Chapter 20: Warm Embrace
Hedwig had always done her best to keep look after Harry, fearful of letting him out of her sights for too long. Thankfully, he was in the castle most of the time so she was able to relax a little, knowing that he was safe, at least safer, inside the walls than outside. She knew his schedule, so she knew exactly the times when he left the castle and went out onto the grounds for classes or on the weekends when they had free time on their hands.
These days though, if she was flying around some of the countless windows, she would sometimes get a glimpse of Harry and his friends inside as they practiced spells. One day, she found out what it was that they were doing when she overheard one of their conversations… apparently, they were helping Harry to learn as many defensive spells as possible as they got ready for the Third Task, which would be taking place shortly before the end of term.
Pretty much everyone was looking forward to this final Task, and all she had to think of it was how relieved she will be when it was finally over. She was so tired of constantly worrying about Harry and fret on if he would live throughout this year. She didn't care who won anymore so long as her boy made it through alive.
Thankfully, the end of June arrived without any further incidents—none that she was aware of anyway—and the day of the task was at hand. Just one more day and the tournament will finally be over… oh, she couldn't wait.
She had been watching how the hedges that had been planted and soon growing wildly across the Quidditch field. Now they were so tall that they loomed over a human's head. They even towered over someone like Hagrid's, which should show just how big this thing was. In fact, the only way that you could hope to see what was inside was if you flew overhead…
Not that she wanted to… some nights she had seen the teachers putting all sorts of horrible things and spells in there and she hated to see what else they had in mind. Apparently, all four of the Champions had to run into the maze and find their way to the very center to where a large cup would be waiting for them. While fighting off all sorts of monsters and obstacles, apparently it was whoever got there first, would be declared the winner.
The night before the task, she, herself, had witnessed the gnarled Moody fellow carrying the cup into the maze after she had finished a night of hunting. As she understood… all that was left to do was wait for the task to start… and finish. Yet she couldn't help but feel a strong sense of something bad was about to happen.
She wasn't sure what it was, however, when she watched how that Mooody guy left, she had seen a twisted smirk on his gnarled face, and a wild look in those strange eyes of his—making them both look like they weren't natural.
And she just did not like it at all…
She shook her head, settling down onto her usual branch she sat on when watching a Quidditch game or practice session. Yeah, maybe if she just pretended that this was a game then it would be easier to bare. She ruffled her feathers as she watched the stands slowly filling up with people. Her large, amber eyes soon found a small group of red-heads in the crowd and she remembered how Mrs. Weasley and one of her many sons arrive early. She had never seen this Weasley before but she had watched them with Harry as they walked across the grounds earlier today… Bill, she thought his name was.
Still, it was nice that they came to give Harry some support. Better than that no good family of his back at that prison of a house. She had to wonder just how it Harry could ever be related to such people… bad luck, she supposed.
She settled herself on the branch as she waited for the stands to finish filling up with people, watching how the teachers were all walking around the hedge, performing some kinds of spells on it. At last, she spotted Harry coming up with the other Champions, being led to the entrance of the maze. Seeing that dark entrance was like a dark pit where no light could ever hope to reach… seeing it made her feel cold inside… she did not like this… not at all.
Still she watched nervously as all four of them speaking to the loud man who always talked so much during these Tasks. She watched them nod to him before he left so that he could continue talking like he had done before.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin!" he called with his magically loud voice. "Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, with eighty-five points each - Mr. Cedric Diggory and Mr. Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts School!"
As expected, the Hogwarts student's applause seemed to shake the very grounds. "In second place, with eighty points - Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute!" the Durmstrang students screamed out loudly. "And in third place – Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!" While she could understand why her school would be cheering for Fleur, she wondered why a lot of boys from the other schools also began to cheer.
"So… on my whistle, Harry and Cedric! Three - two - one -"
She heard his blasted whistle before Harry went running into the maze with Cedric before disappearing from her sights. Soon, Viktor and finally Fleur followed suit as well… almost like they were being swallowed up by the darkness of this maze… never to be seen again. She felt chills going through her small body, just hoping that she was just thinking about it too much.
*Later*
What was going on? Something was terribly wrong, she just knew it. Evening had come and it was almost pitch black outside. Was this supposed to take so long? Hedwig had been pacing back and forth on her branch as she kept her eyes on the maze, waiting for someone to be declared the winner and for the Champions to be allowed to leave this whole mess behind.
A little while after all four of them had run inside, there were red sparks being shot up over one part of the maze. She had been hoping that it had been Harry, but instead, she heard that loud man calling out, "That ladies and gentlemen is the signal that one of our champions is in trouble! Each of the champions had been warned before they entered the maze that should they need help, merely to send up those sparks! However, if they do so, then they will immediately be disqualified for the tournament. Now let's see who it is…?"
She looked hopefully up, but the Moody character had come out from one of the corners of the hedges, half dragging the girl, Fleur, with him.
