Chapter 112: Life Changing Moments

The crowds were a mixture of cheers and confusion. Some was cheering because of the light indicating the claim of the cup. However, we were all confused over who got it, and what was happening.

"I'm going to see what's going on." said Bill to Mum. He got up and walked down to the pitch.

Hermione and I sat there puzzled. None of the officials were saying anything, and from the looks of Bill down there, they weren't talking him much either. However, he did seem to get a few words in with Fleur.

Slick git.

"Something happened, Ron." worried Hermione beside me. She was beginning to bounce her leg, a habit she would do when she was really nervous.

I hesitantly put my hand on her thigh to stop it from shaking. "Stop thinking the worst, Harry's alright. He probably got lost, or maybe the maze changed or something."

Hermione, much to my surprise, looped her arm through mine and scooted closer to me. "Are you sure?" she whispered in my ear.

I wanted to say yes so she would calm down. However, she knew and I knew that it would have been a lie.

"No." I said truthfully. "But Harry has gotten out of way more shit than a maze."

"Language, Ron. Your mum is right beside me." scolded Hermione.

"Don't you start Granger."

"Well don't you start cursing, Weasley."

"I can curse all I please." I said, smirking.

"Why must you be so vulgar?"

"Cuz it's fun. You should try it sometime."

"I'd rather not."

"Awh, come on, say fuck."

Hermione looked at me, jaw dropped like it wanted to touch her feet. "I will not say that word, Ronald Weasley!"

"Come on, it's easy. Say fuck. It'll make you feel better, I guarantee it." I said, smiling widely at her.

"You are so insufferable."

"So FUCKING insufferable?"

"I cannot stand you, Ron." said Hermione, rolling her eyes at me.

More time passed. The only word we had gotten was directions from Dumbledore to stay seated and that there was a slight hitch, but everything was going to be okay.

Somehow, I didn't think he was telling the truth on that one.

Hermione had sent from looping my arm, to clutching it, laying her head on my shoulder. She, like everyone else, was starting to grow tired of being in the stands and doing nothing. As much as I too, was tired, I couldn't help but feel relaxed and important that Hermione was clutching to me like she was. It made me feel like she was looking to me for support.

"What's going on for the summer?" I asked her, trying to keep her awake. "Any plans?"

"Not that I know of." said Hermione, yawning. "Mum and Dad had written a while back about vacation, but then last week they wrote saying that they had some conventions they suddenly had to go to."

"Oh." I said, suddenly feeling nervous. "Ummm, well, you know you can always come to the Burrow and stay, if you want."

"The Burrow?" she said, lifting her head to look at me.

"Yeah." I said, feeling even more nervous. "I know it isn't France or Italy or anything, but we could swim and sh- stuff and find other things to do. I'll even let you nag me."

Hermione looked as if she was blushing. "So, you wouldn't mind me being there? What about Harry?"

I shrugged. "I figured Harry would try to find a way to be with Sirius for his summer for a while. But he's welcome to come to. You don't have to if you don't want to that is."

"No!" she said quickly. "I mean, of course I would love to come. Hey, maybe you could come see a cinema with me before we go to the Burrow."

"A cinema?"

"A movie. Like a show on the telly, but longer? It's great, I think you will like it. You go to a large building and sit in the theater with a bunch of other people and you watch the show. Best part? You can eat snacks like you're at home."

"Snacks, eh? Well, I guess that sounds alright. Sure, we can do that...if you want." I said, feeling my face and ears turn red.

Hermione beamed at me. "Sure."

The whole thing sounded brilliant. Also, it somewhat sounded like a date. A muggle date.

The wheels in my head started turning. 'Is this going to be a date? Should I pay for it? What do I wear? Did this mean she likes me as much as I like her? Should I tell her I like her? Do I kiss her? Shit, Ron, what do I-'

My thoughts were cut short by a shining blue light that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere outside of the maze. Hermione hopped up, bringing me with her.

