Author's Note: First, welcome! Second, thanks for the reviews and suggestions. I am going back through and editing some things now that Chapter 7 has been posted to make the story flow better and accommodate some of the suggestions that I have received. One of my problems with writing (that I hope to get better with) is not fully describing the events that my mind envisions because my clinical and scientific background forces me to use very different language. This will be a work in progress, but I can and will go back and make the necessary edits.
Ron and Dumbledore are very confusing characters to me. I may end up tweaking things just a bit to make it more enjoyable for myself to write them into this. Also, Cornelius is so much fun to write as an idiot. How he became Minister is beyond me.
Posted 8/1/15
Standard disclaimer about not owning anything; I am so thankful for JKR and all that she did for us. She gave us one of the greatest gifts, and so many people have taken to this site and played brilliantly with her creation. We should have a JKR day and it should be a global holiday!
Harry collapsed to his knees on the ground with Cedric slumped against him, too tired to even lift his head off of Harry's shoulder. The crowd around them grew silent and still as they reacted to the sudden appearance of the bruised and bloodied teenagers along with an unknown man that few among them recognized.
It didn't take long for the gasps to start as Cedric retched violently, suffering from the effects of losing so much blood and then being subjected to the effects of travel via portkey. Harry gently rubbed small circles into his former competitor's back while having enough thought to grasp the back of Pettigrew's neck forcefully, he wasn't going to take any chances with the little rat getting away this time.
Madam Pomfrey was instantly at the scene and began tending to Cedric's injuries while Harry's attention was drawn to the approaching forms of Albus Dumbledore and the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, whose eyes darted nervously between Harry and the man that he recognized as Peter Pettigrew. Soon, Albus and the Minister engaged in a brief and animated discussion that Albus had surreptitiously made private with a quick flick of his wand that remained at his side.
Meanwhile, professor's McGonagall and Snape began directing the hysterical crowd away from the scene and towards the school, but Amos Diggory fought against the throng to get to his boy. In all of the confusion, no one noticed Mad Eye Moody abscond into the night to return to his master, unwilling to have the soon-to-be awakened Pettigrew reveal his true identity once he was questioned.
Harry felt like he was in a daze as he watched the events taking place around him. Though, he did managed to catch Hermione's eyes and conveyed that they would most certainly be talking later about things. Just a brief glance at her, and the increased mental faculties that he now possessed thanks to the, unbeknownst to him, departure of the horcrux that had been within him, was enough to work out that she was already processing the situation herself. She was fast narrowing down a list of possibilities of what must have happened – or whom Harry must have met – if he had returned in this state with Pettigrew by his side. Ron, however, remained scratching his head, confused at how the final task had ended with his old pet but slowly working things out for himself.
"Harry, what happened?" Dumbledore asked, ending his mini debate with Cornelius over what Pettigrew's presence would now mean for one, Sirius Black.
The Boy Who Lived blinked, and refocused his attention away from his departing friends and towards the inquiry that he now faced at the hands of the Headmaster and the Minister of Magic over what had just occurred.
"What was that, professor?" Harry asked, not hearing the question.
Dumbledore opened his mouth to repeat the question, but given more time to think about his surroundings, which now included Amos Diggory and Cedric, who was being tended to by Pomfrey, and Molly and Arthur Weasley because of their concern for Harry, he thought a little privacy may be in order.
But first things first, he decided. He placed Pettigrew in an unbreakable body bind so that he couldn't go anywhere because he would certainly be questioned after Harry.
After that, he motioned for Harry to join him and Cornelius away from everyone else but not so far that Albus lost sight of Pettigrew.
"Harry, are you all right? What happened?" he asked, wanting to find out how Harry was before he started asking him for details.
Harry debated whether he wanted to open with getting hit by the killing curse or leading up to it, and thought the later sounded more appropriate given the situation.
"I think I am fine professor. Though, to answer your question about everything that happened, I think Pettigrew would be of more help in this matter than me."
"Don't worry, Harry, we will be speaking with him as well," Dumbledore replied, giving a hard look at Cornelius who cowered slightly. The Minister would not be able to explain away the man's presence and would now have to entertain the original claim that Sirius Black was, and had been, innocent.
