Look at Me | Hermione Granger x Female OC (Book 1)

29 - His Final Moments

It was June 24th, 1995, the day of the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament.

The sun began to set as Ellie, Fred, and George made their way to the Quidditch pitch, which had been transformed into a massive labyrinth for the champions. The stands were roaring with spirited students, a multitude of banners and supportive posters in nearly every row. The student band, led by Professor Flitwick, played music in a lively manner, building the excitement for the task.

"Fred, save me a seat, will you?" Ellie asked the boy. "I'm just going to see Cedric before it starts."

Fred nodded as George proceeded to climb the stands in search for seats. Just before leaving, she caught a glimpse of Hermione's curls, groaning as the twins sat in the row just in front of her.

Ellie quickly made her way behind the stands, finding that Cedric stood along with the other champions, nervously fidgeting with his hands. The Hufflepuff charged at Cedric, arms outstretched as the boy caught her midair, spinning her around with a hearty laugh.

"Ellie!" Cedric grinned as he finally put her down, his nervousness seeming to have gone away upon her arrival. "I nearly thought you wouldn't come see me."

"You really think I'd let you compete without wishing you good luck?" Ellie smiled, her heart racing with anxiety for her best friend. "How are you feeling right now? Do you need me to get anything?"

"I'm feeling great, Ellie. No need for anything other than your presence. Don't worry about me so much," Cedric addressed in a nonchalant manner.

"How can I not be worried? It's the final task, which means it'll be the most dangerous," Ellie reasoned. "I just want you to be safe, Cedric. Do whatever you can to ensure that, even if it means giving up the win."

"Don't you fret over my safety. I'll win this tournament. Not just for Hogwarts, but for my father, my friends, Cho, and you."

A tall man with a scrubby bread approached Cedric's side, clasping down onto his shoulder firmly.

"Now, now, son. Don't get ahead of yourself," the man warned. "It's not good to be presumptuous."

"Right, father," Cedric nodded before turning back to his friend. "By the way, Ellie, this is my father, Amos Diggory."

"Nice to meet you, Mister Diggory," Ellie greeted as she shook the man's hand politely.

"Ah, lovely to meet you, Ellie," Amos smiled before checking his watch. "As much as I'd love to talk, I'm afraid it's nearly time to start. I'll be over by the others when you've said your goodbyes."

The man left to converse with the headmaster, leaving Cedric and Ellie alone once more.

"Hey, you be safe out there, okay?" Ellie cautioned. "Don't do anything to get yourself hurt."

"Right on. I'll be back before you know it," Cedric grinned as he glanced backwards to see the champions assembling for their entrance.

Ellie embraced Cedric one last time, holding him in a manner that was much tighter than every other time. Cedric smiled as he embraced his best friend warmly, lifting her up slightly off the ground.

"Good luck," Ellie mumbled into his chest before finally breaking away, forcing herself to plaster an encouraging smile.

"Thank you, Ellie," Cedric smiled. "I'll see you later, alright?"

Ellie nodded as she reluctantly backed away from him, letting him return to the other champions. She began to jog towards the stands, squeezing past the cheering students to sit beside George, ignoring Hermione altogether.

Cedric was the first to emerge from the opening, led by his father. Ellie whooped for him loudly, cupping her hands over her mouth to amplify her voice. The rest of the champions followed, each standing by their family and respective school's headmaster.

"Sonorous!" Dumbledore boomed from the his podium, putting down his wand from his throat as the students and band quieted down. "Earlier today, Professor Moody placed the Triwizard Cup deep within the maze. Only he knows its exact position. Now, as Mister Diggory..."

A loud roar of hurrahs came from the Hufflepuff as Amos lifted his son's arm in the air. Cedric found Ellie in the stands and smiled widely at her before glancing back down to Cho to give the same gesture.

"...and Mister Potter..."

A weaker, yet somewhat loud cheer came from the students, and Ellie heard Hermione's voice overpower the rest. Ellie knew Hermione wasn't much of a screamer, yet it seemed that the Gryffindor sought to make her jealous. Nonetheless, Ellie clapped for Harry and sent a warm smile in his direction.

"...are tied for first position, they will be the first to enter the maze, followed by Mister Krum... and Miss Delacour."

The Durmstrang students roared with supportive whoops for the boy, pumping their fists in the air. The Beauxbaton students squealed for Fleur equally as loud, and Ellie clapped for both schools in support.

"The first person to touch the cup will be the winner! I've instructed the staff to patrol the perimeter. Should, at any point, a contestant wish to withdraw from the task, he or she need only send up red sparks with their wands," Dumbledore explained to the audience before turning to the champions. "Contestants! Gather around. Quickly!"

Dumbledore drew them in to make a small speech before breaking the huddle to let the champions assemble their positions.

"Champions, prepare yourselves!" Dumbledore instructed as Cedric gave the last of his hugs to father, turning to smile at Ellie one more time. "On the count of three, one—"

The cannon blasted abruptly, and Filch merely shrugged his shoulders. The champions entered in their respective order, and the band continued their jubilant music.

For the next hour, Ellie shifted in hear seat uncomfortably, watching the unmoving hedge as she worried for Cedric's safety. During the hour, she heard a feminine scream of terror, making her wince painfully. She then heard another scream, but it sounded much too masculine to belong to Fleur. Ellie gulped nervously as her mind wandered to the sickening possibilities.

After the hour, Harry finally returned to the front of the maze. A loud roar of victorious cheers erupted from the students, and even Ellie cheered for him. The band started to play as applause spread throughout the audience.

But something was wrong. Harry was crouched over another figure, a smidge of yellow fabric barely visible beneath him. Ellie's smile disappeared from her face as she started to push through the crowd, shoving everyone aside recklessly as she made her way towards Harry.

She halted in her tracks immediately, frozen in shock at the sight. Cedric laid on the ground, his face pale and struck with death. The boy had his eyes open with a ghostly stare, his shirt stained with dirt and signs of struggle. Ellie didn't know how to react, and the noises around her started to quiet as she stared in horror at Cedric's body.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Dumbledore trying to rip Harry away from the body, but he didn't budge as he protested otherwise.

"He's back!" Harry screamed to Dumbledore, his voice shaking as he spoke. "He's back. Voldemort's back. Cedric, he asked me to bring his body back. I couldn't leave him, not there."

While Dumbledore reassured Harry, Amos frantically shoved the students aside to make his way towards his son.

"That's my son! That's my boy!" Amos wailed painfully, his reaction making Ellie drop to her knees. "It's my boy! NO! NOOOO!"

Amos's heart-wrenching screams were the last thing Ellie heard as she dropped to the floor weakly. The edges of her eyes began to spread with a darkness, her heart physically aching as it shattered into a million pieces. Cedric's body remained in Ellie's sights as the final image before the pain took over, rendering her unconscious.