Child Of Grace: Chapter 55 - Child Of Destiny (Part 1)
ZeldaQueen: Hey there, folks! It looks like this chapter might be three parts, instead of two, as I had planned. Ah well, that's how it rolls. You can look for the other two to show up tomorrow, maybe. Once this chapter's over, it's over! Oh, and to celebrate, I'm dragging in Link to spork for this!
Link: Anything to get you to quit bothering me
ZeldaQueen: That's the hero we know and love
Projection Room Voices: Starting Media in 3...2...1...
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Chapter 55: Child of Destiny
"I'll beg if I have to," Cedric's mother said as she faced Holly in her uncomfortable chair.
Link: Holly’s in an uncomfortable chair?
ZeldaQueen: I’m not sure. This, ladies and gentlemen, is why commas are important
She seemed on the verge of sliding to her knees there and then.
ZeldaQueen: Bow-Chicka-Bow-Wow!
"Please. I need to see. I… I need to know. Please."
ZeldaQueen: (Mrs. Diggory) Are you really as big a Mary Sue as they claim?
Link: No, she’s even worse
Holly could only sit there, propped up against the pillows of her hospital bed. Her mind was in a stupor, in something akin to shock or a twin to horror maybe.
ZeldaQueen: Or maybe the second cousin to idiocy
She couldn't face the memory of Cedric's body as it hit the cold stone floor, but she couldn't stop remembering it either. Looking into Mrs. Diggory's eyes only made it that much worse.
ZeldQueen: Oh, get over it! Harry saw Diggory die in a graveyard, murdered by Voldemort and he didn’t angst this much!
She turned away to stare at the window. The one free functioning part of her brain wondered where Sirius was.
ZeldaQueen: If none of the rest of her brain is functioning, does that mean she can’t control her bladder?
Link: I’m never speaking to you again
ZeldaQueen: Hey, this is why Suethors shouldn’t use sweeping purple prose
He'd left sometime after Dumbledore arrived,
Link: Well that sounds nasty
but the headmaster was gone now, too. Cedric's father had also wandered out in a daze a while ago, but Holly didn't know where he'd gone. The last she seen of him, he'd been going to splash water on his red and splotchy face, but he'd never come back. Perhaps he was even still in there.
ZeldaQueen: Now’s no time for a bath, Amos!
Link: So I really have to ask, why is this all in flashback instead of just telling this in the last chapter, where it belonged?
ZeldaQueen: I suspect the Suethor thinks she’s artistic doing it this way
Link: Ah, I see
The image of that was nearly Holly's undoing. Just imagining Amos Diggory standing and staring at nothing with eyes the same color as Cedric's own. Too much like his in every way. Just as dead and empty inside the last she'd seen of him. It'd only been two days previous, but it already felt like a lifetime ago. Even more so as his mother begged to know of his final moments.
Link By the Goddesses, is there a point to any of this?
ZeldaQueen: This fic, or this bit?
Link: EITHER!
ZeldaQueen: No to the first and no to the second
Gazing up at the ceiling and seeing nothing. The sound of Moody's voice from a mouth not his own. Cedric so worried about her. So concerned. Dying for nothing… no reason at all.
ZeldaQueen: *swells with fury* YOU’RE DAMNED RIGHT HE DIDN’T! AND GUESS WHAT? YOU’RE THE ONE WHO STUNNED HIM AND LEFT HIM ALL ADDLED SO HE COULDN’T PROCESS WHAT WAS GOING ON! IT’S YOUR FAULT!
Holly shook her head forcefully.
Link: And it promptly fell off
"Please," Cedric's mother repeated then, certain that was a rejection. "I need to know."
The girl sucked in a breath. "Mrs. Diggory-"
ZeldaQueen: (Sue) “Properly beg one more time and I’ll see what I can do”
But a hand on her wrist stopped her short. Holly looked up to see the dark eyes of Cedric's mother gazing back at her. There were no tears; her grief was beyond them. But Holly could see a broken soul peeking out. Shattered and ground into dust at the death of her only child.
Link: Oh how angst! I think I might take up cutting myself with the Master Sword
Holly stared for a long moment and then sighed as she glanced away. Unable to look anymore. Unable to see a woman whose body didn't yet know she was already dead.
ZeldaQueen: I honestly don’t know what to say to this stuff, folks. I’m sorry, but this is damned boring
Her wand was on her bedside table, and Holly nibbled her lip as she very reluctantly brought it to her temple. She didn't even have to think to bring the memory to the forefront; it was already there.
ZeldaQueen: So, what is it with Mary Sues constantly pulling out their memories and showing them to people? I mean, wouldn’t it take some form of practice to do something like that?
And truly, it was a horrible, horrible thing to share. To show to any mother. To have her watch her son die and be unable to stop it. To know that it'd already happened and there was nothing she could do.
Link: Which is why, of course, she showed it to Mrs. Diggory instead of saying she’s too upset to do it or something
But this was what she wanted, what she needed. And Holly couldn't deny her. Couldn't take this from her. Mrs. Diggory had nothing left; Holly wouldn't steal this, too.
ZeldaQueen: Is it just me, or does this sound really self-centered? “Oh well, Mrs. Diggory hasn’t got anything left, and only I can provide her with this. She just really needs me, doesn’t she?”
She slowly drew a silvery strand from her temple and brought it to the Penseive on Mrs. Diggory's lap.
Link: And that came from…where?
Holly knew that it belonged to Dumbledore, and she didn't even want to know how the woman had gotten it. Perhaps the headmaster had been unable to deny her, too.
Link: Oh, I see. I guess the Headmaster rents those things out
Either way, Holly dropped her memory into the basin and looked elsewhere as the surface shifted to reflect the maze from the night before.
ZeldaQueen: I hope they see her Stunning Cedric when he tries to help
Holly took a deep breath and glanced up at Cedric's mother. She was gazing at the Penseive like it held all the answers and horrors of the universe.
