Lily's Love – The Power the Dark Lord knows not!
A twist in the graveyard scene during the Third Task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament.
Chapter 6: The Return of the True Hogwarts' Champion.
10/08/20 Beta by alix33. Thank you.
I don't own the Harry Potter verse. Just playing.
Summary: All the cunningly devised plans of Dumbledore and Voldemort come to naught when they meet Harry Potter in the graveyard during the Third Task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. When Voldemort is a little too heavy handed when he touches Harry's scar and unleashes the Power the Dark Lord knows not. The Love of Lily Potter. And that changes everything. HHr NLLL RWLB Characters deaths.
- Lily's Love – The Power the Dark Lord knows not! -
Meanwhile, back at Hogwarts, twin redhead wizards wearing Gryffindor robes were slinking around that the back of the Quidditch viewing stands setting up their contribution to the celebration of the winner of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, their favourite Gryffindor Champion, Harry Potter. They had planned a massive fireworks display to show Harry's victory over the Hungarian Horntail Dragon with everything they could imagine they could make from ingredients borrowed from professor Snape secret stash. They had just completed their tasks and high fived each other in anticipation of a glorious plank when they were surprised by twin redhead ghosts who looked exactly like them.
"Hi Fred."
"And George."
"We are your ghost uncles, Fabian."
"And Gideon Prewett"
"We are here on a Mission."
"For Harry Potter!"
"And to redeem Mollywobbles."
"Ronald and Ginny."
"Would you like?"
"To help us?"
Fred and George replied.
"You're our ghost uncles?"
"On a Mission for Harry?"
"What did mum?"
"Ronald and Ginny do?"
Fabian and Gideon explained.
"The old goat."
"Dumbledore."
"Has an agenda."
"For Harry Potter."
"That doesn't end well for him."
"And Mollywobbles, Ronald and Ginny."
"Are involved in Dumbledore's agenda."
"We need to stop the agenda."
"And redeem them."
"To save Harry and Hermione, and your family."
"What can we do to save Harry and Hermione?" Fred and George asked together as they loved Harry and Hermione, and still loved their family, despite Ronald Bilius.
"Here is the plan."
With a wicked grin, the four redhead twins discussed the future punishment and corrections for Mollywobbles, Ronald and Ginny. And formed a new team called the Double Double Toil and Trouble Twins.
- Lily's Love – The Power the Dark Lord knows not! -
Previously.
….Cedric picked up the Tri-Wizard Cup and vanished.
- Lily's Love – The Power the Dark Lord knows not! -
Cedric Diggory appeared over the finish point of the Third Task, and kicked his legs out to maintain his balance as he landed gracefully with the Tri-Wizard Tournament Trophy.
"CEDRIC!"
His father saw him and screamed out his name as he charged towards his son.
Unfortunately the headmaster was in the way and Amos rammed straight through him and knocked the poor old wizard flying in his blind desperate attempt to reach his son.
The scream of "Cedric!" had drawn everyone's attention and the Hufflepuffs cheered to see that their Tri-Wizard Tournament Champion had returned to them, alive and safe. Some of the larger Hufflepuff wizards ran towards Cedric so they could put him on their shoulders and do a lap of honour to celebrate this historic Hufflepuff Victory.
But Cho was quicker as she raced to her boyfriend but unfortunately there was someone in her way. Someone who would not move for anyone, the infamous Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic. Only for a moment though, as Cho gracefully hurdled the short dumpy pink toad.
Unfortunately, the short dumpy pink toad was still in the way when the close following horde of big Hufflepuff wizards accidentally trampled her into the mud.
There was twenty minutes of utter pandemonium and joy not seen at Hogwarts for many years, as the Hufflepuffs celebrated the return of their victorious Tri-Wizard Tournament Champion, with both Cedric and Cho on their shoulders as they did a lap of honour around the Quidditch stands.
When the Ravenclaws saw Cho with Cedric on the shoulders of the Hufflepuff wizards, they joined in the lap of honour. And as Cedric or Cho were not Slytherins, the school spirited Gryffindors joined in, as did the school spirited Slytherins as neither Cho nor Cedric were Gryffindors, and the lap of honour looked like a lot of fun. More fun than they had ever had at Hogwarts.
Even the Double, Double Toil and Trouble Twins were celebrating the moment with an extraordinary display of amazing fireworks, including an awesome firework of a giant fire breathing dragon chasing a little Harry on a broom.
