Chapter Text
Cedric Diggory's name had just been pulled from the Goblet of Fire.
He couldn't believe it... Was he really the one it had chosen? He was the worthiest candidate?
All he could do was stand up and smile. He couldn't hear for the blood rushing in his ears, but he could see his Housemates clapping for him, and he could see Headmaster Dumbledore smiling at him. He shook the man's hand before he was led into a side room off of the Great Hall.
It was small and cozy, and he found himself standing in front of a small hearth. He faced it, staring into the flames, standing in between Durmstrang's Viktor Krum and Beauxbaton's Fleur Delacour. He felt no need to speak, as he was still in a bit of shock.
A Hufflepuff, as Hogwart's Champion. That sure showed them, huh? Like they can look down on our House now!
He didn't particularly feel sorry about thinking that kind of venomous thought. It was true, after all. He was a Hufflepuff, and he had probably surprised everyone. It was a huge achievement, of course. He and the rest of his House were tired of being thought of as inferior.
It was truly amazing!
Then, someone entered the room. His body was slow to react and look (still the shock), but he made out the French girl's accent as she asked if they were needed back in the Great Hall. Then his eyes caught up with the rest of him, and Harry Potter was standing in the room with them.
What?
Then, Mr. Bagman bumbled into the room as well, blabbering about there being a fourth Champion. He was fawning over Harry--
No.
That can't be it... Harry Potter is Hogwart's Champion?
Then, the rest of the Heads of School came into the room, and they were arguing over how Harry could have been chosen, and how could he be allowed to compete, how it was unfair to the other schools...
Cedric could not hide the bewilderment on his face as he spent the entire time staring at Harry Potter, wondering by what cruel strand of fate had his house had the spotlight taken from them... again.
But that didn't matter, did it? Because then they were talking about the fact that someone could be trying to kill Harry, and that was a bigger concern than Cedric and his House pride.
He was still baffled, but he watched Harry with sympathy now as the younger boy repeatedly sputtered and insisted that he had not put his name into the Goblet of Fire.
Cedric believed him, too. And he couldn't help but feel sorry for him, because the last thing he looked like he wanted was to be in this room with the rest of them, being told how this Tournament could be the death of him.
And even Cedric knew that the death of Harry Potter would be colossally not good.
Once it was all set and done, they were told to return to their Houses to celebrate and get some rest. Harry and Cedric left at the same time, their shoulders brushing as they walked out of the small door frame and into the expanse of the Great Hall.
Once he was sure they were alone, Cedric spoke up.
"I believe you, you know," he whispered to Harry.
The other boy was staring at his feet as he walked, looking very dazed. He hardly even regarded Cedric, though, and he wondered if he had heard him.
"Does this mean we're playing against each other again?" Cedric teased him, nudging his shoulder with a slight smile. They had played as Seekers on opposing teams for quite a while now.
Harry frowned slightly. "I suppose," he muttered.
"We don't have to, you know," Cedric added suddenly. He didn't know what prompted it. Pity, perhaps?
"What?" asked Harry, suddenly staring up at him with clarity in his green eyes.
"We don't have to compete over this, I mean," Cedric reiterated, realizing that he meant it. "I believe that you didn't put your name in the Goblet," he elaborated, "and so I'm not exactly inclined to think you have any reason to hurt me."
"You're not upset?" Harry questioned, with an incredulous look in his eyes.
Cedric shook his head. "No, of course not." He stopped walking to completely grab Harry's attention. They stood facing each other, and Cedric grinned at him.
"If anything, I should be grateful, because between either of us, the school wins. Two can play for Hogwarts!" He laughed, and continued back to his dormitory.
"Good luck, Harry!" he called back over his shoulder, as Harry went a different direction to get to Gryffindor Tower. Cedric didn't think the dark-haired boy had responded, but it didn't really matter, anyway.
They could talk later.
For the entire week, Hufflepuff had celebrated their victory. Cedric found himself surrounded himself by swarms of supporters at all times. Mostly Hufflepuffs, of course, but he had found that plenty of Ravenclaws had joined in, too. There were even several Gryffindors, and for reasons he couldn't fathom, a majority of the Slytherins.
