Afterwards 3

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN HARRY OR HIS WORLD. Any direct quotes are from "Order of the Phoenix" and are not my own - they belong solely to JK Rowling- some parts have been changed to suit the purpose of my plot.

"Ahh, Harry, how nice of you to join us for this little… get together."

The Death Eaters that suddenly surrounded him tittered with laughter, all except Peter Pettigrew who continued to cradle his stump of bloody arm.

"And you brought a friend too."

With his outstretched, pale bony fingers Voldemort gently brushed them against Cedric's cheek. Harry turned away, disgusted, fear heating up his insides, and he looked down on the gash on his hand and the blood… the blood that was now his blood too… How was it possible? They were in the maze a few minutes ago… And now they were here in … in a graveyard?

"It's a shame I couldn't book a better venue." Smiling, he continued, "But I'm sorry you don't have an invitation." Harry could hear the mummer of laughter from the hooded figures again. "So I am afraid -" his hand caressed his wand "-that you'll have to go.

"Which one should I kill first?" He bent closer to Cedric. "You two can decide, but either way, I win."

As he spoke the last words, his face turned away from Cedric's scarlet eyes locking with Harry's and they seem to sparkle.

"Hmm? So who will it be?"

Silence.

"Well, maybe you just need a bit of pain to loosen your tongues."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth pain racked through Harry's body. He fell to the ground withering in pain, every fibre of his being was screaming. Let him kill me, Harry thought, I'd rather have death.

And then it stopped. Spots appeared in front of his eyes. All Harry could hear was Voldemort's laughter, bitter, but happy all the same.

"YOU BASTARD!" Cedric yelled. One of the Death Eaters grabbed him suddenly from behind. Struggling, he shouted again, "YOU-"

"Enough," Voldemort cut him off, his wand now pointed at Cedric's chest.

"NO!" Someone screamed suddenly. The Death Eater who had been holding Cedric released him and stood in front of him- as if to protect him.

"No?" Voldemort asked, his mouth stretched once more into that abnormal smile of his. "Take off your mask," he hissed. The Death Eater didn't move. "TAKE IT OFF!" Harry's eyes stayed fixed on the Death Eater. He couldn't move.

And then the face of Amos Diggory was revealed….

A tapping noise made Harry jerk. He was shivering, sweat plastered his hair to his forehead and his scar prickled with delight. It took him a moment to work out where the noise was coming from. He crossed the bedroom slowly, still feeling shaken, and opened the window. A gush of cool night air reached his face making him shiver again, and a tawny owl hopped into Harry's bedroom. The owl stuck out his leg and Harry took off the piece of paper it was carrying. Hedwig hooted with contempt and ruffled her features as the tawny perched alongside her.

Harry,

I'm in Italy at the moment and not likely to return any time soon. Mother's at her worst. She can't cope with it all. She actually snapped her wand in two last night-- sometimes I feel like telling her, telling her everything. But I can't. She doesn't want me to go back to Hogwarts on September 1st, but I will .I miss you too much not to come back. This is my last year and it's going to be the best one yet- for both of us.

Love Cedric

Harry read the letter through twice. A feeling in his gut told him Cedric wouldn't be coming back. Harry didn't know how he felt about this, maybe it was for the best after all….

Harry lay in between Aunt Petunia dying Begonia's listening rather absentmindedly to the news. The smoldering sun was giving off one final burst of heat before night descended on Privet Drive. His mind was still on Cedric's letter, he couldn't help thinking about the last time they had seen each other and how utterly invincible he felt. But, he told himself firmly, it's no good brooding over him - you've got bigger fish to fry now. And with that comforting notion Harry turned his attention once more to the news.

"Dudders out for tea?" his Uncles' voice drifted out of the open window blocking out the sounds of the news.

"At the Polkisses.'"

Harry knew for a fact this was a lie and that "Big D" was most likely screwing some tart from Wisteria Walk and had to suppress a snort of amusement.

"Record numbers of stranded holiday makers fill airports as the Spanish baggage-handlers' strike reaches its second week."

