You & I (George Weasley)

The One with the Aftermath.

Harry was safe. 

Dumbledore and the other teachers reached him just in time, according to McGonagall. 

Fred found me sitting at one of the windows, staring outside to where there was still a large crowd and he wordlessly sat down next to me. 

"George is looking for you," he whispered and I looked at him, tears welling in my eyes.

"What happened out there, Freddie? What...I told Harry,"

"You tried," Fred whispered, scooting closer to me, "You told him it was dangerous. Harry probably has a good reason for doing what he did."

"But Cedric is dead! Should I have told him? Maybe then they wouldn't-"

"Amy, you tried," he said again and he stood up, "Come on, let's go back upstairs. George is worried about you." 

It was halfway up to Gryffindor tower when I stopped, looking up at him, "Where's Harry?" 

"He's at the infirmary," he informed me, tugging on my arm to get me to walk again, "They've given them a sleeping potion. As you can tell, he's pretty cut up." 

"Is he alone?" I asked, "'Cause he shouldn't be. I shoul-"

"Silver," Fred whispered, placing his hands on my shoulders, "You need to calm down. Our mum is there with him, okay?" 

I nodded, letting him start to lead up to the common room again and once we entered, I made sure to keep my head down. It was silent of conversation; all you can hear is the crackling of the fire and the faint sounds of people moving around.

"Amy?" I heard George whisper and I looked up, feeling my hands starting to shake as I crossed the room to him, where I quickly wrapped my arms around his torso as I sobbed into his jumper. I felt his hands running through my hair, his lips against my forehead as he did his best to try and comfort me. 

"I tried to tell them," I whimpered, looking up at him, "I did." 

"You did everything you could," he leant down so his forehead was pressed against mine, "You told Dumbledore. What more could you have done. The moment you had told him, it was out of your hands. He could have, he should have cancelled the tournament the moment you told him Cedric was going to die." 

**

The next night, the common room was once again silent as everyone waited for the announcement for everyone to go down to the Great Hall for the end of term feast. Of course, there was nothing happy about this year's coming to a close. 

George was sat on the arm of the couch beside me, his hand massaging the back of my neck and we both looked up at the speaker in the room when Dumbledore's voice filtered through. 

We all made our way downstairs and I noticed that the teachers had changed the drapes that were normally those of the houses to black and the magically enchanted roof that usually appeared as the night sky with lighted candles was no longer in sight, and the wooden arch structure of the Hall became visible. 

I think that in my whole time at Hogwarts, this was the only time I had seen the roof as what it was supposed to be. 

The tables, which would normally be filled with scores of food, were empty except for goblets, which contained water.

I followed Fred as he followed the rest of Gryffindor to our table, taking a seat beside both him and George, who took my hand. 

We all sat silently while we waited for everyone to get settled and I couldn't help but let my mind wander to Cedric's poor parents. I couldn't imagine what they're going through right now. 

My attention was soon on Dumbledore when he stood up, moving to stand behind his podium to address us. "Another year," he began, looking out at us all, "Gone. Now there is a lot that I would like to say tonight but first, I would like to pay tribute to a very fine person, who should be sitting right over there." 

Everyone looked over to the Hufflepuffs, who out of everyone, looked the most pale and saddest. 

He raised his glass and waited for us all to do the same, "To Cedric Diggory."

I along with everyone else murmured the words back to him. 

"Cedric was a person who exemplified many of the qualities that distinguish Hufflepuff house," Dumbledore continued. "He was a good and loyal friend, a hard worker, he valued fair play. His death has affected you all, whether you knew him well or not. I think that you have the right, therefore, to know exactly how it happened." 

Harry, who had been looking down at the table until this point, looked up, staring straight at Dumbledore and waited for him to speak again. 

 "Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort." 

My breath hitched in my throat as George's hand tightened around my own; a panicked whisper rushed through the hall and people looked at him as if he were insane

"The Ministry of Magic," Dumbledore continued, "Does not wish me to tell you this. It is possible that some of your parents will be horrified that I have done so. Either because they will not believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, or because they think I should not tell you so, young as you are. It is my belief, however, that the truth is generally preferable to lies, and that any attempt to pretend that Cedric died as the result of an accident, or some sort of blunder of his own, is an insult to his memory. There is somebody else who must be mentioned in connection with Cedric's death," Dumbledore went on. "I am talking, of course, about Harry Potter." 

Of course, every head in the Great Hall turned to look at our table, more specifically, at Harry, who ducked down further in his seat. 

 "Harry Potter managed to escape Lord Voldemort," said Dumbledore, "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 honor him." 

I leant across the table to place my hand on top of Harry's and he said nothing but turned his hand, so he could hold mine properly as everyone stood and toasted to him as well as Cedric. 

When everyone had once again resumed their seats, Dumbledore spoke again, "The Triwizard Tournament's aim was to further and promote magical understanding. In the light of what has happened, of Lord Voldemort's return, such ties are more important than ever before."

Dumbledore looked from the teachers of Hogwarts to the students of Beauxbatons and Madame Maxime and then to those of Durmstrang, "Every guest in this Hall, will be welcomed back here at any time, should they wish to come. I say to you all, once again – in the light of Lord Voldemort's return, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open."

I kept my eyes on the older man as he spoke, knowing that he was right. 

"It is my belief, and never have I so hoped that I am mistaken, that we are all facing dark and difficult times. Some of you in this Hall have already suffered directly at the hands of Lord Voldemort. Many of your families have been torn asunder. A week ago, a student was taken from our midst, "Remember Cedric. Remember, 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."