"It seems that Fleur Delacour had been the one who sent the sparks up, and has now been disqualified from the tournament!" the loud man called as Fleur's teacher came from the judges table. "But let's give up a round of applause for her for a valiant effort!"
Hedwig settled back as she watched Fleur being carried off to the medical tent before turning back to the maze. She hoped that someone would find the cup soon so that she could stop worrying. It was a little while later when more sparks were sent up and Hedwig was disappointed again when they dragged Viktor Krum out rather than Harry. Still, it shouldn't be too much longer now. At least she hoped.
The loud man announced that Viktor was unable to finish the task, everyone grew very tense—knowing that now the tournament had come down to two people. But the longer that she was forced the wait, the more anxious she became until she was flapping her wings and letting out several loud hoots, as if trying to tell them to hurry up. But she felt sick to her stomach… fretting so much, she began to prune her feathers so much that she was plucking them out by accident.
What was taken so long? One of them would've surly found the cup by now? The stands were also growing impatient as well—wondering why nothing was happening. And she wasn't the only one who felt the same way. She looked down to see the teachers all pacing around the maze anxiously, clearly wondering as well what was taking so long.
What happened to them? Horrible thoughts continued to play themselves in her head until at long last, what felt like several years, there was something happening at the entrance of the maze. She had been staring at the spot for so long that when it happened, she was almost knocked over from surprise.
There was a faint glowing blue light shining there for a moment, the drowsy crowd had also noticed it as well and they were pointing it out to their friends and talking excitedly—obviously thinking that this had been part of the task. All of a sudden, both Harry and Cedric had fallen from out of thin air, tumbling onto the grass and laid there motionless.
She let out several angry hoots at the boys for taking so long… at least until she realized that neither of them were moving. As she tried to get a better look, that anxious feeling growing worse by the second. Dumbledore had come running over from the judges table and he almost flew along the ground to get there before anyone else did. She watched in worry as he knelt down at their sides and turned Harry over rather roughly.
She clicked her beak reproachfully, still trying to get a better glimpse of what was happening even as the crowd started to gather around, hiding them from view. But then she heard someone shouting out, "My God- Diggory! Dumbledore- he's dead!"
Those few words caused a wave of fear and grief to sweep over them all as people were now trying to push their way through to see what was going on. They then started to shout out to everyone within range so that all too soon, the whole school was aware of the tragic news.
"He's dead!"
"He's dead!"
"Cedric Diggory! Dead!"
Sobbing sounded in a din, and voices, passing on the news… everywhere… so that no one could miss it. Her heart was beating so hard that she was sure that it would burst right out. She took flight, desperate to get some answers. She flew over as fast as she could, trying to get a better view of what was happening even as more people were crying out that Cedric Diggory was dead.
But Harry… what about Harry? Was he alright? He couldn't be dead! She would have known! She would have felt it! But it was almost impossible to make anything out through all the people. She was about to swoop down and force her way through until she saw that Moody person force his way out of the crowd, half carrying and half dragging Harry along with him.
She sighed with relief to see that he alive… but… wait a moment… why wasn't he taking Harry to the medical tent? Was he just taking him straight up to the castle to get treated in the Hospital Wing? But wasn't Madam Pomfrey still here? Wouldn't it be better for him to go straight to her first?
Suspicious, she glided along after the two of them, with Moody still almost carrying Harry with him. Harry's face was as white as her feathers, and she hooted miserably when she saw the blood staining his clothes… he looked like he was about to pass out… or at the least be sick from the way that he swayed dangerously.
She landed on a windowsill of the castle as she watched them heading up the stone steps. A part of her wanted to continue following, but…? She was trying to grasp what had happened, trying to make sense of this. What happened? What happened in those hedges? While one boy was dead, the other was…? She didn't even know. She threw her wings open, about to throw caution to the wind and continue following after them when she spotted someone running up towards the castle as well. It was Dumbledore.
She didn't know what made her stop moving, but she did as she watched him heading straight for the steps, at least until he noticed something directly underneath her windowsill and he called, "Severus!"
In surprise, she looked directly down to see that the shadows were moving, and the teacher whom always gave Harry such a hard time appeared from the dark.
"Headmaster?" he asked as he stepped forward. She wished that she was a little closer, for from this angle she could only see the top of their heads.
"Severus? I need you to tell me. Did he summon you?" Dumbledore asked him and she saw how Snape seemed to freeze for a moment before his arm did something strange and grasp his left arm as if something had hurt him.
"Yes," he said, though it was so quiet that she was amazed that she was able to hear it. "Not that long ago… about half an hour, perhaps?" He then pulled back his sleeve to show him something. She leaned her head down lower, trying to get a glimpse of it, but then Snape rolled his sleeve down just as quickly, as if he was ashamed of whatever was on his arm.
