Chapter 27 – Remember Cedric Diggory

"You-Know-Who... returned? Preposterous," Fudge said with a slightly shaky voice. "Come now, Dumbledore..."

"As Minerva and Severus have doubtless told you," Dumbledore began, "we heard Barty Crouch confess. Under the influence of Veritaserum, he told us how he was smuggled out of Azkaban, and how Voldemort – learning of his continued existence from Bertha Jorkins – wen to free him from his father and used him to capture Harry. The plan worked, I tell you. Crouch has helped Voldemort to return."

"See here, Dumbledore," Fudge said. There was a slight bit of amusement on his face as though he found this all to be some big joke. "You – you can't seriously believe that. You-Know-Who – back? Come now, come now... certainly, Crouch may have believed himself to be acting upon You-Know-Who's orders – but to take the word of a lunatic like that, Dumbledore..."

"When Harry touched the Triwizard Cup tonight, he was transported straight to Voldemort," Dumbledore stated matter-of-factly. "He witnessed Voldemort's rebirth. I will explain it all to you if you will step into my office."

Nothing was said as Dumbledore turned to face the group before them. He looked past Hermione, Ron, Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Sirius to Harry in his bed. Hermione followed his gaze and saw that Harry was awake. The first thing that popped into her head was that as soon as everyone was gone, she was going to ask Harry how Cedric had died. She needed to know because if Voldemort had been his killer, then things were personally between her and the Dark Lord now.

"I am afraid I cannot permit you to question Harry tonight," Dumbledore sighed.

Hermione whipped around. For an instant, she had thought that he was talking to her, but instead, he was now addressing Fudge once more.

"You are – er – prepared to take Harry's word on this, are you, Dumbledore?"

Fudge seemed to think Dumbledore's believing Harry was a laughing matter. Sirius seemed to not find this funny, though as he began to growl. Hermione knew that if he had been in human form, he would be ranting and raving about how Harry would never lie about something like that. Hermione stroked the back of his great shaggy neck and pulled lightly on the tips of his ears in a massaging sort of way.

He calmed himself a bit, but he was still baring his teeth at the Minister. Hermione sighed and looked around at everyone. The silence was horrible, she preferred the yelling to it strangely enough, at least it showed signs of life and emotion. Things that she now felt so void of.

"You are prepared to believe that Lord Voldemort has returned on the word of a lunatic murderer, and a boy who... well...," Fudge said in disbelief.

Hermione couldn't understand why the Minister was having such a hard time with this. Harry wouldn't lie about something to this great of a magnitude, and Dumbledore certainly wouldn't. Besides, Dumbledore probably read the signs as Sirius had once told them and he figured as much for himself, Harry's words only confirming his beliefs.

"You've been reading Rita Skeeter, Mr. Fudge," Harry spoke up.

Hermione, Ron, Mrs. Weasley, and Bill all jumped. Sirius whipped around, his canine eyes upon Harry in fatherly concern. Hermione thought about what he had said for a moment and then turned back to the Minister, a foreboding feeling rising in her stomach.

"And if I have? If I have discovered that you've been keeping certain facts about the boy very quiet? A Parselmouth, eh? And having funny turns all over the place-"

Here Dumbledore broke in, but Hermione didn't hear a word of it. All she saw was Dumbledore's lips moving calmly. She clenched her fists and felt white hot rage bubble inside of her. Rita Skeeter. There she was again, the start of many upon many problems. Hermione was going to get her, she swore to it, not only for herself, but for Arthur Weasley, Harry, Viktor, Hagrid, and the numerous others she had so wrongly attacked with verbal publication.

"Look, I saw Voldemort come back! I saw the Death Eaters!" Hermione jumped and whipped around to face Harry who continued to yell at the Minister. "I can give you their names! Lucius Malfoy-"

"Malfoy was cleared! A very old family-," Fudge erupted, "donations to excellent causes-"

"Macnair!"

"Also cleared! Now working for the Ministry!"

"Avery – Nott – Crabbe – Goyle-"

"You are merely repeating the names of those who were acquitted of being Death Eaters thirteen years ago! You have found those names in old reports of the trials! 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," Fudge bellowed, "and you still think he's trustworthy?"

