Chapter 02
Terrible heartfelt pain
Amos' POV
I cannot believe that my son is in this much danger. Or that the boy who took him full Hogwarts glory as Hogwarts Champion is by my son considered his little brother. And finally do I have trouble with understanding why my son isn't sitting with us to comfort us, but with two of the three people he should consider his rivals.
I look at him and try to get his attention, but Cedric has his back turned to me as he sits next to the Granger girl and has his hand reaching over the Gryffindor table to softly rub over Potter's arm and he seems to whisper soft words of comfort that Potter doesn't even seem to be hearing, which makes me want to snarl at his insolence.
Deciding to not focus on this and instead try and see how close those 3 have really grown onto each other, something I find highly unlikely as this tournament brings out everyone's ambition to win, do I hug my wife, squeeze her hand reassuringly before standing up and walking over to the open book, turning my attention on the next chapter.
But the title scares the living daylights out of me and makes me worry with all that I am for the 2 boys. I then look at the group, while more and more students start to notice that I have decided to read the next chapter and Cedric finally turns to me, whispering: "Hurry up, we need to know." I nod at him, scrape my throat and start reading.
Flesh, Blood, and Bone
This title causes a shiver of fear to go through the room and several Slytherins, apparently aware of what that title means, look at me with wide eyes, along with their Head of House and the Headmaster of Durmstrang. I personally try to hide a shiver going down my spine while my wife is unable to keep down her own squeak of fear.
The dog, still lying on Krum and Potter's laps, also whines and I wonder how any dog that looks so much like the grim can have enough of a conscious mind to actually understand what people say or what I just read. But I shrug it off, knowing there are more important things and feeling worried for my son as I continue reading.
Harry felt … the hillside.
This worries me even more and seems to confirm the boy Potter's fears as he whimpers: "Voldemort. He got us." Krum pulls him close and Cedric moves his hand from the boy's arm to his shoulder and back, while he uses the other to support himself on the table. My heart shortly goes out to the young lad and his fear before I read on.
Cedric looked … their face.
Now a very small smile appears on Potter's face, one that almost seems satisfied about something and then he looks at Minister Fudge and says: "Minister, you are going to hear something soon that will prove you one thing." The man looks intrigued and Harry confuses me as he looks at the dog and says: "We were not Confunded."
And – several … split open.
Immediately my son and Krum seem even more worried as they both tighten their holds on the boy and Granger and Weasley share a look of pure terror, as if they understand what this could mean or – I realize with a shock – they had seen this happen before. This makes me worry about their past endavours and I read on.
From far … "Avada Kedavra!"
"NO!"
Several voices shout, from which I can distinguish my wife, Potter, Delacour and Krum due to how amazingly pained they all sound and Potter breaks free of Krum's hold, only to physically climb over the Gryffindor table and cling himself to my son's body – as if he actually believes he can protect my son with that action.
I myself look at my son in pure pain and then chastise myself as I find myself wishing the spare to be the Potter boy. Then I think: "No, I can't think that! He's just as innocent, just as undeserving. He's -." And then I finally accept it with a thought. "He's my son." I then look at my son, wanting him to look at me as well.
Cedric has moved Harry from clinging to him to sitting on my eldest son's lap and while Harry has his hands clinging to Cedric's robe, almost tearing, is Cedric holding Harry with one hand and is the other softly going through Harry's hair, which shocks me as it proves that Cedric is pushing his own shock down to comfort his brother.
Hating myself for having been blind enough by Cedric's accomplishments and the rivalry I believed would be created thanks to the Tournament that I didn't see how close the four Champions have grown, do I finally catch's Cedric's eyes and he smiles at me as if knowing what I just realized and what conclusions I just reached.
I smile back and then look at my wife, the woman only sobbing softly as she sits at Hufflepuff table, her eyes firmly on both Harry and Cedric and I know it's Cedric's strength as a person and his ability to push his own emotions to the side for Harry's that makes the woman feel comfortable enough not to sob out loud.