"Just what happened? The Dark Lord summons us tonight… and I just heard that Potter and Diggory…"
"I am afraid that Cedric Diggory is dead," Dumbledore mournfully. "Harry is still alive… I don't know the whole story, but he escaped Voldemort's clutches from what I understand. Harry brought Cedric's body back. The cup… the Triwizard Cup had been turned into a portkey to send the person who touched it to Voldemort. He's back, Severus. Lord Voldemort is back."
Voldemort? Wait, that monster who was after her owlet? Her owlet? But how? How could he have been here? And what's a Portkey?
"Who?" Snape demanded when Dumbledore said that they had been betrayed by someone.
She looked back to Dumbledore, wanting some answers as well, however, he was shaking his head helplessly, looking as lost as she was.
"I'm afraid I don't know. I honestly don't… but more importantly, Harry has now disappeared," he said.
Wait, no he hasn't. She just saw him being taken up to the castle. If it wasn't Dumbledore who sent him up there, then…?
"The boy was injured and exhausted," Dumbledore went on, "He couldn't have left on his own… I'm afraid that there is someone working for Voldemort here in the castle, Severus. And the one who put Harry's name into the Goblet of Fire is the same one who took Harry… I'm sure of it."
She stared at them. Moody… that teacher whom was spoken so highly about the students around here, if proclaimed insane, was the one who put her owlet through all the suffering of this year? Oh, wait until she got her talons into him… but then she really thought about what Dumbledore said and felt her insides freeze.
"But who?" Snape repeated impatiently. "Who could do this?"
Albus shook his head… but stopped before he seemed to be thinking it all over. Just then, he went very white and she heard him say, "Severus… After dinner last night… do you remember who asked to place the Cup in the maze?"
"Of course. It was Moody," Snape answered.
"And…" Dumbledore said hurriedly, "You are certain that no one else had touched it before he took it into the maze?"
"No, I…" he suddenly stopped dead, slowly looking up at him as well. "You don't mean…?"
"And Alastor offered to take Harry…" Dumbledore said to himself before he said hurriedly, "We need to find Harry. Now."
Then go and do it! She was about to fly down and peck at them both for not realizing this sooner, but before she could give in to that impulse, when she saw someone running across the grounds towards them.
"But…" Snape started before she realized that it was McGonagall having just spotted them there. Yet, rather than stay and talk, Dumbledore turned and gestured for her to follow them.
"Minerva," he said quickly, "Please tell me, did you see where Harry went? Did anyone take him?"
She paused as she thought it over for a second before informing him fretfully, "I-I saw… I saw Moody take him back to the school. But Albus—what's going on here? I thought that we had everything covered—that we didn't overlook any safety measure and…"
But perhaps it was something in their faces for she stopped talking. Dumbledore just called to them both that they had to hurry and he led the way up the castle steps, pulling his wand out as he went.
*Later*
She knew not what else to do but to head to the window of the Hospital Wing and wait there for them to bring Harry in—as she was sure that they would. If there was one thing you could count on it's that Harry was usually able to end up there whenever something confusing or dangerous was happening. Though she still had no idea to what was going on anymore.
It turned out that she wasn't the only one who thought that, for it seemed like she hardly settled on the sill when she saw the doors burst open and Hermione came running in with Ron, his mother and his eldest brother.
She kept out of sight, but the window was open so she was able to hear what they were saying. And they were speaking her thoughts so well… demanding to know where Harry was and what was going on. She had told them that Professor Moody had been an imposter and that the real one was sleeping here, and she was asking that they leave least they wake him. But they continued to ask questions, which she was unable to answer and was clearly growing more and more irritated the longer that they argued.
Hedwig was getting ready to go flying in and screech up a storm when she heard the door open. She turned her head around to get a good look, and to her relief, she saw that it was Dumbledore, helping to support Harry and a familiar large, black dog.
When the others looked up to see them, Mrs. Weasley let out a muffled scream, "Harry! Oh Harry!"
She started to hurry towards him, who was so pale that he looked like he was about to black out where he stood. Dumbledore seemed to know this as well for he stepped between them and held up a hand as he said, "Molly, please listen to me for a moment. Harry has been through a terrible ordeal tonight. He has just had to relive it for me. What he needs now is sleep, and peace, and quiet. If he would like you all to stay with him," he added, looking around at the others, "you may do so. But I do not want you questioning him until he is ready to answer, and certainly not this evening."
Hedwig felt her heart ache at the look on her owlet's face and she was tormented with all sorts of thoughts of what he was forced to go through to resemble this. Thankfully, Mrs. Weasley seemed to understand and she nodded to him before she rounded on the others, as if looking for a way to vent some of her anxiety, "Did you hear? He needs quiet!"
Hedwig nodded firmly as she watched as Harry changed and got into bed, with his friends all surrounding him, soon taking a long sip from a potion that Madam Pomfrey brought to him. He was out before he could even finish drinking it. Once she was sure that he was out, Mrs. Weasley gently lifted off his glasses and carefully set them aside on the side table as she continued to watch sadly.
