Rise from the Ashes

Chapter Seven: (strange) how certain the journey

"Threatening the headmaster and the Minister for Magic is a serious offence in some places. Oh, not here, I assure you, though you should be aware that, despite his faults, Headmaster Snape always has the best interests of his students at heart."

Teddy looked up, alarmed, searching for the owner of the voice. It was the landscape portrait, only now it was no longer empty. On the hill stood an old man with long white hair and beard, and half-moon spectacles perched on his crooked nose.

"P--Professor Dumbledore?"

"It's nice to know that an old man is still remembered, and fondly it would seem, though I hate to be presumptuous. I'd offer you a Lemon Sherbet, but I'm afraid I haven't any at the moment. That's quite a map you have, rather ingenious."

"Professor, what's happened? Where's Gryffindor? And why aren't Snape and Voldemort dead? Where's Harry? Is my grandmother okay? Are my parents alive?"

"So many questions. I see that we might have a problem, or perhaps an opportunity. Fortuitous that I happened to be passing by just as you appeared. Hunches truly are an amazing thing. The Muggles say that one must never look a gift horse in the mouth, but dental hygiene is just as important to horses as it is to humans, Muggle or wizard, wouldn't you say?" He picked at a bit of lint on his sleeve.

Ron had been right. Apparently they'd found a good substitute for old Barnabas. Professor Dumbledore was completely off his rocker. Still, it was Dumbledore.

"Now, young man, first things first. I've dispatched with one problem," Dumbledore said, pointing at a dark blob almost out of the frame that Teddy hadn't noticed before. It looked like a pair of boots. "But first, are you versed in any kind of silencing or muffling spells? It wouldn't do for our conversation to accidentally carry to other, shall we say, unfriendly ears."

Teddy raised his wand. "Muffliato. Imperturbus."

"Of course you are. Well done. That should keep us safe for the moment. Next, I must ask you, what is your name?"

He hesitated for a fraction of a second. "Teddy, sir. Teddy Lupin."

"Interesting. Perchance are you related to Remus Lupin," he asked, steepling his fingers beneath his chin.

"His son, sir. I thought you knew."

Dumbledore's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "How remarkable," he said again. "How very remarkable. Pardon my nosiness, Mr Lupin, but might I ask, where did you come from when you fell through the wall behind you?"

"Er, well, it was the Room of Requirement, sir. It sort of kicked me out."

"That's quite a feat. That Room hasn't existed in this corridor for years. You must be rather extraordinary, Mr Lupin. Unless," he said, pausing and scrutinizing Teddy, his blue eyes piercing.

"Doesn't exist? What--you mean the room is gone? How could it be gone? It can't be gone!" He began to pace. I need you to open. I need a place to think. I need to know what's going on.

"I'm afraid that won't help," Dumbledore said as Teddy cursed when a door failed to appear. "As I said, the room no longer inhabits this space. Now, Mr Lupin, and this is very important, where were you when you last entered the room, right before you made such a spectacular exit?"

"I was in this corridor," Teddy said, clenching his fists. "Right here. Only that bloody tapestry with the dancing trolls was here instead of you."

"Barnabas? His tapestry hasn't hung here for the last eighteen years, give or take a few months. You'll forgive me if my math is a bit rusty."

"Eighteen--? But I'm eighteen, and I can assure you he was here when I left."

"I see. So perhaps then I should ask you this, Mr Lupin. When were you when you last entered the Room of Requirement?"

Teddy's stomach plunged and he broke out into a cold sweat. "When?" he asked, his voice high and far too squeaky.

"I assure you that I have no authority to punish you, no matter what it is that you've done, nor would I in any case, but it is important that you tell me the truth. I cannot help you if you cannot trust me."

Teddy nodded. He knew Dumbledore was right, and from the look of things, he also desperately needed his help. "Sir, what year is it?"

"It's 2016. May the thirtieth I believe. Is that relevant?"

"Yes, sir. Because when I entered the room, well, it was the beginning of May, but that's not important. What is important is that it was the year 1994."

"I was not aware that Remus Lupin had an eighteen year old son in 1994."

"He didn't, sir."

"I see. I do seem to recall that in May of 1994, Remus Lupin was here at Hogwarts, teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts."

"He was, sir. You asked me where I had been last, and that's where I was. But before that, I'd been here. In 2016."

"Time travel," Dumbledore said, nodding. "I see. The events of this evening lead me to presume the Room of Requirement was your... travel agent."

