School Exchange (Drarry) ✓

Chapter 15

"Cedric's showing improvement. The healers said his condition is more promising than before." Cho said with a faltering smile. These few days, she barely looked like herself. Her hair was disheveled and knotted, skin dry and almost greenish. All Harry and Draco could do was show their support by visiting Cedric and bring her food on the way, since she never left his side. "He may just wake up in a few months."

"Cedric's a fighter. He'll pull through." Draco comforted earnestly. Cho nodded, exhaling a long breath. Harry rests a hand on Cedric's shoulder, thankful that it was warm. If he squinted, the scratches on Cedric's arms disappeared and he looked like he was peacefully asleep.

"Harry. Draco." Cho said suddenly in a serious tone. "Thank you for visiting Cedric daily. It means a lot."

"It's noth-"

"It is. My parents think I'm stupid, all my friends say I'm blind, even his parents are mentally convincing themselves that Cedric is dead." She interjected sadly. "You're the only 2 who are on my side now." Cho sat a little straighter, and with a small smile she repeated firmly, "Thank you."

The trio sat in a few moments of silence, which were hard to come by these few days. Then, a young first year knocked timidly on the door. "Headmaster said he wants to meet the two of you." He conveyed the message meekly, pointing at Harry and then Draco. Quickly saying their goodbyes, the boys walked hand in hand down to Dumbledore's office, the door purposefully kept ajar.

The door locks itself immediately after both of them enter. Dumbledore was wearing his usual mysterious smile, his half-moon glasses shielding his eyes. Yet, Harry could tell that his body language looked more reserved, more tense than usual. "Lemon drop?" Dumbledore offers, to which both of them declined while taking a seat.

"I just thought it'll be good to check up on you two separately." The wrinkles on his face deepened as he paused for a few seconds. "But also to give us all some closure on the situation, something we all desperately seek."

"I'm really not lying, Sir. Voldemort did come back, it happened right in front of me." Harry snapped defensively. He wasn't sure where the sudden surge of emotions came from, and he most certainly didn't mean to sound so harsh towards Dumbledore, but it just translated that way. Harry wasn't sure how, but he seemed rather out of control of his emotions since that fateful night, and that made him all the more angry at himself.

"My boy," Dumbledore said, casting a pitiful look towards Harry. Somehow, the words calmed him. "You have all my trust." He assured. "But, I must say, the outlook of your situation is not optimistic."

"Barty Crouch Jr. has been dealt with the dementor's kiss." Dumbledore said as if it were a sigh.

"But Sir. He's the only one, aside from Cedric, who can prove that Harry is speaking the truth." Draco pointed out almost instantly. The headmaster nodded along to his words. "Besides, how could the ministry punish him without any trial, any investigation? They've been against Harry since the start."

"Now, now, Draco. Don't be so quick to judge others."

"I never agreed with any of their actions since the start of the school year." He huffed instead. "This is too much. Anything more and it's absolute tyranny." Harry reached for his hand under the table and squeezed. He smiled, but only slightly and while looking down, silently thankful that Draco was speaking up for him.

"I wish to deliver a speech to the school about this next Friday." Dumbledore said, changing the topic. "It would be appropriate for me to, after some dust has settled." Harry nodded in agreement, while Draco bit the inside of his cheek and kept silent. "Stay strong, Harry. The world will soon understand how foolish they were for not realising the truth."