Houses of Hogwarts Fest FIC: To Make It Right (PG-13)
Title: To Make It Right
Author/Artist: flipflop_diva
House Category: Hufflepuff
Summary: He was their housemate. He was their friend. He was their family. The death of Cedric Diggory hits the Hufflepuffs hard, but his legacy will never be forgotten.
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, Cedric Diggory, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Ernie Macmillan, Pomona Sprout
Genre: Angst
Beta: wizbey, who is amazing! Thank you bb!
Rating: PG-13
(Highlight to View) Warning(s): Off-screen canon death of a character.
Can we link from Tumblr?: Yes
If yes, your Tumblr username: N/A
It was the Common Room that made it real for Hannah.
From the day she was Sorted until this morning when she followed her housemates out of the room, everyone dressed in black and yellow and laughing and cheering and ready to claim victory, it had been her one spot of solace, no matter how bad things had gotten. The first time she had set foot into the large, bright room, she had been shaking uncontrollably, the knowledge that she was finally a Hogwarts student overwhelming her in every way possible.
A firm, gentle hand on her shoulder had tried to steady her, just as she was about to crawl through the tunnel to reach the entrance.
“Don’t be nervous,” a tall, handsome, older boy had whispered to her. “We’ll take care of you here.”
Cedric had followed close behind her as she made her way inside, still trembling with nerves, but when her eyes had taken in the area - donned in yellow and black, with overstuffed couches and chairs, and a sea of plants and a platter of towering cupcakes, everything bright and sunny and cheerful despite being close to the ground - she had breathed a sigh of relief and let a smile wash over her features.
She had finally felt at home. More at home than her actual home.
But now, as she climbed through the passageway, everything felt different. Everything was different. The air itself felt tense and sad. There were students - housemates, friends - ahead of her and behind her, but no one spoke, no one laughed, no one even purposely tried to bump into one another.
They just moved slowly, silently, steadily.
Hannah closed her eyes as she exited the passageway and climbed to her feet, her heart pounding almost in her throat.
She could almost feel Cedric’s hand in hers, but she knew it was the one thing that could never be again.
She opened her eyes, and her knees gave way. Arms grabbed her before she hit the floor, but she couldn’t stop staring.
Her world. Her safe spot. Her home.
She knew it had changed, but this …. She hadn’t expected this.
Gone were the traces of yellow on the wall, now covered by black drapes. Gone were the plump chairs she had spent so many afternoons sitting on, replaced for the moment with enough long black couches to hold everyone. Gone even were the rays of sun that always shone through the circular window, replaced with a gray sky and a never-ending drizzle.
As though the sky outside were in mourning. As thought the Common Room itself were too.
Hannah almost swore the plants had wilted in the hour they had been gone.
She turned her head to look behind her. Ernie smiled sadly down at her as he helped steady her on her feet. His hands didn’t leave her arms.
“I’ve got you,” he said to her.
Hannah tried to answer, to say something back to him, but she couldn’t. Tears she hadn’t realized she was shedding were streaming down her cheeks and the sobs coming out of her mouth ended all hopes she had of any coherent words being spoken aloud.
•••
The worst mistake she’d ever made. An accusation she couldn’t take back. A rumor she’d spread when she never had any evidence.
Tears that wouldn’t stop flowing.
“He won’t hold a grudge. You just have to apologize.” Comforting words from an older student. Cedric’s arms tight around her.
“But I told people he was the one who attacked Justin …”
“You didn’t know.”
“I should have known.” Peering up at Cedric, asking him for help. “What I do?”
“You do what you have to do to make it right.”
•••
It was Hannah’s tears that made it real for Susan.
She had seen Hannah cry before. A lot. Over everything. Homesickness and bad grades and too much homework and potions gone wrong. Over words she had never meant to say and words she wished she could take back.
But this was different.
Susan was behind her as they headed back toward the Common Room, Dumbledore’s words explaining what had happened still echoing through her head.
Today we have lost a fine young man.
