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。 。
Don't break the connection。
I know。 Harry told the music; I know I mustn't。 。 。 but no sooner had he thought it; than the thing became much harder to do。 His wand began to vibrate more powerfully than ever 。 。 。 and now the beam between him and Voldemort changed too 。。。 it was as though large beads of light were sliding up and down the thread connecting the wands … Harry felt his wand give a shudder under his hand as the light beads began to slide slowly and steadily his way。 。 。 。 The direction of the beams movement was now toward him; from Voldemort; and he felt his wand shudder angrily。 。 。 。
As the closest bead of light moved nearer to Harrys wand tip; the wood beneath his fingers grew so hot he feared it would burst into flame。 The closer that bead moved; the harder Harry's wand vibrated; he was sure his wand would not survive contact with it; it felt as though it was about to shatter under his fingers …He concentrated every last particle of his mind upon forcing the bead back toward Voldemort; his ears full of phoenix song; his eyes furious; fixed 。 。 。 and slowly; very slowly; the beads quivered to a halt; and then; just as slowly; they began to move the other way 。 。 。 and it was Voldemort's wand that was vibrating extra…hard now 。 。 。
Voldemort who looked astonished; and almost fearful。 。 。 。
One of the beads of light was quivering; inches from the tip of Voldemorts wand。 Harry didn't understand why he was doing it; didn't know what it might achieve 。 。 。 but he now concentrated as he had never done in his life on forcing that bead of light right back into Voldemort s wand 。 。 。 and slowly 。 。 。 very slowly 。。。 it moved along the golden thread 。。。 it trembled for a moment。 。 。 and then it connected。 。 。 。
At once; Voldemorts wand began to emit echoing screams of pain 。 。 。 then … Voldemort's red eyes widened with shock … a dense; smoky hand flew out of the tip of it and vanished 。 。 。 the ghost of the hand he had made Wormtail。 。 。 more shouts of pain 。 。 。 and then something much larger began to blossom from Voldemorts wand tip; a great; grayish something; that looked as though it were made of the solidest; densest smoke。 。。。 It was a head 。 。 。 now a chest and arms 。 。 。 the torso of Cedric Diggory。
If ever Harry might have released his wand from shock; it would have been then; but instinct kept him clutching his wand tightly; so that the thread of golden light remained
unbroken; even though the thick gray ghost of Cedric Diggory (was it a ghost? it looked so solid) emerged in its entirety from the end of Voldemort s wand; as though it were squeezing itself out of a very narrow tunnel。 。 。 and this shade of Cedric stood up; and looked up and down the golden thread of light; and spoke。
〃Hold on。 Harry;〃 it said。
Its voice was distant and echoing。 Harry looked at Voldemort 。。。 his wide red eyes were still shocked 。。。 he had no more expected this than Harry had 。 。 。 and; very dimly。
Harry heard the frightened yells of the Death Eaters; prowling around the edges of the golden dome。 。
More screams of pain from the wand 。 。 。 and then something else emerged from its tip 。。。
the dense shadow of a second head; quickly followed by arms and torso 。。。 an old man Harry had seen only in a dream was now pushing himself out of the end of the wand just as Cedric had done 。 。 。 and his ghost; or his shadow; or whatever it was; fell next to Cedric's; and surveyed Harry and Voldemort; and the golden web; and the connected wands; with mild surprise; leaning on his walking stick。 。 。 。
〃He was a real wizard; then?〃 the old man said; his eyes on Voldemort。 〃Killed me; that one did。 。 。 。 You fight him; boy。 。 。 。〃
But already; yet another head was emerging 。。。 and this head; gray as a smoky statue; was a woman's。 。 。 。 Harry; both arms shaking now as he fought to keep his wand still; saw her drop to the ground and straighten up like the others; staring。 。 。 。
The shadow of Bertha Jorkins surveyed the battle before her with wide eyes。
〃Don't let go; now!〃 she cried; and her voice echoed like Cedrics as though from very far away。 〃Don't let him get you; Harry … don't let go!〃
She and the other two shadowy figures began to pace around the inner walls of the golden web; while the Death Eaters flitted around the outside of it。。。 and Voldemort's dead victims whispered as they circled the duelers; whispered words of encouragement to Harry; and hissed words Harry couldn't hear to Voldemort。
And now another head was emerging from the tip of Voldemorts wand 。 。 。 and Harry knew when he saw it who it would be 。。。 he knew; as though he had expected it from the moment when Cedric had appeared from the wand 。 。 。 knew; because the man appearing was the one he'd thought of more than any other tonight。 。 。 。
The smoky shadow of a tall man with untidy hair fell to the ground as Bertha had done; straightened up; and looked at him 。 。 。 and Harry; his arms shaking madly now; looked back into the ghostly face of his father。
〃Your mother's ing 。 。 。〃 he said quietly。 〃She wants to see you 。。。 it will be all right。。 。 hold on。 。 。 。〃
And she came。 。 。 first her head; then her body。。。 a young woman with long hair; the smoky; shadowy form of Lily Potter blossomed from the end of Voldemort's wand; fell to the ground; and straightened like her husband。 She walked close to Harry; looking down at him; and she spoke in the same distant; echoing voice as the others; but quietly; so that Voldemort; his face now livid with fear as his victims prowled around him; could not hear。 。 。。
〃When the connection is broken; we will linger for only moments 。 。 。 but we will give you time。 。 。 you must get to the Portkey; it will return you to Hogwarts 。。。 do you understand; Harry?〃
〃Yes;〃 Harry gasped; fighting now to keep a hold on his wand; which was slipping and sliding beneath his fingers。
〃Harry 。 。 。〃 whispered the figure of Cedric; 〃take my body back; will you? Take my body back to my parents; 。。。〃
〃I will;〃 said Harry; his face screwed up with the effort of holding the wand。
〃Do it now;〃 whispered his father's voice; 〃be ready to run 。 。 。 do it now。 。。。〃
〃NOW!〃 Harry yelled; he didn't think he could have held on for another moment anyway …he pulled his wand upward with an almighty wrench; and the golden thread broke; the cage of light vanished; the phoenix song died … but the shadowy figures of Voldemort's victims did not disappear … they were closing in upon Voldemort; shielding Harry from his gaze …And Harry ran as he had never run in his life; knocking two stunned Death Eaters aside as he passed; he zigzagged behind headstones; feeling their curses following him; hearing them hit the headstones … he was dodging curses and graves; pelting toward Cedric's body; no longer aware of the pain in his leg; his whole being concentrated on what he had to do …
〃Stun him!〃 he heard Voldemort scream。
Ten feet from Cedric; Harry dived behind a marble angel to avoid the jets of red light and saw the tip of its wing shatter as the spells hit it。 Gripping his wand more tightly; he dashed out from behind the angel …〃
Impedimenta!〃