Chapter 19: Returns, Moody Uncovers and Warnings.
"HARRY!" Hermione screamed as Harry fell to the ground in front of the maze with a thump.
Harry lifted his head up and Hermione's worried brown eyes met and held Harry's blurry, desolated look, one that had Hermione wondering what happened when Harry had disappeared. Her eyes travelled to the body underneath Harry and frowned softly when she saw that Cedric wasn't moving.
Hermione grunted as she was shoved to the side, causing Mia to reach out and grab her best friend before she fell completely to the ground.
"Are you okay?" Mia asked, worried and got a nod from Hermione before Mia turned her dark eyes and saw that everyone was beginning to crowd Harry. Mia could see that Harry was now looking around desperately for Hermione and he frowned as the volume of the voices increased in a way that Mia knew that it was getting to him.
"Would you all SHUT UP!" Mia roared, causing everyone to look at her. She moved closer toward where Harry was lying. "Harry…" she whispered and Harry shook his head.
"He's back, Voldemort's back!" he said hoarsely and Hermione covered her mouth with her hand.
"Oh God, Cedric…" McGonagall said as understanding dawned on her.
Mr. Diggory ran forward and shoved Harry off his son before he lifted Cedric's head and started shaking his body to try and wake Cedric, despite the futility.
"I tried to get us back out in time but it was too late - he died Harry told Mr Diggory desperately "Voldemort came back!"
"Harry!" Hermione cried out as she pushed her way through everyone before she finally reached Harry's side and knelt down next to him and Harry turned to face her.
"Voldemort's back," he whispered as the chill started to take over his body, numbing him to any emotions.
Hermione just wrapped her arms around Harry's body, holding him close as she turned her dark eyes up to Mia, who nodded and slinked off through the crowds so she could grab Draco and get him up to speed.
Hermione found herself in between Mr Diggory and Harry as Amos tried to grab Harry to shake answers from the younger male over what had happened to his son.
"What happened?" Mr Diggory screamed at Harry.
"Voldemort had him killed! We tried to get out but it was too late!" Harry shouted back.
"Don't lie to me boy!" Mr Diggory roared as he shook Harry harder. "He-who-must-not-be-named is not alive! He can't have ordered Cedric's death!"
"It's true!" Harry protested but it was fruitless, Mr Diggory was determined not to listen to him.
"Get off him!" Hermione shouted as she used all her strength and pushed Mr. Diggory away, causing him to fall backward onto his butt. "Harry didn't kill Cedric - did you not see the devastated look on his face - Voldemort is back - the same person who killed his parents is back and your behaviour isn't making the situation any better!"
While she was berating the older man, a man limped closer to Harry and slipped an arm around Harry's waist, startling the younger man.
"Come on lad," a gruff male voice whispered and Harry turned to see Moody helping him up. "We need to get you to the hospital wing," Moody whispered. Harry, dazedly, felt himself being pulled up and walked away from the scene in front of the maze and following Moody wherever Moody was leading him too.
***********
However, his disappearance was noticed almost immediately by his girlfriend.
"Harry?" Hermione asked, looking around with a hint of blue showing up in her eyes.
"Miss Granger, where is Mr. Potter?" McGonagall asked and Hermione shook her head as she turned to face the concerned Professor.
"The last time I saw him, he was standing next to Professor Moody," Hermione told her and felt a warm tingle in her jean pocket. Thrusting her hand into her pocket, she pulled out a note that had appeared magically and opened it.
She felt the blood draining from her face as she read Draco Malfoy's words about who Professor Moody truly was and dashed off to the castle with Professor McGonagall following her closely.
*******
"I don't get it - how on earth did Crouch get past Dumbledore?" Mia raged to Draco. Both of them were in an unused classroom.
Dobby had shown up and informed them of Winky's confession. Winky had been upset even more than usual that she had Sirius worried and he had ordered Dobby to find out why Winky was upset.
Dobby showed up at the school in a fit of panic and had used his old bonding to the Malfoy line and had found Draco with Mia and explained that Barty Crouch Junior hadn't died in jail like everyone had assumed and that he had taken over Moody's position in order to get close to Harry.
Mia soothed the young house elf while watching Draco write out a quick note. Draco pointed his wand and muttered a spell under his breath and both watched as the note disappeared with a small red flash before he turned to face Mia with a worried expression on his face.
