Hello everybody! It's been quite a year but things look different again since I last posted. I just wanted to send my best wishes to anybody currently back into lockdown - from Europe to my good friends in South Australia. Melbourne has just come out of one of the world's strictest lockdowns after four bloody months so if anyone can empathise with a second lockdown it's me. I'm sure you've all got family and friends and the last thing you'd want to do is message some fanfiction weirdo but if anyone ever needed to rant, or talk, or celebrate any wins I'm here, ya know.
The current situation felt completely surreal to Vicki. One second she was having a superficial conversation with Roger about something that didn't matter. The next second her entire world came crashing down.
She didn't completely understand what had happened when Harry and Cedric slammed down onto the ground just metres away from where she was standing. She assumed Cedric had been injured in the maze, death didn't even cross her mind.
Therefore both her healer and prefect instincts kicked in. Both of which involved clearing out the stadium of non-official tournament officials and school staff. Cedric could only receive the proper care if all obstacles and distractions were removed from the healers on hand. Also, the sight of Cedric ill certainly wasn't something the students should see.
Without missing a beat she sprinted from the ground up into the stands to begin ushering students out of the stadium. She attempted to move the first years to begin with as she thought they would be the easiest to usher out. But most students remained in their spot - either out of fear or morbid curiosity.
Vicki looked over to her head boy and girl, Kelly Winters and Paul Greene, for guidance. But she didn't receive any. They were rooted in their spots with their mouths open as they stared on at Cedric sprawled out on the ground.
But she hadn't noticed that Roger had used her same instinct and had appeared beside her to help usher out the students. They managed to begin to get a few moving before the heads of houses noticed Vicki and Roger's initiative and helped them, both by instructing the prefects to get the students to vacate the stadium and then by lending a hand. Even Snape was barking orders at the prefects to move students.
By then Vicki had no clue what was happening with Cedric. Ministry wizards had circled his form and thus were blocking the view. So instead she retreated back to the Ravenclaw common room with everybody else - she had lost Fred amongst the chaos and knew she wouldn't see him until the next morning.
From there the students in the common room had very mixed reactions. Some people were whispering to one another theorising what had happened in the maze and gossiping about Cedric's fate. Others were trying to take their minds off it - it was unusual for Ravenclaws to play games such as Exploding Snap or Gobstones in the common room (Ravenclaws much preferred to read in their spare time) but there were quite a few games that had broken out. Vicki was pretending to watch her friends playing Exploding Snap, but she was really just staring blankly lost in her thoughts.
But everybody went quiet when Professor Flitwick entered the Common Room timidly.
"Miss Chang, Miss Hartwell. You're required in Professor Sprout's office." Professor Flitwick squeaked nervously.
Vicki and Cho exchanged odd looks from the opposite sides of the common room. Vicki wasn't sure how close Cho was with Professor Sprout, but she herself had little to do with the Herbology professor. Vicki hadn't taken Herbology to N.E.W.T. level as she had only scraped through with an acceptable on her O.W.L. exam the previous year.
But then it hit her and her stomach dropped. Professor Sprout was Cedric's head of house. There was only one reason why Professor Sprout would want to see Vicki and Cho. To tell them that he was going to be fine definitely wasn't the reason - if that were the case Professor Flitwick would be the one telling them there and then.
"Where's Professor Sprout's office? I've never been there." Vicki faintly asked Flitwick, feeling like at this point she was having an out of body experience. She felt like she had no control over herself, as if she was an outsider watching into her current actions. She felt like this was perhaps a good thing, as she'd be in a right state otherwise.
"It's out in the greenhouses. Miss Chang, do you know how to get there?" Professor Flitwick asked Cho.
"Yes, professor." Cho quietly spoke up.
Without even looking behind her to see if Cho was following, Vicki made her way down the spiral staircase to leave the common room. She felt that every eye in that common room was on her disappearing form, but she didn't bother to look back at anyone else.
"You lead. I'll follow." Vicki gruffly said to Cho once the two wound up outside in the corridor. She felt a little guilty as she was not one to normally be brash or unfriendly, but she wasn't much in the mood for talking. She wanted to get the visit to Professor Sprout over and done with, as she knew what news she was about to receive.
"Okay." Cho responded quietly.
The two girls then made their descent through the castle as Vicki guessed they were making their way to the greenhouses. Vicki and Cho were silent as they walked, not even making eye contact as they both briskly walked to their destination.
However, when they landed just outside the exit to the castle, a dog blocked their path. Vicki didn't see Cho's reaction but she crossed her arms as she stared down the dog. She wasn't sure why there was a dog present or whether it was friendly or vicious, so she wanted to observe the dog before she decided what to do next.
The dog then immediately turned it's furry back to Vicki and Cho as it began to growl at something just outside the doors that was out of sight. Vicki and Cho both carefully crept closer to the door to see what was upsetting the dog, but both jumped back in fright as two Dementors flew past, flying up into the direction of the school's towers.