"Ron? Is it...do you think it's Harry?" she said, not really asking me anything.

I squinted as the crowd was starting to stand up and cheer.

"Come on, Ron!" said Hermione suddenly, grabbing me by the hand. I quickly found myself being pulled swiftly down the steps of the stands by Hermione, rushing to see what was going on.

There was victory music playing, but by the time we reached the pitch, it stopped.

Something was seriously wrong. I saw Dumbledore rush to the area where the light had come from, and suddenly, Professor McGonagall had stepped in front of us, preventing us from stepping any further.

"Return to your seats." she said firmly.

Hermione started babbling to McGonagall, still holding onto my hand. I stood on my tiptoes, straining my neck to see over Dumbledore, who was now knelt down over someone.

I looked and made out Harry's shirt and unruly hair. Then, there was a scream. A girl's scream. The crowd grew quiet as another scream rang out. Hermione and McGonagall stopped talking and looked towards Harry.

"Dead!" I heard someone yell.

I pushed through people, clutching Hermione's hand in mine, trying to push through

And then others shouted "He's dead!" "He's dead!" "Cedric Diggory! Dead!"

I stopped in my tracks. For a second, I had thought my friend was dead. And then, to hear Diggory...

"Ron?" said Hermione, squeezing my hand and looking up at me as if I had a solution in my head.

"It can't be..." I mouthed.

"Let me through!" I heard a man yell. I looked over and saw Amos Diggory, heading towards the pitch, almost leaping over people.

He managed to push through, opening a path of vision. And that's when I saw him. With Harry weeping frantically at Dumbledore.

Cedric Diggory. Eyes wide open with a look as if he had seen the devil himself.

Dead on the ground.

More screams erupted as more people saw Cedric's lifeless body. Cedric's dad had finally reached him.

"That's my boy. THAT'S MY BOY!" he cried out, eyes overflowing with tears.

Hermione crushed her face into my chest. I held her as close to me as I could, not knowing what else to so. Not knowing what to say. Even I felt tears rolling down my cheeks.

It was the most heart wrenching scene I had ever been a part of. Cedric's dad weeping over his dead son, Cho appearing out of nowhere, kneeling to the ground in tears, people screaming and crying and holding each other. Hermione muffling no over and over as her hands clung to the back of my shirt.

And Harry? Harry had disappeared.

The walk back up to the school after 20 minutes of getting everybody organized felt long. Longer than it ever had. Mum had Ginny latched onto her, Hermione was latched onto me, and Bill was walking with the twins, with Angelina latched onto George, crying. Around us, people were moving so slow, you would have sworn they weren't moving at all.

I turned and looked back at the pitch. Cedric's parents and Cho was still down there.

When we finally got inside, we were directed into the Great Hall by a teacher, I really didn't care to pay attention to who it was. We sat down at the Gryffindor table.

None of us said a word. All we did was listen to the sobs that were going across the room. Even some of the Slytherins were crying. Mainly the girls. The Hufflepuff table, however, was like a downpour.

"Did you see what happened to Harry?" Mum asked Hermione and I. Hermione just sat there, and I shook my head.

"Well, he has to be around here somewhere, the poor boy." said Mum, starting to look around the room.

"Mum, I'm sure Harry's fine." said Bill. "Probably with Dumbledore trying to sort out this mess."

"Well I'm going to find out!" said Mum who marched out of the Great Hall.

Bill rolled his eyes. "Come on, you two." he said, pointing at Hermione and I.

We followed swiftly after Mum, trying our best to keep up. When Mum was on a mission, she was very quick on her feet.

She led us to the hospital wing, where she barged right in yelling at an unsuspecting Madam Pomfrey, demanding to know where Harry was.

We all huddled around the two women, who were bickering back and forth. Suddenly, the door to the hospital wing opened, and Harry, Dumbledore, and Sirius in dog form entered. Harry looked as if he wanted to drop.

