Oh my gosh…I'm done book four! Wahooooooo! Oh, I'm so incredibly happy right now, you guys have no idea! I'm sorry for the late update, I really wanted to have this chapter up before the New Year, that way I can start the next book in the New Year, but hey, stuff happens. I really, really hope you guys like this chapter, I'm sorry if some things seem a lot like the book, I rushed it a tiny bit at the end, because I was so eager to finish this last chapter, because I have so much to plan for the next book, and I wanted to get as much started as I can, especially since the new school semester starts on Monday and I fear that I will have almost no time to myself.

Anyway, like I said, I hope you all enjoy, and I apologize if the end wasn't as good as you hoped, I'll try to make up for it in the first chapter of "You Were Always There: Part Five," so keep an eye out for it! Man, I'm so happy and excited that I got through four books, that means I only have three left to do! This has been an amazing experience and journey for me, and I have all of you to thank for it! If there are any questions or comments, please just tell me, and REVIEW, REVIEW! I love them so much, good or bad, so just tell me what you thought of the end of book four! Love you guys! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: All things Harry Potter are not mine

Chapter Nineteen: I Promise

MPOV

"…no need to stand guard over him Dumbledore! The Minister has seen to that!"

"…insisted on summoning a Dementor to accompany him into the castle…"

"By all accounts, he is no loss…"

"Voldemort has been restored to his body…"

Moody, curses…mad, poison…Voldemort…Harry…

It was as if Mia was awakening from a deep fog, her mind terribly clouded and her senses dulled, but ever so slowly returning to her. The first was her hearing, given from the shouts of angry voices that surrounded her, to which she had absolutely no idea what they were talking about. Next was her sense of touch and smell, as she numbly noticed the crisp sheets underneath her fingertips and the pillow that supported her head. She could start to taste whatever was left of the potions she remembered Madame Pomfrey and Snape giving her as they tried to figure out what it was exactly that Moody had given her. She had barely been conscious when Snape had finally managed to get her to the hospital wing, and they had to do everything they could to keep her awake so she could replay to them what her symptoms were and when they started. After that, everything was a blur, and she guessed that Madame Pomfrey had given her something to help her sleep. Now, as she was beginning to be become aware of what was going on around her, she wished she was still asleep. The angry voices were still shouting, but her mind was still groggy, and she couldn't make out everything that was being said, although she could swear she heard what sounded like Dumbledore and Minister Fudge arguing with one another. Voldemort's name was mentioned quite a few times, and it sounded as if Fudge was denying that he has returned. Frowning a bit at this, Mia was sure she could have imagined that. She attempted to open her eyes, but they were so heavy, it was proving more difficult then she thought it would be.

Mia spent a fair good time trying to open her eyes as well as sit up more, but it wasn't easy. While some of her initial pain was gone, she still felt very queasy and weak. While she tried to fully wake up, the shouting continued, mainly between Fudge and Dumbledore, with very few interruptions from others. However, at one point, Mia's motivation reached a whole new level when she heard the strong voice of Harry, so very close to her, snapping something at Fudge, and her heart soared. He's okay, Harry's okay! Wanting to see him, Mia finally began opening her eyes, fluttering them against their will and for a moment all she saw was darkness before they adjusted to it, and she saw that she was laying inside the hospital wing, where a huge debate was taking place. She heard some final comments from Fudge before hearing his footsteps fade away with the slam of the doors and she took in a quiet breath. After that, Mia could gear faint mutterings along with Dumbledore giving out instructions, but she gave a start when she heard Mrs. Weasley's voice shriek in fright.

"Sirius Black!"

"Mum, shut up!" yelled Ron's voice. "It's okay!"

Sirius? Ron? Mrs. Weasley? They were all here? Turning her head over to the left side, where all the noise was coming from, Mia looked over to see a whole bunch of people crowded around a bed. There was Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore, Sirius and Snape. Dumbledore was speaking with Sirius and Snape, both of whom were looking at each other with clear loathing and disgust on their faces. While they were talking, Mia looked over to the person on the bed and she gasped quietly…it was Harry. He was sitting up in his own bed, looking thoroughly exhausted and apprehensive as his godfather and potions master stared each other down. Wanting to go over and be with everyone else and find out what was happening, Mia started moving slowly across her mattress, ignoring the slight stinging pain in her stomach. However, she didn't get too far, for just as Snape and Sirius were forced to shake hands, Mia managed to pull away some of the blankets but ended up moving the wrong way, and she let out a soft cry of pain. She had hoped for it to go unnoticed, but unfortunately, Hermione looked over her way and her eyes went wide.

"Mia!" she gasped. Everyone suddenly stopped what they were doing and turned their attention over towards her.

"Mia," Harry said, every line of his face relieved and concerned as he watched her hunch over and he looked as if he desperately wanted to go over to her.

"Thatcher, what are you doing?" Snape hissed. "You need to stay in bed, you'll make it worse."

