A/N: I had a difficult time getting into this chapter. It probably has something to do with the fact that finals are swiftly approaching and I've got a lot on my plate. I'm sorry if I won't be able to update for a while. I promise I will get more up as soon as possible, I just don't know when that will be.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my character and my plotline. Everything you recognize, including characters, plot developments, settings, and certain scenes and lines from the Harry Potter series, belong to JK Rowling.
--- CHAPTER THREE ---
Divided
Juliet Christie
Living at the House of Black was insufferable. I felt as though I hadn't breathed properly in years. The air was so stuffy and dense it was nearly unbearable.
Dad hadn't made any mention of my mother, and I didn't receive any inkling that she was trying to contact either of us at all. That was a little unsettling…as well as highly upsetting. Not only had she decided I was a liar, she didn't seem to care that Dad and I had run off.
As well, the twins and I had been told to stop contact with our other friends. It had become too risky to have owls flitting about the area while we were trying to maintain secrecy. That meant Lee and Katie were surely going to be worried beyond belief. We would definitely have some explaining to do when we returned to school.
One person who apparently wouldn't be worried was Alicia. None of us had heard from her for the entire summer. I would have been worried about her well-being, but Mr. Weasley assured us that her father was still going to work every day, and Alicia was perfectly safe.
And that brought forward an entirely new possibility for why she was keeping to herself.
"You don't think…she believes what Fudge has been saying, do you?" Fred asked, as the three of us lay around their bedroom. It was one of the few peaceful moments we had where Mrs. Weasley wasn't forcing us to clean up the mess of a house we were in.
"I can't see why else she'd be ignoring us," I said with a sigh. "Your dad says Mr. Spinnet idolizes Fudge."
"You think that'd persuade her into thinking Harry's a liar?" Fred asked, his eyebrows scrunched up in thought.
I had to admit, it seemed doubtful. Alicia was one of my closest friends, and on top of that she was friendly with Harry. I couldn't imagine why she wouldn't take either of us seriously. And then there was Dumbledore…I had never known Alicia to have a problem with him.
"I don't know," I said tentatively, eyeing George for some sign on how he was feeling about the entire conversation. "I can't really think of another reason why she'd be so dodgy with us."
Fred nodded in agreement and cast a look to his brother. George was staring ahead blankly. It was hard to tell if he was even listening to us or not.
Fred cleared his throat. "You alright, mate?" he asked.
George's eyes refocused and he turned his head toward the two of us.
"Why wouldn't I be?" he asked innocently.
"You're not worried about Alicia?" I asked awkwardly. It was very rare that I talked to either of the twins about the topic of girlfriends or relationships. In fact, all three of us had certain issues with talking about emotions. It was the kind of thing that we generally just knew about each other. We didn't tend to have to ask.
He shrugged. "I guess we'll have to wait for school to find out what's been going on with her," he said.
I didn't buy his nonchalant attitude, but one glance toward Fred and I knew I shouldn't press the matter. Maybe he'd prefer to discuss it with his twin without me around. I wasn't offended; I knew there were certain things I didn't particularly enjoy talking to them about, either.
Fred sighed, signalling a conversation change, and I flopped backwards onto my back, staring up at the ceiling.
"I can't wait to get out of this place," Fred commented idly.
I knew precisely what he meant.
At the moment, the "Noble House of Black" was the last place I wanted to be.
Being cooped up and unable to go outside was creating problems with everyone. Dad was fretting over my mother (although he wouldn't speak a word to me about it); Harry was continually moody and on-edge; Mr and Mrs Weasley were upset about Percy; Sirius was still furious with Molly; Ginny was still angry at her mother for treating her like a child; Hermione's cat Crookshanks wasn't allowed outside, which had him irritated and in turn caused Hermione and Ron to bicker more than usual; of course, there was George who was visibly worried about Alicia although he wouldn't speak a word about it; Fred was concerned about George's state of mind; and then there was me.
There was a knock at the door, which saved Fred and me from forcing friendly conversation with George. He didn't seem to want to talk at all, and I knew there wasn't anything either of us could do to sort out the issue of Alicia until we actually talked to the girl in person. It would just have to wait.
It was Ginny at the door, and she opened it up enough to stick her head into the room.
"Mum says to wash up for lunch."
George dragged himself out of bed wordlessly, and Fred and I followed. We exchanged looks of worry, but didn't say anything to Ginny when she eyed us curiously.
"Any improvement with Mum?" Fred asked casually.