Teddy nodded. "Yes, sir. I swear I didn't ask it to send me back in time in the first place. That was an accident."

"Again, I say, Mr Lupin, you must be rather extraordinary. However, I'm afraid that your trip appears to have resulted in a number of unforeseen consequences. From your initial, shall we say, exclamation, I shall also presume that before your travels, Professor Snape and Tom Riddle were deceased."

"Yes, sir. Harry defeated Voldemort, and Professor Snape was killed by, well, he died to help Harry succeed, sir."

"Well done, Severus," Dumbledore murmured. "It would seem then, that something happened during your travels that changed your history. And from what you've said thus far, not for the better. Teddy," he said softly, "did you meet your father?"

Teddy was stricken. "He promised. He promised he wouldn't change what happened that day. He, well, he found out it was me, and I had to tell him the truth. Well, not all of it of course. There was one thing, though. The night Pettigrew escaped. I told him what had to happen, that Peter had to escape, and he promised he would make sure he did."

"And Remus kept his word. Peter Pettigrew did indeed escape from my custody that evening, and now an old puzzle is solved. Thank you. However, there are always unforeseen consequences. Inadvertent though they may be."

"So, I did this. I created this future. It's my fault." Teddy was shaking. If Voldemort lived, then Harry was dead, all of the people he loved were also likely dead, and it was all his fault. But where was he? Did he even exist in this nightmare world he'd created?

"Blame is irrelevant, Teddy," his voice soft once again. "The question is, what are you willing to sacrifice to correct it?"

"How can I correct anything? I have no power here. I don't even know if I exist here! The Room of Requirement is gone, Voldemort and his Death Eaters rule the wizarding world, and I'm an eighteen year old kid with a wand and a map of the school. And if Voldemort's alive, that means Harry is dead." When Dumbledore did not refute his statement, Teddy went completely cold. He leaned back against the wall where the Room of Requirement once resided, and slumped to the floor in anguish.

"I will ask you again. What are you willing to sacrifice, Mr Lupin?" The voice was still soft, but its steel rang in the empty corridor.

Teddy looked up and stared defiantly at Dumbledore. "If I could, I'd give my life. Is that what you want to know? Harry Potter was the only father I ever knew, and he raised me well. Perhaps he'd do it for less selfish reasons than I; I don't know. I'm no martyr, but I'm not a coward either, sir."

"I'm glad to know it Teddy Remus Lupin, because in a very paradoxical sense, that may be your only choice, and consequently, our only chance. Your mother and father would be proud."

"You do know me, then," Teddy said, startled.

"I know you were born, I know who your parents were, and I know of your talents, which you inherited from your mother, yes, but I also know that no student named Teddy Lupin has ever set foot in these halls. Until tonight of course. I am privileged to a lot of information, but I'm afraid that of your present whereabouts in this timeline, I know nothing. Only that you somehow stand before me now, and you may very well be our last, best hope."

"But what can I do, sir? If the Room of Requirement were still here, maybe...." He clenched his fists.

"Perhaps we should move to where it now resides then."

"Now resides--but you said it didn't exist!"

"You must learn to listen, Teddy. I said it no longer inhabits this space. The Room of Requirement is a very peculiar and rather extraordinary entity. On the night the school fell to Tom Riddle, the night Gryffindor Tower was destroyed, the room moved itself and has remained hidden ever since."

"But how...?"

Dumbledore shrugged. "Nobody knows, though perhaps one day you might ask it. I dare say the answer would be fascinating. For now, however, I must ask you to wear another face. There are other... spies in these halls. Something cruel and imposing might do. If we're fortunate, you merely need to fool a few portraits. While Professor Snape would not harm you himself, there are others who would not be so merciful, especially if they were to discover your true identity."

Teddy shuddered. He darkened his hair and grew it longer so that it partially covered his face and flowed down past his shoulders. He added a few wrinkles, thickened his brows, and grew out the stubble on his jaw. His nose grew larger and his lips thinner, and as a final touch, added a jagged scar on one cheek, giving himself a sneering appearance.

"Very nice," Dumbledore said, nodding. "Now, I cannot walk along the hall with you, but you needn't go far. The Room of Requirement inhabits what remains of Gryffindor Tower. Most of the tower has collapsed, and it is itself uninhabitable, but the Room should provide what you need."

