HP • Legilimency | 𝐍. 𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐅𝐎𝐘

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝

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Astria felt her body collapse abruptly onto the ground, her face pressing against the grass, whose scent filled her nostrils. She had kept her eyes closed since the journey with the Portkey, but now, motionless, it seemed like all the air had been expelled from her lungs. Her mind was spinning, and the ground trembled like a ship's deck. She heard Harry's sobs, but couldn't make a sound.

To steady herself, she clutched two things tightly in her hands: the Triwizard Cup, smooth and cold, and Harry's hand. She was afraid that if she let go of either, she would slip into the darkness that was creeping at the edge of her mind. Shock and exhaustion kept her grounded, inhaling the scent of the grass, waiting... waiting for something to happen.

Applause echoed somewhere, accompanied by cries of joy and music. Then Fleur's cry pierced the air, high-pitched and mournful, and the people around finally seemed to take notice. A flood of sounds deafened her, and she found herself surrounded by voices, footsteps, and shouts.

Someone approached, trying to pull Harry away. "No! No!" He cried, refusing to leave Cedric. Astria also refused, holding onto Cedric even tighter. Then, she felt soft hands gripping her cheeks and lifting her face. "Astria, look at me! Please, look at me!"

She met Narcissa's brown eyes as the shadows of people crowded around. She felt the ground vibrate as they approached and realized they were back outside the maze, with the stands above, people moving, and stars in the sky.

"What happened? What's going on?" The pale and bewildered face of Cornelius Fudge appeared. "Dumbledore, Diggory!" he muttered, "Dumbledore, he's dead!"

These words were repeated and echoed through the crowd. "He's back! Voldemort is back!" Harry exclaimed through tears. "Cedric asked us to bring his body back," Astria whispered with a trembling voice. "We couldn't leave his body there."

"It's alright, dear, it's alright," Narcissa wiped her tears and caressed her cheeks. "He's home, you three are home."

Fudge tried to separate Harry and Astria from Cedric, but both resisted. Then Narcissa's face, still blurred and fuzzy from her tears, came closer. "It's over, dear, let go, give me your hand," she gently asked, and Astria obeyed.

Confusion grew, and people around started shouting about Cedric's death.

"They need to go to the hospital wing!" Fudge said loudly. "Both are badly injured, Dumbledore, Diggory's parents are here, in the stands..."

"I'll take them, Dumbledore, I'll take them..."

"No, I'd prefer..."

"I'll take care of Astria myself," Narcissa snapped as she stood up.

"Lady Black... Dumbledore, Amos Diggory is running... he's coming here... don't you think you should tell him... before he sees...?"

"Astria, look at me," Narcissa asked again, lifting her face. She had to blink several times to try to see; there were so many voices, so many voices in her head.

"Shhh, it's alright, angel. I need you to stay here; I'll be back. Don't move from here."

People were shouting, sobbing, hysterical... the scene flickered strangely before Astria's eyes.

"It's alright, little girl, I'm with you... come on... to the hospital wing..."

"No, Narcissa told me to stay," Astria said slowly, her head heavy, making her feel nauseous; her vision was blurrier than ever.

"You need to lie down... come on, now... Come along, Harry, I'll help you."

"No! No... Ciça told me to stay," Astria clung to the grass, planting her feet firmly, and felt someone trying to lift her. Someone larger and stronger than her carried her through the frightened spectators while pulling Harry.