ZeldaQueen: GET. ON. WITH. IT
"At the cup…" she murmured, and the woman's attention instantly riveted to her. "He said that he didn't care about winning. That he only wanted you to be proud of him."
Mrs. Diggory swallowed hard. "I am proud. I was always proud."
Link: The Sue’s going to be angry that the attention is all on Cedric now and not on her
ZeldaQueen: Nah, she’s providing the stuff on Cedric, so it’s all thanks to her. She’s lapping this up
Holly didn't know what to say to that, so she remained silent.
ZeldaQueen: That’d be because she doesn’t have two brain cells to come up with a response
She simply watched as Mrs. Diggory squared herself and turned back to the Penseive. The woman stared at the surface for a moment before leaning forward. It was all Holly could do to tear her gaze away and towards the ceiling. She heard more than saw Cedric's mum come back to herself some time later, heard the sob torn from her throat.
ZeldaQueen: (Mrs. Diggory) “You attacked my son?”
Holly should comfort her. Should say something. Anything to make this better.
But she didn't know how.
ZeldaQueen: Right. That does it, she’s a sociopath
Link: Say, didn’t Bella Swan also not know how to properly respond to human emotions?
ZeldaQueen: Indeed. Not very nice
All she could do was watch. Was sit up in her bed and lean forward and see Cedric's mum weep without tears. Just sit there helplessly and…
ZeldaQueen: …the hell? Did the Suethor get bored with that paragraph or something?
…it was a truly hot and wretched day. The sun poured down in endless fiery rays, and there wasn't a single cloud in sight to provide relief. The air was sweltering, even in the little shade available, and sweat dripped down the face and back of a young boy and soaked his shirt.
Link: I’m sorry, we appear to have jumped into a John Steinbeck novel
He was a small thing, really. Short and almost runt-like with a thin face that spoke of missed meals.
ZeldaQueen: *sighs* Hands up if you know who this is
His clothes were neat if threadbare but plastered to him in the heat. His hair was black and messy as it hung in his dark eyes. The boy didn't seem to notice as he worked alone in the orphanage garden. He just worked at the weeds, watered the potatoes, and picked the ripe tomatoes.
Link: A garden? In London?
ZeldaQueen: Well, I can’t remember if it was London, but it was definitely somewhere urban. I doubt they’d have or be able to afford a garden
Holly was little more than a ghost as he finished up and carried his basket of vegetables to the backdoor of the kitchen. The middle-aged woman there received them with a frown and glanced out the window over the sink. Her frown deepened into an outright scowl, and she whirled at him.
Link: I’m not sure, but I think she’s supposed to be Evil
ZeldaQueen: Oh yeah. Folks, meet Petunia Mark Two
She stomped over to shake her bony finger in his face, but the boy jumped back before she could swat at him and retreated into the shadows of the kitchen.
ZeldaQueen: This is so overblown it’s narm
"Get back out there," the woman ordered and jerked her head towards the garden. "I kin see that yer not done yet."
"They're not ripe yet," the boy protested softly. "They still need a few days."
"And we need a few more," she countered. "Unless ya don't want any supper tonight."
Link: Is she going to lock him in a closet with twenty padlocks if he doesn’t comply?
ZeldaQueen: Okay, this is ridiculous. We see what the orphanage is like, in the sixth book. Tom has his own room and possessions. He is described as being attractively gaunt, not starved or overworked. We’re outright told that the orphans look “reasonably well-cared for”, for crying out loud! This was written after Deathly Hallows came out, there is no excuse!
The boy paled underneath his tan. His face was too gaunt as he bit his lip, and his eyes were too sunken as he blinked very slowly.
Link: Dur…
She smirked then, and it was a nasty thing.
Link: As opposed to when Holly, Snape, or the other Slytherins do it
ZeldaQueen: Actually, it reminds me of a line Emerson wrote, "Today I have turned nineteen and I count it a wretched thing", or something to that effect
"Get!" The woman reached forward to give a shove at his shoulder as he scurried away. "And don't come back til ya've got it all, little runt," she called after him.
Link: I have to ask, where is this coming from? Is Holly hallucinating?
ZeldaQueen: I have no idea. No one ever gave her this memory and it certainly isn’t canon
He dashed back into the oppressive heat, and even as a phantom following after him, the glaring sunlight slammed directly into Holly's eyes. His back was straight as he went back to his gardening, but it didn't take long for his shoulders to hunch and for sweat to collect once more along his neck. But she could do little more than stand there as he toiled away, occasionally wiping at his forehead. It was still impossibly hot and only growing even more unbearable, but the boy kept working.
ZeldaQueen: I am literally agape at the sheer narminess of this. I can not take this seriously. I simply cannot
Link: Wait, we’re supposed to be taking this seriously?
But something unexpected caught Holly's attention then. Something far away from them, but it made Holly turn her head, made a shiver shoot down her spine. Beside her, the boy stiffened. His attention focused the same direction, and Holly knew that she hadn't imagined it… whatever that it was.
Link: A Suethor
ZeldaQueen: The Shadow
The air was still. Muggy and sizzling. Oddly silent. Quiet as though the whole world was on mute. She couldn't even hear the noises of the insects or the kitchen in the background anymore. There was nothing but the sound of the boy's soft breathing and the shift of his feet on the dry dirt.
ZeldaQueen: That was ripped off from Sleepy Hallow, I just know it
And Holly felt the vibration before she heard it. Some sort of dull rumble in the distance. Something a lot like thunder but somehow more ominous for the fact that there wasn't a cloud in the sky. She felt the earth tremble beneath her feet. Felt the boy next to her moving as he felt it, too.
Link: Well someone had too much Mexican food
She knew without knowing that this wasn't natural. This was something else… something wrong. Something that made the boy's breath now come in quick pants. Made his hands shake as he rose to his feet and very slowly turned around. Made him take a startled step backwards and nearly into a tomato plant.