"Hogwarts isn't very safe if Harry is in danger every year," Draco muttered as he rested back on his hands from where he was sitting on the table, watching Mia pace the floor in front of him.
He just got a glance of agreement in return and both of them just stayed silent.
***********
Hermione rushed up to Moody's office only to see Snape and Dumbledore already standing outside the door. Snape was trying to blast the door open but was having no luck as the door kept absorbing the magic. Dumbledore had tried but nothing had worked and allowed Snape a chance as he was an uncovered death eater when Hermione's temper finally exploded.
"Move out of my way!" Hermione snapped as she pushed Snape aside. She turned to her side and snapped her leg and kicked the door as hard as she could, causing the door to break off from its hinges and fall to the floor.
Moody and Harry's heads snapped up and saw Hermione standing there with her wand out and she fired off a spell that stunned Moody. Harry took advantage of the situation and kicked Moody's wand of his hand and it went flying through the air before he kicked Moody in the stomach, causing him to fly backward till his back hit the wall and he slid down. Hermione fired off another spell, one that had Moody slipping unconscious.
"Harry!" Hermione whispered as she pushed past the furniture that had been tossed about during the fight between Moody and Harry and hurried over to him. She helped him up, draping one arm over her shoulder, holding him up.
Harry winced as one of his hand rested over his sore spot on his rib as he leaned into his girlfriend.
They watched as Moody changed form of a younger man who had black hair and dark empty brown eyes as he slowly woke up before he laughed manically at the situation.
"Barty Crouch Junior!" Snape and Dumbledore exclaimed together, shocked at what they were seeing. But Harry knew him from somewhere else.
"That's him!" Harry shouted. "That's the man from my dreams and from the camp!" Harry exclaimed.
"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked, confused. Harry turned to face her.
"I had a weird dream before we went to the Quidditch Match at the summer - he was in it and he was the reason why I stopped running toward the portkey site - he was just standing to the side with an evil grin on his face," Harry told her.
"He's working with Voldemort," Hermione whispered as she turned to face the impostor only to see Snape forcing clear liquid down his throat and knew it was the strongest truth potion they had on hand.
She watched as Dumbledore questioned Barty Crouch Junior while she still held onto Harry the whole time. She couldn't believe that this impostor had managed to slip past everyone and set up everything that Harry had went through.
Hermione turned her head in disgust that she almost lost her boyfriend thanks to one of Voldemort's lackey when she felt Harry getting heavy and worried eyes shot up to Harry's face.
"Harry…" she called out, attracting everyone's attention to them.
Harry lifted a hand up to his head as he started to feel light weight and dizzy before coloured spots started dancing around his eyes and his eyes rolled up into the back of his head and was vaguely aware of Hermione calling his name as the darkness gave him reprieve from his day.
**********
Harry found himself in the hospital wing, looking up at the ceiling. Frowning as he turned his head only to see a blurry hand moving toward him and soon everything was clear as Hermione placed his glasses on for him.
"You fainted due to blood loss," Hermione said, answering his unanswered question and Harry nodded in understanding as she helped him sit up slowly, minding the fact that he could get dizzy.
There was a sudden slam and everyone spun their head around to see Remus holding a glass jar on the windowsill. Hermione was the only one who seemed to understand what was going on before she turned everyone's attention back to Harry.
"What happened, Harry?" she whispered.
"I saw them," Harry whispered, causing everyone to look confused to what Harry was talking about.
"What was that dear?" Molly asked and Harry looked up.
"I saw my parents and Aunt Callie," he explained and the blood drains from Sirius' face. Ron stared at Harry, dumbstruck while tears began to fill Mia's eyes. Hermione shifted closer and ran a hand through his hair.
"How?" Molly asked and Harry sighed.
"Voldemort threw the killing curse at me, I threw the reducto curse and our spells met in midair then formed this gold link between our wands," Harry explained. "The shadows of his victims came out, Bertha Jorkins, the old man and Cedric. He came out and asked me to take his body back to his parents, and then Aunt Callie came out. At first I thought it was Mia but she had blonde hair, she told me that everything was going to be fine," Harry whispered, his voice cracking a bit. "Then my dad came out and told me to hold on and my mom came out. They told me that they were there to help me and told me when to break the link," he explained.
