Disclaimer: I still do not own Harry Potter.

Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews. I am so glad everyone is still liking the story.

In regards to the Diggory's behavior, we honestly didn't see a lot of them in canon, especially when it comes to how they react to Harry. We know they didn't blame him for Cedric's death, but they didn't really talk to him that much. I feel that I am just expanding on their characters, and they will play a much bigger role in this fic than they did in canon.

Please enjoy this chapter!

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Still under the Disillusionment Charm, Sirius Black watched with heartache as Mr. Diggory dropped an unconscious Harry onto his bed in the regular part of the hospital wing. Gently, Mrs. Diggory tucked the covers around him, making sure he was comfortable, even though Harry was past seeing or hearing what was currently going on. Minerva McGonagall hurriedly walked to Madam Pomfrey's office to retrieve her, so she could take a look at Harry, even though it seemed as though his unconscious state was due to his mind simply shutting down, unable to process any more.

At that moment, Sirius would have given the whole world just to reveal himself, to rush to his godson's side, to hold him in his arms and take all the pain away. But he knew he couldn't; he had to keep himself hidden in order to keep himself safe. After all, what good would he be to Harry if he slipped up now? He would never forget the pleading quality in the young voice as Harry begged him to see reason, and it was the only thing keeping him afloat now.

Madam Pomfrey moved quickly into the room, and immediately ran her wand over Harry. She kept a brisk manner about her, but it was plain to see that she had also been affected by the events transpiring around her. She gave a relieved sigh as her examination finished. "He will recover," she said softly. "Everything has just caught up with him. He needs to sleep for a while." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a potion vial. "This will help him stay asleep for several hours," she said as she uncorked it. "It's not one for dreamless sleep, as his mind is too troubled for that to help him, but this one should allow him to regain some of his strength."

Sirius sighed as he saw Mrs. Diggory prop Harry into a sitting position, and she gently opened Harry's mouth so the mediwitch could pour the potion down Harry's throat. He was relieved that she had understood the problems Harry had been through with the Dreamless Sleep potion. Being a trained Healer, she had spotted the signs when she had seen Harry right after waking this morning. However, Sirius was afraid of the horrors that would stalk Harry as he slept now, but he also knew his body could not handle being awake for the next while. Even though he had known logically that this had been the reason for Harry's fainting episode, he was infinitely thankful for Poppy's confirmation of it.

Pride and grief swelled in Sirius's heart as Mrs. Diggory helped Harry to lie down again. He had been there with Harry all through his talk with the Diggorys, and had followed him to the room where Cedric lay. When he had seen Cedric's body, still and pale with a look of fear plastered on his face, Sirius had felt a fresh bout of helpless fury roil through him. Peter Pettigrew had taken another life, someone who was an innocent in all of this and who had so many hopes and dreams in front of him. Cedric's statuelike appearance had brought Sirius back to all the civilians he had seen fall during Voldemort's first rise, all the people he was unable to save. The looks on their faces matched Cedric's to a tee; they had been caught up in something they never would have imagined. Those frozen faces had burned behind his eyelids through all his years in Azkaban, and Sirius almost couldn't handle being confronted with another one.

Sirius's breathing had grown constricted as he had witnessed Harry summon all the bravery he possessed, and look directly into Cedric's face, promising him that he would continue to fight. His emerald eyes had been so full of heartache and sorrow, and Sirius fell apart with him. It had been no wonder that in the moments after, Harry's body had given out on him. As Sirius saw Mr. Diggory catch Harry, he wished that he could have been the one to do it. He felt like his heart was bleeding for the courageous, amazing boy who lay in the bed now, fast asleep as the potion worked its way through his system.

Mrs. Diggory's eyes were soft as she gazed upon Harry. Squeezing his hand gently, she turned to the others in the room. "Amos and I must go now," she said, blinking rapidly to keep tears from escaping her eyes. "We need to take Cedric to our local funeral parlor."