Hermione had to grab Sirius by the shoulders of his dog body. He was growling again and trying to lunge after Fudge who took no notice of the angered black dog as McGonagall began to scream her protests at the Minister.

"You fool! Cedric Diggory-"

This was all Hermione heard. Her breath caught in her throat and tears rushed forward so quickly that Hermione had hardly any idea of where they came from. She had been crouched by Sirius while holding him back, but now she let go as she dropped to her knees and buried her face in her hands.

The rest of the conversation was drown out to her as she felt Sirius put his nose up to her neck and offer her his already matted shoulder to cry on. His warm black fur offered a bit of comfort, but not enough. Soon, she felt Ron's hand on her shoulder, pulling her up off the floor as Dumbledore and Fudge continued to argue.

"C'mon, Hermione," Ron whispered as he put an arm around her shoulder and pressed her head to his shoulder so that she would cry there as he stroked her slightly bushy brown hair.

She felt Sirius rub the side of his head against the back of her leg and let one of her hands fall, Sirius licking it lightly as he nuzzled it with his damp nose. Hermione had only calmed down once Mrs. Weasley moved over to take control where Ron was slowly failing. She handed Hermione a tissue and secured her in a motherly embrace, continuing to stroke her hair where Ron had left off.

Hermione was just about calmed down when movement caught her eye. It was Snape. He had strode up to Fudge and yanked back the sleeve of his billowing black robes. There on his arm was a mark, a mark Hermione had only seen a few times before in her life, but one she knew as a horrible mark all the same. One that had scared her almost to death last summer while they were at the Quidditch World Cup. It was the Dark Mark with its skull and snake, burnt into Snape's arm.

"There. There. The Dark Mark. It is not as clear as it was an hour or so ago, when it burned black, but you can still see it," Snape snarled.

Hermione lost herself in thought now. She imagined Cedric being surrounded by hundreds of shirtless men, all with the black skull and snake burnt into their arms. She grimaced and winced while tears rushed forward as she tried to stop her mind from creating the imagine of those hundreds of men raising their marked arms and pointing wands at Cedric.

She tried to blink away tears now as she shook her head, green light erupting in her mind's eye as she whimpered and buried her face in Mrs. Weasley's chest. Ron placed his hand on Hermione back and rubbed as Mrs. Weasley handed her another tissue and resumed the stroking of her hair.

Hermione was thankful for their comforting gestures, but at the moment, her mind and body called out to be alone. She was glad when she saw Fudge cram on his green bowler hat and storm out. Mrs. Weasley slowly let go of Hermione and went to check on a crestfallen Harry as Ron's attention was diverted by his oldest brother standing up from his chair.

One-by-one the adults started to leave the room. First Bill, then McGonagall who was followed by Madam Pomfrey. Then Dumbledore called upon Sirius to resume his human form which caused quite a bit of commotion. Mrs. Weasley shrieked and jumped with horror as Snape snarled and showed his mutual dislike for Black.

After a very quick shaking of hands between Snape and Sirius, Dumbledore gave orders that Sirius was to alert Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, and Mundungus Fletcher while Snape got an order Hermione wasn't quite sure meant. Dumbledore had asked if he was ready and Snape had accepted before giving a glinting look and leaving. Dumbledore waited a few minutes before speaking, Hermione wishing he had remained silent once he did.

"I must go downstairs," he sighed heavily, "I must see the Diggorys. Harry – take the rest of your potion. I will see all of you later."

Hermione felt herself fighting against the choking feeling that was slowly starting to overpower her. She sniffled and it only made the feeling worse as tears spilled over onto her cheeks and she began to cough. She sniffled and tried to stop as Mrs. Weasley began to speak, Hermione not wanting to interrupt her.

"You've got to take the rest of your potion, Harry," she said in motherly sweetness. "You have a good long sleep," she continued as she poured Harry's potion, all the while eying the bag of gold that Hermione expected Fudge had left for Harry's winnings. "Try and think about something else for a while... think about what you're going to buy with your winnings!"

"I don't want that gold," Harry said tonelessly. "You have it. Anyone can have it. I shouldn't have won it. It should've been Cedric's."

