Here is the next installment! It's the longest yet and finishes up the fifth book! Whew, that was stressful. Now on to reading about less annoying Harry. Hurray! Happy Reading!
CHAPTER SEVEN
A lot of things happened in the next weeks. Trelawney was dismissed, the D.A. was discovered and Dumbledore forced into hiding. Umbridge was now Headmistress, and the Weasley's had greeted her by setting off what I could only assume was their entire stock of Whizbangs. A few days later when the last of the fireworks seemed to have been taken care of Umbridge was looking for something to do that would reinforce her authority. After the last few humiliating days it was to be expected. The teachers hadn't helped her at all with the fireworks and she had been forced to run around the school to attempt to get rid of them all by herself. I think she felt the triumph that we were all feeling at causing her to be in such a panic for so long. She didn't wait any more than three days before she made her move.
In some ways my dismissal went similarly to Trelawney's, in that I had my things packed and we were in the entrance hall when we developed a large audience, she had already dismissed me. I wasn't however, crying, I was remarkably calm actually. I was impressed with how well I was taking the news. I didn't question it, I didn't want to give her the satisfaction of seeing me uncomfortable. So I stared back at he calmly while she continued to scold me with a sneer curling on her toadlike face. It was McGonagall who stepped forward out of the crowd of students, out of the corner of my eyes I saw Louisa's thin figure standing next to the twins on the edge of the onlookers looking concerned.
"What is your cause for dismissing Diggory? He had a wonderful review written by yourself and he has not been on probation!" McGonagall glared at the woman.
"It has come to my attention that Mr. Diggory has been in a surreptitious and highly inappropriate romantic relationship with one of the students here!" Umbridge proclaimed and several things happened simultaneously at her words. One was that Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson smirked gleefully at me from behind her, many others gasped, and most of the eyes shifted toward Louisa for a brief moment.
Louisa stood in shock for a second before she stepped forward, "What proof do you have? What student?" She demanded.
"We have witnesses that have seen him..." Umbridge's lip curled, "Kissing a student. As for your second inquiry it is not for me to identify the student."
"Most female students have all wanted to be caught kissing Cedric at one point or other so I doubt you will harm their reputation by giving us a name," Louisa snapped, I knew and she knew who they meant, but she wanted to force her to say it.
"Well, if you must know Miss Black. It was you," Umbridge replied primly, "As you very well know."
"Interesting because I'm sure I would have remembered kissing Cedric Diggory, he is Cedric Diggory after all," Louisa snapped, "Probably not a very forgettable experience."
I tried to hold back the grin but wasn't successful, Umbridge glared at me and then turned back to Louisa calmly, "Another detention I think, Miss Black, since you still have not learned how to show respect to your superiors."
Louisa started to respond but Umbridge turned back to me, "And do you have anything to say about the accusations laid against you?"
"Well, I think Malfoy finally decided to get his revenge for when I broke his nose last year," I noted and this was met with a chorus of laughter from the crowd, "And, as I have been sacked and you are no longer my superior I have several things to say. One, is that your despicable attitude toward half breeds is highly hypocritical since you clearly are half toad." More laughter and few cheers, "Secondly, everyone here knows exactly the sort of person you are Dolores Umbridge. A cold hearted person who uses cruelty and control to make yourself feel superior. In other words, you are truly pathetic, and when parents and other members of the wizarding world get wind of what you've been doing here the Ministry will drop you in a second." She was now a deep shade of purple and looked as though she was very much considering hexing me on the spot.
I just smiled, glancing at Louisa, "As for the accusations against me. I'm sad to say they are false, Louisa and I have never been more than friends. However, now that I am no longer employed here..." I'm not sure why, maybe it was because of all the supportive claps and cheers I was getting for my speech. Maybe I was just wanting to rub it in her face even more. Probably, it was because I had been wanting for a long time and simply hadn't thought of it before. I moved over to where Louisa was watching and kissed her, this was met with a huge response. Much more enthusiastic cheering and hand clapping from everyone.
"About bloody time!" I heard Lee Jordan shout.
I used the commotion to give her a message that Umbridge wouldn't hear when I pulled back, "I'll stay in Hogsmeade. Be careful, Louisa."
I turned on my heel and pulled out my wand, "Locomotor trunk!" My trunk lifted off the ground and followed me as I strode confidently through the parting and still cheering fans. This confidence carried me all the way through the palace gates and to get a room at the Three Broomsticks Inn in Hogsmeade. No, I wouldn't go back to Grimmauld place now, I may not be in Hogwarts anymore but there was no way I was going to be too far. Not now that she was Headmistress. I didn't care what the other members of the Order thought or wanted me to do, I was staying right here.
It was after the adrenaline from my dramatic exit had worn off and I was sitting in the Three Broomsticks sipping on a butterbeer that I really thought about the kiss. It had been... lovely. I had held her that close before, and she was just as warm and soft as I remembered, I had gotten the scent of lavender and honey once again. What was more surprising was the warm fluttery feeling that erupted in my chest when I had kissed her and when I was thinking about it now. It was like I had inhaled a bunch of fiery butterflies that were now chasing each other around my ribcage. I had felt something similar when exchanging kisses with Cho last year, but it hadn't been quite as intense. Cho had told me about this last year when we had broken up. She was right, I had been clueless, and continued to be willfully clueless until just now. I let out a huge sigh and slumped in my chair, I was trying to remember her expression after the kiss. Maybe I could get some sort of hint from it if she had felt it too.
I was surprised at how clearly I remembered her in those seconds, her dark thick hair brushing against her shoulders. Those warm eyes glistening with laughter and surprise, she had raised a hand to her mouth, I think that was from surprise too. Nothing that really hinted that she had felt what I had. Mostly she had been surprised and amused by everything that had just happened. Everything I had said and done, I was sure she was just laughing at the look on Umbridge's face, at everyone's reaction. She hadn't seemed particularly pleased to have been kissed by me. I remembered what she had said, that girls would have been proud to be kissing me. Did she still think of me that way? Cedric Diggory the Golden Boy? Captain of his Quidditch team, top marks in school, Triwizard Champion, handsome and popular? I couldn't see her ever having feelings for someone like that, but that wasn't me anymore was it? I mean... I was still handsome and I had been all of those things, but I had changed. She had changed me. Challenged me like Cho said she would.
