𝑁𝑜𝑡 𝐴𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 (𝐻𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑦 𝑃.)

Chapter 27: Home for the summer (ish)*

Just days before we leave school for the summer Dumbledore calls a meeting at dinner in honor of Cedric. 

Harry told me what had happened with Professor Moody, that he was actually Barty Crouch Jr., and he was behind it all. All the way down to putting his name in the Goblet of Fire.

The school has been silent since the death, with the students of Beaubaxtons and Durmstrang leaving soon things were just now beginning to get interesting before Dumbledore himself called us here.

"Today, we acknowledge a really terrible loss. Cedric Diggory was, as you all know exceptionally hard-working... infinitely fair-minded and most importantly a fierce... Fierce friend." Dumbledore slowly makes his way towards the center podium, where he has made his welcoming and goodbye speeches each year. 

"Now, I think, therefore you have the right to know exactly how he died. You see... Cedric Diggory was murdered. By Lord Voldemort himself." My heart plums at his words as I try to fight off the tears that once again begin to cloud my vision.

Seems like that's all I've been doing lately, crying. Crying with friends, crying alone. Crying. 

"The Ministry of Magic does not wish me to tell you this. But not to do so, I think, would be an insult to Cedric's memory." He places his hands on the wood in front of him, the candles melted around him from being lit often throughout the year.

"Now, the pain we all feel at this dreadful loss reminds me, reminds us. That although we may come from different places, speak in different tongues that our hearts beat as one." I may have distain toward Dumbledore for the way he treats his students, however he is right.

No matter how different we all are, we are still living beings who live and breathe just as the other. "In light of recent events the bond of friendships we made this year mean more than ever. Remember that 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." 

The headmaster talks as if he knew Cedric himself, and he didn't. Far from it actually, in a sense it's his fault he had been murdered. Dumbledore could have cancelled the games to begin with, they didn't have to do this. And for what, entertainment purposes? 

I bit my lip, fighting the tears in my eyes, looking down at my wand.

Lumos.

I lift my wand above my head, paying my respects towards Cedric. One by one by own friends copy after me, slowly until the entire room is alit by only the end of our wands. 

We light them in honor of Cedric Diggory, the one whose light shines no more.

That night it was decided for our visitors to take their leave, I say my goodbyes to Fleur and her sister, promising to write them often. Viktor gave Hermione his contact information and they promise to keep in touch with one another.

I watch from a distance as student hug and wave another goodbye, knowing most of them will never speak to each other again. 

"Strange, innit?" I ponder standing next to Harry, "What is?" We watch as the Durmstrang ship fires its canons in the distance. "How most of these people won't even remember the other existed ten years from now, hell with luck in three years." I state and he wraps an arm around my shoulders, "It is..." He speaks softly.

"You two have been touchy lately, something happen we don't know about?" I manage a gentle smile at the red-haired boy climbing over the concrete in front of us. "We've decided to give it a shot, we're not official yet though." Harry replies with a coolness in his tone.

Since that day Harry's been quiet, with good reason too. It's just strange, him being more reserved. I've always been the reserved one among our group, and now that there's two of us things are getting cramped.