Authors Note: This chapter took ages to get down right. I really just couldn't decide what would happen next. In the end, I'm really rather pleased so perhaps the wait will be worth it.

Draco's relief lasted as long as it took to cast a disillusionment charm on himself. Proving why time had been repeating itself was one victory, but the fact remained he didn't know Harry would return safe on his own. Cedric's death had, in a small way, helped keep the Dark Lord from attacking the boy as he ran for the portkey that would return him safely to Hogwarts. Hopefully those extra seconds wouldn't be the end of his mate, but Draco couldn't worry about it took long. Crouch Jr. was still out there, either as Severus or Remus, and Cedric was still bound in a classroom waiting to be freed. When Harry reappeared - because he would - Dumbledore would be there to see to him. That meant Draco could free Cedric in the meantime, then send Dumbledore to discover which of the Professors wasn't who they claimed to be.

A simple summoning charm brought Draco's broom crashing through the hedges to reach him. The path left it a little worse for wear, but nothing that would inhibit flight. There wasn't enough time to piece his way back through the maze on foot so he mounted and launched himself into the air. The entire maze spread beneath him as he rose through the air, growing smaller along with the crowd packing the stadium stands. Soon it was all far behind his, only heard as a roar in the distance. Silence reigned in the castle itself, swallowing the noise from outside as soon as the doors boomed shut. Disquiet sank into Draco's bones, but he hurried through the empty halls nonetheless.

Outside the enchanted classroom door, Draco dispelled his concealment charms on both the door and himself before hurrying inside. The Polyjuice Potion was wearing off and he could feel his body bubbling, fighting to regain it's normal shape and size. Shrinking several inches as he crossed the classroom left him rather disoriented and he had to clutch the desk in order to regain his sense of balance. It was the grunt from Cedric that forced him to focus and bring his body under control.

"Sorry," Draco's voice warbled between his own and Cedric's before settling normally, "Just give me a minute and I'll have you free. The transition back is fine when you don't change height much, but you're several inches taller than I am."

The fear, Draco noted, had disappeared from Cedric's eyes, replaced by relief tempered with wariness. It was enough of a surprise that he stopped babbling nervously. He had expected fear, anger, even hatred.Relief was certainly not on the list. Had Cedric thought he would be left here without rescue? A wave of guilt crashed over Draco at the thought, but he reminded himself that the bound man was alive because of these actions.

Once his features settled back into his own sharp, pale edges, Draco lifted his wand and quickly cast the spells that would remove the bindings and paralysis from Cedric's limbs. At first the Hufflepuff didn't move, eying Draco as though he would only Stupefy him again if he tried to stand. When Draco calmly removed Cedric's wand from his pocket and offered it, handle first, he carefully climbed to his feet and snatched it hastily from Draco's hand.

"I could have you arrested," Cedric said, his voice oddly soft for such a declaration, his blue eyes confused and searching.

Draco merely nodded. That was true.

"You'd be expelled at least."

Draco nodded again. That was a possible consequence for his actions.

"I really liked you."

Draco's calm cracked as he winced.

"Yeah," he murmured guilty.

Cedric's voice finally rose, agitated and frustrated.

"You expect me to believe you did this to save my life and help You Know Who to be...reanimated or something?"

"No," Draco said sharply, "To save your life. You Know Who coming back is...it's just something I can't stop."

"How could you even know about something like that?" Cedric demanded.

A ghost of a smile fit itself over Draco's lips.

"You won't believe me."

Dryly, Cedric said, "I don't think I believe you now so you have nothing to lose."

"Okay," Draco took a deep breath, "I know Voldemort was resurrected tonight because I'm from a future where he came back, then won and everyone," his voice cracked, but he pushed on, "You and Harry and Hermioine, Ron, Fred, Dumbledore, Snape, my entire family, they all die. He wins and I can't let him. I can't watch Harry die again and I know it's hard to believe, but it's true."

There wasn't an ounce of belief in Cedric's eyes, so Draco continued without pause.