I may have inexplicably fallen for one of the few girls at Hogwarts that wouldn't want to date me. What a miserable thought. I paid for my drink and just went back up to my room and tried to distract myself from these thoughts. My ego was not doing very well these days. Why shouldn't she want to date me? I was Cedric Diggory! She had said it herself, on several occasions! I felt instantly guilty for that thought. How arrogant! I was like a spoiled child that was for once being denied something I wanted. Why should she want to date me? I had lived my life mostly to be proper and good, to not ruffle any feathers. I had always put being well liked above everything else. I had been shallow and vain, still was if I was honest. I was changing though wasn't it? Now I knew that sometimes doing what was proper wasn't always equivalent to doing what was right. I was a member of an illegal Order wasn't I? I was standing up against Voldemort, I was ready to fight and possibly die in the upcoming war. I had punched Draco Malfoy, I had broken up with Cho Chang, I had told off Dolores Umbridge... I had changed. Maybe that wasn't enough.
I spent most of my time reading through my books at the Three Broomsticks, I had regularly begun to sit at a table in the corner and listen out for news. Occasionally I would get a cryptic owl from a member of the Order. I did go back to headquarters once, but fortunately Sirius had been busy upstairs. I was afraid he had found out why I had been sacked, and about my exit, and that he would actually try to kill me. Remus was supportive though, and didn't pressure me to leave my post at Hogsmeade. He even made my case to the others, saying that having one of us so close to the school couldn't hurt. I tried to stay focused on looking for anything suspicious going on in the papers or in town. I put the concerns of the Order and Harry's safety foremost in my mind to distract me from my underlying worries.
I hadn't heard from Louisa, which wasn't surprising. She couldn't send owls very easily without them getting intercepted and read. I couldn't really write to her and say what I wanted, besides, an owl wouldn't do the trick. I had thought that she would find a way to contact me by now though, and her continuing silence was maddening. I knew very well she could probably get a message to me if she really needed to. Louisa was close friends with the Weasley twins after all, I'm sure she knew the secret passages around the castle just as well as they did. Still, she didn't contact me.
The Weasley twins set off a swamp and left Hogwarts in a legendary fashion. I was sure they would do very well with their joke shop, they had displayed their brilliance for everyone to see, and their products were great. Still I heard nothing from Louisa. Umbridge attacked Hagrid with several Aurors and tried to put him back in Azkaban for no apparent reason than that she was despicable. No word from Louisa. McGonogall was taken to St. Mungo's, which meant that Snape was the last member of the Order at Hogwarts. No word from Louisa, and I was getting really anxious.
I knew the exams were going on at the school, and I was just as stressed as if I were taking them all over again. Now I was worried that Hogwarts was particularly vulnerable. I was angry that Umbridge was just attacking people she suspected were in league with Dumbledore without any conceivable thought for the consequences. Voldemort was still a pressing concern, but Umbridge was out of control and Louisa was in there with her, at her mercy even. On that note my growing insecurities about what had happened between us was driving me insane. I thought that I probably could have handled a rejection, but just complete silence? It was maddening.
So one evening I took my broom out and went for a ride. I didn't go anywhere in particular, but I hadn't been on my broom in so long that it was a huge relief. I had missed Quidditch, and just flying in general. With everything going on, I needed this brief escape. I landed back in Hogsmeade about an hour later and started back into the Three Broomsticks. The sun was heading toward the horizon and casting long dark shadows across the ground. I looked toward the school before I entered and went to start up the stairs to my room again. That's when I saw her.
Louisa was sitting and looking very anxious at one of the tables, she had changed out of her black student robes so that she didn't stick out like a sore thumb here. I paused and blinked at her, she caught sight of me and stood quickly. Without a word I nodded and let her follow me up to the room where we could talk privately.
"Louisa what are you doing here? Is something wrong? How did you even get here?" I asked as soon as the door was closed and set my broom aside. I caught a look at my windswept hair in the mirror but didn't bother to fix it, I was too insecure to be primping in front of her at the moment.
"Harry had another vision, he said Voldemort had dad at the Department of Mysteries," She shook her head, "I know, it doesn't make any sense! I was in the library when Hermione sent me a note about it. They tried to get into Umbridge's office to use the floo network to contact headquarters. They got caught, I heard through the door. She was going to use the Cruciatus Curse on him!"
"So wait, they have Sirius?"
"No!" Louisa lifted the locket up from where it hung around her neck and she opened it to show me. Sirius was at home, according to the gift.
"That woman isn't going to just let him go! I can't take them all without help Cedric, please..."
I nodded quickly, "Let's go, how will we get on the grounds?"
"I used the tunnel that comes out in the Honeydukes cellar." Louisa followed me back downstairs quickly, "We should use that one to get back."
That was easier said than done to sneak down there when no one was looking and enter the passage. So it took a while before we managed it. Then we sprinted along the passage, Louisa had to listen intently before opening up the exit that lead into the castle. She looked around before signaling me to come out of the statue of the One-Eyed witch. That was the end of our caution as we raced down the corridors, the sound of our sneakers thwacking against the stone floor echoed off the walls around us. Several people saw us and stopped to stare at me in shock, but we were past them too quickly for them to have time to react.
The door to Umbridge's office was open and out stumbled some very disheveled looking members of the Inquisitorial Squad. Malfoy looked up and reached for his wand quickly at the sight of us. Pansy gasped, "Diggory! You can't be here!" We had our wands out first, and we weren't about to waste time with them.