She couldn’t believe it. She didn’t want to believe it. How could Cedric be gone? Just like that. She had seen him that morning, getting dressed for the last task.
“You’re going to do so well!” she had told him, and thrown her arms around him.
He had laughed, pushed her back a little. “Don’t get your hopes up too high,” he had said. “All of them are worthy competitors.”
“But none are as worthy as you!” she had said, and she had meant it.
Now she wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing her upper arms with her hands as though she were cold, remembering the feel of him pressed against her just that morning.
A hug she would never get again. A voice she would never again hear spoken.
How could it be real?
She kept moving forward, though, following Hannah. Inch by inch by inch. She watched as Hannah climbed to her feet.
And then there was a gasp.
Her friend slumped, right into Ernie’s arms.
Fear welled up in Susan’s body. She scrambled to her own feet, reaching out for Hannah, but then she froze, her hands hanging there in mid-air.
Tears were flowing down Hannah’s cheeks, sobs practically choking her.
But it was the sound coming from her that hurt the most. More horrible than a scream, more heartwrenching than a whimper.
Susan wanted to say something, to offer comfort. But she couldn’t.
Cedric was gone. It wasn’t a dream.
There were no words of comfort.
•••
A badge pinned to her chest. A sign of support for the boy who always supported them.
A feeling of shame when he told them they were wrong, when he told them not to blame Harry.
Words that died in her throat when she wanted to fight back. Guilt that flared up instead.
“So what do we do?” A helpless plea, a question without an answer.
“Whatever we have to do to make it right.”
•••
It was the empty bed in the boys’ dormitory that made it real for Justin.
It wasn’t sitting in the bleachers with his housemates, long after the final task should have been over, dressed in his yellow and black and sporting a “Cedric for victor!” banner. It wasn’t the silence that fell over the crowd as they waited, watching, with fingers twisting in robes and teeth chewing on lips and words lined with worry whispered under breaths into best friends’ ears.
It wasn’t later that night, either, as they headed in silence back to the Common Room, nervous and frightened but still hopeful, still sure.
“It’s got to be some magical mishap or something,” Justin said confidently as they walked, Susan almost pressed to his side, Hannah and Ernie hand in hand behind him.
“Or some glitch in the awarding of the trophy,” he added. “He’ll be back in the morning.”
But Cedric wasn’t back in the morning, and it was Professor Sprout who ushered them out to breakfast, quicker than normal and avoiding their eyes.
But still Justin believed.
And he kept on believing, even as Professor Dumbledore told them the truth - “Cedric Diggory died a hero” - because something like that couldn’t be real.
And he still couldn’t believe it was real after breakfast as they walked back toward the kitchens, shock plastered on his housemates’ faces, all of them too stunned to talk. It didn’t make sense, and Justin knew Dumbledore was wrong.
Cedric would be back. He had to be.
So he watched his housemates - his friends, his family - fall apart in a darkened Common Room, holding each other and whispering stories of remembrance while he stood stoic off to the side. Until Justin couldn’t take it any longer, so he escaped around a corner and down a hall where he pushed open a door that didn’t belong to him.
And there, on one of the beds, a yellow and black shirt that Cedric loved. Folded and cleaned and waiting for its owner to return.
An owner who would never return.
It hit Justin like a punch to the gut, and he sank down beside the bed.
It was the truth. And it hurt.
•••
An Owl Post that had come bearing horrible news. A classmate - a friend - taken out of Herbology class. A suitcase packed. A note on his pillow when she was gone before he could make it back.
Take care of yourself. Love, Hannah
A feeling of helplessness. Another stunned silence. Faces of housemates who felt as he did, who didn’t know where to turn, how to help.
But what do we do now?
A question he wanted to ask, but one he already knew the answer to. Could hear it in the echoes of Cedric and Hannah and Helga Hufflepuff herself.
We do what we have to do to make it right.
•••
It was the looks on her students’ faces - scared, helpless, sad - reminding her that they were only children that made it real for Professor Pomona Sprout.
