Author's Notes:

Looks like something went awry. What will happen to Cedric and Harry? Well, the wait is over. You're about to find out.

As a side note, I just realized that next month will be the two year anniversary of this story. Which is absolutely insane! I never dreamed that it would take me this long to complete a story. But that's what happens when you don't have much time to write. Just thought I'd share that tidbit with all of you. I don't know whether anyone else found it interesting, but I sure did.

Once again, thank you to those who reviewed. I appreciate your comments so very much! It's what keeps me going. I wish I could say that would make me post new chapters sooner, but that fault lies with my muse.

And now, to quote one of my favorite shows as a little kid: Aw, here it goes! (If you know what this is from, you are awesome!)


Chapter Twenty-Nine


Cedric Diggory's POV


Mud filled my mouth as my body slammed into the Earth. A thud could be heard beside me. Harry's fall had been just as awkward as mine. Spitting out mud, I got to my feet. Harry was already standing. He was surveying the area. I looked around as well, and my stomach lurched unpleasantly.

We were standing in the middle of an old graveyard. A majority of the headstones looked as if they'd been around for centuries. Only a handful appeared to be recent. Even then, they seemed to be a few decades old.

A sense of foreboding washed over me. There was only one reason that we could be here. I was certain that the reason was not a benign one. A wave of suspicion and fear washed over me.

"Harry," I whispered, attempting to keep myself calm. "I have a really bad feeling about this."

"Me too," Harry responded. He had a funny look on his face. It was almost as if he knew why we were here. Or who was responsible for sending us to the graveyard. Harry continued on to suggest that I stay out of sight while he looked around for an escape route.

As much as I did not wish to hide, I followed Harry's suggestion. Crouching down behind a large headstone, I watched as Harry walked further into the cemetery. I heard footsteps that were not his. A person heavier and taller than Harry was making those. I wanted to watch, but I was afraid of being seen. Instead, I listened.

"Harry Potter," hissed a voice. "I'm so glad that you could join us."

I heard the mysterious person mutter a spell. The sound of flesh hitting stone filled the chilly air. Someone let out a chuckle.

"Wormtail, get the potion ready!" barked the voice, sharply.

"Y-yes, M-m-master," replied a frightened voice that was Wormtail.

The sound of a frothing and boiling cauldron was the next thing that I heard. I decided to steal a quick look at what was going on. I could hardly believe what I was seeing. Harry was bound to a statue. A man in a long, ebony cloak was standing in front of a cauldron large enough for two people to sit in. He was feverishly stirring the contents of the potion. The man seemed to be speaking to no one in particular.

"Bone of the father. In death, you will help your son!"

A mist of fine powder rose up from a nearby grave. It floated towards the cauldron. When it reached the cauldron, the mist settled onto the potion's surface. The smoke above the cauldron turned cerulean.

"Blood of the enemy," Wormtail said, walking towards Harry with a knife in his hand. "You will revive your foe!"

I gasped and hid myself as I saw him stab Harry's arm. What was going on here? Why was this Wormtail person using dark magic? Why was Harry's presence so important? Chest heaving, I tried to calm myself down. Now was not the time to lose my head. I needed to figure out how we were going to get out of here.

As I rested my head against the stone, I heard a bloodcurdling shriek followed by sobbing. Worried that Harry had been hurt, I glanced around the tombstone. Wormtail was crouched beside the bubbling cauldron. He was clutching his right arm, which was bleeding profusely. Upon closer inspection, I realized that Wormtail's hand was missing.

I could feel the blood draining from my face. My hands trembled violently as I grasped the marbled stone. I was transfixed. Why would Wormtail cut off his own hand? What purpose did that serve?


While I pondered, I saw something rising out of the cauldron. Whatever it was, it appeared to be a man, but it was unlike any person that I had ever seen before. The man was very thin and his skin was alabaster. His fingers were spider like; there wasn't a single hair on his head. The man turned towards the sobbing Wormtail and that is when I saw his eyes. Scarlet eyes no more than slits gleamed in the darkness. There was no trace of kindness in those eyes as they gazed upon Wormtail. Pure malevolence radiated from them.

