The Big Dipper

Numb

Hadrian eased Ursula into a sitting position, but she didn't care that she'd fainted. Cedric... Cedric couldn't possibly be dead. He was so prepared, so smart... and so, so young. She dug her nails into her palms in an effort to feel something, anything. But she just felt numb.

"Your wand," murmured Hadrian.

"What about it?" said Ursula bitterly.

"Isn't it... isn't it hurting your hand?" asked Hadrian gently. Ursula looked down.

Her wand was hot, hotter than it had ever been before, so hot it was smoking. It left a burn mark on her hand. She could barely feel it through her shock.

Ursula looked down at the Quidditch Pitch, where Cedric's parents were running out to meet Professor Dumbledore, Fudge and the Hogwarts professors were crowded around Cedric, and Harry was being led away by Professor Moody.

Ursula gasped and dropped her wand as the heat intensified further. Her hand stung. She scrambled to pick up her wand. Suddenly, the dots connected and she turned to push past her friends.

"Let me go!" said Ursula, as Hadrian and Cassius tried to hold her back.

"Ursula..." said Hadrian. "There's... there's nothing you can do."

"I need to see Professor McGonagall!" said Ursula. She wriggled free and hurried down the stairs of the stands, her heart racing. She pushed through the crowd on the pitch as Harry and Professor Moody disappeared into the castle.

Don't look, don't look, don't look, don't look...

But Ursula couldn't help it. She saw Cedric... his body... and reeled back. His eyes were so... empty. Then the crowd closed in front of her.

"Ms. Black?" said Professor McGonagall. She looked stunned, though her voice was stern.

"My wand..." said Ursula. "Er — my wand can sense danger. And when — when I saw Professor Moody leave with Harry Potter... well..."

She showed Professor McGonagall the burn on her hand and her wand, which was smoking and burning hot. Professor McGonagall paled and her eyebrows shot up.

"Wait here," she said. She returned a moment later with Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape on his heels. Ursula repeated her story and handed Professor Dumbledore her wand. His brow furrowed.

"Follow me," he said, handing her back her wand. Unsure if he meant her too, Ursula followed behind the professors at Professor McGonagall's urging. There was cold fury on Professor Dumbledore's face, an expression unlike any she'd ever seen before.

Professor Dumbledore walked quickly through the halls of Hogwarts, the sound of the grieving crowd fading away as they crossed through the stone corridors. They reached the second floor, then Professor Moody's office.

"Stupefy!" roared Professor Dumbledore, blasting through the door. Through the splintered remains, Ursula saw Professor Moody thrown backwards onto the floor, and Harry staring at them through Professor Moody's Foe Glass. Ursula's wand burned as she looked down at Professor Moody, but she didn't let go. At least she felt something.

Professor Dumbledore stepped into the office, placed a foot underneath Moody's unconscious body, and kicked him over onto his back, so that his face was visible. Ursula knew this couldn't be the real Moody. Professor Snape followed, looking into the Foe-Glass, where his own face was still visible, glaring into the room. Professor McGonagall went straight to Harry.

"Come along, Potter," she whispered. The thin line of her mouth was twitching as though she was about to cry. "Come along... hospital wing..."

Ursula's prefect instincts kicked in, and she helped Harry to the doorway.