Except for a few intolerant non school spirited students, (read Ronald Weasley and Draco Malfoy with his girlfriends), the whole school of Hogwarts celebrated together as they did three laps of honour, before Professor Minerva McGonagall was able to restore order. But she noticed that someone particular wasn't giving any detentions nor taking points. She realised a certain potions professor was missing.
Hopefully for good.
- Lily's Love – The Power the Dark Lord knows not! -
Professor Minerva McGonagall was not too worried that Cedric had returned alone as Harry wasn't the only student missing. Professor Pomona Sprout had told her that Susan Bones had left Hogwarts in a very interesting way.
"Minnie, Susan Bones' elf had popped in to take her to see the ghosts of her parents. We first thought the old elf was into the Butterbeer, but she convinced us that the ghost of her father had sent her, by saying one word." Pomona excitedly recounted. "The old elf said."
"Potter!" Minnie and Pomona said together and chuckled.
"How did you know?" Pomona asked.
"Well, Susan Bones is not the only student that is missing from Hogwarts. Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood and Hermione Granger are missing and they are all friends of Harry Potter." Minerva explained. "Aggie Longbottom sent her buzzard Patronus to ask for Neville to be sent home. Get this, Frank and Alice Longbottom have made a sudden miraculous recovery, escaped from St Mungo's using a Longbottom emergency Portkey and scared the hell out of Aggie when they suddenly appeared in her living room."
"Wow!"
"Yes indeed. I discovered that Neville, Luna and Hermione have been missing since those Death Eaters died, and Albus foolishly believes that Voldemort has returned. The only person that links all those people together is."
"Harry Potter!" Minnie and Pomona said together and chuckled.
"So, what do you think Harry Potter has done this time?" Pomona asked.
"Only Merlin knows, but I feel deep down it is something good if Susan and Neville get their parents back." Minnie said hopefully.
"So, you are not worried about Harry being missing?"
"Nope! He is in a far better place away from Albus!"
Minnie said as she looked at Harry's hand on the Tri-Wizard Tournament Champions Clock that was still pointing at Resting. Sadly, she looked at the overflowing emerald green life-force gem stones from Harry's container and deep down knew she had failed her cub. She brought her right hand in front of her and transformed her hand into a large lion's paw. She pressed the soft pad at the center of her paw.
Ping, ping, ping, ping, ping.
And five retractable three inch long razor sharp claws sprung up one by one as she thought. 'Never again!'
"Wow! That's wicked, Minnie." Pomona said with an iniquitous grin. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere near Albus now!"
"No! No more little nice kitty!"
"Good for you, Minnie. Give him hell!"
- Lily's Love – The Power the Dark Lord knows not! -
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Professor McGonagall turned to see what that noise was, and saw Lavender Brown was trying to get Ronald Bilius Weasley's attention with a cute pink girly Quidditch Beater's bat. She smiled as she realised that Ronald had made the rookie boyfriend mistake of finding food more interesting than Lavender's charms or showing too little school spirit and join in the fun. She wondered what would break first, Ronald's head or the beater's bat? She chuckled as she thought she better supply a few spare beater's bats to Lavender as she will need all the help she could get.
Professor McGonagall wasn't the only one to make that observation, as the Double, Double Toil and Trouble Twins had also noticed this development, and had already found two bigger and heavier beater's bats for Lavender. They even prepared a demonstration for her, on how to use the heavier bats on Ronald's head.
It was only five minutes later and Ronald's bottomless pit growl, and he was distracted again. Lavender reached for her Beater's bat.
Thud!
Crack!
Unfortunately it broke.
Then suddenly, a new bigger and heavier Beater's bat that just had been painted pink to match the polish of her fingernails, appeared in front of Lavender with the following note;
'The Double Double Toil and Trouble Twins present,
The all new Unbreakable Pink Gentle Persuader.
Guarantee a perfect result with every swing or your money back.
Please use with care and don't break a fingernail.
Excellent results even in cases of an emergency!'
On the back of the note was a moving magical picture of Lavender and Ronald, showing her where all the most effective places to hit Ronald's head were.
Lavender lips formed a wicked smile as she grabbed the new Gentle Persuader with both hands, took aim and swung with all of her might. Twice!
BONG!
BONG!
