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harry potter - Why did Dumbledore tell everyone that Voldemort had killed Cedric Diggory?


At the end of the Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, Dumbledore tells the school that it was Voldemort who killed Cedric Diggory. However, it was actually Wormtail (Pettigrew) who killed Diggory. So why did he say it was Voldemort? And none of the trio seemed to have any issues with Dumbledore telling that lie. Why didn't they care?



Answer



There's a few reasons for this so I will explain each one in turn.


Voldemort gave the order



When a leader gives the order to kill that kill is generally associated with them.



From far away, above his head, he heard a high, cold voice say, 'Kill the spare'


A swishing noise and a second voice, which screeched the words to the night: ’Avada Kedavra’


Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire



It was done using Voldemort's wand


This would either mean people would assume Voldemort did it himself (assuming they could tell it was Voldemort's wand of course) or that it was highly likely Voldemort was involved/gave the order for the kill.



Rorujin: Did Wormtail used Voldemort's wand to kill Cedric? Is it why Cedric comes out of Voldemort's wand even though was Wormtail who killed him?



JK Rowling replies -> Correct!


accio-quote, JK Rowling's World Book Day Chat, March 4, 2004



Harry's came back muttering about Voldemort clutching the dead body


It's highly likely in a situation when a boy comes back clutching a dead body and muttering one name over and over again that you would assume the person belonging to that name did the kill.



"He's back," Harry whispered. "He's back. Voldemort."


"What's going on? What's happened?" The face of Cornelius Fudge appeared upside down over Harry; it looked white, appalled. "My God - Diggory!" it whispered. "Dumbledore - he's dead!"


Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire




Pettigrew was presumed dead and a hero


It would be quite odd to say a hero came back from the dead only to kill an innocent student.



"There, now, Minerva," said Fudge kindly, "Pettigrew died a hero's death. Eyewitnesses -- Muggles, of course, we wiped their memories later -- told us how Pettigrew cornered Black. They say he was sobbing, 'Lily and James, Sirius! How could you?' And then he went for his wand. Well, of course, Black was quicker. Blew Pettigrew to smithereens..."


Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban



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