"You were going to die tonight. You and Harry both take the Cup and it's a trap that sends you to Voldemort," Cedric winced, "and he kills you immediately. Just gone because you're a spare. You're nothing to him and maybe you dying gives Harry some time to get a way, but- Ced- I couldn't let you die. I couldn't. Not after the Yule Ball, not after what you did to get Harry to acknowledge me. You're- I'm not in love with you, but I care about you and this was the only thing I could think of to bring Voldemort back so we can kill him and keep you alive. And I'm not sorry for that, but I am sorry I betrayed your trust and your affection. That will haunt me for years."

Draco couldn't tell if Cedric believed him any more than he had and he didn't get he chance to find out. The entire speech, he had been so focused on keeping Cedric's friendship he didn't notice as the door eased open. It was impossible to miss the cool, "Expelliarmus!" that sent not only his wand, but Cedric's soaring into the open hand of Remus Lupin. Except, Draco's Sire would never worn an expression of pure malice that twisted the man's face at that moment.

"Professor?" Cedric asked, shocked, but Draco quickly put that notion to rest.

"That's not Professor Lupin," he stated, stepping in front of Cedric because damn it he wasn't going to let time repeat itself, "That's Barty Crouch Jr. Hullo, Junior."

"Draco," Crouch smiled with Remus' lips and Draco had to wonder how he never realized the man was masquerading as his Sire. Or perhaps Crouch was just letting his madness shine through. "Dear Remus and Sirius told me you claim to be from the future, but I didn't really believe them. I suppose it's true; oh, how the Dark Lord will reward me from bringing you to him. With you by his side, his victory will be assured."

"Fat chance of me going with you, Junior," Draco scoffed, even while his heart raced wildly.

"Oh, you'll go," the smile twisted again, too tight and too broad and too happy, "If you refuse, I'll just have to kill your little friend here and then everything you think you've accomplished tonight will be for nothing."

Draco's stomach dropped into his feet and he swallowed hard. Crouch must have noticed because he laughed wildly.

"Yes, a shifter like you has a chance to ignore my attacks, but dear Cedric doesn't stand a chance. Now, come along quietly, the both of you, and no one gets hurt."

"How do I know you won't just kill him later?" Draco demanded, half stalling for time and half hoping he could get Cedric away as soon as possible.

"You don't," Crouch said cheerfully, shrugging Remus' shoulders. "Guess you'll just have to beg for mercy. Now walk."

Reaching behind himself, Draco drew Cedric close and was relieved when the young man didn't resist. If he had been able to get Cedric through the door, he could have shoved the man out of the line of sight and attempted to charge Crouch alone. If Crouch had gone through the door first, he could have tried to slam the door in his face. He wanted to keep himself between the madman and his friend, but Crouch had other ideas. While insane, he was still smart enough to know he couldn't let Draco have any chance at escape.

"Ah ah ah," Crouch scolded, "Mr. Diggory, come here."

Draco growled, but that only made Crouch laugh.

"Come here, now, or find out how the Cruciatus feels first hand, Mr. Diggory."

Looking up at Cedric, Draco tried to convey calm.

"Go on, it'll be alright," he lied. There wasn't anything else to do.

Hesitantly, Cedric walked to Crouch and winced as the madman gripped his arm and twisted it up behind his back. With a hostage now, he backed to the door and stepped through it before jerking his head for Draco to follow. He needn't have bothered. No force on Earth would have made Draco leave Cedric to Crouch's untender mercies. At best, he'd end up like the Longbottoms. At worst, he'd die. Again.

"Very good," Crouch purred as Draco followed out of the door. Flicking his wand down the hallway, he said mockingly, "After you. To the lake. We're going to steal a ship."

The wolf's hackles rose, but Draco turned his back on Crouch and began to walk. It was unsurprisingly one of the hardest things he had ever done.

"If you're from the future," Crouch began after only a few steps, "What has happened to Harry?"

"As if you don't know," Draco snapped.

"I don't," Crouch confessed. "That was not for me to know. Now, tell me."

The hissed intake of breath from Cedric was all the incentive Draco needed.

"The Portkey took him to a graveyard. Voldemort was there."

"What happened then?" Crouch asked eagerly.

"He made a potion and got his body back."

"The Dark Lord got his body back? He's returned?"

"Then Death Eaters show up, then duel, his wand reacts to Voldemort's-"

"He duels with the Dark Lord?"

"Yes, then he gets away."