"Well you're the potions expert Snape, maybe you should do your job and help her!" Sirius snarled as Mrs. Weasley leapt to her feet and hurried over to Mia to help her lie back down.

"There are more pressing matters here than babysitting a teenage girl, Black," Snape sneered.

"Enough," Dumbledore said, speaking with such power and authority, although his face softened as Mia whimpered, clutching her stomach. "Severus, what is her condition?"

"Black Tea Poison," Snape replied. "One of the less fatal ones, but none the less it is still extremely unpleasant, especially left untreated. It contains the dying leaf of an Iris and venom of a Scarabis, yet sedated by a pinch of crushed moth wings."

"Well thank you for that marvelous lessen, professor," Sirius said sarcastically. "How can we reverse it?"

"The antidote is on the table, idiotic mutt," Snape snapped, pointing to a couple of vials on Mia's bedside table. "That, along with the Ethalas and honeydew nectar, once every four hours—I'm hopeful your simple mind can process that."

"Thank you, Severus," Dumbledore said loudly, which was a good thing since Sirius looked ready to curse Snape into oblivion. "Molly, since Poppy is away at the moment, will you give Mia her potions?"

"Of course," Mrs. Weasley answered, taking hold of the vials.

"Will she be okay?" Harry asked worriedly.

"In time, Harry, Mia did go a long while without any medical assistance," Dumbledore assured him. "She'll be back to her healthy self in a couple days."

Mia was still confused as to what exactly was happening, but the pain in her stomach distracted her too much for her to really think about it at the moment. She laid back on her pillows and took both of the potions that Mrs. Weasley offered her. The antidote was awfully disgusting, but the honeydew and Ethalas was soothing on her throat and it helped settle her stomach almost immediately. She laid still and did her best to calm down as Mrs. Weasley took a wet cloth from a nearby basin and gently dabbed at her sweaty forehead.

"Now, I have work for each of you," Dumbledore said. "Fudge's attitude, though not unexpected, changes everything. Sirius, I need you to set off at once. You are to alert Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher—the old crowd. Lie low at Lupin's for a while, and I will contact you there."

"But—" said Harry, looking against the idea of Sirius having to leave. Mia could see the sadness in his eyes and her heart went out to him.

"You'll see me very soon, Harry," Sirius said, turning to face his godson with a sad smile. "I promise you. But I must do what I can, you understand don't you?"

"Yeah," Harry muttered. "Yeah…of curse I do."

Despite understanding, Mia could see that he was still very reluctant to say goodbye to Sirius. The escaped convict could see it too, and so he walked over and clapped Harry's shoulder with one hand while ruffling his hair with the other.

"We will see each other again soon," he said, with such sincerity in his eyes it was hard not to believe him. "Take care of yourself, all right?"

Harry nodded at him, and then Sirius stood up before looking over at Mia.

"You take care too, Mia," he said to her with a small affectionate smile. "Feel better soon, and take care of him for me, would you?"

Mia managed a weak smirk at him, giving him a look that clearly said, "Easier said than done." Sirius went over and ruffled her hair as well before transforming into a great black dog and bounding across the room and out the door. Dumbledore spoke quietly to Snape, telling him that he knew what he had to do, and Snape nodded, looking a bit pale and then following after Sirius, his black robes trailing behind him. After a few minutes of silence, Dumbledore took his leave, saying that he had to go and meet the Diggory's, and told Harry and Mia to drink their dreamless sleeping potion. When he left, there was more silence for a little while before Mrs. Weasley spoke.

"You two have got to take the rest of your potions," she said gently. "Have a good long rest. Try to think about something else for a while…think about what you're going to buy with your winnings, Harry!"

"I don't want that gold," Harry muttered in an expressionless voice. You have it. Anyone can have it. I shouldn't have won it, it should have been Cedric's…"

"It wasn't your fault, Harry," Mrs. Weasley whispered.

"I told him to take the cup with me," Harry said, his voice sounding oddly tight. "If I had just taken it myself, he wouldn't be…he's dead, and Mia's hurt…"

"No," Mia said, so fiercely it made everyone look at her in surprise, especially since this was the first time she had spoken since she had awoken. She gazed at Harry with a firm yet compassionate stare, putting raw emotion and sincerity into her words.

"This is not your fault," Mia said, willing him to believe her. "You didn't kill him, he did. Just the fact that you would never have let Cedric anywhere near that cup if you had known what was going to happen proves something. I do not blame you at all for what happened to me, and I'm sure Cedric wouldn't either. This is not your fault."