If only something would happen, Harry told himself. No one seemed to care that Harry had to resort to crouching in a flowerbed just to hear the news. It was fine for Cedric to go flying off to Italy, to say his mother needed him - what about Harry? Didn't he himself need Cedric? No. Harry didn't need anyone. After all, he had had no news for Dumbledore. Ron and Hermione, it seemed , had forgotten all about him. And Sirius' letters were so repetitive (be a good boy Harry, I know it's hard but you don't want to draw attention to yourself.) that Harry hardly glanced at the letters before ripping them up and throwing them away.

Then, something did happen that not only shocked Harry but made him leap to his feet banging the top of his head on the open window. For what Harry had just heard - or rather thought he had heard - was the familiar "CRACK" of someone disappearing. He pulled his wand quickly out of the waistband of his overly long jeans, but before he could make any move Uncle Vernon growled, "Put-it-away NOW!"

Harry said nothing in his defence, looked round widely hope thing to spot something out of the ordinary. No luck. He quickly stuffed his wand back into his waistband as his Uncle continued to glare at him maliciously.

"What the devil do you mean by it, boy?"

"What?" Harry asked, not paying any intention to his puce-faced Uncle.

"Practising your- your …" He didn't dare say the word: magic.

"I didn't do that. I was trying to listen to the news." Harry said quickly, cutting across his Uncle.

"Listening to the news? Is this some secret code? Because you know fool well boy that your lot-" Aunt Petunia gave her husband a quick glare and he continued in a whisper- "That your lot don't get onto our news."

Smiling, Harry said, "I wouldn't be so sure of that," thinking of the time Sirius had appeared on the television. Vernon and Petunia looked at the television set quickly as though it may contain a disease.

"Anyway, what are those owls doing if they're not carrying you news?"

Harry's smiled dropped. "They aren't carrying news."

"Then what are they carrying?"

"Porn," said Harry quickly, dashing away before his Uncles hands could reach around his neck.

Harry knew he would have to pay the price later for his little joke, but at the moment he didn't really care. What he did care about was the whip-like sound that had had shocked him so. But as he slowed to a walk he could find no sign of anything magical. Turning into Magnolia Crescent, Harry couldn't see anything. Perhaps he had imagined it after all. Jumping over the park gate Harry sat on one of the rusty swings thinking it all over- the odd noise, Cedric, Ron and Hermione, Amos Diggory - everything….

Harry didn't know what to think of the unmasked Death Eater. The man who had shook his hand so warmly at the Quidditch world cup. A Death Eater? No surly there had to be no mistake. Amos Diggory, Cedric's father? As that thought struck him, Harry looked quickly at Cedric - he was pale, eyes wide, face converted with the horror of it all.

"Cedric?" Amos asked, reaching out for his son. Cedric pulled his hand away sharply.

"Don't touch me," he spat.

"Son, I had to do what was right. What was right for us - you, me and your mother. I had to make sure you were safe." Cedric laughed and it sent a chill down Harry's spine.

"I'm sorry to have to break up such a special reunion, but," Voldemort pointed his wand once more a Cedric, "this boy will die, whether he is your son or not."

"No!" Harry and Cedric shouted at the same time. Amos stood motionless, looking at his own wand clutched loosely in his own hand.

"But he's on our side," he man whispered harshly, and then looking once more directly at Cedric - at his own son, he said, "Join us Ced, you weren't suppose to be here. You weren't supposed to know…"

Cedric shook his head slowly. No he wouldn't, and for that Harry knew he would die. As much as he hated the thought, as much as it repulsed him, he wished for Cedric to take his place alongside his father. Don't be noble for me, Harry thought. Don't die in vain.

"Kill him." Voldemort said quickly, scarlet eyes staring transfixed on Amos . "Kill him now."

Harry didn't know how long he had sat here, only that it was getting dark. The sound of voices had interrupted his thoughts. Of course he knew one of the voices, the one belonging to his obese cousin Dudley. A shrill gaggle of laughter signified that he was with one of many lady friends. Harry watched the two dark figures turning into Magnolia Road, the loud tapping sound of the girls' stiletto shoes echoing in the dark. Harry followed them.

"Same time tomorrow?" Dudley asked.

