Percy Jackson and the Hound of Hogwarts [Book 3]

31) The Broken Broom

After the match, Cedric felt terrible. He wanted a replay, but had caught the Snitch on accident. He felt he had to make up for it somehow.

So that's how Hufflepuff team started the search for Harry's missing broom.

It had blown off when Harry fell, and no one had thought to catch it. All we know is that it had blown in the general direction of the Forbidden Forest.

Cedric stuck close to me as we weaved through the trees, and he looked a little worried. He had never been in the Forest before, and I knew he was afraid of the creatures in there.

He especially freaked when I killed a Greek bug that flew at me. Still, even though he was afraid, he kept going.

The Forest got darker as night neared closer, and Cedric tried to push on.

"Cedric, come on, we can find it tomorrow, but it's not a good idea to be out here at night," I whispered, climbing through foliage behind him.

Cedric looked back at me, seemingly about to argue, but stopped in his tracks. His eyes widened, and he mumbled a small, "Oh, Hades."

That's when I was thrown to the side, rolling across the ground before hitting a tree.

"Percy!" Cedric shouted, about to run at me. The monster, a hellhound, stepped between him and me, ready to eat me.

I was a little dazed, and hadn't been focused. I didn't realize how close the hellhound was to killing me.

With one clawed paw raised above my head, the hellhound shattered into gold dust. Cedric held my sword in two shaking hands as the dust showered down around me.

"Percy!" Cedric dropped Riptide, running towards me and kneeling. "Percy! Are you hurt? Are you okay?"

I nodded, wincing, "I'm good." I blinked the blurriness away, and focused on Cedric, "Can we go back to the castle now?"

Cedric let out a laugh, wiping some of the dust off of my face before helping me up, "That sounds great."

We walked out of the Forest, when I noticed the Whomping Willow looking more sad than usual. Then I saw it.

"Cedric," I stared at it.

"What?" He looked back at me.

"I found his broom. Well, what's left of it, anyway."

***

Most of Gryffindor team, Ron, Hermione, and I sat around Harry's hospital bed. He was pale, and I was a little worried.

"Lucky Cedric was there," Angelina Johnson said, frowning down at Harry.

"I thought he was dead for sure," Katie Bell said.

"But he didn't even break his glasses," Fred and George pointed out.

"That was the scariest thing I've ever seen in my life," Ron said.

Harry's eyes opened suddenly, and Fred exclaimed, "Harry! How're you feeling?"

"What happened?" Harry sat up very suddenly, and we all gasped.

"You fell off," Fred said. "Must've been — what — fifty feet before he caught you?"