Disclaimer: Solve for x:
JKR HP
JKR≠ BK ≠ HP
JKR + HP $$
BK + HP x
Solution: x FF ≠ $$
Author's Note: These past two weeks have been quite exciting for Harry Potter fans, which largely explains my brief period of inactivity (with the exception of a new one-shot). Anyway, I have read the seventh book and I'd love to talk about it—feel free to email me or PM me. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
On another exciting note, I went to see the fifth movie and…I also met James and Oliver Phelps who play Fred and George Weasley in the movies. It was quite exciting and they were very nice. I only wish that I had been a little more articulate (I managed basic pleasantries, but that's it. I tend to get star struck quite easily).
And, as always, thank you very much for your feedback.
Chapter 5: Changes
Fred and George Weasley taught me many things. These lessons primarily revolved around basic common sense—for example, the importance of not consuming any food that just happened to be lying around the common room and treating every declaration of "Go on, it will be a laugh!" with a heavy dose of skepticism. Naturally, a lot of these lessons had to be learned the hard way. Naturally, the hard way sometimes involved minor personal injury and a trip to the infirmary.
I have previously mentioned the foolishness of underestimating the twins. I tended to do this on a slightly regular basis not because I doubted them, but because it was easy to forget how capable they were. Something that you might dismiss as inconsequential ended up being a key detail in their next elaborate plan. What's more, they had exceptional memories for such details. This proved to be a particularly disadvantageous quality if you happened to have made them a promise that you had absolutely no intention of keeping.
As always, I learned this the hard way.
I was having a very pleasant dream about Ramses Llewellyn (a Quidditch player known more for his looks than for his skill on a broom) when someone insistently shook me awake. I yawned and sleepily swatted at the intruder. It was the last Saturday of the Christmas holiday and I had every intention of sleeping in late while I could.
"Sophie, wake up." Alicia's voice broke through my dreamy semi-consciousness. I cracked one eye open.
"'S matter?" I mumbled.
"Fred and George say that you've got an appointment with them," she said.
"Tell Fred and George to bugger off," I replied, burrowing down deeper into my blankets. I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about nor did I particularly care. At that moment, sleep was my first priority.
"They said it's non-negotiable unless you'd like to forfeit ownership of your cat."
I opened my eyes and squinted at her.
"Does that ring any bells?" asked Alicia, arching an eyebrow.
I grimaced. I had thought Fred and George were aware that I had no intention of actually following through on that particular agreement.
"Oh."
"They've talked me into it as well," continued Alicia. She was wearing her coat, hat, and gloves, and looking slightly put out. "And if I've got to do it, then you've got to as well. You know that it will end up as a battle of the sexes and Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger are the only other girls who agreed to participate."
"Why don't you get Angelina or Viv?" I asked.
"Viv's off with Dan and I tried waking Angelina, but she'd have none of it. As she didn't have a verbal contract with either of the twins, I can't really force her to come down. You however…"
"I was hoping they'd forget," I sighed.
"You ought to know better by now," said Alicia matter-of-factly. I grumbled and grudgingly rolled out of the comfort of my bed. Chester meowed and stretched sleepily.
"It's a good thing I like you," I muttered to him as I began to dig in my wardrobe for a sweater
Ten minutes later, Alicia and I trooped downstairs. I had dressed myself in several layers and I hoped that it would be enough against the cold. Fred, George, and Lee were waiting at the foot of the stairs, while Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley were lounging in three armchairs near the fire.
"There she is!" declared Fred.
"The lady of the hour!" said George.
"Couldn't we have done this at a later time?" I asked, stifling a yawn.
"No. Conditions are too perfect," Lee informed me.
"We want to give you the best experience possible," stated Fred.
"How thoughtful," I replied dryly. "Who are we waiting on?"
"Ginny," said Fred. "She forgot her scarf."
"Women," sighed George, rolling his eyes. Alicia smacked him on the shoulder.
Ginny came breathlessly bounding down the stairs a few moments later and after a quick breakfast in the Great Hall, we proceeded outside.
"Right," said Fred once we were outside, his breath rising in mists before him. "George, if you will…"
George conjured nine snowballs with a flick of his wand and cast a Restoring Charm on all of them.
