Disclaimer: I still do not own Harry Potter.

Hello all, and thanks for the great feedback! I love reading your predictions and ideas for what is going to happen next! You'll definitely see that some things are going to be different about the whole Umbridge and the Ministry subplot.

Also, I'm so glad that so many of you warmed to Cedric and Cho. I absolutely love Cho, and I felt so sorry for her in canon. In this fic, I am definitely going to have more people there for her. Also, just to let you guys know, there will be no Harry/Cho attempted romance in this fic. My Harry, the way I've written him, would never even think about it, because he was so incredibly close to Cedric. So in this fic he and Cho will just be really good friends and not even try to make it anything more.

I hope you continue to enjoy the story!

Chapter 40: Struggling to Understand

Hermione, Ron, Neville, and Ginny were all in the Gryffindor common room. They were sitting on fluffy couches, feeling completely helpless and awful. Their friend Harry was God knows where, and their other friend Cedric was dead.

It was so hard to comprehend. The atmosphere of joy and anticipation that had hung in the air such a short time ago had been utterly replaced by one of great sadness. Hermione and Ginny were embracing, both sobbing. Neville sat numbly next to them, with Ron across from them, still looking shocked. It was true that Ron hadn't gotten to know Cedric that well, since he hadn't participated in the meetings with the Slytherins the others had had, but he knew that they all were affected. Ron was also extremely concerned for Harry, because he and Cedric had been awfully close. It was true that he had resented Cedric, because he felt that Harry was spending more time with the older boy than with him, but now that resentment didn't seem relevant at all. Guilt plagued him as he thought of how he'd acted.

All the other Gryffindors in the common room were totally silent. Fred, George, and Lee were not joking around; they were far from it. Harry was one of their own, and to see him so broken and devastated was not something they liked at all.

Suddenly, Professor McGonagall walked into the common room, looking very solemn. "Miss Granger, Mr. and Miss Weasley, and Mr. Longbottom," she said quietly. "The Headmaster would like to see you in his office."

"Yes, ma'am," said Neville, and the other three nodded. McGonnagall gave them a sad look as she whispered directions to them as to how to get to the office. Silently, they left the common room.

When they arrived at the office, Cho was already there, sobbing her heart out. She was being embraced by Dumbledore, who looked terribly old and sad. He did not look like the wise mentor the students had so often seen in the past, but instead looked like a man who had just been dealt a terrible blow.

Dumbledore moved away from Cho and went to sit behind his desk. Ginny and Hermione went to sit by her instead, putting their arms around her and letting her sob against them. She looked totally lost and defeated. Cedric, the love of her life, was dead. Twenty-four hours ago they had been holding each other, looking into each other's eyes and promising forever to each other at the senior dance, but now he was gone. She would never forget the look of his lifeless body as he lay there, not moving, not breathing.

"I know," Dumbledore said quietly, "that tonight has been a devastating night for you all. You were close to Cedric, and I think you have the right to know what happened to him and Harry, and how brave they were."

"What about the Diggorys?" Hermione asked tearfully, stroking Cho's silky hair while Ginny rubbed soothing circles on her back comfortingly.

"I informed them already," Dumbledore answered. "They are by Cedric's side, in the hospital wing."

The Headmaster then went on to explain everything that had happened. He explained how when Harry, Cedric, and who everyone thought was Moody had touched the cup, they had been transported to a graveyard. Neville's face was chalk white as he explained how Moody was actually Barty Crouch, Jr. "You mean," he said, his voice quivering, "that we were taught by Barty Crouch all year?"

"I am afraid so, Neville, and I am terribly, terribly sorry," said Dumbledore. He knew this would have a terrible effect on Neville; the fact that he had been taught by one of the people who had tortured his parents to insanity would crush him. Ginny put her arms around him as his body shook violently.