I look at her, seeing as I look from Cedric to her that no one seems to be expecting me to read and feel grateful for that and as she looks back at me, does she mouth: "We won't let our sons get hurt like that." And while I love the woman even more for her amazing ability to already consider Harry her own, do I nod and read on.
A blast … He was dead.
This makes my voice break and with my eyes tearing up, I hold quiet, trying to force myself to go on, to remind myself that this is just a book, that it hasn't happened yet. I look up and see that Harry and Krum are both holding onto my son, both crying openly.
But then I see something new as Fleur Delacour has joined the group and is also holding onto my son, her tears falling just as hard, but her cries for pain softer. Seeing the four together, I realize that the Tournament has really made these four a family of themselves. My heart breaks again for the loss this family had to suffer being torn apart in such a terribly way.
For a … finger missing.
This seems to shock Granger, Weasley and Lupin out of their hurt stupor, while Madam Bones seems to get the strange reference as well as she looks at the group of three as they all look up shocked and tense, before the dog lets out a murderous growl, actually shocking me with the venom coming from that single tone.
The students sitting near the dog tremble and squeak in fear for the dog snarling like that and then Harry hisses something, but I can't hear him as he speaks too softly. Cedric and the other Champions seem not to have this problem as they all gasp and Cedric whispers something back, to which Harry nods. Then Harry goes on and says:
"He'll pay. He'll pay dearly. I should have never stopped them." This confuses me, but Lupin says: "No Harry, you should have and you should be proud tha –." But Harry seems too into the story and his own beliefs to let the man finish and while my heart breaks over hearing how guilty he feels, does he shout:
"HOW CAN I BE PROUD IF ME STOPPING YOU LET HIM ESCAPE! IF STOPPING YOU FROM KILLING HIM ALLOWED HIM TO LIVE! TO BLOODY LIVE AND TO – TO – TO KILL BERTHA AND CEDRIC!"
Everyone's shocked at the boy's outburst and then Dumbledore stands up and says: "You can be proud, because you burdened Voldemort with a follower who owes you a life debt. And so does Cedric and everyone else we can save by reading these books." Harry grumbles, but then sits down and I continue reading.
And Harry … It was Wormtail.
"WHAT!" The Weasley twins shout and they turn to Harry with a chorused question: "You mean to tell us one of our Heroes – one of the Marauders – is a Death Eater?" Harry nods, his face such a mask of fury I wonder what else he knows of this man, while at the same time I wonder how the two know of those four Pranksters extraordinaire.
But then I shake my head and realize that I should have expected of them to know of those four as they are amazing pranksters themselves and while I smile at them, believing that they probably use the Marauders as their idols and inspirations, have their shocked shouts caused for most of the worried tension to leave the room as I read on.
"You." He gasped … bundle opened.
Now the tension's completely back into the room and everyone has wide eyes and are sitting tensely, some of them holding onto their friends' hands or shoulders – those having family over sitting near them – and others leaning forward to hear more. I myself try not to think of my son, lying dead in that graveyard and simply read on.
He could … "It is ready, Master."
"Master? No, it can't be." Fudge stutters and I too realize who the man is referring too, which makes memories of those dark and dangerous times resurface up in my mind against my will. This makes me look back at my sons and see that this time, Cedric is the one clinging to Harry worriedly, as if trying to protect him.
I myself feel terrible and think: "When we hold this Tournament, we'll put Tracker spells on the Champions and Portkey spells on their wands, so they can come back instantly if we can't find out who the hell was responsible for all this." And with that idea in mind do I feel confident enough to continue reading the chapter.
"Now …" said … red eyes.
This causes gasps and shrieks of fear to be heard all around, most of them coming from those that remember who had such red eyes in the past and Harry actually starts to wheeze and breath raggedly in fear, as if he's something close to that before. This causes Cedric to hold him tighter and then Krum does something shocking.
