Day of the final task
Excited voices and the noise of the footsteps of hundreds of students filling their seats. The sky had turned a deep and clear blue, and the first stars were beginning to appear. The Hufflepuff students carried posters and flags to support Cedric, while the Gryffindors had the lion house flags.
The professors were talking to the champions, and Cassi blew a kiss in the air to Fleur. They had decided to be better off as friends, but they couldn't help but feel a certain... fondness.
Dumbledore then pointed his wand to his throat and murmured "Sonorus," and his amplified voice echoed through the stands.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind everyone of the current score! Tied in first place, with eighty-five points each, we have Mr. Cedric and Mr. Harry Potter, both from Hogwarts School!"
The cheers and applause made the birds fly out of the Forbidden Forest towards the twilight sky.
"In second place, with eighty points, we have Mr. Viktor Krum from Durmstrang Institute!" More applause. "And in third place, Miss Fleur Delacour from Beauxbatons Academy!" More people applauded.
"So... when I blow the whistle, Harry and Cedric!" announced Bagman. "Three, two, one..." The wizard blew the whistle forcefully, and Harry and Cedric ran towards the entrance of the immense maze.
(...)
Cassi, who was next to Minerva and Snape, asked for permission to join her Gryffindor friends. It was getting dark when a red signal was seen in the sky. Something was wrong.
The mazes began to change, and soon a team went in search. Fleur was injured, and Cassi smelled blood when she was taken out of the maze. She ran to her, ignoring Minerva's shouts in her ears.
"What happened? Where does it hurt?" Cassi asked alarmed, moving aside so Madame Pomfrey could work in peace.
"Help me sit over there," called Pomfrey, and Cassi promptly helped. Then, another 30 minutes passed when Harry appeared. Cheers were heard, and people were celebrating. But then Cassi noticed, Fleur, who was next to her, also seemed shaken.
Cedric Diggory, he was lifeless.
Cedric was dead.
Cassiopeia's eyes widened, and her mouth suddenly became dry. She shook Minerva, and Dumbledore went to Harry, who was crying and murmuring, "He's back, he's back. Voldemort's back."
Then it was chaos, a great silence fell, and some people started crying and screaming so painfully that Cassi felt her own tears welling up in her eyes, overwhelmed by a horrible sensation with everyone around her. Harry seemed very stunned.
"Cedric asked me to bring his body here. I couldn't leave him there," Harry cried in despair.
"The body must be moved, Dumbledore. There are too many people," the Minister requested.
But then Mr. Diggory passed through the crowd, he seemed very distraught.
"THAT'S MY SON! THAT'S MY BOY!" the man shouted amidst tears, feeling so much pain, so many memories surfacing at once.
Cassiopeia was disoriented, she had never felt anything like it, it was as if a dagger had struck her. As if his feelings were hers.
Then she looked at Cedric again and realized that Harry had disappeared. Panic took her as she searched for a specific man.
"That worm took him," Cassiopeia growled.
"What did you say, dear?" Minerva asked concerned.
"Harry was taken, Aunt Minnie. That idiot professor is not who he claims to be," Cassiopeia managed to say amidst her growl.
Minerva widened her eyes for a second before urgently calling Dumbledore. Cassiopeia assumed her animagus form and ran back to the castle, with Dumbledore, Minerva, and Snape on her heels.
When they finally reached the Room of Requirement, the door was locked. Cassi returned to her human form and drew her wand. Dumbledore shouted, "Expelliarmus!" And the door exploded, throwing Moody against the wall.
Dumbledore went furiously towards the man and grabbed his neck, forcing him to open his mouth. She had never seen the professor so angry.
"Severus," Dumbledore requested, and Snape took the potion from his sleeve and forcefully poured it down the man's throat. Veritaserum, Cassiopeia could smell it.
"Do you know who I am?"
"Albus Dumbledore."
"Are you Alastor Moody?" Dumbledore questioned, and the man tried to resist the potion, but couldn't.
"No."
"He is in this room?" Dumbledore asked, but there was no response. "He is in this room?" he questioned again, this time with a growl.
The wizard nodded towards a box in the corner of the room. Dumbledore asked Harry to step back and opened the box. As they approached, the real Alastor was down there.
"Sorry, Dumbledore," the man apologized, holding his eye, seemingly in pain.
"That is Moody, but who is..." Harry asked, turning to the now writhing wizard in the chair.