"Impedimenta!" Louisa cast quickly, her aim true.
"Stupefy!" I cast simultaneously.
We stepped over their limp forms and looked into the office, it was a wreck and clearly a struggle had gone on in here. There was no sign of Harry though. Louisa opened her locket quickly and cursed, "He's traveling!"
"To the Ministry?"
"Where else? He's going right into a trap, we have to head him off! I'll go get my broom, summon yours and use her fireplace to try and let the Order know." She was already sprinting toward Gryffindor Tower.
I grabbed a pinch of the floo powder and dropped it into the flames, I submerged my head into the green flames, "Number 12 Grimmauld Place!" I was staring at the empty kitchen, after several minutes of yelling that went unanswered I withdrew my head and moved to open her office window, "Accio broom!"
I had to stun Crabbe again before my broom came flying through the window, I caught it quickly and looked up at the sound of running footsteps in the corridor. Louisa looked in at me hopefully and I shook my head to indicate that I hadn't had any luck with the floo network. We weren't sprinting anymore, but we were very nearly jogging as we started back out onto the grounds. More people saw me, and I ignored their shouts and questions as we went. There was no time for that.
"Hopefully we can catch up to them before they get there," I noted hopefully.
"How did they even manage it? Harry's broom is locked away..." We were outside when I saw a realization hit her, "The Thestrals! Harry can see them now after seeing fake you die! Hagrid told us they had a great sense of direction if you tell them where you want to go!"
I blinked at her, "How fast are those things, do you think?"
"Hopefully not very..." She sighed and we mounted our brooms. It did occur to me to tell her to stay behind, that she shouldn't come along. She was underage, and still just a student. I knew better though, Louisa was going after Harry whether I wanted her to or not, the best thing would be for me to stay with her, just in case. I figured I knew the direction we needed to go and I used the four point charm on my wand to make sure we stayed on course as we flew into the dusk. It became clear fairly quickly that the thestrals were much faster than we had hoped. We were flying as fast as we dared to while staying on course and there was no sign of them anywhere. Not that I could see them, but I figured I would at least see the people riding them. I glanced sideways at Louisa, faintly wondering if she would see them. It didn't matter, so I turned my gaze to continue looking straight ahead. The cold wind hit my eyes again and caused them to water, but I could handle it, I was used to flying after all.
Louisa seemed to be a pretty good flier herself, I hadn't considered this before, she hadn't ever expressed much interest in quidditch and she didn't play. Yet she had a broom of her own, it had never occurred to me that people could enjoy flying but not really enjoy playing quidditch. Soon my thoughts were moving on to much darker ideas though. If we didn't catch up with Harry before he got to the Ministry... I hated to think what might happen. I knew what Voldemort was after. I had been told, albeit reluctantly, about the prophecy. I didn't know what it said, but I knew what it would mean if Voldemort found out what it said. I knew that Harry didn't know, and Louisa didn't know. Maybe I should tell her exactly what was happening before we went in. She had the right to know why Harry was being lured to the Ministry of Magic of all places, what was there that they wanted so badly... what we were risking our lives for now.
It felt like forever before we were touching down on the street, I had always used the floo network before when I had come so I didn't know much about the visitor's entrance. I knew Louisa had come over the summer with Harry though so I trusted she knew what she was doing. I looked around our surroundings, there was a trash bin overflowing with filth, next to a vandalized phone booth that didn't look like it was in working order. My first instinct was to be very unimpressed with this place, then I remembered the portkey we had taken to the World Cup and the brilliance of it struck me again. Why would any Muggle want to mess around in this place? Genius.
Louisa was staring toward the trash bin and looking horrified, "They got here first," she sighed, "The thestrals..."
I looked back at the bin and didn't see a thing, then I noticed a piece of rubbish be picked up by an invisible force and it started to get torn apart, "Can you see them?"
"Yes," Louisa told me and just started for the phone booth quickly, "I don't remember much, just flashes of images really. I was in the room with my mum when she was killed, and the Death Eater who did it too I suppose so I saw our time traveling friend from last year kill him. In my mind it's unclear, but it's always been enough to where I could see the thestrals."
Oh. I followed her into the phone booth quickly and closed the door Louisa was already dialing the numbers, but I remembered them. Six two four four two. Suddenly a female voice rang out in the little booth, "Welcome to the Ministry of Magic, please state your name and business."
"Louisa Black and Cedric Diggory," She paused, "We're here to... er... rescue Harry Potter because Lord Voldemort has lured him down to the Department of Mysteries for whatever diabolical reason."
"Thank you," The female voice seemed quite unperturbed by all of this, "Visitors, please take the badges and attach them to the front of your robes."
With a light tinkling sound two badges slid out of the change slot and Louisa picked them up and handed me mine with an odd look on her face. I read mine as the voice told us we would be submitted to a search by security or whatever. Mine read: Cedric Diggory, Rescue Mission. I glanced at Louisa's to see that it said the same thing and despite the situation we couldn't help but grin at each other as we were lowered down into the Ministry.
"I'm going to wear this any time we go on a rescue mission from here on out," I told her, "Speaking of... I know what Voldemort is after down there."
Louisa blinked at me, "What? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I was told not to! I'm telling you now so don't look at me like that," I rolled my eyes, "It's a prophecy about Voldemort and Harry. I'm pretty sure that only one of them can get it, that's the way the security of the prophecies works I've heard. If someone that it's not about tries to take it then they go mad."
"Bode..." Louisa noted in realization and I nodded.
"Yeah, Voldemort tried to make him get it before he realized that."
"So he wants Harry to get it for him?" Louisa shook her head as she stepped out into the empty and dimly lit atrium, "Lazy, isn't he?"