ZeldaQueen: This is much more enjoyable if you imagine it with silly sound effects
Holly belatedly realised that there was a person standing in the shade of the orphanage. She hadn't - couldn't - sensed them earlier; it was just a dream after all.
Link: Wait, a dream? That’s the shitty explanation for this? A dream?
But there was something off about the deepness of the shadows, so dark that she couldn't tell if a man or woman stood before them. Something worrisome about the curl of smoke that stretch into the daylight and the flicker of a lit fag. Something that made her heart clench and her hand reach for the wand she didn't have.
ZeldaQueen: Now’s not the time to wank off, Sue
"You should get out of here," the boy beside her whispered. "You should leave."
ZeldaQueen: (Boy) “No one wants you in this fic! Leave”
Holly glanced at him, only to belatedly realise that he was in fact speaking to her. His eyes were staring right at her before flickering back to the stranger.
Link: WHY IS THIS FILLER SO BORING? WHY?
"What?" Holly questioned,
ZeldaQueen: SUETHOR, WE KNOW IT WAS A QUESTION! THERE WAS A QUESTION MARK! YOU DON’T NEED TO USE THE WORD “QUESTIONED” AFTER A QUESTION MARK!
and she had a second of vertigo. Like the world had just tilted around her. "What do you mean?"
"Get out of here," the boy replied, voice low and filled with a thousand things, none of them good. "You need to leave. Leave!" he repeated. "Leave now!"
ZeldaQueen: Alright, now I think she’s cribbing from Spirited Away
Link: Will you stop making references to stuff I’ve never seen?
ZeldaQueen: You’re welcome to make references of your own
The world jerked
Link: - off
and swayed beneath her, and Holly had the sudden sensation of flying without a broom. Of teetering on the edge of the precipice. The second before she fell, the boy's hardened gaze met her own, and Holly…
ZeldaQueen: Plummeted to her death
Link: There was much rejoicing
…was in the study.
ZeldaQueen: With Miss Scarlet and the lead pipe
It was pleasantly warm but dim, shadowed as if it hadn't seen full daylight in years. The heavy curtains swayed in a non-existent breeze, and the light of the fireplace flickered over the paintings on the wall.
Link: Whoever did that is really going to be in trouble. Do they have any idea how difficult it is to clean that off of the walls?
Even as a phantom, Holly's toes dug into the thick red carpet, which squished beneath her as she shifted her weight.
ZeldaQueen: God, even in a dream, the Sue has a firm grip on reality's balls
She didn't even need to look to know who sat in the chair by the fire, bald head resting on one hand as the other toyed with an empty wine glass.
ZeldaQueen: Oh my God, it's Patrick Stewert! He's here to rescue us!!!
He was otherwise motionless, distant eyes not really seeing anything at all. Nagini lay curled at his feet like a loyal dog with her master. She didn't stir as Holly stepped closer, head turned away.
Link: At least, the snake didn't move until Holly was inches away. Then, she struck and ripped the Sue's throat out
ZeldaQueen: And there was much rejoicing
Voldemort, however, stilled completely. His finger, which had been tracing the edge of his glass with a soft sound, paused. Then, he slowly brought his head around, and his gaze traced the room.
ZeldaQueen: (Voldemort) "What's that, Nagini? Another Sue, trying to "redeem" me? How silly. Eat her"
Examining shadows and corners. Lingering where Holly stood. His eyes narrowed, and his head tilted almost imperceptibly. A minute went by, and Holly stood completely still. Not daring to move lest his gaze follow her when she did.
ZeldaQueen: Okay, I know he's supposed to have scarred her and all, but this is a dream. He clearly can't see here. Why is she angsting?
Link: Because she always angsts?
ZeldaQueen: Besides that
She simply watched as he rose to his feet and stepped around Nagini in an elegant glide.
Link: Now I'm picturing Voldemort and Nagini doing that dance practice from A Knight's Tale. And one and two, three and four, and twirly, twirly, twirly twirl. One and two, three and four, you can hit me all day, but you still hit like a - what?
ZeldaQueen: A girl? *loves that movie*
A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, and Holly felt her heart pound in her ears as he came closer. He paused just in front of her, hand lifting and reaching out.
Both: YES! DO IT!
Holly was torn between jumping back and dodging to the side, but she was too frozen in place to do either, and her stomach leapt into her throat as his hand came within inches of her face.
Link: Oh shit, is she finally going to die?
ZeldaQueen: Not to ruin things for you, but I have two more sections to spork after this. No, she's not
Link: Well fuck that!
But instead of connecting, his fingers slid through her as if she was even less solid than smoke. Voldemort's eyes narrowed even further. Almost puzzled. Searching. Like something he'd thought completely true had just been disproven before his very eyes.
ZeldaQueen: I honestly have no idea what's going on here. Is this supposed to be a dream? Because if it is, that's not how dreams work. There are dreams which you interact in, or dreams which you are viewing like a movie. This is being treated like it's a memory, even though Holly never got one like this, and even then, people in memories don't know you're there at all!
Holly nearly let out a heaving sigh of relief as he pulled
Link: - out
ZeldaQueen: OH GOD THE MENTAL IMAGES DO NOT WANT!
back and away, stepping closer to the fire once more. She didn't only because she worried that he'd notice, but Voldemort seemed to be too engaged with his own thoughts and watching without seeing as Nagini stirred. The snake flicked her tongue as she lifted her head and then slithered forward to circle the Dark Lord's legs.
ZeldaQueen: That's just begging for a "Is that a snake in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?" joke
His mouth pulled into something like a fond smile, but Holly shivered as she saw the scene play out. The room was pleasantly warm around her, but a chill shot down her back as Nagini's tongue flicked out again and that serpentine head swayed her direction.
Link: Yeah, I think the Suethor's just doing whatever she damned well pleases for this. Who cares if she's just making it up on the fly? It's artistic!