"That's about it, then," declared Fred, once we'd all received an enchanted snowball each.
"Rules: there are no rules," stated George, with a wicked grin.
"The fight begins…now!" Fred shouted.
Surprisingly, everyone remained perfectly still for several moments, as though we were all waiting for someone else to make a move. Then a voice broke the silence.
"Oi! Sophie!"
I turned just as a snowball collided with the center of my chest. I could feel the snow start to seep through the gaps between the buttons on my coat before the snowball rebuilt itself and tumbled to the ground. I hadn't seen who had thrown it, but I could tell easily enough from the cheeky grin on his face. I brushed the remaining snow off my coat before lobbing the snowball I had in my hand directly onto the side of George's head.
Then all hell broke loose.
As Alicia had predicted, the game rapidly turned into a battle of the sexes. George selected me as a target from the start and the competition between us quickly grew fierce. Fred and George soon formed an alliance and I spent a good five minutes running away from them while simultaneously trying to cast a Shield Charm over my shoulder. Alicia eventually joined forces with me and gave the twins something to think about with her deadly aim. It all spiraled out of control from there.
On the whole, the girls did quite well, despite the fact that the boys had a one person advantage in addition to the combined terror of the twins. Alicia's history as Quidditch Chaser proved to be quite helpful and, despite all appearances, Hermione was a force to be reckoned with. Ron discovered this the hard way when she had a large enchanted snowball chase him around the grounds after he laughed at her poor aim. Ginny particularly vicious in her attacks, which was probably the result of having six older brothers. We finally called a truce in the early afternoon when we were all too cold, soaked, and exhausted to continue.
"Well, how was it?" asked Fred as we headed back to the castle.
"Cold, wet, utterly exhausting," I replied, ticking off each quality on my fingers. "Shall I go on?"
"You forgot 'fun,'" he said with grin.
"Yes, I suppose it was fun in a hazardous sort of way," I conceded.
"Speaking of hazardous, where'd you learn to throw like that?" asked George as we entered the warmth of the entrance hall.
"My dad," I replied, pulling off my hat and unwinding my scarf from around my neck. "He said he wanted my sister and me to be able to hold our own against the boys."
"Have you thought about going out for Quidditch?" asked Harry Potter. "You'd make a decent Chaser."
Harry's query was rewarded by a hearty round of laughter from Fred, George, Lee, and Alicia.
"Obviously he has not heard of the legacy of the Amazing Tree Girl," stated George, laughing at Harry's puzzled expression.
"I'm sure that he will live a rich and full life without ever hearing it," I interjected. Despite all his fame, Harry Potter and I had never exchanged more than a few words. I wasn't particularly keen on making my first impression as the Amazing Tree Girl.
Unfortunately, Fred and George felt otherwise and insisted on not only telling Harry the story but acting it out as well. It was slightly embarrassing.
The next day (our very last day of holiday) was spent in the common room around the fire, which I was grateful for, as I was still feeling rather chilled and my throat was slightly scratchy.
When I awoke on Monday, the first thing I was aware of was the fact that my throat was hurting quite a lot. My nose had stuffed up during the night and my neck was slightly swollen. When I sat up to get out of bed, my entire body protested in that bone deep ache that is so characteristic of colds.
"You look rather peaky," Fred commented at breakfast.
"I think I might be catching something," I croaked in reply.
Fred raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like you've caught it."
"You ought to see Madam Pomfrey," suggested Angelina through a mouthful of bacon. "She'll fix you up in a minute."
"I don't think it's quite that bad," I insisted. "I'll wait and see how I feel."
"You know if you don't do something about it now, you're going to regret it later," stated Viv, giving me a reproachful look.
I sighed heavily. "I'm fine, really. My throat is slightly sore and I'm somewhat congested, but that's it."
"You must be a masochist," declared Viv. "Why put yourself through all this misery?"
"Vivian, my dad's a Healer and my mum's a Muggle nurse," I replied. "I know when medical attention is required."
George walked in at that moment and took a seat next to Fred. He was reaching for the pumpkin juice when he stopped and looked at me.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
"Good morning to you, too," I replied. "I'm eating breakfast—what are you doing here?"