Cedric gasped again and Draco whirled about to find his friend on his toes, Crouch's wand dug under his chin and blood dripping along the tanned line of Cedric's throat.

"Now, now," Remus' face looked so wrong when it wore such an expression of pure sadism, "You're the one not answering my questions properly. Tell me the details, Draco, or your dear friend suffers for it. Understand?"

Swallowing hard, Draco nodded once to show he did.

"Good," Crouch purred again, "Now keep walking."

It was even harder for Draco to turn around this time, turn away from Cedric's fear filled eyes, but he did.

"You're sure he's back?" Crouch demanded as they began walking again. "How did he do it?"

"He takes bone from his father's grave, Wormtail's hand, and Harry's blood. The combination breaks the magical protection Harry has from his mother's sacrifice."

Crouch let out a his breath in a long, low hiss.

"And the Death Eaters? They returned?"

"Yes, several."

"And how does he treat them?" Crouch asks quietly. "Does he forgive them?"

"Yes and no," Draco responds carefully. "He will make them prove themselves to him again since they never looked for him after he supposedly died."

"Those scum who never went to look for him? Those treacherous cowards who wouldn't even brave Azkaban for him? Those faithless, worthless bits of filth who were brave enough to cavort in masks at the Quidditch World Cup, but fled at the sight of the Dark Mark when I fired it into the sky? He forgave them?!"

"He does need followers, Junior," Draco says and regrets it instantly.

"If there's one thing I hate," Crouch screams, "it's a Death Eater who walked free! Just like dear daddy! Crucio!"

For the second time that night, Draco's world is engulfed in pain. He collapses, writhing on the cold stone floor in front of the Great Hall. Crouch doesn't continue on until Draco's mind is shattered. Maybe its mercy, or maybe he remembers Voldemort wants Draco alive, or maybe he just needs someone to rant to that isn't Cedric because he's talking again when Draco's ears start working again.

"-needed them most! I expected him to punish them! I expected him to torture them! Did he even tell them that I, I alone remained faithful. I alone was prepared to risk everything to deliver to him the one thing he wanted above all? Harry Potter."

"I-I don't know," Draco gasps out, "He-" he coughs, throat rough from screaming he doesn't remember doing, "Harry never told me."

"Pity," Crouch spits, "Get up. The Dark Lord may not manage to kill Potter, and he so wanted to, but imagine how he will reward me once I've delivered you to him. First I gave him Potter - the thing he needed above all to regenerate - and now I give him you. I will be honored beyond all Death Eaters. I will be his dearest his closest supporter...closer than a son..."

Slowly, Draco climbed to his feet, watching Crouch warily. Remus' eyes were bulging, fixed upon Draco. The hand he had on Cedric's arm was so tight the Hufflepuff was constantly wincing, though he had yet to make a sound of pain.

"The Dark Lord and I," said Crouch, and he looked completely insane now, towering over Draco, leering down at him, "have much in common. Both of us, for instance, had very disappointing fathers...very disappointing indeed. Both of us suffered the indignity, Draco, of being named after those fathers. And both of us had the pleasure...the very great pleasure...of killing our fathers to ensure the continued rise of the Dark Order! Oh, but you knew that, of course."

"Of course," Draco said slowly. There was no way he was going to tell Crouch that Voldemort would never share his power. He could never be the father that Crouch so desperately wanted. Every promise ever made to him by his beloved Dark Lord was just another manipulation, another way for Voldemort to get what he wanted.

"Move!" Crouch barked.

With little other choice, Draco began to turn back to the door when it was thrown open. Draco got one glance at Albus Dumbledore, Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall before he threw himself to the ground and out of their line of sight. Thrusting his wand forward, Dumbledore blasted Crouch from his feet to crumple in a heap beneath the stairs. Since he was holding so tight to Cedric's arm, he was jerked painfully around, but twisted with the motion and managed to get himself free. Draco, from where he lay, finally understood why Dumbledore was the only wizard Voldemort had ever feared. The look upon his face as he stared down at the unconscious form of Remus Lupin was more terrifying that Draco could have ever imagined. There was no benign smile upon Dumbledore's face, no twinkle in the eyes behind the spectacles. There was cold fury in ever line of the ancient face; a sense of power radiated from Dumbledore as though he were giving off burning heat.