Echoed around the Quidditch stand, as the force Lavender cheerfully applied to the Unbreakable Pink Gentle Persuader, exceeded the ability of Ronald's hard head to resist, and he dropped the two juicy chicken legs in his paws, as he forgot all about his stomach while his world went black and he crumbled down before a happy Lavender's feet. She was so pleased with the instant results she had achieved with her Unbreakable Pink Gentle Persuader, that she raised her fists in victory and accidentally dropped the Gentle Persuader on Ronald's stomach.
BOING!
BOING!
BOING!
"Yes!" Said the Double, Double Toil and Trouble Twins with a fist pump. The redeeming Ronald Bilius had started.
It is said that the guy does all the chasing, but it is the gal who does the catching, and Lavender has caught her guy. Now she just needs to knock out Ronald's obnoxiousness and train him up to be the knight in shining armour that all princesses deserve.
And the Double, Double Toil and Trouble Twins were ready and able to help!
- Lily's Love – The Power the Dark Lord knows not! -
Another person who wasn't enjoying the celebrations was the Minister of Magic.
With all the chaos and dead bodies of two proper upstanding Pure-bloods wizards, Minister Fudge really wanted to be somewhere else, so he called Cedric over for the presentation.
"Cedric, congratulations on winning the Tri-Wizard Tournament." The Minister said as he went to hand over the bag with the one thousand galleons in it.
"That's my boy!" A very proud father said.
"Here is your winnings." Fudge said as Cedric put up his hand to stop him.
"But Minister, it is not over yet." Cedric smiled his winning grin. "This last task was a little boring so we are going to have a fourth task."
"A fourth task?"
"Yes, just with the remaining three Tri-Wizard Tournament Champions." Cedric said as Fleur and Viktor came over to congratulate him and to find out about this new interesting fourth task.
Cedric turned to them. "We are all Champion Quidditch seekers, very good ones I am sure." He saw the smile of approval on Fleur and Viktor's faces. "So we want to have a fourth task. Playing to our Quidditch strengths and abilities. It will be a three way seekers duel. Three seekers, three snitches and three rounds. Something exciting to help everyone to forget this third task."
"What about Mr Potter?" The Minister asked.
"The forth task was his idea. Harry never wanted to be a Champion and he only participated to ensure none of the Champions died." Cedric replied with a slight smirk.
The politician in Fudge liked what he heard as he thought about the opportunity. 'He could replace tomorrow's disastrous headlines from; Death in the Third Task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, to something the Quidditch mad public would absolutely love. And they would love him, their favourite Minister of Magic, for arranging it for them. And if Lucius Malfoy was as dead as those two Death Eaters, it might be time free himself from the dark side and join the winning side. Hell, he could even spin this disaster and claim that the Death Eaters had interfered in the Tournament and the Goblet of Fire had them judged unworthy and terminated them.' He smiled to himself, he had learnt from two the most slippery and manipulative Machiavellian wizards around. Lucius Malfoy and Albus Dumbledore.
Fudge had indeed learnt well, as his mind raced along and he thought. 'Now might be his time to shine and one of the first things he needed to do was to restore the funding to the DMLE and make Madam Bones happy. He would never understand why Lucius and the dark side, wanted to defund the magical police. It makes no sense unless you were planning a hostile takeover. Mmm, maybe he should restore the funding right now with a bonus! That would make Madam Bones very happy!'
He pulled out the latest funding bill for the DMLE from his red Ministerial Pouch that was in his inside pocket of his official Minister of Magic robes, doubled it, touched it with his wand to apply his magical signature of approval to it and sent it on it way.
"Er. We would need your support, Minister?" Cedric asked as the Minister seemed to be a little distracted.
"And you shall have it. I like how you are thinking like a Hufflepuff and fair play, Cedric." Fudge smiled as he looked at the other two champions. "Would you two be agreeable to this?"
Viktor and Fleur nodded positively to another chance to excel.
"Would next Saturday afternoon be a good time? It gives you a week to prepare?"
Cedric, Viktor and Fleur nodded positively with Champion's grin.
"Very well. Your wish is my command!" Fudge said as he turned to the large crowd of spectators and in a loud voice. "My friends, I have exciting news! It is not over yet! There is going to be a fourth task!"
Fudge paused for effect. "I know that you have been missing your Quidditch. Your favourite sport! So the forth task is to be a Tri-Wizard Tournament Champion Quidditch Seekers Duel. A three way seekers duel between the three Tri-Wizard Tournament Champions. Cedric Diggory, Fleur Delacour and Viktor Krum."