Hedwig also looked grimly down at him, realizing that this is the first time that she had seen him sleep for a long time… and seeing him like this… he looked just like he had when he was only eleven. Just a young owlet who did not know anything about the world that he was going into.
She remained on that sill, watching over the group as her mind went back to those innocent memories of when she first met Harry. She was so lost in thought, she hardly paid any attention to the large beetle that had flown up onto that sill right next to her. In fact, it was at least an hour before she even moved—having heard the sounds of shouting coming from one of the floors below them. She didn't pay much attention to it at first, at least until the yelling got louder and louder.
"Regrettable, but all the same, Minerva -"
"You should never have brought it inside the castle!" she recognized as McGonagall's voice, yelling furiously, "When Dumbledore finds out -"
Finds out about what? What else could have happened tonight?
But just then the Hospital Wing doors burst open, startling her completely out of her thoughts and she peered onwards as a portly man came in with a round hat being twisted in his hands as he stared wildly around the room.
"Where's Dumbledore?" the man demanded furiously.
"He's not here," Mrs. Weasley replied, sounding just as angry as he was.
Really, who did this guy think his is just barging through the castle as if he owned the place? She felt the urge to fly in and start pecking at him.
"This is a hospital wing," Mrs. Weasley went on angrily, "Minister, don't you think you'd do better to -"
But the door then opened up again and she looked over to see that it was Dumbledore this time, striding up the ward, and also looking angry—though doing a very good job of hiding it—as he looked over them both.
He opened the doors and came sweeping up the ward to see Minerva and Fudge standing there; both of them red in the face with suppressed fury.
"What has happened?" he asked sharply looking from the man to McGonagall. "Why are you disturbing these people? Minerva, I'm surprised at you - I asked you to stand guard over Barty Crouch -"
"There is no need to stand guard over him anymore, Dumbledore!" McGonagall shrieked at once, pointing a shaking hand to the newcomer. "The Minister has seen to that!"
Minister? Well, whatever his name was, she decided that she did not like him and quite liked it when McGonagall yelled at him. That was when she noticed that the others were all standing up and staring at the scene with wide eyes, all with the exception of Harry, still in bed. However, the yelling had clearly been what woke him up and he was sitting up, putting his glasses on so he could see better.
But McGonagall was the one looking like she was about to lose whatever restraint she had left—if there were any left—as she continued shouting. She had never seen her so angry before, but here she was, her face red, her hands were fists, and she was trembling with fury.
But before any more shouting could continue, Snape had just entered. Though she suspected that it wasn't difficult for him to find them since the yelling had clearly led him right to them.
Though he spoke in a calm voice, he was also looking angry as he answered, "When we told Mr. Fudge that we had caught the Death Eater responsible for tonight's events, he seemed to feel his personal safety was in question. He insisted on summoning a dementor to accompany him into the castle. He brought it up to the office where Barty Crouch -"
Dementors? Those horrible creatures were here inside the castle? What were they thinking allowing that thing here?!
"I told him you would not agree, Dumbledore!" McGonagall shouted at once when she saw that Dumbledore grew pale at those words. "I told him you would never allow dementors to set foot inside the castle, but -"
"My dear woman!" Minister roared back, "as Minister of Magic, it is my decision whether I wish to bring protection with me when interviewing a possibly dangerous -"
But he never got the chance to finish speaking for McGonagall, pointing a shaking hand at him as she croaked out, "The moment that - that thing entered the room it swooped down on Crouch and - and -"
And what? What did that thing do? She looked from them all, and she could see how sick everyone was looking as they listened to what happened. Whatever the Dementor did to this Crouch guy… couldn't have been good.
"By all accounts, he is no loss!" blustered Minister. "It seems he has been responsible for several deaths'."
But Dumbledore didn't seem to agree as he was staring long and hard at Minister like he had never seen him before. Yet she was shocked… this Crouch guy kill people? Why? What for? Why was she always being left in the dark about these things?!
"But he cannot now give testimony, Cornelius," he said slowly. "He cannot give evidence about why he killed those people."
Wait, now she recognized him… he was one of the guys from two years ago who took Hagrid away from the castle, wasn't he? She narrowed her eyes, her dislike growing with every moment.
"Why he killed them? Well, that's no mystery, is it?" blustered Cornelius again. "He was a raving lunatic! From what Minerva and Severus have told me, he seems to have thought he was doing it all on You-Know-Who's instructions!"
"Lord Voldemort was giving him instructions, Cornelius," Dumbledore said firmly, "Those peoples deaths were mere by-products of a plan to restore Voldemort to full strength again. The plan succeeded. Voldemort has been restored to his body."