"Robe me!" commanded the man.

"Y-yes, my L-lord!" squeaked Wormtail, scurrying about to fetch his master's robe.

After Wormtail robed the man, he continued to clutch his arm. The pale man gazed at Wormtail with his wand raised.

"Give me your arm," demanded the robed man.

"Oh, th-thank you, m-my Lord!" sputtered Wormtail.

"Not that one! The other arm!"

Sobbing, Wormtail stretched out his left arm. The mysterious man rolled back the sleeve of the robe. He tapped Wormtail's arm twice with the tip of the wand, and waited. People in masks appeared out of nowhere a minute later. They kissed the hem of the pale man's robes before forming a circle around him. I could hear Harry struggling to break from his chains. Wormtail was still in a crumpled heap by the cauldron.

"Welcome Death Eaters! Thirteen years have passed since our last meeting! Yet you still answer my call as if it were yesterday! We are still united under the Dark Mark, then! Or are we?"

It was at that moment that I realized who that man was. I didn't want to believe it, but there was no denying who he was. My stomach lurched unpleasantly at the revelation. It was You-Know-Who. He was back.

"I smell guilt," said You-Know-Who. "There is a stench of guilt in the air."

None of You-Know-Who's Death Eaters moved a muscle. They seemed terrified of him.

"Here you all stand, whole, healthy, and powers intact. I ask myself why these people never aided their master to whom they swore eternal loyalty? Do you know what answer that I come up with?"

Again, no one bothered to answer. A few seemed to be avoiding eye contact with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

"My Death Eaters must believe that I am broken. They resumed their everyday lives by slipping back among my enemies. They pleaded ignorance and tried to save themselves from imprisonment."

"How could they not believe that I would rise again," continued You-Know-Who. "Me. The wizard who has taken steps to prevent mortal death. Unless, of course, they believed in another power. One that could vanquish Lord Voldemort. Perhaps that champion of commoners, of Muggles and Mudbloods, Albus Dumbledore?"

I saw the crowd of Death Eaters bristle at the mention of Albus Dumbledore. Some shook their heads. You-Know-Who was ignoring them.

"I am very disappointed…."


One of the Death Eaters broke free of the circle. The man was trembling as he gazed up at his master.

"Forgive us, My Lord!" he shrieked.

You-Know-Who laughed. He raised his wand.

"Crucio!"

Screams filled the night air as the Death Eater was being tortured. He writhed on the ground below You-Know-Who's feet. When You-Know-Who lifted the curse, the man lay panting.

"You ask for forgiveness?" asked You-Know-Who. The man scrambled to his feet and got in line with his fellows. "Thirteen years' repayment is required before I forgive. Wormtail here has paid some of his already, have you not, Wormtail?"

He looked down at the sobbing form of Wormtail.

"You deserve this pain. You returned to me because you are afraid of your old friends. Yet, you helped me to regain my body…. worthless and traitorous as you are. Lord Voldemort rewards his helpers."

Voldemort waved his wand. A gleaming replica of a human hand was now attached to Wormtail's left wrist. Wormtail stared at it in disbelief.

"Th-thank you, m-my Lord," muttered Wormtail, getting to his feet. "It's beautiful."

After Wormtail had finished kissing the hem of You-Know-Who's robes, he joined the circle of his peers. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named approached the man standing on Wormtail's right.

"Lucius Malfoy. I am told that you still like to take the lead in Muggle torturing. Yet I wonder why you never put those talents to good use to find and aid your master."

"My Lord, I assure you that I was constantly on the lookout," Lucius said, quickly. "If I had heard news of your whereabouts, I would have returned to prove my loyalty in an instant."

"And yet you ran away when a faithful servant conjured my mark last summer," came the voice of You-Know-Who. "I expect better service in the future."


Lucius mumbled something that I could not hear. You-Know-Who moved on. He spoke as if he did not hear what Lucius Malfoy had said. You-Know-Who spoke to a few more Death Eaters. They kept their heads bowed as he spoke to them. No one wanted to look at You-Know-Who. The Death Eaters appeared ashamed. Almost as if they regretted coming back to their master. You-Know-Who finally paused in front of the large gap in the circle.