He stepped into the school, placed a foot underneath Remus' unconscious body, and kicked him over onto his back, so that his face was visible. Snap followed after him, kneeling at Draco's side and helping him back to his feet. Professor McGonagall stepped back, revealing Harry standing behind the three Professor's looking white as a sheet. Putting an arm about the dark haired boy, she lead him straight to Cedric.

"Come along, both of you," she whispered. The thin line of her mouth was twitching as though she was about to cry. "Come along...hospital wing..."

"No," said Dumbledore sharply.

"Dumbledore, they ought to - look at them - they've been through enough tonight -"

"They will stay, Minerva, because they need to understand," said Dumbledore curtly as he levitated Remus' body into the air. "Understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery. They need to know who has put them through this ordeal tonight, and why."

"Remus?" Harry said, clearly in a state of complete disbelief. "How could it be Remus?"

"This is not Remus Lupin," Dumbledore said quietly. "Come along and we will discuss this in a more private setting where the rest of the school cannot stumble upon us."

"My office is closest, Headmaster," Snape said, his arm like a vice about Draco's shoulders.

"A wonderful idea, Severus," Dumbledore agreed. "Lead the way."

The few minutes it took them to reach the Potions Master's office were filled with nothing more than the sound of breathing and shoes over stone. Harry was limping, so Draco pulled from Severus to go to his side. A wave of relief washed over him as the dark haired boy leaned against him instead of pushing him away despite what Draco considered a betrayal. He was obviously in shock, but Draco couldn't determine how bad it was.

Severus' office would pass for a well kept potions lab. There was a table for preparing ingredients, another for notes and books, shelves full of supplies and a cauldron stand in the center. The two chairs and several filing cabinets jammed into one corner were the only concessions Severus had made towards the rooms intended purpose as an office.

Floating Remus' limp body to one of the chairs, Dumbledore propped him in it before conjuring golden ropes from his wand that bound him securely in place. Then he turned to Professors McGonagall and Snape.

"Severus, please fetch me the strongest Truth Potion you possess, and then go down to the kitchens and bring up the house-elf called Winky. Minerva, kindly floo to Grimmauld place and fetch Sirius Black. Take him to my office and tell him I will be with him shortly, then come back here."

If either Severus or McGonagall found these instructions peculiar, they hid their confusion. Both turned at once and left the office. Dumbledore turned to Harry.

"At the moment, I have no proof of my suspicions," he began, "but I am certain the real Remus Lupin would never have left the Pitch tonight with you still missing. The moment he did, I knew and I would have followed, but you had not returned to us yet."

"How...How can you be sure that's not Remus?" Harry asked shakily. Draco pulled his mate's arm over his shoulders and flashed a grateful look at Cedric when he moved to Harry's other side to help hold him up.

"Polyjuice Potion, Harry," answered Dumbledore. "You see the simplicity of it. The impostor would need, of course, to keep the real Remus Lupin close by, so that he could continue making the potion with his hair. I'm not certain where that is yet, but we will find him, Harry. I promise you, we will find him, but in a moment. I think, in the excitement of tonight, our fake Remus might have forgotten to take it as frequently as he should have done...on the hour...every hour...We shall see."

Dumbledore pulled out the other chair in Severus' office and sat down upon it, his eyes fixed upon the unconscious Remus across from him to. Draco, Harry and Cedric stared at him too. Minutes pass in silence...

Then, before their very eyes, the face of the man on the floor began to change. In a matter of moments, the man lying before them looked nothing like their Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Pale-skinned, slightly freckled, with a mop of fair hair, Draco had no trouble identifying who he was. To his surprise, Harry also wore an expression of recognition. Cedric, on the other hand, looked to be searching the man's features for the monster that had held him hostage.

There were hurried footsteps outside in the corridor. Snape had returned with Winky at his heels. Professor McGonagall was right behind them.

"Crouch!" Snape said, stopping dead in the doorway. "Barty Crouch!"

"Good heavens," said Professor McGonagall, stopping dead and staring down at the man on the floor.

Filthy, disheveled, Winky peered around Snape's legs. Her mouth opened wide and she let out a piercing shriek.