Ginny shook her head in response. "She's still fuming mad about Sirius. She can't get over the fact that no one took her side in the argument. Thinks every one of us is too young too know what's really going on."
We were nearly at the stairs when I spotted Harry lingering in what was presently his bedroom. He was alone, and I immediately made a decision to speak to him. I hadn't had the chance to confront him since we had been there.
"I'll be down in a minute," I said to the others, stopping in my tracks to stare into the bedroom. Harry hadn't noticed the attention he was getting from me.
"Juliet, what—"
"Just go on," I said, shushing Fred, "I'll be right down."
I waited for the three of them to disappear down the stairs before making my way into the other room. I didn't want any of them eavesdropping on the conversation. This was going to be difficult and painful enough as it was.
I stood in the doorway for several seconds before Harry noticed me there. When he did his eyes widened in surprise and his mouth opened a little as if he were going to say something, but decided against it. He jumped up from his seat on his bed and stood rigid and wary.
I took a step quickly into the room and closed the door quietly behind me. There was no need to let our voices carry down the stairs. I didn't want someone to come investigate. Although, I thought I may regret that decision if we broke out into a duel. As much as I didn't like Harry at the moment, I certainly didn't want to kill him. I idly hoped he felt the same way toward me.
"What do you want?" he asked, as soon as I had turned around to face him.
He looked angry, but that was nothing new. These days it wasn't hard to tell that Harry's temper lingered very close to the surface. It wouldn't be difficult for this conversation to turn really ugly.
"Good to see you're in such a chipper mood," I commented, ignoring his question.
I could feel the hostility emanating from him as he stared at me. It was a bit unsettling. And all this time I had thought I was the one carrying the negative feelings…
"If you've come to place blame on me, you can save it," he said harshly.
I stared at him pointedly for a moment. His tone said he was angry with me, but the look in his eyes told me there was no one who blamed Harry more for Cedric's death than himself.
I pursed my lips, suppressing the guilt that began to creep up on me. I didn't want to feel sorry for Harry. It was his fault this had happened.
"That's not what I'm here for," I lied. I knew if I placed blame on him he would be more reluctant to tell me what I wanted to know.
"Then what do you want?" he repeated. His expression was less hostile and more guarded.
"I want to hear it from you," I said firmly. "I want to know exactly what happened."
All I knew about Cedric's death was the warped and twisted tales that had been swarming around Hogwarts during the last few days of school. Paired with what I had seen for myself, and the vague description Dumbledore had given, I didn't have any of the information I desired.
"You know what happened," he said immediately.
"I want to hear it from you," I repeated. "I want to know what really happened."
"I can't help you," he said, staring at me coldly.
"Don't be stupid, Harry," I told him. "Tell me what happened."
"I don't want to talk about Cedric," he said.
I hadn't anticipated that. Because I had gotten it into my mind that Harry was to blame for Cedric's death, I had always assumed he'd be perfectly willing to tell me what happened. Up until this point, I hadn't realized he was suffering over Cedric's death, too. He blamed himself, just as I—and so many others—did.
"Well you're going to," I said, shifting my weight so as to block the door a little more. I wasn't going to let him leave without hearing the full story.
"No I'm not," he emphasized, "especially not with you."
I was a little offended by that, and I let my face colour with anger.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
He looked at me as if the answer was obvious.
"You loved him. Do you think I want to tell you what happened to him? You shouldn't have to deal with that."
My argument got caught in my throat and my eyes went wide.
What?
He thought he was protecting me by keeping himself locked up? He was…looking out for me?
I could feel my questions and points of argument rearranging in my head as we stood there staring at each other. I was going to have to approach this conversation much different than I had thought.
"I need to know," I said. I was uncertain of what else I could say. I had anticipated to be yelling at him by this point. I hadn't ever imagined he was shouldering just as much—if not more—pain as I was.
"I can't."
"Harry, have you ever tried to talk it out with someone?" I asked, wanting desperately for him to start talking. "It would probably help to get it off your mind."
"And your mind?" he countered. "Do you think I'm willing to let you suffer through my pain as well?" he looked angry again.
"I know what I'm getting myself into," I said calmly.
"Why do you need to know, anyway?" he questioned. "I certainly wish I didn't know."
I pursed my lips. I wasn't willing to tell him that. I hadn't even fully accepted for myself exactly why I wanted to know the details of Cedric's death. I wasn't about to tell him, because then he'd refuse to give me the full story.
