Chapter Text
Harry dove fast to the ground and behind the tombstone as a curse flew straight to him with swiftness from the monstrosity that murdered his parents.
Panting heavily as he lay down on the ground. He was tired, sleepy and hurt. His scar was ringing and giving him an ache as if it would burst open in an explosion. He saw the corpse of Cedric Digorry, he mourned for the boy and guilt had filled him for Cedric met his death because he tried to be fair and brought him together with him. His only fault was because he was with Harry.
“Come now Harry Potter. Show us those Gryffindor bravery you and your foolish parents have.” Voldemort taunted and his eater cackled mockingly at him.
Harry's anger flared, he could take the taunt directed at him, but Voldemort or not, he would not let his parents be mocked in front of him. Inhaling deeply, mustering all courage he had, he was going to die today, and if so, he wouldn't go down with a fight. He thought of his life, how he cursed his aunt and uncle for how they treated him. He thanked Hogwarts for giving him the joyful memories of magic. He thought about the people he loved, Hermione, Ron, his team, the Weasleys, Hagrid, Professors Lupin and McGonagall and Sirius.
A blast hit the tombstone he used as cover, he then stood and faced his soon to be murderer with defiance. They stared eye to eye, where amber met emerald. He met the monster's eyes angrily and with the last defiant breath in his soul he said.
“FUCK. YOU.”
“AVADA KEDAVRA!”
Thinking of the only spell he could think of, he didn’t care if it would not stop the killing curse, for he refused to go down without a fight. “Expelliarmus” Harry screamed, dread filling in his heart for the more he walked towards his certain death, the more he had hoped for a better life.
Then his red jet stream met the green lightning to a stalemate and to everyone’s surprise, a second year spell stopped the unstoppable curse. As if destiny aided the boy-who-lived, the ghost of the past then conjured from the corrupted wand of Voldemort. One by one they came forth, first is the soul of Cedric Diggory, then an old man, whom Harry remembered in his dream, then a woman, he recognized from the papers Bertha Jorkin.
Then to his joy and hope, the soul of his mother was conjured and then his father.
“Hold on a little longer son, we’ll make a distraction for you. Okay?” Harry nodded as if a child at his father’s instruction, his ghost standing in front of him facing Voldemort. His mother stood in front of him too but she was facing him and for the first time in what he only imagined in daydreams, his mum cupped his cheeks and for every wonders of magic, regardless of how impossible it is, he felt her hand in his face.
“Be brave and be sweetheart. It will be tough but I need you to fight with all you have even just for a little while.” she said with so much hope and love she could muster from beyond the grave. A sense of flutter touched his heart and a sense of resolve fueled his soul and conviction, his eyes went teary though not for fear but for the touch and love of his mum he solely and desperately hoped to experience.
He begged whomever listened for just one moment to be with his parents, for evidence that he had truly been loved and though he’d rather have better circumstances he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“No, don’t get in the way. He is mine to finish.” Voldemort snarled as his death eaters drew their wands and encircled Harry.
“Get to the portkey, son.” His dad said
“Harry, you are so loved. Dada loves you. Mama loves you.” his mum said softly, the screams and growls of Voldemort and his death eaters, the loudness of their spells were muted in Harry’s ears as his mum whispered words of love he had wished for all his life. “Be strong and be brave, love. Let go sweetheart, be brave and let go!” She said in a whisper as more tears dropped down from his eyes and then she joined his dad
“Harry, take my body back with you.” the ghost of Cedric pleaded with him, he turned his head to where he was along with the other two ghosts, and all he could do was nod.
“Let go sweetheart.”
“Let go Harry!”
And so he did, the ghost of Voldemort murder victims all drove forward to where he was standing and Harry quickly dispelled his hex and dove to Cedric’s corpse, pointing his wand to where the cup is and screamed “Accio” he summoned the cup and just a quick second the trophy was in his hand and not a second after, with no room for Voldemort and his ilk to stop him, he was gone and whisked away from the graveyard.
He landed with a loud thud at the ground of Hogwarts. Awaiting him was the headmaster, who for the first time as Harry saw him, old and tired. “Harry!” He exclaimed as he bent down to check on Harry personally.
“He’s back.” Harry said with a whisper “Voldemort is back.” He said again and with that, all of his fatigue from the maze, the pain in his scar and the depletion of his magic. He fainted as if he too was dead.
Then screams from the student broke Dumbledore out of his surprise as he realized that alongside Harry was the dead body of Cedric Diggory. He mourned just for a second for this is not the time to be sad. Drawing his wand, he quickly conjured a thick blanket to cover the bodies of Harry and Cedric.
“Albus, what in Merlin’s name is going on?” the minister demanded some answers. “Amos Diggory is frantic and demands some answers about his boy. You know him and how proud and how he loves his son. I need some answers, Dumbledore.” He demanded even more
“Not here Cornelius. Discussions should be done in more private and secure areas. I need you however to take control as I will be taking care of these two students and head the investigation myself.”
