The mood in the castle as they entered June became excited and tense again. Everyone was looking forward to the third task, which would take place a week before the end of term. Harry was practising hexes at every available moment. Difficult and dangerous though it would undoubtedly be, Moody was right: Harry had managed to find his way past monstrous creatures and enchanted barriers before now, and this time he had some notice, some chance to prepare himself for what lay ahead.
Tired of walking in on Harry, Hermione, Celeste, and Ron all over the school, Professor McGonagall had permitted them to use the emptyTransfiguration classroom at lunchtimes. Harry had soon mastered the impediment Curse, a spell to slow down and obstruct attackers; the Reductor Curse, which would enable him to blast solid objects out of his way; and the Four-Point Spell, a useful discovery of Hermiones that would make his wand point due north, therefore enabling him to check whether he was going in the right direction within the maze. He was still having trouble with the Shield Charm, though. This was supposed to cast a temporary, invisible wall around himself that deflected minor curses; Hermione managed to shatter it with a well-placed JellyLegs Jinx, and Harry wobbled around the room for ten minutes afterwards before she had looked up the counter jinx.
"You're still doing really well, though," Hermione said encouragingly, looking down her list and crossing off those spells they had already learned."Some of these are bound to come in handy."
"Come and look at this," Ron said, who was standing by the window. He was staring down onto the grounds. "What's Malfoy doing?"
Harry, Celeste, and Hermione went to see. Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle were standing in the shadow of a tree below. Crabbe and Goyle seemed to be keeping a lookout; both were smirking. Draco was holding his hand up to his mouth and speaking into it.
"He looks like he's using a walkie-talkie," Harry said curiously.
"He can't be," Hermione said, "I've told you, those sorts of things don't work around Hogwarts. Come on, Harry," she added briskly, turning away from the window and moving back into the middle of the room, "let's try that Shield Charm again."
"You could always spy for us, Celeste," Ron suggested, turning away from the window.
"I can't spy on my friends," Celeste said. "I don't spy on you guys for him."
JUNE 24TH
Breakfast was a very noisy affair at the Gryffindor table on the morning of the third task. Celeste was sitting over at the Gryffindor table when the post owls appeared, bringing Harry a good-luck card from Sirius. A screech owl arrived for Hermione, carrying her morning copy of the DailyProphet as usual. She unfolded the paper, glanced at the front page, and spat out a mouthful of pumpkin juice all over it.
"What?" Harry, Celeste, and Ron together, staring at her.
"Nothing," Hermione said quickly, trying to shove the paper out of sight, but Ron grabbed it.
He stared at the headline and said, "No way. Not today. That old cow."
"What?" Celeste said. "Rita Skeeter again?"
"No," Ron said, and just like Hermione, he attempted to push the paper out of sight.
"It's about one of us, isn't it?" Harry said.
"No," Ron said, in an entirely unconvincing tone. Celeste grabbed the paper from his hands.
Looking at the newspaper Celeste saw a picture of herself and Harry beneath the banner headline:
"HARRY POTTER AND CELESTE DIGGORY DISTURBED AND DANGEROUS"
After skimming it she handed it to Harry.
"I don't know why she cares about me so much, I'm a nobody outside of Hogwarts. She only mentioned me in the last paragraph and called me an attention seeker."
"Gone off me a bit, hasn't she?" Harry said lightly, folding up the paper.
"How did she know your scar hurt in Divination?" Ron said. "There's no way she was there, there's no way she could've heard -"
"The windows behind us was open," Harry said. "We opened it to breathe."
"You were at the top of North Tower!" Hermione said. "Your voice couldn't have carried all the way down to the grounds!"
"Well, you're the one who's supposed to be researching magical methods of bugging!" Harry said. "You tell me how she did it!"
"I've been trying!" Hermione said. "But I... but..."
An odd, dreamy expression suddenly came over Hermione's face. She slowly raised a hand and ran her fingers through her hair.
"Are you all right?" Celeste said, frowning at her.
"Yes," Hermione said breathlessly. She ran her fingers through her hair again, and then held her hand up to her mouth, as though speaking into an invisible walkie-talkie. Harry, Celeste, and Ron stared at each other.
"I've had an idea," Hermione said, gazing into space. "I think I know...because then no one would be able to see... even Moody... and she'd have been able to get onto the window ledge... but she's not allowed... she's definitely not allowed... I think we've got her! Just give me two seconds in the library - just to make sure!"
With that, Hermione seized her school bag and dashed out of the Great Hall.
"Oy!" Ron called after her. "We've got our History of Magic exam in ten minutes! Blimey," he said, turning back to Harry, "she must really hate thatSkeeter woman to risk missing the start of an exam. What're you going to do in Binns's class – read again?"
"S'pose so," Harry said to Ron; but just then. Professor McGonagall came walking alongside the Gryffindor table toward him.