She had heard the news long before they had, when Professor Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall had explained it all to her in hushed voices. Potter had told them, they had told her, but she refused to believe it. Potter was just a boy. He could be wrong.
But then she walked into the Common Room and there they were, her first years to her seventh years, all of them there, waiting for her. Some were crying, some just looked shocked. Older students held younger ones. Friends held friends.
And in that moment it hit her. How unfair this was. How unfair it all was.
But this was the world they lived in right now, and it was her job to lead them through it, to show them that wars were not always won by rushing headfirst into battle, or by knowing the most curses, or by outthinking the other side.
Sometimes they were won by standing together, side-by-side, no matter what happened and no matter how hard it was.
So she did the only thing she could do. She stepped forward into the middle of the room and held out her arms, beckoning her students forward. No one moved at first. But then, to her left, she saw Hannah - Hannah with tears streaming down her face - step toward her, then Susan, then Meghan and then little Laura Madley. And then the boys came, too, hands wrapping around the girls, heads all bowed, all of them clung together in a circle, tears flowing openly and soft sobs escaping.
And that’s where they stood, as minutes ticked by, all of them lost in a grief most of them were too young to understand.
Until finally a voice. Tiny and shaking. Rising above the sounds of sorrow. A ray of something more. Pomona never even knew who said it.
“What do we do now?”
And it was like the atmosphere changed. Something shifted, though no one moved. Shoulders seemed to lift, chins raised, eyes grew defiant.
And another voice. Steely, resolved.
“We do what we have to do,” Justin Finch-Fletchley said, and Pomona saw he was standing a little apart from the crowd, by the entrance to the male dormitory. “Whatever it takes to make it right.”
•••
“But what will we do now?” A tiny first year, clutching a stuffed bear.
Hannah’s arm wrapped tight around her, her own wand clenched tight in her other hand. Making their way toward the Common Room exit, leading the others.
Knowing there was a chance they might never be coming back. Knowing tonight was the night the war would end. Knowing they could finally to prove to Cedric - and to Harry - that they had his back.
Words spoken, determined and strong.
“We’ll do what we have to do to make it right.”
Kristine/Puff/67 Points
Author/Artist: flipflop_diva
House Category: Hufflepuff
Summary: He was their housemate. He was their friend. He was their family. The death of Cedric Diggory hits the Hufflepuffs hard, but his legacy will never be forgotten.
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, Cedric Diggory, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Ernie Macmillan, Pomona Sprout
Genre: Angst
Beta: wizbey, who is amazing! Thank you bb!
Rating: PG-13
(Highlight to View) Warning(s): Off-screen canon death of a character.
Can we link from Tumblr?: Yes
If yes, your Tumblr username: N/A
It was the Common Room that made it real for Hannah.
From the day she was Sorted until this morning when she followed her housemates out of the room, everyone dressed in black and yellow and laughing and cheering and ready to claim victory, it had been her one spot of solace, no matter how bad things had gotten. The first time she had set foot into the large, bright room, she had been shaking uncontrollably, the knowledge that she was finally a Hogwarts student overwhelming her in every way possible.
A firm, gentle hand on her shoulder had tried to steady her, just as she was about to crawl through the tunnel to reach the entrance.
“Don’t be nervous,” a tall, handsome, older boy had whispered to her. “We’ll take care of you here.”
Cedric had followed close behind her as she made her way inside, still trembling with nerves, but when her eyes had taken in the area - donned in yellow and black, with overstuffed couches and chairs, and a sea of plants and a platter of towering cupcakes, everything bright and sunny and cheerful despite being close to the ground - she had breathed a sigh of relief and let a smile wash over her features.
She had finally felt at home. More at home than her actual home.
But now, as she climbed through the passageway, everything felt different. Everything was different. The air itself felt tense and sad. There were students - housemates, friends - ahead of her and behind her, but no one spoke, no one laughed, no one even purposely tried to bump into one another.
They just moved slowly, silently, steadily.
Hannah closed her eyes as she exited the passageway and climbed to her feet, her heart pounding almost in her throat.
She could almost feel Cedric’s hand in hers, but she knew it was the one thing that could never be again.