Mia stared directly into his eyes, putting as much strength into her gaze as she could, letting him know that despite what was going on, she wasn't about to leave his side. Never. Even now, she could see the hidden anguish, pain guilt and despair that was tearing him apart on the inside, ripping his heart to shreds, and she wanted to do everything in her power to make it stop. Cedric was dead…sweet, caring, brave and selfless Cedric was gone, murdered by Voldemort, who had somehow returned to power and managed to regain his physical form. The very idea haunted Mia, for it was as if her very worst nightmare was coming true. From what she had heard, it seemed as if Harry was led into some kind of trap, along with Cedric, and they ended up face-to-face with Voldemort himself. It terrified Mia, knowing that Harry was in the same place with the very monster who wanted him dead, and was willing to capture and torture her to make Harry suffer. The fear was threatening to overpower her very being, but she pushed it all down because right now, Harry needed all the support he could get. She so desperately wanted to know what had happened after Harry had gone into the maze, but she knew there was no way she was going to ask him—he would tell her and everyone else when he was ready. Their moment was interrupted by a loud slamming noise, and everyone looked over to see Hermione standing by one of the windows, holding something tight in her hand.

"Sorry," she whispered to them.

"Here you two," Mrs. Weasley said, giving both Mia and Harry a small vial filled with purple liquid. "Drink this and get some rest."

Mia took the vial in her hand and slowly put it to her lips, taking it all in one gulp while Harry did the same. She settled back onto her pillows and looked over at Harry, giving him the best smile she could. He smiled back at her, but it didn't quite reach his eyes, which were suddenly very glossy. She started feeling very drowsy, her eyelids drooping shut. The last thing she saw before she succumbed to her slumber was Harry's pale, scared, and everlasting scarred face.

Sometime in the night, Mia woke up so suddenly, taking a sharp intake of breath. For a minute, she forgot where she was and what had happened, but once she had a chance to calm down, everything came back to her and she let out a long sigh, swallowing the lump in her throat. She laid there in the dark for a little while, lost in her thoughts, with so many things flying through her mind. Now that Voldemort was back, what was going to happen? Was Harry safe? Were any of them safe? Mia had never heard in full detail about what went on during the first war against Voldemort and his Death Eaters, and to be perfectly honest she didn't think she wanted to know. Anyone who had lived through it, like Sirius, had such a haunted and grieved look in their eyes whenever it came up, she could do nothing but pity them. Sirius, along with so many people, had lost so much during that war—lives were destroyed, fear drove people to do any means necessary to defend themselves, and no one ever knew who to trust. With the most feared and dangerous dark wizard at large once again, is this the beginning of the second wizarding war? What are they going to do? How will they prepare for it? Mia moaned softly to herself—if she kept this up, she was never falling back asleep. Sighing again, Mia moved her head over to see that Harry was till at the bed next to hers, still peacefully asleep. Something in her seemed to start to break and she could feel the tears begin to well up in her eyes. Harry was with him…standing mere feet from him most likely. How did he survive? Hesitating for a moment, Mia tested her waters and tried sitting up in her bed. There was a slight pinch, but nothing much more than that. It seemed like the potions were doing quick work with her healing process. At the very least she didn't feel sick anymore.

Ever so carefully, Mia got up from the bed, making sure to take deep breaths as she stood to her feet. She wobbled a bit, and for a second she thought she might fall, but she managed to keep herself upright. It took her a couple of minutes, but she made her way over to Harry's bed, taking the closest seat to it. For a moment she just sat there, watching his peaceful face, wondering if it would ever be like this again. She remembered how scared he was when they were together in Moody's office—seeing her tied up, helpless, after the ordeal he had been through. Mia looked at his messy hair, the lightning bolt scar on his forehead, and the closed lids that were currently hiding his emerald eyes. Even after everything, Harry was still so brave and selfless, and she loved him for that…

No. She can't do this…not now, of all times. Harry has been through way too much, and she was not making matters worse by revealing her silly little school girl crush. She had a horrible feeling that things were soon going to become much more complicated and painfully frustrating for all of them, and admitting to liking Harry would be the worst thing she could do for him. She knew the feelings weren't mutual, and the last thing Harry needs at the moment was a distraction from a strained friendship. This was just a fling, it would soon pass…it had to, in order for their relationship to remain as it always was. She refused to be selfish and put her own needs before his, therefore, no one could ever know about her fancying him. Reaching out, Mia took hold of Harry's hand, gently stroking the back of it, a single tear falling from her eye.

"Harry," she whispered. "I'm right here. No matter how hard things get, no matter what danger we may have to face, I will never leave you. You're my best friend, I will never let anyone hurt you. I made a promise to you, and I intend to keep it, to the best of my ability. I will always be there for you when you need me, through thick and thin. Now and always, forever and ever. I promise."

….

Two days later Mia was thankfully fully healed, all traces of the poison erased from her system. She still had to take it easy when eating meals, since she wasn't sure exactly what she could keep down, yet other than that she felt perfectly fine, as if nothing ever happened. However, from the moment she stepped out of the hospital wing, she could see that something did indeed happen. A dark cloud had settled over Hogwarts castle, and everywhere she looked she could see people in mourning for Cedric. Almost every single Hufflepuff she came across was crying, grieving, and slugging their way through the corridors. It made Mia remember just how popular Cedric was—he was kind, selfless, hardworking, brave, and one of the friendliest people Mia had the pleasure of meeting. Now, he was gone, brutally murdered, and his death has affected the entire school.