Hermione shifted her body and wrapped her arms around Harry's shoulders, bringing him into a hug as he wrapped his arms around her waist, holding on as he buried his face into her neck.
"They saved your life," Remus told him and Harry nodded.
"And," Harry spoke up and they looked toward him. "They gave me a couple of messages."
"Harry?" Remus asked, concerned.
"Uncle Sirius, Mia - Aunt Callie says she loves you and Mia, she said that it's okay to be scared but you don't need to run," Harry told them before he took a deep breath as he looked at Mia. "And Cedric says that he's sorry and he understands."
He inhaled sharply when he saw the understanding dawning on Mia's eyes before her heart visible shattered in her eyes. Mia closed her eyes, holding back the tears before she nodded and opened her eyes and looked at Harry.
"Thank you," she whispered before she stood up and left the hospital wing.
"What was that about?" Ron asked, concerned and confused but no one had any answers, except Hermione, who just watched her best friend go with an aching heart.
Mia ran out of the castle and into the pouring rain. One hand covering her mouth while the other one covered her stomach.
She stumbled over to the lake before she knelt down beside it and cried. All she could feel with disgust at herself for using Cedric. She should have told him the truth before he died but she was so scared of everything that was happening she just latched onto something that was easy.
Her brother was almost taken from her. Her heart couldn't cope with the pain. She almost lost another person she loved thanks to Voldemort and she hated it. She hated the feeling weak and useless.
She knew that she wasn't a superhuman, she was only a normal human being whose big brother was now at the front line when it came to war and there was a chance she would lose him.
Mia couldn't help but sob harder. Voldemort was back. The man who took away her mother. The man who fulfilled the prophecy and marked Harry as his equal. The man who meant Harry's death if he was ever to win.
She couldn't lose her brother; she couldn't let Hermione lose the one man she loved. She knew that if Harry was to die, Hermione would die right beside him and it scared Mia that she would lose two people that she loved.
"Damn you Voldemort, why can't you just stay dead?" Mia whispered angrily before another round of tears poured out of her.
Lightening and thunder fill the sky, startling the students around Hunter before it set them back into their sombre mood - even mother nature knew today wasn't a good day.
Hunter looked out of the window only for his eyes to narrow when he saw a figure kneeling down beside the lake. The lightening flashed and the figure came into view.
Hunter's eyes widen before he rushed out of the library and out of the castle.
"Mia!" Hunter shouted over the roaring wind as he moved closer to Mia. He knelt down beside her and tried to pull her into a hug only to feel her shoving him away.
"Leave me alone!" Mia shouted as she looked at him. "Voldemort is back! He wants to take Harry!" she broke down in tears once more.
"Mia…" Hunter whispered before he pulled her into a hug once more and she fell into his arms, willing, as she clutched his jumper and sobbed into his chest. Hunter just ran his hand over her hair, rocking her back and forth as he tried to comfort the girl.
"He killed Cedric!" Mia cried. "He tried to kill Harry!"
"It's gonna be okay," Hunter soothed pathetically. He knew that it wasn't going to be okay but what do you say at a time like this? Where someone had died and where someone had almost died? That someone who was dead had come back to life?
"I hate him!" Mia sobbed. "I hate him so much!" Hunter just nodded as he held her close.
*********
Draco was pacing the unused classroom as rage and sadness raced through his veins. He couldn't help the burst of rage he felt as he grabbed a chair and threw it across the room, watching it shatter to pieces, but it didn't make him feel better.
He hated Voldemort. He wanted Voldemort dead and the strength of his rage scared him death. He was terrified that Voldemort was back, he knew that his father would assign him to Voldemort's side and he didn't want any more deaths to happen - not at Voldemort's hands. Voldemort was back. He was back to kill Harry and take over the world and Draco felt helpless.
His father would be boasting of it tonight, by sending him a letter, that his master has finally came back and how they had gotten rid of Cedric like it was a game, but it wasn't a game to Draco - no, it was war and he knew that it was going to be a bloodbath soon.
"Draco?" a female voice asked and Draco turned to see Lisa Turpin standing there in the doorway, her green eyes dark with concern.