"Yes, my pet, I know" Voldemort murmured in a voice that carried easy in the silence. "You should come over to greet our guest."
ZeldaQueen: (Voldemort) "We have a lovely Mary Sue on the dinner menu tonight. Do try not to vomit her remains all over the carpet again, my dear"
Holly recoiled.
Link: Hey, you might be right!
Voldemort laughed. It was high and cold and so painfully, hauntingly familiar that Holly fought the lump in her throat even as her heart jolted. So familiar that she was forced to move back and turn away and then…
ZeldaQueen: Oh, for fuck's sake, will you stop going on about how familiar that laugh is? I'm not going to believe that Tom Riddle is TOTALLY A DIFFERENT PERSON no matter how many times you try to tell me, so give it up!
…she was in Moody's office. She was in Moody's office with Cedric and a madman pretending to be her teacher.
ZeldaQueen: oh fuck me, do we have to watch this again?
Link: Oh great, and here I thought I could miss it
"That's enough, Professor," Cedric insisted. "She's had enough. She needs Madam Pomfrey." He turned to Holly and took her hand to pull her to her feet.
Link: And throw her out a window
Moody jerked
ZeldaQueen: - off
Link: And you think I'm dirty?
ZeldaQueen: Suethor, you need to expand your vocabulary
his wand and shot a Stinging hex that hit Cedric's forearm. The Hufflepuff jumped, and his hand snapped back. He gaped at their teacher with betrayal coloring his eyes.
ZeldaQueen: I love how this is getting a nice purple tint, instead of the Suethor just making sure it was insightfully written in a detailed and interesting manner the first time around
Link: I wonder if there are any betrayal-colored crayons...
"We're not finished here yet," the man all but growled low and dangerous. Making the hairs on the back of Holly's neck stand.
ZeldaQueen: That should be one sentence, you hack!
"What else did the Dark Lord say, Miss Potter? What else?"
Link: He told us to be in bed by eight, and not to leave the lights on in the hallway
His tone was almost eager then. Too giddy. As though the thought of Voldemort being back pleased him.
ZeldaQueen: Okay, hold on. Is this supposed to be from her point of view back then, or her reflecting on it. Because if it's the former - as it appears to be - I can understand the "his tone was almost eager" bit. The thing is, she's talking for the rest of that bit like she has no idea why he's giddy at the thought of Voldemort returning, when she clearly does by now!
Holly shifted in her seat, but Cedric was on his feet then. His back was to Holly as he stood protectively in front of her.
Link: Poor kid, he'd even defend a horrible Mary Sue
"We're done," Cedric stated, and his voice was loud and strong. "That's more than enough. She's too hurt to answer."
ZeldaQueen: Hey Ced, I'm on your side here. Just let Moody kill the bitch. We'll all be a lot happier
He stepped forward, but Moody elbowed him in the chest and forced him back. He hit hard enough to drop his student backwards a full two steps and make his knees bang against his chair.
ZeldaQueen: We. Already. Read. This
"You'll sit there, boy, until I say you can get up," Moody snarled, and his face and eyes and voice were terrible things. "We're not done here."
ZeldaQueen: SHE JUST COPY AND PASTED THAT FROM THE LAST CHAPTER!!! *shrieks in fury*
Link: Looks up in alarm
Horrible things that made Holly's heart pound in her chest and ice shoot through her extremities.
Link: Like her ass?
Her throat and mouth were dry, and she couldn't form the words. Couldn't shout out the warning that Cedric so desperately needed to hear. She just sat there weakly and watched the end come.
ZeldaQueen: As per freaking usual *is grumpy*
"You can't talk to us like that!" Cedric put in furiously, still in front of her. Still protecting her. The loyal until the very end.
Link: Must be a foreign concept to this psycho
ZeldaQueen: I can't believe she has the gall to act like he's such a great guy after she's done nothing but bash him, his attempts to help her out, his girlfriend, and so on
"I've had it with this. We're leaving. She needs a healer."
Link: (Cedric) "Clearly, the girl is insane. She needs to be locked in a padded room, immediately"
He started to turn towards her. His mouth began to open once more.
ZeldaQueen: And he began to sing Hello my honey, hello my baby, hello my ragtime gaaaaal!
Link: You have issues
Holly already knew how this story played out; she'd seen it dozen times in her sleep and hundred more in her waking hours.
ZeldaQueen: And we just read it in the last chapter
Cedric's eyes were a dark grey in the dimness of the room. Angry and not warm like they normally were. His gaze met hers for an instant that lasted a lifetime, and in hindsight, Holly knew that she was the last person he ever saw.
Link: That is a depressing thought
The last thing as he was outlined in green. As surprise flickered across his face and he was whirled around from the impact.
As he hit the stone floor and lay still.
He didn't get back up.
ZeldaQueen: Eh, he's in a better place
Link: Yeah, out of this fic
Even then, even in her memories, she still hadn't heard Moody - Crouch - call out the curse. All she could see was Cedric, tall and fierce, as his mouth formed words. All she could hear was the final phrase he never managed to say.
ZeldaQueen: "Fuck you"
Link: "For canon!"
"Let me help you."
In her room and her own bed, Holly Potter woke sobbing.
ZeldaQueen: *grumpily* Oh, poor you. I’d feel a lot more sorry if you hadn’t WANDERED AROUNDI N THE GRAVEYARD LIKE A TOTAL DUMBASS!
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ZeldaQueen: And that seems to be as good a place as any to stop for now. Link, take tomorrow off. Merry Christmas!
Link: *shakes hand* Merry Christmas, even though we don't celebrate that in Hyrule. Who am I to look a gift of a free day off in the mouth?
