Smile - Cedric Diggory

Twenty-Four

(Cedric's P.O.V.)

(Still In The Graveyard)

Cedric came to again and blinked. A Death Eater was looking right at him. The man - or woman, he couldn't tell - looked away, back towards the duel.

His life was spared until later, at least. 

"Expelliarmus!"

"Avada Kedavra!"

There was a crack and the graveyard filled with a dull golden light. Sensing discord and confusion, he took the chance of peering around the headstone. What he saw astonished him more than if he had seen Harry and Voldemort having a dance off.

Both of them were being lifted from the ground, connected by their wands, which were the source of the golden light.

He quickly ducked back behind the gravestone and focused on breathing. The wound on his head was bleeding less, but he knew that without medical attention soon he would most likely die. 

Cedric closed his eyes and took inventory of the things he knew, trying to keep the panic at bay so that he could think of a way to get out of the graveyard.

My name is Cedric Diggory.

My parents are Amos and Martha Diggory.

I am in love with my best friend, Iris Maya.

Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort are dueling each other with strange effects.

The Triwizard Cup is sitting about fifteen feet away from me.

The Cup might take me back to Hogwarts, if the Portkey is still working.

I have to wait for Harry.

I don't know if I'm strong enough to walk.

I estimate that I have somewhere from fifteen minutes to forty-five minutes before I pass out from blood loss and do not wake up again. 

He chanced another peek to see what was going on now, and saw that the Death Eaters were surrounding Harry and You-Know-Who, both of which were now entrapped in the gold light. There wands were still connected, and if Cedric squinted as hard as he could he could just make out ghost-like shapes moving inside.

"NOW!" He heard the boy yell, and for some reason his weak body seemed to know what to do, even though his brain hadn't planned that far.

The golden dome broke and Harry was shoving past Death Eaters, stunning a few in the process. Voldemort was yelling, curses were rebounding off of gravestones.

Harry was headed straight towards him, and on instinct he attempted to get to his feet, only to feel dizzy and sit back down. Instead he began crawling towards the Triwizard Cup while Harry ran for his life towards him, no longer limping.

Harry grabbed him and tried to haul Cedric's body to his feet, but his legs weren't working anymore, and he collapsed.

Voldemort was smiling and time seemed to stand still as Harry thought faster than he ever would have and yelled.

"ACCIO!"

There was a scream of absolute fury, and then they were hurtling back towards Hogwarts. They were safe. They were going back.

~~~

They slammed into the ground, both face down and becoming much better friends with the grass of the Quidditch pitch than they had wanted.

Cedric's ears were ringing and his face was cut open again. He could feel the blood seeping out of his face, mixing with the grass. Red and green.

The cheering started, as still rather confused students and parents began cheering for the two boys who had clearly won.

However, several people in the stands still sensed that something was wrong. Albus Dumbledore was striding towards them, along with a majority of the other teachers. Cedric heard his dad yell, "That's my boy!"

And then Harry rolled him over, and a girl close to them screamed. The cries rippled through the stands, girls gasping and screaming, boys whispering to each other, and parents clutching their own children close.

He distinctly heard Harry's two friends shouting his name, but Harry refused to let him go, clutching his robs tightly in his fists. The younger boy's eyes were glazed over, and Cedric sensed that he was going into shock.

He reached up and grabbed the boy's hand as a gesture of comfort, and felt himself drifting away slowly.

"He needs medical attention! Please, I'm fine, take care of him first." Harry was pleading with the teachers.

"Cedric! Let me through you idiots! Ced!" It was an angel. He was convinced of it as he felt his body being lifted onto a stretcher that Dumbledore had conjured. An angel was calling his name.

His eyes closed and the shouts blurred together.

(Iris' P.O.V.)

When Harry Potter and her best friend appeared suddenly, slamming facedown on the grass of the Quidditch pitch, all she could think was, thank goodness.

She stood up with Hermione and Ron and started to move towards the two figures sprawled out on the grass even as the teachers hurried towards them.

Then The Boy Who Lived turned Cedric over, and she couldn't breathe. She sat down on the steps, trying to find air, dragging Hermione down with her. 

Her breaths were strangled gasps for help as she heard people yelling and screaming all around her. 

He was dead.

Cedric Diggory was dead.

"Iris, look!"

Her head came up and she saw his hand move. All she could see was him.

He was alive.

He was dying.

Harry Potter was shouting, and she told herself, come on, Iris. You can be strong for Cedric. Get up and go to him.

She let go of Hermione and started shoving her way through the crowd, but she couldn't get them to move fast enough and they were taking him away.

"Cedric! Let me through you idiots! Ced!" She yelled, shoving Snape aside and not caring at all that he was a teacher.

By the time she reached him he had passed out, and Dumbledore was moving the stretcher up the hill. She walked beside him, feeling numb with shock.

Vaguely she noticed their Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher leading Harry up towards the castle alone.

~~~

Moments later she sat in the hospital, and even Madam Pomfrey didn't tell her to get out. She was too busy working frantic healing on Iris' best friend.

The teachers were huddled together a few beds away, murmuring quietly. She caught Dumbledore asking where Harry was and realized she should say something.

"I say Professor Moody bringing him up to the castle." She muttered dazedly. 

Dumbledore looked at her sharply, and without asking anymore questions, quickly left the hospital wing with the other teachers trailing behind.

Iris sat on the bed next to Cedric's and watched Madam Pomfrey work healing spells on him, feeling numb.

The entire left side of her best friends face was unrecognizable. Madam Pomfrey had managed to stop the bleeding, but his skin was pale and sickly.

What would happen if she never got to tell him how much she loved him?