Draco just slumped to the ground before he finally let loose his tears and sobbed. Lisa just gasped as she hurried into the room, closed the door behind her and hurried over to Draco and pulled him into a hug.
"He almost killed Harry. He's back!" Draco sobbed. Lisa pulled away, confused.
"Draco - what's going on?" Lisa asked and the whole truth came tumbling out. How he was working with Harry, Hermione and Mia behind the scenes of finding out what was going on. How he was in training with the trio and how he was undercover.
Lisa just watched him shocked. She knew that Draco was different from his father but she hadn't realised how different and felt herself falling for him even more than she had fallen before.
"Voldemort's back," Draco finished off in a hoarse whisper. "Harry is on the front line to be killed." Draco couldn't help the tears that welled up again and Lisa just wrapped her arms around him once more, comforting him.
"With you, Mia and Hermione helping him - Harry will make it," Lisa whispered and got a nod in return as they both just sat there in silence.
**********
Ron was walking through the hallway, lost in his thoughts when he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Luna standing there, gazing up at him with blue eyes soft in understanding.
Ron felt his wall crumble and tears started to fill his eyes. Luna just stepped forward and enveloped him in her arms as she comforted him.
"Voldemort is going down - Harry will survive the war," Luna whispered into his ear and Ron nodded hopefully as he just tightened his grip around Luna's waist, holding onto her as she comforted him.
**********
Harry was staring off in space while Hermione stroked the back of his hand with her thumb when Harry finally spoke, allowing it to sink in.
"I saw my parents," Harry whispered as tears began to fill his eyes. Hermione felt her heart break at the desolated look on Harry's face before she moved in closer and wrapped her arms around his body. "They told me they loved me and that they were proud of me," Harry sobbed into Hermione's neck as he clung to her. Hermione kissed the side of Harry's head as she held him close to him.
Tears slipped from her closed eyes, she wished more than anything to be able to have the power to bring back the dead.
Soon, Harry sobs died down, just sniffled every now and then. Hermione pulled away and cupped his face before she leaned in and rested her forehead against his.
"It was impossible for them to not to love you or be proud of you - you are their son Harry, you're becoming the man they always hoped you would become," Hermione told him as tears filled her eyes before she leaned in and softly kissed his lips before kissing his cheek and enveloped him in a hug once more.
Harry just clung to Hermione, holding onto the one thing that brought him back to Hogwarts, safe and alive.
**********
Mia stepped into the common room, soaking wet. Her black hair was plastered to her head while her eyes were bloodshot and empty.
Everyone just looked at her, shocked at seeing their kick ass Mia Black looking so empty. Hermione came down into the common room only to stop short when she saw her best friend and her eyes softened.
"Oh sweetie," Hermione whispered as she moved closer and enveloped Mia into a hug before she led up her up the stairs.
They reached the bedroom and Mia stripped her wet clothes off while Hermione grabbed a bathrobe and slipped it onto Mia before leading her over to the bed.
Mia just lay down on the bed and curled up on it, allowing Hermione to slip in behind her and hold her best friend.
"What happened?" Hermione whispered. She had seen the change in Cedric and Mia when they arrived at the tent and she had a feeling of what had happened but she needed to hear it.
"He asked me to be his girlfriend," Mia whispered. "We were going to talk after he finished the last task." She broke down crying and Hermione just closed her eyes as a few tears slipped out from the corner of her eyes as she held Mia close to her.
"It'll be okay Mia, you'll see," Hermione whispered, teary and Mia nodded as they both just laid there.
But both of them knew that it would get worse before it would get better.
*********
Two hours later, everyone found themselves in the Hospital wing. They had all been kicked out of the hospital wing earlier so Madam Pomfrey check over Harry again and heal his wounds.
Dumbledore was currently pacing the floor in front of Harry's bed as he tried to think up a way in order to get Harry to go to the Dursleys where he would be safe from Voldemort and the Death Eaters.
"I think Harry should go to the Dursleys," Dumbledore stated only to be faced with a dangerous sight as Sirius, Mia and Hermione all stood up, surrounding Harry.
"Don't you even think about it Dumbledore, Harry is going nowhere," Sirius warned him. "He needs to be around people who love him, not sadistic animals who don't even care about him."