"You ought to be in the hospital wing," he said, giving me a critical once over. "You look like death."
"Thanks, George," I replied dryly.
"What? You look right knackered and you're terribly pale," he protested. "Otherwise you look quite nice."
"Her voice has gone all croaky, too," added Angelina helpfully.
I was about to issue another heavy sigh and tell them they were worrying far too much when the morning bell rang.
"Alicia and Lee missed breakfast again," I stated, wrinkling my nose as George hurriedly crammed an entire muffin into his mouth.
Angelina rolled her eyes. "They're both used to sleeping late from the holiday. I couldn't even wake Alicia this morning."
"I've saved some toast for them," said Viv, folding a napkin around two slices of toast and placing them carefully in her bag. She gave me a pointed look. "And don't change the subject, Sophie."
"Schop beng schtubber antf gov to hobbital wurng," mumbled George, spraying crumbs everywhere.
"You are disgusting," stated Angelina matter-of-factly.
"Fanks," said George, smiling through a mouthful of half-chewed food.
"Mum would be so proud," stated Fred, clapping George on the back and causing him to choke slightly. "He says to stop being stubborn and go to the hospital wing."
George coughed and gave a thumbs up in confirmation of Fred's translation.
I got very little rest from the four of them on the way to Charms, especially once George finished chewing his muffin and regained the power of coherent speech. When Alicia and Lee arrived (both slightly out of breath from running), they also joined in. This continued throughout the morning and well into the afternoon.
"You're worse than a mother hen, the two of you!" I said to Fred and George on our break. Everyone else was in Divination and Lee was napping on one of the common room couches.
"We're being quite reasonable," replied Fred.
"You're being quite ridiculous," I corrected him. "Now, seriously, I've got to finish this essay."
I began working on my essay (Discuss— How Finnean the Foolish foiled the Peace Treaty of 1885), occasionally pausing to sneeze or roll my eyes at either one of the twins. I suppose that my case wasn't aided by the fact that I dozed off in the middle of the second paragraph.
"Right," said Fred after I started and jolted myself back into wakefulness. "You're perfectly healthy."
"Off to the infirmary with you," declared George, rising from his chair.
"I'm fine," I insisted.
"You are not 'fine'," replied George. He placed a cool hand to my forehead. "You're feverish. Come on, on your feet."
"You're exaggerating," I countered as he pulled me to my feet. George looked at Fred, who also placed his hand on my forehead.
"He's not," declared Fred.
"Really, I—"
"Overruled," said George.
And they each grabbed hold of one of my arms and marched me up to the hospital wing.
Of course, Fred and George were right. Madam Pomfrey began fussing over me immediately and demanded to know why I had not come in sooner. When I said that I thought I didn't need to come to the hospital wing, she clucked disapprovingly and gave me a double dose of Pepperup potion.
"Now, I think some rest is in order," declared Madam Pomfrey as steam poured out my ears. "No more classes for you, today."
"But—" I began.
"Ah, ah, ah," she interrupted. She pointed to one of the empty cots. "Bed. The potion will take slightly longer to work because your cold is so far along. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times: it's only most effective in the early stages of illness!"
"Honestly, I feel much better." A spectacular sneeze followed this declaration. Madam Pomfrey gave stern look and ushered me over to an empty cot.
"You children never listen properly," she clucked. "If I didn't know better, I'd say your ears were all stopped up."
"Madam Pomfrey—"
"I shall write a note for your teachers," she said, ignoring my protests as she withdrew a pad of paper from her pocket. "I trust these gentlemen will be able to deliver it."
"Of course," replied Fred enthusiastically. Madam Pomfrey gave me a knowing look and began scribbling an excusal note.
"Now, Sophie, be a good girl and listen to Madam Pomfrey," instructed George.
"And be sure to get some rest," added Fred.
"I hate you both," I croaked. They simply grinned in response.
"Now, now, none of that," scolded Madam Pomfrey, handing Fred the note. "They were quite right to bring you here."
I didn't know it was possible for the twins to look any smugger.
"Go on," said Madam Pomfrey, gesturing at the bed. I sighed and crawled under the blankets.
