Chapter Twenty Five

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Third task has just begun and I have no interest in talking to anybody around me, I don't understand how everyone could be so excited. Don't they understand the probability of someone getting hurt or worse? Don't they understand that not everything is perfect all the time, only one person will win. The rest will be known as somebody who almost won. That's incredibly embarrassing, is there no remorse at this damn school?

Already, a red flare from someone wand shoots up into the air and explodes. The professor's lack of urgency terrifies me. It should alarm everyone else too but it doesn't seem like anyone cares except for Hermione who is just as nervous as me, every time any type of noise comes from the maze she inches closer to Ron, to look for comfort. He tries to hide a smile each time but it's so obvious, he fancies her. And she fancies him back, but they're both to stubborn to tell each other.

Turns out I lost my bet with Seamus, he predicted that Fleur would be the first one out. He was right. Now I have to do his Potions homework for a week.

"Hey Kennedy!" He shouts from a bleacher below me.

"Yeah I know, Seamus." I shout back reluctantly. It's really a crappy thing to bet on but there's no arguing with Seamus.

Next to be pulled out is Krum, he was bewitched apparently. That only brings up more stress.

The whole time I'm just praying that I don't see them dragging Harry out of that maze. I don't know what I would do, he's my closest friend right now. He's the only one who knows about my mother and he's sort of my first real 'crush' I guess. Yeah I've had little things for people before but I have to admit I look for Harry's validation all the time, I do everything in my power to impress him. I'm worried it's becoming an obsession.

There's a white flash from the maze, nobody knows what that could mean so my heart begins beating faster. For a while nothing happens, it's just completely silent. The professors don't seem to have any worries, they seem to know what it was and nobody is going in there to get anyone so I'm sure it's fine.

Still, something feels off.

After much more time has gone by many students are starting to question whether they are coming back or not. It's illogical that they wouldn't, and even if they were badly hurt that would be pulled out, just like Fleur and Krum. But Professor Snape has even got a look of worry in his eye which can only mean terrible things.

Most everyone is instantly relieved once Harry and Cedric pop up on the ground. The cup must have been a port key, I should've known.

I'm not too quick to celebrate though, I had been expecting something terrible to happen all night. Harry's got his head on Cedric's chest which leaves me a bit confused, why wouldn't he just get up already? But once he picks up his head I notice the tears practically bursting out of his eyes. It's too chaotic and loud for anyone else to notice that Harry's sobbing.

"Stop! Can't you see somethings wrong?" I shout after I've had enough of everyone being so ignorant. But nobody can hear me, not until a blood curdling scream comes from Fleur's usually delicate voice.

"Oh my god." Hermione gasps.

"What?" Ron questions while turning towards Hermione to look her in the eye with a concerned tone.

"He's dead." Lavender Brown shouts from the row below us as she covers her face with her hands "Cedric, he's dead."

All eyes fall on the lifeless body, that professor Dumbledore and Moody are trying to pry Harry off of. He refuses to let go, I can only imagine what's going through his head as he keeps shouting what sounds like nonsense.

"He's back! He's back!"

The professors try to shush him but it's no use, he's louder than them. He looks around begging for somebody to reassure him, but they all just grasp his arms and pull him off of Cedric until he's finally passed over to Moody. Harry struggles to get out of the professors grip but I have to agree, it's best to get him out of the stadium, even if it's unwillingly.

It's quite possible he's gone insane, it's hard to tell with the way he's acting. It's scary to see somebody who you care about so much look so traumatized, I've never seen anybody act this way.

It only gets horribly worse ones Cedirc's father realizes what has happened, I can't even watch as the poor man leans over his seventeen year old son's dead body. I can't believe it, Seventeen, he is seventeen.

Was seventeen.

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I take a walk to the bench near the herbology classroom, it's a foggy, humid day. Depressing mostly though. I haven't seen one person smile since third task, not one. The best news I've heard is that Harry is back to 'normal' whatever that means. Obviously he'll never be the same again.

The bench is wet, it gets my skirt damp but I don't really care that much. I just need some fresh air. I study some of the little flowers around on the ground.

"Could I sit?"

I look up, it's Harry with his dark circles and sorrowful tone.

I give him a small nod.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that." I begin while still looking at the ground.

"You don't believe me do you?" He asks.

Everyone's choosing to call Harry attention seeking or mad because he says that The Dark Lord is back. So now he's witnessed a death, and lost most of his friends.

"I believe you." I admit, I think I'm the only one.

I can feel him turn towards me, I choose not to ignore him and mirror his action.

"I'm sorry that everyone is being so inconsiderate about it, Harry. I'll always believe you."

"Thank you." He says while letting his gaze slip down to my lips slightly. I try to block out the obvious tension that's growing between us to keep things as normal as possible for him.

He slowly leans closer to me and my stomach becomes weak.

Now he's pressed his lips against mine for just a moment, arguably one of the best moments in my life before pulling away ever so slightly. Just enough so that our noses can't quite touch.

"I know you stopped eating Kennedy." He whispers.

I don't know what to say to something like that, all I know is I liked what we were just doing.

"It's ok, I'm ok. Don't worry about me." I whisper back, and before I know it, we're back to kissing.

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I feel like I sort of  butchered Ced's death but it was honestly so hard to write about. Hopefully everyone thought it was good.

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