"Beside, do it and you'll drive Harry away," Mia stated. Dumbledore turned to Hermione.
"Miss Granger, it's for his own good, he'll be protected there!" Dumbledore pleaded, trying to get to Hermione's good nature and got a cold glare in return.
"Harry is going nowhere near those people as long I'm alive," she warned him.
"Albus!" McGonagall scolded. "Leave them alone, Harry has been through a traumatic experience, the last thing he needs is to be belittled and abused. she informed him with a glare.
Dumbledore was about to argue when the hospital doors opened once more and everyone turned to see Fudge stepping through the door..
"What happened, I want answers now!" Fudge snapped.
"Voldemort is alive," Dumbledore informed Fudge only to be met with disbelief "What have you been taking?" Fudge demanded. "You-Know-Who is dead and has been for the last 13 years."
"I was there," Harry spoke up, drawing Fudge's attention to him. "Voldemort is back and alive."
"Don't be ridiculous!" Fudge snapped. "It is impossible!" Harry lost control over his temper.
"I fought him!" Harry shouted as he got out of bed, despite Madam Pomfrey's warnings. "I gained this scar because of him!" Harry thrusted out his scarred arm where the knife had cut deeply into the skin - one that wouldn't heal properly no matter what Fawkes or Madam Pomfrey did.
"You have been telling outrageous lies!" Fudge shouted.
"Voldemort is back! If you want to continue to bury your head in the sand - then you are fucking welcome to but don't expect me to save your ass when Voldemort finally shows himself, because you deserve the death he will give you!" Harry roared as the fire flamed up in Harry's eyes, causing all the flames near by Harry to rise even higher, startling everyone in the hospital wing.
"Voldemort is back," Hermione spoke up as she placed a hand on Harry's shoulder, calming him down slightly before she looked at Fudge with hard eyes. "You are making a mistake of not telling anyone - they could prepare themselves for any danger yet you are refusing to give them their chance."
"They are not in any danger because He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is not alive!" Fudge shouted.
Everyone but Harry ducked to escape the shards as the lanterns blew up under the heat of the fire.
Fudge just looked at the now broken lanterns before he looked at Harry.
"How are we supposed to take your word that He Who Must Not Be Named is alive - you could have killed Cedric and passed the blame onto a dead man," Fudge stated, coyly. He now had Harry in a trap and he wasn't going to let the Boy-Who-Lived go.
"Don't push me beyond my limit," Harry snapped back, startling the minister. "You really don't want to see what I'm like when I'm pissed off."
"Beside - Cedric and Harry's wand came back with them - if Harry really killed Cedric - you can cast a spell on the wand to reveal the last spell that was used on both wands," Hermione informed the minister with a hard glint in her eyes.
"Mr Potter - get back in your bed!" Madam Pomfrey shouted from where she was standing in her doorway. She made her way over to her patient and forced him back into his bed before she spun on her heels and gave the minister a hard glare. The minister quailed under it. "And I'd thank you to stop upsetting my patients!"
"You need to get his head checked out," Fudge informed the Matron. "He's obviously losing his mind."
"Do I tell you to do your job?" Madam Pomfrey asked, calmly. One that had Mia's eyes widening in panic before she got off the bed and hurried behind Hermione, who ducked behind Remus.
"No," Fudge said clueless.
"Then don't tell me how to do my JOB!" Madam Pomfrey informed Fudge with an evil glare. "And for your information - Mr. Potter's state of mind is absolutely fine - it's his stress levels I'm worried about with you storming in here and making all sorts of accusations!"
"He's claming that You-Know-Who is alive!" Fudge shouted and Madam Pomfrey raised an eyebrow.
"We all knew that he wasn't going to stay dead for a long time - Evil never does," Madam Pomfrey informed the Minister before she made shooing motions. "Now - get OUT of MY hospital wing!"
Fudge straightened up before he shot Harry a glare before looking at Hermione and Mia, who were now standing next to Remus Lupin - the werewolf.
"Congratulations Mr Potter, you won the triwizarding championship," Fudge informed the young man before dropping the bag of money on the small bedside table. "Here's your prize money."
He didn't see Mia holding Hermione back as Hermione made to launch herself at the minister so she could kick his ass for mistreating her boyfriend.