Cornelius just stared at Dumbledore's declaration, his jaw had fallen open in horror and it looked as if someone had hit him over the head with something very heavy from the way that he swayed where he stood.
Finally, he was able to stutter weakly, "You-Know-Who… returned? Preposterous. Come now, Dumbledore…"
"As Minerva and Severus have doubtless told you," Dumbledore said with a nod towards them, "we heard Barty Crouch confess. Under the influence of Veritaserum, he told us how he was smuggled out of Azkaban, and how Voldemort – " Minister-guy flinched at the name, "learning of his continued existence from Bertha Jorkins - went to free him from his father and used him to capture Harry. The plan worked, I tell you. Crouch has helped Voldemort to return."
Suddenly a small smile appeared on Minister-guy's face, though she couldn't see anything to laugh about. "See here, Dumbledore, you - you can't seriously believe that You-Know-Who - back? Come now, come now… certainly, Crouch may have believed himself to be acting upon You-Know-Who's orders - but to take the word of a lunatic like that, Dumbledore…"
Dumbledore shook his head and explained slowly to him, "When Harry touched the Triwizard Cup tonight, he was transported straight to Voldemort. He witnessed Lord Voldemort's rebirth. I will explain it all to you if you will step up to my office."
He then looked to Harry, to see that he was awake before he shook his head and told Minister firmly, with no hint of relenting, "I am afraid I cannot permit you to question Harry tonight."
He better not. Her owlet had been through enough already! This buffoon had no right to be bothering him at all. She strained her memory, trying to remember what it was that they called Minister-guy before two years ago. Fudge? Was that it? Well, whatever.
She watched as Fudge had that mad smile on his face before he glanced at Harry as well before looking back at Dumbledore, asking awkwardly, "You are - er - prepared to take Harry's word on this, are you, Dumbledore?"
There was a moment's silence, which was broken by the dog's growling. Baring large teeth at Fudge, and though she couldn't understand him like she could with other animals, she knew what he was saying.
'How dare you?'
She knew that, for she was feeling the exact same way as well. Dumbledore's eyes narrowed slightly, and she could almost sense the anger in him as well.
"Certainly, I believe Harry," he told Fudge firmly. "I heard Crouch's confession, and I heard Harry's account of what happened after he touched the Triwizard Cup; the two stories make sense, they explain everything that has happened since Bertha Jorkins disappeared last summer."
Fudge still had that strange smile on his face, once again, he glanced at Harry before answering, "You are prepared to believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, on the word of a lunatic murderer, and a boy who… well…"
Well what? What was the problem? Why couldn't he want to take Harry's word for something serious?
But at that moment, Harry spoke up, "You've been reading Rita Skeeter, Mr. Fudge." The others around his bed jumped at his voice, clearly not realizing that he was awake.
"And if I have?" Fudge demanded, looking at Dumbledore accusingly. "If I have discovered that you've been keeping certain facts about the boy very quiet? A Parselmouth, eh? And having funny turns all over the place -"
Skeeter? Who was that? A Parselmouth? She wished that they could go into details about what they were taking about so she would be able to keep up for once!
"I assume that you are referring to the pains Harry has been experiencing in his scar?" Dumbledore asked calmly.
"You admit that he has been having these pains, then?" Fudge demanded quickly. "Headaches? Nightmares? Possibly - hallucinations?"
She didn't know what they were arguing about, but she had seen Harry's scar hurting him before and knew that he couldn't possibly be suggesting that he was making it up. Oh, if it turns out that he was saying Harry was lying, then she was going to lose it and fly in to attack.
Dumbledore did not seem to like where this was going either, for he took a step forward, his own anger spilling over like water and she felt fear running through her tiny body at the burning anger that was radiating off him.
"Listen to me, Cornelius," he said firmly, "Harry is as sane as you or I. That scar upon his forehead has not addled his brains. I believe it hurts him when Lord Voldemort is close by, or feeling particularly murderous."
Fudge had taken half a step back from him but he still kept arguing, "You'll forgive me, Dumbledore, but I've never heard of a curse scar acting as an alarm bell before…"
But Harry seemed to have lost his own temper at being talked about like this as if he wasn't in the room and soon he was shouting, "Look, I saw Voldemort come back!" He tried to get out of bed again, but Mrs. Weasley kept him from doing so. "I saw the Death Eaters! I can give you their names! Lucius Malfoy -"
"Malfoy was cleared!" Fudge snapped back angrily. "A very old family - donations to excellent causes -"
"Macnair!" Harry continued.
"Also cleared! Now working for the Ministry!"
"Avery - Nott - Crabbe - Goyle -"
Dumbledore shot Harry a warning looking, silently telling him to be quiet.
"You are merely repeating the names of those who were acquitted of being Death Eaters thirteen years ago!" said Fudge angrily. "You could have found those names in old reports of the trials! For heaven's sake, Dumbledore!" he turned back to the old man as he continued yelling, "The boy was full of some crackpot story at the end of last year too - his tales are getting taller, and you're still swallowing them - the boy can talk to snakes. Dumbledore, and you still think he's trustworthy?"
