Brighter Than the Sun

Chapter Eighty-Five

I struggled to sit up. It felt like all of my energy had been left at the graveyard. There were too many people starting to close in. Maybe I should lie back down...

Then someone practically collided with me; their arms were thrown around me, and it felt like I was being squeezed to death.

"Ash! Thank the gods you're okay."

It was Luke. I pulled back from the hug, not wanting to let Harry out of my sight.

"What happened in there?" demanded a very freaked-out Sofia. "What's going on?"

"Is Cedric dead?" Brion asked suddenly, also looking very alarmed.

I deflected their questions and said, "I need to talk to Dumbledore. Where's —?"

"Harry! Harry!"

"Never mind," I muttered, as the old wizard turned Harry onto his back. Harry opened his eyes and let go of the cup, but he clutched Cedric to him even more tightly. He raised his free hand and seized Dumbledore's wrist.

"He's back," Harry whispered. "He's back. Voldemort."

"What's going on? What's happened?"

Cornelius Fudge appeared; his looked pale, appalled. "My God — Diggory! Dumbledore — he's dead!"

Luke was squeezing my hand. "Ash, what — what happened?"

"You-Know-Who — oh, forget it — Voldemort is back," I told him.

"Who's Voldemort?" Sofia asked.

"Evil Wizard Guy," Luke explained.

"Evil Wizard Guy?" Brion repeated

"He's like the wizard Hitler."

"That makes no sense!" Sofia exclaimed, exasperated. "Who is he, and what do you mean, he's back?"

"He's a bad guy who killed and tortured people who weren't wizards," Luke elaborated.

"He died when he tried to kill Harry," I added hastily. "But now he's back."

"How?"

"I don't have time to explain!"

"Gods, Ash," Brion said. "You should go talk to Dumbledore."

"You think?" Sofia muttered.

"That's what I've been saying!" I said.

"Harry, let go of him," I heard Fudge's voice say, and I looked over to see him trying to pry Harry from Cedric's limp body, but Harry wouldn't let him go.

Dumbledore leaned over Harry. "Harry, you can't help him now. It's over. Let go."

"He wanted me to bring him back," Harry muttered. "He wanted me to bring him back to his parents..."

"Harry," I said, grabbing his other hand. "His parents are here, okay? He's in good hands."

"Okay..."

"That's right, Harry," Dumbledore said. "Just let go now... Aisling, if you would assist me in helping him up..."

I did, but Harry swayed. His leg was probably aching, despite my healing him. He seemed overwhelmed by the crowd, which jostled, fighting to get closer, talking so loudly — "What's

happened?" "What's wrong with him?" "Diggory's dead!"

"He'll need to go to the hospital wing!" Fudge was saying loudly. "He's ill, he's injured — Dumbledore, Diggory's parents, they're here, they're in the stands..."