"That's why I couldn't see it on the map," Teddy exclaimed. When Dumbledore looked puzzled, Teddy added, "the Room. It hides itself from the map, too."

"Interesting. Now, I fear you'll have to be quick. There are many portraits in that corridor loyal to Riddle. If things get out of hand, a good Stunning Spell will come in handy. You know what you have to do?"

Teddy nodded. "Yes, sir."

"I will follow as I can, but I can only hope that we have no reason to meet again in this particular time and place. I must ask you, Teddy, if you should encounter my younger self, you must promise not to try to save my life or alter my death as you remember it. Death is a part of life, and in certain circumstances, it is necessary. Do I have your word?

"Yes, sir; I promise."

Dumbledore nodded. "If you are successful, it is important that you remember this: You have a very dangerous tool at your disposal. Your knowledge of the future is a far heavier burden than you can possibly imagine right now. Temptation will plague your every step if you allow it to rule you. You must be wise, Teddy Lupin, wiser than your years; you must listen and learn, and you must protect yourself. Every death you aspire to prevent carries the seeds of both risk and reward. In the end, only you will know the consequences. Remember who you are and where you come from."

His forehead tingled where his father had kissed him. "Yes, sir. I'll do my best."

"That is indeed all anyone can do. Now, off you go."

Teddy looked at Professor Dumbledore one last time and nodded. He checked the map to make sure the seventh floor was clear, wiped it blank and stowed it in his pocket. Wand in hand, he squared his shoulders and strode off down the hall as if he belonged.

**

"Bloody buggering hell," he exclaimed. His knees were going to be purple with bruises. He glanced up quickly, brushing his too-long hair from his eyes, and sighed in relief. Good ol' Barnabas. He'd never look at that tapestry with scorn again.

He got shakily to his feet, shouldered his bag, and without another thought, bolted for the nearest stairs. He had to find his father.

He was panting when he reached the second-floor office, and stood before the door, holding his stomach and trying to catch his breath. It was daylight; he'd managed to see that much when he'd passed a row of windows, and there were students about. He'd nearly bowled a few over in his haste.

He rapped sharply on the door. "Da--Professor Lupin," he called. "Are you here?" He tried the knob but it was locked and did not respond to Alohomora. He glanced quickly around the corridor before reaching into a small pocket of his bag and extracting the knife Harry had given him for Christmas last year. He ran the blade around the door frame and this time, the door creaked open. He stepped into the room and stopped cold, hand still on the doorknob, staring around at the strange paraphernalia that occupied the room.

This wasn't his father's office anymore. The glass tanks and overstuffed bookcases were gone. A large mirror hung on one wall, a huge trunk sat beneath the window in the back corner behind the desk, and shelves and tables full of spindly gadgets, sneakoscopes and a few other things he recognized vaguely from Harry's study, took up the rest of the cluttered room.

He glanced at the mirror and started, whirling in surprise, wand in one hand, knife in the other, but there was no-one behind him. He turned back to the mirror and groaned at his own idiocy before relaxing his features back to normal.

"Stupid, stupid," he muttered, pocketing the knife and looking about the room again, his gaze lingering on the large trunk. Oh. Shit. He backed away slowly into the corridor, and closed the door, his face grim. More time had passed here than he'd realised. He had to find Cedric.

He walked back down the corridor towards the nearest bathroom when classes let out and students came streaming out of a nearby classroom. They paid no attention to him, busy chatting and hurrying off, probably to their next classes. He passed a group of girls who were talking and giggling amongst themselves, several of them sporting large badges on the front of their robes:

Support Cedric Diggory!

"He'll win. He's in first place."

"Tied for first place," another girl corrected.

The first girl tossed her hair. "Potter hasn't got a chance," she sniffed.

"He's done well so far, hasn't he?"

"Luck. Probably cheating. You know Dumbledore favours him."

"Professor Dumbledore wouldn't do that!" another girl said.

"Pansy Parkinson said so. And you saw what happened last February. He was dead last coming out of that lake, and they still awarded him second place. He won't be so lucky tomorrow. Have you seen the hedges on the Quidditch pitch? Must be twenty feet tall. Roger Davies said Fleur told him it was a maze!"

Teddy pushed past them walking swiftly, his heart beating loudly in his ears. The Tri-Wizard Tournament. Tomorrow was the Third Task. One day. He ducked into the bathroom and went straight to a stall, ignoring the other boys who were in there, and sat down heavily on the seat.