Harry could talk to snakes? So what? She could understand what other animals were saying… she didn't see what was so bad about it. Now… if only he could understand what owls were saying… that may make her job a lot easier.
"You fool!" McGonagall cried out. "Cedric Diggory! Mr. Crouch! These deaths were not the random work of a lunatic!"
"I see no evidence to the contrary!" shouted Fudge, now matching her anger, his face purpling. "It seems to me that you are all determined to start a panic that will destabilize everything we have worked for these last thirteen years!"
Why would they want to do that? What would be the point?
"Voldemort has returned," Dumbledore repeated loudly and firmly. "If you accept that fact straightaway Fudge, and take the necessary measures, we may still be able to save the situation. The first and most essential step is to remove Azkaban from the control of the dementors -"
Get rid of those horrible things? She was with him on that idea. Whoever came up with those monsters was sick in the head! If they could destroy them then it would do the world a great service.
If only everyone agreed with that comforting thought.
"Preposterous!" shouted Fudge again. "Remove the dementors? I'd be kicked out of office for suggesting it! Half of us only feel safe in our beds at night because we know the dementors are standing guard at Azkaban!"
"The rest of us sleep less soundly in our beds, Cornelius, knowing that you have put Lord Voldemort's most dangerous supporters in the care of creatures who will join him the instant he asks them!" Dumbledore retorted coldly. "They will not remain loyal to you, Fudge! Voldemort can offer them much more scope for their powers and their pleasures than you can! With the dementors behind him, and his old supporters returned to him, you will be hard-pressed to stop him regaining the sort of power he had thirteen years ago!"
Personally, she thought it was better if they got rid of those things whether or not Voldemort was back.
"The second step you must take - and at once," Dumbledore went on with Fudge was too stunned to speak, "is to send envoys to the giants."
"Envoys to the giants?" Fudge shrieked, horrified at the idea as she was trying to figure out what giants were. Large people? Like Hagrid? "What madness is this?"
Dumbledore then told him, reminding him how the giants had joined Voldemort during the first war hoping for a better life because of how man had treated them.
"You - you cannot be serious!" Fudge gasped, shaking his head and retreating further from him as if afraid that he would catch some disease. "If the magical community got wind that I had approached the giants - people hate them, Dumbledore - end of my career -"
"You are blinded by the love of the office you hold, Cornelius!" Dumbledore came close to yelling, and Hedwig was wondering why they didn't take this out of the room and too his office by now or somewhere else. "You place too much importance, and you always have done, on the so-called purity of blood! You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be! Your dementor has just destroyed the last remaining member of a pure-blood family as old as any - and see what that man chose to make of his life!"
Dumbledore then took a long and deep breath, before speaking on in a calmer way, though still firm so that no one could hope to mistake his words, "I tell you now - take the steps I have suggested, and you will be remembered, in office or out, as one of the bravest and greatest Ministers of Magic we have ever known. Fail to act - and history will remember you as the man who stepped aside and allowed Voldemort a second chance to destroy the world we have tried to rebuild!"
"Insane," whispered Fudge, still backing away. "Mad…"
Even she could see that this was a lost cause. Why did they even need his permission to do anything? He couldn't possibly be anyone important could he?
She looked around at the room as the other members were still staring at Fudge, wondering what was going to happen next. But Dumbledore kept his eyes on Fudge, before giving him a quiet warning, "If your determination to shut your eyes will carry you as far as this, Cornelius, we have reached a parting of the ways. You must act as you see fit. And I - I shall act as I see fit."
As Hedwig was trying to grasp what it was that he meant, Fudge continued on, this time waving a threatening finger at him, "Now, see here, Dumbledore. I've given you free rein, always. I've had a lot of respect for you. I might not have agreed with some of your decisions, but I've kept quiet. There aren't many who'd have let you hire werewolves, or keep Hagrid, or decide what to teach your students without reference to the Ministry. But if you're going to work against me -"
But Dumbledore shook his head, carefully reminding him, "The only one against whom I intend to work," he reminded him, "is Lord Voldemort. If you are against him, then we remain, Cornelius, on the same side."
For the first time, it seemed that Fudge was too stunned for a comeback. She watched as he began to sweat as his eyes darted around the room, as if hoping for someone to help him. But when no one did, he finally cried out, sounding close to pleading, "He can't be back, Dumbledore, he just can't be…"
At that moment, seemingly sick at how they were going back and forth, Snape strolled forward, rolling up the sleeve of his arm, the same one that she saw him show to Dumbledore earlier. And there, she saw some kind of marking on his arm… a horrible one of a snake and skull… and for some reason it sent a chill of cold through her.