We set our brooms aside and moved quickly toward the lifts. I had a vague idea of where we were going, I just hoped Harry hadn't gotten himself lost. Louisa hit the button for floor nine and the lift started to clatter along as we descended into the depths of the Ministry of Magic. It was eerily quiet, I had come to see dad here loads of times and it had always been bustling with activity. There had been the paper airplane memos fluttering around and plenty of people. Now it was so silent... so deserted. Then again I guess Voldemort wouldn't try to pull this off while everyone was still here at work.
Once on the floor I lead the way, I had never been able to sit on guard like Mr. Weasley had done, but I had been told where it was in case I ever needed to. I found what I was pretty sure was the right door and we went through into a round room with about a dozen doors to choose from. I couldn't remember what I had been told about this part and we stood there looking at all of the unmarked doors dumbly for a long moment.
"He could be behind any of them," Louisa noted and moved toward a door curiously, "Look, there's the faint remnants of a cross on this one. They must have been trying them at random and marking them if they weren't the right one."
"So maybe the found the right one," I noted, "Hopefully, some of these are probably dangerous."
"Or they got interrupted..." Louisa noted grimly, "I guess we should start trying them ourselves right?"
"No... I think..." I frowned trying to remember, "I think it responds to requests."
"It? The room?" She raised a quizzical eyebrow at me, "Well, how do we request it? Do we just say: Oy! Where did Harry Potter go?"
Suddenly a door behind her flew open, we looked at it in surprise and then back at each other. I shrugged and pulled out my wand, she did the same and we crept silently into the shimmering room it lead to. All around us were clocks of every shape, size, and style. They covered ever inch of the walls of the room. We walked in slowly, looking around at the dazzling light that was being cast throughout. It was a pleasant change from the eerie blue glow of the last passage. The light was coming from a huge bell jar sitting on a desk in the center of the room. We stopped to gaze at it in wonder. The shimmering wind inside was blowing a jewel like egg around and is it followed the current it cracked and out came a small hummingbird at the top of the jar, then as it fell it aged downward until it was an egg once more.
"What is it?" I asked, more just to say something as we watched the hummingbird be born again.
"I think it's..." Louisa glanced around at tall of the clocks, "Time."
I nodded, "Well, let's go..."
We moved away from the bell jar and through the next door, this took us out into a huge dark room. All around us were towering shelves that housed the glistening little orbs, there were thousands, millions even. We fell silent again and started to move along the shelves as quietly as we could. Harry had to be here somewhere... unless we were too late. What if they were all already dead? I pushed the thought back and just stayed close to Louisa, both our wands were raised at the ready again. Then we heard it, up ahead the distant sound of voices. We exchanged a look in the dark and continued, barely daring to breath.
We peered around the edge of the shelf carefully and saw the cloaked Death Eaters surrounding them. It wasn't just Harry though, it was Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny, and Luna. I wasn't sure if this was a good thing or not, it meant we wouldn't be quite as outnumbered, but they were also mostly children. I couldn't get a very good look at them through the dark figures of the death eaters, but we listened intently to get an idea of what was happening.
Harry was speaking, clearly trying to buy time, "Did you know he's a half-blood too?" he asked, "Voldemort? Yeah, his mother was a witch but his dad was a Muggle - or has he been telling you lot he's pureblood?"
"STUPEF -" A woman screamed but she was cut off by the familiar voice of Lucius Malfoy.
"NO!"
The spell shot from the group and was deflected so that it missed Harry by maybe a foot at most and shattered several spheres that were there. Ghostly figures appeared from them and started to speak as Malfoy, and who I could only assume was Bellatrix Lestrange, were arguing with each other. From what I could tell Harry had the prophecy, and Malfoy was making sure it didn't get smashed before they delivered it to their master. We needed to stall them, we needed a good distraction. I was wracking my brain for something when Louisa stepped out boldly.
"Don't give it to them Harry," She said calmly and several Death Eaters turned around sharply when she spoke, "It's the prophecy about you and Voldemort." There was a slight up cry when she spoke his name.
"Don't you dare call him that you are not worthy!" Bellatrix spat at her and raised her wand.
I stepped out and raised my wand, eyeing Bellatrix with dislike until she lowered her wand.
"Fine, Tom Riddle then? Am I worthy to call him by his given name? The one that he shared with his muggle father?" Louisa taunted, "What a hypocrite you all are. Raving on and on about purebloods but your leader is a half breed!" She let out a humorless laugh, "Just because he murdered his muggle family doesn't negate what's in the blood. He is tainted isn't he? Basically a mudblood by your standards."
"You little... CRUCIO!" Bellatrix screamed it.
Louisa crumpled with a scream that ripped through me like a knife, I raised my wand automatically, "IMPEDIMENTA!" Bellatrix was knocked back and I hurried to pull Louisa to her feet.
"NOW!" Harry shouted suddenly and they all raised their wands to point at the shelves that loomed around us.
"REDUCTO!"
Then it seemed like the world was crashing around us as we all took off in the chaos. I saw Ron, Luna, and Ginny racing along a ways ahead. Harry, Hermione, and Neville weren't too far behind them and running with their arms over their head to protect them from debris. Louisa was a few paces ahead of me, she was fast as usual. I felt fingers grip the back of my sweater and I shouted and twisted to try and aim my wand at the masked figure.
"Stupefy!"
He was thrown back and I turned to run, Louisa was further ahead of me now, but a shelf suddenly crashed down in front of her and she paused long enough for me to catch up. I grabbed her arm and just pulled her in a different direction where the way was more clear. She cried out when a globe shattered against her temple but kept going, holding up her arm to shield herself from further damage. I saw a door and we ran for it, bursting through and into a dark room that was cast in an eerie green glow. In front of us a huge tank of green water stood and within it swam white... brains? I made a disgusted noise as Louisa slammed the door behind us.
"We have to find Harry!" She gasped and I nodded, heading for one of the doors.
"We'll just have to try whatever door we can!"
A door to my left opened and a Death Eater came barging in, he raised his wand at me but Louisa was faster, "Petrificus Totalis!" He went stiff and fell to the floor.