Mum let out a scream."Harry! Oh Harry!"

She started to hurry toward him, but Dumbledore moved between them.

"Molly," he said, holding up a hand, "please listen to me for a moment. Harry has been through a terrible ordeal tonight. He has just had to relive it for me. What he needs now is sleep, and peace, and quiet. If he would like you all to stay with him," he added, looking around at me, Hermione, and Bill too, "you may do so. But I do not want you questioning him until he is ready to answer, and certainly not this evening."

Mum nodded. She was very white. She rounded on Hermione, Bill, and Ias though we were being noisy, and hissed, "Did you hear? He needs quiet!"

"Headmaster," said Madam Pomfrey, staring at the great black dog that was Sirius, "may I ask what - ?"

"This dog will be remaining with Harry for a while," said Dumbledore simply. "I assure you, he is extremely well trained. Harry - I will wait while you get into bed. I will be back to see you as soon as I have met with Fudge, Harry, I would like you to remain here tomorrow until I have spoken to the school." He left.

Madam Pomfrey led Harry to a nearby bed and gave him some pajamas, pulling screens around him. We gave him a couple minutes to get himself together, then we came around the screen and settled ourselves in chairs on either side of him. Hermione looked at him though she was scared of him. I more than likely looked just as worried as her.

"I'm all right," he told us. "Just tired."

Mum's eyes filled with tears as she smoothed his bed-covers unnecessarily.

Madam Pomfrey, who had bustled off to her office, returned holding a small bottle of some purple potion and a goblet.

"You'll need to drink all of this. Harry," she said. "It's a potion for dreamless sleep."

Harry took the goblet and drank a few mouthfuls. Not even a minutes later, he was sleep.

"He looks a bloody mess." I said truthfully.

"Ronald!" shrieked Mum.

"Well he does! He would say so himself if he were awake." I said. "What the bloody helm happened?"

"I'm sure we'll find out when he wakes up and is ready to talk, Ron." said Hermione, her voice cracking.

"Speaking of waking up, you two need to go and get some rest." said Mum, looking at us.

"Like hell ("Ron!" gasped Hermione) ! " I said, not caring that I had cursed in front of my mother. "I'm not leaving him down here by himself."

Mum looked to Hermione, I guess for her to make me see reason, but Hermione shook her head. She wasn't going anywhere either.

So the four of us sat there, watching and waiting. About an hour later, we started hearing voices. An argument.

"They'll wake him if they don't shut up!" I whispered.

"What are they shouting about? Nothing else can have happened, can it?" said Hermione, as we tried to hear who the voices were.

"That's Fudge's voice," Mum whispered. "And that's Minerva McGonagall's, isn't it? But what are they arguing about?"

"Regrettable, but all the same, Minerva -" Cornelius Fudge was saying loudly.

"You should never have brought it inside the castle!" yelled Professor McGonagall. "When Dumbledore finds out -"

We went around the curtain to see what the fuss was about.

Fudge came striding up the ward. Professors McGonagall and Snape were at his heels.

"Where's Dumbledore?" Fudge demanded Mum, who looked insulted that the man had accosted her the way he did.

"He's not here," said Mum angrily. "This is a hospital wing. Minister, don't you think you'd do better to -"

But the door opened, and Dumbledore came sweeping up the ward.

"What has happened?" said Dumbledore sharply, looking from Fudge to Professor McGonagall. "Why are you disturbing these people? Minerva, I'm surprised at you - I asked you to stand guard over Barty Crouch -"

"There is no need to stand guard over him anymore, Dumbledore!" she shrieked. "The Minister has seen to that!"

I had never seen Professor McGonagall lose control like this. There were angry blotches of color in her cheeks, and a hands were balled into fists; she was trembling with fury.