"Goodbye, Sophie," chorused the twins as they exited.
I grumbled incoherently and began plotting revenge as Madam Pomfrey drew up the curtains around my bed.
Armed with a flask of Pepperup potion and a stern lecture on appropriate winter clothing, I returned to Gryffindor Tower that evening. Fred and George were appropriately smug and laughed at my threats of revenge. In the end I gave up and told them that it was their fault (however indirectly) that I became ill in the first place. The conversation spiraled into ridiculousness from there.
It was not a very good time to come down with a cold. Although I only missed an afternoon of classes, I spent the better part of a week trying to catch up with my work. There was also the added pressure of Apparition lessons, which were challenging to say the least. The fact that I was the first person in my class to properly Splinch themselves didn't really make the lessons any more appealing.
"If you say one word about Sophie Fletcher the Amazing Splinching Tree Girl, I will hex you into next week," I warned Fred, George, and Lee as we exited the room. To their credit, they managed to hold off their commentary for two full days.
Term continued in the typical fashion of schoolwork, classes, and instances of larking about in order to avoid schoolwork or classes. This monotonous and stressful routine was finally broken by the Second Task, which was one of the most boring things I've ever witnessed. After the champions submerged themselves in the lake, there wasn't much for the spectators to do but cheer and listen to Ludo Bagman. It only got mildly interesting when Fleur Delacour was attacked by grindylows and then later when the judges argued about Harry Potter's score. Frankly, I could think of several better ways to spend an afternoon.
I finally turned seventeen in May and, by the grace of some higher being, managed to pass my Apparition test. The occasion was marked by laughter, celebration, and another exploding gift from Fred and George. However, shortly after my birthday, I found myself in the midst of preparing for exams. We didn't have N.E.W.T. exams this year, but all of my teachers made a point of mentioning that our exams would be as difficult as N.E.W.T.s themselves in order to properly prepare us. It was a highly stressful time for all of us, with perhaps the exception of Fred and George, who somehow managed to maintain their carefree attitude toward academics in general.
By some cruel twist of ill fortune, the Third Task happened to fall on the last day of exams, which made it slightly difficult for any of us to concentrate properly. I expected the Third Task to be more engaging and exciting than its predecessors and actually found myself looking forward to it as I battled my way through my exams.
The morning of the Third Task dawned bright and beautiful. I was feeling oddly relaxed about my remaining exams and I went to breakfast in a good mood. I was further cheered when I unfolded the paper and found Rita Skeeter's latest article on Harry Potter. Rita Skeeter was the sort of journalist whose work could easily double as satire because she was often so ill-informed. I only read her articles because they were often amusing in their absurdity (although I'm sure that was not her intent).
Skeeter's latest endeavor was to discredit Harry Potter by questioning his mental stability. Not many people at the Gryffindor table were particularly impressed—Fred and George immediately turned it into a mockery—possibly because it was Rita who wrote it. However, Harry had also been elevated to hero-like status among the Gryffindors. Everyone was quite excited at the prospect of his victory that evening. Supplies had already been procured for the evening's victory party. Fred and George's mum and eldest brother, Bill, had even come to watch Harry compete.
"You know," said Viv to the twins as we made our way to Transfiguration after lunch, "your brother is quite good looking."
Fred and George looked mildly disgusted.
"Please, Viv," said Fred, waving his hand dismissively.
"You know we're the best looking in the family," stated George.
"Besides, you're an attached woman," added Fred.
"I can still look," protested Viv.
"But you shouldn't," scolded Fred, wagging his finger obnoxiously in her face.
"The betrothal will be announced next week and we couldn't possibly do with a scandal," added George.
Viv rolled her eyes. However, she had Dan had been getting rather close lately and were rarely seen apart.
"She's right, you know," Alicia chimed in. "He is quite good looking."
Fortunately, we arrived in the Transfiguration classroom mere seconds later and further discussion was cut short by Professor McGonagall.
My exams were completed by evening, allowing me to bask in pure and absolute freedom from academics. Dinner was excellent, as always, but tonight it was particularly magnificent in light of the upcoming tournament (and perhaps in light of the end of exams). The excitement was tangible throughout the many courses and when Professor Dumbledore asked for the champions to leave for the stadium, the Great Hall erupted in cheers. The Gryffindor table, of course, cheered loudest for Harry Potter, who looked both excited and nervous. I felt rather glad that I wasn't in his place.