"But right now," Dumbledore continued, "what can you tell us?"
Harry began his tale.
"Well, Cedric and I both reached the cup at the same time; however, neither one of us knew it was supposed to be a portkey." Harry raised his eyebrow, hoping Dumbledore would elaborate.
Albus grimaced somewhat.
"It was arranged that the winner would find him or herself instantly out of the maze and present for the victory celebration in front..."
But Albus never finished and looked around, knowing at once that someone had been impersonating Mad Eye Moody because he had been the one to bring the Triwizard Cup, born out of the Goblet of Fire, into the maze and must have altered the portkey destination at the last minute. However, Mad Eye had long since departed and Albus returned his gaze to Harry.
Harry had been following Albus closely, and picked up that some important conclusion had just been reached by the Headmaster. He decided to take a chance and ask his observation and subsequent thought process aloud.
"Who was it professor that placed the portkey destination?"
Albus looked at him curiously, although Harry had sometimes asked thoughtful questions – like after the incidence with the stone about why Voldemort had come after him in the first place – this insight was particularly astute.
Cornelius looked between them, confused as to why they were discussing portkeys when Albus had asked Harry what had happened; he wanted to know what Peter Pettigrew was doing here and that it wouldn't harm his political reputation.
Albus relented, concentrating on Harry's faded scar and coming to a few conclusions that went unnoticed this time.
"Mad Eye placed the destination, Harry – although I believe that someone has been impersonating him all year."
With that, he again flicked his wand and an ethereal, blue phoenix erupted from his wand and flew off towards the castle.
Harry raised his eyebrow again.
"Just a hunch," Albus replied.
Knowing that Albus wouldn't offer more, Harry continued where he had left off, but paid close attention to Albus' reaction as he went along.
"We appeared in this cemetery. It was eerie and I felt like I had been there before. Almost instantly, Pettigrew appeared, carrying what looked to be a deformed baby – but my scar erupted in pain."
Harry hesitated slightly before resuming, unsure of how this would sound and not really wanting to open up about what had been a very personal experience to him that he had yet to go over for himself a second time. Though, he didn't feel like he had much a choice in the matter.
"Whatever Pettigrew was holding told him to 'kill the spare' in a chilling voice that I heard once before, and every time a Dementor gets too close." Harry gave Albus a look.
Recognition passed briefly through Dumbledore's eyes and kept going.
"Pettigrew unleashed the killing curse at Cedric, but it didn't hit him; it hit me."
Cornelius gasped, "my dear boy. How are you still here?" he blurted without thinking but recovering quickly, "are you sure it was the killing curse? You seem to have a proclivity with surviving that," he stated, digging his hole deeper and deeper.
Harry just nodded at him.
"The next time I opened my eyes, everything was white, and I felt healthy and complete, more so than I have ever felt. Though, there was this black mass off in the corner that was there as well, but a voice told me not to bother with it. I knew the voice: it was my mum's. I turned to face her and we talked briefly…" Harry trailed off. He had decided not to share everything.
"I thought I was dead. Though, she did say it was important how I ended up in that place, but then everything started to fade and I was back in the cemetery."
Harry needed a moment. Cornelius looked at Albus, clearly not knowing what to think, but he did see genuine concern and care in Albus' face over what Harry had said he had just been through. This time, Cornelius wisely let his disbelieving comments remain unsaid.
Albus didn't comment on Harry's tale of the beyond, but it was because Cornelius was there and Albus didn't want him aware of his pretty solid idea on the importance of it all.
If everything before now had shocked them, well, Harry was about ready to drop the biggest one of all.
"Back in the Cemetery, I heard Wormtail arguing with that chilling voice, going back and forth about getting a body and needing blood. I think they were going to use my blood, but as they thought I was dead they went for Cedric's. From there, a big cauldron was conjured and Cedric's blood, and some bones of the father, and then Pettigrew's hand – from a willing servant he called it – were added together before the decrepit person was added."
Harry had them completely mesmerized with his description of events so far.