"There should be six more standing there. Two still in Azkaban. They will be rewarded for their loyalty once they are freed. Two more are dead in my service. One has left me forever. He will pay most dearly. The last one has returned as my spy inside of Hogwarts. It is because of him that our friend is here tonight."

You-Know-Who turned his gaze to Harry, who was still struggling against his bonds.

"Yes," said You-Know-Who, grinning. The eyes of every Death Eater was fixed upon Harry. "Harry Potter has joined us for my rebirthing party. I guess that you could call him the guest of honor."

"How did you achieve such a thing?" questioned Lucius Malfoy, curiously. "How did you manage to return to us, Master?"

You-Know-Who answered Malfoy's question. He explained how Harry's mother had died to save him. I had always wondered why Harry had survived You-Know-Who's attack. Now, it looked as if I would receive my answer. You-Know-Who prattled on for what felt like hours. When he finally did stop talking, I saw him use the Cruciatus Curse on Harry. Then, You-Know-Who ordered Wormtail to untie Harry, and return his wand to him. I saw Wormtail fumble with the ropes. Harry's sneakers hit the ground a few seconds later. I considered telling Harry to run for it, but I kept my mouth shut. Now was not a good time to reveal myself.

"You've been taught how to duel, I presume?" inquired You-Know-Who as Wormtail gave Harry his wand. Harry had his eyes on You-Know-Who but did not speak. "Bow to me, Harry Potter. Bow to your death."

I heard the Death Eaters chuckle. I was pleased to see that Harry refused to bow. You-Know-Who, however, did not seem to share my satisfaction. He waved his wand again and forced Harry to bow. When it was over, You-Know-Who said something about dying like his father. Before Harry could raise his wand, You-Know-Who struck him with the Cruciatus Curse again. Harry dropped to the ground, writhing. The screams filled the graveyard.

"I'm going to give you a little break," said You-Know-Who, ending the curse. Harry scrambled to his feet. His whole body was trembling. "You don't wish for me to do that again, do you?"

Harry remained silent. He didn't appear to want to play You-Know-Who's game. This did not make You-Know-Who very happy.

"Insolent child! How dare you not answer me! Imperio!"


I saw the tell-tale signs of the Imperius curse. Mad-Eye Moody had made us study the signs earlier in the year. I could tell that the curse was attempting to take Harry over, but he was fighting it. I was astounded. I did not believe that it was possible to battle the curse.

Harry was yelling. You-Know-Who tried to curse him again, but Harry dodged his assault. The Death Eaters laughed again as You-Know-Who told Harry that he would not play hide and seek with him.

"Are you growing weary of our duel?" You-Know-Who taunted. "Do you wish for it all to end? I can grant your wish. Show yourself Harry. Your death will be swift. It might even be painless. I would not know. I have never died."

Something that was quite extraordinary happened when Harry and You-Know-Who shot curses at each other. The two beams of light collided in midair. A golden ray of light emerged from the middle. A web of gold connected the two wands. The Death Eaters were shouting at You-Know-Who, demanding instructions. You-Know-Who responded that he did not want them to do anything just yet.

The most beautiful music that I had ever heard filled my ears. A wave of hope engulfed my entire soul. I started to think that we would be okay. Maybe, we would both make it out of here alive.

Suddenly, ghostly shapes began materialized out of the web. An old man and woman appeared. They spoke to Harry before gliding over to You-Know-Who. They were standing really close to the Dark Lord and hissing insults into his ears. Next, the smoky shadow of a young woman in her early twenties fell to the ground. When I heard her tell Harry to hang on for his father, I realized that this lady was Harry's mother. Harry's father arrived shortly after.

"When the connection is broken, we will linger for a few seconds. That should buy you enough time to get the portkey and get out of here. Do you understand, Harry?"

I saw Harry nod. Harry's father urged him to break the connection after that. Harry pulled his wand upward and ran towards the portkey. I dashed towards the portkey as well. We reached it at the same time. I could hear You-Know-Who's furious shrieks ringing in my ears as the portkey transported us back.


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