"If I understand, it'll help me come to terms with it," I said. It wasn't entirely untrue, and it was the only explanation I was willing to give him.
"Trust me, you don't want to hear it," he said firmly.
"Do you really need another enemy right now, Harry?" I asked. My tone was just a tad threatening. I knew it would work, though. I knew Harry didn't want another friend to turn against him. He needed as many people on his side as he could get.
"You think it's my fault," he said. It wasn't a question. It came out more of a sudden realization.
I said nothing.
"You think it's my fault Cedric died!" he said, his voice growing tense. His fists were clenched tightly at his sides, and his face was growing red. This had been more of how I pictured the conversation going.
I jutted my jaw out a little and looked at him defiantly.
"Yeah, I do," I told him honestly. "Does that mean you won't tell me what happened?"
"I didn't cause Cedric's death!" he yelled angrily. He sounded as though he were trying to convince himself rather than me.
Again I stared at him, saying nothing. I was certain everyone downstairs had heard him yelling. I wondered if they'd come to investigate or not. I hoped they wouldn't.
"You must know that!" he demanded.
"If you hadn't been in the competition, he wouldn't have died," I said calmly.
He was outraged, that much I could tell.
"Well if that's the case, then it's Barty Crouch Jr. who killed him! He stuck my name in the competition. Or how about it was a suicide, as Cedric put his own name in the Goblet of Fire…or even better, YOU killed him, because you supported him along the way, keeping him going. How about that, huh?!"
My heart stopped and my breathing hitched.
"How dare—"
"What happened to Cedric was beyond my control," he interrupted, his voice quivering, "just as it was beyond Professor Dumbledore's, Cedric's, or yours."
I was silenced. I knew that he was right. He was being logical. Cedric's death was due to a whole number of tiny decisions and details. It was ridiculous to assume any one person was at fault for his death. I knew that. I always had…
"I'm sorry," I said, taking a deep breath. I broke my eye contact with Harry for the first time since we had begun talking. I was feeling guilty. "Please tell me what happened."
He looked for a minute like he was going to continue to object, but he seemed to reconsider.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
I nodded, positive that I needed to hear the story now that I had come so far into the conversation.
"I have to know," I emphasized.
Harry shut his eyes and fell silent. For a moment I thought he wasn't going to say anything, but when he began to speak he had jumped right into the story.
"I should have realized something was wrong straight away," he said quietly. "There was something scary going on from the beginning…when I was in the maze…I found Fleur on the ground…she looked…"
"Dead," I supplied. "I know, I was there."
Harry cast me a confused look. I shook my head and gestured for him to continue.
"Well it turns out it was Krum who did it. He was being controlled by Crouch's son," Harry told me. "I should have figured something strange was going on from the beginning…but I guess I got caught up in the game."
I nodded to show I understood, but I was uncertain what I should say. I knew something had been wrong with Fleur when I saw her in the maze. I knew that something strange had been happening. It concerned and angered me greatly that Harry hadn't picked up on it. He could have easily stopped Cedric's death from happening.
I cleared my thoughts. We had already established that Cedric's death was an accident. There were too many variables…too many things had gone wrong.
"Cedric and I got through the last of the maze together," Harry said. "We sort of saved each other's necks. For a while there, we were…a team."
Harry sat down on the bed and looked down at his feet. His eyes were filled with the memories from that day. I was absorbed in the story, and stood staring at him from across the room. I was terrified to hear the rest…
"When we got to the Cup, we decided to take it together. After all we had gone through…it seemed like the right thing to do," he said quietly, holding his head in his hands.
I nodded again. "I was there for that too," I said.
Harry looked up.
"When you say you were there…?"
"I ran into the maze," I told him. "I'm surprised you haven't heard the rumours. I figured something was wrong, and went after you…all of you."
His eyes widened. "I had no idea."
"Yeah, well…you had a lot to deal with. There were rumours floating all around the school. People think I was involved somehow."
"So…you were there…the entire time?" he questioned.
"I guess you didn't hear me," I said softly. "When I saw the two of you at the Cup...I was screaming. I tried to call you back."
Harry pursed his lips in thought. He shook his head.
"I didn't hear you."
I bit my bottom lip and closed my eyes, trying to fight back my tears. It was horrible to know that even after everything I went through…running into the maze…the horrible feeling of dread and terror…none of it mattered. They hadn't even heard me.
"Yeah, I figured," I said softly.
There was a pause where the atmosphere in the room darkened. The next part of the story was the frightening part.
