DAY UNTIL CEDRIC'S DEATH
"You know it's all right, it's okay. To I'll live to see another day. We can try to understand. The new york times effect on men."
Diana covered her mouth from a laugh that bubbled in her throat as she watched Cedric danced to Stayin' Alive by Bee Gees. He was shaking his butt as he was pointing to his hip then to the sky.
"Whether you're a brother, or whether you're a mother, you're stayin' alive, stayin' alive. Feel the city breakin' and everybody shakin' and we're stayin' alive, stayin' alive."
Cedric had spotted his friend watching as she held back her laughter. He started dancing his way over to her, pretending to throw a fish hook and realing her in making Diana burst out laughing as she grabbed his hands.
"Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive, stayin' alive. Ah, ha, ha, stayin' alive." Cedric sang the high note, while pulling Diana back and front. "Life goin' nowhere. somebody help me, somebody help me, yeah.
He started strutting around, pulling a hysterically laughing Diana with him. "Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk, I'm a woman's man: no time to talk. Music loud and women warm, I've been kicked around since I was born."
The pair finished dancing around to the song before laying on the ground as Diana calmed down and placed her head on Cedric's shoulder.
"Are you ready for the task tomorrow?" She asked as he wrapped his arm around her.
"I am." Cedric paused. "I'm scared, Diana. I don't know what going to happen in the task and that makes me scared."
Diana rolled on her stomach and looked up at him. "Ced, it's okay to be scared. I'm feeling very anxious for you and Harry. It's normal."
"I-I just don't want to die." Cedric whispered, his voice breaking. "People die in these tournaments, Di. What happens if it's one of us? What happens if it's me? What if I make one mistake that costs me anything, especially my life."
"You wouldn't, Ced. You're smart." Diana reassured him. "You'll make smart plays."
Tears welled up in Cedric's eyes. "I'm so scared."
Diana wrapped her arms around him as he let out a broken cry. She let her friend cry without judgement. This tournament was dangerous and he could possibly die. All he was to do is make smart plays. Just smart plays.
"It's okay, Ced. I'm here. I won't let you go. I love you."
"Love you too, Di,"
***
ZERO DAYS UNTIL CEDRIC'S DEATH
The day of the third and final task was hard for Diana and Cedric. The poor boy put a brave face in front of everyone but really was terrified. Diana knew by the way his hands shook as he sat with his father and his house that he was. At breakfast, she sat with her friends glancing every so often at Ced. She was very worried about him and Harry, who was sitting next to her as pale as paper. She slid her hand Harry's, underneath the table, entwining them, and clutched it tightly.
"How are you feeling, Harry?" Hermione looked at the boy.
"Okay, I guess," Harry answered shortly. He clutched Diana's hand tightly as she rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand.
Ron glanced up from his food. "You going to eat something, mate?"
Harry wasn't thinking about food. He was thinking about the task and how he was going to survive it. "No, not hungry."
"Harry, you have to eat something. You have to keep up your strength." Hermione said with concern written on her face. "You don't know what you going up against in that task. Strength is the most important—"
"Just leave him alone, Hermione," Sammy cut her off where he sat on the other side of Harry. "He's got enough on his plate. He doesn't need you hounding him—you can give me dirty looks all you want, Mione, but that won't stop me from saving Harry."
Hermione huffed. "I'm just worried about him."
Sammy nodded in understanding. "Yeah, we all are, but we're not hounding him a few hours before the task."
"Harry, darling!" An over-happy voice called out.
They all snapped their heads towards the left and saw Cho Chang coming over with some of her friends. She and her friends shoved themselves between Diana and Sammy, setting themselves next to Harry which caused the pair's hands to disconnect. Diana, Hermione, Sammy, and Ron all rolled their eyes simultaneously as Cho leaned against Harry. Ella, who was sitting a bit down at the table, gave the older Ravenclaw an infuriated look.
"Hi, Cho," Harry said, monotoned.
"Are you ready for the task? I'm rooting for you, darling," Cho says, overly sweet.
Sammy looked at his siblings and Hermione with furrowed brows. He mouthed. "Darling?"
Harry looked crossed but nodded anyway. "Thanks, Cho,"
"I'm your girlfriend so I can cheer for you the loudest,"
Everyone's head snapped towards the girl, even Ella and Ginny who were listening as Ron whispered to Diana. "Since when was she his girlfriend?"
Diana shrugged as her hair melted to emerald. "Don't know. That's new to me,"
"Uh, girlfriend?" Harry asked in confusion.
