The Potter Twins and the Goblet of Fire {4}

34. Veritaserum

"And all the people say 'you can't wake up, this is not a dream" ~ Halsey, Gasoline

I feel myself slam into the ground, my face pressed into the cold grass. Eyes closed and breathing heavily, I don't move a muscle. It feels like all the breath as been knocked out of my chest; my head is swimming so badly that it feels as if the ground beneath me is swaying. Harry's arm slips off of my shoulders, and my fingers around Cedric's wrist loosen...all while my scar burns dully on my forehead. 

My hands shake beneath me as I raise my head from the grass, ragged breaths leaving my burning lungs. The pain my leg has returned, worse than ever. The torrent sound deafens and confuses me; there are voices everywhere, people screaming, footsteps. 

With a wheeze of pain, I push myself off the grass and force myself to my feet. With a cry of pain, I stumble backwards, my leg unable to hold my weight anymore. Barely keeping myself on my feet, I hear a muffled voice screaming our names. 

Teary eyes and struggling to breathe, I search for the voice. And then I see him; tall, with messy black hair and rectangular glasses. 

"Harry! Haylee!"

People are gasping now, watching the man with wide eyes, as my vision swims in and our of focus. 

He's revealed himself to everyone...dad's revealed himself in front of everyone...People are pressing in, getting nearer and nearer...

With a sharp intake of breath, I stumble backwards and fall beside Harry and Cedric again, and when I look back up, dad's disappeared, leaving everyone in a flurry of confusion. 

"Harry! Haylee!"

I barely even notice Dumbledore's presence, as he turns Harry over, his hand on the small of my back. Harry opens his eyes, looking just as hopeless as I feel. 

Harry raises his free hand and seizes Dumbledore's wrist. 

"He's back," he whispers fretfully.  "He's back. Voldemort."

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

The face of Cornelius Fudge appears, standing over us, looking appalled?" and pale faced. 

"My God - Diggory!" he whispers. "Dumbledore - he's dead!"

The words are repeated in the shadowy pressing in on us, gasping it frantically. And then others start shouting it - screeching it into the night. "He's dead! He's dead! Cedric Diggory! Dead!"

I look down at Cedric, and the tears forming in my eyes finally spill down my dirtied cheeks. 

"Harry, let go of him," I hear Fudge say thickly. Harry doesn't listen, even when Fudge tries to pry his fingers away. 

"Harry, you can't help him now. It's over. Let go," Dumbledore says softly, moving closer to Harry's face. 

"He wanted us to bring him back," I mutter tearfully - it seems important to explain this. "He wanted us to bring him back to his parents..."

"That's right..just let go, now..."

With great strength, I watch as Dumbledore bends down and raises Harry from the ground, setting him on his unsteady feet. He does the same with me and places me on my leg, which trembles dangerously beneath me. It will no longer support my weight. 

Gripping Harry's shoulder for support, I sway. My head pounding. The crowd around us struggle, fighting to get closer, pressing darkly in on us - "What's happened?" "What's wrong with him? "Diggory's dead!" 

"He'll need to go to the hospital wing!" Fudge is saying loud.y "He's ill, he's injured - Dumbledore, Diggory's parents, they're here, they're in the stands..."