── ⲇ ──
Y/n stared at the man with the twisted grin. She kept a hold on Harry's arm. Dumbledore stared at the man in disgust before turning to McGonagall. He asked her to stand guard. He dismissed Snape to get Madam Pomfrey.
"Miss Potter." He turned to her. His voice pulled her out of her shock and she turned to look at him with wide eyes. "Would you like to join Harry and I up to my office? Or perhaps you'd like to rest."
Y/n stayed silent for a moment. "I'll... I'll join you..." she nodded slightly. Dumbledore nodded and led her and Harry to his office.
"Sirius is waiting." Dumbledore informed them.
Y/n kept her grip on Harry. He was shaking. And he was tired. He wanted nothing more but for this nightmare to end.
── ⲇ ──
When they stepped into the office, Sirius immediately ran up to Harry. "Harry, are you alright? I knew it— I knew something like this would happen. What happened?"
"Sirius, he's quite shaken up right now." Y/n informed him, leading Harry over to a chair and sitting him down. "Take it easy." She spoke soothingly. Harry stared quietly at the floor.
Fawkes went and landed on his knee. Dumbledore sat across Harry at his desk.
"I need to know what happened after you touched the portkey." He told Harry.
"Professor, can't this way till the morning?" Y/n looked at Dumbledore. "Harry should rest." Sirius added, putting his hand on Harry's shoulder.
"If I thought I could help you," Dumbledore said gently, "by putting you into an enchanted sleep and allowing you to postpone the moment when you would have to think about what has happened tonight, I would do it. But I know better. Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it. You have shown bravery beyond anything I could have expected of you. I ask you to demonstrate your courage one more time. I ask you to tell us what happened."
Y/n stood beside Harry, gripping his hand gently. Harry looked at her through his hair before he gently cleared his throat to speak.
And he explained everything that happened in the cemetery.
He told them about Cedric's death.
Voldemort's return. The death eaters gathering.
When Harry mentioned Wormtail and how he pierced Harry's arm with a dagger, Sirius let out a shout which shocked them all in the room.
"He said my blood would make him stronger than if he'd used some‐ one else's," Harry told Dumbledore. "He said the protection my - my mother left in me - he'd have it too. And he was right - he could touch me without hurting himself, he touched my face."
He then told them about Voldemort wanting to duel him. The wands had connected and he saw the ghosts of Cedric, Bertha Jorkins, the old man, and his parents. His grip on Y/n's hand lightly tightened when he mentioned their parents.
"The wands connected?" Sirius said, looking from Harry to Dumbledore. "Why?"
Harry looked up at Dumbledore again, on whose face there was an arrested look.
"Priori Incantatem," he muttered.
His eyes gazed into Harry's and it was almost as though an invisible beam of understanding shot between them.
"The Reverse Spell effect?" said Sirius sharply.
"Exactly," said Dumbledore. "Harry's wand and Voldemort's wand share cores. Each of them contains a feather from the tail of the same phoenix. This phoenix, in fact," he added, and he pointed at the scarlet-and- gold bird, perching peacefully on Harry's knee.
"My wand's feather came from Fawkes?" Harry said, amazed. "Yes," said Dumbledore. "Mr. Ollivander wrote to tell me you had bought the second wand, the moment you left his shop four years ago."
"So what happens when a wand meets its brother?" Y/n asked, looking at the two adults.
"They will not work properly against each other," said Dumbledore. "If, however, the owners of the wands force the wands to do battle...a very rare effect will take place. One of the wands will force the other to regurgitate spells it has performed - in reverse. The most recent first...and then those which preceded it...."
He looked interrogatively at Harry, and Harry nodded. "Which means," said Dumbledore slowly, his eyes upon Harry's face, "that some form of Cedric must have reappeared." Harry nodded again.
"Diggory came back to life?" said Sirius sharply. "No spell can reawaken the dead," said Dumbledore heavily. "All that would have happened is a kind of reverse echo. A shadow of the living Cedric would have emerged from the wand...am I correct, Harry?"