"T-thank you." Vicki blurted out to the dog, realising that this dog had prevented both herself and Cho from coming into contact with Demetors. Surely they would have been fine, but she found them incredibly creepy and didn't fancy any contact with them.
The dog immediately bounded off in the opposite direction, both Vicki and Cho whipped around to see the dog sprint up the stairs of the Great Hall, and then turned a corner and disappeared out of sight.
"Well that was...random." Vicki giggled as she momentarily forgot the night's events.
Cho joined in the giggling but then both girls became eerily silent as they came to their senses. Without muttering a word the two continued their trek to the greenhouses. Eventually they landed in front of greenhouse five - the greenhouse which had Sprout's office adjoining it.
Once the two arrived they hesitated for a moment. But after sharply exhaling a breath, Vicki made the plunge and roughly opened the large wooden door and hurled herself in.
Vicki looked around the greenhouse. It was interesting to her, she'd never been in greenhouse five before. The only two she had ever used was Greenhouse one in first year, and Greenhouse three up until the end of O.W.L. year. It was dark, so she couldn't make out much except a few plants around that began to hiss upon her entrance. But in the distance she could see a glow, and hear uncontrollable sobs.
Vicki had already known what news she was about to receive. But the sobs made her stomach drop because it cemented her fears. Any small glimmer of hope that lived inside her had now vanished.
"Miss Hartwell, Miss Chang. Is that you?" Professor Sprout choked out upon hearing the footsteps of the girls, her normal happy demeanour nowhere to be found.
"Yes, professor." Cho spoke up, having silently followed Vicki into the greenhouses.
"Come in girls. We've got something we need to tell you." Professor Sprout spoke up.
Vicki and Cho inched into the office cautiously. It was here she was greeted with a shocking sight. She expected the high pitched wailing to be coming from Mrs Diggory, but Cedric's mother had a blank look on her face as she stared down at the floor. No, it was Amos who had been crying. His face was purple and blotchy, and fresh tears were still apparent on his face.
"Girls!" Amos suddenly wailed, as he got up from his chair and quickly embraced both Vicki and Cho into a hug. Amos had attempted to hold them tight, but because he was shaking furiously his grip was loose and his arms ended up slipping.
"You both should probably sit down for this." Professor Sprout stated, her voice wavering as she indicated to two chairs that had been pulled up.
Cho let out a gasp as she began to understand what news she was about to receive. But Vicki was silent as she sank down into the chair. She had already known what was coming the second Flitwick asked her and Cho to go see Professor Sprout at this hour.
After Vicki and Cho sat down there was silence for a few moments, except for a few choked sobs coming from Amos. Vicki expected Professor Sprout to break the silence, but it was Amos.
"Girls, I-I have s-some t-t-t-t-terrible news to tell you." Amos stuttered in between sobs.
"Amos, maybe we should allow Pomona to tell the two. I don't know if you're in the right state to convey such important news." Mrs Diggory said soothingly as she grabbed her husband's trembling hand.
"Yes, perhaps that's for the best." Amos managed to collect himself long enough to sigh out.
"Are you sure? I know you wanted to be the one to tell the girls," Professor Sprout asked Amos who gave a curt nod before she turned to Vicki and Cho and continued "I don't know how to tell you both this, I suppose there's no other way but to come out with it…"
"Cedric's dead, isn't he?" Vicki spoke up for the first time.
This caused Amos to let out a choked cry before fresh tears spilled down his face.
"Yes. Cedric...well, a lot of details have still yet to come. But he didn't survive the third task." Professor Sprout kindly stated.
"He died in the maze?" Cho stammered out.
From there Professor Sprout told Vicki and Cho what she could. She herself didn't know much, Potter had been taken for questioning immediately after the task whilst she had been with the Diggorys the entire time. But she was able to tell them that it appeared Diggory had died before he re-appeared on the grounds with Potter, and earlier Dumbledore had briefly appeared to tell Professor Sprout the bad news before he had to rush off again.
Cho had begun to cry as soon as Sprout had broken the news, and cried throughout Professor Sprout's entire explanation. This caused Amos to cry uncontrollably, and Professor Sprout had to pause many times to allow Cho and Amos to howl out their feelings.
But Vicki was different. She was numb. She knew that deep inside she felt incredible sadness about her best friend's death. But she didn't have the ability to cry. On the surface she didn't feel anything. She was in complete and utter shock which was shutting down her emotions.
"Do you want to go back to Ravenclaw Tower girls, or do you want me to see if I can ask Professor Dumbledore or Professor McGonagall if she can organise alternative accommodation for you tonight?" Professor Sprout kindly asked Vicki and Cho, after a long period of silence whilst Cho cried her heart out.
"Y-yes please." Cho sobbed.
Vicki pondered over it for a moment. Not going back to Ravenclaw Tower would mean she wouldn't get bombarded with questions from anyone still awake. But facing the public seemed a lot better than spending the night in depressing isolation, or surrounded by the Diggorys and Cho.
Plus if she was in isolation she might not be able to see Fred in the morning. He was the only person she really wanted to see right now.