"Potter, the champions are congregating in the chamber of the Hall after breakfast," she said.
"But the task's not till tonight!" said Harry, accidentally spilling scrambled eggs down his front, afraid he had mistaken the time.
"I'm aware of that, Potter," she said. "The champions' families are invited to watch the final task, you know. This is simply a chance for you to greet them." She moved away. Harry gaped after her.
"She doesn't expect the Dursleys to turn up, does she?" he asked Ron and Celeste blankly.
"Dunno," Ron said. "Harry, we'd better hurry, We're going to be late for Binns. See you later."
***
"You guys came to watch?" Celeste asked her father and Mrs Malfoy as she sat down at the Hufflepuff table.
"We've been here since this morning," her father said, gazing around at the Great Hall.
"Lucius had a -- erm, meeting to attend today," Mrs Malfoy said. "but I wouldn't miss it, it's all Julian would talk about in letters!"
"Mum," Julian groaned.
Celeste looked over to the Gryffindor table. Mrs Weasley and Bill were sitting by Ron chatting, and a woman with long brown hair was chatting to Harry with a black dog by her side.
"I'll be back," Celeste said, standing up and walking over.
"Hello," Celeste said, sitting beside the woman and across from Ron. "I'm Celeste Diggory."
"Hello," The woman said, turning to her. "I'm Lyra, and this is my dog Si -- Snuffles."
"Harry's godparents!" Celeste whispered.
"I am, Miss Diggory." Lyra smiled. "you're Elizabeth's daughter, right?"
"Yep,"
"I knew her well," Lyra said. "we were distant cousins on my mum's side. She never really enjoyed my pranks on her as kids."
"I didn't know you guys were cousins," Celeste said.
"Most people don't know," Lyra laughed.
"You two really look alike," Ginny said, sitting beside Ron.
"Do we?" Lyra said, looking at Celeste's face. "I can see it."
"It's like you and Snuffles combined," Harry said, looking at them.
Lyra grinned at Celeste. "Yeah..."
"Everyone has a doppelganger," Celeste said. "Maybe I'm hers."
***
"Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, with eighty-five points each - Mr Cedric Diggory and Mr Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts School!" The cheers and applause sent birds from the Forbidden Forest fluttering into the darkening sky. "In second place, with eighty points - Mr Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute!"More applause. "And in third place – Miss Fleur Delacour, of BeauxbatonsAcademy!" Celeste, who was sitting with the Weasleys, Hermione, and Lyra all clapped politely.
"So... on my whistle, Harry and Cedric!" said Bagman. "Three - two - one-"
He gave a short blast on his whistle, and Harry and Cedric hurried forward into the maze.
A little while later Krum went in, then Fleur.
"Now we wait," Celeste said.
"I brought Exploding Snaps," Ron said, pulling a pack of cards from his pocket.
WORST NIGHT OF MY LIFE
"Harry's back!" Ron said, standing up.
"What's he holding?" Celeste said, standing up as well/
"He's dead! He's dead! Cedric Diggory! Dead!" A voice called from the field.
"Dead?" Celeste whispered, running down the stands and onto the field.
"Oh my god," she whispered, kneeling by Cedric. "Cedric! Cedric! He can't be -- dead -- he can't!"
"I'm sorry --" Dumbledore said.
"No, wasn't supposed to -- you said it as supposed to be safe -- he said he would be here for me forever --"
"You're so annoying."
"Though I'm still your best friend."
"Forever, sadly."
"He wasn't supposed to die so soon -- I can't -- I --"
Cedric and Celeste went over to a secluded place and sat down.
"You know I'm not dying any time soon, right?" Cedric said, holding her hand. "I possibly might not even die at all." He added, lightening the mood.
"There's nothing we can do --" Dumbledore said.
"Dumbledore, Amos Diggorys running... he's coming over... Don't you think you should tell him -- before he sees -- Miss Diggory should not be seeing this -- someone take her away --"
"I'm not leaving Cedric!" Celeste cried. "I'm not -- leaving -- just don't let Julian see,"
"Cel," A voice behind her whispered. "you don't need to see this, come on they'll move him."
Slowly, they got up. More people could see Cedric, more screaming was cutting through the air. The red lipstick from Narcissa kissing Cedric's forehead was still visible. Through her tears, she could see Harry being led inside ahead of her. Ron was supporting her as they walked into the castle.
Slowly, Ron led them to Myrtle's bathroom to get privacy from everyone.
Myrtle swooped into their stall. "You've come to visit me? I've only seen you this year when you were underwater and your brother was going to save you --"
"Shut up Myrtle --" Ron whispered.
"Cedric's dead!" Celeste wailed, her tears soaking Ron's shirt. "He's dead because of Voldemort! Myrtle, will he become a ghost, will I still be able to talk to him?"
