There Was A Girl

Facing Death

Hey guys I just wanted to give a shout out to RealVictoire_Weasley for nominating my story. Thank you so much for the support. Anyway let's get back to the chapter shall we?

Facing Death

Cedric stared up at Death for a long, silent moment. Then he struggled to his feet. Determined to meet his fate standing up. Death squared off to him, lifted a cloaked arm, and pointed a long, bone finger. "Cedric Diggory." The voice was strong, booming, deep and dark.

"Yes," Cedric replied.

"Your fate… has been changed. My visit has been delayed. We give you the greatest gift of all. More time." Death bowed slightly to him.

Over the roaring in his ears, Cedric heard his father screaming. He couldn't hear the crowd. Or anything else. But his father's voice cut through like a knife. The banners must still be broadcasting his image in the maze. His father had seen Death before, when his grandfather had passed. He must recognize it now. "My son! My boy! Cedric! CEDRIC!"

Death reached out his hand and touched a single leaf on the hedge. It browned, curled. Died. Then like a spreading virus, death flowed out from that single point of contact. Vines twisted. Cracked. Dried. Leaves darkened. Quickly the entire labyrinth transformed to a dead bundle of sticks.

Then Death swept out with the scythe and the maze disintegrated into sawdust and ash. "Use your time wisely young man. It is rare for my list to be changed." Death turned away.

"Wait!" Cedric called out. "Harry. Where is Harry?"

"Facing his own fate," Death replied, then disappeared with a silent puff of black smoke.

Cedric stood staring at the empty space until his father raced across the fragmented hedges. Amos grabbed his son in a hug, "Oh my son. My boy. What…. What did you say? What did you do to drive Death back?"

"Nothing," Cedric shook his head against his father's shoulder. "Death said my fate was changed. I'd been given more time." He pulled back. "Dad, the Cup, it was a Portkey. Harry was taken. We need help!"

McGonagall and Flitwick ran up to them. "What's going on?" Flitwick demanded. "What happened to the maze?"

"The Cup was a Portkey. Harry was abducted," Cedric replied.

They moved toward the stands and were overrun by people. Voices overlapped, demanding answers, arguing. Cedric was distracted by the sound of the four banners whipping in the wind. He looked up to see Fleur and Krum's images, still and somber, covered with bright red sparks and the word DEFEATED! scrawled across them. Harry's banner showed his name only, the image gone. Cedric's own showed him looking up at the sky as he did now.

"ENOUGH!" Cedric yelled. Silence fell. "Was this all just a game to you all? To have us struggling, battling each other, fighting for our lives. For your ENTERTAINMENT! Did you lay wagers on us? Wonder which of us would fall first? Did you enjoy your evening? Find it EXCITING?" He was panting in anger. "While someone cast an Unforgivable Imperious on one, forcing him to cast Crucio on the others? You just sat back and WATCHED! While three seventeen year olds and a FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD tried to survive the night in front of you? You disgust me." The final sentence was said in a hoarse rasp that still carried through the crowd. He turned and lashed out at the banners. All four shredded into small wisps of canvas that drifted away in the wind.
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Severus was aware of what was happening in the maze below them, but his sole focus was on Hermione. As soon as Harry's image disappeared from the banner, she locked down. Her eyes were open but he knew that she saw nothing in front of her. One hand grasped his, her other was firmly held between both of Draco's. She winced a few times, jerked her arm once. But beyond that she was as still as stone.