"Master Barty, Master Barty, what is you doing here?"

She flung herself forward onto the young man's chest.

"You is killed him! You is killed him! You is killed Master's son!"

"He is simply Stunned, Winky," said Dumbledore. "Step aside, please. Severus, you have the potion?"

Snape handed Dumbledore a small glass bottle of completely clear liquid: the Veritaserum with which he had threatened Harry in class. Dumbledore forced the man's mouth open and poured three drops inside it, ignoring Winky on her knees, trembling, her hands over her face. Pointing his wand at the man's chest, he said, "Ennervate."

Crouch's son opened his eyes. His face was slack, his gaze unfocused. Dumbledore sat down again so that their faces were level.

"Can you hear me?" Dumbledore asked quietly.

The man's eyelids flickered.

"Yes," he muttered.

"I would like you to tell us," said Dumbledore softly, "how you came to be here. How did you escape from Azkaban?"

Crouch took a deep, shuddering breath, then began to speak in a flat, expressionless voice. Draco had always hated listening to someone speaking under the effects of Veritaserum. It was better than using torture, surely, but the emotionless tone was no way to speak of the things Crouch told them. Certainly not the death of one's own mother and imprisonment by one's father. Thankfully he knew this story already, or at least what Harry had told him, so he didn't have to pay much attention. Then Crouch uttered an unexpected name and phantom pain spasmed along Draco's spine.

"He arrived at our house late one night in the arms of his servant Vincent Crabbe. My master had found out I was still alive. He had captured Bertha Jorkins in Albania. He had tortured her. She told him a great deal. She told him about the Triwizard Tournament. She told him the werewolf, Remus Lupin, was teaching at Hogwarts. He tortured her..."

Draco swayed, dizzy with this revelations, hands clutching at Harry to keep him from falling on his ass. The new servant Voldemort had found wasn't Wormtail, it was Vince. After being expelled he must have...Draco honestly hadn't a clue. How could a 14 year old boy locate Voldemort and capture a witch? He didn't know, but it didn't matter. What mattered was that Draco had not prevented Voldemort from acquiring the assistance he needed to free Barty Crouch Jr. and set the events in motion that lead to his resurrection. It wasn't his fault, he knew that, but he couldn't help but wonder what would change now that Crabbe had taken Wormtail's place.

Dumbledore's voice brought Draco back to the moment.

"And what did Lord Voldemort ask you to do?"

"He asked me whether I was ready to risk everything for him. I was ready. It was my dream, my greatest ambition, to serve him, to prove myself to him. He told me he needed to place a faithful servant at Hogwarts. A servant who would guide Harry Potter through the Triwizard Tournament without appearing to do so. A servant who would watch over Harry Potter. Ensure he reached the Triwizard Cup. Turn the cup into a Portkey, which would take the first person to touch it to my master. But first -"

"You needed Remus Lupin," said Dumbledore. His blue eyes were blazing, though his voice remained calm.

"Crabbe and I did it. He journeyed to their street, the house is unplottable, but the street is known to our allies. Lupin and his whore didn't stand a chance with the boy. Convinced them he wanted to apologize to Draco, but didn't know where he was. Couldn't get an owl to him. It was brilliant; they invited him inside, right past the Unplottable. We returned that night. We had prepared the Polyjuice Potion beforehand. We thought Lupin was alone. We subdued him and forced him into an enchanted trunk. Took some of his hair and added it to the Black found us, chased us out of the house and into the street. We got away, but Black was a causing a commotion. I drank the potion; I became Lupin's double. I was ready to face Arthur Weasley when he arrived to sort out the Muggles who had heard a disturbance. Black was still yelling that he had been attacked. He claimed my master had kidnapped his lover. I looked like Lupin now so Arthur believed me when I told him Black was suffering from his family's madness. I told him I would take Black to St. Mungos. I just took him back to his house charmed him into sleep. Then I packed up Lupin's clothes and books, put them in the trunk with Lupin, and set off for Hogwarts. I kept him alive, under the Imperius Curse. I wanted to be able to question him. To find out about his past, learn his habits, so that I could fool even Black. I also needed his hair to make the Polyjuice Potion. The other ingredients were easy. I stole boom-slang skin from the dungeons. When the Potions master found me in his office, I said I was wanted to spend time with Malfoy's mentor. He bought it."