"When we took the Cup, we were transported," Harry said. He eyes were unfocused, like his mind was back in the maze rather than with me in this room. "We ended up in a graveyard…dark and overgrown. It was terrifying…eerie and deserted."
I held my breath, watching him fight through his words. His breathing had picked up, and I was certain his heart was racing. He was starting to sweat, too.
"At first, we thought it might be part of the task," he said. "But then…"
I was learning instinctively closer. I still wasn't breathing.
"We were staring into the darkness, and someone came out…carrying something in his arms. We had our wands…because we knew then that it wasn't part of the Tournament." Harry looked as though he might break down then, but he took a deep breath and continued. "My scar…sometimes it hurts when Voldemort—" he waited for me to wince, but it didn't happen. I was too far gone, clinging to every one of his words. "—when Voldemort is nearby. Well, it exploded then. The pain was…excruciating. If it hadn't been so bad…if I could have thought clearly…I would have known right then."
"It was him?" I guessed. And I felt a trickle of fear course through me. Had it been the Dark Lord himself that killed Cedric?
"He was there, yeah," Harry said. "And then he spoke…he said 'kill the spare'. And then…and then he…and then Cedric was just…gone. Just like that."
My breath came whooshing out of me uncomfortably. I was gasping as I spoke.
"Did he…did he…know? Did Cedric understand what was happening before he…?"
Harry shook his head. "I don't think he had time to work it out."
I wasn't sure if that was comforting or not. I knew there wasn't much of a defence against the killing curse…but still. Perhaps if he had known it was coming he would have been able to do something. At least he hadn't spent his last moments on earth knowing he was going to die. Perhaps that was something.
"It happened so fast," Harry muttered. "I didn't even have time to react before Wormtail was pulling me to my feet."
My brain had to work to catch up to him. I was picturing Cedric's lifeless body—the same body I had stood over in the field at Hogwarts. I tried not to break down from the memory.
"Wormtail?" I asked, my eyes widening. "He was the one who…?"
Harry nodded, his lips pursed in a firm line. His eyes were full of loathing and heated anger. I knew why. Wormtail—Peter Pettigrew—had caused his parents' death, framed his godfather, and apparently also murdered Cedric. I was suddenly seething.
"Pettigrew," I repeated, letting the name burn into my mind. I felt myself fill up with hatred and anger.
"After he was found out by Lupin and Dumbledore back in third year, he ran off," Harry told me. "It was him who helped bring Voldemort back."
I glared at Harry. But my anger wasn't directed at him. My mind was running mad picturing myself ripping Pettigrew to shreds. Peter Pettigrew had murdered Cedric. Cedric Diggory had died at the hand of that smarmy little rat of a human being. I could feel my blood boiling with rage.
"What happened next?" I asked, struggling to keep my anger in check.
Harry drifted back into his memory, and his eyes once again grew hazy. "The…thing he was carrying in his arms…it was Voldemort. He was inhuman and…sad looking. Wormtail tied me up, and dragged out this huge cauldron."
I screwed up my face in confusion. I hadn't realized I was just as curious about the return of the Dark Lord as I was about who had killed Cedric.
"He was making some sort of potion…to reform Voldemort. He needed my blood," Harry explained, swallowing hard at the thought. "That's why they needed to get me there. He killed Cedric because he wasn't necessary to the plan."
I tried not to focus on Cedric's death, and pushed Harry to tell me the rest of the story.
"He took your blood?" I asked, feeling my stomach lurch at the thought.
Harry nodded. "And stuck Voldemort…in his horrible…disgusting, terrifying form…into the cauldron. Then Wormtail…he…cut off his own hand."
Harry was struggling to form coherent sentences now. He looked…tortured. He was pained. It disturbed me greatly to see him in such a state. I was terrified simply from listening to his tale.
"He put his own hand in the cauldron, and my blood…and whatever else was in there…And then, when the potion stopped bubbling…"
"Voldemort," I said, so quietly it was almost a whisper. I couldn't even be shocked that I had spoken his name aloud. I was too fixated on the image of the Dark Lord rising from a bubbling cauldron. I was suddenly extremely ashamed that I had ever blamed Harry. He was dealing with demons far greater than I could have possibly imagined.
"You don't have to tell me any more," I said suddenly. I could tell this was extraordinarily difficult for him.
He looked up at me, surprised.
"If you don't want to," I explained quickly.
There was a moment where he considered me, but he spoke with assurance.
"I want to."
I nodded solemnly, watching as he fought to get his next words out.
