"It might be too soon to ask," a small squeak called from the doorway. "But how are you feeling?" I slammed the lid of my trunk down as my best friend stepped into the room.
"As good as I can be feeling in guess."
"How about another hug?" Emily asked stepping over to me. We wrapped our arms around each other again and I rested my head on her shoulder.
"Thanks Em." I said letting her go after a few minutes. "Have you packed?" I asked changing the subject. A broad smile edged throughout her cheeks.
"I packed last night. I know George and I said we were going to bed but when I got back to an empty room, well, anyway long story short I'm all packed up and ready for the Farewell Feast."
"I was thinking of skipping the Farewell Feast this year."
"No Alice you can't skip the feast!"
"Why not Emily? The Farewell Feast is supposed to be to celebrate the end of another great year. I want to put this year far behind me not celebrate it."
"But Alice all the bad things are the best reason to celebrate. You have to be thankful for all the things we do have. If…Voldemort's back that means things are going to get a lot worse before they get better. We have to cherish the little things no matter how few there are."
"When are you going to stop being so right?" I smiled at her. "Well we're both packed and there's still plenty of time before the Farewell Feast What would you like to do on our last day at Hogwarts?"
"You promised you'd go, now come!" Emily pulled at my hand as she dragged me from our dorm.
"Ouch Emily I'll come quietly so long as you stop pulling!" I exclaimed tugging my hand in the opposite direction.
"Then hurry up! I don't want to be late!" We raced up the stairs following a large crowd of our fellow Slytherins. When Emily and I entered the Great Hall I noticed at once that the usual decorations were missing. The Great Hall was normally decorated with the winning House's colors for the Farewell Feast, they should have been silver, green, black and yellow to celebrate mine and Cedric's victory in the Triwizard Tournament. That night however, there were black drapes on the wall behind the staff table. They were there as a mark of respect to Cedric. The real Mad-Eye Moody was at the staff table now with his wooden leg and magical eye back in place. The students of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang were still scattered among the Hogwarts students. Karkaroff was not surprisingly absent but Madame Maxime was sitting next to Hagrid. They were talking quietly together. Severus' usual seat next to Professor McGonagall was left open. All my empty observing was cut short when Professor Dumbledore stood from his seat at the staff table.
"The end," he said looking around the room, "of another year." Professor Dumbledore paused as his eyes fell on the Hufflepuff table. "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." Benches scraped as everyone in the hall stood and raised their goblets and echoed, in a loud, low rumbling voice,
"Cedric Diggory."
"Cedric was a person who exemplified many of the qualities that distinguished Hufflepuff House." Professor Dumbledore continued when the entire Great Hall had been seated. "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. Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort." A panicked whisper swept the Great Hall. People were staring at Dumbledore in disbelief, in horror. He looked perfectly calm as he watched them mutter themselves into silence. "The Ministry of Magic does not wish me to tell you this. It is possible that some of your parents will be horrified that I have done so either because they will not believe that 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 died as the result of an accident or some sort of blunder of his own is an insult to his memory."
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Emily rapidly whipping away tears as we listened to Professor Dumbledore speak. "There are two more people who must be mentioned in connection with Cedric's death. I am talking, of course, about Harry and Allison Potter." The heads of the crowd began flickering between Harry and myself before resting on Dumbledore once more. "Harry and Allison Potter managed to escape Lord Voldemort. They risked their own lives to return Cedric's body to Hogwarts. They showed in every respect the sort of bravery that few wizards have ever shown in facing Lord Voldemort and for this, I honor them. 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 the 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 are 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. Remember Cedric. Remember, if the 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."
An icy chill tingled down my spine at Professor Dumbledore's last words. Remember Cedric Diggory.