I was no longer a mess on the floor. I had been able to pull myself together for the last day of term. I had done it for the Diggory’s. They had wanted me to be brave and to be honest I think my uncle had asked them first. Usually the Feast is a cause for celebration we were saying goodbye to the friends that we had made from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons. Instead we were honouring the loss of one of our own students. It went by in a haze. I hardly remember any of it. I sat on the Gryffindor table.

I heard certain words of Dumbledore’s speech. Not everything. I heard Cedric Diggory, Dead. Brave, Loyal. This is when I started to glaze over. When people stood, I had friends on either side pulling me up. I had a cup in my hand and I had to say his name. I had to say it out loud. I turned to my uncle. He was looking at me. Probably scared I would crumble again. I heard For Him. It rang in my ears. I heard “HOW” but I didn’t know.

People were looking shocked and I felt arms around me but I was still numb. I was confused. Then people were raising their glasses to the other competitors. To Viktor, Fleur and Harry. All I could do was look at them and see that they were alive and Cedric wasn’t. There was still ringing in my ears my uncle, my protector was far away on the teachers table. I wanted to leave, go to my room in the dungeons. The only thing keeping me there was shock.
I hadn’t eaten properly in days. Not since the day of the third task. I wanted to eat but it all was blocked by some invisible lump in my throat. This was only the start of what became a much bigger problem.