ZeldaQueen: And to you, dearest viewers, I say Merry Christmas! Have a wonderful day! And if you don't celebrate Christmas, have a wonderful day anyway. Just because you don't participate in a holiday doesn't mean you can't have a good twenty-fifth of December
Onward to: Chapter 55: Child Of Destiny (Part 2)
Back to: Chapter 54: Shadow Of The Day
Return to: Table of Contents
Link: Anything to get you to quit bothering me
ZeldaQueen: That's the hero we know and love
Projection Room Voices: Starting Media in 3...2...1...
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Chapter 55: Child of Destiny
"I'll beg if I have to," Cedric's mother said as she faced Holly in her uncomfortable chair.
Link: Holly’s in an uncomfortable chair?
ZeldaQueen: I’m not sure. This, ladies and gentlemen, is why commas are important
She seemed on the verge of sliding to her knees there and then.
ZeldaQueen: Bow-Chicka-Bow-Wow!
"Please. I need to see. I… I need to know. Please."
ZeldaQueen: (Mrs. Diggory) Are you really as big a Mary Sue as they claim?
Link: No, she’s even worse
Holly could only sit there, propped up against the pillows of her hospital bed. Her mind was in a stupor, in something akin to shock or a twin to horror maybe.
ZeldaQueen: Or maybe the second cousin to idiocy
She couldn't face the memory of Cedric's body as it hit the cold stone floor, but she couldn't stop remembering it either. Looking into Mrs. Diggory's eyes only made it that much worse.
ZeldQueen: Oh, get over it! Harry saw Diggory die in a graveyard, murdered by Voldemort and he didn’t angst this much!
She turned away to stare at the window. The one free functioning part of her brain wondered where Sirius was.
ZeldaQueen: If none of the rest of her brain is functioning, does that mean she can’t control her bladder?
Link: I’m never speaking to you again
ZeldaQueen: Hey, this is why Suethors shouldn’t use sweeping purple prose
He'd left sometime after Dumbledore arrived,
Link: Well that sounds nasty
but the headmaster was gone now, too. Cedric's father had also wandered out in a daze a while ago, but Holly didn't know where he'd gone. The last she seen of him, he'd been going to splash water on his red and splotchy face, but he'd never come back. Perhaps he was even still in there.
ZeldaQueen: Now’s no time for a bath, Amos!
Link: So I really have to ask, why is this all in flashback instead of just telling this in the last chapter, where it belonged?
ZeldaQueen: I suspect the Suethor thinks she’s artistic doing it this way
Link: Ah, I see
The image of that was nearly Holly's undoing. Just imagining Amos Diggory standing and staring at nothing with eyes the same color as Cedric's own. Too much like his in every way. Just as dead and empty inside the last she'd seen of him. It'd only been two days previous, but it already felt like a lifetime ago. Even more so as his mother begged to know of his final moments.
Link By the Goddesses, is there a point to any of this?
ZeldaQueen: This fic, or this bit?
Link: EITHER!
ZeldaQueen: No to the first and no to the second
Gazing up at the ceiling and seeing nothing. The sound of Moody's voice from a mouth not his own. Cedric so worried about her. So concerned. Dying for nothing… no reason at all.
ZeldaQueen: *swells with fury* YOU’RE DAMNED RIGHT HE DIDN’T! AND GUESS WHAT? YOU’RE THE ONE WHO STUNNED HIM AND LEFT HIM ALL ADDLED SO HE COULDN’T PROCESS WHAT WAS GOING ON! IT’S YOUR FAULT!
Holly shook her head forcefully.
Link: And it promptly fell off
"Please," Cedric's mother repeated then, certain that was a rejection. "I need to know."
The girl sucked in a breath. "Mrs. Diggory-"
ZeldaQueen: (Sue) “Properly beg one more time and I’ll see what I can do”
But a hand on her wrist stopped her short. Holly looked up to see the dark eyes of Cedric's mother gazing back at her. There were no tears; her grief was beyond them. But Holly could see a broken soul peeking out. Shattered and ground into dust at the death of her only child.
Link: Oh how angst! I think I might take up cutting myself with the Master Sword
Holly stared for a long moment and then sighed as she glanced away. Unable to look anymore. Unable to see a woman whose body didn't yet know she was already dead.
ZeldaQueen: I honestly don’t know what to say to this stuff, folks. I’m sorry, but this is damned boring
Her wand was on her bedside table, and Holly nibbled her lip as she very reluctantly brought it to her temple. She didn't even have to think to bring the memory to the forefront; it was already there.
ZeldaQueen: So, what is it with Mary Sues constantly pulling out their memories and showing them to people? I mean, wouldn’t it take some form of practice to do something like that?
And truly, it was a horrible, horrible thing to share. To show to any mother. To have her watch her son die and be unable to stop it. To know that it'd already happened and there was nothing she could do.
Link: Which is why, of course, she showed it to Mrs. Diggory instead of saying she’s too upset to do it or something
But this was what she wanted, what she needed. And Holly couldn't deny her. Couldn't take this from her. Mrs. Diggory had nothing left; Holly wouldn't steal this, too.
ZeldaQueen: Is it just me, or does this sound really self-centered? “Oh well, Mrs. Diggory hasn’t got anything left, and only I can provide her with this. She just really needs me, doesn’t she?”
She slowly drew a silvery strand from her temple and brought it to the Penseive on Mrs. Diggory's lap.
Link: And that came from…where?
Holly knew that it belonged to Dumbledore, and she didn't even want to know how the woman had gotten it. Perhaps the headmaster had been unable to deny her, too.
Link: Oh, I see. I guess the Headmaster rents those things out
Either way, Holly dropped her memory into the basin and looked elsewhere as the surface shifted to reflect the maze from the night before.
ZeldaQueen: I hope they see her Stunning Cedric when he tries to help
Holly took a deep breath and glanced up at Cedric's mother. She was gazing at the Penseive like it held all the answers and horrors of the universe.
ZeldaQueen: GET. ON. WITH. IT
"At the cup…" she murmured, and the woman's attention instantly riveted to her. "He said that he didn't care about winning. That he only wanted you to be proud of him."