Five minutes later, Dumbledore asked us to leave for the stadium in an orderly fashion. Of course, it resembled well-ordered chaos more than anything, but Dumbledore did not seem bothered, being in a rather festive mood himself.
The seven of us were able to get seats in the front row. Mrs. Weasley and Bill elected to sit near us, causing both Alicia and Viv to burst into a fit of giggles. Fred and George spent the remaining time before the start of the Third Task encouraging them both to shut up. Ludo Bagman finally got up and announced the Third Task and the placing of the four champions—Harry and Cedric tied for first, Viktor Krum in second, and Fleur Delacour in third. This effectively (and thankfully) silenced Alicia and Viv.
"So…on my whistle, Harry and Cedric!" announced Bagman. "Three—two—one—"
And with a quick blast on the whistle, Harry and Cedric were off and running. The crowd fairly erupted. I found myself yelling and cheering with all the enthusiasm I had lacked for the First and Second Tasks. This was exciting.
Krum and Fleur went off into the hedge maze shortly after. We couldn't see much other than occasional flashes of light, but it didn't matter—everyone was too excited to care.
Fleur Delacour was the first to drop out. She appeared to be unconscious when one of the teachers managed to extract her from the maze. The eruption of boos and hisses from the Beauxbatons students was easily muffled by the cheers coming from Hogwarts and Durmstrang students. However, Durmstrang's elation was short-lived, as Viktor Krum was shortly removed from the maze as well.
The Hogwarts students screamed. Alicia and I jumped to our feet and hugged each other as rival cheers of "Cedric! Cedric!" and "Harry! Harry!" erupted in the air. I could scarcely hear my own shouts over the roar.
I'd like to say that there was a definitive point in the evening where something changed, something palpable that caused the crowd to pause and question what was wrong. But no such moment came. No one in the crowd felt the slightest amount of unease until Harry Potter emerged at the edge of the maze, clutching the Triwizard Cup and the body of Cedric Diggory.
At first I assumed that Harry was exhausted and Cedric had merely collapsed or been Stunned. But as the crowd continued to press in toward Harry and as Dumbledore's face became exceedingly worried, it became apparent that something was horribly wrong.
And then a voice cried out: "Cedric Diggory is dead!"
I felt my knees wobble as this news was repeated at varying volumes throughout the crowd. He couldn't be…and yet as I looked at his still body, I knew that it was true. My stomach lurched and I felt like crying and vomiting at the same time.
"He c-c-can't…he just can't be…" said Alicia shakily.
"Harry, is Harry all right?" asked Mrs. Weasley shrilly, her face white as she made her way out of the stands, Bill following closely behind.
I felt dizzy with shock. Cedric Diggory was dead. The kind and handsome boy who had looked so young and alive at the Yule Ball was dead. He was a favorite for Head Boyship next year and people were already speculating on how he would excel in the real world. Now all that promise and possibility that had existed in his young life was gone. Cedric Diggory was gone. I won't claim to have known him well, but I can't deny that I was unaffected—you don't have to know someone to realize that their death was a terrible loss.
"All students report back to their houses immediately," boomed Professor McGonagall's magically magnified voice, breaking into my thoughts. I stood up with the others and found myself caught up in the flow of people.
People were whispering and crying as we made our way back to Gryffindor Tower, creating a wall of sound around me. But despite all the noise, several distinct whispers made their way to my ears.
"Did you hear—?"
"—says that You-Know-Who did it…"
"He says he's back!"
"No…!"
"I heard him…"
"But he can't be!"
"He's dead, isn't he?"
"Dumbledore always said—"
My hands were shaking and I felt as though my legs would collapse out from under me, although I couldn't tell if it was a result of Cedric's death or the rumors flying around me. I tried to block out the talking. I didn't want to think about that. Not now.
