She turned suddenly, hearing the knock on the door. She frowned. Amos wasn't supposed to be back that early. Why, it was only morning!
She opened her mouth to instruct a house elf to open the door, but something made her decide against it. Instead she walked over herself, and opened the door.
Standing on the porch was an Auror, more specifically, Kingsley Shacklebolt. To say she was surprised at his visit would have been an understatement. Nonetheless, she put a smile on her face and greeted him.
"Mr Shacklebolt! Amos isn't home at the moment, but, please, come inside," she said, even though something in his expression filled her heart with a strange fear.
"Thank you, Mrs Diggory," Kingsley replied, curtly, befpre walking inside and closing the door.
Once they were both sitting down, he took a deep breath. But before he could say anything, she cut him off.
"Would you like some tea, Mr Shacklebolt? Or some pumpkin juice, perhaps. I can arrange for Penny to-"
"No thank you. I actually came here to speak to you, Mrs Diggory. I am afraid I have some terrible news." His voive was grim. She swallowed nervously.
"Yes?" she asked, prompting him to continue. Her voive was shaking slightly.
"It's about Cedric..." he began, his voive trailing off.
"Oh!" she answered, in surprise. "It's that stupid competition, is it? He must have lost... Well, it is no matter. I always told him it never really matters whether he wins or loses. He must be upset though, poor thing-"
"Mrs Diggory, Jane, please, let me finish," Kingsley broke in, cutting off her ramble. She stared at him with sad eyes, almost as if she sensed what was to come. She had been trying to console herself, but a part of her had guessed the truth.
"He...he didn't just lose the competition, Mrs Diggory. He lost his life. I'm afraid your son is...no more."
The air left her lungs entirely. She was no longer processing what he was saying. It didn't matter anyway. She was sure he was lying. There was no way it could be the truth. Cedric, her Cedric, could not be gone. Flashes of memories from the years before, floated across her eyes.
The Healer handing her the little baby for the first time. He was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
The first time he called her Mum. Her heart has overflowed with joy, and she had nearly cried on hearing him utter the simple word.
The first time he flew on that toy broom of his that Amos had gifted him. He had never looked so enthralled. It had been his first brush with magic.
The first time she met his teachers, and how they had told her he was a most brilliant boy. She could not have been happier.
A polite cough from the Auror brought her back to the present. She stared at him blankly for a few second, before standing up on shaky legs.
"I'm sorry, Mr Shacklebolt, I am not feeling well. Penny will show you out, if you don't mind."
She barely registered his "of course" as she stumbled towards the stairs leading up to her bedroom, her head spinning like a merry-go-round. She heard the door shut, as she was trying to make het way up the stairs. She didn't care.
She had barely made it halfway, however, when her knees buckled. She fell down, her head hitting the sharp edge of the stair, and her world went black.
Notes: For the Mother's Day Event at The Golden Snitch. Prompt: Mrs Diggory.
Also for the Through the Universe Challenge. Prompt: merry-go-round
And for the Jurasdic Event. Prompt: Write about a character getting a bump to the head.