Little Phoenix (Harry Potter Fanfiction)

45. After

The next several days were a blur for Nic. All she really remembered was at some point Cedric's parents coming to see her and Harry. She could also recall spending a lot of time in the hospital wing. She wasn't able to stand until a couple of days later and wasn't able to walk until a few days after that. On the first day she was able to manage this, Dumbledore came to see her. "Hello, Ms. Potter," he greeted, sitting down in a chair next to her. She made no response. She had not said a word to anyone since that night.

She only cried and slept. She wouldn't even eat when Madam Pomfrey tried to get her to. "Nicole, I would like for you to spend the summer with Sirius instead of going back to the Dursley's. Harry will go back, but I think this is the better option for you." Nic merely nodded. "How are you doing today?" She shrugged, bitting down on her lip. Dumbledore didn't try and force her to talk. They sat in silence as the hours dragged on.

Three hours later, Nic whispered, "It should've been me." Dumbledore didn't move, he merely listened as she explained quietly, "When Sullivan hit me with the c-curse the first two times, I told Cedric to go on. I was just slowing him down. If I had been there..."

"Nicki," Dumbledore said softly. "I know better than anyone about guilt, but this is one thing you shouldn't feel guilty for. Voldemort would have killed him either way."

"H-He should've made it," Nic cried, tears forming in her eyes. "We were supposed to make it. We were supposed to have more time. He wasn't supposed to die!" She was sobbing again.

"I can't imagine how hard this is for you," Dumbledore said. "But know this, you're strong enough to get through this." After a pause he suggested, "A good friend of mine is a wizard councilor. I think that talking to her over the summer may be beneficial for you."

"I'll give it a go," Nic replied, wiping her tears. She wasn't one to admit she needed help, but she also knew she couldn't go on like this. Soon after Dumbledore left and someone else came. Victor Krum stepped towards her. She felt too emotionally drain to feel anything towards him. She merely asked, "What do you want?"

"I'm sorry, about your friend," he said quietly. Nic knew he had been under the Imperius Curse when he'd hurt Cedric, but she still didn't know how to act towards him.

"Thank you," she replied quietly. After a pause, she turned away from him and, taking the hint, he left her alone.

The day the train was to leave, Nic was still in bed in the hospital wing. Harry came to see her that morning. "So you're staying then?" Harry said, failing to hide the hint of jealousy in his voice. Nic merely nodded.

"Sorry," she said quietly.

"I'll see you in a couple months, then," Harry said. "I hope you're doing better by then." Nic nodded feebly. And with that, for the first time in their lives, the twins were separated for the summer.