"You only become a ghost when you're afraid of what happens after," Myrtle whispered. "Cedric was brave, he's passed through already."
"Is death painful?"
"It feels like you're going to sleep," Myrtle said.
"I hope he didn't feel the pain I'm feeling," Celeste whispered, closing her eyes.
Cedric shook his head. He got up, pulled Harry to his feet, and they looked around. They had left the Hogwarts grounds completely; they had obviously travelled miles - perhaps hundreds of miles- for even the mountains surrounding the castle were gone. They were standing instead in a dark and overgrown graveyard; the black outline of a small church was visible beyond a large yew tree to their right. A hill rose above them to their left. Harry could just make out the outline of a fine old house on the hillside.
Cedric looked down at the Triwizard Cup and then up at Harry.
"Did anyone tell you the cup was a Portkey?" he asked."Nope," Harry said. He was looking around the graveyard. It was completely silent and slightly eerie. "Is this supposed to be part of the task?"
"I dunno," Cedric said. He sounded slightly nervous. "Wands out, d'you reckon?"
"Yeah," Harry said, glad that Cedric had made the suggestion rather than him.
They pulled out their wands. Harry kept looking around him. He had, yet again, the strange feeling that they were being watched.
"Someone's coming," he said suddenly. Squinting tensely through the darkness, they watched the figure drawing nearer, walking steadily toward them between the graves. Harry couldn't make out a face, but from the way it was walking and holding its arms, he could tell that it was carrying something. Whoever it was, he was short, and wearing a hooded cloak pulled up over his head to obscure his face. And -several paces nearer, the gap between them closing all the time - Harry saw that the thing in the persons arms looked like a baby... or was it merely a bundle of robes?
Harry lowered his wand slightly and glanced sideways at Cedric. Cedricshot him a quizzical look. They both turned back to watch the approaching figure. It stopped beside a towering marble headstone, only six feet from them. For a second Harry and Cedric and the short figure simply looked at one another.
And then, without warning, Harry's wand slipped from his fingers as he put his hands over his face; his knees buckled; he was on the ground and he could see nothing at all; his head was about to split open.
From far away, above his head, he heard a high, cold voice say, "Kill the spare."
A swishing noise and a second voice, which screeched the words to the night:
"Avada Kedavra!"
A blast of green light blazed through Harry's eyelids, and he heard something heavy fall to the ground beside him; the pain in his scar reached such a pitch that he retched, and then it diminished; terrified of what he was about to see, he opened his stinging eyes.
Cedric was lying spread-eagled on the ground beside him. He was dead.
Celeste felt a shook go through her body. Opening her eyes she saw dozens of pairs looking at her.
"Why am I in the Hospital Wing -- and strapped down?" Her throat felt raw.
"You fell asleep in the bathroom," Ron said. "And you started screaming. What happened?"
"I saw Harry and Cedric get into the maze and Wormtail was there and he -- he murdered Cedric. Voldemort said 'kill the spare' and he did. Wheres, my dad?"
"He's outside talking to Professor Sprout." Mrs Weasley whispered.
"Can you unstrap me?" Celeste whispered.
"Of course, of course," Madam Pomfrey rushed over and undid the strap.
Ron, Melody, Cho, Hermione, and Daphne were staring at Celeste.
"I'm fine," Celeste said. "Is Harry and Julian okay?
"I'm okay," Harry whispered. "I'm sorry."
"I'm glad you're okay," Celeste whispered. "thank you for bringing Cedric's body back."
"And Julian will be okay," Cho whispered. Her eyes were puffy. "Julian is with his Mum and Draco, Harry's in the bed beside you."
Suddenly they heard people arguing outside.
"They're disturbing them!" Mrs Weasley whispered.
"What are they shouting about? Nothing else can have happened, can it?" Bill said.
"That's Fudge's voice," Mrs Weasley whispered. "And that's Minerva McGonagall's, isn't it? But what are they arguing about?"
"Regrettable, but all the same, Minerva -" Cornelius Fudge was saying loudly.
"You should never have brought it inside the castle!" ProfessorMcGonagall yelled. "When Dumbledore finds out -"
Celeste heard the hospital doors burst open. Unnoticed by any of the people around her and Harry's bed, all of whom were staring at the door as Bill pulled back the screens, Celeste sat up.
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," Mrs Weasley said angrily. "This is a hospital wing. Minister, don't you think you'd do better to -"
But the door opened, and Dumbledore came sweeping up the ward.
"What has happened?" Dumbledore said 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 -"
"There is no need to stand guard over him anymore, Dumbledore!" she shrieked. "The Minister has seen to that!"
Celeste had never seen Professor McGonagall lose control like this. There were angry blotches of colour in her cheeks, and hands were balled into fists; she was trembling with fury.