Dumbledore then went on to tell about how Voldemort had returned, and how Harry and Cedric were forced to watch the events as they unfolded right before their eyes. He reported what had happened when all the Death Eaters apparated in. The hardest part was when he informed them that Cedric had fought Voldemort, loyal to Harry to the very end. Cho screamed "Noooo!" when he explained that Cedric had been tortured. He said it as gently as possible, knowing that they had the right to know exactly what their friend had gone through before he died.

"Cedric was a very brave gentleman," the Headmaster said. "But I want to make things clear. I know you all are full of grief, especially you, Miss Chang. I understand and feel your pain, but not for one second do I want you to blame Harry. Sirius and Remus have decided to keep him home for the rest of the year; he is totally inconsolable right now. The guilt he feels is huge, and he needs all of you to stand beside him through this."

Everyone nodded, Ron looking extremely serious while the others raised tear-streaked faces to Dumbledore.

The old man ended his tale with how Harry and Voldemort's wands had performed Priori Incantatem when they tried to go against each other. Cho shook uncontrollably and sobbed even harder as he told everyone about Cedric's ghost coming out of the wand, and he gently told Cho that he had said he loved her. The others did their best to hold back tears as he explained how Harry had seen his parents, and how they, Bertha, Frank, and Cedric had helped him escape.

"There, there, Cho, take a deep breath," Hermione soothed, finding it hard to keep back her own sobs. Neville's face was still white from the news that Barty Crouch Jr. had taught them all year.

"P-P-Professor, h-how could this have h-happened?" Cho wept as she turned streaming eyes to the old man. "W-Why did this happen? WHY?" she screamed. "It isn't fair!"

"Has Harry already left?" asked Ron shakily. "Where is he?"

"He's already gone, Mr. Weasley," said Dumbledore softly. "And I don't know why this happened, Miss Chang. I know this is far from fair. But I hope you can take comfort in the fact that Mr. Diggory was a very brave and wonderful young man. I hope that in time, you can remember him with fondness."

"I w-want to say g-goodbye," Cho hiccuped, doing her best to get herself under control.

"I'm not sure that is the best idea," said Ginny. "We shouldn't bother the Diggorys."

"I know, but I want to see him!" Cho said urgently.

"Professor?" asked Hermione, her eyes asking for permission. "I'd like to see him too. I-I think we all need some kind of closure."

"Yes," Cho agreed. "I m-mean, I don't want to b-bother the Diggorys and their private time, though."

Dumbledore looked at the group seriously. "Maybe one at a time," he said quietly. "The Diggorys don't want to be overwhelmed by people right now. But I understand that you want to receive some closure. I know he was a friend to almost all of you."

"Thank you, Professor," Neville said sincerely. "Is it really true that Professor Moody's dead?"

"I am afraid it is," said Dumbledore somberly. "He is also in the hospital wing. Is everyone ready?"

"Yes, sir," the five nodded numbly, and in a solemn line, they walked to the hospital wing.

"Mr. Weasley, you can go first," said Dumbledore gently. The other four waited outside as Ron and Dumbledore stepped into the wing. They heard the soft sound of crying coming from their right, and they walked to the bed where the sound was emanating from. Dumbledore gently parted the curtains, and Ron got a look at Cedric.

His eyes were closed now; one of his parents must have closed them for him. Mr. and Mrs. Diggory were holding their son's hands. Mrs. Diggory was quietly sobbing, one arm around her husband who was also weeping. Dumbledore softly explained to them what was going on, and they nodded, understanding that Cedric's friends needed closure.

Ron felt a little shaky as he stared at Cedric, struggling to grasp the finality of what had transpired. "I'm sorry, mate," was the only thing he said. Indeed, he was sincerely sorry for the way he had treated the older boy; he was sorry that he hadn't really given him a chance.

After a couple of minutes, Ron walked out of the room. Hermione, Ginny, and Neville were next respectively, and they all thanked Cedric for being such a good friend. Hermione expressed gratitude that he had shown them what true bravery and loyalty was, and thanked him for being there for Harry right to the bitter end.