This loss also affected Mia and her friends, but none so much as Harry. In the week following Cedric's death, she could tell that he was taking it very hard upon himself. He was quieter than usual these days, preferring to sit quietly to the side whenever they would spend time in the common room, and he never wanted to eat in the Great Hall when it was full—Mia guessed he couldn't find it in himself to face the rest of the school, especially when they were whispering behind his back, making up their own theories about what had happened that night in the maze. The only time Harry truly felt safe and at peace was when he was with Mia, Ron and Hermione, just talking amongst themselves in the light of the evening fire. Since they no longer had a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, they now had those lessons free, and would usually spend that time sitting at their spot underneath the Willow tree, staring out at the lake. One day, Mia and the others went to go and visit Hagrid at his house, and asked him about his assignment that Harry heard Dumbledore mention. Hagrid wouldn't tell them what it was, only that he would be kept busy over the summer, and that Madame Maxime was invited to join him, if she wanted. That night, Ron also mentioned that Ron's parents had asked Dumbledore for Harry to come and spend the summer with them at the Borrow, but Dumbledore had refused, stating that Harry needed to be at Privet Drive, at least at first.

"Why?" Mia demanded, furrowing her eyebrows. "Why does Harry have to go back to his aunt and uncle?"

"I'm just the messenger here," Ron said, holding up his hands. "Mum says that Dumbledore has his reasons."

"Are you that anxious to get rid of me, Mia?" Harry asked with a weak grin.

"You know that's not why," Mia said gently with a sigh. "We know they are not the nicest people around, Harry, and after everything that's happened…well, I'd feel much better if you were with Ron and his family safe at the Burrow, even if I couldn't see you very often."

"He'd probably just drag you along with him," Ron said. "Then I'd be stuck with the both of you."

"And what's wrong with me coming over for the summer?" Mia asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Nothing with you yourself, but I don't like the idea of you getting together with Fred and George for more than ten minutes, much less than a full two months."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Mia stated in a horribly innocent tone.

"Come on Mia, they may be brilliant at pranks, but do you really expect us to believe they came up with the great Blasting Cabbages scheme all by themselves?" Hermione said with a pointed look.

"That was you?" Harry said in surprise.

"It's not my fault they got a hold of my book," Mia said.

"You deliberately left it open on the table and practically wrote out the side notes yourself, you may as well have ignited that flame all together," Hermione scolded.

"No one is perfect Hermione, if I forgot my book on the table, and Fred and George just so happened to be sitting nearby trying to come up with a plan to take some of the attention away from Harry and Hermione after Skeeter's article as well as make a good laugh, then anything is bound to happen in that short timeframe," Mia defended with a shrug of her shoulders. "I'm as much a victim as any person who was unfortunate enough to come through that corridor."

Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head while the boys couldn't help but snort into their hands, causing Mia to smile deviously. The rest of the week followed in that same fashion, with things trying to return to how it once was, although Mia had a feeling that nothing was ever going to be the same again. Her concern for Harry would flare up whenever she would see that certain look in his eyes, the look of someone who had been through something so tragic and so dark, it was hard to put into words. He still hasn't told them anything about what had happened that night, and, sticking to her promise, she wasn't about to push him for the story. On the night before they were to leave Hogwarts and return home for the summer holidays Mia and the others were quiet as they made their way into the Great Hall, which was covered in black drapes instead of the usual colors of the house that had one the house cup. Mia instantly knew that this was in tribute to Cedric. They didn't talk much as they ate their food, and when the feast was almost over, Dumbledore stood to his feet, catching everyone's attention.

"The end," he said. "Of another year. There is much that I would like to say to you all tonight, but I must first acknowledge the loss of a very fine person, who should be sitting here enjoying our feast with us. I would like you all, please, to stand and raise your glasses to Cedric Diggory."

As one, every single person inside the Great Hall stood to their feet and raised their glasses high, muttering Cedric's name on their lips. Mia couldn't help the tears that were welling in her eyes and she placed the goblet to her mouth but found it hard to take a sip. As they all sat down, Dumbledore continued speaking, telling them of how Cedric was A true Hufflepuff in every way—loyal, hard-working and fair. And then, to Mia's surprise, Dumbledore went on to tell them exactly how Cedric had died: he was murdered by Lord Voldemort. An instant spread of panic and fear rippled throughout the hall, most of everyone staring up at Dumbledore in disbelief and horror. The headmaster went on to explain that the Ministry of Magic more than likely would not want him to tell them this, but by not doing so, it would be a disgrace to Cedric memory, and he would have died in vain. Then he went on to explain how Harry had faced off against Voldemort and risked his life in order to bring back Cedric's body, how he has shown bravery beyond anything expected of a fourteen year old wizard. Everyone was asked to raise their glass to him, and nearly everyone did, with Harry staring down at the table in front of him, his hands curled into fists. Knowing what he was thinking, Mia softly placed her hand over his, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"The Triwizard Tournament's aim was to further and promote magical understanding," Dumbledore continued. "In the light of what has happened—of Lord Voldemort's return—such ties are more important than ever. Every guest in this hall will be welcomed back here at any time, should they wish to come. I say to you all, once again—in the light of Voldemort's return, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it 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."