I jerked open a door and we both ran in, we were back in the circular room and as the door closed behind us the walls started to spin. Louisa gripped my arm in surprise as we watched the blue torches blur around us. I looked at her face, her right temple was bleeding from the cut, but it wasn't bad. I could feel relieved about that at least. Suddenly a door opened and Harry came charging out of the Time room followed my Neville. Harry seemed all right, but Neville's nose was bleeding heavily and he had Hermione over his shoulder, she didn't look well at all. The walls started to swirl around us again.
"What happened?" I asked, eyeing Hermione with concern.
"I don't know what he did to her, she's alive though," Harry said quickly and looked around at the doors in panic.
The walls became still and a door opened and the rest of the gang fell into the hall with us. As the walls began to spin again we were able to get an idea that Ron had been hurt and was basically useless, but walking and talking at least. Ginny had a broken ankle, and Luna was the only one unscathed. The walls became motionless again and before I could request the exit out of this blasted hallway Bellatrix Lestrange burst forth flanked by more Death Eaters.
"There they are!"
I moved to help Luna with Ginny quickly and Harry seized Ron, we all dashed through the closest door. Louisa brought up the back and turned as they all cast stunning curses at us.
"PROTEGO!" She shouted and deflected the one curse that would have hit home, the rest glanced off the wall around the doorframe.
Louisa slammed the door, "Colloportus!" She sealed it quickly, but the Death Eaters on the other side pointed out how easily they could get in. It was true, we were back in the Brain room and the walls were lined with doors.
"Come on! Luna, Neville, Cedric, Louisa... Help me!" Harry was shouting and we all started to run around and seal the other doors. Luna was too late arriving to one and she was thrown back the the force of the spell cast by the Death Eater.
I turned my wand quickly to start defending the others, but Louisa was distracted. Soon we all were as Ron summoned one of the brains from the tank and we all blinked at him as he caught it, and it promptly began to attack him. Louisa was calling for Harry and looking around at our wounded comrades, she gave him a meaningful look. He raised the prophecy high in the air, as if it were the snitch and he had just one the game for Gryffindor, and started to run to a new door. Louisa at his heels. They were drawing the enemy away from our wounded, excellent idea. I sprinted to catch up with them and fell through the door right after Louisa.
I stood and looked around the strange room, it was devoid of anything truly spectacular or fascinating like the other rooms. This was a room lined with stone benches that lead down into a pit where a strange and very old dais stood. The shabby black curtain reminded me of something I had seen at Grimmauld place, except this curtain was shivering despite the fact that the room was very still and devoid of any breeze I could feel. I didn't have to tim think about it, I was scrambling down the benches after Harry and Louisa, my adrenaline causing my heart to race. That was it, we were cornered now, around the dais. Even when Neville came very nobly to try and help us he got himself captured. It seemed like it was a over, if only I had been able to speak to someone when I had tried to contact headquarters. If only... I kept my wand raised, but it was hopeless. We were very much outmatched and we couldn't very well just let them torture and kill Neville.
"Don't give it to him Harry!" Louisa gasped when Harry held out the prophecy toward Lucius Malfoy.
Then a door opened and I felt relief flare up in my stomach and I gripped my wand with a new determination as I watched the members of the order race inside. Lupin, Tonks, Kingsley, Moody, and Sirius! All chaos broke loose again, and I found myself dueling with a masked Death Eater. I may have been the most inexperienced in the Order but I was definitely holding my own fairly well. I caught Louisa out of the corner of my eye, she was a natural at it, her wand flashed almost a quickly as the other Order members. Lupin blasted whoever she was fighting to the side and I saw her sprint off toward where Dolohov was bearing down at Harry and Neville with his wand drawn.
Louisa threw herself between them after Harry was able to deflect his initial spell. He glared at her and raised his wand again.
"Avada ked - "
"Silencio!" I pointed my wand at him and it cut him off mid curse. I managed to dodge a spell from the Death Eater I had been dueling and stumbled to the side. Louisa had turned in my direction and stunned the Death Eater that was trying to curse me again before he got a chance. So she didn't see the slashing motion Dolohov was making with his wand, a purple looking flame shot out and flew toward her. I lurched forward and shoved her to the side, it hit mostly on my right side. But the pain was unimaginable, like the contents of the right side of my chest were on fire. It knocked the very air out of my lungs and I just stumbled and fell against the benches. Louisa had collected herself and turned to strike back when Sirius came out of no where to save the day.
"Get them out of here!" Sirius was shouting at us, "Now! Harry get the prophecy and Neville and get to safety. Louisa, help Cedric get out and look after the others!"
Then she was near me, watching me with such concern I could tell I looked awful. I certainly felt awful, and I was fairly certain I was dying. It seemed as though tiny knives were shredding through my insides and setting them on fire all at once. Still, I managed to let her drag me to my feet and we started the excruciating climb up the benches and towards the nearest exit. I couldn't notice anything else. Every movement sent pain flaring from my chest through the entire rest of my body. I stumbled and had to catch myself, white hot pain flashed again and I hissed in a breath. Then she stopped and looked back.
"Dumbledore! Cedric, Dumbledore's here!"
I leaned on the stone step and turned to watch Dumbledore join the fight. I was filled with such a wave of a relief I thought very briefly about passing out, but decided against it. I just clutched my right side and watched. Sirius and Bellatrix were the only ones who didn't seem to notice that Dumbledore was here to save the day. They were battling furiously near the dais, and he was taunting her like only Sirius could. Then it happened, she hit him in the chest mid laugh. He may have been fine, if it hadn't been for the archway that was situated behind him. The rippling curtain seemed to almost reach out to embrace him as he fell through it, and he was gone. I didn't understand what the dais was, but I knew he was gone.