"I don't know why you just don't stay," the girl said sulkily.

Dudley whispered something that Harry couldn't catch and the girl giggled again.

"Naughty naughty. I'll see you tomorrow Big D." She kissed him, then disappeared into the darkness, the sound of her shoes fading as she went.

When Harry was sure that the girl was gone Harry shouted, "HEY! BIG D! WAIT UP."

The boy in question turned round. "Oh," he said when he saw it was Harry.

"Big D is it?" Harry asked, catching up with him quickly. "Well, you know what they say about men with big feet, Duds? And your feet are big if you compare them to that ten year old you beat up last week. But otherwise..."

Dudley cut him off abruptly, "He was not ten, and anyway, I didn't beat him up - it was a fair fight."

Harry smiled bitterly at Dudley's front. "Fair? I don't think 3 of your "friends" holding down a small and frightened ten year old while you beat him within an inch of his life is really fair …"

The boy muttered something that sounded like, "He was eyeing up my girl," and Harry laughed again.

"Shut up!" Dudley said. "Or we'll have to start talking about Cedric."

Harry stopped. "Who?" he said with mock surprise, but his insides were burning.

"The guy you were thinking of last night." Dudley grimaced. "The guy you walked out of that freaky barrier with. Don't think I didn't see him. Mum and Dad didn't but I'm not as stupid as I look."

"There's a surprise." Harry said quickly.

Dudley ignored him. "The guy who wrote 'love Cedric' at the end of his letters to you." At this, Harry snatched up his wand, something switched on inside him.

He pointed at his cousin, a look of absolute fury on his face.

"You're not allowed," Dudley said loudly, but his smile seemed to have dropped a notch or so.

"That's what you think." Dudley was back towards the wall of the ally but his eyes never left the wand clenched in Harry's arm.

"You'll… you'll get kicked out." Harry could feel his smile stretch into a mocking grin. "P-point that th-thing somewhere else." Harry wasn't listening.

"Don't you ever talk about things you don't understand." Involuntarily, he took a step towards the boy who was now practically sobbing in terror. "Ok?" he asked. Fat tears were now running down his face. "Ok?" Harry asked again louder this time.

Then it went dark. The thing inside Harry - the anger the seemed to have taken control of his body disappeared, curling up inside his stomach, red eyes closing- not sleeping but waiting to pounce again…

Harry fell to the ground, wand rolling from his hand as it clutched his scar, desperately wanting the pain to stop.

The stars were extinguished and an unseasonable icy wind swept over his body. "What have you done?" Harry heard Dudley speak as if through a blizzard. Mist rolled thickly across the floor.

Firstly Harry thought he had done something in his bout of anger without meaning to, but he knew almost at once that this wasn't the case. Dudley whimpered. "Shh." Harry cut him off, straining to listen.

"What?" Dudley started, but Harry didn't hear him- what he did hear repulsed him.

They weren't alone. Dementors. He scrambled around madly for his wand. Blindly, he picked up a tin can and threw it aside.

He felt a creeping chill behind him. "DUDLEY, KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT!" He screamed. Hands still flaying madly for his wand. He could see a cloaked figure quickly advancing towards him. A muffled yell from Dudley signalled that there was more than one of them. His fingers suddenly brushes his wand. Throwing himself forward, he shouted, "Expecto Patronum!" A silvery wisp of smoke shot from it. He shouted again, "Expecto Patronum!" More smoke. The other was bent over Dudley now, rotting hands clamped on his fat wrists.

It was then Harry heard the laughter, shrill and high pitched. "I win…" the voice whispered in his ear.

"No," he said back. "You can't."

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" And this time, a stag erupted from it, antlers hitting the Dementor squarely in the chest. Then, galloping, it hit the other one. Dudley gasped for air and slumped forward.

The streetlamps burst back into life. The mist was quickly receding. "Harry?" He panted, sweat drenched body collapsed against the wall. "Harry?" the voice said again. He turned slowly towards Dudley but he was out cold.

"Harry?" the voice said one more, clearer now. Harry looked towards the mouth of the alleyway, and there illuminated under the streetlamps, an irony in itself after everything that had just happened, stood Cedric.