"Remember Cedric Diggory..."
With those words, Professor Dumbledore ended the speech he always gave at the end of each year. This time was different. This year, I had experienced the worst feeling I knew I would experience in my life. My boyfriend, Cedric, died at the hands of Lord Voldemort. Just like that. He was gone.
My body felt numb. It was as if I was floating, watching this sad scene from above. I could almost see myself crying. I certainly felt it.
I forced myself to look at a spot on the wall on the opposite side of the room. I didn't want anyone to see my sorrow. I didn't want to look anyone in the eyes. It would just be too painful to see their faces watching me, like I was a fugitive of Azkaban or something. I knew that they had good intentions, but my pain was something I just couldn't control. Especially now.
I blinked, thinking that maybe that would make the tears stop flowing, or at least slow the tears down. All that did, though, was make my eyelashes stick together.
All around me, I felt staring eyes. I tried to ignore everyone, but they just stared.
Jenny hugged me. I didn't even see her coming. I couldn't respond, but forced a slight smile onto my face.
"It'll be okay, Cho." She said.
I didn't know what to say to that. It couldn't possibly be okay, but I couldn't say that. And I couldn't lie and say that I knew that everything would turn out dandy, because I didn't know if it would. How could anyone know my pain? As soon as that thought fluttered across my mind, I felt extremely stupid. Of course, there were two people who felt even more pain than I did.
"Not for his parents." I said, for it was the most appropriate response I could think of.
An unbelievable feeling of grief, of despair, of anger washed over me. I cried for Cedric's parents. I cried for Cedric. I cried...for myself.
Jenny patted my back. Elisa came over and sat at my other side. She seemed to know that I couldn't talk. All she did was cry with me.
An eternity of sorrow passed before someone handed me a tissue. I took it and wiped my tears.
"Miss Chang, your parents are here." I looked up. It was Dumbledore. "They're waiting for you just outside the door."
He smiled comfortingly down at me.
"Thank you, professor Dumbledore." I managed to say.
"Cho, I'm sorry about Cedric. We all are."
"...Thank you." I said, even though I knew that my response didn't really make sense.
I said my good-byes the best way I could and left. More than anything, I wanted to invisible. I couldn't take the eyes anymore, so my parents offered to take me home early this year. Its probably the best thing for me right now. I couldn't imagine staying here any longer.
As I walked towards the door with Dumbledore leading the way, I could still feel their stares. They just didn't understand. I wanted to grieve on my own. But it seemed that no one would let me. I didn't know why. I just wish someone would understand that.
I wish someone could help me forget about Cedric.
When I saw my mother, I broke down. She held me in her arms while my father patted my back. I was back with my family.
Dumbledore requested a moment alone with my father. They went off to the side to talk and when they were done, my parents thanked Dumbledore and he returned to the Great Hall, which was filled with echos with sobbing. I almost laughed. Some people didn't even know Cedric. He was an idol, in a way. They were crying because their idol was dead. I was crying because Cedric Diggory was dead.
The halls were empty, silent. Everything was grieving. I held my mother's hand. No one spoke. No one needed to.
Only when I was finally home did I feel that the eyes had left me. The new housemaid introduced herself. I tried to be polite. I think she understood my grief.
I went to the third floor to greet Grandpa. He was always a cold man; not cruel, just stoic. But even he seemed to warm up.
When everything that needed to be done was finally done, I walked mindlessly to my room and flopped onto my familiar, soft bed. For a while, I couldn't fall asleep. The blinds were closed so that my usually bright room was dark and musty.
I was finally away, but the tears still continued to fall. And that's how it was, me sobbing in my dark room until I finally drifted off to sleep. I prayed that soon it would all be over.
With those words, Professor Dumbledore ended the speech he always gave at the end of each year. This time was different. This year, I had experienced the worst feeling I knew I would experience in my life. My boyfriend, Cedric, died at the hands of Lord Voldemort. Just like that. He was gone.
My body felt numb. It was as if I was floating, watching this sad scene from above. I could almost see myself crying. I certainly felt it.
I forced myself to look at a spot on the wall on the opposite side of the room. I didn't want anyone to see my sorrow. I didn't want to look anyone in the eyes. It would just be too painful to see their faces watching me, like I was a fugitive of Azkaban or something. I knew that they had good intentions, but my pain was something I just couldn't control. Especially now.
I blinked, thinking that maybe that would make the tears stop flowing, or at least slow the tears down. All that did, though, was make my eyelashes stick together.
All around me, I felt staring eyes. I tried to ignore everyone, but they just stared.
Jenny hugged me. I didn't even see her coming. I couldn't respond, but forced a slight smile onto my face.
"It'll be okay, Cho." She said.
I didn't know what to say to that. It couldn't possibly be okay, but I couldn't say that. And I couldn't lie and say that I knew that everything would turn out dandy, because I didn't know if it would. How could anyone know my pain? As soon as that thought fluttered across my mind, I felt extremely stupid. Of course, there were two people who felt even more pain than I did.
"Not for his parents." I said, for it was the most appropriate response I could think of.
An unbelievable feeling of grief, of despair, of anger washed over me. I cried for Cedric's parents. I cried for Cedric. I cried...for myself.
Jenny patted my back. Elisa came over and sat at my other side. She seemed to know that I couldn't talk. All she did was cry with me.
An eternity of sorrow passed before someone handed me a tissue. I took it and wiped my tears.
"Miss Chang, your parents are here." I looked up. It was Dumbledore. "They're waiting for you just outside the door."
He smiled comfortingly down at me.
"Thank you, professor Dumbledore." I managed to say.
"Cho, I'm sorry about Cedric. We all are."
"...Thank you." I said, even though I knew that my response didn't really make sense.
I said my good-byes the best way I could and left. More than anything, I wanted to invisible. I couldn't take the eyes anymore, so my parents offered to take me home early this year. Its probably the best thing for me right now. I couldn't imagine staying here any longer.
As I walked towards the door with Dumbledore leading the way, I could still feel their stares. They just didn't understand. I wanted to grieve on my own. But it seemed that no one would let me. I didn't know why. I just wish someone would understand that.
I wish someone could help me forget about Cedric.
When I saw my mother, I broke down. She held me in her arms while my father patted my back. I was back with my family.
Dumbledore requested a moment alone with my father. They went off to the side to talk and when they were done, my parents thanked Dumbledore and he returned to the Great Hall, which was filled with echos with sobbing. I almost laughed. Some people didn't even know Cedric. He was an idol, in a way. They were crying because their idol was dead. I was crying because Cedric Diggory was dead.
The halls were empty, silent. Everything was grieving. I held my mother's hand. No one spoke. No one needed to.
Only when I was finally home did I feel that the eyes had left me. The new housemaid introduced herself. I tried to be polite. I think she understood my grief.
I went to the third floor to greet Grandpa. He was always a cold man; not cruel, just stoic. But even he seemed to warm up.
When everything that needed to be done was finally done, I walked mindlessly to my room and flopped onto my familiar, soft bed. For a while, I couldn't fall asleep. The blinds were closed so that my usually bright room was dark and musty.
I was finally away, but the tears still continued to fall. And that's how it was, me sobbing in my dark room until I finally drifted off to sleep. I prayed that soon it would all be over.