“But —” Hearing the seriousness and anger in Dumbledore’s voice, Fudge didn’t push further and agreed to his instruction despite him being the Minister of Magic. “Very well then Dumbledore, but I demand answers afterward.”
“And you will have them before the morrow comes.” Poppy then arrived alongside with the other heads of houses, he expected Alastor to be with him but suspiciously wasn’t. He didn’t voice it but he feared the fruits of his own suspicions, he didn’t like the possibility of his old friend to have been the one to have caused all of this but before he can further investigate for keying the destination of the portkey has been his assignment.
“Escort all students back to their dormitories, and ensure everyone is safe and secured. Make sure that they do not wander out.”
“What has happened Albus?”
“A student is dead, Minerva. Questions shall be answered later but not now, the safety of our students is our first priority. Poppy, kindly take the bodies of Mr. Potter and Mr. Diggory to the hospital wing and please make sure that nobody sees you. Severus, have Madam Sinistra escort the Slytherins, as you will aid me in this investigation.” Dumbledore instructed, the Potion master nodded firmly, clutching his forearm where the dark mark laid and fear creeping into his stoic expression.
Thankfully, both Remus and Arthur arrived to extend their help. “Remus I need you to escort the Weasleys, Miss Granger and your furry friend to the hospital wing, ensure that they remain discreet and composed so as to not incite…. anxiety. Arthur you are in-charge of escorting Amos to the Hospital Wing.
They then quickly did as they were instructed, and so the Headmaster went to find Alastor and interrogate him of what had happened and to hopefully prove his suspicions wrong. He first summoned his phoenix, then he casted the patronus charm to send a message to Alastor, and through that charm, Fawkes can then bring him as he follows it and to where Alastor would be located.
Harry’s limp body laid in the hospital wing for a total of 5 days. Ron and Hermione weren't foreign in visiting the hospital wing while Harry was hurt. But this has been the worst of their experience. Classes had resumed, the Order had convened and here he lay alone in the Hospital wing.
They along with the Weasleys, Remus and Sirius all paled when they heard that Harry was very lucky to be alive. Magical depletion, broken bones, cursed wounds, his scar radiating and pulsing more than it was ever before and severe exposure to the Cruciatus curse. For the time being, the matriarch was busy in making sure that Harry receives his nutrients and medicines while he is in a slumber.
“Ughhh…” Harry groaned for the first time in five days. His body was heavy, and lingering pain echoed throughout his body. He tried opening his eyes but he failed because the pain had been great.
The curtains were yanked open by the matriarch as she performed her spells to check on his status.
“Good evening Mr. Potter. I am glad you are awake.” Pomfrey greeted, he tried opening left eye groggily but still pain and blurriness prevailed his sight.
“Mmhmmm” Harry greeted back, giving up on his attempt to get up and laid back on the bed and slept again.
It took two more days before Harry had fully woken off from his slumber where he was able to sit and eat his own meals as well as clean himself. Ron and Hermione visited him immediately.
“Harry!” Hermione rushed to his bed and hugged Harry ferociously. “Uggghh” Harry groaned as pain emanated in his body once again, yet he returned her hugs as much as he could.
“One day you are gonna kill one of us with those hugs of yours Hermione.” Ron grinned as Hermione pulled back and blushed as she muttered an apology to Harry. “So how are you mate? Ron asked.
“Like I’ve been ran over by a herd of Centaurs.”Harry replied
“Yeah I figured, what you went through is pretty crazy.” Ron said.
“It’s absolutely mental, we’ve never seen Dumbledore so furious and baffled at the same time. The professors were adamant on keeping us in the common rooms and had ordered every prefect to not let anyone out until Dumbledore says so.We had to be cooped up in the towers for a full day, we tried to visit you here but the prefects were adamant not to let anyone out of the towers. But good thing that McGonagall interjected and allowed us to visit you. ” Hermione interjected.
“Yeah, everyone kinda went barmy for that. Says that if we are allowed to go out, they should too.” Ron said.
“It was crazy what happened while you were asleep Harry. The Minister went off on Dumbledore when he said that Voldemort is back. Says that it's just your hallucinations after such a traumatic and intense experience in the maze. He even dismissed Cedric’s death as an accident.”
“Dumbledore didn’t take any of Fudge’s nonsense however and had threatened to cut off ties with him if he continued to take the path of unbelief instead of preparing for the coming war.” Ron said
“The minister is being a complete and utter fool. He of all people should take heed and importance of Dumbledore’s proclamation of You-know-Who’s return. Anyone he shouldn’t believe, but Dumbledore? Completely utterly useless.” Hermione ranted.
“I bet he is afraid, and he’s rightfully so.” Harry said quietly. “Did they find out who put my name in the Goblet of Fire?”
His two best friends nodded “it was Barty Crouch, but it wasn’t him at all. It was his son disguising himself as his father to oversee the events and ensure that you would be kidnapped.” Hermione said
“Moody was the one who captured him, there was a crazy duel that ensued at Hagrid’s hut where Moody caught up to him.” Harry nodded and stated he was tired and wanted to sleep again, Ron and Hermione respected his decision and promised they would visit him again.