Learning From The Ashes: Book 2, Year 4

Chapter 18

As I dressed myself in a simple black dress, black tights and black blazer, I couldn't help but feel completely numb. It was comfortable, though. I preferred feeling numb over feeling all the pain of how I couldn't save Cedric. It had been two days since the task and Dumbledore was holding a service for Cedric in the Great Hall today.

"Callie?" I heard Hermione's soft voice ask me. "Are you ready to head down?"

I didn't even glance up at my best friend. I hadn't spoken a word to her or anyone since the end of the third task. Harry had to explain everything to them as I felt like my vocal cords would shatter if I even tried to whisper about what had happened.

"Callie?"

"It's all my fault." I said, gasping through the pain of my heart crunching and my vocal chords stretching.

She ran to me instantly, sitting beside me on the bed as she pulled me down so my head was in her lap and she brushed my hair from my face, tears escaping my eyes as she held me.

"Harry told me every detail that happened, Callie. It is not your fault." She said in a quivering voice.

"I made him take the cup with me. If I would have just listened to him, he would still be alive and Harry never would have had to go through any of that either."

"Callie, Cedric gave his life to save yours. Harry told me how he had his wand up to protect you. What do you think he would say if he saw you curled up crying over him?"

I remembered what I told him when he was entering the tournament and we were talking about him having feelings for Cho. It felt like years ago. "Stop crying. Life is too short."

"Exactly, Callie. Cedric loved you. He wanted you to live your life to the best of your abilities. He didn't die for you to waste your time crying in your room. He died for you to live. Not just breathe. Live."

I nodded my head, sitting up slowly from her lap and embracing her in a tight hug. "You really are the brightest witch of our age, Herms." I cracked a small smile.

"I know." She took my arm gently and lead me out of the Gryffindor common room, down the flights of stairs to the Great Hall.

As we reached the main floor I noticed Dumbledore speaking with Mr. Diggory by the main doors into Hogwarts. I immediately shrugged out of Hermione's grasp, causing her to stop and watch me walk towards the two men.

"Mr Diggory?" I asked hesitantly. "Could I speak with you?"

"Calliope, I don't think-" Dumbledore started.

"No, Dumbledore. I want to hear what she has to say." Mr Diggory said in a quivering voice. It was hard for him to get passed the fact that Harry and I were the last two people to see his son alive.

"Sir, I didn't really get the chance to talk to you yet and I just want you to know I am so sorry. I know that is no consolation to you, but I feel I have to say it. Cedric meant a great deal to me. He was one of my best friends. When we were in the maze, I rescued him from the vines trying to suffocate him so when we reached the cup with Harry, he told me to take the cup because I saved him and I said no. I said we would take it together." I could feel the tears start falling from my eyes as my voice cracked. "It's my fault Cedric was at the graveyard. I told him we would all take the cup together. I took him and Harry there."

Mr Diggory took a sharp inhale of breath before giving me a look that I knew meant to continue with my story.

"When we got to the graveyard and I realized what was happening, I ran to Cedric and tried to reach him in time, but the spell got to him first. He had his wand up and ready. He was trying to protect us." I took a deep breath. "When Harry and I were duelling Voldemort, it was like all the people his wand had killed seemed to come to Harry and I. Harry's parents were there, my mum was there and Cedric was there."

Mr Diggory let a soft sob out as he tried to hold his tears in. "He looked so happy and so handsome, sir. He told me to bring my body back to you. He thanked me and told me he loved me. When Harry and I released the spell, Cedric and our parents held Voldemort off for us to get back to the portkey. He saved us. Your son is a hero."

"He talked about you a lot, you know." Mr Diggory said quietly, his lips quivering. "He told me if he didn't win that he wanted you to, that he had never met a better person in his life. He, um, he really cared about you. Thank you for taking him back to me."

I nodded my head softly before turning back to where Hermione was standing with tears in her eyes. She grabbed my hand and lead me to the Great Hall to sit down and wait for Dumbledore to start his tribute to Cedric.

I sat down in a seat beside Harry, immediately dropping my head onto his shoulder as he placed his on top of mine. "I miss him already, Harry."

"I know you do. He is still with you, though. He always will be."

Dumbledore walked into the hall and took a seat in his chair, not saying a word for what felt like hours. How do you explain something like this to hall full of students that cared about a boy that was murdered, that Lord Voldemort returned and it was him that killed him?

"Today we acknowledge a really terrible loss. Cedric Diggory was as you all know, exceptionally hard working, intricately fair minded. And most importantly a fierce fierce friend. I think therefore you have the right to know exactly how he died. You see, Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort. The ministry of magic does not wish me to tell you this. But not to do so I think would be an insult to his memory."

Many students in the room gasped at the news, many just started sobbing harder. My eyes just stayed trained on mine and Harry's hands, gripping each others so tightly our knuckles were white. Neither of us could cry anymore tears.

"Now the pain we all feel at this dreadful loss reminds me, reminds us that while we may come from different places and speak in different tongues, our hearts beat as one. In light of recent events the bonds of friendship we made this year will be more important than ever. Remember that and Cedric Diggory will not have died in vain, you remember that. And we'll celebrate a boy who was kind and honest and brave and true right to the very end."