Ellen's pov –

Voldemort nodded slowly at my words and let me go. Yes, now go join the death eaters, give me space to save both Harry and Cedric. And he did walk back to the death eaters, making a speech.

"You've heard her..."

How should I set Harry free? I must think... Then a spell came into my mind. Diffindo! The Severing Charm! The charm could be used to precisely and accurately cut something but... if used inappropriately, it can cause death or injury... I must succeed.

When Voldemort was far down the hill with the death eaters, my heart began skipping a beat. It was pounding like I thought I was getting a heart attack.

Ellen, do it! Without hesitation, I limped towards Cedric, held the Triwizard Cup, and with every bit of concentration on Harry, I pointed my wand at the headstone he was tied to and shouted "Diffindo!"

Soon after Harry was untied and fell from the headstone. Yes! I did it! But there was no time to celebrate the success of the spell. Death eaters and Voldemort directed their heads towards me and Harry. They were busy searching for their wands in their robes and before they could take them out, I had to quickly summon Harry.

"Accio!" I yelled, pointing my wand at Harry.

Harry flew into the air and soared towards me. In the blink of a second, Harry was back with me and Cedric on the ground.

"Hold Cedric!" I shouted at Harry and without much thought, he grabbed Cedric's arm and the Cup by the handle.

I heard Voldemort's scream of fury at the same moment that I felt the jerk behind my navel that meant the Portkey had worked... It was speeding us away in a whirl of wind and colour again; and Cedric was moving along with us... We were going back.

.

I felt myself slam flat into the ground. I had closed my eyes while the Portkey transported us, and I kept them closed now. I did not move.

All the breath seemed to have been knocked out of me. My head was swimming so badly. To hold myself steady, I tightened my hold on the two things I was still clutching: the cold handle of the Triwizard Cup and... Cedric's body.

Shock and exhaustion flooded me. There were voices everywhere, footsteps, gasps, screams... Please... just be a nightmare that would pass... I pulled Cedric's cold body into my arms tightly, weeping. Harry sat beside, clutching Cedric tightly. He began weeping with me.

"Ellen! Harry!" Professor Dumbledore came running to us. Soon, the dark shadows of a crowd of people pressed in around us.

"He's back..." Harry yelled.

"He's back! Voldemort is back!"

I could barely see the faces of people with the tears that filled up my eyes.

"My god... Diggory!" I whispered.

"Professor Dumbledore... he's dead!" My voice trembled and the words were repeated, shouted.

"He's dead!" "He's dead!" "Cedric Diggory! Dead!"

The voices were ringing in my ears and they were hurting.

"Ellen, let go of him," I heard Professor Dumbledore's voice say, but I couldn't let him go. I held onto him tighter and buried my face in his cold rigid chest. I couldn't feel his heart. I let out louder cries. The memories of him played in front of me like a film reel: When we first met on my first day of Hogwarts... all those Potions classes... practicing together for this bloody tournament... and fighting together in the maze... his smiles.

"Ellen, you can't help him now. It's over. Let go." Professor Dumbledore bent down, and with extraordinary strength for a man so old and thin, raised me and Harry from the ground and set us on our feet.

I swayed. My head was pounding. My injured leg would no longer support my weight. The crowd around us jostled, fighting to get closer, pressing darkly in on us... Students were screaming and sobbing hysterically.

"What's happened?" "What's wrong with him?" "Diggory's dead!"

Then I heard Draco.

"Move! Move aside!" Through the sobbing crowd, Draco appeared and he began investigating my body.

"You're hurt!" Draco gasped. Seeing him reminded me of his father back in... back in the graveyard.

No, Draco is different. Draco then hugged me tightly, patting my head. I liked the feeling of being locked in his arms, feeling... secure and safe. I continued whimpering and soon the voices faded and I... heard his voice.

"You will come to me..."

Then I don't remember what happened next. I was unconscious...

Draco's pov –

Suddenly, Ellen pulled herself away from me. She had a cold face. No, a blank face.

"I will come to you..." She muttered. Suddenly, a strong swirl of wind swept the ground and engulfed Ellen, then she... disappeared. I winced.

"Did she just disappear?" "Where did she go?" "Where's Ellen?"

I heard gasps all around and I myself was in quite a shock when I witnessed the sight. Just like that, she was gone. And she was gone for a long, long time.

I did everything I could to find her. Throughout the following week before summer holiday, Dumbledore and I were busy looking for the traces she must have left behind but we couldn't find a single piece of it, as if she just... evaporated.

I was so worried. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat. Hogwarts during that one week was an anguish itself. There wasn't a slightest hint of excitement amongst the students despite the approaching holiday.

The memory of her disappearing with the wind haunted me. Where could she possibly be? I missed her so bad...

.

Dragging myself onto Hogwarts Express back to my house, I looked back at Hogwarts. So much had happened this year. All those indescribable and unprecedented moments, feelings, happiness, and... sadness. I felt a hole in my heart. Ellen's face was all I could think about.

I could so vividly picture her with me at any time. Even on the Hogwarts Express, I could see her sitting right across me, chattering brightly, showing the most beautiful smile. She stared into my eyes, held my hand, and... I reached out for her only to find out that it was all in my head.

Then I arrived back home. My family's manor, it was the last place I wanted to be in. Through the eerie gate, I sighed and entered. When I stepped into the house, my mum greeted me with a hug.

"Draco... you look pale." These were the only words that came out of her mouth. I walked towards father's room and I found...

Ellen..?

I couldn't do anything. I just stood there, dumbfounded. The girl I'd been dying to see again was there, sitting on one of the couches in front of my father. Ellen was there, in my house. Instantly, I knew that there was something terribly wrong.

"Draco, welcome back." My father spoke coldly.

"Hello, father." And I replied him back, still unable to take my eyes off of her. I wanted to run to her, check if she was alright. There were so many questions in my head that I wanted to ask her, but I knew that I should act careful in front of my family. I didn't want her to be so involved with us... Didn't want her to be so close to the Dark Lo... Maybe she did meet him already. I gasped.

"Come here, say hi to Miss. Lascelles. Heard you were pretty close with her at Hogwarts." My father then approached me and whispered in my ear.

"Well done, son. You need to serve her well." He then lightly patted my back and went back to his seat.

I then walked towards Ellen carefully. She wasn't in my imagination this time. She was really there. My heart began pounding faster and faster as I took steps forward. The face that just disappeared, the face I'd been missing was now right in front of me... but she seemed different.

"Hi, Ellen..." I talked to her but she didn't even meet my eyes. She just sat there, staring blankly in the air. All she did was nod. My breathing got heavier. What happened to her? Why is she like this? Then my father's words stiffened me.

"Draco, we've been blessed to serve the Dark lord again. He's forgiven me for my past failure during the Quidditch World Cup. Moreover, he gave us the honour to serve Miss. Lascelles, here. Soon to be... one with the Lord."

I quickly turned to face him. I was shocked.

Bloody hell. This is not happening. I must talk to Ellen. I must let her run away.

"Draco, take her to her room. It's the one right next to yours."

Yes, this must be the perfect chance... but Ellen rose from her chair and started speaking in a... really weird manner.

"Thank you, Lucius. Now lead the way, Draco." Her face was expressionless. Her voice was so cold and she just called my father "Lucius."

What is going on..?