"He spoke to me," Harry said. He was suddenly shaking again. "The...the ghost Cedric, or whatever he was, spoke."
"An echo," said Dumbledore, "which retained Cedric's appearance and character. I am guessing other such forms appeared...less recent victims of Voldemort's wand...."
"An old man," Harry said, his throat still constricted. "Bertha Jorkins. And..."
"Your parents?" said Dumbledore quietly.
"Yes," said Harry.
Sirius's grip on Harry's shoulder was now so tight it was painful. He gripped Y/n's hand tighter.
"The last murders the wand performed," said Dumbledore, nodding. "In reverse order. More would have appeared, of course, had you maintained the connection. Very well, Harry, these echoes, these shadows...what did they do?"
Harry described how the figures that had emerged from the wand had prowled the edges of the golden web, how Voldemort had seemed to fear them, how the shadow of Harry's mother had told him what to do, how Cedric's had made its final request.
At this point. Harry found he could not continue. He looked around at Sirius and saw that he had his face in his hands.
"I will say it again," said Dumbledore as the phoenix rose into the air and resettled itself upon the perch beside the door. "You have shown bravery beyond anything I could have expected of you tonight. Harry. You have shown bravery equal to those who died fighting Voldemort at the height of his powers. You have shouldered a grown wizard's burden and found yourself equal to it - and you have now given us all we have a right to expect. You will come with me to the hospital wing. I do not want you returning to the dormitory tonight. A Sleeping Potion, and some peace...Sirius, Y/n, would you like to stay with him?"
The two nodded and Sirius turned into his black dog form as Y/n stood up, helping Harry out of the chair. The four made their way down the stairs of Dumbledore's office.
Y/n and Harry walked behind Dumbledore and the dog. "You are the bravest and strongest person I know..." she whispered to Harry, holding him closely with an arm around his shoulder. He glanced at her, not speaking. "I'm here for you." She told him, brushing bits of his hair away.
The four walked into the hospital wing, being met with the faces of Molly Weasley, Bill Weasley, Ron and Hermione. "Harry! Oh, Harry!" Molly shouted when she spotted him.
"Molly," he said, holding up a hand, "please listen to me for a moment. Harry has been through a terrible ordeal tonight. He has just had to relive it for me. What he needs now is sleep, and peace, and quiet. If he would like you all to stay with him," he added, looking around at Ron, Hermione, and Bill too, "you may do so. But I do not want you questioning him until he is ready to answer, and certainly not this evening."
Mrs. Weasley nodded. She was very white. She rounded on Ron, Hermione, and Bill as though they were being noisy, and hissed, "Did you hear? He needs quiet!"
"Headmaster," said Madam Pomfrey, staring at the great black dog that was Sirius, "may I ask what - ?"
"This dog will be remaining with Harry for a while," said Dumbledore simply. "I assure you, he is extremely well trained. Harry - I will wait while you get into bed."
Madam Pomfrey helped Harry into bed and gave him a potion for dreamless sleep. Y/n sat beside the bed. She then began to remember something.
A prophecy. "The truth shall be uncovered. True colors will be shown. Innocent blood shall be shed and he will rise again!" Trelawney's words replayed in her head.
Holy shit... she warned me... she was right...
Y/n sighed, pushing her hair back as she rubbed her temples. I should've listened... I could've figured it out... would that have helped?
"Dear, get some rest." Molly told her. Y/n looked at her, nodding gently.
── ⲇ ──
Y/n eventually did fall asleep beside Harry but was awoken in the middle of the night by shouting. Fudge was there. He was arguing along with McGonagall, Snape, and Dumbledore.
Harry was wide awake and listening.
"For heavens sake, Dumbledore - the boy was full of some crackpot story at the end of last year too - his tales are getting taller, and you're still swallowing them - the boy can talk to snakes. Dumbledore, and you still think he's trustworthy?"
"You fool!" Professor McGonagall cried. "Cedric Diggory! Mr. Crouch! These deaths were not the random work of a lunatic!"