"Voldemort checked the Dark Mark on Wormtail's arm," Harry continued, "and said that others would be coming…Death Eaters."
I stared, horrified, at him.
"They came," Harry said. "Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Macnair…there were others, too. Voldemort was angry with them for not trying to find him sooner. He yelled at all of them. They nearly forgot I was there…but then he used the Cruciatus curse on me…gave me back my wand…told me we were going to duel."
My hand was at my mouth. My mind was swimming.
"He was playing with me," Harry said with disgust in his tone. "He knew he was going to kill me…he was having a bit of fun with it. He decided he wanted to torture me before finishing me off," he recalled. "But something…strange happened when he tried to kill me. Just as he tried to use the killing curse, I cast a spell, too. And our wands…they…joined somehow. They were joined by the light coming from our wands…then we were in the air."
He paused for a minute to study my perplexed face.
"It was some kind of reaction between our wands…they're similar," he explained. "But at the time…I just couldn't believe I was alive. Light surrounded us—like a cage—and Voldemort told the Death Eaters to stand down. And…I know this will sound impossible…but…Cedric came out of the light…he came out of Voldemort's wand."
My eyes widened and I gasped audibly.
"H-how…?" I stuttered.
"I'm not exactly sure," Harry admitted. "But he looked so…real. Not a ghost…but solid. I know it's hard to understand, but he was there. He told me to hold on…so I did."
"Cedric was there?" I asked, sounding extremely unsure. "How is that possible?"
Harry shook his head.
"It was something Voldemort had never seen before, either. He was just as shocked as I was…but Cedric wasn't the only one," he continued. "An elderly man I had once seen in a dream came out next…he told me Voldemort had killed him, and to keep fighting. Then Bertha Jorkins...and some I didn't recognize…they lingered around us, always whispering. And then…my…my parents."
I could see the pain in Harry's expression as he recalled the memory of his parents. I didn't say anything. I couldn't imagine what he would have gone through then. It was an impossible situation. And yet, I couldn't help but believe him.
"They told me that I would have to break the connection, and they would linger long enough for me to get back to the Portkey," he said softly. "They were going to save me."
"That's how you escaped?" I said, although I knew the answer.
"Cedric…he told me to take his body back to his parents," Harry whispered. "As soon as the connection was broken I ran. I reached his body and summoned the Cup…"
I nodded my head. I knew the rest of the story.
I could feel the tears brimming in my eyes, and my head throbbed in pain.
I could hear yelling on the stairs. Mrs. Weasley was calling up to us to come down for lunch. Her voice was wary. I suspected if we lingered much longer she'd come up to investigate.
I stared at Harry for a moment, completely unsure of what to say. Deciding nothing could be said, I turned to leave, but Harry's voice stopped me.
"Juliet."
I turned back around to face him. He had stood up from the bed, and taken a few steps forward.
"He said something else—Cedric—before the connection broke."
My heart skipped a beat and my breathing hitched. Harry's gaze was intent and meaningful on mine.
I opened my mouth to stop him…to tell him not to say it, but Harry didn't notice. He said it anyway, although I was certain I didn't want to hear it.
"He said he forgives you," Harry said. "And that…he loves you."
I gasped, and my hand went to my mouth again. The tears that had been threatening to fall slipped down my cheeks as a sob broke through my lips.
I shook my head and clamped my eyes shut, unwilling to look at Harry.
"I'm sorry," he said softly.
I bit down on my hand to keep myself from yelling out in agony, and let the tears continue to fall.
I had never deserved Cedric Diggory. He had been far too good for me. Far too loving, and caring, and wonderful.
I was going to ensure that Cedric hadn't died in vain. I owed Cedric Diggory my life. If he hadn't died, there would be no proof of the return of the Dark Lord. The world would be even more ignorant than it is now. We all owed Cedric our lives…and I was going to make certain that his death was not forgotten.
And even more, Peter Pettigrew was going to seriously regret turning his wand on a young man so beautiful, innocent, and good-hearted as Cedric Diggory.
-------
The gloom of the House of Black lessened substantially after my talk with Harry. The tension had dwindled, and I had surprisingly managed to connect with him quite well. Despite the guilt that was continuing to linger inside of me, I had grown certain that I could no longer hold a grudge against him for what had happened.
However, although things weren't so awful anymore, it didn't change the fact that I was beyond anxious to get back to school…although in the back of my mind I was constantly reminded of the terrors that were waiting to haunt me once we returned. I was definitely not looking forward to once again facing the scene of Cedric's death. My stomach lurched with the thought.