Mrs. Diggory swallowed hard. "I am proud. I was always proud."
Link: The Sue’s going to be angry that the attention is all on Cedric now and not on her
ZeldaQueen: Nah, she’s providing the stuff on Cedric, so it’s all thanks to her. She’s lapping this up
Holly didn't know what to say to that, so she remained silent.
ZeldaQueen: That’d be because she doesn’t have two brain cells to come up with a response
She simply watched as Mrs. Diggory squared herself and turned back to the Penseive. The woman stared at the surface for a moment before leaning forward. It was all Holly could do to tear her gaze away and towards the ceiling. She heard more than saw Cedric's mum come back to herself some time later, heard the sob torn from her throat.
ZeldaQueen: (Mrs. Diggory) “You attacked my son?”
Holly should comfort her. Should say something. Anything to make this better.
But she didn't know how.
ZeldaQueen: Right. That does it, she’s a sociopath
Link: Say, didn’t Bella Swan also not know how to properly respond to human emotions?
ZeldaQueen: Indeed. Not very nice
All she could do was watch. Was sit up in her bed and lean forward and see Cedric's mum weep without tears. Just sit there helplessly and…
ZeldaQueen: …the hell? Did the Suethor get bored with that paragraph or something?
…it was a truly hot and wretched day. The sun poured down in endless fiery rays, and there wasn't a single cloud in sight to provide relief. The air was sweltering, even in the little shade available, and sweat dripped down the face and back of a young boy and soaked his shirt.
Link: I’m sorry, we appear to have jumped into a John Steinbeck novel
He was a small thing, really. Short and almost runt-like with a thin face that spoke of missed meals.
ZeldaQueen: *sighs* Hands up if you know who this is
His clothes were neat if threadbare but plastered to him in the heat. His hair was black and messy as it hung in his dark eyes. The boy didn't seem to notice as he worked alone in the orphanage garden. He just worked at the weeds, watered the potatoes, and picked the ripe tomatoes.
Link: A garden? In London?
ZeldaQueen: Well, I can’t remember if it was London, but it was definitely somewhere urban. I doubt they’d have or be able to afford a garden
Holly was little more than a ghost as he finished up and carried his basket of vegetables to the backdoor of the kitchen. The middle-aged woman there received them with a frown and glanced out the window over the sink. Her frown deepened into an outright scowl, and she whirled at him.
Link: I’m not sure, but I think she’s supposed to be Evil
ZeldaQueen: Oh yeah. Folks, meet Petunia Mark Two
She stomped over to shake her bony finger in his face, but the boy jumped back before she could swat at him and retreated into the shadows of the kitchen.
ZeldaQueen: This is so overblown it’s narm
"Get back out there," the woman ordered and jerked her head towards the garden. "I kin see that yer not done yet."
"They're not ripe yet," the boy protested softly. "They still need a few days."
"And we need a few more," she countered. "Unless ya don't want any supper tonight."
Link: Is she going to lock him in a closet with twenty padlocks if he doesn’t comply?
ZeldaQueen: Okay, this is ridiculous. We see what the orphanage is like, in the sixth book. Tom has his own room and possessions. He is described as being attractively gaunt, not starved or overworked. We’re outright told that the orphans look “reasonably well-cared for”, for crying out loud! This was written after Deathly Hallows came out, there is no excuse!
The boy paled underneath his tan. His face was too gaunt as he bit his lip, and his eyes were too sunken as he blinked very slowly.
Link: Dur…
She smirked then, and it was a nasty thing.
Link: As opposed to when Holly, Snape, or the other Slytherins do it
ZeldaQueen: Actually, it reminds me of a line Emerson wrote, "Today I have turned nineteen and I count it a wretched thing", or something to that effect
"Get!" The woman reached forward to give a shove at his shoulder as he scurried away. "And don't come back til ya've got it all, little runt," she called after him.
Link: I have to ask, where is this coming from? Is Holly hallucinating?
ZeldaQueen: I have no idea. No one ever gave her this memory and it certainly isn’t canon
He dashed back into the oppressive heat, and even as a phantom following after him, the glaring sunlight slammed directly into Holly's eyes. His back was straight as he went back to his gardening, but it didn't take long for his shoulders to hunch and for sweat to collect once more along his neck. But she could do little more than stand there as he toiled away, occasionally wiping at his forehead. It was still impossibly hot and only growing even more unbearable, but the boy kept working.
ZeldaQueen: I am literally agape at the sheer narminess of this. I can not take this seriously. I simply cannot
Link: Wait, we’re supposed to be taking this seriously?
But something unexpected caught Holly's attention then. Something far away from them, but it made Holly turn her head, made a shiver shoot down her spine. Beside her, the boy stiffened. His attention focused the same direction, and Holly knew that she hadn't imagined it… whatever that it was.
Link: A Suethor
ZeldaQueen: The Shadow
The air was still. Muggy and sizzling. Oddly silent. Quiet as though the whole world was on mute. She couldn't even hear the noises of the insects or the kitchen in the background anymore. There was nothing but the sound of the boy's soft breathing and the shift of his feet on the dry dirt.
ZeldaQueen: That was ripped off from Sleepy Hallow, I just know it
And Holly felt the vibration before she heard it. Some sort of dull rumble in the distance. Something a lot like thunder but somehow more ominous for the fact that there wasn't a cloud in the sky. She felt the earth tremble beneath her feet. Felt the boy next to her moving as he felt it, too.
Link: Well someone had too much Mexican food
She knew without knowing that this wasn't natural. This was something else… something wrong. Something that made the boy's breath now come in quick pants. Made his hands shake as he rose to his feet and very slowly turned around. Made him take a startled step backwards and nearly into a tomato plant.
ZeldaQueen: This is much more enjoyable if you imagine it with silly sound effects
Holly belatedly realised that there was a person standing in the shade of the orphanage. She hadn't - couldn't - sensed them earlier; it was just a dream after all.
