Hogwarts At Last - Familia Primum: Book Two

Chapter 25: The Final Task

**June 23**

Tomorrow is the day. Once tomorrow is over, all this crazy stress from the tournament is gone. We can move on and finish our schooling. I can become the Astronomy professor, Fred and George will open their shop, Cedric will become minister of magic. Everything will be as it should be.

If only I had known sooner.

Cedric and I were in the Hufflepuff common room, going over everything that could possibly come up in that damned maze. Every creature, every curse, every riddle a sphinx could come up with. We practiced every spell he could ever need in there.

It was getting late, I was tired from all the practicing, hot from the workout of the mini duel we had. I took off my jumper, placed it over the couch, and pulled my hair up.

I noticed Cedric staring at me. There was a look in his eyes I couldn't place. I'd never seen that look there before.

"Ced?" I gasped out, as he took my face in his hands. A sweet, tender kiss turned into a full on snog, which then turned into so much more.

Cedric and I made love to each other.

Maybe we were a little young. But screw it. Live in the moment.

I woke up before dawn the next morning on the Hufflepuff couch. A blanket thrown haphazardly over us. My body pressed against Cedric's. His arms wrapped tightly around me.

I shook him awake. We got dressed and went our separate ways. Him upstairs to his dorm, me to Gryffindor tower.

Once there I showered and changed into my Gryffindor shirt with my red stripped tie, my Weasley knitted jumper with an owl on the front, my ripped skinny jeans, and black thigh high boots. I then added Cedric's scarf, pink blush, black and gold eyeshadow, and red lipstick.

There was a foreboding settling in my gut. Something is going to happen. I just don't know what.

I said hello to Bill and Mrs. Weasley in the great hall. Then met up with Cedric and his mum and dad. We walked around the grounds catching up with everything from this year.

We walked to the quidditch pitch, which was now a giant maze.

It's time.

"Good luck. I love you. And I will see you when this is all over." I said, then kissed him passionately.

"Thanks. I love you too, Lils. Always."

"And forever." I said with a smirk as I kissed him.

Little did I know, this would be our last.

I hugged Harry and told him good luck as well.

Joining the Weasleys in the stands, I sat between Fred and George as I said, "something doesn't feel right."

I shrugged the feeling away as we talked with Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie while we waited for the champions to come back.

First was Fleur, then Krum. We waited what seemed like forever for Harry and Cedric to appear. When they did, the cheering erupted the stands.

I just stared, Ced wasn't moving.

**Third POV**

Fleur screams from the sidelines. Lily stands slowly from her seat. She catches the tiniest sliver of Cedric's body lying on the ground as Harry huddles over him.

"God's sake, Dumbledore. What has happened?" Fudge asks horrified.

"Let me through! Let me through!" Amos Diggory shouts as he shoves past anybody in his way. "That's my son! That's my boy! That's my boy!" He cries as he shoves Harry off of Cedric's lifeless body.

Upon hearing Amos' heart wrenching sobs, Lily pushes her way through the onlookers. She collapses beside Cedric's body. Fred and George have followed her, but stay back to give her the space she needs.

"Ced? Ced wake up. You have to wake up, Ced. You can't... you can't leave me.. Cedric! CEDRIC!" Lily's agonizing screams fill the air as she falls on top of him. She clutches his hand in hers, hoping beyond hope that he'll squeeze her hand back, but he never will again.

Fred and George look away from her. As her pain tears them apart inside, a single tear falls down each of their cheeks as they listen to her cry.

As she realizes Cedric is really gone, and never coming back, she cries harder. She hyperventilates, and passes out.

Fred runs to her side, picks her up and carries her to the hospital wing.

************

**Lily POV**

"The end of another year. There is much that I would like to say to you all tonight but I must first acknowledge the loss of a very fine person, who should be sitting here," Dumbledore gestures toward the Hufflepuff table.

"Cedric Diggory was murdered. By Lord Voldemort! The Ministry of Magic does not wish me to tell you this. It is possible that some of your parents will be horrified that I have done so - either because they will not believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, or because they think I should not tell you so, young as you are. It is my belief, however, that the truth is generally preferable to lies, and that any attempt to pretend that Cedric died as the result of an accident, or some sort of blunder of his own, is an insult to his memory." Dumbledore said with a sad look around the hall.

As his eyes landed on mine, I burst into tears and ran from the hall. I ran out of the doors, but the fresh air wasn't enough. I still felt like my lungs were collapsing.

I couldn't breath, I couldn't think straight. I need to run, I thought as I ripped into my tiger form and took off to the forbidden forest. I ran until I could no longer feel my legs. I collapsed in a heap at the edge of the forest.

Once I could move again, I went back to the entrance hall, where Fred and George were waiting for me.

My hair is a frizzy, windblown mess, my eyes are bloodshot, tear stains streaming down my face. But none of that matters.

I run into Fred and George's arms and cry some more.

Nothing will ever be the same again.

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Wow. That was hard to write.

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