Louisa was standing next to me as if she had been frozen into a statue. I couldn't see her face from where I was slumped over the stone step. Harry was screaming and Lupin was restraining him. Louisa sat heavily down on the step as if her legs simply couldn't hold her anymore and her eyes were still on the dark veil and were wide with shock. The tears were sliding down the slopes of her cheeks and clinging to her jawline for a moment before they finally fell and soaked into her shirt. I didn't know what to say or do, and I was in too much agony to really register it all right away. Louisa finally removed her eyes from the dais and she met Lupin's gaze where he was talking to Neville and Harry a few steps down from us. I saw it all happen in those beautiful eyes, they hardened with realization and grief was shoved back and replaced with determination. She just nodded to him silently and stood, moving to help me once more.
"Come on, we have to get to the others, make sure they're all right, you need a healer." She told me, her voice was as calm as ever, if it weren't for the glistening trails the tears had left I would have never suspected she was upset. I knew Louisa, she could push it back to do what needed to be done now, and she would feel it later as acutely as my injuries that I felt now. She would feel it, but now, she was going to save me.
Harry was shouting again and Louisa jerked around, I turned and watched as he raced after Bellatrix up the stone steps.
"Harry!" Louisa cried in alarm and dropped my arm to sprint after him quickly.
I cursed but forced myself up onto my feet, I thought the pain would kill me, but if I was going to die I was going to die running. So I launched myself up the stairs at an agonizing pace, clutching my side as if that was any help at all. I scrambling in whatever ways I could and fell through the door after Louisa into the hall of rotating doors. We arrived apparently as Bellatrix had just disappeared and Harry had just entered. The walls started to spin around us once again.
"Where's the exit?" Harry yelled at the room, "Where's the way out?"
A door flew open and Harry was through it before I could blink with Louisa on his heels. I groaned and jogged after them, I was going to die, I was dying currently. It wasn't a quick death either, no, but a slow and excruciating death while I was chasing after Louisa to try and protect them. She stopped when she really seemed to notice that I was still following.
"Cedric, stop! You have to rest. I'm trying to keep Harry from doing something stupid," She insisted.
I shook my head, "Not alone... going... with you..." I panted through waves of pain.
Louisa met my gaze where I guess she saw how serious I was because just grabbed my arm to help me along, "Harry!" She called, "Wait!"
Harry was already rattling away in a lift, Louisa pressed the button for a new one quickly and grimaced, "He's not himself. He's going to do something stupid... he's going to get himself killed!"
We stumbled into the lift when the golden grating opened and it started back up to the atrium quickly. When we emerged I heard Bellatrix shrieking in a mixture of anger and panic.
"LIAR!" She was saying, "YOU'VE GOT IT, POTTER, AND YOU WILL GIVE IT TO ME - Accio Prophecy! ACCIO PROPHECY!"
Harry was laughing as he hurried toward the fountain, "Nothing there! Nothing to summon! It smashed and nobody heard what it said, tell your boss that -"
"No!" Bellatrix screamed, and Louisa pulled me suddenly to the side to hide in an alcove I looked at her in surprise and confusion as Bellatrix continued raving, "It isn't true, you're lying - MASTER, I TRIED, I TRIED - DO NOT PUNISH ME -"
That's when I saw him, the tall cloaked figured that was now standing by Bellatrix Lestrange with his back to us.
Louisa started to move again as Harry was speaking, telling Bellatrix not to waste her breath, that he couldn't hear her. Harry had his eyes closed and was ducked behind the fountain. Louisa was focused on his location with unwavering eyes as she inched forward, forgetting me completely. I bit my lip to hold back any sounds of pain I might make as I hurried after her as quickly as I dared.
"Can't I, Potter?" Voldemort was saying in response to Harry's claims that she couldn't hear him. His wand was aimed at Harry, those horrible snake like eyes fixed on him as if he were prey. "So you smashed my prophecy? No, Bella, he isn't lying... I see the truth looking at me from within his worthless mind... Months of preparation, months of effort... and my Death Eaters have let Harry Potter thwart me again..."
"Master, I am sorry, I knew not, I was fighting the Animagus Black!" She was now at his feet, quite literally grovelling, it was disgusting, "Master, you should know..."
"Be quiet, Bella," His voice was so soft and calm, it was terrible, almost like a hiss, "I shall deal with you in a moment. Do you think I have entered the Ministry of Magic to hear your sniveling apologies? "
"But Master - he is here - below..." Bellatrix was whining now and Louisa was very close to them.
"I have nothing more to say to you Potter," Voldemort was ignoring everything but Harry, "You have irked me too often, too long. AVADA KEDAVRA!"
Several things happened almost at once, Louisa threw herself forward to stand between Harry and the deadly curse. Then the golden statue of the the wizard on the Fountain of Brethren came to life and leapt down, letting the deadly green magic bounce off of his chest. There was a moment when everyone stood in shock and confusion. It was Dumbledore, and the rest of the Brethren were coming to life as well as he strode forward calmly. Louisa had twisted away from the wizard and was watching Dumbledore with such relief in her eyes I thought she might cry from it. The wizard was protecting Harry, nudging him away from the battle as it began to rage. I grabbed Louisa by the arm and pulled her over to the wall quickly and down to the ground.
We knelt and watched as flames and spells leapt around the atrium. The centaur was destroyed and sent sharp debris flying at us. I shouted and moved to try and shield both Louisa and my head as much as possible. I felt the sharp bites of golden splinters, but kept my eyes closed tightly. When we dared to look up again Voldemort was suspended in water from the fountain, we thought it was over. Bellatrix was shrieking hysterically, then he was gone. He vanished into thin air.
"Stay where you are! All of you!" Dumbledore warned us sharply and I kept my arm firmly around Louisa's shoulders.
Harry screamed and the wizard protecting him shattered, this was much closer than the centaur had been. I felt the side of my face getting pelted with debris and a large piece struck my cheek. Harry was standing rather stiffly and his face contorted into pain that reflected my own.
"Kill me now Dumbledore..." His voice was almost a hiss.