"We will inform you of when the funeral is to take place," Mr. Diggory added, every word costing him a great effort.

Mrs. Diggory nodded. Turning to Minerva, she went on, "Please take care of Harry. He possesses bravery beyond anything I have yet seen. I would also like you to let Harry know he is invited once the funeral date is set. Under no circumstances are we forcing him to attend; that poor boy has been through enough. I fear it has already been too much." Her eyes returned to the boy on the bed, and she tenderly touched his hand. "But we want him to know he is welcome."

"Thank you for everything you've done for us," Mr. Diggory said as his face crumpled. "Thank you for making our Ced's time here at Hogwarts so special to him."

"Amos, Eileen, we are all so sorry," said Madam Pomfrey quietly. She embraced Mrs. Diggory, and shook Mr. Diggory's hand. Sirius could sense the raw emotion radiating from her, even though she was making an enormous effort to suppress it. As a Healer, it was extremely painful to know that Cedric was past her ministrations. Every life was precious, yet Poppy could not save this one.

After some final words were exchanged, the Diggorys departed, leaving Sirius, Minerva, and Poppy in the room. The weight of all the emotions felt extremely oppressive as several seconds of silence passed.

Finally, Sirius could hold back no longer, and took the Disillusionment Charm off himself. "Merlin," he whispered once he reappeared to everyone. "Harry ... he went above and beyond anything expected of him. But I was right; it was entirely too much." He turned accusing eyes on Minerva, daring her to disagree.

"Maybe," she conceded, sighing heavily. "But I think this will ultimately help him in his recovery. Amos and Eileen Diggory's support should go a long way."

Sirius knew this was true, but as he watched Harry's chest rise and fall in sleep, he thought of how much this morning's ordeal had cost him. Had it truly been worth it, to put himself through that? Would it really help him move forward? Recalling the agony in Harry's eyes before he had fainted in Mr. Diggory's arms, Sirius severely doubted it. Not knowing how to answer, he turned his eyes away from Minerva and back to Harry.

Madam Pomfrey ran her wand over Harry again, and then spoke to the two anxious adults. "Harry needs his rest now," she said, her voice adopting a stern tone. "And you two need to leave his bedside. He needs complete silence around him so he can receive the best sleep possible."

Minerva glanced back at Harry, and nodded at the Healer, even though regret showed in her expression. "I must attend to my other Gryffindors," she replied. "I trust that Mr. Potter will receive the care he requires."

"Of course, Minerva," Poppy said. "I will make sure of that."

Minerva nodded, and looked over her shoulder at Harry one last time as she exited the room, her footsteps clicking on the tiled floor. It was clear by her mannerisms that she was loath to leave Harry alone.

Once she was gone, Sirius turned to Poppy with a stubborn, furious look on his face. "I'm not leaving him," he barked, his entire body rigid. "Do you think I'd even think about it when he's in a state like this? You can't be serious! And where do you expect me to go? I can't very well leave this room and wander around the castle, can I?" His hands went to his hips as he glared defiantly at the woman beside him.

"You know very well what I mean, Mr. Black," Poppy said, an equally stubborn expression on her own face. "You can go elsewhere in the wing; Mr. Potter's bed is the only one occupied at the moment. It will do you no good to sit here and just watch him sleep. This potion's effects last for several hours, and this rest is crucial for him. He doesn't need you to guard him every minute."

Sirius opened his mouth, a million responses flooding through his mind. Yes, he does, he wanted to scream. You have no idea what you're talking about. Someone needs to be there to guard him from the nightmares. Someone has to be there to love him, even if he's not awake to know it. You haven't failed him all these years, but I have. I refuse to leave his side, even for a moment.

But at the precise moment he was going to let his diatribe loose, the doors of the hospital wing opened, and Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Bill, and Mrs. Weasley entered, making a beeline for Harry's bed. Instantly, Madam Pomfrey cast a Silencing Charm around it, and stood up to intercept them, leaving Sirius where he was. Sirius hoped with everything he had that in the meantime, Poppy would reconsider, and let him stay where he was.