"Yes, silly. Since the Yule Ball." Cho grinned. "Are you happy? Because I'm super happy,"
Harry's eyes widened as he glanced over to Diana, who looked revolted. "I, uh, yeah! Very happy."
Sammy also looked revolted. "I, um, I'm leaving." he stood up and grabbed his twin by the arm. "Come, Ann. Let's go vomit in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom,"
Diana got up, sending her brother and Hermione a tight smile before following after her twin. She grabbed his hand, the wisps climbing up their arms as they walked out of the Great Hall.
"Did Mum get back to you on the wisps?" Sammy questioned, glancing down his tingling arm.
"Yeah, she said she thinks that our magical core is somehow bonded or linked together. She said to ask Dumbledore about it because he will probably know more." Diana answered, lightly swinging their arms.
Sammy nodded. "We should ask Dumbledore after the task. I want to know more,"
"Yeah, me too,"
***
THE TASK
"Earlier today, Professor Moody placed the Triwizard Cup deep within the maze. Only he knows its exact position. Now, as Mr. Diggory and Mr. Potter are tied for first position, they will be the first to enter the maze, followed by Mr. Krum and Miss Delacour." Dumbledore spoke, his voice a bit strained.
Diana sat between her brother and twin in the strands as she made eye contact with Cedric. She placed her hand on her heart and tapped it three times, telling him she loved him. Cedric grinned, tapping his heart back and pointing towards her. She smiled and mimicked him as she looked toward Harry, who was already staring at her, and blew him a kiss which caused him to smile through the nerves.
"The first person to touch the cup will be the winner! I've instructed the staff to patrol the perimeter. Should, at any point, a contestant wish to withdraw from the task, he or she needs to send up red sparks with their wands. Contestants! Gather around. Quickly!" Dumbledore and the contestants huddled in a circle.
Sammy grabbed his twin's hand that she was tapping against her legs. "Stop stressing out, Ann. I can feel it. I don't know how but I can. So stop,"
Diana opened her mouth to respond, but Dumbledore spoke. "Champions, prepare yourselves! On the count of three. One—" The canon went off and Harry and Cedric disappeared inside the maze.
The next half hour was long as Diana's knee bounced up and down, and anxiety floored her. Her hair never changed from its mix of yellow and violet as she clutched her twin's hand tightly causing the wisps to react.
"I feel like I'm going to throw up," Diana muttered as Ron placed his hand on her knee stopping it from moving.
"They're going to be fine, Ana," Ron said, grabbing her other hand. He rubbed his thumb on the back of her hand, trying to smooth his sister.
Diana wanted to believe him, but something in her gut said differently. Something bad was going to happen. She could feel it. When a red flare shot in the sky, Diana's throat became dry as sand. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she saw Fleur was spat out of the maze and the next flare was for Krum. After the flares, it felt like an eternity past. The students of Hogwarts became restless with nerves as they waited for something—anything to happen.
Before they could blink, a flash happened which caused Diana to bolt up out of her seat and look out for her boys. Everyone was cheering and the band was playing as her eyes focused on them. Her breath hitched, knowing something was wrong. She tagged her hands out of her brothers' hands and descended down the stands as a heart-wrenching scream broke out of Fleur.
Diana stepped onto the field before coming to a halt and saw Harry lying on Cedric's unmoving body, sobbing on his chest. The world seemed to stop around Diana as she covered her mouth. She felt dizzy causing her to fall backwards and was caught by Fred. A sob ripped out of her throat as everything got quiet when they realized what was going on.
Cedric Diggory was dead.
"No, no!" She faintly heard Harry scream as Dumbledore tried to move him off Cedric's body. "He's back! He's back! Voldemort's back. Cedric, he asked me to bring his body back."
"Annie! You need to breathe!" Fred yelled, holding his sister.
"I-I can't," Diana wheezed out as it was becoming difficult to breathe."I-I c-can't breathe, Freddie,"
George looked at his twin with a panicked look. "I think she's having a panic attack. We need to take her inside the castle."
Fred picked up his little sister in his arms before sprinting towards the castle with George on his heels. Once in the common room, the redhead sat on the couch with Diana on his lap. Her breath came out at a rapid rate as he ran his hand through her deep blue hair when Sammy burst into the room and hurried over to his twin.
He took her from his brother, setting the taller of the two on his lap.
"I'm here, Ann. Focus on my breathing. In and out."
Diana buried her face in his neck as she followed his breathing. Soon, she calmed down as she laid her head on his shoulder and clutched his hand tightly.
"He's gone. Cedric's gone,"