Hermione couldn't sleep that night, even though it was now early morning. It was as though every sound in the Hall was magnified to ring your ears, weather it was Percy's continuous snores, or the wind rattling the windows. Her mind was fixed on one thing. Harry, and if he was at least awake.
The way he looked in the hospital bed hurt Hermione's head like a terrible headache that had no cure. It was like another flashback of last year. His body all bloody and gashed, with his mangled robes reduced to rags. The thing is, Harry had dueled Voldemort twice, and he was more successful this time. That lifted her spirits a tiny bit. How many fully trained wizards were up to the challenge to take on Voldemort single-handed? And Harry was the only one Voldemort had as his target, no matter how many times he had slipped from his grasp. She let her tears slowly flow down her cheek, and onto her already soaked pillow. Nothing could make her feel better.
...~`*`~…
Amazingly enough, Hermione had gotten through the night. She was fighting the urge to run headlong into the infirmary to meet Harry the entire sleepless night. Instead, she packed up her sleeping bag that morning, with the rest, and tried her best not to break down. She hadn't heard from Cedric or Harry at breakfast that morning.
"I 'speck Harry should be better by now," said Ron, trying to cheer her up, "I bet Madam Pomfrey's forcing an ugly potion down Harry's thought as we speak."
This made her feel I little better, as she remembered the time she had feed Harry skele-grow the night Lockhart had de-boned his arm in a Quidditch match.
"Wait… that's Cedric," gasped Ron, forgetting about his bacon sticking half way in his mouth, "What does he think he's doing?"
Sure enough, Hermione spun around, and saw Cedric, looking very nervous indeed, headed silently to the Ravenclaw table. She could just see Cho through the bobbing heads. She looked stunned. The entire hall had gone silent, and the sound as if of angry bees was buzzing through the air. But then, Malfoy took this opportunity to make a fool of himself. To Hermione's disgust, he jumped to his feet from the Slytherin table, and screeched at the top of his lungs.
"Go back to where you came from, Diggory! You didn't even beat Potter-"
"SHUT UP, MALFOY!" yelled every voice in the great hall. Malfoy looked around, looking strangely defeated, and flopped down into his seat, almost to the verge of tears.
Then, a muffled cry brought her back to her senses, and she spun around. She could see Cho making a mad dash to Cedric, and leaping into his arms, bursting into tears. Even as Cedric tried his best to keep her calm, her wailing continued for a good long. Cho reluctantly let go of him, and laid a kiss on his cheek, sending Fred and George into a verge of giggles.
"Oh, grow up!" mouth Hermione to them, glancing at them in anger. Cho and Cedric sat down at their house tables, and Hermione saw immediately the entire Hufflepuff table lunge at Cedric, in half joy, and half amazement. Just then, Dumbledore silently stood up from the staff, beaming at all the surprised faces.
"I imagine this is a small bit of a shock to you all," he said, "I cannot tell you exactly how this had happened. Perhaps Harry Potter will tell anyone who asks him if he desires you to do so."
Ron and Hermione looked at each other, bewildered. Dumbledore continued.
"I'm afraid Harry had made a few hard choices last night when he was forced to duel Lord Voldemort."
At this, the students who did not know Harry had done this, pure terror dawned on their faces.
"Voldemort offered him a choice, that he had no way out but to give to Harry. The same event had happened between them. Their wands connected again, like last year in the third task. I understand Harry has not told you all, as there are things you aren't relied upon to know," he drew a long, breath, "At this time, Harry had a choice. He could bring back one or two people in which Voldemort, himself, had killed. He could have chosen his dead parents, Lily and James Potter, or Cedric Diggory."
Hermione could feel more tears cloud her eyes, and Ron looked as though he had ran straight into a sleeping dragon.
"Harry had chosen Cedric, as he knows, oddly enough, that most of you think Harry had killed him. I want you all to know how big of a sacrifice he has made," Dumbledore continued, sternly, "And I stand by what I have said earlier. Harry has given his life to another, like Cedric for instance. Harry's dead parents would have meant his whole life to him, but he chose not to be shellfish, and hand this remarkable chance to Cedric. And for that, I honor him."
Then Dumbledore sat back down, lapsing the hall into a deadly silence. Cho looked from the stunned Gryfindor table, to Cedric in complete shock, while he was sulkily starring at the table. Hermione suddenly burst into tears, and buried her face into her arms. Ron starred at her, his freckles gone under his pale white skin.
Harry had indeed given his entire life to another, and it was the saddest thing Hermione had ever heard of.