"Harry!" Louisa gasped beside me but I held on to her tightly in case she got any ideas to interfere.
"If death is nothing, Dumbledore, kill the boy..."
Louisa was shaking against me, eyes huge, I couldn't say I didn't agree with the sentiment. Then, as suddenly as it happened Harry's body relaxed and he fell limply to the ground. Voldemort reappeared and destroyed the witch that had Bellatrix pinned to the floor before they disapparated. They didn't get away before everyone in the Ministry had appeared though.
"Harry!" I let Louisa go and she scrambled to her feet, rushing over to where Dumbledore was kneeling to check on Harry.
I leaned back against the wall and closed my eyes, letting the pain take over. I was dying, I had to be, nobody could survive this. All that running around had just dug the tiny knives deeper into my entrails and the fire burned as white hot as ever. I opened my eyes and caught my reflection in the polished marble floor, my hair was still windswept from the broom ride and then battle. My cheek was gashed and bleeding, my skin was pale and I looked very much like the dead version of me had.
"Cedric!" Dad was suddenly at my side, "What's happened?"
"Dolohov hit him with something, I don't know what," Louisa was now back at my side, looking worried.
"What?!" Dad demanded, glaring at her as if it were all her fault.
"Louisa... why... is it always my face?" I sighed, talking made it worse even breathing made it worse. I was ready to die if this would just stop, "Where's Harry?"
"Jealousy, I suppose," She smiled at the first question, "Harry will be fine. I'm here to make sure you and the other wounded are tended to properly." She told me gently and then turned to my dad, "Your son is a member of the Order of the Pheonix, he has fought against Death Eaters tonight, and personally saved my life you should be very proud."
Dad looked flustered at this response and just looked at me again with wide and worried eyes. I forced myself to sit up grimacing in the pain of it, Louisa and dad both tried to get me to lay back down but I wasn't having it. I gripped the wall with my sweating hand and heaved myself once again to my feet. I no longer wished to die, Louisa had stayed to look after me, I could withstand anything. I cleared my throat loudly and got the attention of Cornelius Fudge.
"Now that you are about to try and correct a years worth of mistakes I've got another one for you," I said my voice growing stronger as I spoke, "Sirius Black was framed by Peter Pettrigew. He was innocent. He died here tonight fighting Voldemort's Death Eaters." I ignored their flinches and exclamations when I said his name, "He died a hero when so many refused to even acknowledge that there was a fight to be had! He spent thirteen years in Azkaban wrongfully accused, and two years in hiding. Yet he still stood up to fight on your behalf. When you go home to your families tonight remember him."
I didn't stay conscious long enough to see how they reacted to this, my legs buckled and I felt the arms of my father catching me and Louisa's thin hands on my arm. I heard their distant calls for me, but I was drifting away into a sweet sleep. The pain and the noise fading away so blissfully that I let the darkness take me.
I woke up in the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts the next day and spent the next several days recovering. Apparently Hermione and I had been hit by the same curse, I had only gotten part of it so I was recovering faster but we were both much improved. We had to drink what felt like about thirty different potions a day but... at least we were healing. Most everyone came to visit everyday. Louisa seemed fairly normal, she was pleasant and funny, but she had a distance in her eyes. I could understand why, she had lost her last surviving parent. Harry seemed even worse as far as that went, but I knew Louisa was strong and stubborn. She was probably using Harry's grief to help control her own, she would think she had to be strong for him.
The last day of the term I was able to get out of bed, I was on my way to go find Louisa when Professor Flitwick flagged me down and told me that Dumbledore wished to see me. So I turned and started toward his office. I was wracking my brain to figure out what he would want, maybe to fire me officially? I had kissed Louisa in front of everyone, I probably couldn't be permitted to remain on at Hogwarts after that. I didn't regret it, that was the best kiss of my life. So when I entered his office I was very much prepared to take the news calmly and without any regret.
"Sit down Cedric, you look much better," He told me pleasantly, "I have called you here because I would like for you to remain on as Assistant Professor for the next year."
I blinked at him, "What? But sir, I..." I couldn't bring myself to say kissed in front of the Headmaster for some reason.
"Oh I know, I have been told the thrilling tail of your dismissal. Very stylishly done Mr. Diggory." Dumbledore nodded, "The other Professors have grown quite attached to having you assist them with their younger classes. They all gave me the impression that if you were in a relationship with Miss Black they would not mind. I see no issue with it myself, you are not her Professor, I know you would not use your powers to help her win house points or what not. Also she is only two years your junior and will be of age next October, so it seems like a completely normal relationship to me."
"Professor, Louisa and I... we aren't... an item." I said awkwardly and at his knowing look I sighed, "I mean, I do have very strong feelings for her. I would, if she would, but she wouldn't. She's so... distant."
"Louisa has many secrets that not even you are privy to Mr. Diggory," Dumbledore told me calmly, "I suspect she will tell you in time. Regardless of the nature of your relationship with her..." he paused, "Tell me, why do you think I brought you here to work in the first place?"
"Well, to help protect Harry I suppose," I shrugged.
"Sure, partially," Dumbledore, "But I would like you to focus more on Louisa."
I blanched, "Louisa? Why does she need protecting?"
"I told you, she has many secrets that weigh upon her," Dumbledore sighed, "They are not mine to tell you so I won't. I will, however, say that Louisa may turn out to be much more important to the events to come than most people realize. I want you to look after her. She will need more than just physical protection, she is burdened with dark thoughts and self doubt. This will only intensify as things get worse. You must make sure she does not fall completely into this darkness..."
"Are you saying you think she might turn against us?" I demanded angrily, "She would never do that!"