Hermione's stomach twisted with extreme discomfort. She imagined Cedric accepting the bag of gold and winking at her as he asked her what style diamond earrings and what new books she would want. Where she would want to go eat to celebrate, and if she would mind staying the night with him at his house to help him count it all.

"It wasn't your fault, Harry," Mrs. Weasley soothed as she patted his shoulder.

Hermione saw Harry staring determinedly at the ceiling, obviously trying to stop the tears in his eyes from escaping. She felt that feeling in her stomach grow as she realized Harry might be blaming himself for not only Cedric's death, but maybe some discomfort to her.

"I told him to take the cup with me," Harry choked.

'If only you hadn't...' Hermione shook her head furiously. She scolded herself mentally for thinking such a thing. She didn't know the events of what had happened after Cedric and Harry had been transported by that cup. Had Cedric possibly saved Harry in some way or another? Would things be vice versa if Cedric hadn't have been taken, would Harry be dead instead?

She couldn't bare the thought as she turned her head to the window sill and spotted something. There was the cause of so many problems during her fourth year of schooling. The very person she was vowing revenge against most everyday, the woman that sparked rage in her every time she heard her name. Rita Skeeter.

Hermione grabbed a jar and walked swiftly over to the window sill. Suddenly, Rita's beetle form tried to take flight, but Hermione brought the jar down upon the window sill. There was a loud bang as she trapped Rita, Mrs. Weasley and Harry looking up at her in alarm as Ron stood at the foot of Harry's bed looking at her like she was nuts.

"Sorry," Hermione whispered as she slid the jar off the window sill and put a lid on it. She had finally caught Rita Skeeter, she was going to stop her from putting out anymore horrible articles.

Over the next week, Hermione found herself more dedicated to her work than ever. She realized that it was not her usual spark and flare for schooling returning to her, but her determination to keep her mind off Cedric. She often cried herself to sleep at night, her only source of comfort in opening her trunk and seeing the beetle in the jaw. Another treasured comfort to Hermione was the book Cedric had bought her, her favorite book.

She sighed as she sat on her bed, all her things packed as she double-checked that she had everything before going down to the end of the year feast with Harry and Ron who were in the common room. She opened the book to the place where she and Cedric had left off, they had been one chapter from the end.

She looked down at the red and yellow braided silk ribbons that served as the book mark and saw that it was laying on top of an envelope. Curiously, Hermione picked up the letter, closed the book gently and laid it on the bed next to her. She opened the envelope, her eyes instantly filling with tears when she saw the writing. It was from Cedric.

June 24, 1994

Dearest Hermione,

Just a note to loosen the jitters that I have here while sitting in my dorm waiting for the task. My parents are here, I can't wait for you to meet them! I look forward to seeing you after the task... and celebrating my victory!

With love,

Cedric

Hermione shook violently with sobs, a whimper escaping her trembling lips every now and then. She would never meet his parents, at least not how he had planned in this note. She read the note again and again. He had been nervous. He should have been living every moment to the fullest. Could he have even fathomed what had happened to him would have happened?

She wiped her cheeks fervently as she heard Ron and Harry calling from the common room. She laid the book safely on top of her clothes inside her trunk, tucked the note into her inside robe pocket, closed the lid on her trunk, and looked to the window.

There was another red sunset, just like the night of the twenty-third. Hermione recalled her father's saying. Red sky at night, sailor's delight and a mother's fright. Mrs. Diggory's fright. Did she know that saying and worry for Cedric on the twenty-third? Only she would know. Hermione sighed and left the dorm silently to join Harry and Ron on the way down to dinner.

They entered the Great Hall to find the decorations in a much more mournful fashion. Just seeing the black tapestry made Hermione's eyes go misty with heartbreak as she took her usual seat at the Gryffindor table. She looked around and saw many girls wiping their eyes and not many people talking. Everyone seemed to be mourning the loss of Cedric, but none more greatly than she, none except Cho Chang.

Cho had lost Cedric twice. Once to Hermione and now again with his death. She was in hysterics too as she looked up at Hermione and burst into tears, throwing her head onto Marietta Edgecomb's shoulder. Marietta threw Hermione a scathing look and patted Cho's back as she shook as though she were having a seizure. Dumbledore's voice broke the silence in the hall, drowning away the little sobs that was the only noise in the hall.