She closed the curtains around Harry's bed, leaving Sirius and Harry alone. Gratefully, Sirius heaved a sigh as silence permeated his surroundings. Because of the charm, he was unable to hear the noise around the rest of the wing, and he briefly wondered what was being said on the other side of the curtain. But as he gazed upon his sleeping godson, he knew none of it mattered. He was now going to do as he had promised himself, and be the one to guard Harry from any harm that might come upon him, even if it was caused by his own mind.

Xxx

Ron Weasley stared into space as he sat in a chair that was situated much too far away from Harry's bed for his liking. He, Ginny, and Hermione, against their better judgment, had been convinced by Madam Pomfrey to let their friend sleep. She had told them that Harry had been awake while they were eating breakfast in the Great Hall, but now needed more rest. Ron was positive there was more to the story, but the matron wouldn't elaborate. All she did was reassure them that Harry was recovering.

Ron, Ginny, and Hermione had tried to convince her to let them go to their friend, but Molly Weasley had eventually put her foot down. She and Madam Pomfrey had compromised with them, allowing them to stay in the wing so they could at least be near him, but imploring them not to bother him. They knew Sirius was keeping watch over him, so knew someone was making sure of his comfort and safety, and that was intensely reassuring. But at the same time, Ron and Hermione in particular felt responsible for his well-being too. Harry was their best friend, and after the ordeal he had just been through, they didn't want to spend a second away from him.

After coming to this compromise, Mrs. Weasley and Bill left to return to the Burrow. Molly had been in tears, wrapping her children in a bone-crushing hug and repeatedly telling them to take care of themselves. As much as Ron sometimes felt resentment towards his mother for things like his maroon socks and the dry, boring roast beef sandwiches, it was in moments like these that he knew those feelings were stupid. Molly loved all of her children, and she tried her best to do right by every one of them. And as his mother had hugged him goodbye, Ron could feel the fear and horror radiating off her, the terror that the war which had ended fourteen years ago was soon to start again.

And now, as Ron sat in a chair with Hermione on one side of him and Ginny on the other, he felt that same fear too. He hadn't known what it was like to grow up at the height of You-Know-Who's power, but the stories he'd heard of those years filled him with raw fright. When the bloodshed and violence came to an abrupt halt, the wizarding world had celebrated for days, for the dark and devastating period in their history had finally ended. Life could go on, and healing could begin. Facing the prospect of more battles, more death, and more grief was not something anyone wanted to consider.

Ron would never forget the awful feeling that had flooded him last night as he had watched Harry and Cedric disappear from the maze. For so long, Ron had envied Harry, envied the fact that he was idolized and worshipped, envied that he seemed so much more confident and worthy than poor, inadequate, stupid Ron. Harry had money, fame, and status, and Ron had none of those things. He was made fun of for his hand-me-down clothes and shabby possessions, and more often than not, jealousy raged inside him. Harry always seemed so unafraid, willing to do whatever it took to accomplish his goals. Through all the adventures Ron had participated in with Harry, he had felt honored to be a part of them, but he knew he wasn't the hero. For Merlin's sake, Hermione did so much more than him too; even in her petrified state, she had done more to help in the Chamber of Secrets than he had. It was her, after all, who discovered the monster in the school was a basilisk.

But it was at the moment when Harry and Cedric disappeared that Ron felt his stomach plummet, and for a split second, he felt like he would lose everything he had eaten in the hours previous. For so much time, he had believed Harry to have put his own name in the Goblet of Fire. He, who was supposed to be Harry's best friend, had let his jealousy blind him, believing the delusion that Harry had wanted all the attention. Even when he had finally gotten a clue and realized he was wrong, envy still ate at him, corrosive and destructive. It wasn't until Harry and Cedric went missing that all his senses awoke, and he was pummeled with the knowledge that this entire thing had been a setup. And now Harry was Merlin-knows-where, and Ron was useless as usual, unable to fight beside him when it mattered most.

