After the day of the third task the month seemed to merge into one long day. The school had been requested by Dumbledore not to ask Harry or Rory any questions about what happened that night. A lot of students whispered behind their hands as they passed. Perhaps they were formulating their own theories about how Cedric had died. Rory was sat in the common room between the twins along with Harry, Ron and Hermione. Ron looked at Harry before speaking.
"Mum went to ask Dumbledore if you could come straight to us this summer," he said. "But he wants you to go back to the Dursleys, at least at first."
"Why?" Harry said
"She said Dumbledore's got his reasons," said Ron, shaking his head darkly. "I suppose we've got to trust him, haven't we?"
"Great so I won't have Rory and I've still got to go back to them I thought I was finally free from them" Ron shrugged his shoulders whilst Rory just rested her head on Fred's shoulder.
"Why did you get spilt up?" Remus asks confused.
"Dumbledore decided that for my safety and wellbeing I was to go to Pads family home for the summer whilst Harry was to return to the Dursleys don't ask me why"
Rory packed her trunk before heading back down to meet the twins to head the the
Leaving Feast. The Great Hall was normally decorated with the winning House's colours for the Leaving Feast. Tonight, however, there were black drapes on the wall behind the teachers' table. They were there as a mark of respect to Cedric. The real Mad-Eye Moody was at the staff table now, his wooden leg and his magical eye back in place. He was extremely twitchy, jumping every time someone spoke to him. Professor Karkaroffs chair was empty.
Madame Maxime was still there. She was sitting next to Hagrid. They were talking quietly together. Further along the table, sitting next to Professor McGonagall, was Snape. He looked as sour and unpleasant as ever. 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," Dumbledore said, 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." Before sitting back down.
"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. 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." Stunned and frightened, every face in the Hall was turned toward Dumbledore now or almost every face. Over at the Slytherin table Draco Malfoy was muttering something to Crabbe and Goyle. "There is somebody else who must be mentioned in connection with Cedrics 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 his injured sister and 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 honour 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. But through a gap in the standing figures. Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and many of the other Slytherins had remained defiantly in their seats, their goblets untouched. Dumbledore, who after all possessed no magical eye, did not see them. When everyone had once again resumed their seats, Dumbledore continued, "The Triwizard Tournament's aim was to further and promote magical understanding. In the light of what has happened of Lord Voldemorts return such ties are more important than ever before." Dumbledore looked from Madame Maxime and Hagrid, to Fleur Delacour and her fellow Beauxbatons students, to Viktor Krum and the Durmstrangs at the Slytherin table. Krum looked wary, almost frightened, as though he expected Dumbledore to say something harsh. "Every guest in this Hall," said Dumbledore, and his eyes lingered upon the Durmstrang students, "will be welcomed back here at any time, should they wish to come. I say to you all, once again in the light of Lord Voldemort's return, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemorts gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open. It is my belief and never have I so hoped that I am mistaken that we are all facing dark and difficult times. Some of you in this Hall have already suffered directly at the hands of Lord Voldemort. Many of your families have been torn asunder. A week ago, a student was taken from our midst. Remember Cedric. Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory."
Rory waited in the crowded entrance with the twins and Lee for the carriages that would take them to Hogsmeade station. It was another beautiful summer's day. The usually horseless carriages were now trundling toward them up the drive. The weather could not have been more different on the journey back to King's Cross than it had been on their way to Hogwarts the previous September. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky. We managed to find a compartment to ourselves. When the lunch trolley arrived Fred and Lee went to grab them all something as Rory sat with her head on Georges shoulder.
As they got nearer to the station they went to find Harry, Ron and Hermione. They found them noticing malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle in the door.
"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-" It was as though someone had exploded a box of fireworks within the compartment. Blinded by the blaze of the spells that had blasted from every direction, deafened by a series of bangs. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were all lying unconscious in the doorway. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were on their feet, all three of them having used a different hex. Nor were they the only ones to have done so.
"Karma" Sirius shouts as Draco hides his face.
"Thought we'd see what those three were up to," Fred said matter-of-factly, stepping onto Goyle and into the compartment. He had his wand out, and so did George, who was careful to tread on Malfoy as he followed Fred inside Rory followed after.
"Interesting effect," George said, looking down at Crabbe. "Who used the Furnunculus Curse?"
"Me," Harry said.
"Odd," George said 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.
"Exploding Snap, anyone?" Fred said, pulling out a pack of cards. They were halfway through their fifth game when Harry decided to ask them.
"You going to tell us, then?" he said to George. "Who you were blackmailing?"
"Oh," George said darkly. "That."
"It doesn't matter," Fred said, shaking his head impatiently. "It wasn't anything important. Not now, anyway."
"We've given up," George added, shrugging. But Harry, Ron, and Hermione kept on asking, and finally, Fred said,
"All right, all right, if you really want to know... it was Ludo Bagman."