"I knew that I had to act then; the potion was shooting off all of these sparks and I stunned Pettigrew from behind and went over to Cedric and freed him and then summoned Pettigrew and then the cup to me. And then we were returned here," he concluded.
Cornelius exhaled; it had been quite a tale, but Harry wasn't finished yet.
"And the last thing I saw was the cauldron forming into a tall man with crimson eyes. I believe it was Voldemort," he surmised, too tired to care about how his story would be received now. It wasn't like people listened to him anyways or Sirius would have been freed last year.
"Ahhhhhh," Cornelius screeched at the Dark Lord's name. Dumbledore, however, was contemplative and showed no outward reaction.
"It can't be my boy, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was killed."
Harry had some choice words ready at the man who had more or less just called him a liar. How else did you explain the evidence Harry had come back with?
Fortunately, Dumbledore was quick to intervene.
"Now, Cornelius. We have heard one account, and I believe Pettigrew will only add to it. I suggest we send Harry and Cedric to the infirmary and then we can question him together and get to the bottom of this."
"Well, I," the Minister fumbled, not really used to taking orders from people unless they were disguised as suggestions that would, ultimately, benefit him.
It was only after the continued glare from Dumbledore and Harry's continued presence that forced him into action. "Very well, that sounds reasonable," he tried to recover, and straightened his clothes in a pompous manner.
Dumbledore then approached Harry and placed both of his hands on his shoulders, looking him straight in the eyes and speaking to him like an adult.
"Are you going to be okay for a few moments? We will send you to the infirmary with Cedric and Madam Pomfrey; I have to imagine that you would like to rest for a while, considering everything you have been through tonight."
Harry nodded, thankful for the concern but feeling a weird sensation right at the back of his eyes that he quickly shook off, as Albus' eyes broke contact and he released Harry.
By this time, McGonagall and Snape had returned. Minerva helped Madam Pomfrey transport her patients to the hospital wing while Severus went with Cornelius and Albus, leaving a floating Pettigrew, bound and unconscious in front of them.
Once he was in the infirmary wing and sitting comfortably on a bed, Harry felt the full extent of his tiredness from the maze and the outrageous events that had followed.
Why was Voldemort after him and how did he keep ending up in these impossible situations each June? Even though his body was tired, his mind was racing along and Harry finally had the time to examine his newfound awareness of things that he had never fully noticed before. It all led back to one thing: what had happened with the killing curse that allowed him to meet his mum? What was important about how he had gotten there?
'Does it have something to do with my scar?' he thought, raising his hand to trace what he knew by heart the pattern to be.
'It feels different,' he told himself. 'And my mind is so much clearer; it is so much easier to think now. I never noticed how odd it was before because I never knew anything else.'
'But again, how is my scar involved, and what was that thing with my mum? Perhaps Dumbledore knows. If it involves me I deserve to know.'
His thoughts were interrupted by Madam Pomfrey coming over after having finished with Cedric, who was now chatting quietly with his father, and was now prodding at Harry with her wand, scanning him over for signs of harm.
"You appear to be okay, but I would like to keep both of you here overnight for observation," she decreed.
Harry had spent too much time in the hospital wing and knew that he couldn't protest her orders; the woman's word was final in this place. He would have to wait until later to meet with Hermione and Ron and tell them what happened.
A few minutes later and Amos reluctantly made his way out at the urging of the mediwizard who emphasized that her patients needed rest now and that there was nothing to worry about.
Soon, Harry and Cedric were all alone and sitting on neighboring beds. They had almost died together and had just barely escaped and neither knew quite what to say to each other and just remained staring awkwardly, each waiting for the other to break the tension.
Luckily, they were interrupted by the arrival of Albus Dumbledore, who was quickly met by Poppy at the door, inquiring as to why he was disturbing her charges at this hour.
He politely informed her that they deserved to be told the full story of what had happened so that they could begin to process the traumatic events sooner.
She relented and told him that he had ten minutes and not a second longer and went back into her office that led to her own quarters.
"Harry, Cedric," Dumbledore began.
"First, know that I am sorry you both had to face what you did tonight. It could not have been easy."
The boys shared another look with each other and Cedric began to relive the horror he had felt when he thought that Harry had died in front of his very eyes.
