𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐥𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 | √

⎡61⎦

Hazel's P.O.V.

James came to pull me away from Cedric's body much with my protests and kicking. As he carried me back to the castle, me, thrown over his shoulder, but I was still fighting.

"Calm down Hazel!"

"Calm down?! Did you just tell me to calm down?! What the fuck?! Do you not get it?! The person that I loved, the person who brought a smile to my face and made me feel alive, is DEAD! Do I have to spell this out for you? D-E-A-D! He's gone just like our mother James! I CANNOT CALM DOWN!"

Tears continued to fall as I remembered all of our moments, meeting him at the tree, the Quidditch World Cup, training, falling in love with him, our kiss, our breakup and getting back together, everything. Everything we ever did together.

James carried me to the Hospital Wing where Madam Pomfrey gave me a potion. She said it would give me more strength. In desperate need of strength to see my Cedric again, I chugged it down. Only to realize that the potion had made me fall asleep.

. . .

I awoke the next morning with Hermione looming over my bed.

"Hey," she said sadly.

"Hi." I said in return. I didn't want to have the conversation with anyone and Hermione respected that.

"I just came to say that Dumbledore is going to have a speech in a few minutes. I think you want to come."

I nodded and sat up. After quickly changing into clean robes brought from Astoria last night, Hermione and I went down to the Great Hall. As I entered everyone stared. People began to mutter and whisper to each other but I just walked to an empty seat with Hermione, playing with my fingers the entire time. Dumbledore was sat in the front with his head resting on his hand. After a while of silence, he began to speak.

"Today we acknowledge a really terrible loss. Cedric Diggory was as you all know, exceptionally hard working, intricately fair-minded."

My eyes began to well up.

"And most importantly a fierce, fierce friend."

A tear rolled down my cheek.

"I think therefore you have the right to know exactly how he died. You see, Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort."

I let out a quiet sob and let my head fall on Hermione's shoulder.

"The Ministry Of Magic does not wish me to tell you this. But not to do so I think would be an insult to his memory."

It would be. It would be a large insult to his memory.

"Now the pain we all feel at this dreadful loss reminds me, reminds us, that while we may come from different places and speak in different tongues, 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 and 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."

Right to the very end.