IMPOSSIBLE RISKS // Drarry

11) NARCISSA MALFOY!

TW: Bullying, Victim Blaming, and Mentioned Abuse.

The students of all three schools sit
quietly in the Great Hall. It is currently Cedric Diggory's funeral and all Harry can feel is the excruciating guilt throbbing in the back of his head. His chest is on fire from the shame that he couldn't have saved him. Visions of the knife to his skin, as it carved the dark mark onto his arm invaded his mind. It burns. It aches. He can't move. He can't speak. He can't do anything while in this frozen state.

"Kill the spare," The sickeningly sweet voice of Voldemort raids his brain.

A spare. That's all Cedric Diggory was. A mere annoyance that happened to be in the way of Voldemort.

Because of him, Cedric is dead. Harry should have saved him. A father lost his son because of him. Harry should have died instead. Everyone loved Cedric. Nobody loves Harry, not truly. Sure, he has his friends, but they'll get over it. They'll be sad for a bit, but they'll still live.

But Cedric's father won't. He will mourn till the day he dies.

Harry killed two people that night.

Harry is taken out of his guilt-induced trace when Albus Dumbledore speaks, "Today, we acknowledge a terrible loss. Cedric Diggory, as you all know, was exceptionally hard-working, infinitely fair-minded, and most importantly, a fierce, fierce friend."

A few students start weeping but Harry can't. He can't do or feel anything other than pure shame. He should be in Azkaban. He was the reason Cedric got murdered. If Harry hadn't suggested that they both take the port key, Cedric would be here right now.

"Now, I think, therefore you have the right to know exactly how he died," Dumbledore continues, "You see, Cedric Diggory was murdered, by Lord Voldemort! The Ministry of Magic would not like me to tell you this. But not to do so, I think, would be an insult to his memory."

Harry starts to quietly sob into his hands.

My fault.

This was all my fault.

It should have been me who died.

This should be my funeral, not Cedric's.

"Now the pain we all feel for this dreadful loss reminds me-while we may come from different places and speak in different toughs, our hearts... beat as one. In light of recent events, the bonds of friendship we made this year, will be more important than ever! Remember that. Cedric Diggory will not have died in vain, and you remember that! We will celebrate a boy who was...
Kind and honest and brave and true, right to the very end."

Harry doesn't even remember making his way back to his dorm until he found himself sobbing on his bed. He wants to curl up into a ball and die. He just wants it to be over.

The door creeks open, "You alright, mate?"

It's Ron.

Harry looks up, "Yeah . . . just guilty."

"Why are you guilty?"

"Because I should have prevented it. I was the reason Voldemort returned."

Ron rushes over to him, "It's not your fault. You couldn't have done anything more than what you did. Don't you dare say anything like that again, idiot?"

The door opens once again, and Neville appears before them, "You alright, Harry?"

Harry only shakes his head in response.

"We have a bit of an issue, guys. Seamus and Dean don't believe that you-know-who returned. They have it out for Harry," Neville says slowly, sitting down next to them on the bed, "I've tried convincing them, but they won't budge."