"Nah, Krum's gonna win. Those Durmstrang kids know dark spells. He'll probably blast his way to the middle of the thing, though I suppose Diggory will put up a good fight. He's not bad."

"Harry'll win, you just wait."

"You're out of your tree, Longbottom. Ten Galleons says Krum clobbers him."

"You probably haven't even got ten Galleons."

"Won't need 'em when I win the bet, will I?"

He heard the door close behind them as they left, but sat where he was for a long while, breathing, trying to relax, to think. He peeked through the crack in the door to make sure the room was empty. Assured of his privacy, he left the stall and stood before a sink, splashing cold water on his face and staring at his reflection in the mirror.

Heavy burden.

Every death you prevent carries the seeds of both risk and reward.

He dried his hands, and turned away from the mirror, pulling the map from his pocket.

"Cedric, Cedric, where are you," he whispered, scanning the dots. There were students everywhere and it was difficult to locate anyone. He checked the Hufflepuff common room first, but it was mostly empty. No Cedric in the dormitory. He started scanning classrooms then moved on to the library... there!

Teddy shoved the map in his pocket and strode out the door. He'd already made up his mind before he'd stepped back into the Room of Requirement this last time. Dumbledore's words still rang in his head, but his conscience told him this was the right thing to do. Dumbledore had made him promise not to interfere in his own death, but he hadn't said anything about anyone else. He'd told him to listen, to learn, and he had. He'd arrived the day before Cedric died. The Room could have brought him anywhere, but it chose this specific day. It was a sign, he knew it. He couldn't rely solely on his sketchy knowledge of future events; he had to trust his instincts.

He strode down the fourth floor corridor and pushed his way through the library doors, scanning the groups of people clustered near the librarian's desk and at nearby tables. He turned to walk toward the far stacks when he saw him. Cedric was walking towards him, completely surrounded by a crowd of people, an abstract and distant expression on his face. His friends were far too loud, as they herded him along, slapping him on the back and joking.

"Make way for the Champion," the boy in front cried, pushing two smaller students out of the way.

Teddy stood and waited, relieved. The tightly clustered group dispersed as they entered into the front atrium where Teddy stood and he was able to see him more clearly now. He was just about to step forward when he noticed a pretty, dark-haired girl walking close to Cedric's side, smiling brightly. They were holding hands.

Teddy's heart sank, gooseflesh prickling over his skin as a sense of vertigo swept over him, making Cedric appear to be much farther away, separated from him by a long, narrow tunnel; separated from him by time and space and everything that mattered.

Cho turned to him, stood on her toes and kissed him. He turned his head, their lips meeting briefly, and he smiled at her before turning away, his expression returning to its former troubled demeanour.

It's not love, he'd told his father. And it wasn't. Hadn't been. But there had been friendship, a real affection, and trust. A kind of love, his father had said in response. Maybe. He felt naked and exposed, embarrassed by his own assumptions. It didn't matter whether or not it had been love, it still hurt.

Cedric saw him then, and his jaw gaped. Their eyes met and Teddy nodded. He swallowed hard, and turned away, striding back through the doors and out into the corridor.

"Teddy, wait!"

He exhaled heavily through his nose and kept walking. He had to get away, had to think. Besides, Cedric would know where to find him.

**

He lay once again on the canopied bed. It had been hours, but Cedric hadn't come. He'd watched him on the map, at supper in the Great Hall, with Cho Chang, who he surmised was the girl he'd seen him with, by the entrance to Ravenclaw tower, in the Hufflepuff common room and finally, in his dormitory. Teddy had deactivated the map then, stowing it in his bag and then moodily stomping around the small room. He'd vetoed going to the kitchens; he wasn't very hungry.

It had been a single day for him. Last night he and Cedric had.... He sighed. So much had happened in the past twenty-four hours, it was a wonder he could think straight at all.

Twenty-four hours for you. More than a year for him. Should he have sat around pining for you, faithfully waiting and celibate for those twenty-two years? his spiteful inner voice piped up.

Teddy clenched his fists and pounded on the mattress. Oh, shut up! Of course not! And he didn't have twenty years--didn't even have two! he retorted. He hated the way he felt, so replete with self-pity. Of course Cedric would get on with his life. Why would he have expected that I'd come back? I'm the intruder. I just need time--

He laughed raucously, and it was an ugly sound, guttural. Time. That's all I've got. I don't want any more time; I'm up to my bloody ears in time.

