[OG] Champion of Ravenclaw: Inheritance

And He Leaves

Harry was aware of the crowd surging forward of the cheers and music as no one realised what was wrong. Harry didn't care he simply clung to Cedric trying to will the boy to start breathing again. He noticed someone pulling him away but a feral growl shooed the hands back as he cried. The music died and people began to noticed the champion sobbing over an unmoving body.

"What happened?!" Someone shouted as Dumbledore's aged hands cupped Harry's face as forced him to look up.

"He's back, Voldemort is back, he killed Cedric. Oh, why'd he kill Cedric." Harry wailed. "Cedric's ghost, he asked me to bring back his body, I couldn't leave him there I couldn't." Dumbledore pulled the distraught boy into a hug as Cedric's father broke down. The severity of the situation spread like wild fire, people cried along side Harry and Mr Diggory, teachers tried to calm distraught children, Luna tried to push her way out to Harry only to be stopped by Snape. Moody came over and with soft words managed to coax Harry away from the crowd.
---

Once the crowd began to dissipate Ron managed to get to Dumbledore. "You have to find Harry." He gasped. Dumbledore looked around and realised Harry was missing.

"Where is he?"

"It's Moody! He lead Harry away, he'd been acting strange the whole time. Harry asked me to keep an eye on him because he said Moody's scent was dishonest! I didn't get it at first but when I realised he kept drinking from his flask even though it looked like it tasted horrible. It's been Moody or someone pretending to be Moody all along! Using Polyjuice Potion." Ron shouted. "Come, I saw him go into there!"
---

Harry sat in the chair sobbing as Moody moved around him, fretting about something. When the door burst in Harry near had a heart attack. Moody jumped back as Dumbledore pointed his wand at him and pulled Harry away into the awaiting protective arms of professor McGonigal. Snape poured a potion into Moody's mouth.

"Do you know who I am!" Moody spluttered.

"Are you Alistair Moody?" Dumbledore shouted. "Are you?"

"No!" The answer was choked as if he was forced to say it.

"Where is Moody!" Dumbledore snarled. The magic eye moved to look at a chest, everyone was told to step back as Snape opened it. When they leaned forward to look inside they saw the real Alistair Moody at the bottom of what appeared to be a pit.

"But..." Harry sniffled. "If that's Moody then who's that?"

As if on cue the imposter's skin began to bubble and crawl and pulled the magic eye away from his face and dropped it as he changed into a different person. "Barty Crouch Jr." Dumbledore breathed.

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours." Barty said with glee brandishing his arm to reveal a dark mark, a sword with a snake coiled around it. Dumbledore gently pulled Harry's arm forward to reveal the cut o Harry's arm resembled the mark. "So it's done. My lord has risen."

"Send an owl to Azkaban, they'll find they're missing a prisoner." Dumbledore said.

"They'll worship me as a hero there." Barty sneered.

"That's no concern of mine, I have no mind for heroism." Dumbledore snapped leaving the room with Harry.
---

After the funeral Harry locked himself in his room, hours turned into days and days into weeks, the only ones who saw him were Luna and Tippy and neither of them were able to coax the dual from his bedroom. "He barely eats, barely talks. When Miss Luna is there he's a bit better but not by much. Tippy worries." Tippy had said when Minerva asked about his condition. No one quite knew why Harry was so withdrawn, they knew Cedric and Harry had been friends but the severity of Harry's depression was of something more. No one knew until Cedric's father Amos Diggory, found a letter and a pendant. The letter addressed to Harry describing his intentions, describing that the pendant was a courting gift. Then it all clicked, especially amongst inherited who'd lost a mate. The soul tearing pain of losing an intended or mate was something dreadful, on a whole new plane of torture. Ultimately someone very unexpected managed to coax Harry from his room. Professor Severus Snape.