"There," Snape snapped harshly. "There. The Dark Mark. It is not as clear as it was an hour or so ago, when it burned black, but you can still see it. Every Death Eater had the sign burned into him by the Dark Lord. It was a means of distinguishing one another, and his means of summoning us to him. When he touched the Mark of any Death Eater, we were to Disapparate, and Apparate, instantly, at his side. This Mark has been growing clearer all year. Karkaroff's too. Why do you think Karkaroff fled tonight? We both felt the Mark burn. We both knew he had returned. Karkaroff fears the Dark Lord's vengeance. He betrayed too many of his fellow Death Eaters to be sure of a welcome back into the fold."
Fudge stepped back from Severus too like he did to Dumbledore before. He was shaking his head before he seemed to find his voice and glared at Dumbledore.
"I don't know what you and your staff are playing at, Dumbledore, but I have heard enough. I have no more to add. I will be in touch with you tomorrow, Dumbledore, to discuss the running of this school. I must return to the Ministry," he said firmly. He turned and marched up the ward, which she wasn't at all sorry to see him go. But just as he reached the door, he paused, before strolling back down the ward and pulled out a large bag that was jingling with coins.
"Your winnings," he said shortly to Harry before he dropped it onto the bedside table. "One thousand Galleons. There should have been a presentation ceremony, but under the circumstances…"
Fudge glared back at Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonagall with a furious look—that reminded her of when a human child was angry for not getting their way—before he went stomping out of the room and slamming the door shut behind him.
The moment he had disappeared, Dumbledore turned to look at the rest of them.
"There is work to be done," he said with a grave seriousness that she did not like. "Molly… am I right in thinking that I can count on you and Arthur?"
"Of course you can," said she said at once, her face pale but determined. "We know what Fudge is. It's Arthur's fondness for Muggles that has held him back at the Ministry all these years. Fudge thinks he lacks proper wizarding pride."
Dumbledore nodded to her, though they might as well have been speaking another language for all the good she got out of that.
"Then I need to send a message to Arthur," he said, "All those that we can persuade of the truth must be notified immediately, and he is well placed to contact those at the Ministry who are not as shortsighted as Cornelius."
"I'll go to Dad," Ron's brother, Bill, offered. "I'll go now."
"Excellent," Dumbledore said. "Tell him what has happened. Tell him I will be in direct contact with him shortly. He will need to be discreet, however. If Fudge thinks I am interfering at the Ministry -"
"Leave it to me," Bill told him with certainty before he clapped a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder and kissed his mother's cheek before he left the room. Once he was gone, Dumbledore then turned to McGonagall and said, "Minerva, I want to see Hagrid in my office as soon as possible. Also - if she will consent to come –" he paused for just a moment before he finished, "Madame Maxime."
McGonagall nodded in understanding before Dumbledore then turned to Madam Pomfrey, asking her to go and take care of a house elf named Winky downstairs. A house-elf? Like that Dobby fellow? What a weird guy he was. As for Madam Pomfrey, she looked startled by the request, but she left without any complaint.
Dumbledore seemed to have waited until he was sure that she was gone before he shut the door, leaving the rest of them alone. He then turned to them all, and spoke in a brave tone, "And now… it is time for two of our number to recognize each other for what they are. Sirius… if you could resume your usual form."
The dog looked up at him before he shifted to become Sirius once again, but as soon as she saw him, Mrs. Weasley shrieked in horror and jumped back. As Ron told her to shut up, Snape turned to glare at him. Hedwig wasn't sure what it was… but she seemed to guess that these two did not like each other.
"Him!" Snape snarled, staring at Sirius, whose face showed just as much hatred. "What is he doing here?"
"He is here at my invitation," Dumbledore said firmly before adding, "as are you, Severus. I trust you both. It is time for you to lay aside your old differences and trust each other."
When neither man even attempted to move, their eyes narrowing in hatred, Dumbledore then added briskly, "I will settle, in the short term, for a lack of open hostility. You will shake hands. You are on the same side now. Time is short, and unless the few of us who know the truth do not stand united, there is no hope for any us."
The two were still glaring at each other, like they were wishing nothing but very painful deaths for the other, but they did shake hands… though… it did not look promising.
"That will do to be going on with," Dumbledore spoke up as he stepped, between them once more. "Now I have work for each of you. Fudge's attitude, though not unexpected, changes everything."
"But -" Harry's voice interrupted them, and it didn't take a genius to figure out what it was that he wanted to say. He didn't want Sirius to go just yet.
Sirius sighed before he turned to look at him.
"You'll see me very soon. Harry," he vowed. "I promise you. But I must do what I can, you understand, don't you?"
"Yeah," said Harry, looking away for a moment, "Yeah… of course I do."
She saw how Sirius's eyes soften at that. He walked back over to him and grasped his hand briefly, but tightly and she could see that this was painful for Sirius as well. Though Molly was hovering over the trio as if afraid that he would do something terrible to them. But Sirius paid her no mind as he sighed and looked back to Dumbledore before he transformed back into a dog. He then walked to the door and turned the handle with a paw before he left.
