Future Nostalgia / Harry Potter Fanfic

Remembering Cedric & Heading Home

Estella woke up in a hospital bed. Events of what transpired the previous night began flooding back to her. She bolted up in her bed only to be shoved back down.

Her eyes immediately landed on an anxious-looking Hermione, a pacing Dumbledore, and a worried-looking Aspen.

"Don't get up," said Hermione, drawing the attention of grandfather and her father.

"Oh Essy, I thought you were gone!" said Aspen. Her father's arms wrapped around her in a tight, air-restricting hug.

"I'm fine, I feel fine. Where's Harry? Is Cedric...is he alive?"

A figure moved to her side, "You saved my boy." It was Amos Diggory and his wife Maria, both had bloodshot eyes and held each other's hands tightly.

Estella almost cried with relief, "It worked? Oh, Merlin, it worked!"

"Where is he?" asked Estella, sitting up taller in her bed.

"He's sleeping," said Maria, a soft look in her eyes as she looked at the girl.

"You saved him at the risk of almost exposing yourself! Do you know what the Death Eaters would've done if word got out you could bring back the dead," exclaimed Dumbledore, "You'd be hunted without remorse; those you love would be used as bait to get to you."

"Lay off, Albus!" snapped Aspen, clearly livid. "You heard what Harry said; he told her what happened, he knew she could bring him back, and more importantly, she knew she could bring him back."

Dumbledore's next words were cut short as a figure came running into the room.

"Estella!" yelled a familiar voice. In came running Harry, Ron and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley followed behind him.

Harry shoved past every adult in his way and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Harry," she whispered as her eyes scanned over him, looking to see if he was actually real.

"I'm here," Harry murmured as he wiped the fallen tears from her face. "I'm alive."

"I heard your voice," Estella cried. "I'd never felt such terror, Harry."

And with that, Harry held her harder, ignoring the looks from the adults and dog from Sirius. Soon the room died down to a sleeping Cedric, Ron, Hermione, and Harry. Harry never let go of Estella as he filled them in on Barty Crouch Jr., who disguised himself as Alastor Moody, and Fudge, who didn't buy a word of Harry's story.

"How'd you know you could save him?" asked Hermione quietly.

Estella shuddered. "I'd been taking lessons with my grandfather, and he forced me to try and revive organisms ranging from a spider to a cat without prevailing, but with Cedric, I felt something, and then my hands began to glow as they normally did, and I felt a small pull that I tugged on until-well until he woke up I suppose."

An hour later, the adults had returned, and within that hour, Mrs. Weasely had almost fainted at discovering Sirius was an Amnimgus and was in the same room as Harry Potter and Estella Dumbledore.

Snape had not yelled or jumped backward, but the look on his face was one of mingled fury and horror.

"Him!" he snarled, staring at Sirius, whose face showed equal dislike. "What is he doing here?"

"He is here at my invitation," said Dumbledore looking between Snape and Mrs. Weasley. "As are you, Severus. I trust you both. It is time for you to lay aside your differences and trust each other. I will settle in the short term," said Dumbledore, with a bite of impatience in his voice as the two men stared at each other, "for a lack of open hostility. You will shake hands. You are on the same side now. Time is short, and unless the few of us who know the truth stand united, there is no hope for any of us."