Despite the horrible feeling of dread looming overhead, relief spilled over me when the day arrived that we were to return to Hogwarts. Although I wasn't particularly comfortable with the thought of being away from my father and the others, I was eager to leave the cold, depressing little house.
"Juliet," my father said to me before seeing me out of the house, "I'll be keeping in touch, but you must remember, any owls being sent may be intercepted. Be sure not to include anything about the Order. If anything were to fall into the hands of the Ministry, or worse—"
"I know, Dad," I interrupted, "I'll be careful."
He gave me a quick hug, then stepped aside as Bill yanked on my arm.
"You," he said pointedly, staring me in the eye seriously, "are to owl me straight away if you need anything. Got it?"
I couldn't help but smirk. "You're starting to take on the qualities of your mother," I commented. "And won't you be a little busy with a certain French Miss to bother with the likes of me?"
He smirked back at me. "I'm serious. If you need anything, you contact me immediately. Don't be getting yourself into trouble."
I sighed, feeling mildly frustrated with him. Bill had always been a little protective of me ("like an older brother should be" as he constantly reminded me), but since Cedric's death and now with the row between my parents going on, he was becoming infuriating.
"Promise me," he urged.
"Yeah, okay," I said through clenched teeth. I loved Bill, but this was excessive. What did he want? For me to owl him any time someone sent a snarky comment toward me about Cedric's death? It's not like it was imperative that he bother with trivial matters—such as my well-being—while the Dark Lord was on the loose. He needed to focus on saving the world, never mind making sure no one sent me spiralling further into my depression. I could take care of myself.
"Good," he said, tugging me into a tight hug. "And keep an eye on Fred and George…try not to let them hassle Ron too much."
I laughed. I knew that was beyond my control. Ever since Ron had received his Prefect badge, the twins hadn't stopped picking on him.
"I'll do what I can," I said, "but I'm not making any promises."
He grinned back at me. "Alright, you'd better get a move on. I'll see you soon, I imagine."
I left Bill to bid farewell to Ginny, and handed my trunk off to Mad-Eye. He was in charge of getting everyone's luggage to King's Cross.
We were exiting the house in groups and walking to the station. Harry was to go with Mrs. Weasley and Tonks. Fred, George, and Ginny were travelling with Lupin, and Hermione, Ron, and I were heading there with Mr. Weasley.
As everyone gave their last goodbyes, individual groups began to push their way out of the small door. We were the first to leave, waving a last goodbye to the others as we shoved our way out.
The walk seemed to drag on a lot longer than it should have. The four of us headed in a different direction than the others in order to avoid suspicion, and it took us nearly twenty minutes to get there. None of us said much of anything, as Mr. Weasley was watching for any spying eyes or followers. Hermione and Ron whispered to each other, but left me trailing a little bit behind. I was sure they were muttering about something pertaining to Harry, and I was certain I wouldn't be welcomed into whatever the conversation was. Sometimes it was quite infuriating how secretive the three of them were.
Well, I guess Fred, George, and I weren't much different.
When we made it to King's Cross, Mrs. Weasley, Tonks, and Harry were already there. Mad-Eye Moody had made it, too, and was unloading our trunks from the trolley he had been pushing.
I spotted Sirius there, too—in his dog form, of course—and was surprised that Mrs. Weasley hadn't managed to make him stay put in the house.
"No trouble?" Moody asked as Lupin arrived with Fred, George, and Ginny in tow.
"Nothing," Lupin replied, reaching around to give everyone's hand a shake.
"Well, look after yourselves," he said. "You too, Harry. Be careful."
"Yeah, keep your head down and your eyes peeled," Moody grumbled, taking Harry's hand firmly once Lupin had let go. "And don't forget, all of you—careful what you put in writing. If in doubt, don't put it in a letter at all."
Moody's magical eye whizzed around at all of us as if to emphasize his reminder.
"It's been great meeting all of you," Tonks said, giving Hermione and Ginny a one-armed hug. "We'll see you soon, I expect."
The warning whistle sounded and Mrs. Weasley began pushing all of us toward the train.
Sirius the dog jumped up on his hind legs, placing his big front paws on Harry's shoulders.
"Would you look at that, Harry," I said. "Your dog thinks he's people."
Harry gave me a lopsided grin as Sirius let out a low bark of disapproval at my joke. I gave him a curt nod in response, and hurried off with the others as Mrs. Weasley scolded Sirius for not behaving more like a dog.