"When we told Mr Fudge that we had caught the Death Eater responsible for tonight's events," Snape said, in a low voice; he seemed to feel his personal safety was in question. "He insisted on summoning a dementor toaccompany him into the castle. He brought it up to the office where BartyCrouch -"
"I told him you would not agree, Dumbledore!" McGonagall fumed. "I told him you would never allow dementors to set foot inside the castle, but -"
"My dear woman!" Fudge roared, who likewise looked angrier than Celeste had ever seen him, "as Minister of Magic, it is my decision whether I wish to bring protection with me when interviewing a possibly dangerous -"
But Professor McGonagall's voice drowned Fudge's.
"The moment that - that thing entered the room," she screamed, pointing atFudge, trembling all over, "it swooped down on Crouch and - and -"
Celeste felt a chill in her stomach as Professor McGonagall struggled to find words to describe what had happened. She did not need her to finish her sentence. She knew what the dementor must have done. It had administered its fatal kiss to Barty Crouch. It had sucked his soul out through his mouth. He was worse than dead.
"By all accounts, he is no loss!" Fudge blustered. "It seems he has been responsible for several deaths'."
"But he cannot now give testimony, Cornelius," Dumbledore said. He was staring hard at Fudge, as though seeing him plainly for the first time. "He can not give evidence about why he killed those people."
"Why he killed them? Well, that's no mystery, is it?" Fudge blustered. "Hewas 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'sinstructions!"
"Lord Voldemort was giving him instructions, Cornelius," Dumbledore said. "Those peoples 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."
Fudge looked as though someone had just swung a heavyweight into his face. Dazed and blinking, he stared back at Dumbledore as if he couldn't quite believe what he had just heard. He began to sputter, still goggling dumbledore.
"You-Know-Who... returned? Preposterous. Come now, Dumbledore..."
"As Minerva and Severus have doubtless told you," Dumbledore said, "we heard Barty 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," Fudge said, and Celeste was astonished to see 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," Dumbledore said steadily. "He witnessed LordVoldemort's rebirth. I will explain it all to you if you will step up to my office."Dumbledore glanced around at Harry and saw that he was awake, but shook his head and said, "I am afraid I cannot permit you to question Harry tonight."
Fudge's curious smile lingered. He too glanced at Harry, then looked back at Dumbledore, and said, "You are - er - prepared to take Harry's word on this, are you, Dumbledore?"
There was a moment's silence, which was broken by Sirius growling. His hackles were raised, and he was baring his teeth at Fudge.
"Certainly, I believe Harry," Dumbledore said. His eyes were blazing now."I heard Crouch's confession, and I heard Harry's account of what happened after he touched the Triwizard Cup; the two stories make sense, they explain everything that has happened since Bertha Jorkins disappeared last summer."
Fudge still had that strange smile on his face. Once again, he glanced atHarry before answering."You are prepared to believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, on the word of a lunatic murderer, and a boy who... well..."
Fudge shot Harry another look, and Harry suddenly understood."You've been reading Rita Skeeter, Mr Fudge," he said quietly.
Fudge reddened slightly, but a defiant and obstinate look came over his face.
"And if I have?" he said, looking at Dumbledore. "If I have discovered that you've been keeping certain facts about the boy very quiet? A Parselmouth, eh? And having funny turns all over the place -"
"I saw my brother die in the graveyard," Celeste said. "Voldemort ordered Wormtail to kill him."
"There's your other account on what happened," Dumbledore said, eyeing Celeste.
"She is clearly not in the right state after seeing her brothers body and will believe whatever Harry tells her!" Fudge said angrily. "I mean, 'she saw her brother die' how do you explain that? I hear she also got funny turn around too!"
"I assume that you are referring to the pains Harry and Celeste have been experiencing in his head and her head?" Dumbledore said coolly.
"You admit that they have been having these pains, then?" Fudge said quickly."Headaches?Nightmares? Possibly - hallucinations?"
"Listen to me, Cornelius," Dumbledore said, taking a step toward Fudge. "They are as sane as you or me. That scar upon his forehead has not addled his brains. I believe it hurts them when Lord Voldemort is close by, or feeling particularly murderous. And for Celeste, maybe she's a powerful witch and she can feel it."
Fudge had taken half a step back from Dumbledore, but he looked no less stubborn."You'll forgive me, Dumbledore, but I've never heard of a curse scar or brains acting as an alarm bell before..."
"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 -"
"Malfoy?" Celeste whispered. "Oh my -- I think I need the bathroom."
Celeste stood and walked over to the small bathroom in the Hospital Wing.
"Are you okay?" Cho whispered as she held Celeste's hair back as she threw up.
"Julian's dad, that's why he wasn't at lunch with his wife, he was getting ready for a death eater meeting. Julian is not going to take that well."