Everyone was silent as Dumbledore sat back down and after a few seconds they all continued on finishing their meal, muttering amongst themselves. Mia could feel a couple tears slide down her cheek but she sniffed and wiped them away. Then, Harry suddenly stood to his feet without a word and started walking out of the hall, ignoring all the stares. Ron and Hermione made to get up to follow him, but Mia stopped them.

"No," she said. "Stay here…I'll go."

Neither one put up an argument as Mia stood up and then hurriedly followed Harry out of the hall. By the time she reached the Entrance Hall, he was already making his way up the marble staircase and Mia had to suppress a groan. Honestly, does this boy not realize how fast he is? She quickly made to go after him, going as fast as she could in order to catch up, and when she finally did, they were walking along the second floor corridor.

"Harry," she said, but he didn't seem to hear her, staring straight ahead. "Harry, please."

She reached out and took hold of his shoulder, causing him to stop in his tracks, his body stiffening at her touch. For a moment he kept his sight down to the floor, refusing to meet her gaze, his hands still clenched into fists.

"Harry, don't," Mia pleaded, fighting down the way her eyes started to water. "Don't shut me out. Don't keep it locked in, it'll destroy you. Please."

After what seemed like forever, Harry slowly raised his head, and Mia's heart broke at the sight of the defeated and anguished tears that were shining in his beautiful eyes. Without a word, Harry leaned over and grasped Mia in a hug, holding her as if she were his lifeline and he would shatter without her. Mia held onto him in a tender embrace, letting him hide his face in her shoulder, where she could feel his tears slipping from his eyes. Closing her eyes to hold back her own tears, Mia did nothing but hold Harry to her while he silently cried, letting him know in her own way that she was there for him. After a couple minutes, Harry drew back, taking in a steady breath with his eyes red and Mia avoided his gaze for a moment so he could dry his tears on his sleeve.

"Are you okay?" she asked him.

"No," he answered quietly. "I can't…every time I close my eyes, all I see is him, and—and Cedric. He just killed him, without a second thought…"

"Harry, you don't have to talk about this if you don't want to, you know that," Mia told him. "You already had to relive it all to Dumbledore, and that's more than enough."

"I want to," Harry countered, staring at her pleadingly. "I'm sorry I just—I can't handle this alone. I need to tell someone…"

All at once, Mia understood. Without a word, she took his hand and led him off down the corridor, their soft footsteps echoing off the walls. Soon they came upon an empty room at the end of the corridor and after checking to see of the coast was clear, Mia and Harry went inside, closing the door behind them. Whispering under her breath, Mia waved her wand and several balls of light erupted from the tip of it, all floating in midair and filling the room with enough light so that they could see each other.

"You know how to do multi-lights?" Harry said.

"I picked it up at the end of last year," Mia replied with a small smile. "It was the piece of magic I used when I got home, to prove I was still learning. Brian's still a little scared about sleeping in the dark, so I would use the lights to help him sleep."

The two of them walked over to a table near the middle of the room and sat down. Harry stared down at his hands at first, as if unsure where to begin, and so Mia placed one of her hands on top of his.

"You say whatever you're comfortable with," she said encouragingly. And just like that, it seemed everything came spilling out of Harry's mouth—how he and Cedric reached the cup, how Harry suggested they take it together so it would still be a Hogwarts victory, and how they ended up in an old graveyard because of it. From there, Wormtail appeared carrying Voldemort in a bundle, and the minute the Dark Lord made eye contact with Harry, his scar was set ablaze, his head filled with so much pain it made him drop to his knees. Before Harry could do anything, there was a flash of green light and Cedric was killed right before his eyes. Then Harry told her how he was tied to the statue above Voldemort's father's grave, and how Wormtail dropped Voldemort into a bubbling cauldron that was standing by at the ready. When Mia heard how the filthy rat used a dagger to cut Harry's arm and draw blood, she was furious and disgusted. How could anyone do something to horrible to the son of your former best friend? Her free hand clenched into a fist on the table but she took a slow breath and allowed Harry to continue. Wormtail added the bone of Tom Riddle Sr. as well as his own hand in tribute to the ritual which brought Voldemort back to his former glory.

