Written In The Stars IV -[Harry Potter xF!Oc]

Chapter Thirty-Six: Dumbledore's Decision.

Dumbledore raised his wand and ropes twisted themselves around Barty Crouch, binding him tightly. He turned to McGonagall.

"Minerva, could I ask you to stand guard here while I take Harry and Mel upstairs?"

"Of course." 

"Severus, please tell Madam Pomfrey to come down here; we need to get Alastor Moody into the hospital wing. Then go down into the grounds, find Cornelius Fudge, I suppose he's quite busy and decided to ignore our friend Flint, but he will undoubtedly want to question Crouch himself. Tell him I will be in the hospital wing in half an hour's time if he needs me."

Snape nodded silently and left the room.

"Children?" Dumbledore addressed them directly.

Harry got up and stumbled, Mel had recovered a bit by now, enough to carry more of Harry's weight. Dumbledore stood on the other side of the boy and held him by the arm firmly.

"I want you to come up to my office first," he told them as they got out. "Sirius is waiting for us there."

Harry nodded absently, Mel felt uneasy, like there was still something waiting to explode.

"Professor," Harry mumbled, "where are Mr and Mrs Diggory?"

"They are with Professor Sprout," said Dumbledore. "She was Head of Cedric's house, and knew him best."

Mel took a shaky breath, she couldn't believe it, that very same morning Harry and her had been laughing, happy about summer, and Cedric... 

When they entered the Headmaster's office, Sirius was there, but he wasn't alone.

Emily and he crossed the room in a hurry, the latter stood in front of her and eyed them up with horror while Emily took Harry and examined his face quietly, kissing his forehead multiple times.

"Harry, are you all right?" Sirius asked shakily. "I knew it — I knew something like this — what happened?" He and Emily helped Harry into a chair, Mel followed without uttering a word, she wondered if her mother knew about her visions.

"What happened?" Sirius demanded.

Dumbledore began to tell them everything Barty Crouch said. Harry and Mel kept their gazes down, fixed on the floor. Something in the air felt like icy water.

There was a soft rush of wings. Fawkes the phoenix had left his perch, flown across the office, and landed on Harry's knee.

"'Lo, Fawkes," said Harry quietly. He stroked the phoenix's beautiful scarlet-and-gold plumage. Fawkes blinked peacefully up at him. There was something comforting about his warm weight.

Dumbledore stopped talking. He sat down opposite Harry, behind his desk. He was looking at Harry, who avoided his eyes. Dumbledore was going to question him. He was going to make Harry relive everything.

"I need to know what happened after you touched the Portkey in the maze, Harry," said Dumbledore. "Mel was a great help, but only halfway, we need to know the other half..."

Emily sent a questioning look to her daughter, she dodged it by fixing her own eyes on the boy.

"We can leave that till morning, can't we, Dumbledore?" Sirius asked dryly. "Let him have a sleep. Let him rest."

"Yes," Emily promptly added. "They look exhausted."

"If I thought I could help you," Dumbledore said gently, "by putting you into an enchanted sleep and allowing you to postpone the moment when you would have to think about what has happened tonight, I would do it. But I know better. Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it. You have shown bravery beyond anything I could have expected of you. I ask you to demonstrate your courage one more time. I ask you to tell us what happened. Mel will tell her part too if you wish."