"I see no evidence to the contrary!" shouted Fudge, now matching her anger, his face purpling. "It seems to me that you are all determined to start a panic that will destabilize everything we have worked for these last thirteen years!"
"Voldemort has returned," Dumbledore repeated. "If you accept that fact straightaway. Fudge, and take the necessary measures, we may still be able to save the situation. The first and most essential step is to remove Azkaban from the control of the dementors -"
"Preposterous!" shouted Fudge again. "Remove the dementors? I'd be kicked out of office for suggesting it! Half of us only feel safe in our beds at night because we know the dementors are standing guard at Azkaban!"
Y/n rubbed her temples exasperatedly. The arguing continued but soon ended. Fudge almost left before walking back and over to Harry. "Your winnings. One thousand galleons."
He then left. Dumbledore turned to look at the group around Harry's bed.
"There is work to be done," he said. "Molly...am I right in thinking that I can count on you and Arthur?"
"Of course you can," said Mrs. Weasley. She was white to the lips, but she looked resolute. "We know what Fudge is. It's Arthur's fondness for Muggles that has held him back at the Ministry all these years. Fudge thinks he lacks proper wizarding pride."
"Then I need to send a message to Arthur," said Dumbledore. "All those that we can persuade of the truth must be notified immediately, and he is well placed to contact those at the Ministry who are not as shortsighted as Cornelius."
"I'll go to Dad," said Bill, standing up. "I'll go now."
"Excellent," said Dumbledore. "Tell him what has happened. Tell him I will be in direct contact with him shortly. He will need to be discreet, however. If Fudge thinks I am interfering at the Ministry -"
"Leave it to me," said Bill. He clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder, kissed his mother on the cheek, hugged Y/n, pulled on his cloak, and strode quickly from the room.
"Minerva," said Dumbledore, turning to Professor McGonagall, "I want to see Hagrid in my office as soon as possible. Also - if she will consent to come - Madame Maxime."
Professor McGonagall nodded and left without a word.
"Poppy," Dumbledore said to Madam Pomfrey, "would you be very kind and go down to Professor Moody's office, where I think you will find a house-elf called Winky in considerable distress? Do what you can for her, and take her back to the kitchens. I think Dobby will look after her for us."
"Very - very well," said Madam Pomfrey, looking startled, and she too left.
"And now," he said, "it is time for two of our number to recognize each other for what they are. Sirius...if you could resume your usual form."
The great black dog looked up at Dumbledore, then, in an instant, turned back into a man.
Mrs. Weasley screamed and leapt back from the bed. "Sirius Black!" she shrieked, pointing at him. "Mum, shut up!" Ron yelled. "It's okay!"
Snape had not yelled or jumped backward, but the look on his face was one of mingled fury and horror.
"Him!" he snarled, staring at Sirius, whose face showed equal dislike. "What is he doing here?"
"He is here at my invitation," said Dumbledore, looking between them, "as are you, Severus. I trust you both. It is time for you to lay aside your old differences and trust each other."
Harry thought Dumbledore was asking for a near miracle. Sirius and Snape were eyeing each other with the utmost loathing.
"I will settle, in the short term," said Dumbledore, with a bite of impatience in his voice, "for a lack of open hostility. You will shake hands. You are on the same side now. Time is short, and unless the few of us who know the truth do not stand united, there is no hope for any us."
Very slowly - but still glaring at each other as though each wished the other nothing but ill - Sirius and Snape moved toward each other and shook hands. They let go extremely quickly.
"That will do to be going on with," said Dumbledore, stepping between them once more. "Now I have work for each of you. Fudge's attitude, though not unexpected, changes everything. Sirius, I need you to set off at once. You are to alert Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher - the old crowd. Lie low at Lupin's for a while; I will contact you there."
"But -" said Harry. He wanted Sirius to stay. He did not want to have to say goodbye again so quickly. "You'll see me very soon. Harry," said Sirius, turning to him. "I promise you. But I must do what I can, you understand, don't you?"