He had never been unpopular, so to speak, but this was all a bit too much. He had wondered why so many people were flocking to him; it wasn't even as if he were the only Hogwarts Champion!
Not long after he had noticed the Slytherins being marginally polite to him, he had realized what was up.
People were choosing him over Harry. People were turning against Harry, and accusing him of cheating, of trying to steal the spotlight from Cedric.
He had tried to tell everyone that it was ridiculous, and that they ought to leave the other boy alone.
But then, he found that this wasn't about supporting him. It was about not supporting Harry. That much had been clear when the badges started showing up. Whole groups of people (namely Slytherins) could be found flashing fancy badges that said Potter Stinks!
It was immature, it was low, and he wouldn't stand for it. It went against every moral in his Hufflepuff code, and he told his friends so, too. In fact, he had announced it to his entire common room one evening.
No one listened, and Harry was beginning to look rather lonely. Even his best friend Ron had started to ignore him, he saw.
After another week, it was too much for Cedric to bear. If nothing else would help, he supposed he would have to go and apologize to Harry himself. So, he had found an opportunity to sneak away from his group of friends and found Harry alone with a friend of his in the library. He had seen her with him a lot.
Are they dating? he found himself wondering.
"Harry," Cedric whispered, sitting down at the table. The girl and Harry looked up at him in shock.
"Cedric," said Harry, looking surprised.
The girl gaped at him, as if she had never imagined in a million years that he would be talking to them.
"Can I talk to you?" he requested, looking around to make sure none of his friends had found him yet. The brown haired girl with Harry seemed to take the hint, and she quickly left the table to leave them in private. Cedric took it upon himself to cast some privacy charms in the hope it would earn him a few extra minutes to talk.
"What is it?"
"I wanted to apologize," explained Cedric. "For the other students' behavior. I tried to tell them to quit it with the badges, but they won't listen."
Harry blushed and ducked his head. "Thanks," he mumbled,"but it's ok. No one's bothered me too much, besides Malfoy, I mean... But other than that, I get left alone."
Cedric shook his head. "It's not really fair though, is it? The Goblet chose you, too. We're both Champions. You deserve some respect as well." He hoped he looked as honest as he felt.
He supposed he did, because Harry shot a smile at him. "Thanks, Cedric. That means a lot to me."
Cedric grinned. "Good, Harry. Perhaps we could meet up another time, soon? I really don't think we need to compete. I want to be friends," he added.
He didn't know where that last part had come from... But he supposed it was true, too. After all, he had spent so much time watching Harry from afar, hadn't he?
Harry smiled widely. "Alright. Not here, though," he added, looking around. "People are hiding in the bookshelves."
Cedric would have thought that the privacy charms had covered it, but it wasn't enough for Harry, apparently.
Harry wrote something on a piece of parchment and slid it over to Cedric casually.
"See you, Diggory." He stood up, gathered his books, and walked off.
"Good luck, Potter."
Cedric still held the note with him the day that he was seeing Harry.
See you at the lake. 2pm Saturday.
It wasn't much, but Cedric held onto it like it was a symbol of trust growing between him and Harry. He didn't what he valued more, though-- working together for the sake of the school, or just getting to know Harry.
Harry, the Boy Who Lived, and Cedric, the Hufflepuff who was the original Hogwarts champion. They'd make quite a team, wouldn't they?
He was walking towards the doors to get him out of the castle to meet Harry, when he bumped into Cho Chang, of all people. He'd seen a lot of her lately. She was one of his biggest Ravenclaw supporters, and she was nice enough. She didn't openly oppose Harry, at least, which counted for something.
He really wasn't in the mood to chat with her, though; he was busy. He forced a smile all the same for her, when she looked up at him with big brown eyes and said, "Cedric! What a surprise. I hadn't meant to run into you." She at him blinked in a strange manner.
"Oh, yeah. Sorry. I've, ah, I've gotta run, anyway. Carry on!" he told her cheerily, moving past her.
"Cedric!" she called after him, suddenly seeming like she most certainly had meant to run into him. Grudgingly, he stopped.
"Hm?" he asked her, trying to remain chivalrous while he felt so impatient.