I was quite relieved when I was finally able to sink down onto the couch in the common room. My hands shook uncontrollably and there was a persistent lump in my throat. The others look equally upset. Viv's face was streaked with tears and Alicia was working hard to control her tears. Angelina was speechless. Fred and George were as quiet and stony-faced as I had ever seen them. Lee was bent over and cradling his head in his hands.
"What happened?" asked Angelina after a long while, her voice thick and scratchy.
George shook his head. "I don't know."
"Who would want to kill Cedric Diggory?"
None of us answered, but it was largely unspoken. No one would want to kill Cedric Diggory. It had to have been one of the perils of the maze…it just had to be. Otherwise…I shuddered involuntarily.
It was quite apparent that no one would be getting much sleep tonight. Professor McGonagall finally came in very late in the evening, looking quite pale, tired, and sad. Viv and Angelina had fallen asleep a few hours ago, both leaning on Fred for support and Lee had dozed off on Alicia's shoulder. Fred, George, Alicia, and I were some of the only people still awake. Professor McGonagall looked at the four of us wearily.
"It's after three," she informed us.
"Professor, what happened?" asked Fred.
Her expression tightened, as though she were trying to hold back a strong emotion. "I'm afraid I cannot say at present, Mr. Weasley."
Perhaps it was something in her tone, but Fred didn't push for more answers as he normally would. He simply nodded slowly and gravely.
"You ought to be in bed," she told us, almost half-heartedly. We all returned her gaze and she seemed to realize that it would be rather pointless endeavor to push it further. "Very well." She waved her wand and several folded blankets appeared on each of our laps. We all looked at her in surprise.
"You may as well be comfortable," she said, with the semblance of a sad smile.
She proceeded to conjure blankets for the other Gryffindors who had fallen asleep in the common room before bidding us goodnight and advising that we try to get some rest.
The four of us arranged the blankets over the three sleepers as best we could. I tucked my own blanket over my lap and drew my knees up to my chest. I sat up for a while longer, feeling both awake and exhausted.
"Go to sleep," urged George quietly.
"Hmm?" I replied.
"You've been yawning for the past ten minutes," he informed me. "Go to sleep."
I returned his gaze for a moment, lacking the energy to argue.
"Come on," he said, nudging me slightly with his elbow. "I'll even be your pillow if you'd like. I owe you that favor from the Yule Ball."
He smiled slightly and I gave a faint smile back.
"Thanks, George," I said quietly.
"You're quite welcome," he replied. "Now go to sleep."
I leaned up against his shoulder and my eyes slid shut. I was vaguely aware of George's steady breathing as I drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
I woke up the next morning with a crick in my neck and Lee's foot in my face. I pushed the offending limb out of my face and wondered how he could have put himself into such a bizarre position. And in that brief moment with the early morning sun shining across my face, I forgot that Cedric was dead and my world seemed almost whole again.
But then I remembered why I was still in my clothes and why I was sleeping on the common room couch and that perfect illusion shattered and the lump returned to my throat.
I sat up slowly, careful not to wake George. Viv had woken up also, and was rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
"Morning," she said quietly once she noticed me.
"Morning," I replied. She looked tired and slightly careworn. "All right?"
"Better," she replied. "You?"
"Sleep helped," I said. She nodded slightly, taking notice of the blanket in her lap, looking slightly puzzled. "McGonagall," I explained. "She came 'round about an hour after you fell asleep."
"Did she say anything?"
"She said she can't tell us anything right now."
Viv frowned. "Don't we have a right to know what happened? A student d-died."
"Perhaps…perhaps they need to fill out paperwork?" I offered lamely.
"Maybe," shrugged Viv.
"Or…" I began.
"Or what?" she asked when I failed to follow up.
I shook my head and tried to suppress another shudder. "Nothing…I just…people were…"
"It can't be," said Viv, shaking her head. I could tell from the frightened look in her eyes that she had heard the same rumors.
"It's just…all the secrecy…I don't know what to think," I replied.
"It could be anything," said Vivian, trying to look reassuring. We were both quiet after that.
Answers were not immediately forthcoming. Despite the fact that we were all obviously hungry for any sort of information, Dumbledore remained oddly silent and merely requested that we not ask Harry any questions about what had happened. Of course, this was the one thing that people least wanted to do, as Harry had the answers that we so desperately needed.