The crowd cheered as Fudge positioned himself between Cedric and Fleur, and raised their right and left arms as Fleur raised Viktor's arm in victory. While Bozo took the money shot for tomorrow's front page of the Daily Prophet. Even Cho and Amos managed to be included by Cedric's side.
When the cheering had died down a little, Fudge continued in a loud voice. "It will be held one week from now on Saturday, the first of July, 1995, at 2pm in the World Quidditch Cup Stadium! Tickets will go on sale tomorrow morning. Be there!"
The crowd cheered more and Fudge knew he had pushed the tragedy of the third task to page ten in tomorrow's Daily Prophet, plus he will have a week of bonus good news headlines to build up the event.
The Minister turned back to the champions. "Thank you Cedric, Fleur and Viktor. Leave all the arrangements with me. As for the prize gold, there will be one thousand Galleons each to start and the winner will receive a bonus five thousand Galleons. Just be there by noon on Saturday."
They shook hands and minister left as he will be very busy tonight, and left his pink toad to keep an eye on Dumbledore and make sure the headmaster didn't interfere in the new forth task. Then he noticed that his toad was looking a little rough and her pink cardigan was a little muddy. He wished that she would show more discretion about what she got up to in secret. He waved his wand to clean her up and gave her a phial of Pick-Me-Up potion to pep her up. He had a second thought that it might be time for a new Undersecretary to go with his new style and image.
The Minister saw Professor McGonagall and gave her a coupon for one thousand free tickets for the students and staff, on the condition that Dumbledore didn't interfere. The wicked grin she gave him said that the headmaster would not!
- Lily's Love – The Power the Dark Lord knows not! -
In a dark forbidden castle fortress in the middle of the North Sea, Madam Bones was in the process of investigating the sudden painful deaths of the Death Eaters imprisoned in Azkaban when the red Ministerial Pouch in her inside pocket of her official DMLE robes made a ding followed by a sweet voice announcing.
"You've got mail!"
Madam Bones wondered what it was as she opened her red Ministerial Pouch and pulled out the recently approve funding bill for the DMLE.
"Well, I never." She said. "Fudge has doubled the DMLE budget and has approved it."
Her second in command, Gawain Robards, looked at the parchment and replied. "Looks like Fudge is trying to get on your good side, Boss."
"Well, if he keeps doing this, he can stay on my good side. When he stops, we will give him a golden reason why he should stay on my good side." Madam Bones grinned as she held up Malfoy's little black book.
- Lily's Love – The Power the Dark Lord knows not! -
Fleur turned to Cedric. "It is a fine thing you are doing, Cedric."
"Yes, and thank you, Cedric, for not mentioning the issues in the maze." Viktor agreed as he looked Cedric in the eye. "Thank you, you have given me a chance to redeem my honour."
"You're welcome, but it was Harry's idea, Viktor. And I agree with him. We got such a raw deal with this Tournament and all these idiots that interfered with it. So it was the only right thing to do." Cedric replied.
"But what about Harry?" Fleur asked.
Cedric snorted. "Harry was the youngest House Quidditch seeker in a century. Since his first year, Harry has caught every snitch he has ever played for except one, and I caught that only because Harry was being chased by a Depression of Dementors. On a broom, Harry is absolutely fearless."
"Oh?" Fleur marveled as Viktor asked. "You play against Dementors?"
"No! It is a long story." Cedric chuckled. "But fair warning, Harry is lending me his Firebolt for tomorrow."
"Harry flies a Firebolt?" Fleur said amazed as she was recovering from her injuries when Harry was dancing with that Dragon.
"Well, this has got very interesting." Viktor replied. "My National Quidditch team sponsor has given me two Firebolts." He turned to Fleur. "I would be honoured if you would accept one. I am ashamed after what happened in the maze. I am so sorry."
"Thank you, Viktor. What happened in the maze wasn't your fault, So I forgive you." Fleur said as she put out her hand to Viktor who stepped forward to hug her and drew Cedric in for a group hug as Cho and Amos joined in.
- Lily's Love – The Power the Dark Lord knows not! -
Minister Fudge went to find the French and Bulgarian Ministers of Magic as they had come to watch the Third Task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament and be present to share in the glory if their Champion had won.
The offended obtuse French Minister saw Fudge coming and spoke in rapid fire French. "What are you playing Fudge? We never discussed this!"