There was a knock at the door. Startled from his selfish reflections, Teddy sat up, debated whether or not to put his t-shirt back on, and tossed it aside instead. He knew damn well who was at the door and he didn't have to dress for company.

He opened the door and stepped back. Cedric stared at him across the threshold.

"You came back."

Teddy nodded.

"Why?"

"Does it matter?" he asked.

"No," Cedric replied. "Maybe. I don't know. Can I come in?"

Teddy shrugged, and walked away, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"You're angry."

He shrugged again. Great, I'm so eloquent, he thought.

Cedric closed the door and walked closer until he stood in front of Teddy. "You're jealous," he chided.

"I'm not," Teddy said.

Cedric let it pass. "When...?"

"Today," Teddy said. "About an hour before I saw you."

Cedric nodded. "It's been a long time. You look exactly the same."

"For you," Teddy said, and he couldn't keep the bitterness from his voice.

"What do you mean?"

Teddy turned away.

Cedric sat down beside him, and without looking, Teddy noticed the distance, far enough so they weren't touching. Well.

"Teddy?"

"It was only yesterday for me," he said softly. He shook his head and turned back. "Doesn't matter."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

He shrugged again. "Nothing to be sorry for. She's pretty."

"Why did you come back?"

"Lots of reasons. No reason. I told you, it doesn't matter."

Cedric sighed. "You gonna go see your father?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure where he is right now. But I know where he'll be soon enough. At least I think I do. Maybe I'll send him an owl."

"Tell him hello for me. And tell him thanks. You were right; I did get an Outstanding on my O.W.L."

"I guess you had more time for revising after I left."

It was Cedric's turn to shrug. "I went and talked to him a few times. After, you know. He was nice. I haven't seen him since he left. I thought about writing to him, but I didn't know what to say. I guess you know..."

"That he's a werewolf? Of course I know."

"You never said."

"Wasn't my secret to tell."

"True. I don't care. When you see him, tell him there's a bunch of us, in my house, probably more in Gryffindor."

"He'll be glad to know that."

"So, you gonna stick around for a while? Tomorrow's the third task. I'm one of the Champions, but you probably knew that, too."

"Yes," Teddy said softly.

"And Harry. He's a good kid. Strange as it may sound, we've become friends, sort of. I like him. It's been a strange year. Interesting, though."

"Ancient Muggle curse, 'May you live in interesting times'."

Cedric frowned. "How is that a curse? I'd choose interesting over dull any day."

"Cedric." Cedric wasn't looking at him. He was staring at the rug beside the bed. "Cedric," he said again.

Cedric turned his head, and Teddy leaned in and kissed him. Cedric gasped and Teddy slipped his tongue inside, gently, probing, testing. Cedric responded and he felt the touch of Cedric's fingers in his hair before Cedric pulled back and turned away.

"I can't. I'm sorry."

"Cho," Teddy said.

Cedric spread his arms and ducked his head. "It's not fair to her."

"No. I remember her. I met her once or twice. I didn't recognise her at first. She was a friend of Harry's. Ginny didn't like her much, but she was nice. We talked Quidditch. I remember she was a Tornados fan."

"I should go," Cedric said, shifting closer to the edge of the bed and standing.

Teddy nodded.

"You coming tomorrow? To watch?"

Teddy started to nod, then grasped Cedric's hand and stood up, facing him. "Wait. I have to talk to you." He noticed, with a jolt of pleasure, that Cedric didn't pull his hand away.

"It's about tomorrow," he continued. "The maze. The cup."

Cedric grinned crookedly. "I win? No, don't tell me. I don't want--"

"Listen to me!" Teddy said, squeezing Cedric's hand. "This is important. Fuck the tournament! If you touch the cup, if you take it, you'll die."

Cedric was incredulous. "What are you talking about?"

"Tomorrow. You and Harry, the both of you. Some giant spider or skrewt or something." He saw Cedric shudder. "You both get there, you help each other and you both choose to take the cup together. Listen to me, Cedric. You can't go with him. Harry has to go. Something happens, the cup is a Portkey."

"Well, then we'll go to Dumbledore," Cedric said. "Right now. We'll tell him. He'll know what to--"

"No! You don't understand. Harry has to go where the Portkey takes him. It's the only way he can defeat Voldemort."

