A/n: Hey all. Been a looong-o time, I know. But here it is. I don't really have anything to say this time 'round, 'cept that this chapter was originally longer, but I thought it might be better broken up, so I broke it. Anyways, enjoy. Review me. You know the drill. :P

Chapter 13

Cedric opened his eyes and sighed. Time to get up. He felt unusually quiet this morning, but not for any particular reason. He hauled himself out of bed and was dressed and ready at his usual time. David's bed was smoothly made, while Ewan's foot was lolling off the side of his bed from underneath the bed hangings. Cedric gave Ewan's bed a rattling kick.

"Get up, Ewan." He said routinely.

"Five more minutes…" Ewan groaned and Cedric couldn't help but smile. Every day…

He descended the stairs from the boy's dorms to the Hufflepuff Common Room. He was startled to find it completely unoccupied. He looked around at first, but indeed, there was no one in the Room. In the mornings there were always a handful of students hanging out in the Common Room before breakfast. As odd as it was, Cedric shrugged it off, blaming it on coincidence and his timing.

Even more strange, was the corridor outside of the Hufflepuff Common Room was equally deserted. He hastily consulted his watch – had it stopped? Had he and Ewan way overslept? No… his watch was still ticking and matched the clock on the wall just a little ways away. He was on time.

So then where was everyone?

It wasn't until he had reached the more main hallways closer to the Great Hall that he found other students. Everyone seemed to be gathered in clusters of four or more, talking excitedly. People were dashing between clusters and nearly everyone seemed to have a newspaper in their hand. He'd never seen anything like it and wondered what on earth was going on.

Just as he was staring curiously around, a mixed group of six or seven Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff third and fourth years came rushing up to him.

"I believed you all along!" a bright looking boy with blonde hair announced.

"Me too!" a little brunette girl squeaked.

"Er…" Cedric was about to thank them, though he was very confused to why they were talking to him as they were, when a brown-eyed girl piped up loudly,

"Well, now that the Ministry is involved," she started, waving the newspaper around. Cedric tried to read the headlines on it, but she was moving it too fast.

"Oh come on!" a blue-eyed boy cut in.

"She's right!" said the little brunette.

"And Fudge? What about what he says?"

They all began arguing over each other, forgetting Cedric was standing there. He politely backed away, more confused than before. He'd barely gone ten steps when another mixed group of students ambushed him.

"My mum said you were good the whole time." A dark-skinned fifth year beamed.

"Thanks…?" Cedric said and was uncomfortably aware of the escalation in noise and how everyone seemed to be looking at him. Some waved, others pointed, some were glaring and others were smiling. His cheeks were becoming redder and redder at the collective attention.

"I still think its all rubbish." The strawberry blonde with the fifth year folded her arms. "I'm not believing anything until I hear it from Fudge himself."

These two plus the friends around them also began arguing now, just like the first group. Again, Cedric politely – but quickly – edged away.

What was going on?

He tried to take different ways to get to the Great Hall, but it seemed anywhere he went, someone stopped him to offer similar, confusing comments. He got apologized to, some offered their sympathies, many asked if he was feeling alright, several said this doesn't change anything, and a few told him to just keep walking because they had nothing to say to him. All in all, people either wanted to hug him, beam at him, glare daggers at him, or slug him. It was a disturbing mixture.

His cheeks were burning red by this point and although he found numerous newspapers littering the floor and he attempted to find the article he assumed everyone must be talking about, he found that all the papers on the floor were missing the first few pages.

Flustered, confused and extremely uncomfortable, he was literally running into the Great Hall, cheeks flaming. With a huge amount of relief, he saw David at the empty end of the Hufflepuff table and hurried to join him. Again he was painfully aware of how everyone was looking at him and how the noise level – already high – seemed to escalate at his entrance.

He sat down with a thud beside David and put his hands on the side of his face like blinders. David seemed completely calm and normal, silently perusing the most recent issue of The Daily Prophet, as if the huge amount of chatter, buzz and movement around him was nothing out of the ordinary.

David slowly shut the paper just asked Cedric demanded, "David, what the heck is going on!"

"Look." David simply said. He slid the newspaper in front of Cedric, who kept his 'blinders' up as he read, his elbows resting on the table.

