Chapter 15

- Our Hearts Beat As One -

Teddy limped forward towards Harry who was weeping over Cedric's body.

"Harry! Harry!" Dumbledore pushed through the crowd towards him, followed by the Minister. "Tell me what happened!"

Harry looked just as bad as Teddy as he sobbed out a loud reply. "He's back, he's back! Voldemort's back. Cedric, he asked me to bring his body back. I couldn't leave him, not there."

Dumbledore was trying to help Harry up but he refused to leave Cedric's side.

"It's alright Harry. It's alright, he's home, you both are."

"Keep everybody in their seats." The Minister ordered. Remus had appeared through the crowd and ran to Teddy's side.

"Teddy-" He stopped, following his son's gaze to Cedric. "Dear God..." He breathed.

The Minister was bending down by the Headmaster whispering. "The body must be moved Dumbledore, there are... too many people."

Their was a loud cry. Amos was struggling to get down to Cedric, his son. "Let me through! Let me through! That's my son! That's my boy! My boy!" He broke down by the body. Teddy couldn't watch, he leaned into his father burying his face in his chest, hoping to drown out Amos and Harry's cries. But it didn't help. He no longer cared about the pain from the cut on his head or knees.

Eventually he forced himself to look back at the scene. But something was missing.

Where was Harry? And Moody- the impostor?

Teddy walked away from his father towards Dumbledore. "Teddy?"

"Where is he?"

"Where's who, Teddy?" The Headmaster asked, looking up.

Teddy's heart was racing again, something that seemed to occur too often. "Harry. Moody. Where are they? You need to find the Professor, he's not who he says he is."

Dumbledore stood up and turned towards Snape and Professor McGonagall, the two of them walked off back to the castle. Teddy ran after them. He didn't care about the pain in his knees as he climbed the pathway and soon the stairs of the castle towards the Dark Arts room, that'd once been his father's. "Teddy!" Remus was right behind him, yet he didn't stop.

"Expelliarmus!" Dumbledore yelled, pointing his wand at the Professor's office door. It burst open and Moody was thrown back into his desk chair. It all happened so quickly.

Harry was sitting by the fire looking terrified, Dumbledore had grabbed Moody by the collar, his wand at the intruders throat. "Severus!" He growled.

Teddy watched as the Potions Master moved forward, pulling out a vial and dripping its contents into Moody's gaping mouth. Teddy recognised the smell of the truth-telling serum. "Do you know who I am?"

Moody choked. "Albus Dumbledore."

"Are you Alastor Moody?" No response. "Are you?"

"No!"

Teddy could sense his father behind, grabbing his shoulder so he couldn't step any further into the room. "Harry, come here." Remus said and Harry did so.

Dumbledore continued questioning. "Is he in this room? Is he in this room?"

The impostor's eyes flicked over to a large chest in the corner of the room. "Stand back!"

Snape flicked his wand at the chest which swung open, revealing three more chests inside that opened one by one. When the final chest was open they all peered inside. Sitting at the bottom of a large pit, was the real Alastor Moody. "Are you alright, Alastor."

"I'm sorry Albus." He groaned.

"But if that's Moody then who's..." Harry glanced back at the fake Moody still sitting in the chair.

Severus had picked up one of his flasks and smelt it. "Polyjuice Potion."

"We'll get you up in a minute, Alastor."

Teddy gasped as he looked up at the imposter, who was gagging and shaking violently and transforming. The fake blue eye was pulled off and soon an unfamiliar man was sitting in the chair gasping and sweating. "Barty Crouch Junior." Dumbledore sighed.

Teddy's eyes widened. So this was the man that'd killed Mr Crouch... his own father.

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours." He hissed, rolling up his sleeve to reveal a skull and snake marking.

"Your arm Harry." Dumbledore ordered, pulling out Harry's arm. There was a alrge cut in it in the same position as Barty Jr's marking.

Barty Jr gave a breathless laugh. "You know what this means don't you? He's back. Lord Voldemort has returned."

Dumbledore ignored him, turning to Professor Snape. "Send an owl to Azkaban, think they'll find they're missing a prisoner. Remus if you could take both your son and Harry to the Hospital Wing."

"Yes, Albus." Remus said, leading both boys out of the room.

"I'll be welcomed back like a hero." Barty Jr cocked in glee.

Dumbledore followed them out of the door. "Perhaps. Personally I've never had much time for heroes."

Teddy stood among his fellow Ravenclaw's, the gash on his head leaving a faint, barely noticeable scar. Grey banners hung above the Great Hall filled with students bowing their heads as Dumbledore spoke in a sorrowful tone. Across from his, among the Hufflepuff's, he noticed Arkie. but she was staring down at her feet sadly, not making eye contact with anyone.

"Today we acknowledge a really terrible loss." Dumbledore sighed from behind his lecturn. "Cedric Diggory was as you all know, exceptionally hard working, intricately fair minded. And most importantly, a fierce fierce friend." I sob escaped from Cho Chang. Teddy wished he could comfort her but she was too far away and was surrounded by her friends.

"I think therefore you have the right to know exactly how he died." Teddy looked up. The ceiling of the Great Hall was storming, as if Hogwart's itself was mourning. "You see, Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort."

"The Ministry of Magic does not wish me to tell you this. But not to do so I think would be an insult to his memory. Now the pain we all feel at this dreadful loss reminds me, reminds us that while we may come from different places, speak in different tongues and come from different families," Teddy looked up to find Dumbledore glance at him for the inch of a second. "Our hearts beat as one."

Teddy looked back down again and taking a slow breath.

"In light of recent events, the bonds of friendship we made this year will be more important than ever. Remember that and Cedric Diggory will not have died in vain, you remember that. And we'll celebrate a boy who was kind and honest and brave and true right to the very end."

The Beauxbaton girls and Durmstrang boys all walked across the courtyard in their uniforms, hugging and waving goodbye to the Hogwart's students. Teddy watched from the sidelines, smiling warmly as Viktor exchanged a note with Hermione, kissing her hand and left.

"Hey, stranger." He looked to his left to see Arkie walking towards him, dressed in her Hufflepuff robes.

"Hi." He smiled.

"You okay?"

He nodded reassuringly. "I'll be fine. Oh, I was... well... I was wondering if you'd like to meet my father over the holidays... but also, if you'd like to catch up just you and me..."

She leaned forward, kissing him lightly on the cheek. "I'd like that very much." She said before walking over to her friends, who were still shooting him disapproving glances. But he didn't care.

There was a shuffling noise as Harry, Ron and Hermione joined him, watching the visiting school's leave. "Do you think we'll ever just have a quiet year at Hogwarts?" Ron asked with a grin.

"Never." Teddy replied, leaning against the wall.

"No I don't think so." Harry said as well.

"Oh, well. What's life without a few dragons." Ron joked.

The four of them laughed, walking across the courtyard together. "Everything's going to change now isn't it?" Hermione sighed.

"Yes." Harry nodded.

"Promise me you'll write, all of you."

Teddy shrugged. "Sure, every week."

There was a high pitched neigh, and the Beauxbaton's Pegasus drawn carriage flew over head and into the distance.

To be continued...