"I need a tutor for Herbology; it's my worst subject. Would you mind helping me sometime?" she inquired, smiling sweetly. Her hair was falling softly in front of her eyes, and she was doing that ridiculous blinking again.
He didn't really know what to say, as he wasn't that fond of Herbology, nor so fond of the way she acted around him, but he also wasn't in the mood to argue with her about Hufflepuff stereotypes (and when was he?), either. So, he just gave her a quick, "Sure, of course," and moved on to find Harry, ignoring her protests as she chased after him.
He was a few minutes late after he had to take a few different hallways to chase off Chang. Harry didn't seem to mind, though. He had been sitting by the water, casting stones at the lake with a thoughtful expression. He looked small, out there alone, but when Cedric sat down next to him, he seemed more confident than he had looked in a while.
"Nice day out, isn't it?" Cedric asked him, watching as the other boy cast another skipping stone. He watched as it took three skips across the water, and Cedric helped it along with a spell.
"Yeah," Harry agreed, with a funny grin as he watched the magically enhanced stone skip even farther. "And the squid isn't anywhere to be found," he added, oddly cheerful.
Cedric laughed, because if it was supposed to be funny, he didn't want Harry feeling out of sorts. He wanted him to be comfortable. Cedric was comfortable. Wasn't he? He liked Potter well enough, so he decided he should feel comfortable. But he was also oddly nervous about impressing the boy, too, which was silly. Was it?
He was squirming when there was a moment of silence, but Harry looked fairly content, so Cedric decided there was no need to worry. Especially not when Harry spoke next, anyhow.
"Thanks for being so kind to me," Harry said at last. "Not a lot of people are being too nice with me lately, though some Gryffindors are starting to come around again." He explained.
"That's brilliant, Harry. I'm glad for you. I'd give you some of my fans, if I could, but they just don't leave me alone, it seems."
"Really?" Harry questioned, raising an eyebrow and looking at him. Cedric didn't know if he was being sarcastic or not, so he decided to respond anyway.
"Yeah, it's a little ridiculous. Like coming here, Cho Chang ran into me... She doesn't seem to leave me alone. She wanted tutoring in Herbology." Cedric tried not to scoff, but he did, and he blushed because he was being a little rude. "Not that it's a bad thing. I mean, she's nice enough..."
"Cho Chang, huh? Isn't she in Ravenclaw?" Harry asked absently, skipping another stone. It only went two skips. Cedric was still blushing when Harry looked at him, so he looked away at the water.
"Yes, she is."
"Mmmh. Are you good at herbology, then? If she needs your help and all..." Harry trailed off, and Cedric found he didn't mind Ravenclaw stereotypes from Harry as much as he did the Hufflepuff ones from Cho.
"Not really, which is the funny thing," Cedric commented. He was one of the worst in his House when it came to the subject, but his Housemates were kind enough not to say anything.
Harry threw less flat stone, and it landed in the water with an unsatisfying plop. "You think she fancies you?" he asked. "It would make sense... You're handsome, popular, Quidditch player, and a Champion?" he added a queer glint in his eye.
Cedric laughed, and replied, "If that's what it was, then she'd be all over you, as well." He laughed lightly, and now it was Harry who was blushing. He looked Harry once over, and a strange voice in the back of his head noted that Harry certainly was handsome...
There was another silence. Cedric hoped he hadn't crossed any boundaries...
"Cedric," Harry said all at once, turning to face him. "There's something you should know."
Cedric felt his heart thump a little faster, and he wondered why he suddenly felt so nervous. "What?" he breathed, searching Harry's face for any unspoken answers.
Harry looked away, his face unchanging. "The first task is facing dragons. I just thought you should know, since you've been so kind to me." He stared out and threw a thin, flat stone over the water. It went seven skips, without magic.
Then, all at once, Cedric realized that Harry was standing up, and then brushing his robes off. Is that all? Are we done already?
"Dragons?" Cedric repeated, springing to his feet immediately. "Are you sure?" Awe and terror had crept into his voice, but he noted a large portion of the disturbance came from the fact that Harry was already trying to leave.
