Here's the next chapter, hope you all like it and don't forget to review because you know it makes my day :-)

Disclaimer: I still don't own harry potter or anything in the harry potter world

Chapter 25 – The Aftermath

After that, Grace drifted in and out of consciousness. She could hear jeering and then she felt someone holding onto her, followed by the buzz of a lot of people talking at once. When she finally came to, she saw Dumbledore standing over her. He noticed she was awake within seconds and bent over her.

"Grace? Are you alright?" he asked.

She nodded dumbly even though she didn't feel even remotely in the realm of 'alright'. He seemed to understand, though, and said something quietly to another man, a man who appeared to be much bigger than was really necessary.

The next thing Grace knew, she was being lifted up and carried through the school while a voice that she now recognised as Hagrids' was saying things like "it's okay" and "you're safe now."

When he reached his destination, he put her down gently on something soft and left, closing the door behind him. Grace closed her eyes. She'd never felt so tired before. She was just considering sleep as a very appealing option (maybe she'd wake up and find out it had all been a dream) when a voice pulled her back.

"Gracie?"

Grace opened her eyes and, for a second, thought that she really had fallen asleep. Kneeling by her side, his pale face and ragged hair just inches from her own, was Sirius.

"Daddy?"

Sirius sat beside her and pulled her as carefully as he could onto his lap. He held her close as though his arms alone would protect her from all the evil on the world.

"What happened?" he asked.

Grace tried to tell him but the words kept getting stuck in her throat and the sentences were jumbled and confused. Eventually Sirius stopped her and started muttering the same kind of things Hagrid had said. She noticed that everyone kept telling her that she was safe; nobody mentioned anything about Harry or the fact that Cedric was certainly not safe.

All of a sudden the door opened and Harry and Dumbledore walked in.

"Harry." Her voice sounded hoarse but he heard her and came over to sit next to her and Sirius. No more words past between them, but a whole world of understanding did. Grace reached out for his hand and he squeezed it back in response.

Sirius and Dumbledore started talking, something about Moody not being Moody and a house elf. Grace leaned her head against her dad's chest; she was beginning to wonder if anything would ever make sense again.

Then Dumbledore turned to Harry and Grace. "I need to know what happened after you touched the port key in the maze."

Harry looked at Grace who shook her head. There weren't words to describe what it had been like in that graveyard and even if there were, living through it once had been painful enough. She hadn't been able to explain it to Sirius, somehow she didn't think she'd be able to describe it any better to Dumbledore. Then, Sirius spoke up.

"We can leave that 'til morning can't we Dumbledore?" he said.

Unfortunately, Dumbledore didn't see it that way and so, Harry started re-telling the night's events. Grace knew what it cost him to tell them everything, it hurt just listening to it, but she did listen to it all, paying careful attention to the parts she had missed. Harry only paused once in his story. It was one of the bits she'd been awake for. He described how Voldemort had given the order to kill Cedric.

"It looked like spell had hit you too," he said to her. "I thought you were dead..."

Grace thought back. She remembered all that green light and that feeling; she had felt detached from her own body and she had thought she'd died as well. "Must've missed me..." she replied doubtfully.

Everyone seemed to accept that as an answer and Harry ploughed on with his story. Once he had finished, Dumbledore finally decided it was time to go to the Hospital Wing. Harry helped Grace along and Sirius (back in dog form) trotted along beside them, looking nervously up at them every few feet. He was clearly not happy about not being able to help. Dumbledore strode along in front and he was the first to reach the Hospital Wing. So he was the first to meet a very frantic Mrs Weasley, Bill, Ron, Hermione, Fred and George all grouped around a very harassed-looking Madam Promfrey. Upon his arrival, they all turned to him, eager for some information but stopped short when they caught sight of Harry, Grace and a massive black dog.

Dumbledore told them all basically to back off and they all stayed quiet. Fred was the first to move. He crossed the room quickly and gently took Grace off Harry's hands, leading her to a bed.

"I thought..." he started but he didn't seem able to finish the sentence. And she didn't need him to.

"I'm okay," she said quietly. "All things considered."

Dumbledore waited until both Harry and Grace were settled before he left. Sirius had just positioned himself between both the beds when Madam Promfrey came in with some potion. While Harry took his gratefully, Grace refused.

