TimeTurners: Saving Cedric Diggory

The Study

Draco was still whistling when they rounded the corner to find Fred leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets, a knee bent with his foot on the wall. He looked up at them and Judi saw the annoyance in his expression. Draco waltzed right by him, pausing his whistling cadence only to say, "Hey Weasley." Then he paused in front of the entrance. "Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbldore."

Draco was already disappearing before Fred finally rounded on her. "What is he doing here?"

"Honestly," Judi shrugged. "I really have no fucking clue."

Fred looked as if he was searching for something to say. Apparently, he found nothing and let his expression relax slightly. He held his hand out, inviting her. Judi slipped her hand in, entwining their fingers. He pulled on her, leading her to the staircase Draco had disappeared on moments before. He was probably already through Dumbledore’s door. They stood still, riding on the escalator type stairwell with ease. The door to Dumbledore’s office stood open and waiting for them. Hand-in-hand, they stepped inside.

Dumbledore sat behind his desk, looking more at ease than he should be under the circumstances. His blue eyes shone behind the half moon spectacles, looking almost amused. Draco lounged across from them on a drawn out squishy red sofa. Like Dumbledore, he appeared to be extremely relaxed with his arms behind his head, fingers clasped. Like he was getting ready to take a nap.

"Welcome Mr. Weasley, Ms. Rohlfing." Dumbledore greeted, his voice matching the way he held himself. "I’ve been expecting you. Sit, be comfortable. We have a long discussion ahead of us."

Judi’s eyes locked with Draco’s for a split second, then she turned back to Fred, who chose that moment to look down at her. He smiled encouragingly at her. Now, Judi wondered about her actions. This plan, after all had been first been set to save Cedric Diggory and those that would die. She had even planned to romance him a bit. She had only planned to include Fred in the saving when she had seen the look on Charlie’s face. On Molly’s, Arthur’s, George’s, and Ron’s faces. She just hadn’t wanted to be blamed, to feel blamed. In the end however, she was standing here, fingers linked with Fred’s, in a romantic situation.

And she suddenly began to think of the consequences if she failed.

Judi turned away from Fred and walked forward, looking Dumbledore dead in the eye. "Headmaster, you don’t know my whole story, so it is time I explained this all to you. Time Draco and I explained this all to you."

She had not planned on saying this last part, but when she thought it, she said it on a whim. Fred’s response was expected, but it still cut her like a serrated knife.

"What?!" Fred bellowed. "You and Draco? Why him?! What good can he do?"

Judi was already facing her red-faced lover, yet she still directed her words to Dumbledore explaining what had happened before, and what was to come for them now. "Professor, I am a Death Eater. I am branded with the Dark Mark. I became one through Draco. We had a romance at the time. Voldemort adored me, made me his number 2 advisor. He sent me here on assignment--to spy and find a way to kill Harry Potter."

Fred was still furious, but as he had not heard any of this, he listened, huffing in anger. Judi continued.

"I came here, met with Draco on numerous occasions, whether to go over what we knew or--other things," she could not bring herself to say make love in front of them. " We still met. But I grew fond of everyone and finally realized what it was I was doing. When Draco found out he made me learn Legilimens so Voldemort could not know these thoughts. He and I both began to heal ourselves. Then, on the holiday for Easter, I went back to Malfoy Manor with Draco and while he was in the middle of punishing Lucius, I pulled out my wand and used the killing curse on him."

"Then," Draco cut in and Judi faced him to see him on his feet, eyeing her with a look she hated. "I found her a spot Snape had taken me to. She said goodbye to me once more, then Apparated back to her muggle home and put up the charms long enough to keep me out. They feel when she turned her wand on herself.

"It took me months to find her but when I did, she was seven lifetimes ahead of us, in muggle school. She knew about her past. I came to her as someone she could trust, her friend, boyfriend, but then Aunt Bella showed up, ruining everything. We had to fight off Tom Riddle. In the end however, we ended up back at Hogwarts. The Final War began then."

Judi turned back to Fred now. She knew, that from the memories George had given him, Fred knew this part only too well. Now he glared from her to Draco. "What the hell can he do?" Fred demanded. "He got us all into this in the first place on the night he met you!"

"So are you blaming me now?!" Judi asked him calmly, knowing the answer, but still fearing it.

"Yes." Fred said now. "Yes I’m blaming you."

Judi nodded, then turned to Dumbledore. "Sir, Harry, Ron and Hermione are going out to find and destroy the Horcruxes. They would like you to go with them, to finish this quickly. When you all return, Hermione will move us to the graveyard where we can end all this earlier and for good."

Albus nodded, watching her with a concerned expression. "I shall owl them and get started immediately." He announced. "In the meantime you should all return to your classes or dorms."

They were already turned around, Fred racing toward the door, before Dumbledore added, "Mr. Weasley, a word please."

Fred spun on his heel, robed flying, and stalked past Judi without bothering to meet her gaze. She continued to the door with Draco on her heels, continuing on the stairs and running away from the very entrance.

She had known it would have happened sooner or later. Fred would finally realize that she would cause a ton of pain, even after Cedric’s death. So many lives lost, so many families torn apart, all because. Now he knew the whole story. And now he hated her.

Even though she knew it was coming, this realization hit home and she lost her footing, falling to the cold, hard floor in a heap, shoulders already heaving from the heavy sobs escaping her.