"Don't want it," Harry replied as he thrusted the money back at Fudge. "I don't do well with blood money." Fudge just glared Harry before placing the money back on the table.
"You won - you keep it," Fudge informed him before he bowed his head and made to walk out of the Hospital wing when Mia's voice spoke up.
"I'm warning you, Fudge," Mia stated from where she was still holding Hermione back. "Tell the Wizarding world that Voldemort isn't alive, it will be your head that will be handed to him."
"He isn't alive!" Fudge exclaimed and Mia shook her head.
"Fine, have a nice life, I can assure you that you won't be living much longer," she informed him before snapping her fingers, causing Fudge to go flying out of the hospital wing. His back was slammed into the wall before the doors were shut in his face, betraying his shocked expression at what just happened.
"Mia…" Harry started, tiredly and got a glare in return, causing him to shut up. "Nothing," he muttered under his breath before he eyed his sister and girlfriend. "And why are you holding onto Hermione?"
"Because she was about ready to kill the Minister - I'm not visiting anyone in jail," Mia informed Harry as she let Hermione go only to wrap her arms around Hermione's waist once more as Hermione made a dash for the doors.
"I'm going to kill him - let me go!" Hermione raged but Mia shook her head.
"No way - you can wait till Voldemort reveals himself then kill Fudge - we can blame it on the death eaters this way," Mia informed Hermione.
"MIA!" Molly, Remus, Sirius and Professor McGonagall scolded together. Mia just shook her head before she let go Hermione go only to roll her eyes as she had to wrap her arms around Hermione's waist once more before she glare at her brother.
"You - control her!" Mia informed Harry.
Harry got out of bed once more and stepped in front of Hermione before sliding a hand into her hair and pressed a hard kiss to Hermione's lips.
Mia let Hermione go and took a step back before rolling her eyes toward Ron, who turned his head away to stifle a snicker.
Hermione let out a soft groan as she wrapped her arms around Harry's shoulders, holding him close, revelling in the fact that he was still alive and holding her despite the brush with Voldemort.
Sirius just sighed as he rubbed his forehead while Remus looked at Sirius with a tender smile - one that had Sirius returned as they remembered a certain couple who used to do this.
Molly stared at Harry and Hermione with a disgusted look on her face while Ginny looked away as hurt filled her veins before she left the hospital wing all together.
Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat only to gain a backhanded slap from Professor McGonagall and looked down to see her glaring at him.
"Don't you dare interrupt them - Harry has been through a terrible ordeal and only Hermione will be able to help him get past it - Merlin forbid you to even get on my bad side," she warned him in a cool tone, one that had Dumbledore stepping back slightly.
Everyone just turned back to see Hermione was helping Harry back into bed and tucked the covers over him before sitting on the bed and taking his hand.
Madam Pomfrey came back out with a goblet in her hand before she glared at the visitors.
"It is time for Mr Potter to go to sleep - no visitors!" she informed them and everyone nodded except from Hermione and Ron.
Everyone left the Hospital wing. Dumbledore and McGonagall went down the hallway to check on the other students while Remus walked off with the Weasley family.
Mia just stopped in place and Sirius turned to look at his daughter, wondering what she wanted only to see tears filling her eyes.
"Mia?" Sirius asked, curious.
"Can you just hold me?" Mia asked in a little girl's voice. Sirius looked down at his daughter in a stunned shock at her tone before his eyes softened when he saw his baby girl again. He held out his arms and Mia rushed into them, holding onto her dad and allowed herself to cry into his chest.
"Everything will be okay, baby girl, you'll see," Sirius whispered as he buried his face into his daughter's hair, comforting her.
Mia just nodded as she clung to her father tightly as she inhaled the scent that made him her father and closed her eyes, allowing him to sooth her pain in the only way a father knew how to.
***********
Ron and Hermione were sitting on an empty bed just to the right of Harry's bed. Both of them hadn't wanted to leave Harry alone for the time being.
"Will Harry be alright?" Ron asked as he looked toward Hermione. Hermione sighed as she looked at Ron before looking at Harry, who was sleeping in bed.
"In time - yeah," Hermione whispered. Ron just reached out and wrapped an arm around Hermione's shoulders and hugged her as she watched her boyfriend sleep.
TBC