"And what became of Crabbe after you attacked Moody?" said Dumbledore.

"Crabbe returned to care for my master, in my father's house, and to keep watch over my father."

"But your father escaped," said Dumbledore.

"Yes. After a while he began to fight the Imperius Curse just as I had done. There were periods when he knew what was happening. My master decided it was no longer safe for my father to leave the house. He forced him to send letters to the Ministry instead. He made him write and say he was ill. But Crabbe neglected his duty. He was not watchful enough. My father escaped. My master guessed that he was heading for Hogwarts. My father was going to tell Dumbledore everything, to confess. He was going to admit that he had smuggled me from Azkaban.

"My master sent me word of my father's escape. He told me to stop him at all costs. So I waited and watched. I used the map I had taken from Harry Potter."

"Map?" said Dumbledore quickly. "What map is this?"

"Potter's map of Hogwarts. He let me borrow it when I said it might help Black recover from his madness. Lupin and Potter's father created the map with Black and Wormtail. He hadn't noticed it showed my name, not Lupin's. It was too dangerous to let him keep it.

"For a week I waited for my father to arrive at Hogwarts. At last, one evening, the map showed my father entering the grounds. It also showed Sirius Black. I pulled on my Invisibility Cloak and went down to meet them. My father was walking around the edge of the forest. Black was nearby, watching Potter. Then Potter came, and Krum. I waited. I could not hurt Potter; my master needed him. Potter ran to get Dumbledore. I Stunned Krum and Black. I killed my father."

"Noooo!" wailed Winky. "Master Barty, Master Barty, what is you saying?"

"You killed your father," Dumbledore said, in the same soft voice. "What did you do with the body?"

"Carried it into the forest. Covered it with the Invisibility Cloak. I had the map with me. I watched Potter run into the castle. He met Snape. Dumbledore joined them. I watched Potter bringing Dumbledore out of the castle. I walked back out of the forest, doubled around behind them, went to meet them. I told Dumbledore Snape had told me where to come.

"Dumbledore told me to go and look for my father. I went back to my father's body. Watched the map. When everyone was gone, I Transfigured my father's body. He became a bone...I buried it, while wearing the Invisibility Cloak, in the freshly dug earth in front of Hagrid's cabin."

There was complete silence now, except for Winky's continued sobs. Then Dumbledore asked, "And Sirius Black?"

"I put him under the Imperius and sent him back to Grimmauld Place. Potter and Malfoy were convinced he was crazy and refusing treatment. Another story about Lupin attacking him outside Hogwarts would only help me."

"And tonight?" Dumbledore prompted.

"I offered to carry the Triwizard Cup into the maze before dinner," whispered Barty Crouch. "Turned it into a Portkey. My master's plan worked. He is returned to power and I will be honored by him beyond the dreams of wizards even if I couldn't bring him Malfoy."

The insane smile lit his features once more, and his head drooped onto his shoulder as Winky wailed and sobbed at his side. Dumbledore stood up. He stared down at Barty Crouch for a moment with disgust on his face. Then he turned to Professor McGonagall.

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

"Of course," said Professor McGonagall. She looked slightly nauseous, as though she had just watched someone being sick. However, when she drew out her wand and pointed it at Barty Crouch, her hand was quite steady.

"Severus" - Dumbledore turned to Snape - "please tell Madam Pomfrey to go to the Defense office; we need to get Remus 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 silently and swept out of the room.

"Boys?" Dumbledore said gently. Harry was shaking, but between Draco and Cedric they got him out into the dark corridor.

"I want you to come up to my office first. Harry," he said quietly as they headed up the passageway. "Sirius is waiting for us there."

Harry nodded, but Draco could tell he was still in shock. Soon, they had reached the stone gargoyle. Dumbledore gave the password, it sprang aside, and they went up the moving spiral staircase to the oak door. Dumbledore pushed it open. Sirius was standing there. His face was white and gaunt as it had been when he had escaped Azkaban. In one swift moment, he had crossed the room and pulled Harry from Draco's arms. The werewolf let him, but only because he knew how much he must have suffered this year and Draco had done nothing to help.