Harry nodded, and lifted a hand to run through his dark, messy hair. "I saw them myself. I only thought it was fair to tell you. Since we're not competing, and all," he added clumsily.
Cedric grinned, realizing how he was watching the other boy's every move with relish. "Thanks, Harry."
"No problem, mate. Anyway, I think I ought to get going. Ron and Hermione are waiting for me." He turned to leave.
"Alright then. See you, Harry." A frown gathered on his face as he watched Harry walk away, and an odd feeling settled in his stomach.
Hermione... Is that the girl he's always with?
Cedric shook his head. He wasn't feeling jealous of the girl, was he?
Harry was eating breakfast on Tuesday morning with Ron and Hermione, as usual. Ron had finally calmed down about the whole Harry-being-achampion thing, to his great relief. It meant he had one more person to talk to about... whatever was going on in his head.
He wasn't talking to his friends at this meal, though. Nor had he since his meeting with Cedric on Saturday. He had spent most of his time staring at the Ravenclaw table, assessing Cho Chang. Not because he was interested in her, he had realized by Sunday dinner. Because he was bitter with her.
Who is she to think she can bother Cedric like that?
He had gotten used to these odd, possessive thoughts. He realized he was jealous of Chang. She was constantly flitting around Cedric, talking to him, and probably not just about Herbology. And, most of the time, he seemed to be enjoying it, too. He was chatting back at her, grinning and laughing.
What, is it because she's pretty? Smart? Why is he paying such close attention to her?
He decided he'd ask Ron what he thought. Ron liked girls didn't he? He would know if she were pretty. Harry ignored the fact that this idea would imply that he did not like girls, as he didn't think he was ready to face that.
"Ron," he asked, "what do you think of Cho Chang?"
Ron looked at him wide-eyed through a mouthful of bacon. "Chang? I guess I haven't really thought about it," he admitted. He looked over to the Ravenclaw table (where she was now properly seated, finally leaving Cedric alone). "She's alright, I suppose. Why? D'ya think you fancy her?" he asked calmly.
Harry felt himself turn red, as he knew this wasn't true. But he wasn't sure what was true.
He heard Hermione groan next to him. "Harry, you don't really, do you?" she asked. "She's clearly all over Cedric. She only would want to date you because you're a champion. Like Cedric," she told him pointedly, pointing towards the girl with a spoon.
Harry looked over, seeing that Cho was indeed all over Cedric. He sighed, feeling a little dismayed.
Ron slapped Harry on the shoulder. "So, you do have a chance with her, you Champ!"
Harry buried his face in his hands and moaned in despair.
Cedric kept finding himself having himself to deal with Cho at breakfast... Again, and again, and again.
She kept coming to him with Herbology questions, as he had yet to actually tutor her. He didn't plan on it, either, because he was bollocks at Herbology, and he was beginning to get the feeling that Harry had been correct.
Cho Chang fancied him, and it was bloody annoying. Instead of spending his meal times closely watching Harry like he normally did, he had to deal with her. She kept on asking him about how to care for mandrakes, or enlarged venus fly traps, and other horrid plants that he hadn't known the slightest about.
It was at breakfast, the Tuesday after he had met with Harry, that he had had enough.
"Cedric!" she chirped, squeezing next to him at the Hufflepuff table. He had asked his friends to sit closely to him so this wouldn't happen, but they were all polite and timid, so of course scooted over to give her some room. He suppressed a groan as she sat down next to him.
She leaned over, holding out a piece of parchment covered in Herbology notes. "I was wondering what you thought about how the acid level in the soil would change if you planted a quill prickled pine with a--"
"Chang. I don't know," he sighed, stabbing at his eggs aggressively.
"I wasn't done!" she protested. "Anyway, I was thinking that perhaps the pine--"
Cedric groaned and dropped his fork. "Please, Cho. Be quiet. It's too early, and it's obvious that you know more about Herbology than I do." He was trying to be polite, but as was usual with her, he was finding it slightly difficult.
"Oh, thank you, Cedric, but I really don't think that's true!" She batted her eyelashes at him.
He rolled his eyes. "No, it really is. I have no idea what you're talking about half the time," he told her, meeting her gaze with as hard of a stare as he could muster.