"Don't want it," she said stubbornly. "I don't want to sleep."

The dog whined beside her but she ignored him.

"Grace, don't you think that it might be a good idea-" Mrs Weasley said.

"Mum, didn't you hear her? She said she doesn't want it," defended Fred. "Now everyone just leave her alone."

Everyone was silent after that, even Sirius stopped making noises and Grace just sat in the bed, staring off into space. She knew everyone was watching her, but she didn't care. All she could think about was where Cedric's body was now and how on earth she had survived the night. No matter what she said before, she didn't believe that spell had missed her. So why wasn't she dead like Cedric?

Harry had not been asleep long when loud voices could be heard getting closer. Fudge, McGonagall and Snape burst into the room, shortly followed by Dumbledore.

"You are – err – prepared to take Harry's word on this, are you Dumbledore?" said Fudge sceptically.

Sirius growled and Grace felt that all too familiar flare of temper rage up inside her.

"Certainly I believe Harry," replied Dumbledore.

From that moment on, every word Fudge said infuriated Grace more and more. Anger gave her something to hold on to it seemed because now her mind was no longer clouded.

"For heaven's sake Dumbledore – 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?" said Fudge.

"And what about me?" said Grace loudly. "I have the same story as Harry, don't you believe me?"

"Miss Blackseyer, you have lied and cheated your way through life and now you expect me to believe you? I have forgiven you so far – put it all down to circumstance – but not anymore!"

"What about Cedric?" yelled Grace, while Sirius looked about ready to tear Fudge's leg off.

"What happened to that boy was tragic but-"

"Tragic? Try awful. He was murdered!"

"Now you listen to me, young lady-"

"I will not-"

"Fudge if you are determined to stay blind to the situation at hand," said Dumbledore breaking up the argument. "Then we have reached a parting of the ways. You must act as you see fit. And I – I shall act as I see fit."

"Now, see here," Fudge said, waving a threatening finger. "I've given you free rein, always. But if you're going to work against me-"

"The only one against whom I intend to work," said Dumbledore, "Is Lord Voldemort."

Fudge did not seem able to think of a response to that because he mouthed wordlessly for a few minutes and then –

"I've heard enough! I will be in touch, Dumbledore, to discuss the running of this school but now I must return to the Ministry." With that he dropped Harry's winnings onto his bed and left.

"There is work to be done," said Dumbledore. He gave Bill, McGonagall and Madam Promfrey jobs to do and only when they left did he speak again.

"And now it is time for two of our number to recognise each other for what they are. Sirius... if you could resume your usual form."

Sirius changed back into a man and Mrs Weasley screamed but it wasn't Mrs Weasley that Grace was watching. Snape glared at him with a mingled expression of fury and horror.

"Him!" he snarled. "What is he doing here?"

Grace leaned forward, readying herself for a fight to break out at any moment.

"He is here at my invitation," said Dumbledore looking between them. "As are you, Severus. I trust you both. It is time for you to lay aside your old differences, and trust each other."

Nobody moved, but if looks could kill...

"I will settle, in the short term, for a lack of open hostility. You will shake hands. You are on the same side now."

Sirius and Snape must have only touched each other for all of two seconds but Dumbledore moved on just as quickly.

"That will do. Now I have work for both of you. Sirius, I need you to set off at once. You are to alert Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher – the old crowd."

"What?" said Grace looking between Dumbledore and Sirius. "Wait, no. Don't go."

"Gracie," Sirius said. He took her face in between his hands and kissed her forehead. "We will see each other again, very soon. I promise, okay?"

Grace nodded but Harry wasn't convinced.

"But-" he started to argue.

"Harry, I must do what I can, you understand, don't you?"

"Yeah... yeah, of course."

Sirius looked at both of them once more, nodded to Dumbledore, then transformed back into a dog and ran the length of the room. "Severus, you know what I must ask you to do. If you are ready...? Then, good luck."

With that Snape also left them, followed not long after by Dumbledore who said that he had to go see the Diggorys.

"I changed my mind," said Grace tiredly breaking the silence that followed. "I want that sleeping potion now."

Next chapter should be up soon, already written it I just need to type it up so it shouldn't be long... in theory.