ROTBTD: Hogwarts

Chapter Sixteen: Not Who He Seems

We're actually almost done. I'm not sure how many more chapters are left, but there will be more.

Also, I accidentally stopped doing Merida's accent a while ago, so sometimes I might do it, sometimes I might not.

Enjoy!

Merida landed hard on the grass. She didn't want to move. The whole encounter had seemed surreal; now it seemed even more so. She almost laughed at herself. She had dueled with Voldemort? With Lord Voldemort, who was dead? Surrounded by his Death Eaters? It was ridiculous.

But then she realized what she was still holding. She tightened her grip on Cedric's arm. This was her proof. Voldemort was back. No one would have believed her or Harry otherwise. But would they still refuse? Would they still prevent the truth from sinking in? She remembered what Dumbledore had said when he first announced the Triwizard Tournament: "death toll." People had died before in the tournament. That was why it had been discontinued. No one would believe that Lord Voldemort, the most feared wizard ever, had returned; they would put Cedric's death down to an accident in the maze.

Someone screamed. Merida heard someone turn Harry over, followed by Dumbledore's voice yelling his name. Someone seized Merida's arms and tugged her onto her back, and Rapunzel's frantic face appeared over her, with Hiccup and Jack bending over her.

"Voldemort's... back..." she whispered. The four, Harry, and Dumbledore were the only six in the school to speak Voldemort's name.

Rapunzel screamed again at the news, and her hands flew up to her mouth. All three looked up suddenly, and ran; then Professor Mad-Eye Moody's face appeared over Merida. She heard Dumbledore's voice still speaking to Harry. Amos Diggory, Cedric's father, was running up, according to Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic. It all swam in Merida's vision, and melded together in her ears. To keep herself conscious, she tightened her grip once more on Cedric. Moody pried her fingers from his arm, but she put up a good fight.

"He wanted us to bring him back," she mumbled. "He wanted us to bring his body back for his parents..."

"Let go, girl... his parents can't have him with you holding on..."

Merida realized that Moody was right and released Cedric's arm.

"C'mon... up you go..."

Everything was blurring as Merida stood. It seemed impossible that any of it could have happened. Her previous mental argument resumed. How could Voldemort have returned? It was preposterous...

But someone had to have killed Cedric...

Cedric died in a tournament accident...

Not according to his body...

For his body was spotless in the way that only the Killing Curse could leave it.

"You need to rest..."

Moody grabbed her arm in a vice-like grip and led her firmly away from the field.

"What happened, Merida? Why were you in the maze?"

"Figured somethin' was wrong... broke in... found Harry and Cedric in the middle..."

"You broke into the maze?"

"Yeah... Cup was a Portkey... took the three of us to a graveyard... Voldemort... and Peter Pettigrew..."

Moody gave what could only have been a sound of disdain.

"I hid... they killed Cedric... oh, they killed Cedric..."

"What happened then?"

"Pettigrew made a potion... Voldemort got his body back..."