She opened her eyes, and her knees gave way. Arms grabbed her before she hit the floor, but she couldn’t stop staring.
Her world. Her safe spot. Her home.
She knew it had changed, but this …. She hadn’t expected this.
Gone were the traces of yellow on the wall, now covered by black drapes. Gone were the plump chairs she had spent so many afternoons sitting on, replaced for the moment with enough long black couches to hold everyone. Gone even were the rays of sun that always shone through the circular window, replaced with a gray sky and a never-ending drizzle.
As though the sky outside were in mourning. As thought the Common Room itself were too.
Hannah almost swore the plants had wilted in the hour they had been gone.
She turned her head to look behind her. Ernie smiled sadly down at her as he helped steady her on her feet. His hands didn’t leave her arms.
“I’ve got you,” he said to her.
Hannah tried to answer, to say something back to him, but she couldn’t. Tears she hadn’t realized she was shedding were streaming down her cheeks and the sobs coming out of her mouth ended all hopes she had of any coherent words being spoken aloud.
•••
The worst mistake she’d ever made. An accusation she couldn’t take back. A rumor she’d spread when she never had any evidence.
Tears that wouldn’t stop flowing.
“He won’t hold a grudge. You just have to apologize.” Comforting words from an older student. Cedric’s arms tight around her.
“But I told people he was the one who attacked Justin …”
“You didn’t know.”
“I should have known.” Peering up at Cedric, asking him for help. “What I do?”
“You do what you have to do to make it right.”
•••
It was Hannah’s tears that made it real for Susan.
She had seen Hannah cry before. A lot. Over everything. Homesickness and bad grades and too much homework and potions gone wrong. Over words she had never meant to say and words she wished she could take back.
But this was different.
Susan was behind her as they headed back toward the Common Room, Dumbledore’s words explaining what had happened still echoing through her head.
Today we have lost a fine young man.
She couldn’t believe it. She didn’t want to believe it. How could Cedric be gone? Just like that. She had seen him that morning, getting dressed for the last task.
“You’re going to do so well!” she had told him, and thrown her arms around him.
He had laughed, pushed her back a little. “Don’t get your hopes up too high,” he had said. “All of them are worthy competitors.”
“But none are as worthy as you!” she had said, and she had meant it.
Now she wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing her upper arms with her hands as though she were cold, remembering the feel of him pressed against her just that morning.
A hug she would never get again. A voice she would never again hear spoken.
How could it be real?
She kept moving forward, though, following Hannah. Inch by inch by inch. She watched as Hannah climbed to her feet.
And then there was a gasp.
Her friend slumped, right into Ernie’s arms.
Fear welled up in Susan’s body. She scrambled to her own feet, reaching out for Hannah, but then she froze, her hands hanging there in mid-air.
Tears were flowing down Hannah’s cheeks, sobs practically choking her.
But it was the sound coming from her that hurt the most. More horrible than a scream, more heartwrenching than a whimper.
Susan wanted to say something, to offer comfort. But she couldn’t.
Cedric was gone. It wasn’t a dream.
There were no words of comfort.
•••
A badge pinned to her chest. A sign of support for the boy who always supported them.
A feeling of shame when he told them they were wrong, when he told them not to blame Harry.
Words that died in her throat when she wanted to fight back. Guilt that flared up instead.
“So what do we do?” A helpless plea, a question without an answer.
“Whatever we have to do to make it right.”
•••
It was the empty bed in the boys’ dormitory that made it real for Justin.
It wasn’t sitting in the bleachers with his housemates, long after the final task should have been over, dressed in his yellow and black and sporting a “Cedric for victor!” banner. It wasn’t the silence that fell over the crowd as they waited, watching, with fingers twisting in robes and teeth chewing on lips and words lined with worry whispered under breaths into best friends’ ears.
It wasn’t later that night, either, as they headed in silence back to the Common Room, nervous and frightened but still hopeful, still sure.
