Aurora | Harry Potter

chapter eighteen

"Expelliarmus!" Dumbledore exclaims, blasting open the door to Moody's office and firing him backwards into a chair. He, along with McGonagall and Snape storm over to him, Harry standing by a large black chest, a terrified look on his face.

I slowly walk in and stand by the door, Harry not noticing my presence. "Severus!" Snape walks forward and pours a potion down Moody's throat, my guesses about what potion confirmed when he starts spilling the truth.

"Are you Alistair Moody? Are you?!" Dumbledore shouts at Moody, who grumbles no and then glares over at the black chest when asked if the actual Moody is in the room.

"Harry, get away from there!" Harry nods and quickly moves away from the chest, which is when he notices me. I look him up and down at the terrible state he's in. His hair is very messy, dirt and blood smeared across his face and a large amount of blood dripping from his right arm.

"Harry," I gasp, a choked sob caught in my throat. His eyes start to well with tears and he latches on to me, my arms immediately wrapping around him and holding him close, muffled cries coming from him. "I'm so sorry, I tried to save him," he whimpers. I stroke his knotted hair carefully and try not to start crying again.

"I'm just glad you're okay," I simply state. He pulls out of the hug and we both see that deep down inside the chest is the real Alistair Moody, his glass eye and his clothes missing. "I'm sorry, Albus," he says in an apologetic voice.

"But then, who's..." I say, looking over at whoever is sitting in the chair. Snape opens a flask retrieved from the stranger and takes a sharp sniff. "Polyjuice Potion," he states. "Now we know who's been stealing from your store, Severus."

Snape flashes Harry a quick apologetic look and then thanks me for alerting them of my suspicions. Gargling noises start to come from the stranger in the office and when we turn around, we all see his body and face begin to change shape.

The revealed person then tries to grab at Harry, but I defensively push him behind me and McGonagall pushes the man back into the chair, her wand sharply aimed at his face.

"Barty Crouch Jr."

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours," Barty Jr. exclaims, pulling up his sleeve and displaying the Dark Mark. Dumbledore grabs Harry from behind me and displays his arm, a bloody imitation of the Dark Mark shown through his torn up Champions shirt.

"You know what this means, don't you?" Barty Jr. says, a devilish smirk on his face. "He's back. Lord Voldemort has returned." Harry grimaces from his wounds and apologises to Dumbledore.

"Send an owl to Azkaban. I think they'll find they're missing a prisoner," Dumbledore orders, McGonagall walking out of the room. Me, Dumbledore and Harry go to leave too, until Barty Jr. exclaims, "I'll be welcomed back like a hero!"

"Perhaps," Dumbledore says, ushering us both out, "personally I've never had much time for heroes."

He takes us out of the room and shuts the door behind him, leaving Snape with the self-proclaimed 'hero'. "Aurora," Dumbledore starts, making me turn my head to look at him. "Thank you for alerting us of your suspicions, it might have just saved Harry's life and Alistair Moody's too. Now, please take Harry to the Medical Wing, his wounds need some attending."

I nod and I start to walk out, Harry following close behind. "You told them?" He asks, to which I nod my head. "After the second task, I saw him acting slightly differently on my way back to the castle, so I became very aware of how he was acting," I say, my voice plain and monotonous.

I feel Harry's fingers intertwine with mine and when I turn around, the look on his face is indescribable. "Aurora, I don't know how I can ever tell you how sorry I am."

I shrug, looking at him blankly. "Then don't try to."

-

"Today, we acknowledge... a really terrible loss," Dumbledore addresses, his voice slow yet powerful. All the students who were at the final task are gathered in the Great Hall, black banners with a golden 'H' hung around the windows, a sense of despair and mourning in the air.

"Cedric Diggory was, as you all know... exceptionally hard-working... infinitely fair-minded... and, most importantly... a fierce, fierce friend."

I hold back my silent crying, tears silently dripping down my face as I watch and listen to Dumbledore speak, this speech just as commanding as any other. I stand in the middle of Harry and Hermione, who both hold either of my hands tightly, gripping on to me as if they'll never let go.

"Now, I think, therefore, you have the right to know exactly how he died. You see... Cedric Diggory was murdered... by Lord Voldemort!" I hear Hermione next to me sharply exhale, trying to contain her sadness so mine doesn't worsen. 

"The Ministry of Magic does not wish me to tell you this. But not to do so, I think, would be an insult to his memory. Now, the pain... we all feel at this dreadful loss reminds me... and reminds us... that while we may come from different places and speak in different tongues... our hearts beat as one. In light of recent events... the bonds of friendship we've made this year will be more important than ever. Remember that, and Cedric Diggory will not have died in vain. You remember that... and we'll celebrate a boy who was... kind and honest... and brave and true, right to the very end."

The speech ends and as everyone starts to leave, I walk up to Dumbledore and thank him for the moving speech. He dismisses my thanking and wipes away my tears with his soft, gentle hands.

"It all needed to be said, there is no need for thanking. Now, it's time for you to go home." I shake my head, letting out an awkward chuckle. "You know as well as I do that I'll remind my father too much of Cedric, we share the same eyes."

He nods his head and gives me a kind smile, before looking above my head and when I turn around, I see Harry, Ron and Hermione looking at me.

"You can stay with us, you're like a second sister or daughter to our family," Ron says. I smile and nod my head, before walking over to them and hugging them all tightly.