Disclaimer: I don't own anything of the Harry Potter world and chapters 1-6; they belong to The Flying Frog, who gave the story over to me. Chapter 1-6 might stay the same, so enjoy.
Summery: What would've happened if Cedric didn't go to the Graveyard with Harry. How would've that affected things? And how come Cedric and Cho keep looking at Harry after he comes back? All these are questions that run through Harry's head as he jealously watches Cedric. But are Cedric and Cho going out, or are they just friends? And what of Ginny? She seems agitated. AU, end of Fourth Year to end of Fifth Year.
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Harry saw the longing in Cedric's eyes as he viewed the cup. Then he took steps towards Harry, away from the Cup. "Cedric! I've no ability to beat you to the cup. Just take it!"
Harry saw Cedric, the boy who had been Harry's friend and rival through the Triwizard Tournament, the boy who showed such friendship to others that rivaled Harry's. Cedric was a dangerous opponent, but fierce friend. A friend who had a girlfriend to please, parent's to make proud, friends to admire him, and glory to earn. Yet he was walking away from the cup. "I'm not taking the cup Harry. You deserve it more."
Harry was getting annoyed, he just wanted to get out, he couldn't walk because of his injured leg, Cedric was in full health and in a few seconds could end this tournament. But Cedric was not ending it. They just argued over who should win. "You helped me with the Egg." Harry said trying to show that Cedric deserved to win. "And you told me of the dragons." Cedric exclaimed. How could he not want to win! "We're still square!" "You saved me from Krum." "And you saved me from the Spider." Harry explained with anger. How come they were arguing over who should win when Cedric had the most to live up to?
Cedric just came forward and stood next to Harry. "Listen Harry, I'm going to help you to the Cup, you will take it, and then we will leave. I am content to shove it in the world's face that a 14 year old could beat better-trained wizards and a witch, those who knew more spells. I don't mind losing to you. You have more to live up to than me."
Harry didn't believe him, but then the full impact came at him. He. Harry. Had. More. To. Live. Up. To. Than. Cedric. How was that possible? He couldn't figure it out so he asked. Cedric just looked him in the eye, then said, "Harry. The whole world is watching you. They want to see you break under the pressure, and those that support you want you to succeed. My parent's are going to be proud if I win, but you can slap in the bureaucrats faces that you deserve to win. They will say you cheated. They will slander you. But they cannot prove a thing with you holding the cup. I want to make my parent's proud. But I want to show the world that my friend won the cup fair and square. I will not mention this stalemate we have, and if you don't, no one will argue."
His words made sense to Harry. And Harry wanted to impress people. But he also wanted to impress Cho.
Cho, Cedric's girlfriend. Harry was content to sit back and jealously watch Cedric. But he wasn't, he wanted to date Cho. He, Harry really wanted to go on a date with Cho. He wanted to take her to Hogsmead, he wanted to take her out to eat. Harry wanted to show her the world and then offer it to her and see if she would take it. But he wouldn't while Cedric was dating her.
Also, Harry wanted to shove it in Malfoy's face that he had won. Thinking of this last part with a smile, he agreed.
Cedric just patted Harry's shoulder, and then helped the limping 4th year champion to the cup. He let go of Harry as they neared the Cup. "I can't help you all the way. You're a champion, act like one and get that cup." Cedric said with a smirk. Harry just nodded and limped towards the cup. He reached his hand out, but looked back at Cedric. "You sure you are just going to hand me the cup? We could take it together you know."
Cedric just smiled. "I know we can take it together. But I want to see the everyone's faces when we come out and you holding the cup. Besides," he added as an afterthought, "It might impress Cho." Before Harry could respond to that, his leg gave out from under him and he fell on the cup, and disappeared, much to the confusion of Cedric.
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Harry felt the tugging sensation and knew he was being transported by a Portkey. For a few seconds he thought that he was being transported to the beginning of the maze, only to fall in a familiar place. The place of his nightmares.
He painfully pushed himself up and looked around. "I've been here before!"
Just as he said this, his scar exploded into pain unimaginable. It felt as if a million volts of electricity was pushing itself into him, and he fell to the ground crying out in pain as he clutched his head. Then everything went dark.
He awoke and saw he was tied to a gravestone and a man in a robe was working at starting a fire underneath the largest cauldron Harry had yet seen. The cauldron looked to be made of pewter, and it seemed to be either dark black or a grayish black. The cauldron was large enough for a tall man to sit in comfortably and still have room to spare. The man working at it was wearing dark robes, it was difficult to tell the color of it, he was short, and occasionally grunted in pain.
Soon a fire was underneath the cauldron and voice that Harry recognized, but couldn't place called from a bundle of garments that Harry only just noticed. "Do it now!" The voice called. The man leaned over the cauldron, and while Harry didn't know what he did to it, whatever was in the cauldron was boiling now. The man picked up the bundle of clothes, and removed what was in them. When Harry saw it, he nearly screamed. But also was the fact that the man was holding him with a finger missing. Wormtail! "You!" Harry shouted, but soon was gagged by something, he assumed was magic.
Wormtail dropped the, the, thing in the cauldron and all Harry could hope for was that it would drown. He watched it for a few seconds, before realizing that Wormtail was saying something. "Bone from the Father, unknowingly given. You will revive you son." A bone came out of the ground and flew into the cauldron. Wormtail then pulled out a 12" long knife and held his hand over the Cauldron. "Flesh of the…the servant. Willingly given. You will bring back your master." Harry realized what he was doing and closed his eyes. But he could not block the scream of pain. Harry did not open his eyes until he heard labored breathing near him. "Bl…blood of the enemy. Forcibly taken, you will restore your foe!" Harry felt an icy hot pain in his arm as the knife penetrated his skin. Wormtail took a vial and gathered up as much blood as he could with only one hand, before taking it and pouring it into the Cauldron.
'Please don't work. Let that thing drown!' thought Harry as the, whatever it was in the cauldron changed colors. Soon the cauldron disintegrated, forming a black mass of mist in the air. Soon a figure was standing there in black robes.
Lord Voldemort had returned.