Mia kept on listening as Harry described how Wormtail robed the Dark Lord and how Voldemort basked in having his body and power back. He had summoned his Death Eaters at that point, and Mia couldn't fathom the thought of Harry being trapped in a circle of dangerous Death Eaters. Voldemort had welcomed and scolded them harshly, declaring that not one of them tried to find him, to restore him to power, and how his most faithful servants ended up in Azkaban while those traitors roamed free. He promised punishments, but in light of the recent events, he would show more "generosity." At that point he had turned to Harry, mocking him—he paraded around, relaying how Harry only survived this long because his Mudblood mother sacrificed herself to save her son, and how that love left behind a protection in his blood. However, since Voldemort used Harry's blood to return, he now had the power to get past that protection. He can touch Harry now, and hurt him in so many ways.

"Oh dear God," Mia whispered when Harry paused. "If that protection is gone, you're not safe anymore."

"I don't think I was ever safe to begin with," Harry said. "But that's not even the worst part."

"What could be worse?" Mia said in shock.

"He wanted to duel," Harry answered in a stiff voice. "After he explained how he had survived all these years, he forced me to duel. He made me bow to him, and he put the Cruciatus Curse on me before I could even lift my wand."

Mia took in a sharp breath, and her grip on his hand tightened, a knot twisting inside her stomach. He did what?! That slimy little snake face put Harry under the Cruciatus Curse?! Mia could feel a wave of rage sweep over her as that information passed through her mind and before she could snap out something fresh, she reminded herself that Harry was okay, he was sitting in front of her. At the look on her face, Harry adjusted their hands so his was on top and that action comforted Mia a bit, calming her down some.

"Then what happened?" she said softly.

"I thought he was going to kill me," Harry said. "But he was circling me, taunting me…and he mentioned you."

"What?"

"He said that we were waiting for a special guest, someone I knew very well. His spy was working on getting this guest to the party, and then the real fun would begin. Then he…he asked me how you were doing, and I knew. I knew that his spy was after you, and that he was planning on kidnapping you, using you to get to me. They were going to hurt you Mia, they were going to torture you. I couldn't let that happen, so I started fighting back. He used the Imperious Curse on me too, but I fought it. At the end, he used the Killing Curse, but at the same time, I used the Disarming Spell, and our wands…they connected. The spells met in the middle, and they were fighting to dominate the other."

"Your wands wouldn't hurt each other," Mia said slowly, realization hitting her. "Because your wands are brothers, right? They share the same core?"

"Yeah. And because they wouldn't harm each other, my wand started revealing the past spells and magic Voldemort's done."

Harry went on to explain how shadows of Voldemort's past victims began appearing from his wand, as their deaths were the last acts of magic he performed. Cedric came first, asking Harry to take his body back to his parents. Then it was an old man, who Voldemort had killed just last summer. And finally, the last ones to emerge from the wand were Harry's parents, James and Lily Potter. Mia sat in her seat, stunned and saddened to hear how Harry's parents spoke to him, telling him to hold on and be strong, that they would distract Voldemort and the Death Eaters long enough for Harry to take Cedric's body and get back to Hogwarts. Therefore, once the connection was broken, the shadows attacked Voldemort, giving Harry the time he needed to grab Cedric and the Triwizard Cup that transported them both back to the Quidditch pitch before Voldemort knew what was happening.

When Harry was finished his tale, Mia could do nothing but sit there, absorbing everything he just told her in silent shock. Her brain processed everything she just learned even though the rest of her wanted to deny it. Harry had been through hell that night, and now he alone was dealing with the after effects. He survived a duel with Lord Voldemort, and was able to get away with the help of the ghosts of a friend and the parents he never knew.

"Harry, I…" Mia started slowly, feeling utterly speechless. "I'm so sorry. I would have given anything for you not to go through that."

"I know," Harry said. "But it's like Hagrid said—what will come, will come, and we have to be ready for it when it does. Mia, thank you for listening to me, I didn't mean to drop all of this on you, I just…I didn't want to feel so alone in this, and I needed someone else to know what happened."

"You are never alone, Harry," Mia assured him. "You have so many people who are here for you, especially me, Ron and Hermione. You know you don't have to be afraid of telling them, right?"

"I know," Harry said. "It's not that I don't trust them, I just really don't want to go through this every time someone asks about it, and I'd much rather talk with you before anyone else."

Hearing that made Mia smile, her eyes twinkling in the light above their heads. She leaned in a little, fixing Harry with a stare.

"You are not alone," she said softly. "I will always be here…we will always be here, no matter what. Voldemort could march up with an entire army and I would still stand by your side. I know dark days are coming, but we can face it, and we will face it, together. I promise."