"I thought you died," Cedric whispered.
Cedric's legs started twitching and his eyes grew wet. Harry knew how he felt; he knew what it was like to watch someone die before your very eyes and be powerless to stop it. He got up and went over to Cedric's bed and sat down besides the older and larger boy, offering the comfort of his closeness.
"I thought I did too," he responded softly, his outstretched hand placed comfortingly on Cedric's arm, who accepted it gladly.
Dumbledore's blue eyes began to sparkle at the bond, whatever it turned out to be, that was forming in front of him.
He was loath to interrupt this, but he didn't doubt for a second that Madam Pomfrey wouldn't throw him out of there, even if he was the Headmaster.
"Second, I want to share with you what happened, feeling you both have a right to know the story as we have heard it so far. Pettigrew has been questioned under Veritaserum in the presence of myself, the Minister, Severus Snape, and Amelia Bones, who is the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. He confessed to working with Voldemort to help return him to a permanent body along with Barty Crouch Jr, who has been impersonating Mad Eye Moody since the beginning of the year."
It all made sense to Harry now: the name on the map, the disheveled appearance of Crouch Sr., and the memory of the trial.
"So the man was a Death Eater," Harry stated, and again, Dumbledore wondered just how much the horcrux had impacted Harry up until now. The Headmaster would wager that soon he would be neck and neck with Hermione if he kept up this improvement.
Dumbledore nodded, but his face took on a grave expression.
"I'm afraid, however, that Pettigrew's tale does corroborate with yours Harry; Voldemort has indeed been returned to a permanent form."
Cedric began shivering at that, having enough wit himself to know that it was his blood that had been used to bring the other man back.
"What does that mean for me?" Cedric asked, now holding Harry's hand.
"I can't be sure," Dumbledore responded in a warm and caring tone. "Magical blood always has surprising, if not volatile side effects when used in potions. Nothing major to worry about, though, I assure you," he comforted the sixth year Hufflepuff.
"On a happier note he has confessed to his role regarding your Godfather, Harry. Amelia assures me that Sirius is for all intents and purposes a free man, but Pettigrew will have to be given a public trial to ameliorate the fears of the public regarding Mr. Black."
It was the first good news that Harry had heard all night.
"Really?" his face lit up, a relieved smile settling on his face at the thought of leaving The Dursley's once and for all.
Dumbledore nodded, knowing the implications that this would have on Harry's summer residence.
"Well, anyways, I must be going. Get some rest and things will look better in the morning." He turned and his metallic blue robe swirled in response and danced after him as he made his way out.
Harry's joy was cut short when he took notice of the crestfallen expression on Cedric's face.
He squeezed his hand slightly, relieved when Cedric responded and looked up into his eyes. It was then that Harry realized two things now that they were alone for the night: the first was that Cedric was beautiful; and the second was that he was attracted to him. Harry was attracted to another boy in a way that, at first, startled him but the longer he thought about it the more it felt right. There had always been something off about how Cho had made him feel, as if it wasn't really something that deep down he had wanted for himself.
The sudden attraction didn't scare or confuse him, even though he had very little experience in these matters. Harry had become used to responding to the events he had encountered at Hogwarts, and to him, this was no different. Sure, he may not have ever thought about another person, let alone a guy, with this intensity before – but then again, he couldn't remember ever feeling this was about a woman before either. So, Harry did the only thing that he could in this unknown situation: he went with it.
And Cedric moved closer to Harry, needing comfort after never having experienced anything remotely similar to what had just happened. Harry was acutely aware of how close Cedric was getting and how their hands were intertwined and they both sat side by side, practically cuddling, at the head of Cedric's bed. They didn't speak for the rest of the night, and before long, they both drifted off to sleep and Harry's head rested comfortably on Cedric's chest.
Let me know what you think! Cedric will be two years above Harry in this fic. But that doesn't mean nothing will happen between them. I think it would be reasonable for Harry to discover his sexuality before moving on into a real relationship, even if we have some ways to go before that happens. I picked Charlie Weasley because I have always seen Harry needing someone older because of the events in his life. Thanks for all the feedback so far!