"When we told Mr. Fudge that we had caught the Death Eater responsible for tonight's events," said Snape, in a low voice, "he seemed to feel his personal safety was in question. He insisted on summoning a dementor to accompany him into the castle. He brought it up to the office where Barty Crouch -"

"I told him you would not agree, Dumbledore!" McGonagall fumed. "I told him you would never allow dementors to set foot inside the castle, but -"

"My dear woman!" roared Fudge, "as Minister of Magic, it is my decision whether I wish to bring protection with me when interviewing a possibly dangerous -"

But Professor McGonagall's voice drowned Fudge's.

"The moment that - that thing entered the room," she screamed, pointing at Fudge, trembling all over, "it swooped down on Crouch and - and -"

My eyes almost popped out of their sockets. From what I gathered, someone had been given the Dementor's Kiss. But who?

"By all accounts, he is no loss!" blustered Fudge. "It seems he has been responsible for several deaths'."

"But he cannot now give testimony, Cornelius," said Dumbledore. He was staring hard at Fudge, as though seeing him plainly for the first time. "He cannot give evidence about why he killed those people."

"Why he killed them? Well, that's no mystery, is it?" blustered Fudge. "He was a raving lunatic! From what Minerva and Severus have told me, he seems to have thought he was doing it all on You-Know-Who's instructions!"

"Lord Voldemort was giving him instructions, Cornelius," Dumbledore said. "Those peoples deaths were mere by-products of a plan to restore Voldemort to full strength again. The plan succeeded. Voldemort has been restored to his body."

Fudge looked as though someone had just punched him in the face. Dazed and blinking, he stared back at Dumbledore as if he couldn't quite believe what he had just heard. He began to sputter, still goggling at Dumbledore.

"You-Know-Who...returned? Preposterous. Come now, Dumbledore..."

"As Minerva and Severus have doubtless told you," said Dumbledore, "we heard Barty Crouch confess. Under the influence of Veritaserum, he told us how he was smuggled out of Azkaban, and how Voldemort - learning of his continued existence from Bertha Jorkins - went to free him from his father and used him to capture Harry. The plan worked, I tell you. Crouch has helped Voldemort to return."

"See here, Dumbledore," said Fudge, a slight smile creeping up for some odd reason, "you - you can't seriously believe that You-Know-Who - back? Come now, come now...certainly, Crouch may have believed himself to be acting upon You-Know-Who's orders - but to take the word of a lunatic like that, Dumbledore..."

"When Harry touched the Triwizard Cup tonight, he was transported straight to Voldemort," said Dumbledore steadily. "He witnessed Lord Voldemort's rebirth. I will explain it all to you if you will step up to my office."

"I am afraid I cannot permit you to question Harry tonight." said Dumbledore.

Fudge's curious smile lingered. "You are - er - prepared to take Harry's word on this, are you, Dumbledore?"

There was a moment's silence, which was broken by Sirius growling. His hackles were raised, and he was baring his teeth at Fudge.

"Certainly, I believe Harry," said Dumbledore. His eyes were blazing now. "I heard Crouch's confession, and I heard Harry's account of what happened after he touched the Triwizard Cup; the two stories make sense, they explain everything that has happened since Bertha Jorkins disappeared last summer."

"You are prepared to believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, on the word of a lunatic murderer, and a boy who...well..."

"You've been reading Rita Skeeter, Mr. Fudge," came Harry's voice out of nowhere, making Hermione, Mum, me, and Bill all jump. None of us had realized that Harry was awake.

Fudge reddened slightly, but a defiant and obstinate look came over his face.

"And if I have?" he said, looking at Dumbledore. "If I have discovered that you've been keeping certain facts about the boy very quiet? A Parselmouth, eh? And having funny turns all over the place -"

"I assume that you are referring to the pains Harry has been experiencing in his scar?" said Dumbledore coolly.

"You admit that he has been having these pains, then?" said Fudge quickly. "Headaches? Nightmares? Possibly - hallucinations?"

