Selene || Remus Lupin

Ch. 33 - Voldemort Has Returned

Dumbledore stood up quite suddenly, and he looked disgusted. He raised his wand to Crouch, and in an instant, ropes had flown out of it and bound Crouch tightly.

"Minerva," Dumbledore said, turning to McGonagall, "could I ask you to stand guard here while I take Harry upstairs?"

"Of course," McGonagall said, raising her wand to Crouch's face. She looked a bit sick, but nevertheless, her wand arm was steady.

Dumbledore then turned to Snape. "Severus, please tell Madam Pomfrey to come down here; we need to get Alastor Moody into the hospital wing. Then go down into the grounds, find Cornelius Fudge, and bring him up to this office. He will undoubtedly want to question Crouch himself. Tell him I will be in the hospital wing in half an hour's time if he needs me."

Snape nodded and left the room without sparing them a second glance.

Then Dumbledore turned to Selene.

"Selene," he said, and his voice was less commanding than before, and gentler than she had ever heard him. "I want you to help me escort Harry up to my office. Sirius is waiting for us there."

Selene nodded, and she held out an arm to Harry.

Harry stood up slowly, and for the first time, Selene noticed that his leg was injured. She slipped her arm around his back, allowing him to lean on her as they left the office.

As they slowly made their way down the corridor, journeying to Dumbledore's office, Selene tried her best not to cry. She knew Harry had seen more in one night than she had probably endured in a lifetime, and yet, even now, she knew it wasn't over. Something had settled within her. An understanding, she supposed. It was, since the very beginning, always Harry and Voldemort. She didn't know how it would end, but she knew that there was no way she could protect Harry from the fight. Especially not now that Voldemort was back, no doubt after Harry once again. Nevertheless, she'd try her damn well hardest to shield him from it, to give him a normal life.

It was more than what his parents, Lily and James, had asked her to do in the case of their deaths. Now, Harry had become hers, and she was never going to let anyone harm him, ever again.

She knew it wasn't a promise she could keep... but she'd do her best.

Harry's voice stirred her from these thoughts, quietly asking, "Professor, where are Mr. and Mrs. Diggory?"

Selene gripped Harry tighter.

"They are with Professor Sprout," Dumbledore said, and for the first time, his voice shook. "She was ahead of Cedric's House, and knew him best."

They had reached the stone gargoyle outside of Dumbledore's office. Selene dimly registered that Dumbledore had given the password, and the gargoyle had leapt aside, revealing a staircase. They climbed this staircase without a word, and Dumbledore pushed open the office door at the top.

Sirius was waiting for them just inside, his face white. He crossed the room to them.

"Harry, are you all right? I knew it — I knew something like this — what happened?"

He took Harry's other side, and together, they lowered Harry onto a plush couch that was sitting off to the side. Selene took the seat next to him, looking him in the face worriedly.

Harry could only look back at her, gazing at her wearily. He could show no more expression; Selene knew he was beyond exhausted.

"What happened?" Sirius repeated, taking the seat on the other side of Harry, and looking at Selene urgently.

While Dumbledore began to fill Sirius in on everything Crouch had told them, Selene sat still and quiet next to Harry. She didn't look at him, only gazing at a spot on the carpet near Dumbledore's desk.