Once he was gone, Dumbledore turned to Snape. Though his back was to her, so she couldn't see his face as Dumbledore asked him, "Severus, you know what I must ask you to do. If you are ready… if you are prepared…?"
"I am," he answered. There was something in his tone of voice that seemed almost… like despair. Like he was asked to do the one thing he wished he could refuse, yet had no choice.
"Then good luck," Dumbledore said softly to him… said in a whisper, yet it seemed like a shout in the quiet room. He waited until Severus was gone before he sighed, and turned back to the people still remaining in the room. "I must go downstairs," he said finally. "I must see the Diggorys. Harry - take the rest of your potion. I will see all of you later."
Harry slumped back against his pillows as Dumbledore disappeared. Hermione, Ron, and Mrs. Weasley were all looking at him. None of them spoke for a very long time.
Why didn't they say something? Harry was just lying there, staring up at the ceiling as if he were nothing but a lifeless doll. She couldn't stand to see him like that. The pain that was written over his face was worse than she could imagine and she didn't have a clue how to take that pain away.
"You've got to take the rest of your potion Harry," Mrs. Weasley said at last. Her hand nudged the sack of gold on his bedside cabinet as she reached for the bottle and the goblet. "You have a good long sleep. Try and think about something else for a while… think about what you're going to buy with your winnings!"
"I don't want that gold," said Harry in tone that was devoid of all emotion as he kept his eyes up on the ceiling. "You have it. Anyone can have it. I shouldn't have won it. It should've been Cedric's."
At the mention of Cedric's name, she could see his eyes starting to water up as he continued to stare ahead, refusing to look at anyone. Hedwig hooted softly, wishing that she could somehow take his pain away from him.
"It wasn't your fault. Harry," Mrs. Weasley whispered softly.
"I told him to take the cup with me," said Harry at last, his voice breaking up slightly and it looked like he was about to break down at any moment. Mrs. Weasley seemed to see this as well for she set the potion down and gently wrapped her arms around Harry, just holding him tightly.
And as she watched, Hedwig saw how his face was screwing up tightly as if he was fighting the urge to start screaming and crying at once. Though she wasn't human, even she could see how hard that he was trying to keep all that hurt inside him. That couldn't be healthy, keeping all that misery inside. But… what could she do to help him?
Her heart ached at the sight of it all. She hardly noticed how Hermione seemed close to crying as well, wiping a few tears from her eyes before she looked to the open window. She walked over, like she was about to close it… at least, until she froze at the sight of the beetle there. Without even pausing to think, she slammed her hands over the insect, so focused on it, that she didn't even notice Hedwig there.
The noise was enough to get everyone's attention and they all turned to look, with Mrs. Weasley pulling away from Harry.
Hermione looked back and said in a meek voice, "Sorry."
"Your potion, Harry," said Mrs. Weasley quickly, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand.
Harry drank it in one gulp, and was soon out once more, being given a brief respite from reality in his dreams… which was one good thing to happen tonight, it seems. She sat there on that sill for the rest of the night, even long after the window was closed and the lights all went out.
Harry was soon allowed to leave the Hospital Wing a few days later. Yet he seemed to be shut off from the rest of the school.
He had been spending his time with no one but Ron and Hermione, and he was now enduring the faint whisperings of the rest of the students to how they thought Cedric had died. This wasn't what he needed now…
Yet there wasn't much else that she could do to change anything… just continue to watch over him. She started to grow more and more concerned for her owlet's wellbeing with every passing day. Especially, after they left the castle and took the long journey back to that prison of a house, spending the next few weeks, things only seemed to get worse.
While he had received letters from his friends, they did not seem to be doing much to comfort him. On the contrary, they only seemed to be making him even angrier whenever he read them. She hated to watch him like this, but other than a reproachful hoot at him, what could she do?
At night, however, was when it was really bad.
He started to have nightmares again.
She would stare down sadly at him as he tossed and turned violently in his bed. She wished that there was something that she could do to help calm the tortures of his mind… but the most that she was able to do was land on the bed and give him a poke with her beak to wake him up. He would then sit right up in bed and stare around wildly like he was seeing creeping shadows reaching for him, drenched with sweat. But once he remembered where he was, he would slowly return to breathing normally before lying back and stare up at the ceiling until he would fall back asleep—usually hours later.
She sighed, just watching over him with those amber eyes seemed to be all she could do for him right now.
She wished that she could hold him like Mrs. Weasley had been able to do so before… but even that was impossible for her.
(I am so sorry for such a long wait. The truth is though, I kinda forgot all about this story if you can believe it. So much stuff had been happening over the last few months that it was driven from my mind. Anyway, I will try to pay more attention to all my stories from now on.)