"Barty Crouch... Junior," Cassi growled, wand still raised towards the man. Oh, how she wished she could torture him right there.
He looked quite surprised as he began to transform into his true form. The man tried to approach Harry, but Cassiopeia practically thrust her wand in his face.
"You're a very peculiar little princess," he sneered. "The Dark Lord would be proud to have you among his ranks."
Cassi ignored it and sank her wand into his cheek, but Minerva pulled her back.
"I'll show you mine if you show me yours," the man smiled, pulling up his Dark Mark tattooed on his forearm.
"Your arm, Harry," Dumbledore requested, pulling the boy, who had a cut on his arm.
"You know what this means, don't you? He's back. Lord Voldemort has returned," Barty laughed.
"Send an owl to Azkaban. I think they'll find a missing prisoner," Minerva was ready to leave the room, practically dragging Cassi with her.
"I'll be received as a hero," he shouted.
"Perhaps. Personally, I've never had much time for heroes," Dumbledore said, leaving shortly after with Harry.
(...)
Harry was taken to the infirmary, and Sirius stayed by his side as an Animagus, while Cassiopeia insisted on holding his hand from the other side. Minerva was furious with the Minister; he brought a Dementor and killed Barty Crouch Jr. Without a trial and confession, it would only be Harry's word against theirs.
The Minister, foolish as he is, vehemently refused to see the truth right under his nose.
⁀➷,
A few days later was the farewell dinner.
The Great Hall was silent, awaiting Dumbledore's address.
She had Draco by her side, holding her hand so tightly it could hurt.
The Great Hall, which had been less noisy than usual during a Farewell Feast, became very quiet.
Dumbledore paused, his gaze resting on the Hufflepuff table. The quietest of all before the headmaster stood up, and it continued to be the saddest, with pale faces in the hall.
"There are many things I would like to say to all of you tonight, but first, I want to remember the loss of an excellent person who should be sitting here," he gestured towards the Hufflepuff table, "celebrating with us. I would like everyone present to please stand up and raise your glasses for Cedric Diggory."
Everyone obeyed, the benches scraped and the students in the hall stood up, raising their goblets, and a unison, loud, deep, and resonant echo was heard: "Cedric Diggory."
"Cedric was the student who exemplified many of the qualities that distinguish the House of Hufflepuff," Dumbledore continued. "Cedric Diggory was, as you all know, an exceptionally hardworking young man, infinitely fair, and above all, a very loyal friend. Therefore, I believe you have the right to know exactly how it happened: Cedric Diggory was killed by Lord Voldemort."
A murmur of panic swept through the Great Hall. People looked at Dumbledore incredulously, horrified.
"The Minister of Magic didn't want me to tell you. But I think not telling would be an insult to his memory. The goal of the Triwizard Tournament was to deepen and promote understanding in the magical world."
The director's gaze went from Madame Maxime and Hagrid to Fleur Delacour and her Beauxbatons colleagues, and then to Krum and the students from Durmstrang.
"In light of recent events... The bonds of friendship forged this year will be more important than ever. Remember that, and Cedric Diggory will not have died in vain."
(...)
⁀➷,
Cassiopeia was already ready to leave, with Seraphina coiled around her neck, stubbornly refusing to enter the carrier. She sighed at the snake's obstinacy and left her in peace. As she climbed to meet the other fourth-year students, she saw Fleur Delacour running towards her. When the Veela finally approached, she pulled Cassi close and they shared a long farewell kiss.
The Beauxbatons carriage was about to depart.
"We'll see each other again, I hope," Fleur said with a sigh. "I'm thinking of getting a job 'ere to improve my English."
"I must say, you have a way with words that I find incredibly enticing. So I think you're extremely proficient with the language" Cassiopeia joked, raising an eyebrow, and Fleur blushed furiously.
"You're non making it easy to just be your friend," Fleur sighed.
"Well, who was it that kissed me just now?" Cassiopeia asked, teasingly, and Fleur just gave her a look.
"I had to take advantage of the watchdog's absence."
Indeed, where was Draco?
Seraphina seemed quite amused by the situation, while Fleur gave a fearful look at the snake, ignoring its presence.
"Goodbye, ma chère It was an honor to meet you," Fleur said, giving one last kiss on her lips before leaving.
Cassi smiled as she waved to the carriage.
"I don't like her," Seraphina hissed, making Cassi laugh.
End of the fourth year.