Harry was pushed away from Sirius and the lot of us clamoured onto the train, only to lean out of the nearest window to wave goodbye.
"He shouldn't have come with us," Hermione said, her tone coloured with disapproval.
"Oh, lighten up," Ron said, "he hasn't seen daylight for months, poor bloke."
Fred clapped his hands together from behind me. "Well, can't stand around chatting all day, we've got business to discuss with Lee. See you lot later."
He and George turned to leave, but not before Fred grabbed hold of my arm and tugged me away with them. He let George wander ahead a few paces and bent down to speak into my ear.
"I was thinking maybe you could track down Katie," he said quietly. "The two of you could figure out what's going on with Leesh. I think it'd bother George if we talked about it in front of him."
"Okay," I said, feeling a little uncertain. I wasn't sure if I wanted to be separated from the twins. I knew there were plenty of passengers on the train that had believed I was somehow involved in Cedric's death. The Hufflepuffs in particular didn't like me much as of the end of last term.
"I'll worry about Lee," Fred said hurriedly. "Let me take your trunk."
He grabbed hold of my trunk and hurried off to catch up to George. I frowned to myself and turned on my heel, intending on searching the train for Katie. I sincerely hoped I was heading in the right direction…and that she wasn't already in a compartment with Lee waiting for us.
As predicted, as I hurried along the small corridor I caught many people staring after me intently. Obviously I was still a topic of gossip amongst my peers. I suddenly felt very sorry for Harry. He'd be going through even more hardship than I was now that we were back at school. He was surely going to be facing much criticism this year.
"Juliet!"
Thankfully, I was saved the hardship of having to avoid the staring eyes of so many people still lingering out of their compartments. There was no way I was going to be able to put up with it, what with everything else going on. I was beginning to think perhaps I would have been better off staying at Headquarters.
Katie was hurrying toward me. She didn't have her trunk with her.
"I've been looking everywhere for you!" she said.
"We only just got to the station," I told her.
"How are you?" she asked seriously. Although I had had contact with her throughout the summer, it was obvious that she had been worried about me. I couldn't say as I blamed her after that state I had been in during the previous school year.
"Better," I said. I didn't want to get into it.
"Where are Fred and George?" she questioned, immediately catching that I didn't want to talk about it.
"They went to find Lee."
"Lee's got a compartment for us down at that end," she said, nodding in the direction Fred and George had gone.
"Is Alicia with him?" I questioned, as the two of us began to wander past the compartments. People continued to crane their necks to get a look at me as we passed.
Katie shook her head and made a face.
"What?" I asked. "Have you seen her?"
"I did," Katie replied. "She hardly looked at me. I think something's wrong."
I pulled a face.
"I have a hunch," I told her.
Katie gave me a questioning look.
"Her dad," I said. "He thinks Dumbledore's a crack and Harry made up the story of You-Know-Who coming back. I think Alicia agrees with him."
Katie's eyes went wide.
"You really think that could be it?" she asked.
"I can't think of another explanation."
She pursed her lips together, mulling over the possibility.
"Fred thinks so too?" she asked.
I nodded.
"And George?"
"It's upsetting him more than he's letting on, I think," I told her. "Fred and I haven't been able to get him to talk about it at all."
Katie screwed up her face.
"Bloody hell," she muttered.
"Yeah," I agreed. "And Fred's elected the two of us to figure out what's going on."
Katie winced.
"I reckon we'll have to confront her at some point. We are sharing a dormitory, after all," she said.
"We'll worry about it later, then," I told her. "For now let's just get out of here. I'm sick of being ogled like I'm some kind of freak."
"It won't last," Katie said comfortingly. "With everyone so worked up over Dumbledore and Harry, they won't have time to make up rumours about you."
"Let's hope so," I said.
As we approached the last of the compartments, I suddenly remembered something.
"Kates, how is Ethan?" I asked warily. I knew that none of Cedric's mates had been on very good terms with me after Cedric died. I was extremely grateful that they wouldn't be around this year for me to deal with, but last I heard Katie was still dating one of Cedric's closest friends.
"Not mad at you, if that's what you're worried about," Katie said easily. "Well…he was, but he isn't any more. Neither is Codie, I think."
"They don't think that I had anything to do with…what happened, do they?" I asked.
"'Course not," she replied, and pointed to the compartment on the left. "We're in here."