In massive bold letters, the top most headline blared, "BONES' MURDERED BY DEATH EATERS."

"Oh no! Susan Bones' family!" Cedric looked up at David. He furrowed his brow in concern and then realized the rest of the headline. "Wait… Death Eaters?"

David nodded solemnly. "I know. Read on."

Cedric read another of the huge black headlines on the page, which seemed to be competing for space. This one was just on the left hand side of the page, beside and below the article about the Bones' murder. "FUDGE TO ADDRESS NATION."

He glanced at David again. "What?"

"The Minister is going on the WWW Radio today at eleven A.M. He's going to speak to the entire Wizarding Community about this." David explained.

"About the Bones' murder?" Cedric asked in surprise. "Understandably, it's a big deal, but a Minister hasn't done a national address since the last time – "

"Right." David cut Cedric off and pointed to the third large headline on the front page, although it looked like it had been made smaller and less bold somehow, in hopes no one notice it. It was jammed on the bottom right hand side, indeed appearing to not draw any attention to itself.

It read, "YOU-KNOW-WHO FEARED TO BE BACK."

"What!" Cedric exclaimed.

David merely said, "Read on."

"Last night, through a series of events, Alan Fudge, brother to the Minster of Magic, claimed to have witnessed the latter half of the Bones' murder. In a very short press conference held early this morning in London, Fudge told his eye witness account of how he had watched He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named exiting the Bones' home, accompanied by several Death Eaters. Through what he names as 'pure luck', Alan was able to escape in his panicked state."

"How come they believe him?" said Cedric angrily.

David sipped juice before answering. "Keep reading."

"A highly respected member of the Wizarding Community, Alan Fudge often volunteers for Jury Duty, when he's not acting as an independent lawyer, taking on only high-profile cases.

'He's probably the most hard-nose fellow you'll ever find.' Judge Reynolds, an old colleague of Fudge's commented. 'No imagination and a lot of spine. Very unlike his brother.'

'He is not one to make up stories of any kind.' Said Alan's wife Faye. 'It's actually almost disturbing how down-to-earth he is.' She added with a laugh.

'This isn't two delusional, fame-seeking kids making up oddities.' Said highly credible journalist, Rita Skeeter. 'It was pure coincidence that those stupid kids' stories look half true now. Alan Fudge is a man we have to – unfortunately – believe.'"

"Bullocks!" Cedric burst out.

"I know. Rita Skeeter is not a 'credible writer'."

Cedric whipped his head to look at David to see if he's serious.

David half-smiled. "Keep reading." He repeated.

"Though all sources interviewed very late last night and very early this morning all agree, one source had something different to say.

'Maybe that Potter and Diggory kid were right all along.' Said former Security Guard at the Ministry of Magic, Wilbur Wallace. 'I for one quietly supported them this whole time. I think the Wizarding Community owes them an apology.'"

Cedric exhaled with some relief. Finally.

"Alan Fudge and his family were sent into hiding, immediately following the early morning press conference. They were therefore unable to be reached for further comment

Cornelius Fudge, the Minister, will be addressing the nation at eleven o'clock this morning on the WWW radio. For more on this subject, see "FUDGE ADDRESSES NATION". To learn about protecting you and you family from Death Eater Attacks, see "DEATH EATER SAFETY" on page four. For…"

Cedric stopped reading and pushed the newspaper back to David. He didn't know whether to feel happy, angry, scared or relieved. He stared at the table for a few second before attempting to speak.

"This is…" he started, but stopped, not entirely sure what he was trying to say or how to say what he was feeling.

"Yeah." David nodded and somberly drank more juice.

"It's…" Cedric tried again but stopped a second time.

"Uh-huh."

"And… the Ministry…?"

"I know."

Cedric exhaled and put his forehead in the palm of his hands, propping his elbows on the table. His head was spinning like a multi-colored top. He tried for a moment to just collect his thoughts and determine how he truly was feeling about all this.

Now everyone knew. Everyone knew for sure that He was back.

How was he supposed to react? He felt scared about it, even though he'd known for months. He somehow felt more scared now that it was a confirmed fact by more than himself and Harry. He was out in the open, out there, killing people.

Cedric wanted to feel relieved and on some level, he was. Everyone knew what he'd been saying all this time was really the truth. But yet, he wasn't relieved enough, and he didn't know why.