As the minutes passed and the noise of the crowd intensified into a roar, Ron felt more and more nauseated. Where was Harry? What was happening to him? He had put his arm around Hermione on one side, Ginny on the other, and all three had sat, the intensity of their shaking increasing as time dragged on.

And then, Harry had returned. Nothing could have prepared Ron for the sight that had met his eyes then. Harry, his composure gone, trembling and sobbing and clinging to Cedric, who lay glassy-eyed and frozen and so terribly, horribly, unimaginably still. Cedric, who Ron had also said disparaging things about, Cedric who Ron hadn't cared less about before, but who was now unresponsive and vacant and never coming back. He was dead.

The rest of that night had blurred together into one long blob, and even now, in the light of morning, Ron could barely see straight. All he knew was that in the span of one day, everything he thought he knew had changed. The universe had shifted, and nothing would ever be the same again. And as he sat here in the hospital wing with Hermione and Ginny, he had never been more terrified, nor felt more regret for his past behavior, in his entire life.

He turned to Hermione, and what he saw on her face scared him even more. Throughout there four years at Hogwarts, Hermione had always seemed to have the answers; she had never doubted the direction their lives were going in. But looking at her now, the fragility and fear in her eyes almost undid him. For once, Hermione Granger was as vulnerable and lost as he was.

It was Ginny, however, who voiced what all three of them were thinking. "What do we do now?" she whispered, her own eyes full of the rawness and shock they all felt. "Where do ... where do we go from here?"

"They think he did it," Hermione whispered, her voice barely audible, but the horror in it couldn't be more apparent. "They think Harry murdered Cedric."

Oh yes, Ron thought, her words making it real all over again, because that was truly the worst of it, wasn't it? It was bad enough that Harry had endured the trauma of last night. It was bad enough that Ron's guilt was almost suffocating him. It was bad enough that he had been jealous, and suspected his friend of betraying him by not telling him how he got past the age line. Ronald Bilius Weasley had already been the worst friend imaginable, and now, he was terrified that he would still be a failure. After all, how could he possibly shelter Harry from the vicious conspiracy theories that were circulating around Hogwarts now?

He, Hermione, and Ginny had heard the snatches of conversation as they had sat in the Great Hall eating breakfast. As they'd looked around the room, they had seen many students with tears streaming down their faces, grieving for their fallen classmate. But they had also seen the speculative looks and heard the low whispers that had penetrated through the hall, and the murmurs of "Potter" and "murderer" that had buzzed through the atmosphere like a hive of venomous bees. It had taken everything Ron possessed not to go storming over to the whisperers and punch their lights out. How dare they perpetuate such lies! They shouldn't even be allowed to say Harry's name! They were a bunch of cowards who didn't know the meaning of loyalty if it bit them on the arse.

But, Ron thought as Hermione let out a small sob beside him and he put an arm around her, I've been a disloyal coward, too. Has Harry truly ever grabbed for attention? Did he want any of this? And Ron always drew the same conclusion now: the answer was always a firm, resounding "no".

Ginny spoke up again, and even though there was fear in her eyes, her voice was suddenly strong and unyielding; the uncertainty and vulnerability were gone. "We fight for Harry, that's what we do. We prepare to fight You-Know-Who, and we defend Harry. We know the truth, and we won't let the bloody Ministry and those other stupid fools win."

Ron stared at his little sister, and his heart swelled with love and pride. Ginny was afraid, just like him and Hermione, but she was standing tall. And as her eyes bored into his, Ron vowed to do the same. There was no more time for envy, for wishing things were different, for doubt and uncertainty. There would be many battles to fight in the coming days, but Ron was now truly going to be Harry's best friend. He would meet them all head-on, and counter each attack blow by blow.

"Yes," said Hermione, who had now regained her composure and was looking at Ginny with pride as well. She exchanged a glance with Ron, and squeezed his arm. "Whatever it takes."