Chapter Twenty-Nine:

ANGST! NOT YAY!

It was four in the morning before Rachel and Tanya were able to convince the last of the terror-stricken first years to go up to bed. Their older schoolmates had log since retired to sleep away tear-swollen eyes and whirling thoughts, but Tanya, Rachel, Seamus, Hannah and Dean had remained in the common room, Katelyn having been the only one of the group that was able to sleep. But no one opened their mouths to make a good-natured jibe at their absent friend.

Stricken silence reigned for what seemed like hours. Dean, staring unseeingly into the smoldering ashes of the fire, held a trembling Hannah in his arms, rocking her slightly. Tanya curled up on a cushy chair nearby with a teary sigh; Seamus sat on the arm of one of the sofas, watching mutely as Rachel tidied the common room, disposing of used tissue into the fireplace with a flick of her wand and unnecessarily fluffing throw pillows to give her hands something to do.

"You liked him, didn't you?" Seamus asked at length.

Rachel glanced up from her work. "Well, we all did. He was a…a nice boy."

Seamus shook his head. "That's not what I meant. You fancied him."

Rachel turned away and wiped invisible dust from a bookcase. "I suppose so, once. It was hard not to. I was only twelve, after all."

"I wish they would tell us what happened," Tanya said. "Was it an accident? Did a spell go wrong? Was it intentional, God forbid?" She sniffed back tears and wiped a few strays from her cheeks. Seamus sat next to her and put a bracing around her shoulders.

"They won't tell us the straight truth, I'll warrant," he said after a lengthy silence. "They usually never do. Unless it's something like 'You-Know-Who is back'."

He and the Funny Farm shared a dry laugh.

Tanya dried her tears and straightened. "I'm going to try not to wonder. It's just too sad…"

Rachel nodded and turned her back on the sorry little band.

"It's kinda a strange sensation, though, isn't it? I mean, Cedric was only two?—three?—years older than us—he's been here as long as we've known Hogwarts—and now he's gone, just like that."

"Gives you an idea of how fragile life is," Tanya replied. "I mean, it could just as easily been Harry."

"Why wasn't it Harry, though?" Seamus asked. "I mean…"

There was a watery sniffle from the corner. "I wish it hadn't been either," Rachel said forcefully.

Seamus looked concerned and went over to her. "Hey…it'll be okay, really."

"Yeah…once we all get over him!"

Feeling worse, Seamus put his arms around her and pulled her close; Rachel sniffled a few times and then hid her face in his shoulder, obviously crying. "It could just as easily have been one of you," she said thickly, her voice muffled by his sweater.

A bit bemused and completely helpless, Seamus stroked her hair a bit shyly, and Tanya said, "Well, it wasn't, so try and think about that. We're all fine…"

Rachel clung to Seamus. "Really, Su, it'll be okay. I promise."

"But…"

"I promise."

Rachel heaved a shuddering sigh, and Seamus tightened his arms around her.

"It's late," Tanya announced. "We should all get in bed."

Rachel, who had dried her tears a bit, reluctantly pulled away from Seamus' warm embrace. "Tomorrow's another day..."

"That's right," Seamus answered firmly. "And we'll face it when it comes."

Quietly, the five picked up their things and went to bed.

--

The next morning was quiet in Gryffindor Tower, and it was no different at breakfast. Though the Hufflepuffs seemed to be the saddest of the hundreds of students packed into the Great Hall, all the tables were subdued. The safety that had once been the bulwarked castle of Hogwarts was shattered; a student, a mere boy, one of their own, had perished prematurely, and now each student was privately wondering: would there be more? Could he be only the first?

When Dumbledore stood and cleared his throat for attention, the entire Hall went silent, more quickly the Funny Farm had ever heard it.

"I know you must be hoping for an explanation," he began, his quiet voice echoing through the Hall. "But I'm afraid I cannot offer more than a word of two of consolation. Cedric Diggory did not experience any pain before his untimely death. His pain is left for us, the living, to experience."

Tanya wept softly, and Katelyn hugged her.

"For the remainder of the term, therefore," Dumbledore went on, "I ask you to be sensitive to the sufferings of your schoolmate, Harry Potter. Do not ask him what happened last night. Consider him only as a classmate sorely affected by the passing of a friend. Cedric would have wished it this way.

"Thank you for your attention."

The noise level in the Hall was slow to climb to a usual level. The Funny Farm end of the table in particular was quiet, as Tanya was still crying, and Seamus had Rachel in his arms and was holding her unashamedly.

"I don't think Hogwarts will ever be the same again," said Hannah.

Tanya shook her head. "I'll be seeing him around every corner…"

"If you believe what Dumbledore said," Dean answered, picking up his bag as the Hall emptied for class, "he didn't hurt. It was quick…"

"It doesn't make it a better death, you know," Rachel said, detaching herself from Seamus' arms. "He's still dead."

"At least it wasn't us. Or you," Tanya sniffed.

"Thank God," Rachel said sincerely, and the Funny Farm, with their arms around each other, exited the Hall.

--

A/N: MERRY CHRISTMAS from all of us here at Schmo and Sushi headquarters! :D Expect your next update within the week!