He ought to feel happy that people knew he wasn't insane or a complete liar. He ought to feel good when people came up to shake his hand and admit they were wrong. He ought to be able to smile and say, "It's ok."

He couldn't. He didn't know why.

Somehow, at that moment, he thought the topmost emotion was anger. Angry because no one had believed him before now. Angry because the Minister and his bloody newspaper had made Cedric and Harry complete fools, and had done their very best to discredit Harry and Cedric in everyway possible. Angry that the Ministry could back pedal and admit He is back, all the while without admitting Harry and Cedric may have been right. Angry because he knew the Ministry was now going to pretend he and Harry just simply didn't exist, and that Alan, Mr. Respectable and Just, was the first one to come out with the news about Him. Angry because some people still didn't believe the truth.

The buzz in the Great Hall was enormous. Cedric didn't think it'd ever been this loud before. Everyone seemed to be talking loudly to everyone else and rushing to tell others who may not have heard the news yet. He heard his name being tossed around several times, though he was quite sure no one was directly addressing him.

His cheeks started becoming hot again now that he wasn't engrossed in The Prophet. He kept his head down and slid the palms of his hands to fit comfortably over his eyes. In the darkness, he wished with all his being he could become invisible… just slip away to quietness… away from the noise and attention… away from the fear and the anger… away… just take me away…

"Cedric!"

Cedric finally lifted his head, recognizing Ewan's voice.

"Look! Look at this!" he was waving a copy of The Prophet as he pushed his way through an intense group of Gryffindors and Ravenclaws, dodged some hollering Slytherins, and slid around a cluster of arguing Hufflepuffs. Panting, he finally reached Cedric and slammed the paper down on the table. "Look!"

"I saw it." Cedric said rather tonelessly.

"No, no. Not the headlines. I knew you'd already seen those." Ewan tapped the paper excitedly. "Right here, mate."

Cedric obliged and looked at where Ewan was pointing. David leaned sideways with interest as well. The article that had Ewan all wound up was on the very last page of The Prophet, jammed under ads and announcements. It was typed in small font like a classified ad, and very easy to overlook. The itty bitty headline read,

"Fudge offers apologies".

Cedric glanced up at Ewan. "This?"

Ewan nodded vigorously, a wide smile plastered on his face. He realized he was still standing at that moment and sunk down on the bench beside Cedric.

Cedric began reading the tiny article.

"In a statement release very early this morning from the Ministry about the Bones' murder and the controversy surrounding it, Alan Fudge was adamant about offering his sincerest apologies. He made a rather large donation to The Daily Prophet in order for his brother to agree such a statement be printed.

'Two boys warned us quite some time ago that HE was back, and no one believed them.' Alan Fudge said. 'If the Ministry had taken proper steps to investigate their, at the time, 'outrageous' claims, the tragedy of the Bones' murder could have been avoided. I'm not saying the Ministry needs to investigate every outrageous claim that filters through, but one from two respected and trustworthy boys should have been paid a little more respect and care.

'So, to Mr. Harry Potter and Mr. Cedric Diggory, we – '

'You, Alan. YOU.' Cornelius Fudge corrected hastily.

'Alright then,' Alan Fudge continued, shooting a dirty look at his uncomfortable looking brother. 'I offer you my deepest apologies for the treatment you received these last few months. I pray other will follow my example, particularly my influential brother.'

Shortly there after, the Minister continued on with the short press conference and Alan Fudge was taken away by Aurors to temporarily go into hiding."

Cedric blinked and re-read the article twice. So Alan Fudge wanted people to know he told the truth. That was definitely reassuring. Though it would have been far more assuring if it'd been a larger, more prominently placed article instead of this teensy chunk of words jammed into the bottom corner of the last page.

The fact that Cornelius had quickly corrected his brother from saying "we apologize" to saying "I apologize" was definitely less than reassuring. And, lastly, the fact that the security guard defending Cedric and Harry in that other article was labeled as "former" security guard.

Altogether, it truly was not as reassuring as it should have been.

A/n: Well? How was it? Let me know! The news articles didn't come off as news article-y as I'd hoped, but I hope they sounded alright anwyays. Review me, 'cuz you know how I'm such a glutton for reviews. :D