A/n: Thanks you so much to everybody who reviewed!! Keep it up!

Chapter 4

"NO!"

Cedric sat bolt upright and looked wildly around, petrified that he would find himself in that horrible graveyard. He panted heavily and stared ahead of him.

"Mr. Diggory?" Madame Pomfrey moved the divider curtain back a little and her slightly plump face peeked around it. "Are you alright?"

Cedric looked at her kind face, and was once again thoroughly relieved that he was safe at Hogwarts. His breathing began to calm. He wiped the cold sweat off his forehead.

"I just.... I just...." Cedric swallowed and tried to rid his memory of those terrifying red eyes. "I just had a nightmare. That's all."

Madame Pomfrey's face filled with the type of compassion that she rarely showed. She nodded. "Here's a chocolate frog, dear." she handed it to him. "I'll go get some more of that potion to give you a peaceful sleep." She closed the divider curtain.

Cedric looked to the other side of his bed, where he was next to a window. He gazed out the window, and saw that the sun was high and bright in the sky. He guessed it was about midday. He wondered what day it was.

He still felt tired, but didn't really feel like sleeping. But a big part of that was his fear of more nightmares. He didn't want to know what things he would end up seeing again when his eyes shut. And he especially didn't want to "relive" his whole experience again.

He wanted to know what had happened, however. What went on in that graveyard while Cedric was unconscious? Where was Harry? Was he alright?

There was the familiar ringing of the bell to signal lunchtime.

It seemed strange to Cedric that people could just go about their day as though nothing had happened when he lay here in the hospital wing afraid to go to sleep.

He heard voices growing louder, than burst through the door. He guessed by the amount of voices that there were at 5 people talking animatedly to Harry, who must've been a bed or two to Cedric's right, behind the divider curtain. None of the voices mentioned the TriWizard Tournament.

Cedric sighed. He had no visitors. To tell the truth, he didn't really want any at that moment. But it would've still been nice to know people actually cared. Apparently all that attention he was receiving before was solely because of the Tournament and nothing more. Nobody cared about stupid Cedric. Just the famous Harry Potter.

Cedric felt a little guilty at his thoughts, but he couldn't help it.

He heard the door open and close again, and the voices chattering to Harry broke off abruptly.

"H-hi Harry." a very familiar girl's voice said shyly.

"H-hi Cho." Harry stammered back.

Cedric felt a wash of emotion he didn't think he'd ever felt before: Jealousy. Cho came to see Harry? But wasn't she Cedric's girlfriend? She went to the Yule Ball with him, but she liked Harry better? Then why didn't she go with him!? Did she not give a care that Cedric should be dead right now? Should he just rip back that curtain and tell her that they're through so she and stupid famous Harry Potter can get together?!

Cedric was making himself more angry by the second. His arms were crossed firmly across his chest, and his lips were in a tight thin line. He stared out the window grumpily, silently fuming.

Cho pulled back the curtain a little bit. "Cedric?" she said timidly, and put a lock of raven-coloured hair behind her ear.

Cedric kept staring out the window. He didn't want to talk to his cheating girlfriend.

"C-cedric?" her lips quivered, and her voice sounded choked, like she'd been crying for a long time and was about to again.

Cedric took his eyes away from the window, and sighed. He couldn't stay mad forever.

"C-ced-dric-c??? I c-came t-to s-see you...." a tear spilled over onto her slightly flushed cheeks.

Cedric's heart melted, and an odd lump rose in his throat. He suddenly felt really emotional, and he didn't know why. "C-cho...."

Cho threw her arms around Cedric's neck and gave him a relieved hug. The divider curtain swayed closed behind her, and Cedric could hear the murmur of voices on the other side slowly start up again.

"I thought you were........ someone said you were........" Cho pulled out of the hug slightly, and tried to speak. "They saw you and said you were.........."

Cedric shook his head, knowing exactly what word she was trying to say, but just couldn't: 'dead'. "No. I should be, but I'm not, am I?"

Cedric and Cho hugged again, and then let go of their embrace. Cedric heard 2 or 3 people leave from Harry's side. Cedric held tight to Cho's hand, no longer mad.

"Did he use.......he used......the......." Cho tried to ask, but again seemed to not be able to. She took a deep breath and lowered her voice to a whisper. "The - the k-k-killing c-curse?"

Cedric slowly sombrely nodded.

Cho's lip quivered again, and Cedris was worried she would burst into tears. He quickly said, "Its ok, Cho! I'm here! I'm alive!" he rubbed her back with the hand that was not holding hers. "It doesn't matter how he tried. I'm here."

She nodded and sniffed. "I know." They were quiet for a moment and then Cho said, "And Cedric?"

"Yes?"

"We don't ever have to talk about it unless you want to."

"Thanks Cho."

Again they were quiet. A bird or two twittered happily outside. And again, Cedric was reminded of how strange it was that life was normal outside of the hospital wing.

As Cedric sat in silence with Cho, his thoughts turned back to what had happened. Those red eyes haunted him. Just staring......radiating evil.....trying to get him and finish him off........

Cedric quickly tried to do something to take the eyes out his mind. "Cho?"

"Yes?"

"Do me a favour."

"What?"

"Help me outta this bed, will ya?"

"Are you allowed?" Cho asked concernedly. "Maybe you should ask Madame Pomfrey...."

Cedric rolled his eyes. "Ya right. She'll never let me out until I'm in perfect condition."

"Well then - "Cho started, but Cedric cut her off.

"I just wanna stand up." he looked pleadingly at Cho. "Please Cho?"

Cho smiled. "Ok."

Cedric was wearing clean clothes that smelled pleasantly of laundry detergent. He peeled back the thick bed covers and looked at his legs. He kept staring at them, just laying there on the bed, as his upper body was sitting up.

"Cedric? What's wrong?"

"I....." Cedric gave a humourless chuckle. "I....I can't move my legs."

"A-are you sure??"

Cedric didn't answer. He concentrated hard on moving his legs. He concentrated on wiggling his toes. He concentrated on moving his lower body, but nothing happened.

1"I-I'm paralysed!!!" Cedric said panickedly.

"Oooohhh......." Cho covered her mouth as her eyes overflowed with tears. She stood and ran from the room unable to contain herself.

The curtain hangings hung open after Cho's hurried exit, and Cedric saw Harry standing with the help of crutches, beside Ron and Hermione. All 3 had their mouths hanging open in shock, and were in a stunned silence.

Cedric stared at the trio, angry, shocked, horrified, and above all, daring them to speak just a single word. They didn't.

"We'd better be going, then." Hermione whispered and took her eyes from Cedric.

Ron shut his mouth, numbly nodded, and followed Hermione out of the hospital wing.

Harry settled back down on his bed, avoiding Cedric's angry gaze.

Cedric reached out and ripped the curtains shut to spare himself from anymore stupid looks as 2 more people entered the hospital wing.

"Out, out, out!" Madame Pomfrey shooed the 2 guests who protested heartily. "Visiting hours are over! These boys need their rest!" The 2 left reluctantly.

Cedric lay back down onto his bed, his legs like blocks of stone with no temperature, movement or feeling. His eyes welled up with angry tears.

"Paralysed." he whispered to himself, and it felt as though a giant icy boulder slammed into the pit of his stomach.

He was never going to walk again.

A/n: So what do you think?! Tell me!! (just no swearing please)