Cho was last, and of course, it was hardest for her. She kissed Cedric's lips, her tears dripping onto his lifeless face. "I love you, Cedric," she wept. "Always and forever. I'll never forget you." She wished everyone's love would bring him back. She'd give anything to see him open his eyes again.

"Cho," Mrs. Diggory said gently, embracing her as she continued to hold her son's hand. "Amos and I just want to thank you for making the last year of my son's life so wonderful. Ced talked about you all the time. He really loved you, you know. By the way he spoke, we knew you were special."

Cho clung to Mrs. Diggory, saying, "Thank you," in a shaky voice. "I loved him too."

"We know, honey," Mrs. Diggory said. Mr. Diggory also hugged her, letting her know that she could always talk to them if she needed them. Giving her beloved boyfriend one last kiss, Cho left the hospital wing.

"Thank you for explaining everything, professor," Ginny said softly as she stared into the Headmaster's gentle eyes. The others nodded, and they all began to head back. Dumbledore gazed after them as they went.

"Tell you what, Cho," Hermione said. "How about Ginny and I stay with you tonight, in the Room of Requirement?"

"Are you s-sure?" Cho asked. To be completely honest, she couldn't stand the thought of going back to her common room and facing people like Marietta. She'd always thought that the girls in her dorm didn't understand the love she had with Cedric. They were so superficial, only caring about going shopping and grades, and Cho had to admit disgustedly that she had been the same way before she'd met him. But Cedric had really shown her what other things could be achieved in life. Marietta was the one friend she had in Ravenclaw who at least tried to understand, but Cho still didn't feel like dealing with her tonight. Ginny and Hermione had also been good friends with Cedric, and she really needed their understanding and comfort right now.

"Of course we're sure," said Hermione reassuringly. Cho managed a watery, grateful smile at them. So they headed to the Room of Requirement while Ron and Neville headed back to Gryffindor Tower.

xxx

Dumbledore was still at Cedric's bedside, talking quietly to his parents. Mrs. Diggory was now stroking Cedric's face, and sometimes she spoke quietly to him. But this atmosphere was broken as the hospital wing door suddenly banged open, and Cornelius Fudge stormed in.

"Dumbledore, I need a word with you," he blustered, strolling over to the Headmaster. He took a look at Cedric and turned away.

"Very well, Cornelius," Dumbledore sighed, knowing that he owed the Minister an explanation of the events that had happened tonight.

In Madame Pomfrey's office, he explained once again the ordeal that had taken place this evening. Fudge listened, his face growing redder and redder. "If you'd like, Cornelius, I can show you the memory," Dumbledore said.

"Are you sure Potter saw what you think he saw, Dumbledore?" asked Fudge. "You-Know-Who can't possibly be back. I admit, I don't think Potter killed Diggory; I think that part of his story is true. They may have been captured by Death Eaters, for I saw them disappear with the cup with my own eyes. But I don't think You-Know-Who was one of them."

"Cornelius," said Dumbledore, looking stern. "I know you are under the impression that there is no spell or potion to restore a dark wizard to full power, but I can assure you that there is."

"Bollocks," said Fudge, shaking his head. "I know he was seen at the Quidditch World Cup, but that was only in his deformed state. What magic is this of which you speak, Dumbledore? I have never seen any dark spell that can help a wizard regain his true form after being reduced to what You-Know-Who was reduced to."

"Cornelius, I am assuring you that there is," Dumbledore said softly, his eyes piercing into Fudge's. "If you refuse to take action, if you refuse to believe the truth, then I do not know what to say to you. You know that many Death Eaters escaped Azkaban this year. You know of the events at the Quidditch World Cup. You know that Alastor Moody is dead."

"Headmaster, you know that Potter is a disturbed child. You know of the atrocities that were committed against him by his uncle! Do you not think that those things, coupled with what he has seen tonight with watching a good friend die, have messed up his brain? He may be doing this to get attention. I can understand why he would be doing such a thing."

