Once again, it was not an interesting Task to sit in. Not being able to see anything. Not too long into the task, red sparks shot up into the hair.
Tonks Apparated into the maze towards the sparks, and a second later she came out with Krum, who was unconscious. Madam Pomfrey and a few professors started tending to him right away. Soon, another few sparks went up. Kingsley nodded at me from far.
"My time to shine." I said, before Apparating to where the sparks came from. I saw Fleur, also unconscious. I made sure she was alright, before wrapping my arms around her and Apprating back out of the maze, where Pomfrey rushed to her right away. "She's okay." she assured me. I nodded and I quickly went back to my post.
"Is she alright?" Bill asked me, worriedly.
"She's alright." I nodded.
I was tapping my foot impatiently now. It was taking forever for Harry or Cedric to come back. Now it was up to them to get the Cup. I was pleased that whoever got it would be Hogwarts either way.
"Quit tapping your foot!" Hermione cried. "It's making me nervous."
"Ah, sorry Hermione. It's a nervous habit I have." I apologized.
Bill reached back and took my hand in his. Without Percy or Ollie to comfort me, Bill was a nice option. I hoped it worked out with him and Fleur. They deserve each other and compliment each other well.
Finally, after what felt like eternity, two figures appeared in midair, landing on the ground.
"They made it!" I cried.
Harry was clutching onto who looked like Cedric, unconscious. We all cheered, the roar was deafening. I was clapping with excitement, before feeling like somethin was not right.
"Something's wrong." I said, the hairs on my neck standing.
"What do you mean!" Bill cried, clapping hard.
"Cedric is, he isn't...." I trailed off.
I watched as Dumbledore and Fudge went over to him. My ears perked up and I heard Fudge faintly say "He's dead. He's dead!"
I gasped, my wand clattering to the ground. I picked it up.
"What? What happened?" asked Ron, looking over. "Sara what's going on?"
People seemed to finally understand what was happening, and girls were now crying and sobbing, including myself. Tears were pooling in my eyes.
"I have to go." I gasped, running towards Tonks and Kingsley. "Cedric-"
"I know." Tonks looked pale. "It's okay." she grabbed my arm.
Dumbledore told us to go wait in the Hospital Wing, where Krum and Fleur were being kept, and to wait there while he attended business. We rushed to the Hospital Wing. Krum was still out cold, but Fleur's eyes were fluttering.
"Fleur! You alright?" I asked.
"Yes. What happened?"
"Cedric is dead." my voice cracked.
Her eyes widened, before it filled with tears.
We all sat in silence, waiting for Dumbledore to return. Then, Professor Snape and McGonagall walked in, carrying-
"Mad-Eye!" Tonks and I cried.
"Is he alright!"
McGonagall grimaced. "Perhaps the Headmaster will explain that later."
Soon, Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Ron, and Hermione arrived looking for Harry.
"He's not here." I said. "He's still with Dumbledore I think."
Suddenly, the doors opened and Harry walked in with Dumbledore.
Mrs. Weasley ran to him. "Oh Harry!"
Dumbledore stood between them though. "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."
"Headmaster," said Madam Pomfrey, staring at a great black dog. "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."
Sirius? I mouthed to Ron and Hermione. They both nodded.
"I will be back to see you as soon as I have met with Fudge, Harry," said Dumbledore, once Harry got under the covers. "I would like you to remain here tomorrow until I have spoken to the school." He left.
Soon, Harry drifted off to sleep.
We all waited by Harry's side. Tonks and Kingsley decided they should go, to only leave Harry's close friends with him.
"Do not worry about training, this weekend." Kingsley said. "We'll just end early. You've had a tough few days."
I nodded. "Thank you Kingsley."
He hand Tonks left. I sat down in a chair, rubbing my face. "I didn't realize just how tough being an Auror is, and I'm only in training!" I whispered.
At one point, I heard two voices arguing loudly.
"Regrettable, but all the same, Minerva —" Cornelius Fudge was saying loudly.
"You should never have brought it inside the castle!" yelled Professor McGonagall. "When Dumbledore finds out —"
Fudge came striding up the ward. Professors McGonagall and Snape were at his heels.
"Where's Dumbledore?" Fudge demanded of Mrs. Weasley.
"He's not here," said Mrs. Weasley angrily. "This is a hospital wing, Minister, don't you think you'd do better to —"
But then Dumbledore came striding in. "What has happened?" said Dumbledore sharply, looking from Fudge to Professor McGonagall. "Why are you disturbing these people? Minerva, I'm surprised at you — I asked you to stand guard over Barty Crouch Jr-"
"There is no need to stand guard over him anymore, Dumbledore!" she shrieked. "The Minister has seen to that!"