"Oh." She blinked, but smiled again, apparently undeterred. "Then, perhaps I should tutor you?"
Cedric set his jaw. "Cho. I'm trying very hard not to be annoyed with you, but you're trying too hard. And I think it's terribly rude that you would assume I know all about Herbology, just because I'm in Hufflepuff," he told her, his voice not wavering. He was done with this.
"Oh, it's not like that, Cedric!" She exclaimed.
"No." He cut her off. "I'm not interested, and I would prefer if you left me alone."
She gaped at him, as did the rest of the Hufflepuff table.
"You inconsiderate prat," she hissed. She promptly stood up, left, and returned to sit with the Ravenclaws.
He ignored the murmurings from his Housemates, instead choosing to watch Harry banter about something with his friends. He smiled with pity as he saw poor Harry bury his face in his hands over something.
He's cute, he found himself thinking.
Not long after he had finally gotten Cho Chang out of his hair, Cedric found himself being pulled out of class for something about a wand-weighing.
He didn't really mind missing out on classes, of course. Especially when it provided an extra chance to see Harry, with whom he shared no classes, because of their age gap.
Harry wasn't there when he arrived, though. He had shown up a bit later than everyone else, and they apparently had to wait on Harry to get started. They all had their pictures taken and their wands inspected, but Cedric didn't have a chance to talk to Harry, because he had been swept away by some blond-haired reporter.
He hadn't been too happy about that, but it wasn't like he could protest.
He almost did, though, when he saw Harry fumbling to get away as fast as he could. He looked shaken and a bit aggravated, so Cedric followed after him.
"Harry!" he called, trying to catch up with the other boy.
He almost smiled as Harry nearly tripped, because it was adorable, but instead he ran over to catch him by the robes to prevent him from falling. Harry spun around to face him, looking flushed, flustered, and foolishly grinning all at once.
"Thanks, Cedric." He laughed, breaking away to brush himself off.
"You alright?" Cedric asked, and Harry raised an eyebrow. "Well, you did just save me, so I think so," he laughed again. His face lit up and his cheeks remain flushed as he met Cedric's eyes.
Cedric really liked that laugh, but he was thinking of other things right now. "I meant before," he said. "With the reporter." He had seen Harry's disheveled state, scowling and angered and put off.
With that, Harry scowled again, and Cedric found it wasn't nearly as appealing.
"Oh," he muttered, his hair falling over his scar as he looked down. "It was awful. She's a prying, manipulative creature," Harry confessed. He crossed his arms, and shook his head as if to spook off a bug.
"That's terrible," Cedric replied, unable to think of anything else he could say. He wanted to, but he suddenly felt himself at a loss.
"I think we have to get back to class," Harry told him, turning to leave with the same abruptness as he had at the lake.
"Oh," Cedric murmured. "I guess so."
Damn it.
It wasn't long after the wand-weighing ceremony and Harry's unfortunate meeting with the reporter that an article about him was published. Cedric found he didn't quite like it; it didn't portray Harry in a anyway that he was familiar with.
The one good thing that had come from the article, though, was that he had seen Harry blow up at Chang in the hallway. Though, even that had its downsides.
The boy had been storming through the hallway, probably after an entire day of uncomfortable encounters. Cedric had been hovering down the hall, waiting to approach Harry and talk with him.
He hadn't even noticed Cedric when Cho Chang called out to him first.
"Harry!"
He watched with delight and horror as Harry spun around on his heels. "What is it? Come to ask me if I've been crying about my dead mother? Ask me if I still sleep with a plush toy, too?" he demanded, turning on the wide eyed girl with hands on his hips. Cedric could only imagine the fiery look in his eyes.
Thinking of the fire reminded him of the dragons, and the task at hand that he would be facing Tuesday. A stone dropped in his stomach, and he was left with a feeling of despair. For himself as much as for Harry, he noted.
Chang took a step back, blushing and wincing and doing that strange blinking at Harry.
It was bad enough that she had been blinking at him... But watching her make those faces at Harry was far worse. The despair worsened, and he felt himself slump against the wall.
"N-no, Harry," she whispered, taking another step closer to him. