Slytherin Army [HP]

26. Black for the Champion

The Third Task had ended in tragedy, and Drew could hardly believe it. Needless to say, she was immensely grateful that the Goblet hadn't picked her name.

During the Leaving Feast, black drapes hung on the wall behind the teachers' table. Moody — the real one — drank from his flask and jumped whenever someone addressed him. There were no celebrations of the House Cup winner or the Tournament winner. Every student ate their meals quietly until the Headmaster went to the podium.

Dumbledore's voice was wracked with grief as he asked them all to raise their glasses to the boy who should have been sitting at the Hufflepuff table.

Everyone got up and held up their goblets, saying, "To Cedric Diggory."

And then Dumbledore said, "I think that you have the right, therefore, to know exactly how it came about."

His eyes flitted over to Harry Potter, and the Gryffindor spoke steadily, "Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort."

Gasps and whispers flew up around the Hall. Drew felt a stab of horror. So he was back after all.

Gravely, Dumbledore told them of how the Ministry didn't want them to know of Voldemort's return, then about the Boy Who Lived and his connection to what happened. "Harry Potter managed to escape Lord Voldemort. He risked his own life to return Cedric's body to Hogwarts. He showed, in every respect, the sort of bravery that few wizards have ever shown in facing Lord Voldemort, and for this, I honour him."

He raised his goblet, and everyone followed suit, murmuring his name. She saw that a dozen Slytherins remained sitting. Malfoy was one of them, and he whispered mockingly, "Saint Potter."

Drew wanted to slap him and his parents so hard. A student was dead and all he could do was be nasty.

The Headmaster went on to say that Hogwarts would always be a safe place for anyone who needed it, even the foreign students of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang.

"If the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory."

When the Leaving Feast was over, the Slytherins returned to the Dungeon. The atmosphere was sombre. Or it would have been if Malfoy would shut the hell up.

"The Muggle-borns and Muggle-lovers are next!" he shouted. "The Dark Lord's back, and you all better choose the right side."

Drew stared at him, "Are you saying we should side with You-Know-Who? The mass murderer?"

"I mean we should be on the side against Muggle-borns, not with, you know, the Dark Lord himself."

"That is the same thing!"

"It is not."

There were a lot of angry groans. She sighed, "At first, I could dismiss you as immature and stupid, but now you're on evil's side. You're beyond saving."

Malfoy glared at her. The boy who'd agreed to a truce with her was gone. He didn't care that she'd saved his sorry arse after a beating, or that people could not help what family they were born to.

Nott slunk over to Wilby, grinning wide, "Whose side are you on?"

"Leave him alone," Drew snarled. She wanted to hit everyone.

"I'm with Dumbledore," Wilby answered. "You should be too."

He snorted, "My dad would kill me if I was."