I hadn't exactly gotten the information I wanted out of her, but I let the topic go, for now. I didn't even know when I would be seeing Cedric's friends next. There was no need to be fretting over what they thought of me. There were many more pressing issues that I could be dealing with instead.
Katie pushed open the compartment door and all three boys looked up at us expectantly. I didn't miss the way George's expression fell just a little bit upon seeing Alicia was not with us.
"Hey, Kates," Fred greeted cheerfully, trying to evade the awkwardness that was threatening to engulf us all.
"Hello you two," she said, smiling brightly at Fred and George. "How was your summer? From the sounds of your letters it was pretty top-secret."
"You've got that right," Fred told her. "We spent the entire summer trying to eavesdrop as everyone else got to plot against You-Know-Who.
Katie's eyes widened a little bit as she took a seat next to Fred and Lee. I sat down on George's right and attempted to communicate to Fred with my eyes. I shook my head infinitesimally to tell him we hadn't tracked down Alicia. He must have understood, because he frowned a little.
The train ride to Hogwarts was far more awkward than any other year. We chatted amiably as always, but having to sidestep the topic of Alicia was a little worrisome, and I'm sure George picked up on what we were doing. I think it only irritated him more.
What's worse, Fred, George, and I tried to fill Katie and Lee in on some of the happenings of the Order. We were careful not to tell them too much, but we knew they were both on Harry's side when it came to the issue of You-Know-Who. They had just as much a right to know the truth as we did.
I didn't tell anyone what Harry had shared with me.
When we made it to the castle, everyone was starving. I was so hungry that I almost didn't notice the whispers and pointing that came my way as I passed by students in the Hall. I hoped Katie was right and things would die down.
Although we were excited for the feast, the atmosphere in the Great Hall was thick with tension. The Sorting Ceremony was the first thing on the list. And this year, what the hat sang about was particularly disconcerting:
In times of old when I was new
And Hogwarts barely started
The founders of our noble school
Thought never to be parted:
United by a common goal,
They had the selfsame yearning,
To make the world's best magic school
And pass along their learning.
'Together we will build and teach!'
The four good friends decided
And never did they dream that they
Might some day be divided,
For were there such friends anywhere
As Slytherin and Gryffindor?
Unless it was the second pair
Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?
So how could it have gone so wrong?
How could such friendships fail?
Why, I was there and so can tell
The whole sad, sorry tale.
Said Slytherin, 'We'll teach just those
Whose ancestry is pureset.'
Said Ravenclaw, 'We'll teach those whose
Intelligence is surest.'
Said Gryffindor, 'We'll teach all those
With brave deeds to their name,'
Said Hufflepuff, 'I'll teach the lot,
And treat them just the same.'
These differences caused little strife
When first they came to light,
For each of the four founders had
A house in which they might
Take only those they wanted, so,
For instance, Slytherin
Took only pure-blood wizards
Of great cunning, just like him,
And only those of sharpest mind
Were taught by Ravenclaw
While the bravest and the boldest
Went to daring Gryffindor.
Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest,
And taught them all she knew,
Thus the houses and their founders
Retained a friendship firm and true.
So Hogwarts worked in harmony
For several happy years,
But then discord crept among us
Feeding on our faults and fears.
The houses that, like pillars four,
Had once held up our school,
Now turned upon each other and,
Divided, sought to rule.
And for a while it seemed the school
Must meet an early end,
What with duelling and with fighting
And the clash of friend on friend
And at last there came a morning
When old Slytherin departed
And though the fighting then died out
He left us quite downhearted.
And never since the founders four
Were whittled down to three
Have the houses been united
As they once were meant to be.
And now the Sorting Hat is here
And you all know the score:
I sort you into houses
Because that is what I'm for,
But this year I'll go further,
Listen closely to my song:
Though condemned I am to split you
Still I worry that it's wrong,
Though I must fulfil my duty
And must quarter every year
Still I wonder whether Sorting
May not bring the end I fear.
Oh, know the perils, read the signs,
The warning history shows,
For our Hogwarts is in danger
From external, deadly foes
And we must unite inside her
Or we'll crumble from within
I have told you, I have warned you…
Let the Sorting now begin.
The applause that followed the song was riddled with whispered comments from students all across the Great Hall.
I exchanged a worried look with Fred, and glanced down at Alicia at the other end of the Gryffindor table. The Sorting Hat seemed to be precisely accurate about the division of Hogwarts…and there was no doubt in my mind that it was right about the prediction for the future.
One thing was absolutely certain:
Things were definitely going to be different this year.
-------
A/N:Review, please.