"Yeah," said Harry. "Yeah...of course I do."
Sirius grasped his hand briefly, nodded to Dumbledore, transformed again into the black dog, and ran the length of the room to the door, whose handle he turned with a paw. Then he was gone.
"Severus," said Dumbledore, turning to Snape, "you know what I must ask you to do. If you are ready...if you are prepared..."
"I am," said Snape. He looked slightly paler than usual, and his cold, black eyes glittered strangely. "Then good luck," said Dumbledore, and he watched, with a trace of
apprehension on his face, as Snape swept wordlessly after Sirius. It was several minutes before Dumbledore spoke again.
"I must go downstairs," he said finally. "I must see the Diggory's. Harry - take the rest of your potion. I will see all of you later."
Harry slumped back against his pillows as Dumbledore disappeared. The group stared at him.
"It wasn't your fault, Harry." Molly told him.
"I told him to take the cup with me. Those earnings aren't mine, i don't want them." Harry spoke expressionlessly.
Molly helped Harry drink his potion.
Y/n's ear perked up. There was a buzzing sound. She stood up and began to walk towards the sound. It was beside Hermione by a window.
"You hear that?" Y/n asked her. Hermione pointed to a beetle by the window. She quickly smacked her hands together, holding the beetle tightly. "Sorry." They whispered to the others.
Y/n stared at the beetle in Hermione's hand. "Rita. That nasty little beetle." She muttered.
── ⲇ ──
The last day of the school year finally came.
She walked into the hall for the last meal with Fred at her side, she held onto his arm for comfort. The hall had black drapes on the walls in remembrance of Cedric.
She sat beside Harry.
Professor Dumbledore, stood up at the staff table. The Great Hall, which in any case had been less noisy than it usually was at the Leaving Feast, became very quiet.
"The end," said Dumbledore, looking around at them all, "of another year."
He paused, and his eyes fell upon the Hufflepuff table. Theirs had been the most subdued table before he had gotten to his feet, and theirs were still the saddest and palest faces in the Hall.
"There is much that I would like to say to you all tonight," said Dumbledore, "but I must first acknowledge the loss of a very fine person, who should be sitting here," he gestured toward the Hufflepuffs, "enjoying our feast with us. I would like you all, please, to stand, and raise your glasses, to Cedric Diggory."
They did it, all of them; the benches scraped as everyone in the Hall stood, and raised their goblets, and echoed, in one loud, low, rumbling voice, "Cedric Diggory."
"Cedric was a person who exemplified many of the qualities that distinguish Hufflepuff house," Dumbledore continued. "He was a good and loyal friend, a hard worker, he valued fair play. His death has affected you all, whether you knew him well or not. I think that you have the right, therefore, to know exactly how it came about."
Harry and Y/n raised their heads and stared at Dumbledore.
"Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort."
A panicked whisper swept the Great Hall. People were staring at Dumbledore in disbelief, in horror. He looked perfectly calm as he watched them mutter themselves into silence.
"The Ministry of Magic," Dumbledore continued, "does not wish me to tell you this. It is possible that some of your parents will be horrified that I have done so - either because they will not believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, or because they think I should not tell you so, young as you are. It is my belief, however, that the truth is generally preferable to lies, and that any attempt to pretend that Cedric died as the result of an accident, or some sort of blunder of his own, is an insult to his memory."
Y/n chewed on her bottom lip, fiddling with her fingers as Dumbledore continued to speak about Cedric and then went on to mention Harry.
"There is somebody else who must be mentioned in connection with Cedric's death," Dumbledore went on. "I am talking, of course, about Harry Potter."
A kind of ripple crossed the Great Hall as a few heads turned in Harry's direction before flicking back to face Dumbledore.
"Harry Potter managed to escape Lord Voldemort," said Dumbledore. "He risked his own life to return Cedric's body to Hogwarts. He showed, in every respect, the sort of bravery that few wizards have ever shown in facing Lord Voldemort, and for this, I honor him."