While making sure that my son is still holding his little brother tightly, he pulls the boy up and sits him down on his own lap, taking the boy's seat next to my son. He hugs the boy from behind and with the assurance that my family is together, as my wife had gone to sit with them and holds Cedric from the back as I read on.
The thing … your son."
This shocks me, as my father had taught me the worst Dark Arts Rituals to prevent me from falling victim to them back during the start of the war and I think: "No, he wouldn't. Harry –." But then I remember who Harry is to that monster and I think: "No way will I allow that to happen. That monster won't ever touch my son."
The surface … your master."
This makes one of Harry's wheezy gasps come out sharply and he whispers something that confuses me: "The reward he promised. The reward most followers would give their right hand for." This makes no sense to me and makes many of those hearing him look at him confused and/or worried as Cedric asks: "Harry, what are you talking about?"
Harry looks at him and then looks down, slightly hiding his face in my son's shoulder as he says: "During summer I had a nightmare about Voldemort and Wormtail. Voldemort was talking about his plan – this plan – and about how – if Wormtail did things right – he would be rewarded in a way other followers would give their right hand for it.
I never realized he meant it like this." The boy breaths aghast and I feel for him as no one his age should have nightmares like that. Viktor then holds him tight, while Cedric starts to stroke his hair and softly stroke circles on his back to calm his brother down. Fleur also lies a hand on the boy's shoulder as I read on.
He stretched … your foe."
"YOU SCOUNDREL!""DON'T YOU BLOODY DARE!""STAY THE BLOODY HELL AWAY FROM HIM!" Is shouted by my son, Victor and Fleur extremely loudly as they all hold Harry tightly, while Granger, the Weasley family and Lupin seem all to have acquired the anger of a Nesting Mother Dragon and the hackles on the dog's fur are all on end.
Harry is pulled against Victor so tightly in the Bulgarian's anger that I can't see where Harry ends and Krum starts, but next to the other three Champions, the Weasleys, Lupin and Granger, almost all of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff seem united in their need to keep this killer away from the young boy.
Even the teachers are either horrified at the idea of what will be read next or furious that they are actually reading this and that this could have been what would have happened had it not been for Harry's spell work.
But then I notice that while even the Aurors, Madame Bones and the Tonks Family seems furious, one teacher is actually showing an emotion most unbecoming of him and one that, while I read on to make sure he doesn't spot me looking at him, makes me wonder if it could not be him that caused this entire mess. Mad-Eye Moody is smirking in evil triumph.
Harry could … gone wrong …
To this I myself, Snape, Karkaroff and, strangely enough, the dog all shake our heads and Cedric looks at me and asks: "Dad? You know of this ritual?" I nod, the memories coming back even stronger as I shudder at them and say: "Your grandfather wanted me prepared for the worst rituals and spells in the Dark Arts as possible.
He taught them all to me, but only the theory." Cedric nods and Madame Bones says: "And it seems only wise if we will allow the students the same opportunity. Now that it's been made clear that You-Know-Who is still out there and in the ability to perform such terrible rituals, it's only appropriate we teach the younger generation to prepare themselves." The teachers nod, some of them looking slightly disagreeing and I continue reading.
And then … the cauldron.
"NO!" All the adults gasp in pure terror and I again look at Moody, who seems to smirk in the same evil triumph as before, but then I notice something strange. The man seems to have gained some strange tic that makes his face twitch and strangely change shape. This makes me glance at him from the top of the book as I read on.
"Robe me." … risen again.
I look at the last five words with terror freezing my insides, my memories of those I lost in the war tearing at my heart and think: "We can't let this happen." Then my son, who seems to be mind-linked to me, holds Harry close and whispers: "We won't let this happen, Harry. I won't die and Voldemort won't return. I promise."
Harry clings to the boy, his grasp hopeful while his face proves how badly he fears that the promise will be broken and Victor softly kisses his hair, but for some reason I get the feeling that gesture wasn't done out of comfort alone. I then shake my head and asks: "Wh-who would want to read next?" No one answers.
