June 24th, a date that would forever be remembered by Harry, among many others. A day of grief, despair, and loss. The day of the final task.

Harry could only face a piece of toast that morning as he was so nervous of the challenges that he would be facing that afternoon.

The four months since the second task had gone far too quickly for Harry's taste. School passing without incident and nothing interesting had occurred other that unmasking Moody, or Crouch rather. Well there was a small incident with Rita Skeeter being an animagus but even she had been quiet since Hermione threatened her with that little tidbit of knowledge.

So there he sat, listening to his friends discuss the maze that they had all seen growing larger and larger on the quidditch pitch in the previous months, occasionally contributing to the conversation, but not often.

Since there were two champions for Hogwarts, Dumbledore could not be with both and as the tournament was being held at Hogwarts he decided that he would announce the event and that he would let others take his place with the champions. Cedric's dad stood at the starting line with him but since that was not possible for Harry he had the next best thing.

Snape.

Dumbledore had seen how close the two men had been getting and as Harry's magical guardian had deemed it best he not return to his relatives but rather that he be place with Snape so there was no reason that Snape should not be the one stood alongside him. Although it caused quite a stir amongst the students who did not know of these particular developments.

Just as others were doing with their champions, Snape was talking to Harry before the cannon went. Trying to offer support, encouragement and comfort. All Harry took from the words was the fear and worry that was underlying them, rolling off the man like thunderous waves. Harry was glad that Snape was clearly trying to ignore his own feelings for the boy but Harry could not ignore it.

When the first cannon went to signal those in first place to set off Severus whispered, "be safe." Then Harry was gone, the hedge creating an impenetrable barrier between the two men.

The third task did not present too many challenges for Harry. He encountered a blast-ended skrewt, a boggat and a sphinx, all of which he managed to get past with ease. He came across Fleur seemingly unconscious from some kind of attack and sent up sparks from her wand to signify help was needed.

He was fighting an acromantula when he met up with Cedric and together they defeated it before arriving at the cup. Opting to take it, just like they defeated the spider, together, they took a hold of a handle each activating the portkey that it had been made into unknown to the both of them.

Immediately they found themselves in a graveyard and tried to get back to the cup as they knew that whatever they had been brought there for was not going to be anything good.

A shadow appeared and made its way towards them causing the boys to pause in their tracks as the cup was between them and the moving figure. As they grew closer light fell across the shape revealing Pettigrew holding a weakened, half-formed Lord Voldemort.

Deciding that only Harry was needed, and on orders from the bundle in his arms, Pettigrew lifted his wand and shot a bolt of bright green light towards Cedric with the cry "Avarda Kedavra!" Harry tried to block the spell but was too slow and watched Cedric as he slumped to the floor lifelessly with one final whisper asking Harry to take his body back with him.

Harry soon found himself restrained against a gravestone and, unable to escape, began to close himself off and just stood there staring at the body of his friend. If Cedric had not told him about the egg Harry would not have made it through the second challenge.

If he did not appear when he did Harry was sure that he would still be lying dead at the feet of the giant spider. If he had not accepted the trophy alongside Harry he would still be alive. He had saved Harry's life not once, but twice, and in return he died.

Voldemort's downfall is that he talks far too much. He let Harry down with the promise of a duel but in his monologue he enabled Harry the chance to reach Cedric's body and summon the cup to take the two of them back to Hogwarts.

The celebratory music started up as soon they appeared with the cup but soon faded away as the onlookers realised that Cedric wasn't moving and that Harry was holding his body as his own was being racked with tears.

Harry was taken up to Dumbledore's office and given a calming draught before he began regaling the whole tale of events to the headmaster, the minister, and Snape. Soon after he was dismissed but did not go back to the common room.

Snape was sat in his office when his door was knocked almost two hours later. Assuming that Harry was just refusing to use the password he was given he stood up and walked over to open it. He was shocked to find out that it was really Dumbledore that was stood in the doorway.