"Bagman?" Harry said sharply. "Are you saying he was involved in -"
"Nah," George said gloomily. "Nothing like that. Stupid git. He wouldn't have the brains."
"I do love them twins" Gideon said smiling slightly.
"Well, what, then?" Ron said. Fred hesitated, then said,
"You remember that bet we had with him at the Quidditch World Cup? About how Ireland would win, but Krum would get the Snitch?"
"Yeah," Harry and Ron said slowly.
"Well, the git paid us in leprechaun gold he'd caught from the Irish mascots."
"So?"
"So," Fred said impatiently, "it vanished, didn't it? By next morning, it had gone!"
"But - it must've been an accident, mustn't it?" Hermione said. George laughed very bitterly.
"Yeah, that's what we thought, at first. We thought if we just wrote to him, and told him he'd made a mistake, he'd cough up. But nothing doing. Ignored our letter. We kept trying to talk to
him about it at Hogwarts, but he was always making some excuse to get away from us."
"In the end, he turned pretty nasty," Fred said. "Told us we were too young to gamble, and he wasn't giving us anything."
"So we asked for our money back," George said glowering.
"He didn't refuse!" gasped Hermione.
"Right in one," Fred said.
"But that was all your savings!" Ron said.
"Tell me about it," George said. "'Course, we found out what was going on in the end. Lee Jordan's dad had had a bit of trouble getting money off Bagman as well. Turns out he's in big trouble with the goblins. Borrowed loads of gold off them. A gang of them cornered him in the woods after the World Cup and took all the gold he had, and it still wasn't enough to cover all his debts. They followed him all the way to Hogwarts to keep an eye on him. He's lost everything gambling. Hasn't got two Galleons to rub together. And you know how the idiot tried to pay the goblins back?"
"How?" Harry asked.
"He put a bet on you, mate," Fred said. "Put a big bet on you to win the tournament. Bet against the goblins."
"Idiot, never mess with goblins where moneys concerned" Fleamont says shaking his head.
"So that's why he kept trying to help me win!" Harry said everything finally making sense. "Well - I did win, didn't I? So he can pay you your gold!"
"Nope," George said, shaking his head. "The goblins play as dirty as him. They say you drew with Diggory, and Bagman was betting you'd win outright. So Bagman had to run for it. He did run for it right after the third task." George sighed deeply and started dealing out the cards again. The rest of the journey passed pleasantly enough and all too soon, the Hogwarts Express was pulling in at platform nine and three-quarters. The usual confusion and noise filled the corridors as the students began to disembark. Ron and Hermione struggled out past Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, carrying their trunks. Harry, however, stayed put.
"Fred - George - wait a moment." The twins turned. Harry pulled open his trunk and drew out his Triwizard winnings. "Take it," he said, and he thrust the sack into George's hands.
"What?" Fred said, looking flabbergasted.
"Take it," Harry repeated firmly. "I don't want it."
"You're mental," George said, trying to push it back at Harry.
"No, I'm not," Harry said. "You take it, and get inventing. It's for the joke shop."
"He is mental," Fred said in an almost awed voice.
"Listen," Harry said 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."
Rory smiles at Harry who returns it.
"Harry," George said weakly, weighing the money bag in his hands, "there's got to be a thousand Galleons in here."
"Yeah," Harry said, grinning. "Think how many Canary Creams that is." The twins stared at him as Rory smiled at her brother.
"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. Just do me one favour, 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. Rory looked at the twins who were both still in shock before they headed out. Remus and Sirius were stood with Mrs Weasley. Mrs Weasley hugged Harry very tightly when she saw him and whispered in his ear,
"I think Dumbledore will let you come to us later in the summer. Keep in touch, Harry."
"See you. Harry," Ron said, clapping him on the back.
"'Bye, Harry!" Hermione said, and she did something she had never done before, and kissed him on the cheek.
"Harry - thanks," George muttered, while Fred nodded fervently at his side. Harry winked at them.
"I'll see you soon Harry if you need me write no matter how small" Rory says looking at Harry.
"I'm going to miss you Rory" She pulls him into a hug.
"I can't believe they got split up" Andromeda says looking at her husband.
"I'm going to miss you too. Oh and before I forget" She whispers the next part "I'm seeing Charlie have been since last summer" he smiles.
"I kinda guessed there was something" he smirks as he turned to Uncle Vernon, and followed him silently from the station. Rory walked over to Remus and Sirius both pulling her into a hug before Mrs Weasley walks over pulling her into her for a hug.
"We'll see you soon Rory be safe"
"Always am mama bear" Rory gave the twins a quick hug before following Remus and Sirius.
"That's the end of that year" Hermione says taking the disc out.
"How about we all get something to eat. Talk amongst ourselves for a bit before we continue" Dumbledore says getting to his feet.