Mei Potter, Year Four | Twin from America

Chapter Forty Four: Parents

          Isaac carried me to the castle, led by Charlie. I couldn't stop crying. I felt like a child the way he held me. My arms were over his shoulders and I was crying into his neck. He held me by my legs as they were wrapped around his waist. They couldn't say anything to me. When we got to the infirmary, Madam Pomfrey cleaned Isaac as I had gotten blood and tears on him. Charlie froze when he wiped my arm. At that moment, Professor Dumbledore came in with Harry and compared our arms. It was the death mark carved into our skins.

          "He really is back," Charlie said to me.

          I nodded. Luckily, the cut wasn't magic and our blood was only needed for the ritual. I asked to talk to Isaac privately.

          "What are you going to tell the MACUSA?" I asked softly.

          My voice was nearly gone.

          "I don't know, Mei," he said, "I'm sorry. I wish I knew what to say."

          He kissed the top of my head and went to talk to Professor Dumbledore. I snuck into Harry's bed. Madam Pomfrey didn't mind since we were related. We needed each other. We lost our friend. We saw it happen.

          "No one is going to believe us," I said to Harry when he told me about what happened with Professor Moody.

          "I know," he said softly.

          We held each other and cried over Cedric. We failed him. I refused to take any potions unless it was for my wound. Harry took a sleeping potion but I couldn't use it. When I close my eyes, I see him. Cedric. I broke down when I went back to my dorm. The girls all consoled me as we went through my pictures with him. It was too much for us to bear and I put them into my suitcase. I was alone for a couple days and I wouldn't speak to anyone. Mrs. Weasley would try to talk to me but I couldn't hear anything. She put her hand to my cheek and I flinched.

          "Mei. His parents want to see you," she said softly.

          Tears started to spill from my eyes and I nodded. I went to meet them in the Hufflepuff common room. My heart sank because I knew it wouldn't be the same without him. I walked down and saw them sitting on a sofa against the wall. They were holding something. I knocked and they stood to greet me. Mr. and Mrs. Diggory had me sit in a chair across from them. They handed me what they were holding.

          I gasped, "He framed this?"

           It was the picture of us sleeping.

          "Mei. I know you meant a lot to Cedric. We read the back," Mrs. Diggory told me and started to cry.

          I wiped my eyes but the tears wouldn't stop.

          "He would write to me about you. My husband told me about you two when you met at the Burrow for Christmas. We've gone through his belongings and we saw how much you meant to him. How close you both were," she explained.

          I couldn't stop crying, "I loved Cedric."

         They hugged me, "We know he loved you, Mei."

         "Please take the reward money," I begged.

          They refused. I told them the story behind the pictures we had and I told them I had pictures, too. They were grateful to me.

          "May I look at his dorm bed?" I asked softly.

          They nodded and went with me. I touched his bed softly and saw my robes were under the sheets. I smiled softly and looked at his desk. I could barely laugh. On his desk he was displaying the picture of us smiling and waving and he displayed the drawing I made of myself.

          "He kept your letters," Mr. Diggory said as he showed me a collection of envelopes tied with twine.

          "I'm sorry I couldn't protect your son," I could barely whisper.

          Mr. Diggory left to keep his composure and Mrs. Diggory held me.

         "He wanted to introduce me to you," I cried.

          "I know, sweetheart. He told me everything about you. You're his wonderful girl. I knew it was you and not his date. He looks at you differently in your photos," she said.

          I gasped and couldn't tell whether to feel embarrassed or heartbroken. She handed me something. It was his watch.

          "He told me that you gave this to him. And he hangs that stone in his window when he brings it home," she was getting choked up looking at the stone hanging from his dorm window in front of us.

          "I can't keep this," I said as I turned it over to see his name engraved on the back.

          She insisted and put it on my wrist. I saw his cologne on his dresser.

          "Mrs. Diggory, I don't want anything except this," I said.

          She gave it to me, "Thank you for loving my son."

          I hugged them both goodbye and ran to my common room and past the twins. Even though I ran to the girls' dorm, the twins came in after me. The girls left knowing that I was distraught. I ran to my suitcase and got his robes. The twins stayed by my side and comforted me as I sobbed and screamed. They were crying, too. Eventually I passed out and George carried me to the common room. Fred put away Cedric's robes and went to the common room after us.

          That evening was Cedric's services. Isaac was with me and we sat in the back. Professor Dumbledore told everyone what happened that night. I haven't seen Draco since the morning of the final task. My thumb ran along the watch's rim as I held it in my hand while I thought about Draco. After the services, Isaac told me he was going to stay with me for the last week of school. There weren't any classes and I welcomed his company.