"When we told Mr. Fudge that we had caught the Death Eater responsible for tonight's events," said Snape, in a low voice, "he seemed to feel his personal safety was in question. He insisted on summoning a dementor to accompany him into the castle. He brought it up to the office where Barty Crouch —"
"I told him you would not agree, Dumbledore!" Professor McGonagall fumed. "I told him you would never allow dementors to set foot inside the castle, but —"
"My dear woman!" roared Fudge. "as Minister of Magic, it is my decision whether I wish to bring protection with me when interviewing a possibly dangerous —"
"The moment that — that thing entered the room," she screamed, pointing at Fudge, trembling all over, "it swooped down on Crouch and — and —"
"By all accounts, he is no loss!" blustered Fudge. "It seems he has been responsible for several deaths!"
"But he cannot now give testimony, Cornelius," said Dumbledore. He was staring hard at Fudge, as though seeing him plainly for the first time. "He cannot give evidence about why he killed those people."
"Why he killed them? Well, that's no mystery, is it?" blustered Fudge. "He was a raving lunatic! From what Minerva and Severus have told me, he seems to have thought he was doing it all on You-Know-Who's instructions!"
"Lord Voldemort was giving him instructions, Cornelius," Dumbledore said. "Those people's deaths were mere by-products of a plan to restore Voldemort to full strength again. The plan succeeded. Voldemort has been restored to his body."
"What the fuck is happening." I whispered to Fred, who shrugged.
"You-Know-Who . . . returned? Preposterous. Come now, Dumbledore . . ." Fudge blabbed.
"As Minerva and Severus have doubtless told you," said Dumbledore, "we heard Barry Crouch confess. Under the influence of Veritaserum, he told us how he was smuggled out of Azkaban, and how Voldemort — learning of his continued existence from Bertha Jorkins — went to free him from his father and used him to capture Harry. The plan worked, I tell you. Crouch has helped Voldemort to return."
"See here, Dumbledore," said Fudge, a slight smile dawning on his face, "you — you can't seriously believe that. You-Know-Who — back? Come now, come now . . . certainly, Crouch may have believed himself to be acting upon You-Know-Who's orders — but to take the word of a lunatic like that, Dumbledore . . ."
"When Harry touched the Triwizard Cup tonight, he was transported straight to Voldemort," said Dumbledore steadily. "He witnessed Lord Voldemort's rebirth. I will explain it all to you if you will step up to my office."
"Look, I saw Voldemort come back!" Harry shouted. He tried to get out of bed again, but Mrs. Weasley forced him back. "I saw the Death Eaters! I can give you their names! Lucius Malfoy —"Snape made a sudden movement, but as Harry looked at him, Snape's eyes flew back to Fudge.
"Malfoy was cleared!" said Fudge, visibly affronted. "A very old family — donations to excellent causes —"
"Macnair!" Harry continued.
"Also cleared! Now working for the Ministry!"
"Avery — Nott — Crabbe — Goyle —"
"You are merely repeating the names of those who were acquitted of being Death Eaters thirteen years ago!" said Fudge angrily. "You could have found those names in old reports of the trials! For heaven's 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!"
Fudge started stalking away, before turning back to Harry. "Your winnings," he said shortly, taking a large bag of gold out of his pocket and dropping it onto Harry's bedside table. "One thousand Galleons. There should have been a presentation ceremony, but under the circumstances . . ."He crammed his bowler hat onto his head and left.
Dumbledore wanted someone to go to Mr. Weasley, so Bill offered, kissing his mum and clapping Harry on the back before leaving. "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."
Soon, Madam Pomfrey left. Krum and Fleur had left earlier this morning, so now it was just Dumbledore, Fred, George, Ron, Harry, Hermione and Mrs. Weasley left.... and Snape.
"And now," Dumbledore 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 dog resumed to himself, and Mrs. Weasley screamed.
"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."
"Professor Dumbledore?" I asked timidly.
"Yes, Miss Finnigan?"
"What happened to Mad-Eye?"
"You never met him." he said.
I hated when Dumbledore spoke in these stupid riddles.
"Meaning...?" I trailed off.
"The Mad-Eye Moody you met was not the real one. It was Barty Crouch Jr. in disguise."
"I WAS IN THE PRESENCE OF A DEATHEATER?!" I cried. "HE TRAINED ME FOR A WHOLE DAY!"
"Yes Sara, but don't worry, Mad-Eye is alright. He just needs rest, he's been locked in a trunk for nine months."
I blinked rapidly. "Merlin, that's- wow."
Soon, Sirius, Dumbledore and Snape left. Mrs. Weasley made Harry finish drinking potion, and we all sat there in support.
The next morning, I ran off to find Seamus. I found him and Dean sitting outside by the lake, chatting together.
"Hey!" I cried.
The turned around and Shay jumped up, pouncing on me. I could feel his shoulders were tense. Dean stayed sitting, still looking shaky.
"Are you alright Shay? Big shock isn't it?"
He nodded. "I never liked him much but, to die? It's horrible. He didn't even finish his year."
"I know." I sighed. "It's tough."
"How's Harry taking it?" He asked.
"Not great."
We spend the rest of the afternoon sitting by the lake, each of us wrapped up in our own worlds