Surprisingly, Fred and George were not forthcoming about any information they gained from speaking to their mother.
"You're not going to tell us anything?" asked Lee incredulously after the twins had returned from lunch with their mother.
"I think it's best we not, mate," replied Fred in an oddly somber tone.
And something about his voice and expression silenced Lee and further added to the misgivings that I so desperately wanted to ignore.
The remaining week was quite strange. People made an effort at celebrating the end of exams, but it all seemed rather strained. Smiles didn't always reach the eyes and laughter often sounded tinny and sharp, as though it were trying to overcompensate in light of the recent tragedy. Still, we tried. Old habits were picked up, jokes were made, and sometimes we could forget about what happened and forget that we still didn't know why it had happened. After every dinner, everyone would anxiously look toward the faculty table, hoping that Dumbledore would answer our questions and provide us with some sort of comfort. But every meal was ended with silence from the Headmaster and the stall in his explanation made me increasingly uneasy and nervous.
Finally, on the last evening of the school year, Dumbledore rose from his seat. The Great Hall became as silent as I had ever heard it.
"The end of another year," began Dumbledore, his blue eyes fixed steadily on the surrounding students. "There is much that I would like to say to you all tonight, but I must first acknowledge the loss of a very fine person who should be sitting here enjoying our feast with us. I would like you all, please, to stand, and raise your glasses, to Cedric Diggory."
Everyone stood, some crying as we all raised our glasses to Cedric.
"Cedric was a person who exemplified many of the qualities that distinguish the Hufflepuff house," said Dumbledore once we had returned to our seats. "He was a good and loyal friend, a hard worker, he valued fair play. His death has affected you all, whether you knew him well or not. I think that you have the right, therefore, to know exactly how it came about."
I expected—perhaps hoped—that Dumbledore would describe an accident, perhaps a creature-induced death, or a spell gone wrong. And if it wasn't an accident, then it had to have been the work of a madman or a convict. It had to be.
But even with the whispered rumors, I never, ever expected Dumbledore to say what he said next.
"Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort."
My first reaction was, like any witch or wizard, to shudder at the use of the name. But this sensation was followed by the most intense shock that I had ever felt, a fear that permeated every part of my body. You-Know-Who had been vanquished when I was two years old and I had grown up with the idea that he was gone for good. Dumbledore's announcement completely crumbled my sense of security. Viv's jaw had dropped slightly and Alicia had gone terribly pale. I must have looked particularly disturbed as well, because Fred reached over and squeezed my shoulder reassuringly.
"The Ministry of Magic does not wish me to tell you this," said Dumbledore while people whispered around me. "It is possible that some of your parents will be horrified that I have done so—either because they will not believe Lord Voldemort has returned, or because they think I should not tell you so, young as you are. It is my belief, however, that the truth is generally preferable to lies, and that any attempt to pretend that Cedric Diggory died as a result of an accident, or some sort of blunder of his own, is an insult to his memory.
"There is somebody else who must be mentioned in connection with Cedric's death. I am talking, of course, of Harry Potter."
Nearly every head in the Great Hall swiveled to look at the fourth year in question. He was slightly pale and the look in his eyes suggested that he had aged many years in a very short time.
"Harry Potter managed to escape Lord Voldemort," continued Dumbledore. "He risked his own life to return Cedric's body to Hogwarts. He showed, in every respect, a sort of bravery that few wizards have ever shown in facing Lord Voldemort, and for this, I honor him." Dumbledore raised his goblet again and we all drank to Harry. "The Triwizard Tournament's aim was to further and promote magical understanding. In light of what has happened—of Lord Voldemort's return—such ties are more important than ever before."
Dumbledore looked around at all the students from all the different schools.
"Every guest in this Hall will be welcomed back here at any time, should they wish to come. I say to you all, once again—in light of Lord Voldemort's return, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts open.
"It is my belief—and never have I so hoped that I am mistaken—that we are all facing dark and difficult times. Some of you in this Hall have already suffered directly at the hands of Lord Voldemort. Many of your families have been torn asunder. A week ago, a student was taken from our midst.
"Remember Cedric. Remember, if a time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory."