"I want to go back to my dormitory. But I want to go to the hospital wing first. I won't be able to sleep tonight so I want Madam Pomfrey to give me something for it. Normally I'd just whip up something myself, but I'm not in the right state of mind to be doing that." Vicki explained to Professor Sprout.
"Very well. I'll escort you back to the castle, and speak with someone to find accommodation for Miss Chang, as well as for Mr and Mrs Diggory." Professor Sprout stated as she got up from her chair and briskly walked to the door of her office. Vicki quickly followed.
The two were mostly silent as they made their way back to the castle. It was only as the front doors were in sight when Professor Sprout eventually spoke up.
"Miss Hartwell, you're allowed to cry. Don't feel you have to remain strong for others." Professor Sprout said softly to Vicki out of nowhere, placing her hand on Vicki's shoulder and giving it a firm squeeze before dropping it and briskly walking away.
Vicki only sent a slight nod as she began her journey alone to the hospital wing. She wasn't withholding crying for a noble cause. It was because she didn't want to cry.
The corridors were eerily quiet as Vicki walked through them. Even though it was fairly late and a long time after 'lights out' there were normally still ghosts or other prefects wandering the halls. But Vicki didn't meet a single soul until she wound up outside the hospital wing.
She went to waltz in but stopped in her tracks outside when she saw a few people surrounding a bed inside. Madam Pomfrey was the first person she noticed, but then she saw Dumbledore, Mrs Weasley, Bill Weasley, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. It was obvious that this was clearly a bed containing Harry Potter.
"Hello, Miss Hartwell. I take it you've spoken to Professor Sprout?" Dumbledore asked Vicki kindly as he wandered out of the hospital wing upon noticing her presence.
This caused Mrs Weasley to come rushing out, with Bill meekly following her upon hearing Vicki's surname. Mrs Weasley engulfed Vicki in a hearty hug after letting out an 'Oh, Victoria' sympathetically, and once this was over Vicki was able to speak up.
"She did. Look professor I'm sorry for being out of bed, but-" Vicki began to Dumbledore cut her off.
"I'm sure you're going through a great deal right now and I'm sure Madam Pomfrey will be able to give you whatever you've come here for. But I must request you don't set foot into the hospital wing tonight. Harry has been through a great ordeal and needs rest." Professor Dumbledore said kindly to Vicki, just as Madam Pomfrey had come out to say what Dumbledore had just said.
Vicki blinked as she heard his tone of voice. He was speaking in his normal calm voice. She still felt dazed and unemotional about the news she had just received. But Dumbledore's gentle manner alleviated feelings she didn't know she had.
"Of course. I just wanted a sleeping potion or something to be able to sleep tonight." Vicki weakly smiled.
"Poppy, do you have any of the draught you gave Harry?" Mrs Weasley asked Madam Pomfrey curiously.
"Yes, I do. Let me go fetch it." Madam Pomfrey responded as she briskly walked back into the hospital wing.
"Miss Hartwell I need to have a talk with you and I wish time permitted for us to talk before I inform the rest of the school in the morning about tonight's events. Alas, time is not on our side. I have some urgent matters to attend to, and you need some rest." Dumbledore said to Vicki, peering over his spectacles in order to study her reactions.
"What's left to say? Cedric's dead. I've already been told." Vicki responded. She sounded flat and in normal circumstances she'd let out a small smile to show she didn't mean to be rude. But this wasn't a normal circumstance. She may not have felt like crying, but she certainly didn't feel like smiling either.
"There's a few things I wish to discuss with you. I kindly request your presence in my office after breakfast. But for now, rest up." Dumbledore said to Vicki before he suddenly walked off down the corridor and out of sight.
"How are you holding up, Vicki?" Bill asked Vicki, after a few moments of stunned silence of Dumbledore's sudden departure.
"I-I'm okay," Vicki responded, unsure of what to say "I think Cho, Cedric's girlfriend is worse than me right now."
"Well Victoria. If you need anything, anything at all, Arthur and I are just an owl away. Don't hesitate to reach out if you need us." Molly offered to Vicki sadly, as she grabbed the girl by the shoulders to give her a reassuring squeeze.
"Fred offered for me to come for dinner at your house over summer, so I'll certainly be seeing you soon." Vicki responded.
It was then Madam Pomfrey re-appeared in the doorway with a vial that she handed it to Vicki.
"Drink the entire vial. This will put you in a dream-free sleep. I've given you only a small quantity to ensure you don't sleep in too late in the morning. But Hartwell, don't take a sip until you're tucked into bed. This will conk you out really quickly." Madam Pomfrey warned Vicki.
Madam Pomfrey waited for Vicki to give her an acknowledgement (which she got a weak head nod from Vicki) before she went back inside the hospital wing to tend to Harry.
"You better get to bed." Bill mentioned to Vicki.
"Yes, Victoria, go get some rest. I'll see you next week when the train arrives at Kings Cross station." Molly said sympathetically, making sure to give Vicki one last bone crushing hug before Vicki turned away to make her way back to Ravenclaw tower alone.