"Harry, are you alright? I knew it - I knew something like this - what happened? What did Malfoy do to you?"

His hands shook as he helped Harry into a chair in front of the desk.

"What happened?" he asked more urgently. "Where is Remus?"

Dumbledore began to tell Sirius everything Barty Crouch had said. Draco was only half listening, his focus on his exhausted mate. He wanted nothing more than to curl up with him, undisturbed, for hours and hours, until they fell asleep and didn't have to think or feel anymore.

There was a soft rush of wings. Fawkes the phoenix had left his perch, flown across the office, and landed on Harry's knee.

"'Lo, Fawkes," said Harry quietly. He stroked the phoenix's beautiful scarlet-and gold plumage. Fawkes blinked peacefully up at him.

Dumbledore stopped talking. He sat down opposite Harry, behind his desk. He was looking at Harry, who avoided his eyes.

"I need to know what happened after you touched the Portkey in the maze. Harry," said Dumbledore.

"We can leave that till morning, can't we, Dumbledore?" said Sirius harshly. He had put a hand on Harrys shoulder. "Let him have a sleep. Let him rest."

"I can probably tell you what happened," Draco offered, also keen on seeing his mate rest.

Dumbledore took no notice of Sirius or Draco's words. He leaned forward toward Harry. Very unwillingly, Harry raised his head and looked into those blue eyes.

"If I thought I could help you," Dumbledore said gently, "by putting you into an enchanted sleep and allowing you to postpone the moment when you would have to think about what has happened tonight, I would do it. But I know better. Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it. You have shown bravery beyond anything I could have expected of you. I ask you to demonstrate your courage one more time. I ask you to tell us what happened."

The phoenix let out one soft, quavering note. It shivered in the air, and Harry took a deep breath and began to tell them. To Draco's relief, the events at the graveyard had transpired exactly as they had before, except for Cedric's death. Draco and Cedric remained silent. Once or twice, Sirius made a noise as though about to say something, his hand still tight on Harry's shoulder, but Dumbledore raised his hand to stop him.

When Harry told of Wormtail piercing his arm with the dagger, however, Sirius let out a vehement exclamation and Dumbledore stood up so quickly that Harry started. Dumbledore walked around the desk and told Harry to stretch out his arm. Harry showed them both the place where his robes were torn and the cut beneath them.

"He said my blood would make him stronger than if he'd used someone else's," Harry told Dumbledore. "He said the protection my - my mother left in me - he'd have it too. And he was right - he could touch me without hurting himself, he touched my face."

If Dumbledore thought this meant anything, he kept it to himself and returned to his seat behind the desk. For the first time, he looked as old and weary as Draco had ever seen him.

"Very well," he said, sitting down again. "Voldemort has overcome that particular barrier. Harry, continue, please."

Harry went on; he explained how Voldemort had emerged from the cauldron, and told them all he could remember of Voldemort's speech to the Death Eaters. Then he told how Voldemort had untied him, returned his wand to him, and prepared to duel. At that point, Harry's voice caught in his throat and Draco well knew why.

Ignoring his cousin's dark look, Draco left Cedric's side and knelt by his mate. Taking Harry's hand in his own, he held on tightly.

"The wands connected?" Sirius asked, looking from Harry to Dumbledore. "Why?"

Harry looked up at Dumbledore again, on whose face there was an arrested look.

"Priori Incantatem," he muttered. His eyes gazed into Harry's and it was almost as though an invisible beam of understanding shot between them.

"The Reverse Spell effect?" said Sirius sharply.

"Exactly," said Dumbledore. "Harry's wand and Voldemort's wand share cores. Each of them contains a feather from the tail of the same phoenix. This phoenix, in fact," he added, and he pointed at the scarlet-and-gold bird, perching peacefully on Harry's knee.

"My wand's feather came from Fawkes?" Harry said, amazed.

"Yes," said Dumbledore. "Mr. Ollivander wrote to tell me you had bought the second wand, the moment you left his shop four years ago."

"So what happens when a wand meets its brother?" said Sirius.

