Aria Black and the Triwizard Tournament

Delusional Motherfucker

It seems to be hours before we reach the edge of the maze. When we arrive, it is complete and utter chaos. Many in the stands are crying, and everyone looks shaken.

Many of the teachers are nowhere to be found, such as Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape. Karkaroff has disappeared and Madame Maxine blubbers into Hagrid's shoulder. He does the same into hers. I scan the crowd for Angelina, but don't see her anywhere. Ella is holding both Fred and George's hands as she cries, and Kylie stands beside Fred, about to break down.

My stomach drops, but Nick keeps me upright. We look like quite a pair, stumbling out from a death maze we weren't supposed to be in, bleeding.

All eyes are drawn to us as we exit the maze, and none look relieved to see us alive. What is wrong with them? What happened to make them all cry? Was I too late to save Harry?

Madam Pomfrey emerges from the stands and throws her arms around me. She's fighting back tears, and her maids uniform is full of sweat. Then she pulls back and collects herself. "Let me fix your leg."

I shake my head. "No, we have to find Dumbledore. We know who put Harry Potter's name in the Goblet of Fire."

Madam Pomfrey sighs, staring down at me with her soft eyes. "You do?"

"We do." I say. "Please, Madam, let us go. People are in danger."

Her eyes crinkle, tears well up. "The damage has already been done."

Nick's brows furrow. "What do you mean, ma'am? We just came from the maze, we didn't hear anything."

Madam Pomfrey rocks back and forth on her feet, debating with herself whether to ask the question the first three rows are dying to ask. They're leaning forward, listening with bated breath, yearning to hear what Aria Black has done this time to land in the middle of trouble.

"Why were you in the maze?" She asks finally.

I glance at Nick to ask whether we should tell or not. But he doesn't answer me. He turns straight to Madam Pomfrey and says in a clear voice. "Professor Moody put us under the Imperius Curse."

The silence is broken as whispers travel up the stands. Gasps flutter around. Madam Pomfrey's jaw drops, and she brings a piece of her head covering up to her mouth in surprise.

Then a roar sounds, not unlike the dragons in the First Task. Amos Diggory runs forward, seizing Nick and I by our shirt collars and throwing us into a wall.

I fight to stay up on my injured leg, while Nick squirms.

"Sir, please, let us go!" Nick cries. He doesn't know who this is.

Large watery tears are streaming down Amos's face, and I shake my head feverishly, begging him not to tell me what I already know.

"YOU KILLED MY SON!" He screams, eyes wide and angry and lost. "YOU KILLED CED!"

My leg gives out and I slip to the ground, the tears flowing freely for the first time tonight. Cedric is dead... no, it can't be true. My sweet, kind, fair, caring ex boyfriend and first love is not dead. He's waiting in the Hufflepuff common room, playing cards and doing shots with Ben and Robert.

Amos chokes out four more sobs, sinking down across from me. Nick drops down beside me and we form a triangle of despair.

"I loved him, sir." I whisper. "I'm so, so sorry."