There were very few dry eyes in the Hall in the silence that followed. It was a moment that was beautiful, sad, and terrifying in its entirety. I still cry whenever I think of it.
The train ride home was quite uneventful. Fred and George disappeared to another part of the train and Angelina, Lee, and I all fell asleep shortly after we left Hogwarts. Alicia spent the whole train ride with her nose in one of Viv's romance novels (Werewolf Lover by Priscilla A. Faire) and Viv spent the entire train ride in a compartment with Dan and some of his friends.
The train station seemed more crowded than usual, perhaps in light of the recent tragedy. People seemed to be greeting each other much more enthusiastically—hugs were tighter and kisses more plentiful. I spotted my own family far back in the crowd.
"Well," I said to Angelina and Alicia after I had pulled my trunk from the train, "I suppose this is it."
"Owl me over the summer," said Angelina. "We'll meet up before school begins again, all of us."
Alicia nodded in agreement. "I won't be able to tolerate my family for more than a month."
"There you are," said Viv, hauling her trunk behind her. "I've been looking for you everywhere."
"How's Dan?" asked Alicia playfully.
"Did you have a nice goodbye?" teased Angelina.
"Shut up," replied Viv, cheerfully. "He's with his parents right now—they're quite lovely people."
"It's good to have nice in-laws," I remarked. Viv elbowed me.
"I better see you over the summer," stated Angelina.
"Of course," agreed Viv. "I'll be in France visiting Mum's family for a month, but we must meet up as soon as I return."
"And you all must write," added Alicia. "I'll be bored after two weeks of holiday, I know it."
Viv glanced over the heads of various parents.
"Sophie, it looks like our parents have found each other," she said. "Ah, yes. And there's Dad tapping at his watch and looking impatient. Hi Dad!" She waved cheerily at her father, who rolled his eyes. Viv laughed. "Honestly, he makes it too easy. Come on, Sophie, your sister looks as though she may die of boredom."
The four of us said our final goodbyes and were briefly interrupted by Fred, George, and Lee, who suggested we not miss them too greatly over the summer. We all laughingly promised we'd try very hard not to. We separated in search of our respective families, dragging our trunks behind us.
Mum nearly squeezed all the air out of me when we finally met up with them.
"Mum, I can't breathe," I gasped.
"Oh, Sophie, I'm just so glad you're safe. I was so worried," she replied. And indeed, she looked much more tired than usual.
"Mum, I'm safe if Dumbledore's headmaster," I assured her.
Dad rolled his eyes as he drew me in for a hug. "That's what I've been telling her, but she won't listen to me."
"Hi, Sophie," greeted Brenna, my younger sister as she hugged me tightly around the waist. She was eleven and most likely going to Hogwarts next year.
"Hi, Brenna," I replied. "Did you have a good term? You didn't owl me once."
"I was busy," she said vaguely. I rolled my eyes.
"Right. Too busy to write to your favorite sister."
"You're my only sister," she said.
"Exactly," I replied. "That's why you should cherish me all the more."
Brenna rolled her eyes.
"Sophie, it's so good to see you!" said Mrs. Archer, coming over to embrace me. She had dark curly hair like Viv's, although she was graying slightly at her temples. "You look lovely."
"She gets lovelier every time I see her," declared Mr. Archer with a big grin that matched Viv's mischievous smile. "Good to see you, love."
After further greetings were extended, the Crawfords came over to meet Mr. and Mrs. Archer. Dan looked rather nervous, but seemed to relax when it became apparent that both sets of parents got on well and that the Archers weren't at all intimidating. By the time we left the station, most of the families had departed. The Archers came over for dinner, as was our custom.
And despite the fact that I was starting to miss the freedom of Hogwarts (especially when Mum insisted that I go to bed at a reasonable hour), it was quite nice to fall asleep in my own bed.
A/N: All of Dumbledore's dialogue in this chapter was written by J.K. Rowling and originally appears in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The narrative bits were written by me.
Somehow, I don't feel that this chapter is quite right, but I've edited to death and I'm reluctant to do more lest I kill it completely. However, I'm quite excited about the next chapter, which will be exciting (or at least I think it is). As always, please review!