Chapter Fifty Five

Harry felt like he wasn't really in his body for the next few weeks. Exams were done, not that he had to take them this year anyway, so the school was always a little quiet. Students were winding down for the summer, not worrying about lessons or exams but long, hot summer days of relaxing with their family.

They no longer had Defence Against the Dark Arts as Professor Moody and Professor Dumbledore thought it would be best if Professor Moody went home to finish recovering from his traumatic year. Harry and his friends went to Hargid's for those free lessons. Fang would jump all over them, they would drink tea and try to eat Hagrid's painfully hard rock cakes and for a while at least, Harry could forget what had happened and the pain would ease a little.

The Rita Skeeter articles had stopped, which was a blessing. There had been a short piece by someone else saying that a student had been killed during a tragic accident and that the family had asked for privacy over this terrible time.

Harry was pleased to see that Madam Maxime and Hargid were getting on once more, not that Hagrid said anything but more than once when they went down there were two large mugs sitting on the table and once there was a plate of fancy little French cakes that Hagrid had clearly gotten from the kitchens at the school.

It was a strangely peaceful time at school. Harry had wanted to go and say something to Cho but she was nearly always crying and he didn't want to drag her away from his friends. He wasn't sure how he would have gotten through this time without one of them with him always, he couldn't take that away from Cho.

Harry was very glad to have his trunk packed up for the last night at school. He finished putting his things in and closed it with a resolved sounding snap as the clasp fell into place. He'd been packing for days now, as a result it was the only time Harry had ever seen his trunk so neatly packed.

"Happy to be going home then?" Draco asked.

Harry nodded, "Yep. Strangely, I'm very happy to see this year behind me now."

"I can't blame you there." Draco sighed.

Harry and Draco met up with Daphne and Pansy, playing chess and waiting for them in the common room. They walked together, in silence, to the Great Hall.

The end of year feast was always spectacular, but this year it was also solemn. No one won the house cup, the point counting hour glasses had been emptied at the end of the third task, instead the Hufflepuff banners were up, covered with a floaty sheet of thin, black fabric to honour and remember Cedric.

Harry took his seat at the Slytherin table and looked up at the teacher's one. The real Moody was sitting there, looking around and rather jumpy; Harry was sure that this last year wasn't going to improve his paranoia.

He was surprised that Moody had been able to come back, even just for the feast. Lily had been writing to him, everyday in fact, and had told him that while Moody had been released from the hospital he was having a hard time leaving his home, worried someone was going to jump out of the shadows and stuff him back into that trunk.

Harry didn't eat much. The food was lovely, as amazing as it always was, but his appetite hadn't been very good for a while.

"Harry you have to eat more." Daphne said, looking at his one, half eaten roast potato and piling more food onto his plate, "You like macaroni and cheese right?" she didn't wait for an answer before giving him a large spoonful.

Harry smiled, "I'm just not really hungry."

"Harry," Draco said, "You haven't been hungry for weeks now, you're starting to loose weight."

"And if you loose too much your mother is going to panic." Daphne finished, "So eat."

Harry smirked and forced himself to eat more. It was less than half of what he would have normally eaten but it had been so long it still left him feeling very full. The plates cleared and were left with clean empty tables.

Dumbledore stood up, waiting for the room to fall silent, not that there was much noise to start with; even with the extra students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons the room felt empty.

"The end," Dumbledore said, "Of another year. There is much that I would like to say to you all tonight, but first I must acknowledge the loss of a very fine person who should be sitting here," He gestured towards the Hufflepuff table, "He should be enjoying our feast with us. I would like you all, please, to stand and raise your glasses to Cedric Diggory."

Harry pushed himself to his feet, along with the other students and raised his glass. Gemini and Rodolphus did not stand. Corvus had though, raising his glass. Gemini was pulling at his arm to make him sit down but he shrugged her off.

Harry looked over to the Ravenclaw table and saw Cho, tears streaming down her face silently. He felt his heart break for her, Cedric hadn't been his favourite person when it had come to Cho but now he just felt guilty for it.

"Cedric was a person who exemplified many of the qualities which distinguish Hufflepuff house," Dumbledore continued once the students had sat back down, "He was a good and loyal friend, a hard worker, and valued fair play. His death has effected you all, whether you knew him well or not. I think that you have the right, therefore, to know exactly how it came about."

Harry took a deep breath and stared at Dumbledore, under the table Draco reached and grabbed one of his hands, Pansy grabbing the other.

"Cedric Diggory was murdered, by Lord Voldemort."

A panicked whisper ran around the room, several students looked at Dumbledore like he was crazy even more looked shocked as the colour drained from his face. Dumbledore looked at them calmly and waited for the noise to die out.

"The Ministry of Magic," Dumbledore continued, "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."

Harry could agree with that. He'd felt the flush of anger at the idea Cedric just made a mistake and somehow deserved what happened; it wasn't fair.

"There is somebody else who must be mentioned in connection with Cedric's death," Dumbledore said, "I am talking, of course, about Harry Potter. Harry Potter managed to escape Lord Voldemort."

Harry clutched at his friends hands, they were the only thing keeping him in one piece at the moment.

Dumbledore's eyes brushed over him, before turning back tot he rest of the hall, "Harry Potter risked his own life to return Cedric's body to Hogwarts, and inform us of the remains of another young victim of Voldemort's. He showed, in every respect, the sort of bravery that few wizards have ever shown in facing Lord Voldemort, and for this I honour him."

Dumbledore raised his glass in Harry's direction and nearly every other student in the room followed suit. He heard his name muttered by them all, as they had said Cedric's and he felt a horrible feeling that he was dead as well. Harry shook his head, he was alive, he had survived and he couldn't forget that."

"The Triwizard Tournament's aim was to further and promote magical understanding. In the light of what has happened, of Lord Voldemort's return, such ties are more important than ever before." Dumbledore looked around at the guests currently sitting in the Hall, "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."

Harry smiled the to Durmstrang students, and looked over to smile to the Beauxbatons ones as well. It was important to fight together now, Harry had a feeling they would be needing help in the days to come. He turned his attention back to Dumbledore.

"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. A week ago, a student was taken from our midst. 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."