“It’s got to be some magical mishap or something,” Justin said confidently as they walked, Susan almost pressed to his side, Hannah and Ernie hand in hand behind him.
“Or some glitch in the awarding of the trophy,” he added. “He’ll be back in the morning.”
But Cedric wasn’t back in the morning, and it was Professor Sprout who ushered them out to breakfast, quicker than normal and avoiding their eyes.
But still Justin believed.
And he kept on believing, even as Professor Dumbledore told them the truth - “Cedric Diggory died a hero” - because something like that couldn’t be real.
And he still couldn’t believe it was real after breakfast as they walked back toward the kitchens, shock plastered on his housemates’ faces, all of them too stunned to talk. It didn’t make sense, and Justin knew Dumbledore was wrong.
Cedric would be back. He had to be.
So he watched his housemates - his friends, his family - fall apart in a darkened Common Room, holding each other and whispering stories of remembrance while he stood stoic off to the side. Until Justin couldn’t take it any longer, so he escaped around a corner and down a hall where he pushed open a door that didn’t belong to him.
And there, on one of the beds, a yellow and black shirt that Cedric loved. Folded and cleaned and waiting for its owner to return.
An owner who would never return.
It hit Justin like a punch to the gut, and he sank down beside the bed.
It was the truth. And it hurt.
•••
An Owl Post that had come bearing horrible news. A classmate - a friend - taken out of Herbology class. A suitcase packed. A note on his pillow when she was gone before he could make it back.
Take care of yourself. Love, Hannah
A feeling of helplessness. Another stunned silence. Faces of housemates who felt as he did, who didn’t know where to turn, how to help.
But what do we do now?
A question he wanted to ask, but one he already knew the answer to. Could hear it in the echoes of Cedric and Hannah and Helga Hufflepuff herself.
We do what we have to do to make it right.
•••
It was the looks on her students’ faces - scared, helpless, sad - reminding her that they were only children that made it real for Professor Pomona Sprout.
She had heard the news long before they had, when Professor Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall had explained it all to her in hushed voices. Potter had told them, they had told her, but she refused to believe it. Potter was just a boy. He could be wrong.
But then she walked into the Common Room and there they were, her first years to her seventh years, all of them there, waiting for her. Some were crying, some just looked shocked. Older students held younger ones. Friends held friends.
And in that moment it hit her. How unfair this was. How unfair it all was.
But this was the world they lived in right now, and it was her job to lead them through it, to show them that wars were not always won by rushing headfirst into battle, or by knowing the most curses, or by outthinking the other side.
Sometimes they were won by standing together, side-by-side, no matter what happened and no matter how hard it was.
So she did the only thing she could do. She stepped forward into the middle of the room and held out her arms, beckoning her students forward. No one moved at first. But then, to her left, she saw Hannah - Hannah with tears streaming down her face - step toward her, then Susan, then Meghan and then little Laura Madley. And then the boys came, too, hands wrapping around the girls, heads all bowed, all of them clung together in a circle, tears flowing openly and soft sobs escaping.
And that’s where they stood, as minutes ticked by, all of them lost in a grief most of them were too young to understand.
Until finally a voice. Tiny and shaking. Rising above the sounds of sorrow. A ray of something more. Pomona never even knew who said it.
“What do we do now?”
And it was like the atmosphere changed. Something shifted, though no one moved. Shoulders seemed to lift, chins raised, eyes grew defiant.
And another voice. Steely, resolved.
“We do what we have to do,” Justin Finch-Fletchley said, and Pomona saw he was standing a little apart from the crowd, by the entrance to the male dormitory. “Whatever it takes to make it right.”
•••
“But what will we do now?” A tiny first year, clutching a stuffed bear.
Hannah’s arm wrapped tight around her, her own wand clenched tight in her other hand. Making their way toward the Common Room exit, leading the others.
Knowing there was a chance they might never be coming back. Knowing tonight was the night the war would end. Knowing they could finally to prove to Cedric - and to Harry - that they had his back.
Words spoken, determined and strong.
“We’ll do what we have to do to make it right.”
Kristine/Puff/67 Points