"Ah, Severus, my dear boy. Don't suppose that you've seen Harry? No one has seen him since he left my office after the task."

Severus felt an ice cold shiver run down his back. "No, but I think that I might know where he'll be. Let me go. I shall tell you if I manage to find him." Snape did not wait for an answer, just took off in a sprint with his cloak billowing behind him, both hoping and dreading that he was right about the boys whereabouts.

As he neared his destination he heard the sound of a piano being played and knew that it was no other student than the very one that he was looking for. He sent his patronus to inform Dumbledore that he had found the boy and would take care of him himself.

He pushed open the door to the room of requirement and was shocked by the sight that befell him. Harry was in there playing the piano with broken glass littering the floor around it. He was saddened at the sight of Harry sat covered in blood at the piano, so much like the scene that he had found so many months before.

He could hear Harry muttering something repeatedly under his breath and he played on, "I killed him. I killed Cedric. I killed him." Severus walked over to the child carefully, avoiding all of the broken glass on the floor.

"Breathe Harry. Take a deep breath. I'm here. You're safe. Come on Harry. It's okay. I've got you. Let it out Harry. Let it go." Severus said all of this as he sat down on the bench next to Harry and wrapped the boy in his arms.

Harry broke down as he gripped the man's robes. "I killed him Sev. He helped me out so many times, he did so much for me, he saved my life at least twice and I killed him. I'm such a failure, an idiot, a murderer. I just want to die."

Severus squeezed the boy tighter. "No. I will not let you. You aren't allowed to go dying on me. Harry James Potter, you are not a murderer. If you had not taken that trophy then he would have been killed anyway. You wanted to share the triumph of surviving a dangerous tournament, as a Hufflepuff, Cedric would have been proud of that sentiment. You did not make the cup a portkey, nor did you have the knowledge that it was one. No one knew except the person who did that it, and no one knows who that was. What I do know is that it was Voldemort that killed Cedric, not you."

"It was Moody," Harry whimpered, "or Crouch if you prefer."

"What?"

"He made it a portkey before we discovered who he really was. It was just delayed so that it would not be activated until the time that the third task was starting."

"How do you know?"

"I focused. On the way back here. I focused and that told me everything that I needed to know."

"We really need to stop meeting like this Harry. Please."

Harry pulled himself closer into the man's grip, seeking the comfort that was there as he cried. "I tried, I haven't done this since you found me the last time, I've wanted to, don't get me wrong there, but I didn't. I came to you when the need got too strong but most of the time I could handle it. I thought about how ashamed of me that you would be, but I couldn't stop myself this time. I'm so sorry. I should have come to you this time. I didn't want to be a burden, please don't hate me, please."

"Hey, hey, hey. Calm down. I don't hate you, I could never hate you. I'm really glad that you didn't hurt yourself for so long, I'm pleased that you came to me all those other times, I just wish that you had come to me this time as well. I wouldn't be ashamed of you Harry, I'm not ashamed of you now, I understand that it is hard to stop, that the need is never truly gone, you did so well for holding off for so long. But I have a question for you, why aren't your wounds healing?"

"I do not know, they never do. I could only think that it is because on some level I do not want them to heal, or because I did them to myself with the intention to hurt myself so there is some sort of limitations like after the first task."

"May I then?"

"If you wish it."

"Of course I want to heal you. I don't want you to be hurting Harry." Severus got out his wand and began whispering the incantations just as he did the last time that there were in this situation. When he was done Harry relaxed back into the man's side, into his hold. "You seem to really like hugs Harry." With these words he began to pull away but Severus pulled him back again. "I did not say move," he stated simply making Harry settle once more.

"You're warm, and you make me feel safe, protected, cared for. You make me feel loved."

Severus smiled at these words. Placing a kiss in Harry's hair before whispering, "that's because you are loved Harry, so much."

The boy began to drift off with these gentle words still hanging in the air, "Love you too Sev'rus, stay with me?"

Harry fell asleep before he could hear the man's reply. "Always and forever Harry."