Smile - Cedric Diggory

Twenty-Three

(Cedric's P.O.V.)

(Still In The Graveyard)

A high, cold laugh echoed through the graveyard and Cedric shrank behind the gravestone, feeling a chill run down his spine.

"My Lord. . .My Lord. . .you promised. . .you did promise. . ." It was that same choking, whiny voice.

"Hold out your arm."

"Oh Master. . .thank you, Master. . ." Cedric felt disgusted that a human being like that even existed.

There was another laugh, "The other arm, Wormtail."

"Master, please. . .please. . ."

Someone said something too softly for Cedric to catch, but he was frozen in terror in his hiding place.

A cry of pain rang through the graveyard.

There was more hushed whispering and then that terrible laugh sounded again.

"You see that house upon the hillside, Potter? My father lived there. My mother, a witch who lived here in this village fell in love with him. But he abandoned her when she told him what she was. . .he didn't like magic, my father. . .he left her and returned to his Muggle parents before I was even born, Potter, and she died giving birth to me, leaving me to be raised in a Muggle orphanage. . .but I vowed to find him. . .I revenged myself upon him, that fool who gave me his name. . .Tom Riddle." The last part was spat in fury.

"Listen to me, reliving my family history. . .why, I am growing quite sentimental. . .but look, Harry! My true family returns. . ."

The sound of cloaks moving over grass and Apparating wizards wizards filled the air, and Cedric held his breath in fear that one of them would notice him.

There was a moment of silence, then sounds of movement and hushed whispers.

"Welcome, Death Eaters." Voldemort spoke again. "Thirteen years. . .thirteen years since last we met. Yet you answer my call as though it were yesterday. . .we are still united under the Dark Mark, then! Or are we?"

"I smell guilt. There is a stench of guilt upon the air." Despite the fact that this was a life threatening and serious situation, Cedric stiffled a laugh. How the hell did one smell guilt? Could you get any weirder?

"I see you all, whole and healthy, with your powers intact - such prompt appearances! And I ask myself. . .why did this band of wizards never come to the aid of their master, to whom they swore eternal loyalty?"

No one answered his question, and the only sound was the pitiful whimpering of the man named Wormtail.

"And I answer myself, they must have believed me broken, they thought I was gone. They slipped back among my enemies, and they pleaded innocence, and ignorance, and bewitchment. . .and then I ask myself, but how could they have believed. . ."

Cedric drowned the rest of it out. The pain in his head was multiplying every minute, and his sleeve was drenched in his own blood. One of his hands clutched his wand so hard his knuckles turned white and the other hand was pressed against his face in an attempt to staunch the severe bleeding.

"Master, Master, forgive me! Forgive us all!" The cry rang out and Cedric focused back on what was happening.

"Crucio!"

He put his hands over his ears to try and stop himself from hearing the cries of a tortured man and closed his eyes.

Iris. Oh 'Ris. I'm such an idiot. I should have just told you when I had the chance. Now I'm afraid I'm going to die without ever saying "I love you."

". . .and here we have six missing Death Eaters. . .three dead in my service. One, too cowardly to return. . .he will pay. One, who I believe has left me forever. . .he will be killed, of course. . .and one, who remains my most faithful servant, and who has already reentered my service."

Cedric tuned back into the conversation as Voldemort continued speaking to his Death Eaters.

"He is at Hogwarts, that faithful servant and it was through his efforts that our young friend arrived here tonight. . ."

There was a Death Eater at Hogwarts? 

"Yes. Harry Potter has kindly joined us for my rebirthing party. One might go as far as to call him my guest of honor."

His vision was going fuzzy and he could no longer focus on the conversation. Cedric had lost too much blood, and he began to feel faint. He rested against the headstone and tried to breathe as his vision went black.

~~~

Sometime later he came back into consciousness, and Voldemort was still talking. 

"Crucio!"

He heard a cry, and thought that it was Harry. Laughter rang through the graveyard. It sounded out of place, and those who were laughing felt no mirth.

"Now untie him, Wormtail, and give him back his wand." What was going on? They must be speaking about Harry.

There was more shuffling and then, "Have you been taught how to duel, Harry Potter? We bow to each other, Harry. Come, the niceties must be observed. . .Dumbledore would like you to show manners. . .bow to death, Harry."

Again the air filled with the uncomfortable laughter, and Harry must have refused to bow, because Voldemort continued, "I said, bow." There was more laughter.

"And now - we duel."

Horrible screaming filled the air, and Cedric knew that Harry Potter was dying.

It stopped and You-Know-Who spoke again, "A little break, a little pause. . .that hurt, didn't it, Harry? You don't want me to do that again, do you?"

There was no answer, and Cedric was proud of the boy for that. Harry Potter didn't beg for his life like a coward.

"I asked you whether you wanted me to do that again. Answer me! Imperio!"

There was a moment of silence, and Cedric knew that Harry must have been battling the curse somehow.

"I WON'T!" Harry yelled out.

"You won't? You won't say no? Harry, obedience is a virtue I need to teach you before you die. . .perhaps another little dose of pain?"

There was a loud crack,  and the curse must have missed because no screaming filled the graveyard.

Cedric was once again feeling very woozy, and he tried to hold onto consciousness, but felt himself falling into that black void again.

Iris. . .