Fudge smiled his winning smile as he knew the French Minister would never agree to anything he did. Which is why he didn't bother to ask as he replied in plain English as he knew the Minister was fluent. "Cool it, Barnier. I am trying to bury this disaster of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Everyone loves the idea of a three way Quidditch Seeker duel and by holding it at the World Quidditch Cup Stadium, Dumbledore won't be able to interfere."
"That is a brilliant idea, Fudge." The Bulgarian Minister saw the potential and jumped at the opportunity. "How much would the tickets be?"
"For my friends, three Galleons each."
"I will give you, two Galleons each."
"Done, you can charge what you want. How many tickets?"
"Twenty thousand."
"Done. Gates open at noon." Fudge said as he shook the Bulgarian's hand and wrote out a coupon for twenty thousand tickets in the West Stand.
"Thank you. We will be there."
Minister Barnier seeing he was being ignored demanded more. "We will take thirty thousand tickets for France at one Galleon each."
Fudge looked him the eye. "You can have twenty-five thousand tickets at two Galleons each. We must have a level playing field. Take it or leave it."
Barnier drew himself up to his full height to look down on the short British Minister and then sneered in French. "Fine, but they must be the best seats."
"Done, you can have the whole East Stand." Fudge said as he shook his hand and wrote out a coupon for twenty-five thousand tickets in the East Stand. "Now if you will excuse me, I need to make some deals for some tickets with the Irish and Americans."
Minister Barnier smiled to himself as he looked at the coupon. "Vive la France!"
"Rule, Britannia!" Fudge replied over his shoulder.
Minister Barnier ignored the diminutive Fudge as he turned away. He knew he could sell the tickets at five Galleons each and give his loyal French citizens a two Galleons discount while making the Germans pay full price.
It was going to be a long night but if everything worked out, no one will remember this accursed Tri-Wizard Tournament.
- Lily's Love – The Power the Dark Lord knows not! -
While the headmaster had recovered enough and saw his opportunity to find out what the boy had done to Tom and his unfortunate Death Eaters. With the boy still missing, he knew he wouldn't be able to drag Cedric away to his office. Not with this crowd of happy Hufflepuffs, or his obnoxious father clinging to his side.
"Cedric, my dear boy?" Asked a beaten up headmaster with a new broken nose. "Please tell us what has happened and where is Mr Potter?"
Fleur and Viktor quieten down a little as Cedric spoke. He was not too impressed with the headmaster after what he had discovered about Harry in the graveyard, and he skipped to the last scene to avoid mentioning what happened with Viktor and Fleur.
"Well, after battling through the maze, the last danger I faced was a giant Acromantula and Harry had caught up with me and helped me defeat it. So we decided to share the victory for Hogwarts and reached for the trophy together." Cedric started as his father hugged him again.
"That's my boy!" The proud father boasted. "But you didn't need his help!"
"Father!" Cedric turned to his boastful father. "That Acromantula was absolutely huge and would have killed me. None of us would have survived this Tournament without Harry's help."
Fleur and Viktor nodded in agreement as Fleur added. "Harry saved my sister."
Viktor continued. "Harry gave me a chance to redeem my honour."
"Harry warned me of the dragons." Cedric added. "And the forth task was his idea to give us a chance of Eternal Quidditch Glory."
"Oh?" The admonished father said.
"Well that was a very Hufflepuff thing to do." The headmaster replied to get the story moving again. "But you were gone for over an hour?"
"That long?" Cedric replied.
"Where did you go?" The headmaster pushed.
"Go?" Cedric asked. "Did you know that the Tri-Wizard Tournament Trophy was a Portkey?"
"Well, yes. It was supposed to bring you to the finish point, as it did."
"Oh?" Cedric questioned. "And do you know who applied the Portkey charm to the Tri-Wizard Tournament Trophy?"
"Er? I am not sure."
"Well, who was the last to touch it?" Cedric persisted.
Dumbledore seeing that Cedric wouldn't let it go replied. "Well, I believed it was Professor Moody who placed the Trophy in the maze."
"And where is Professor Moody now?" Cedric asked as he looked around for the old Auror with his hand on his wand in case he needed it.
Amos coughed as he pointed to the twisted remains of the old Professor with the burnt left arm.
"Professor Moody was a Death Eater?" Queried a surprised Cedric. "Wasn't he supposed to be your old friend, headmaster?"
"Yes, well it appears that my old friend had been attacked and this poor Death Eater was using Polyjuice Potion to take his place."