…

Before Mia knew it, they all had their trunks packed, their books and cauldrons put away, and were sitting in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express, on their way back home for the summer. They had said goodbye to all of their foreign friends earlier before they had left the castle, Fleur and Krum included. Fleur had thanked Harry and Mia again for saving Gabrielle, informing them that she would try to keep in touch, as she was looking for a place to stay in England, to find a job to practice her English. Krum had shaken Harry's hand and thanked him as well, offering his sympathies on Cedric and pulling Hermione off to the side for a moment. When she returned, she had a smile and a blush on her face, and Mia, having a slight idea of what happened, grinned to herself but didn't say anything since Ron was close by. Now, they were talking and joking together on the train, just as they always did, nibbling on their treats from the lunch trolley and speculating about what would happen next year.

"Well, I know Fudge wants everything kept quiet," Mia noted, gesturing to the Daily Prophet that Sapphire was currently laying on top of. "There's nothing in there, except that Harry won the tournament. There's no mention of Cedric, Voldemort, anything."

"I didn't think there would be," Hermione added while Ron flinched.

"But Fudge won't be able to keep Skeeter quiet, though," Harry pointed out with a frown. "As soon as she finds out what really happened, she'll be all over it."

"Oh, Rita hasn't written anything since the third task. As a matter of fact, Rita skeeter isn't going to be writing anything at all for a while," Hermione said with a sudden smile and an anxious look on her face, as if she were bursting to tell them something.

"What are you talking about?" asked Ron.

"I found out how she was listening in on private conversations when she wasn't supposed to be coming onto the grounds!" Hermione gushed, hardly able to contain the excitement and triumph out of her voice.

"You did?" Mia gasped in shock. "How? How was she doing it?"

"Well, it was you, really, who gave me the idea Harry," Hermione admitted.

"Really? How?" Harry asked.

"Bugging," Hermione replied.

"But I thought you said they didn't work—"

"No, not electronic bugs," Hermione said, her voice beginning to tremble with anticipation as she reached into her bag. "You see, Rita Skeeter is actually an unregistered Animangus. She can turn into—"

From inside her bag she pulled out a small sealed glass jar.

"—a beetle!"

"What?!" Mia exclaimed, her eyes going wide. "Let me see!"

Hermione handed over the jar and Mia held it right up to her face, where she could see a tiny, fat beetle rustling inside angrily, with familiar markings around the antennas. A wide, devious grin started spreading across Mia's face and she felt some of Hermione triumph swell inside of her, realizing what the bushy-haired witch was planning.

"Ohhh, I can smell the payback that can come from this," Mia said. "Mione, you are officially my favorite person in the entire world."

"Is that really her?" Harry said, completely aghast.

"Oh it's her, all right," Mia replied. "Look at these markings—it's the same design as those awful glasses she always wears."

"Hang on, wasn't there a beetle on the statue the night we heard Hagrid tell Madame Maxime about his mum?" Ron said.

"And Viktor pulled a beetle out of my hair after the second task," Hermione added with glee. "And unless I'm mistaken, I'm positive that she was perched on the windowsill to the Divination classroom, the day Harry had that dream. She's been buzzing around for stories all year."

"Hold on a minute," Mia said, her eyes narrowing. "That day we saw Malfoy talking into his hand…"

"He was talking to her," Hermione confirmed, nodding. "He knew what she was doing, but he didn't care, so long as he and the other Slytherins could give her all those horrible things to say about us and Hagrid in their interviews. I caught her on the windowsill to the hospital wing. I've placed an Unbreakable Charm on the jar so she can't transform, and I've told her I'll let her out once we get to London, and she has to keep her quill to herself for a whole year, so we can see if she'll break out of that habit of writing horrible lies about people."

"Very clever, Granger."

Just as Hermione was placing the jar back into her bag, the compartment door slid open to reveal Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle, all looking rather pleased with themselves.

"So," said Malfoy, slowly sliding into the compartment. "You caught some pathetic reporter, and Potter's Dumbledore's favorite boy again, big deal."

"Last time I checked, no one invited you in Malfoy," Mia stated in a threatening tone, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Last time I checked, Mudblood, you can't tell me what to do."

"Get out," Harry said, a warning look on his face.

"You 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!" Malfoy said, jerking his thumb over towards Ron, Hermione, and Mia. "Too late now, Potter. They'll be the first ones to go, now that the Dark Lord's back. Mudbloods and Muggle-lovers first! Well, second, Diggory was the—"

Malfoy never got to finish his sentence, because at that moment, there was a deafening bang! All at once, there was a burst of multi-colored lights and great power as Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were all knocked to the floor unconscious, with Mia and the others standing to their feet, their wands drawn and a look of fury on each of their faces. Mia was breathing heavily through her nose, her eyes set aflame. How dare Malfoy talk about Cedric like that?! She glared down at the Slytherins, each one having been hit with a different hex by her and her friends, although, they weren't the only ones to do so. After a couple seconds, Fred and George entered the compartment, their wands drawn as well, and the two of them deliberately stepping onto Malfoy and Goyle to walk inside.

"Thought we'd see what these three were up to," Fred said cheerfully. "Who used to Rash Hex?"

"Me," Mia said.