"Listen to me, Cornelius," said Dumbledore, taking a step toward Fudge."Harry is as sane as you or I. That scar upon his forehead has not addled his brains. I believe it hurts him when Lord Voldemort is close by, or feeling particularly murderous."

Fudge had taken half a step back from Dumbledore, but he looked no less stubborn.

"You'll forgive me, Dumbledore, but I've never heard of a curse scar acting as an alarm bell before..."

"Look, I saw Voldemort come back!" Harry shouted. He tried to get out of bed again, but Mum forced him back. "I saw the Death Eaters! I can give you their names! Lucius Malfoy -"

"Malfoy was cleared!" said Fudge, visibly affronted. "A very old family - donations to excellent causes -"

"Macnair!" Harry continued.

"Also cleared! Now working for the Ministry!"

"Avery - Nott - Crabbe - Goyle -"

"You are merely repeating the names of those who were acquitted of being Death Eaters thirteen years ago!" said Fudge angrily. "You could have found those names in old reports of the trials! For heaven's sake, Dumbledore - the boy was full of some crackpot story at the end of last year too - his tales are getting taller, and you're still swallowing them - the boy can talk to snakes. Dumbledore, and you still think he's trustworthy?"

"You fool!" Professor McGonagall cried. "Cedric Diggory! Mr. Crouch! These deaths were not the random work of a lunatic!"

"I see no evidence to the contrary!" shouted Fudge, now matching her anger, his face purpling. "It seems to me that you are all determined to start a panic that will destabilize everything we have worked for these last thirteen years!"

Harry looked positively mindblown. He had always said that Fudge was a kindly figure, a little blustering, a little pompous, but essentially good-natured. But now, it seemed like he was a mental case, a mean man that didn't want to believe a word he was saying.

"Voldemort has returned," Dumbledore repeated. "If you accept that fact straightaway. Fudge, and take the necessary measures, we may still be able to save the situation. The first and most essential step is to remove Azkaban from the control of the dementors -"

"Preposterous!" shouted Fudge again. "Remove the dementors? I'd be kicked out of office for suggesting it! Half of us only feel safe in our beds at night because we know the dementors are standing guard at Azkaban!"

"The rest of us sleep less soundly in our beds, Cornelius, knowing that you have put Lord Voldemort's most dangerous supporters in the care of creatures who will join him the instant he asks them!" said Dumbledore. "They will not remain loyal to you, Fudge! Voldemort can offer them much more scope for their powers and their pleasures than you can! With the dementors behind him, and his old supporters returned to him, you will be hard-pressed to stop him regaining the sort of power he had thirteen years ago!"

Fudge was opening and closing his mouth as though no words could express his outrage.

"The second step you must take - and at once," Dumbledore pressed on, "is to send envoys to the giants."

"Envoys to the giants?" Fudge shrieked, finding his tongue again. "What madness is this?"

"Extend them the hand of friendship, now, before it is too late," said Dumbledore, "or Voldemort will persuade them, as he did before, that he alone among wizards will give them their rights and their freedom!"

"You - you cannot be serious!" Fudge gasped, shaking his head and retreating further from Dumbledore. "If the magical community got wind that I had approached the giants - people hate them, Dumbledore - end of my career -"

"You are blinded by the love of the office you hold, Cornelius! You place too much importance, and you always have done, on the so-called purity of blood! You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be! Your dementor has just destroyed the last remaining member of a pure-blood family as old as any - and see what that man chose to make of his life! I tell you now- take the steps I have suggested, and you will be remembered, in office or out, as one of the bravest and greatest Ministers of Magic we have ever known. Fail to act - and history will remember you as the man who stepped aside and allowed Voldemort a second chance to destroy the world we have tried to rebuild!"

"Insane," whispered Fudge, still backing away. "Mad..."

And then there was silence. Madam Pomfrey was standing frozen at the foot of Harry's bed, her hands over her mouth. Mum was still standing over Harry, her hand on his shoulder to prevent him from rising. Bill, Hermione, and I were staring at Fudge.