"No, you misunderstand," Dumbledore sighed, "She will doubt everything she does and when that happens I fear for what she will become. I fear what she will do to herself for fear of messing things up, or affecting things negatively. I want you to do what you can to keep that from happening. She has an important role to play." He leaned back in his chair and appraised me for a moment before continuing, "I do not profess to be an expert on the subject by any means, but love is not to be underestimated. It is the single most important weapon we have against him. He cannot understand it, will never feel it. So he will never know the power it gives us. Voldemort will always have something to kill for, but he will never know what it is to have something worth dying for. So, Cedric, do not forsake love in any of it's forms be it between friend or strangers. Be it unrealized or unrequited, all of it is important."
I left Dumbledore's office with a lot on my mind, I wandered aimlessly down and onto the grounds. That's where I saw her, she was sitting in the grass out of reach of the Whomping Willow but watching it sway in the breeze. I went over and sat next to her, she glanced at me but didn't say anything. In her hand the locket I had given her was lying open and the hand for Padfoot was unwavering on "Lost". I swallowed and turned to look up at the shifting branches of the tree.
"Do you think evil is in the blood?" She asked quite suddenly, "Do bad people make more bad people?"
"No, what are you talking about?"
"My family. Dad and I were two of the very few in our bloodline who didn't go bad." She sounded distant and thoughtful, "He was a bully in school, and he could have treated Kreacher better, but he wasn't bad." I didn't respond so she continued to speak, "What are my chances if I get the bad blood from both sides?"
"That's all rubbish," I told her and shook my head, "You are not bad. Your blood has nothing to do with it."
"You don't understand."
"Then explain it to me!" I insisted.
Louisa looked at me with a her calculating gaze and then turned back to the tree as she spoke, "My grandmother was in Slytherin. Jane Randall, she had a boyfriend for a while after Hogwarts. After that ended she moved quite suddenly to France, many members of the family didn't even know she had a daughter until my mother was going to Beauxbatons." She shrugged, "Why shouldn't she have dated him? He was a lot like you when he was at Hogwarts. Very handsome, popular, smart, made himself out to be hero, he was very good at getting people to like him when he tried. As soon as he went funny and dark grandmother made a run for it. I don't think he ever gave her a second thought, I don't think he ever considered the possibility of a child. That sort of thing didn't interest him, I think he just used her to look normal for a bit longer."
I had a very cold feeling of dread in my stomach, I knew what she was implying, but I wouldn't let myself think it. I wouldn't let myself come to the conclusion, but Louisa didn't seem too concerned that I wasn't responding. She took a moment to pull a stalk of grass from the ground and twist it around her finger thoughtfully.
"My grandfather is Tom Riddle," She noted and then gave me a humorless smile, "Does the blood get any worse than that?"
She was staring at me, waiting for me to respond. I knew what she expected. She expected me to pull away in disgust, to curse her, to shun her. She expected me to go and tell everyone that she was evil, that she was the bad blood. Maybe she even wanted me to. Perhaps Dumbledore was right and Louisa was feeling the burden of so many dark secrets, maybe she was even carrying every death her grandfather caused with her as well. I think she almost wanted me to hate her now, so that everyone else would too and she could just disappear. Yet as I looked at her I definitely felt shocked, but I was even more shocked by how much I didn't care. If anything I felt a protectiveness flare up inside of me, I had to keep her safe from everyone. From people who would hear this and not see how wonderful she was. I knew Louisa, she was good, she was selfless, she was compassionate. That's all that mattered. My loyalty remained unwavering.
"If you ever think you are anything like him, think back to what you've done." I told her simply, "Blood does not define you, your actions do. You are only capable of good. You are probably the single good thing that has ever come from Voldemort. You are extraordinary." I thought back to the first morning I had ever really noticed Louisa, as we were standing around that mangy old boot ready to go to the World Cup with the world turning silver in the pre-dawn glow around us, and I almost said: "You are the dawn that makes the night bearable, that chases away the darkness. I love you."
I didn't say it, and I hadn't realized it until I said it in my own mind, the result was a release that I felt all through my body. I had been hiding from that fact for so long, I had loved her since before I even thought to realize it. For so long I had pushed it away, rejected it, because it wasn't how I was supposed to be. I wasn't supposed to fall in love with Louisa, the troublemaker, the firecracker, the complicated Louisa. I was meant to fall for Cho Chang, the good girl, the girl with relatively simple problems. I think I also knew that,on the off chance that she did feel the same way, would never admit it. Louisa would deny it for many reasons, maybe she didn't feel it at all, maybe she had never considered it before. Mostly I knew she would never let me, in her mind, be tainted by her darkness her. Her secrets, her burden. I knew now that she wouldn't think she deserved it. So, for now, I would not say it out loud. If I did it would drive her away, and I couldn't bear that.
"You are good, and Sirius was good," I told her after a very long silence, "You are my best friend. This doesn't change that."
She leaned against me and I put an arm around her, and for the first time since Sirius had died she cried. I sat in silence and let her, feeling her shake with silent sobs, I felt the dampness seeping through my shirt. I just turned and watched the Whomping Willow and let her be.
Snape was looking at me with such a puzzled expression that I almost wanted to laugh. Then he turned and left the room quickly. I'm sure to go and tell them this secret, that was okay. I knew Voldemort wouldn't care if he had a granddaughter, at the most he might be curious, but he would still kill her if she stood up to him either way. In the grand scheme of things that fact didn't matter, I certainly didn't find it all that interesting. I hoped they would spend enough time mulling it over so that I could prepare for the next few sessions with Snape.
I got up and went to the old mirror pulling down the fresh shirt they had given me to inspect the bandages over my wound. I was pretty sure it was getting better, it certainly felt better. It still ached, but it was healing. Good, because I was going to have to try and fight my way out eventually. I knew it would most likely be futile, but even if I could block the important bits from Snape for now I knew he would eventually break through. I had to do something.
I went to fall back into my musty old armchair and closed my eyes, exhausted from having my mind invaded. It had taken him a week this time. Hopefully I could hold out more on the next batch of memories. I had to keep Snape busy, to keep as many people preoccupied with finding out what I knew for as long as possible.