"Wonderfully done, Mia darling," George praised. "With those boils and sores, they'll be scratching their bums sore for a month. Now, let's get these baboons out of here."

With Fred and George's help, they managed to roll and kick Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle out of the compartment and out into the corridor, sliding the door shut behind them. After that, the boys spent some time playing Exploding Snap while Mia watched with Sapphire on her lap and Hermione reading more of the Daily Prophet. After a while, Harry asked who Fred and George were blackmailing, and their expression immediately grew dark. Once they all probed a bit, the twins finally admitted that the person they were trying to blackmail was Ludo Bagman. Amidst their surprise, Fred and George explained that the gold Bagman paid them with when they won their bet at the Quidditch World Cup was leprechaun gold, meaning it vanished within a few hours. Thinking it was by accident, they wrote to Bagman a few times, asking for their money, but he ignored them. When they cornered him at Hogwarts, he grew nasty, saying they were too young to gamble and that they weren't getting anything, and when they asked for their money back, he flat out refused. It turns out that he was in serious debt to the goblins, and he tried paying it off by making a bet that Harry would win the tournament, which explained why he was so insistent on helping Harry. But since Harry technically tied with Cedric, the bet was void, and Bagman had to run for it.

By the time the Hogwarts Express rolled into King's Cross station, Mia's mind was reeling. This year has been nothing but absolutely crazy and hectic. From imposter teachers, to dragons, mermaids, Blast-Ended Skrewts, nosey beetles, and screaming eggs, it certainly was anything but boring. As the train came to a halt in front of the platform, Mia gathered all of her things and then followed Ron and Hermione out of the compartment, once she had Sapphire safe in her carrier. They stepped over the unconscious forms of Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle, and made their way out onto the platform with everyone else to the sight of parents and families waiting to pick up their children. The atmosphere was filled with the familiar sound of joy, laughter and happy voices, and it made Mia sigh softly, a content smile on her lips. Even though there were certainly rough times ahead, she knew that the moments such as these were what made it worth it to get through them. Once Harry and the Weasley twins joined them, they took their place in line at the gateway into the Muggle World, waiting for their turn to pass through the barrier. Mia passed through first on her own, and was greeted with the sight of her parents and Brian standing next to Mrs. Weasley.

"Mia!" Catherine called out. Before Mia even had time to respond, Catherine rushed over and scooped her daughter up into her arms, holding her tight and kissing her all over her forehead.

"Mum, what—"

"Molly told us what happened," Catherine breathed, her eyes very glossy. "Are you all right sweetheart? Are you feeling ill at all? How could you not tell us we were worried sick, we—"

"Cat, give her some room," Ben said, making his way forward. Once Catherine released her hold on Mia, Ben came in with a fierce hug of his own, and Mia could feel the tense muscles in his shoulders instantly relax, as if he had been standing stiff until he had her in his arms, knowing she was safe.

"I'm really sorry, guys," Mia said, looking at them apologetically. "I'm feeling fine, really."

Catherine wiped at her eyes and fondly tucked a strand of Mia's hair behind her ear while Ben nodded, giving her a look that was loving and yet told her that they would be discussing the topic more at a later date. While Ben and Catherine turned their attention to Harry, who had just come through the barrier with Ron, Mia took the time to greet her little brother.

"Hi Mia!" he said happily, throwing his arms around her. "Mummy said you were sick. Are you better?"

"Much better, now that I'm home," Mia replied, smiling and poking his nose, making the little boy laugh. "Did you have fun at your birthday party?"

"Yeah, Mummy made me a chocolate cake, and I got a lot of presents, and—Harry!"

In an instant, the five year old took off and went straight for Harry's legs, grinning broadly.

"I swear, it's like I don't even exist," Mia muttered, making Ron laugh next to her. "Hang on—Harry, where is your uncle?"

"Actually, I had a talk with Mr. Dursley this morning," Ben stated. "Harry will be coming home with us tonight love, after we get back from dinner."

"Dinner?" Mia and Harry said together in surprise.

"We're just both so happy to have you two home, and we thought, given everything that's happened, we could all use a relaxing night out, as a family," Catherine said, placing her hand on Harry's shoulder. "What do you say?"

"I say definitely yes," Mia answered. "Harry?"

"Sounds great," he replied, looking ecstatic at the fact that he didn't have to go home to Privet Drive right away. Once they all said goodbye to their friends, Mia and Harry followed Ben and Catherine out of the station, with Brian chatting up a storm, wanting to know everything that happened at school and telling them about the friends he made at his school. Mia listened with a smile, happy at the familiar feeling of being home for the summer with her family and her very best friend. In that brief moment, all thoughts of Voldemort and the threat that comes along with him disappeared from her mind, and just by glancing over at Harry, seeing the grin on his face, his relaxing posture, and that special light in his eyes, she knew he was feeling the same way.

Read and review, please! I'll see you guys in the next book!