"And you didn't notice?"
"Cedric!" His father chastised him for not respecting the wise old headmaster.
"Oh, it is alright, Amos." Dumbledore replied cheerfully as he used the opportunity to assume control and change the topic as he turned back to the Hufflepuff. "But where did you and Mr Potter go?"
"Well, we were not sure as it was a Portkey, but we landed in a dark ancient graveyard." Cedric said slowly, not feeling the need to be helpful to the manipulative headmaster who had failed to help Harry. But the moment he said the word graveyard, the look on Dumbledore's face told Cedric that the headmaster knew exactly where that particular graveyard was, and he didn't feel the need to be generous to the headmaster anymore, as he didn't bother to come and save them. An indifferent attitude and an utter failure in his duty of care that resulted in his unfortunate painful murder.
"And what happened?"
"Well, Harry and I got separated in the dark and Harry being Harry, and this was near the end of the year when Voldemort makes strange things happen around him. So I didn't get in the way and let Harry deal with it." Cedric answered while being careful, and not going into any details about his own murder that had separated him from Harry, plus he carefully avoided looking into the headmaster's eyes as he continued. "Harry is very good at vanquishing dark lords; he has had a lot of practice."
While other wizards cringed at the name, Dumbledore's ears pinged at Cedric using the words vanquish and dark lords, but he didn't react as he continued to painfully extract information. "And what did you see?"
"Well, it was dark, and this misshaped man rose out of a smoking cauldron, he tall and thin with red eyes and two slits for a nose. He spoke with a cold high voice as he summoned his black robed masked minions and then he cursed these evil minions for their cowardliness. He used the Cruciatus Curse continuously. And the screaming. The screaming was horrendous." Cedric paused as he remembered what Harry had said what happened, and then Cedric added his own twist. "Then the fool tried to kill Harry and Harry kicked his butt."
The headmaster waited in silence for Cedric to continue.
"The evil minions grabbed their dark mark and screamed until they were dead, and then the head of this great big snake exploded!" Cedric added as he watched the headmaster's reaction.
"The snake's head exploded?" The headmaster repeated in fear. "That's not possible."
Cedric smirked as he used his hands to demonstrate the snake's head exploding. "Nagini go Boom!"
"But?"
"Yes it did." Cedric smirked. "And Harry told me that the misshaped man that came out of a cauldron was Voldemort and the snake was his familiar called, Nagini."
"Hem, hem! He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is not back!" The Toad hissed as she made her presence felt while the others flinch at the name. "He is dead!"
"Well, he is really dead dead this time." Cedric said confidently as he had seen the results of what happened to Voldemort, but he noticed the other wizards take a step back from the pink toad and saw the fear in their faces, as he continued. "The idiot called his evil minions and then he picked a fight with Harry."
"Evil minions?" The Toad questioned.
"Yeah, Death Eaters!" Cedric confirmed.
"There are no Death Eaters!" The Toad hissed her official Ministry position.
"Full black pointy hooded robes and bone white masks? Just like at the Quidditch World Cup." Cedric answered the Toad. "And Harry kicked Voldemort's butt!"
"He is dead!" The short dumpy Toad yelled, as she was not happy to be spoken down to. "He can not be back!"
Cedric pointed to the two dead bodies covered with sheets. "Just like those Death Eaters are just sleeping!" Cedric said forcefully. "Voldemort came back, tried to kill Harry, and Harry kick his butt into hell! And Voldemort took his Death Eaters with him!"
"Stop telling lies, boy!" The angry toad hissed dangerously. "He. Is. Dead!"
At that moment Hagrid rushed out of the maze and up to the headmaster. "Professor Dumbledore, Professor Dumbledore!"
They turned to see the half giant covered in blood, broken bits of the maze and ominously bits of spider's web. He stopped to catch his breath as he tried to speak.
"The Acromantula!"
"Mad with its injuries!"
"Coming this way!" Hagrid struggled to get out.
"AHEM! AHEM!"
The short angry toad didn't like to be ignored as she came up behind Hagrid.
The half giant knew that dreaded nasty voice, she had been with the Minister when he had been sent off to Azkaban a year ago. Slowly he turned in terror, but as he saw the evil sneer on her face, his left foot accidentally twitched and unfortunately drop kicked the pink toad towards the maze and straight into the fangs of the charging insane Acromantula.
Sadly the giant spider killed her instantly as it ripped her in half and ate her.