"If your determination to shut your eyes will carry you as far as this, Cornelius," said Dumbledore, "we have reached a parting of the ways. You must act as you see fit. And I - I shall act as I see fit."

Dumbledore's voice carried no hint of a threat; it sounded like a mere statement, but Fudge bristled as though Dumbledore were advancing upon him with a wand.

"Now, see here, Dumbledore," he said, waving a threatening finger. "I've given you free rein, always. I've had a lot of respect for you. I might not have agreed with some of your decisions, but I've kept quiet. There aren't many who'd have let you hire werewolves, or keep Hagrid, or decide what to teach your students without reference to the Ministry. But if you're going to work against me -"

"The only one against whom I intend to work," said Dumbledore, "is Lord Voldemort. If you are against him, then we remain, Cornelius, on the same side."

It seemed Fudge could think of no answer to this. He rocked backward and forward on his small feet for a moment and spun his bowler hat in his hands. Finally, he said, with a hint of a plea in his voice, "He can't be back, Dumbledore, he just can't be..."

Snape strode forward, past Dumbledore, pulling up the left sleeve of his robes as he went. He stuck out his forearm and showed it to Fudge, who recoiled.

"There," said Snape harshly. "There. The Dark Mark. It is not as clear as it was an hour or so ago, when it burned black, but you can still see it. Every Death Eater had the sign burned into him by the Dark Lord. It was a means of distinguishing one another, and his means of summoning us to him. When he touched the Mark of any Death Eater, we were to Disapparate, and Apparate, instantly, at his side. This Mark has been growing clearer all year. Karkaroff's too. Why do you think Karkaroff fled tonight? We both felt the Mark burn. We both knew he had returned. Karkaroff fears the Dark Lord's vengeance. He betrayed too many of his fellow Death Eaters to be sure of a welcome back into the fold."

The air felt as if it had been sucked out the room, and replaced with awkwardness, fear, and pressure. Fudge stepped back from Snape too. He was shaking his head. He did not seem to have taken in a word Snape had said. He stared, apparently repelled by the ugly mark on Snape's arm, then looked up at Dumbledore and whispered, "I don't know what you and your staff are playing at, Dumbledore, but I have heard enough. I have no more to add. I will be in touch with you tomorrow, Dumbledore, to discuss the running of this school. I must return to the Ministry."

He had almost reached the door when he paused. He turned around, strode back down the dormitory, and stopped at Harry's bed.

"Your winnings," he said shortly, taking a large bag of gold out of his pocket and dropping it onto Harry's bedside table. "One thousand Galleons. There should have been a presentation ceremony, but under the circumstances..."

He crammed his bowler hat onto his head and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. The moment he had disappeared, Dumbledore turned to look at the group around Harry's bed.

"There is work to be done," he said. "Molly...am I right in thinking that I can count on you and Arthur?"

"Of course you can," said Mum. "We know what Fudge is. It's Arthur's fondness for Muggles that has held him back at the Ministry all these years. Fudge thinks he lacks proper wizarding pride."

"Then I need to send a message to Arthur," said Dumbledore. "All those that we can persuade of the truth must be notified immediately, and he is well placed to contact those at the Ministry who are not as shortsighted as Cornelius."

"I'll go to Dad," said Bill, standing up. "I'll go now."

"Excellent," said Dumbledore. "Tell him what has happened. Tell him I will be in direct contact with him shortly. He will need to be discreet, however. If Fudge thinks I am interfering at the Ministry -"

"Leave it to me," said Bill.

He clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder, kissed Mum on the cheek, gave Hermione and I a nod, pulled on his cloak, and strode quickly from the room.

"Minerva," said Dumbledore, turning to Professor McGonagall, "I want to see Hagrid in my office as soon as possible. Also - if she will consent to come - Madame Maxime."

