ESCAPE FROM HELL.
Harry was kidnapped after Voldemort's resurrection in the graveyard, a month later he escapes. Can he recover from the horrific torture at Voldemort's hand?
Story Information.
- The Ministry believes Voldemort has returned.
- Cedric is alive and part of the Order. (When Voldemort ordered Pettigrew to kill Cedric, Harry levitated the Triwizard Cup to him, sending Cedric back to Hogwarts.)
- Sirius is free (Dumbledore convinced Fudge to talk to Sirius, giving him Veritaserum, and Sirius showed Fudge the memory of Pettigrew's confession in the Shrieking Shack.)
- Everyone thinks Voldemort killed Harry.
- Storm Midnight Diggory; is Cedric's younger sister (as a request from one of the many people who help me with my stories.)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark."
George Iles.
CHAPTER THREE.
Remus, Ron and Hermione rushed into the hospital wing, followed closely by Cedric, Storm, and Ginny.
Remus' eyes went wide with horror as he stared at Harry's inert form as he lay unmoving on the bed.
Looking up at them, Sirius shook his head, "We failed him." He whispered, his voice hoarse and shaking with anger.
"We didn't know," Remus managed to croak, his face pale as he moved to Harry's bedside.
"We should have!" Sirius argued, "He should never have been put in that situation to begin with, the moment his name came out of the bloody Goblet, we should have known what was going on!" Sirius' gaze snapped to Cedric as he noticed him for the first time, and his face twisted into a ferocious scowl, "You! What are you doing here?!"
Cedric took a step back, stunned at the viciousness of Sirius' verbal attack. "I came to see how Harry was_"
Sirius glowered at Cedric, "It's your fault he was taken!"
"It was not Cedric's fault!" Storm's eyes blazed as she leaped to her Brother's defense, "You can't blame him for this! He didn't do anything!"
"No, he didn't do anything." Sirius stood, glowering at Cedric, "You left him there." His vicious glare bore into Cedric's eyes, "You're older than Harry, you should have been protecting him!"
Hermione's eyes widened at the fury in his voice, but it was Remus who cleared his throat, drawing Sirius's angry gaze away from Cedric. "Cedric didn't leave Harry, Sirius. Harry saved him," he said quietly. "Had Cedric stayed, he would have been killed." Looking to where Harry laid in the bed, Remus took a deep breath. "Harry could have used the cup to save himself, but he chose to save Cedric." Looking at Sirius, Remus shook his head. "Don't take that away from him, Sirius. Don't make Harry's sacrifice count for nothing."
Sirius closed his eyes and took a deep breath, Remus was right, he sighed as he looked at Cedric. He knew it wasn't really his fault, knew that if Cedric had been with Harry, there would have been nothing he could have done, "I'm sorry."
"Don't be," Cedric swallowed and shook his head, his voice was guilt ridden as he looked at Harry. "You only said, what I've been thinking for weeks."
"Ced..." Storm gaped at him in shock, he couldn't be serious! "It wasn't your fault! How can you blame yourself for what happened?!"
Closing his eyes, Cedric shrugged, "it's like Sirius said. I am older than Harry, and I should have been protecting him, not the other way around."
"I was just angry," Sirius told Cedric, "I didn't really mean anything I said."
"And, you didn't know that you were in danger," Storm added, trying to make him see that it wasn't his fault.
Cedric snorted and glanced at Harry, "Harry knew we were in danger almost as soon as we'd been transported to the graveyard."
"Yeah, but Harry's been in loads of dangerous situations before." Ron said quietly.
Hermione nodded in agreement, "Its not really surprising that he realised you both were in danger before you did."
"You can't blame yourself for something you had no control over!" Storm pressed, staring into her Brother's guilt filled eyes. "What happened to Harry, wasn't your fault!"
"Besides, saving people is what he does." Ginny said from the chair beside Harry's bed, Looking at Cedric, she smiled weakly. "He nearly died saving me too, if Fawkes hadn't healed him..." Ginny's eyes widened at the reminder, and she leaped to her feet. "Fawkes! Couldn't he heal Harry now?"
"Fawkes could heal Mr Potter faster than I could," Madam Pomfrey said, as she returned to Harry's bedside, several potion vials in her hands. "We would of course need to wait for Professor Dumbledore_"
"There is no reason to wait any longer," Dumbledore walked in, with Cornelius Fudge behind him. "I was just informing Cornelius, that Harry is in fact alive." As Fudge stared at Harry in horrified shock, Dumbledore managed a small smile, "I think it's time we got Harry properly healed."
There was a flash of fire and Fawkes appeared and swooped over to Harry, the phoenix laid its beautiful head against Harry's gashed, bruised chest. Thick, pearly tears trickled down the glossy feathers. Everyone in the hospital wing watched transfixed as his wounds began to heal the moment Fawkes' tears touched Harry's skin; the bruises faded away, cuts healing over to become unmarked skin.
It was over in a matter of minutes, and Fawkes finished, flying across the room to sit on Dumbledore's shoulder. But all eyes were on Harry as he laid in the bed, completely healed. The pain that had creased his face was gone, replaced by such profound peace that he could have simply been asleep.