Unfortunately for the insane Acromantula, fuzzy pink toads are extremely deadly to giant spiders as they are venomous and a choking hazard. The poor thing only took two more steps before it keel over and died.
Dumbledore turned back to Cedric as he sadly shook his head. "Everyone deserves a second chance." He tried to look Cedric in the eyes. "Harry should have forgiven them."
"Unfortunately, Voldemort didn't give Harry that option, and it was Voldemort who killed his Death Eaters by his dark mark. They are all dead!" Cedric shot back without looking at the headmaster.
"But.." The headmaster persisted, but stopped as Cedric threw up his hands and turned to walk away.
"But, how do you know that Voldemort is truly dead?" The fearful headmaster pressed.
"You're worried about what was in Harry's scar, aren't you." Cedric didn't look at the headmaster but his silence confirmed it. He continued. "That was where Voldemort tried to touch Harry. The scar popped open and this black mist came out."
Cedric heard the headmaster gasped and he realised that the headmaster knew it all.
"That upset Harry a little!" Cedric was disgusted with the headmaster and so let his feeling out. "And so he kicked Voldemort's butt! Hard!"
"But.." The headmaster tried to ask but he felt the anger of the Hufflepuff and he really wished that he had taken this conversation to his office as there were too many witnesses. But the words, back-off, were not in his vocabulary.
"But how did Mr Potter, er. Kicked. Butt?" The headmaster really wanted to know, but was uncomfortable using Cedric's immature words.
Cedric stopped and half turned back. "We think it was Harry's luck, and the Goblet of Fire as Voldemort had foolishly interfered in the Tri-Wizard Tournament and was burnt to ash. The Goblet of Fire was some unknown power that Voldemort knew not. Harry's luck had activated an ancient magical power that has saved us all."
Cedric half watch the headmaster's reaction.
Dumbledore went wild-eyed for a moment as he heard that Tom had been burnt to ash and then the reference to unknown power that Voldemort knew not, convinced him that Cedric knew of the prophecy. And if he knew then others will find out very soon and that was not good for him. He knew he had to find the boy immediately.
In his best questioning voice the headmaster persisted. "But where is Mr Potter?"
Cedric turned back but still avoided the headmaster's eyes. He had had enough of the manipulative old schemer and let him have both barrels, figuratively.
"Left for the summer with Fawkes and Fergus."
Cedric let that hit home as the headmaster recoiled from the lost of his positive symbols of goodness and authority.
"But..."
Cedric fired the other barrel.
"Harry never wanted to be a Tri-Wizard Tournament Champion, or the glory or the gold that came with that. And he certainly didn't want to return to some horrible place he called, Durzkaban."
"What?"
The headmaster was astounded to realise that Harry didn't want to follow the path he had carefully laid out for the boy. After everything he had done and all of his plans, schemes and manipulations. So many sacrificed for the Greater Good.
Let it never be said that a Hufflepuff didn't do an absolutely thorough job as Cedric reloaded and figuratively fired again.
"Oh, and I don't know why you couldn't find the graveyard, headmaster, but Madam Bones and her Aurors with a band of Unspeakables certainly did!"
"WHAT?"
Cedric watched the headmaster go pale with fear that his dark deeds were about to be exposed, and he then let him have the last barrel.
"Madam Bones asked me to inform you that you are to remain at Hogwarts as she has some very interesting and important questions for you."
Cedric had never heard the headmaster curse like that before. No one had.
While the headmaster chucked a right royal hissy fit, Cho led Cedric away for his reward for surviving the Third Task and help him prepare for the new forth task next Saturday.
Unfortunately for the headmaster, Professor McGonagall didn't like his tone or language, and slapped him again with her claws. Causing him to accidentally spin into the fist of Professor Spout, who silenced him as he collapsed to the ground.
- Lily's Love – The Power the Dark Lord knows not! -
Cedric didn't see much of the headmaster after that night as Harry had prophesied, Dumbledore spent the summer searching everywhere for Harry Potter.
Cedric would love to be there, if or when the headmaster found Harry as he would then also find Lily Potter and her Love for her son. The Power the Dark Lord knows not!
Even as a ghost, Lily Potter was as scary as all hell!
And was the Goblet of Fire waiting for the right moment to punish the manipulative headmaster who interfered in everything?
- Lily's Love – The Power the Dark Lord knows not! -
Thank you for reading.
- Lily's Love – The Power the Dark Lord knows not! -