Cedric started at the name. "You-know-who is dead," he snapped, narrowing his eyes and finally pulling his hand from Teddy's grasp. "I know you're angry with me, and you obviously want Harry to win since he's your godfather, but I'd thought--"

"It's not about the bloody tournament, you arse! I could give a fig about the tournament! I'm trying to save your life!"

"Why should I believe you? When you were here last time, you told me you knew me in your time. How could you know me if I die tomorrow? Answer me that."

"I lied."

Cedric looked as if he'd been slapped and his voice was like ice. "I see."

"No, I didn't..."

"We're finished here, Teddy. I have to go," Cedric said, storming off towards the door.

Teddy ran after him, grabbed him by his shoulder, and slammed him up against the wall. He gripped the front of Cedric's robes in his hand and tugged.

"We are not finished." Teddy was shaking with pent-up nerves as he looked Cedric straight in the eye. "I did know you, but not you. I said I lied because I didn't tell you the whole truth. You weren't flesh and blood; you were a bloody portrait! I know you know which one I'm talking about, because you would have sat for it only recently."

"Easter," Cedric whispered, his eyes wide.

Teddy nodded. "Everyone knows you in the future, Cedric. Hufflepuff house practically worships you. Your portrait is in our common room, 'Remember Cedric Diggory'! Professor Dumbledore laid a charge on the entire wizarding world with his eulogy to you--do you want me to recite it? You're a fucking legend, and we're all a little bit in love with you for it."

Cedric swallowed visibly. "I don't believe you," he said, his voice a hoarse rasp.

"I'm sorry. I wish it weren't true. I wish I could tell you a different future, but that's why I came back, today. When I went home, everything was different. Voldemort--" Cedric winced. "--had won, Harry was dead ... everyone was dead. Gryffindor tower was destroyed--there was no Gryffindor house anymore--and no more Muggleborn wizards. The death eaters ran the wizarding world. It was a nightmare, and it was my fault! I did something, changed something accidentally when I was here. That's why I had to come back. I can never go home, because I no longer have a home to go to!"

Teddy gasped and staggered back under the weight of his words, releasing Cedric and turning away. It had been one thing to know this, another to admit it out loud. And Cedric was accusing him of being petty?

"It's not about the tournament, you arse. Voldemort comes back tomorrow. Oh!" He spun around and pointed at Cedric, stabbing his finger in the air. "The Quidditch World Cup--I remember. There was a dark mark in the sky at the Cup! Damn it, you know I'm telling the truth, Cedric."

"What happens to Harry," Cedric asked, his voice quiet.

"Voldemort kills you, well, Wormtail does. Peter Pettigrew. Heard of him, have you? I thought so. A killing curse. You haven't any chance, I'm sorry. They use Harry's blood to create a new body for Voldemort. He's never really been gone, you know.

"But Harry gets away; he escapes, fights his way out, and only because he's a lucky bastard. There's a proph--" Teddy waved his hand in dismissal. "He told me... last Christmas he finally told me everything. He wouldn't talk about it, ever. I had to beg him to tell me. That's how bad it was for him. He's always blamed himself for your death.

"Harry gets away and brings your dead body back to your parents." He glared at Cedric, his chest heaving. "There's a reason the Room brought me back here today. I know it. I won't let you die."

"But--"

"There are no buts. We can't go to Dumbledore. It has to happen the way I told you. Harry has to touch that damned Portkey."

"But if we know where V--You-Know-Who is, we can stop him before he comes back."

Teddy shook his head. "It doesn't work like that. We could end up making things worse. I told you, he was never really gone. He just needed a body."

"Maybe we could make it better."

"Are you willing to take that risk? There are things I know. I don't know everything, but I know a lot about what's supposed to happen. If we change this, then everything reverts to chaos. I might even disappear, erase my entire existence. I'd risk that for myself, but I won't risk everyone else's lives along with mine. Don't you see? It has to be this way."

"I won't let Harry go alone. He's just a kid."

"Then you'll die."

"Maybe not. Not now that I know what's coming."

"Cedric," Teddy said, pleading.

"Thank you." Cedric smiled sadly. "I'm glad you're here. I missed you."

Teddy watched him go, and stared at the door long after it closed behind him. This was the second time in twenty-four hours that he'd watched him walk away like that.

He threw himself onto the bed, not bothering to remove his jeans, and tried to sleep. There wasn't anything more he could do. It was up to Cedric to save his own life. Or not.