Link: Wait, a dream? That’s the shitty explanation for this? A dream?
But there was something off about the deepness of the shadows, so dark that she couldn't tell if a man or woman stood before them. Something worrisome about the curl of smoke that stretch into the daylight and the flicker of a lit fag. Something that made her heart clench and her hand reach for the wand she didn't have.
ZeldaQueen: Now’s not the time to wank off, Sue
"You should get out of here," the boy beside her whispered. "You should leave."
ZeldaQueen: (Boy) “No one wants you in this fic! Leave”
Holly glanced at him, only to belatedly realise that he was in fact speaking to her. His eyes were staring right at her before flickering back to the stranger.
Link: WHY IS THIS FILLER SO BORING? WHY?
"What?" Holly questioned,
ZeldaQueen: SUETHOR, WE KNOW IT WAS A QUESTION! THERE WAS A QUESTION MARK! YOU DON’T NEED TO USE THE WORD “QUESTIONED” AFTER A QUESTION MARK!
and she had a second of vertigo. Like the world had just tilted around her. "What do you mean?"
"Get out of here," the boy replied, voice low and filled with a thousand things, none of them good. "You need to leave. Leave!" he repeated. "Leave now!"
ZeldaQueen: Alright, now I think she’s cribbing from Spirited Away
Link: Will you stop making references to stuff I’ve never seen?
ZeldaQueen: You’re welcome to make references of your own
The world jerked
Link: - off
and swayed beneath her, and Holly had the sudden sensation of flying without a broom. Of teetering on the edge of the precipice. The second before she fell, the boy's hardened gaze met her own, and Holly…
ZeldaQueen: Plummeted to her death
Link: There was much rejoicing
…was in the study.
ZeldaQueen: With Miss Scarlet and the lead pipe
It was pleasantly warm but dim, shadowed as if it hadn't seen full daylight in years. The heavy curtains swayed in a non-existent breeze, and the light of the fireplace flickered over the paintings on the wall.
Link: Whoever did that is really going to be in trouble. Do they have any idea how difficult it is to clean that off of the walls?
Even as a phantom, Holly's toes dug into the thick red carpet, which squished beneath her as she shifted her weight.
ZeldaQueen: God, even in a dream, the Sue has a firm grip on reality's balls
She didn't even need to look to know who sat in the chair by the fire, bald head resting on one hand as the other toyed with an empty wine glass.
ZeldaQueen: Oh my God, it's Patrick Stewert! He's here to rescue us!!!
He was otherwise motionless, distant eyes not really seeing anything at all. Nagini lay curled at his feet like a loyal dog with her master. She didn't stir as Holly stepped closer, head turned away.
Link: At least, the snake didn't move until Holly was inches away. Then, she struck and ripped the Sue's throat out
ZeldaQueen: And there was much rejoicing
Voldemort, however, stilled completely. His finger, which had been tracing the edge of his glass with a soft sound, paused. Then, he slowly brought his head around, and his gaze traced the room.
ZeldaQueen: (Voldemort) "What's that, Nagini? Another Sue, trying to "redeem" me? How silly. Eat her"
Examining shadows and corners. Lingering where Holly stood. His eyes narrowed, and his head tilted almost imperceptibly. A minute went by, and Holly stood completely still. Not daring to move lest his gaze follow her when she did.
ZeldaQueen: Okay, I know he's supposed to have scarred her and all, but this is a dream. He clearly can't see here. Why is she angsting?
Link: Because she always angsts?
ZeldaQueen: Besides that
She simply watched as he rose to his feet and stepped around Nagini in an elegant glide.
Link: Now I'm picturing Voldemort and Nagini doing that dance practice from A Knight's Tale. And one and two, three and four, and twirly, twirly, twirly twirl. One and two, three and four, you can hit me all day, but you still hit like a - what?
ZeldaQueen: A girl? *loves that movie*
A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, and Holly felt her heart pound in her ears as he came closer. He paused just in front of her, hand lifting and reaching out.
Both: YES! DO IT!
Holly was torn between jumping back and dodging to the side, but she was too frozen in place to do either, and her stomach leapt into her throat as his hand came within inches of her face.
Link: Oh shit, is she finally going to die?
ZeldaQueen: Not to ruin things for you, but I have two more sections to spork after this. No, she's not
Link: Well fuck that!
But instead of connecting, his fingers slid through her as if she was even less solid than smoke. Voldemort's eyes narrowed even further. Almost puzzled. Searching. Like something he'd thought completely true had just been disproven before his very eyes.
ZeldaQueen: I honestly have no idea what's going on here. Is this supposed to be a dream? Because if it is, that's not how dreams work. There are dreams which you interact in, or dreams which you are viewing like a movie. This is being treated like it's a memory, even though Holly never got one like this, and even then, people in memories don't know you're there at all!
Holly nearly let out a heaving sigh of relief as he pulled
Link: - out
ZeldaQueen: OH GOD THE MENTAL IMAGES DO NOT WANT!
back and away, stepping closer to the fire once more. She didn't only because she worried that he'd notice, but Voldemort seemed to be too engaged with his own thoughts and watching without seeing as Nagini stirred. The snake flicked her tongue as she lifted her head and then slithered forward to circle the Dark Lord's legs.
ZeldaQueen: That's just begging for a "Is that a snake in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?" joke
His mouth pulled into something like a fond smile, but Holly shivered as she saw the scene play out. The room was pleasantly warm around her, but a chill shot down her back as Nagini's tongue flicked out again and that serpentine head swayed her direction.
Link: Yeah, I think the Suethor's just doing whatever she damned well pleases for this. Who cares if she's just making it up on the fly? It's artistic!
"Yes, my pet, I know" Voldemort murmured in a voice that carried easy in the silence. "You should come over to greet our guest."