"The end," he began, "of another year. There is much I would like to say to you all tonight, but I must first acknowledge the loss of a very fine person, who should be sitting here enjoying our feast with us."

Dumbledore directed attention to the Hufflepuff table, an empty seat at the very end where a lone black pointed student's hat sat upon one of the golden plates. Hermione adverted her eyes as they pricked and stung with tears, her eyes landing instead on Viktor. He looked reserved and stony-faced, not as mournful as everyone else, but still respectful to Cedric. Hermione could only imagine what Viktor was thinking. Did he hate Cedric for taking her?

"I would like you all, please, to stand," Dumbledore continued, "and raise your glasses, to Cedric Diggory."

The once silent hall was now filled with the sound of scraping benches and clinking glasses as everyone stood and raised their glass high in the air. A low rumble of Cedric's name caused Hermione to loss what little control she had and hiccup a bit as she sat down.

"Cedric was a person who exemplified many of the qualities that distinguish Hufflepuff house," Dumbledore sighed mournfully. "He was a good and loyal friend, a hard worker, he valued fair play. His death has affected you all, whether you knew him well or not. I think that you have the right, therefore, to know exactly how it came about."

Hermione gulped back her sobs as her ears pricked. She had intended to ask Harry this question, but every time she thought about it, she would tear up and be unable to speak. Hermione stared at Dumbledore with uneasy anticipation, her heart barely beating one minute and then pounding painful in her chest the next as she felt her mouth go dry.

"Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort," Dumbledore explained. "The Ministry of Magic does not wish me to tell you this. It is possible that some of your parents will be horrified that I have done so – either because they will not believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, or because they think I should not tell you so, young as you are. It is my belief, however, that the truth is generally preferable to lies, and that any attempt to pretend that Cedric died as the result of an accident, or some sort of blunder of his own, is an insult to his memory."

Hermione couldn't agree more. She vowed then and there that anyone she heard saying Voldemort wasn't back, she would give a severe thrashing to. Harry wouldn't lie, Dumbledore wouldn't lie, and Cedric's death was more than enough proof on it all.

"There is somebody else who must be mentioned in connection with Cedric's death," Dumbledore added. Hermione panicked for a moment, was he going to mention his girlfriend, her? "I am talking, of course, about Harry Potter."

Hermione felt relief course through her, that is until she saw Harry's face. It was horribly pale and his eyes were shining strangely. He still couldn't be blaming himself, surely. Hermione pitied Harry as everyone's eyes turned upon him. She slid her hand across the table and grabbed his tight in support as he continued to stare at Dumbledore.

"Harry Potter managed to escape Lord Voldemort," Dumbledore explained. "He risked his own life to return Cedric's body to Hogwarts." Here, Hermione squeezed Harry hand and felt tears prick her eyes once more. "He showed, in every respect, the sort of bravery that few wizards have ever shown in facing Lord Voldemort, and for this, I honor him."

Dumbledore led yet another toast, this one in Harry's name just as Cedric' had been before continuing.

"The Triwizard Tournament's aim was to further and promote magical understanding." Normally, Hermione would have nudged Ron and said something like 'I told you so', but she just wasn't in the spirit to do so. "In the light of what has happened – of Lord Voldemort's return – such ties are more important than ever before. Every guest in this Hall will be welcomed back here at any time, should they wish to come."

Hermione looked around, her sights moving past Hagrid and Madame Maxime to Fleur and her friends and then to Viktor and his friends. She thought about this for a moment, she would welcome back Viktor any time, but not with the experience she had with him this year.

"I say to you all, once again – in the light of Lord Voldemort's return, we are only as strong as we are united," Dumbledore said, "as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open. It is my belief – and never have I hopes that I am mistaken – that we are all facing dark and difficult times. Some of you in this Hall have already suffered directly at the hands of Lord Voldemort. Many of your families have been torn asunder. A week ago, a student was taken from our midst."

Hermione braced herself as she felt a powerful wave of emotion coming on with the coming of Dumbledore's strong words about Cedric.

"Remember Cedric. Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory."

Hermione lost all control and broke into sobs, this time it was Harry who squeezed her hand as Ron patted her back lightly.