"They will not work properly against each other," said Dumbledore. "If, however, the owners of the wands force the wands to do battle...a very rare effect will take place. One of the wands will force the other to regurgitate spells it has performed - in reverse. The most recent first...and then those which preceded it..." He looked interrogatively at Harry, and Harry nodded. "Which means," said Dumbledore slowly, his eyes upon Harry's face, "you met the most recent victims of Voldemort's wand..."

"An old man," Harry said, his throat still constricted. "Bertha Jorkins. And . . ."

"Your parents?" said Dumbledore quietly.

"Yes," said Harry.

Sirius's grip on Harry's shoulder was now so tight it was painful.

"The last murders the wand performed," said Dumbledore, nodding. "In reverse order. More would have appeared, of course, had you maintained the connection. 451 Very well, Harry, these echoes, these shadows...what did they do?"

Harry described how the figures that had emerged from the wand had prowled the edges of the golden web, how Voldemort had seemed to fear them, how the shadow of Harry's mother had told him what to do. Harry's voice faltered and he looked around at Sirius to see that he had his face in his hands. When he looked down at Draco, the blonde offered him the best smile he could muster up.

"Hold on to them. Of everything terrible that happened tonight, hold onto that memory. To your parents' love. It will get you through this."

"I will say it again," said Dumbledore as the phoenix rose into the air and resettled itself upon the perch beside the door. "You have shown bravery beyond anything I could have expected of you tonight, Harry. You have shown bravery equal to those who died fighting Voldemort at the height of his powers. You have shouldered a grown wizard's burden and found yourself equal to it - and you have now given us all we have a right to expect. You will come with me to the hospital wing. I do not want you returning to the dormitory tonight. A Sleeping Potion, and some peace...Sirius, would you like to stay with him?"

Sirius nodded and stood up. Draco stood as well, but paused as Dumbledore looked to him.

"If you and Mr. Diggory would please remain, I would like to speak to the both of you before while Harry rests."

A glance at Harry told Draco what the boy needed more than anything else was rest so he nodded, agreeing to separate from his mate for now, even if it pained him to watch him go. When the door swung shut, Draco slumped into the chair Harry had so recently vacated and shut his eyes. The exhaustion that had been creeping up on him finally took hold. Sleep sounded lovely.

"Guess I owe you an apology."

Opening his eyes, Draco looked up at Cedric in confusion.

"For what? It's not like you locked me in a classroom tied up after preying on your feelings."

Cedric smiled faintly.

"True, but I didn't believe you."

"You could hardly be expected to."

Nodding, Cedric accepted that and took the chair Sirius had vacated.

"Is he really back?"

"Voldemort?"

Cedric twitched and nodded.

"Yes," Draco sighed.

"I was...supposed to die tonight?"

"But you didn't."

"Guess I should have said thank you, not sorry."

"You're welcome," Draco managed a small smile, "I'm honestly glad. You're a wonderful friend, Cedric."

"But just a friend." Cedric held up a hand as Draco opened his mouth. "It's alright. I can't promise I'll be very good at it, but I'll try to be your friend. It's not like you weren't straight forward with me about you and Harry from the beginning."

"I'd like that, if you tried, I mean," Draco said softly.

"Guessing I'm not supposed to tell anyone about any of this?" Cedric laughed.

Draco shook his head.

"No. Voldemort knows who I am, apparently, but at least no one else does. I don't need the Department of Mysteries breathing down my neck along with everything else."

"Alright. Who all knows?"

"You, obviously, Harry, Dumbledore, Severus, Ron, Hermione, the twins and Lee. Oh, Remus and Sirius as well, but..."

"Is that why Mr. Black was so mad at you?"

Letting out a deep sigh, Draco nodded.

"My cousin probably thinks I should have saved Remus from Crouch."

"Should you have?"

Draco winced at the question.

"Maybe. There's a lot of things I should do, but I'm not...I'm just trying to do the best I can to keep Harry alive and fulfill a promise I made. Defeating Voldemort is kind of impossible if he's not alive."

"Do you think he'll come after me? You Know Who, I mean."

"No. It was...You died because you were too bloody noble, Ced." Smiling, Draco leaned forward. "Here, let me tell you how the Third Task was supposed to go."

Cedric returned his smile and nodded, settling in to listen. The tale of Hufflepuff's Triwizard Champion deserved rapt attention.