ZeldaQueen: (Voldemort) "We have a lovely Mary Sue on the dinner menu tonight. Do try not to vomit her remains all over the carpet again, my dear"
Holly recoiled.
Link: Hey, you might be right!
Voldemort laughed. It was high and cold and so painfully, hauntingly familiar that Holly fought the lump in her throat even as her heart jolted. So familiar that she was forced to move back and turn away and then…
ZeldaQueen: Oh, for fuck's sake, will you stop going on about how familiar that laugh is? I'm not going to believe that Tom Riddle is TOTALLY A DIFFERENT PERSON no matter how many times you try to tell me, so give it up!
…she was in Moody's office. She was in Moody's office with Cedric and a madman pretending to be her teacher.
ZeldaQueen: oh fuck me, do we have to watch this again?
Link: Oh great, and here I thought I could miss it
"That's enough, Professor," Cedric insisted. "She's had enough. She needs Madam Pomfrey." He turned to Holly and took her hand to pull her to her feet.
Link: And throw her out a window
Moody jerked
ZeldaQueen: - off
Link: And you think I'm dirty?
ZeldaQueen: Suethor, you need to expand your vocabulary
his wand and shot a Stinging hex that hit Cedric's forearm. The Hufflepuff jumped, and his hand snapped back. He gaped at their teacher with betrayal coloring his eyes.
ZeldaQueen: I love how this is getting a nice purple tint, instead of the Suethor just making sure it was insightfully written in a detailed and interesting manner the first time around
Link: I wonder if there are any betrayal-colored crayons...
"We're not finished here yet," the man all but growled low and dangerous. Making the hairs on the back of Holly's neck stand.
ZeldaQueen: That should be one sentence, you hack!
"What else did the Dark Lord say, Miss Potter? What else?"
Link: He told us to be in bed by eight, and not to leave the lights on in the hallway
His tone was almost eager then. Too giddy. As though the thought of Voldemort being back pleased him.
ZeldaQueen: Okay, hold on. Is this supposed to be from her point of view back then, or her reflecting on it. Because if it's the former - as it appears to be - I can understand the "his tone was almost eager" bit. The thing is, she's talking for the rest of that bit like she has no idea why he's giddy at the thought of Voldemort returning, when she clearly does by now!
Holly shifted in her seat, but Cedric was on his feet then. His back was to Holly as he stood protectively in front of her.
Link: Poor kid, he'd even defend a horrible Mary Sue
"We're done," Cedric stated, and his voice was loud and strong. "That's more than enough. She's too hurt to answer."
ZeldaQueen: Hey Ced, I'm on your side here. Just let Moody kill the bitch. We'll all be a lot happier
He stepped forward, but Moody elbowed him in the chest and forced him back. He hit hard enough to drop his student backwards a full two steps and make his knees bang against his chair.
ZeldaQueen: We. Already. Read. This
"You'll sit there, boy, until I say you can get up," Moody snarled, and his face and eyes and voice were terrible things. "We're not done here."
ZeldaQueen: SHE JUST COPY AND PASTED THAT FROM THE LAST CHAPTER!!! *shrieks in fury*
Link: Looks up in alarm
Horrible things that made Holly's heart pound in her chest and ice shoot through her extremities.
Link: Like her ass?
Her throat and mouth were dry, and she couldn't form the words. Couldn't shout out the warning that Cedric so desperately needed to hear. She just sat there weakly and watched the end come.
ZeldaQueen: As per freaking usual *is grumpy*
"You can't talk to us like that!" Cedric put in furiously, still in front of her. Still protecting her. The loyal until the very end.
Link: Must be a foreign concept to this psycho
ZeldaQueen: I can't believe she has the gall to act like he's such a great guy after she's done nothing but bash him, his attempts to help her out, his girlfriend, and so on
"I've had it with this. We're leaving. She needs a healer."
Link: (Cedric) "Clearly, the girl is insane. She needs to be locked in a padded room, immediately"
He started to turn towards her. His mouth began to open once more.
ZeldaQueen: And he began to sing Hello my honey, hello my baby, hello my ragtime gaaaaal!
Link: You have issues
Holly already knew how this story played out; she'd seen it dozen times in her sleep and hundred more in her waking hours.
ZeldaQueen: And we just read it in the last chapter
Cedric's eyes were a dark grey in the dimness of the room. Angry and not warm like they normally were. His gaze met hers for an instant that lasted a lifetime, and in hindsight, Holly knew that she was the last person he ever saw.
Link: That is a depressing thought
The last thing as he was outlined in green. As surprise flickered across his face and he was whirled around from the impact.
As he hit the stone floor and lay still.
He didn't get back up.
ZeldaQueen: Eh, he's in a better place
Link: Yeah, out of this fic
Even then, even in her memories, she still hadn't heard Moody - Crouch - call out the curse. All she could see was Cedric, tall and fierce, as his mouth formed words. All she could hear was the final phrase he never managed to say.
ZeldaQueen: "Fuck you"
Link: "For canon!"
"Let me help you."
In her room and her own bed, Holly Potter woke sobbing.
ZeldaQueen: *grumpily* Oh, poor you. I’d feel a lot more sorry if you hadn’t WANDERED AROUNDI N THE GRAVEYARD LIKE A TOTAL DUMBASS!
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ZeldaQueen: And that seems to be as good a place as any to stop for now. Link, take tomorrow off. Merry Christmas!
Link: *shakes hand* Merry Christmas, even though we don't celebrate that in Hyrule. Who am I to look a gift of a free day off in the mouth?
ZeldaQueen: And to you, dearest viewers, I say Merry Christmas! Have a wonderful day! And if you don't celebrate Christmas, have a wonderful day anyway. Just because you don't participate in a holiday doesn't mean you can't have a good twenty-fifth of December
Onward to: Chapter 55: Child Of Destiny (Part 2)
Back to: Chapter 54: Shadow Of The Day
Return to: Table of Contents