Professor McGonagall nodded and left without a word.

"Poppy," Dumbledore said to Madam Pomfrey, "would you be very kind and go down to Professor Moody's office, where I think you will find a house-elf called Winky in considerable distress? Do what you can for her, and take her back to the kitchens. I think Dobby will look after her for us."

"Very - very well," said Madam Pomfrey, looking startled, and she too left.

Dumbledore made sure that the door was closed, and that Madam Pomfrey's footsteps had died away, before he spoke again.

"And now," he said, "it is time for two of our number to recognize each other for what they are. Sirius...if you could resume your usual form."

The great black dog looked up at Dumbledore, then, in an instant, turned back into a man.

Mum screamed and leapt back from the bed.

"Sirius Black!" she shrieked, pointing at him.

"Mum, shut up!" I yelled, not caring. "It's okay!"

Snape had not yelled or jumped backward, but the look on his face was one of mingled fury and horror.

"Him!" he snarled, staring at Sirius, whose face showed equal dislike. "What is he doing here?"

"He is here at my invitation," said Dumbledore, looking between them, "as are you, Severus. I trust you both. It is time for you to lay aside your old differences and trust each other."

Dumbledore was asking way too much of Sirius. He despised Snape with a passion. And vice versa.

"I will settle, in the short term," said Dumbledore, with a bite of impatience in his voice, "for a lack of open hostility. You will shake hands. You are on the same side now. Time is short, and unless the few of us who know the truth do not stand united, there is no hope for any us.

Very slowly - but still glaring at each other as though each wished the other to go to hell - Sirius and Snape moved toward each other and shook hands. They let go extremely quickly.

"That will do to be going on with," said Dumbledore, stepping between them once more. "Now I have work for each of you. Fudge's attitude, though not unexpected, changes everything. Sirius, I need you to set off at once. You are to alert Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher - the old crowd. Lie low at Lupin's for a while; I will contact you there."

"But -" said Harry.

"You'll see me very soon. Harry," said Sirius, turning to him. "I promise you. But I must do what I can, you understand, don't you?"

"Yeah," said Harry. "Yeah...of course I do."

Sirius grasped his hand briefly, nodded to Dumbledore, transformed again into the black dog, and ran the length of the room to the door, whose handle he turned with a paw. Then he was gone.

"Severus," said Dumbledore, turning to Snape, "you know what I must ask you to do. If you are ready...if you are prepared..."

"I am," said Snape.

He looked slightly paler than usual, and his cold, black eyes glittered strangely.

"Then good luck," said Dumbledore, and he watched, with a trace of apprehension on his face, as Snape swept wordlessly after Sirius.

It was several minutes before Dumbledore spoke again.

"I must go downstairs," he said finally. "I must see the Diggory's. Harry - take the rest of your potion. I will see all of you later."

Harry slumped back against his pillows as Dumbledore disappeared. Hermione, me, and Mum looked at him. None of us spoke for a very long time.

"You've got to take the rest of your potion. Harry," Mum said at last in a caring, but absolute voice. Her hand nudged the sack of gold on his bedside cabinet as she reached for the bottle and the goblet. "You have a good long sleep. Try and think about something else for a while...think about what you're going to buy with your winnings!"

"I don't want that gold," said Harry in an expressionless voice. "You have it. Anyone can have it. I shouldn't have won it. It should've been Cedric's."

"It wasn't your fault. Harry," Mum whispered.

"I told him to take the cup with me," said Harry.

Mum set the potion down on the bedside cabinet, bent down, and put her arms around Harry. She hugged him as though Harry was another one of her sons. I cracked a small smile at that.

There was a loud slamming noise, and Mum and Harry broke apart. Hermione was standing by the window. She was holding something tight in her hand.

"Sorry," she whispered.

"Your potion, Harry," said Mum quickly, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand.

Harry drank it in one gulp, rested his head on the pillow, and went back to sleep.