pretty girl diggory- R.Weasley

4:13

     "The end," Dumbledore said, looking around at them all, "of another year."He paused, and his eyes fell upon the Hufflepuff table. Theirs had been the most subdued table before he had gotten to his feet, and theirs were still some of the saddest and palest faces in the Hall, then Slytherins, where Julian was sitting with Cho, staring blankly at the seat Cedric used to sit, and finally, to the Gryffindors, where Celeste was sitting with her face buried in her hands.

     "There is much that I would like to say to you all tonight,"  Dumbledore said, "but I must first acknowledge the loss of a very fine person, who should be sitting here," he gestured toward the Hufflepuffs, "enjoying our feast with us. I would like you all, please, to stand, and raise your glasses, to Cedric Diggory."They did it, all of them; the benches scraped as everyone in the Hall stood, and raised their goblets, and echoed, in one loud, low, rumbling voice, "Cedric Diggory."

      "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 came about."

    Celeste raised her head and stared at Dumbledore.

     "Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort."

      A panicked whisper swept the Great Hall. People were staring dumbledore in disbelief, in horror. He looked perfectly calm as he watched them mutter themselves into silence. 

    "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. Itis 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."

     Stunned and frightened, every face in the Hall was turned towardDumbledore now.

    "There is somebody else who must be mentioned in connection with Cedric's death," Dumbledore went on. "I am talking, of course, about HarryPotter." 

    A kind of ripple crossed the Great Hall as a few heads turned in Harry'sdirection before flicking back to face Dumbledore. 

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

      Dumbledore turned gravely to Harry and raised his goblet once more. Nearly everyone in the Great Hall followed suit. They murmured his name, as they had murmured Cedric's, and drank to him. But through a gap in the standing figures. Celeste saw that Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and many of her other housemates had remained defiantly in their seats, their goblets untouched. Dumbledore, who after all possessed no magical eye, did not see them. 

      When everyone had once again resumed their seats, Dumbledore continued, "The Triwizard Tournament's aim was to further and promote magical understanding. In the light of what has happened - of Lord Voldemortsreturn - such ties are more important than ever before."Dumbledore looked from Madame Maxime and Hagrid to Fleur Delacour and her fellow Beauxbatons students, to Viktor Krum and the Durmstrangsat the Slytherin table. Krum, Celeste saw, looked wary, almost frightened, as though he expected Dumbledore to say something harsh.

     "Every guest in this Hall," Dumbledore said, and his eyes lingered upon theDurmstrang students, "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'sreturn, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemorts 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.

     "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." 

         Celeste's trunk was packed; her cats and now owl were on top of it. She hadn't slept for more than three hours since Cedric had died. Every time she closed her eyes she would see the same thing: Cedric getting murdered by Voldemort.

     "You didn't have these bad of nightmares when your mum died, and you didn't cry as much, so what's new about this?" Pansy asked as they made their beds.

    "Why are you so insensitive Pansy!" Melody said.

      "I'm just asking!" Pansy defended.

       "My mum wasn't murdered by Voldemort, and the whole school didn't see her dead body." celeste said, grabbing her things and walking out the dorm.

                                                    ***

     The weather could not have been more different on the journey back toKing's Cross than it had been on their way to Hogwarts the previous September. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky. Celeste decided to sit with Cho and Julian on the train and managed to get a compartment to themselves. Celeste felt as though Dumbledore'sspeech at the Leaving Feast had unblocked her, somehow. It was less painful to discuss what had happened now.

    "I'm going to see what Harry, Ron, and Hermione are doing," Celeste said, exiting the compartment.

     Walking to the compartment she knew they were in she saw Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle outside of it.

    "You've picked the losing side, Potter! I warned you! I told you you ought to choose your company more carefully, remember? When we met on the train, first day at Hogwarts? I told you not to hang around with riffraff like this!" He jerked his head at Ron and Hermione. "Too late now Potter! They'll be the first to go, now the Dark Lord's back! Mudbloods andMuggle-lovers first! Well - second - Diggory was the f-"

     "You're just like your father," Celeste whispered coldly, making everyone turn to her. "You know how much Cedrics death hurt Julian -- how much it hurt me and then you're gonna use his death to make fun of Harry! You hate Harry so much that you'll say anything to make him feel bad. 'mudbloods and muggle-lovers first'. When Voldemort comes knocking on your door I bet you'll fall on your knees begging for a Dark Mark."

    "Celeste --" Draco began.

    "I hate you. And if Julian knew what you said he'd hate you too." 

                                                                                                                                       yikes bruv