Dumbledore turned gravely to Harry and raised his goblet once more. Nearly everyone in the Great Hall followed suit. They murmured his name, as they had murmured Cedric's, and drank to him.
── ⲇ ──
Y/n handed her trunk to Fred as he helped her put it up. "Thanks." She smiled up at him.
"About this summer—" Fred began to speak but was cut off by shouting.
"You've picked the losing side, Potter! I warned you! I told you you ought to choose your company more carefully, remember? When we met on the train, first day at Hogwarts? I told you not to hang around with riffraff like this!" Malfoy could be heard shouting. "Too late now. Potter! They'll be the first to go, now the Dark Lord's back! Mudbloods and Muggle-lovers first! Well - second - Diggory was the f-"
Fred, George and Y/n rolled their eyes, watching the altercation between Malfoy and Harry, Ron and Hermione from behind them.
It was as though someone had exploded a box of fireworks within the compartment, blinding everyone by the blaze of the spells that had blasted from every direction.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione had each used hexes on the three Slytherins. And they weren't the only ones. Y/n twirled her wand, putting it away. "That was long overdue." She muttered.
"Interesting effect," said George, looking down at Crabbe. "Who used the Furnunculus Curse?"
"Me," said Harry.
"Odd," said George lightly. "I used Jelly-Legs. Looks as though those two shouldn't be mixed. He seems to have sprouted little tentacles all over his face. Well, let's not leave them here, they don't add much to the decor."
Ron, Harry, and George kicked, rolled, and pushed the unconscious Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle - each of whom looked distinctly the worse for the jumble of jinxes with which they had been hit out into the corridor, then came back into the compartment and rolled the door shut.
Y/n was sat beside Fred, yawning softly as she laid her legs across his, quickly falling asleep. He tried not to disturb or wake her along the ride.
── ⲇ ──
They had finally reached Kings Cross station.
Y/n stood and was about to grab her trunk but was stopped by Fred. "I got it, love."
George gagged and mocked him. Harry couldn't help but snicker at the banter. "Wait, guys—"
Harry pulled open his trunk and drew out his Triwizard winnings. Y/n's gasped lightly, covering her mouth in shock before a smile began to grow on her face.
"Take it," he said, and he thrust the sack into George's hands. "What?" said Fred, looking flabbergasted. "Take it," Harry repeated firmly. "I don't want it."
"You're mental," said George, trying to push it back at Harry. "No, I'm not," said Harry. "You take it, and get inventing. It's for the joke shop."
"He is mental," Fred said in an almost awed voice. "Listen," said Harry firmly. "If you don't take it, I'm throwing it down the drain. I don't want it and I don't need it. But I could do with a few laughs. We could all do with a few laughs. I've got a feeling we're going to need them more than usual before long."
"Harry," said George weakly, weighing the money bag in his hands, "there's got to be a thousand Galleons in here."
"Yeah," said Harry, grinning. "Think how many Canary Creams that is." The twins stared at him.
"Just don't tell your mum where you got it...although she might not be so keen for you to join the Ministry anymore, come to think of it...."
"Harry," Fred began, but Harry pulled out his wand. "Look," he said flatly, "take it, or I'll hex you. I know some good ones now, courtesy of my sister. Just do me one favor, okay? Buy Ron some different dress robes and say they're from you."
He left the compartment before they could say another word, stepping over Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were still lying on the floor, covered in hex marks.
The twins stared at each other in disbelief before beginning to grin delightfully. The three walked out of the compartment.
Y/n ran over to Harry and hugged him tightly. "Make sure to write. And visit." She kissed his cheeked repeatedly before pulling back with a grin.
"Harry— thanks." George muttered to him while Fred nodded fervently. Harry smiled and walked over to Uncle Vernon.
So the year ended. And though it was filled with loss and grief, a love bloomed in the middle of the darkness. A love that will continue to thrive even in the darkest of times.
And those times draw nearer. But that concludes Harry's 4th year and Y/n's 6th year.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
End of Year 6