"Again, Cornelius, I can let you see the memory," said Dumbledore, trying his hardest to clamp down the anger he was starting to feel. This man was too blinded by his position to see the truth. He knew Cornelius was trying to deny it, because he didn't want to cause the wizarding population to go into a panic.

"Pensieve memories can be tampered with, and you know it," Fudge said stubbornly, shaking his head again.

"Do you really think, that with all the grief and heartache Harry suffered tonight, that he'd possibly have the time to tamper with a horrific memory?" Dumbledore said, his fury starting to come through. His blue eyes were blazing now, and Fudge shivered a little. It had been a while since he'd seen Albus Dumbledore look like that at him.

"You know what the boy is capable of," Fudge blustered, looking agitated.

"Well, if you refuse to acknowledge the truth, I doubt I will be able to convince you," Dumbledore sighed, exhaustion beginning to take over his body. "All I can say is that you know the events that have taken place this year. Put them together and you will see the truth." He'd lost a very bright student, Cedric, and a good friend, Alastor, tonight, and all he wanted to do was sleep and not wake up for years. "If you will not inform the wizarding community, I am afraid we have reached a parting of the ways. You will act as you see fit, and I will act as I see fit."

"The wizarding community will think you're barking!" said Fudge, his face turning red again. "Do you really think they'll listen to you, after hearing that in your very school a tragedy like this took place? As I have already stated, I do believe that they were captured by Death Eaters, but You-Know-Who? It's just not possible."

"It was Voldemort, Cornelius," said Dumbledore quietly, power radiating off him, even though he was getting more and more tired by the minute. "And Harry Potter was almost subjected to the same fate as his friend. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go back to my office."

"Very well," said Fudge angrily. "I can see that you are going to be as obstinate as ever." He left Madame Pomfrey's office, muttering to himself about how Albus Dumbledore was going to turn into a real laughingstock throughout the wizarding world.

The Headmaster took a few minutes to collect himself, and then went back to Cedric's side. "I must tell you once again, Amos, Eileen," he said sadly, "how sincerely sorry I am that this tragedy took place."

"I should hope you are," Amos snarled, his face growing fierce. Still holding Cedric's hand tightly, he got to his feet. "I can't believe you'd let such an occurrence happen! Leave us be, Dumbledore. We want time alone with Ced. It's the least you can offer us, when our son's death was the result of your negligence."

"Very well," Dumbledore replied, the picture of defeat. How many more people were going to get angry with him? He'd had Sirius Black and Amos Diggory's tempers unleashed upon him, along with the pure idiocy of Cornelius Fudge. Sighing, he took one last glance at the handsome and heroic Cedric Diggory before slowly making his way out of the hospital wing, closing the door softly behind him. He could only take comfort in the fact that even though Fudge didn't believe Voldemort had returned to full power now, he wouldn't be able to ignore the facts for long. The escape of the Death Eaters from Azkaban and the events of the Quidditch World Cup, coupled with the kidnapping of the two boys from Hogwarts grounds, were events he could not deny had happened.

He knew that recovery from this ordeal would take a lot of time. He also knew that sooner or later, Harry would want to know the entire contents of the prophecy. He knew that there was no way he could deny the boy this request; after all, it was about his life, and after what he had faced tonight, he had the right to know. He hoped that Harry would regain his trust in Sirius and Remus, and that he would begin to heal from this experience. He also sincerely hoped that he wouldn't receive any blame or flak from Cedric's death. That was the last thing the fourteen-year-old boy needed after surviving this tragedy.

When he got to his office, he opened another door contained within that led to his bedchambers. As he settled down to sleep that night, he knew that the following years would be trying ones. Voldemort would one day show himself, and news of his return would be out in the open. A second war was going to be upon them, and he wished that his students, especially Harry, didn't have to bear it. But he hoped with all his heart that Harry knew he wouldn't have to go through it alone, that he'd have people there to help him and be there for him whatever happened. His last thought was of Cedric's smiling face as he walked the halls with Harry, and he silently prayed that the seventeen-year-old would receive rewards on his next great adventure for being such a wonderful friend.