The Protector

Ending Fourth Year

The sound of the band and students cheering nearly brought a smile to my face. Tears were treading down my face. I could hear Harry crying too. I grabbed his hand and we both gripped to Cedric.

The band stopped. Everyone got quiet.

"Harry? Bridget?" Dumbledore came over.

"Cedric...He's...Ce-" I couldn't get it out. My body just couldn't get the words out.

"Cedric's dead!" Harry screamed. I flinched.

"Bridget," I felt someone touch me, but I flinched by their touch. My body aches nearly too much to do anything. I felt a hand on my back and I winced. "Something's not right," McGonagall's voice rang clear in my ears.

"Voldemort," I yelled. "It's him! He's back!"

"Cedric wanted me to bring him back," Harry sobbed. "I couldn't just leave him there."

"You're safe," Dumbledore spoke to both of us. "You're home and safe. Everything's alright."

I just shook my head while continuing to cry. No, nothing was alright. Cedric was dead. Harry and I were tortured. Voldemort was back. Nothing seemed alright.

Everyone began to whisper amongst themselves. Teachers were trying to rally the students on the bleachers. Harry and I never moved.

"Come on, Potter," Moody grabbed Harry. I tried so hard to stand up. Everything just ached.

"Ms. Meadows," McGonagall tried to get my attention.

Mr. Diggory began to weep and cry for his dead son. I wish I could've comforted him. But I needed to save my friend. I was not going to have him get away from me again.

I lagged behind them, due to all the pain throughout my body. When I arrived to the door, Moody was going off about some stuff from the triwizard tournament.

Through the door I heard Moody say, "You ended up in the graveyard because of me," he laughed. I heard Harry wince and I knew it was my time.

I took a few steps backwards and aimed for the door, "Confringo!"

The door exploded. I got hit with some pieces, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. I stepped through and the smoke began to disappear. "Moody!" I shouted, wand out for shooting. "You are not Moody!"

Moody was standing in front of Harry, who was utterly confused, "And...And why do you think that is?"

"I've seen you twitch," I said. "You're Barty Crouch Jr."

"Good job," he smirked. "One of the brightest witches of your age. But I wish I killed you when I had the chance. I swore you wouldn't have come back from the graveyard alive."

"I'm one tough girl," I raised my eyebrow.

"Then you wouldn't mind if I," he used a spell I hadn't heard of before. I was thrown up against the wall. I swear I heard cracking of my own bones. I let out a shrill shriek. Not out of pain, to be clear. So people would come.

I groaned. I tried to get myself up, but it was no use. I couldn't get it. It hurt too bad.

"Expelliarmus!" I heard Dumbledore exclaim. I watched as 'Moody' get thrown back into his chair. The teachers ran up to interrogate the suspect. Snape poured something into 'Moody's mouth. He began to talk nonsense as they interrogated him.

McGonagall came over to me, "Oh dear, Ms. Meadows. Professors, she needs to get taken to the hospital wing."

"I'm..." I took a breath. Wow, I'm tired. "Fine." And I blacked out.