CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

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The next day, Arabella met Draco in the Astronomy Tower. Because of her mother and Bill coming to Hogwarts and the third task, they hadn't spoken in a while and Draco wanted to make sure she was okay.

"I mean, my eyes hurt from all the crying, but yeah, I'm okay," she told him when he asked. "I just... I don't want to believe You-Know-Who is back but at the same time, I know Harry wouldn't lie about that. And Cedric... why Cedric? Of all people, why Cedric? Oh, poor Cho." At the thought of how terrible Cho must be feeling, Arabella began to cry again, and Draco held her while she did so.

Arabella spent the next week trying her best to keep it together, but every time she thought about Cedric or the future now that Lord Voldemort had returned, she cried, no matter how hard she tried not to. Her friends were always nice about it and did their best to comfort her, but she still felt embarrassed for being such a mess.

The last feast of the school year was very solemn and quiet. Instead of the colors of one of the four Houses, as was custom for the Leaving Feast, the Great Hall was decorated in black to honor Cedric. As he did every year, Professor Dumbledore addressed them all when they had finished their food, but his final speech this year was much more foreboding than any others Arabella had ever heard from him.

"Today we acknowledge," he said, "a really terrible loss. Cedric Diggory was, as you all know, exceptionally hard-working, infinitely fair-minded, and most importantly, a fierce, fierce friend. Now, I think, therefore, you have the right to know exactly how he died. You see, Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort." At these words, Arabella once again began to cry. "The Ministry of Magic does not wish me to tell you this. But not to do so, I think, would be an insult to his memory. Now, the pain we all feel at this dreadful loss reminds me, and reminds us, that while we may come from different places and speak in different tongues, our hearts beat as one. In light of recent events, the bonds of friendship we've made this year will be more important than ever. Remember that, and Cedric Diggory will not have died in vain. You remember that, and we'll celebrate a boy who was kind and honest and brave and true right to the very end."

Once they were dismissed, everyone gathered in the courtyard to say goodbye to the guests from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. Arabella was still sniffling as she stood with Hermione, Angelina, Alicia, Olivia, Cho, and a friend of Cho's.

"Cho, how are you doing?" Olivia asked the girl.

Cho shrugged. "I'm all right," she said. "I will be, at least." Like Arabella, she was still sniffling as well.

Arabella's heart broke for Cho and she gave her a comforting hug. When they pulled away, it was just in time to see Viktor and another Durmstrang boy walking away. Hermione and Alicia were watching them, their cheeks flushed. Arabella smirked at Hermione before she felt someone grabbing her hand. She looked to see that it was Draco, and she allowed him to lead her away from her friends to a less crowded area of the courtyard.

"You know we don't have to say goodbye yet," she said to him. "We still have the journey home."

"Yes, but I know you're going to want to sit with your friends on the train, and once we're on the platform, we have to pretend to hate each other," he reminded her.

"Right." She looked over and saw a few students giving them condescending looks. "I wish they wouldn't look at us like that."

He gently grabbed her chin and made her look at him again and not at the crowd of students. "Ignore them."

She leaned in and kissed him. "Please be safe this summer," she pleaded once they had pulled away.

He looked slightly confused. "Yeah, of course I will. Why wouldn't I be?"

They both knew exactly the reasons she suspected he wouldn't be safe.

"You'll write to me, won't you?"

"Of course I will."

The ride back to London on the Hogwarts Express was dull. Arabella sat with Seamus, Dean, Ginny, and Evelyn. The train ride home with them was usually lively and enjoyable, but not this year.

On Platform 9 3/4, Arabella hugged Seamus and Dean before joining her family. When she did, she saw Molly hug Harry and whisper something to him before letting him go. They all said goodbye to him and watched as he left the station with his uncle.

"Now, where's Fred?" Molly asked, looking around and noticing she was one child short.

"I'm Fred," said Fred.

"Oh, sorry Fred. Where's George, then?"

"Over there." He pointed across the platform at George, who was conversing with Olivia and a woman who looked to be her mother.

"I do hope he's invited her to stay over the summer," Molly said, watching the three. "You all could do with a good influence."

"Mum, she's dating George. She can't be that good of an influence," Ginny pointed out.

"She's not," Fred agreed.

"Oh, please," Molly scoffed, waving her hand at the two. "You think I can't see her prefect badge? Speaking of which," she turned to Ron and Arabella, "I'll be expecting for you two to get your own this summer."

"Good luck with that," the twins said together.





[word count: 944]
[written: 6/4/20]
[published: 6/24/20]

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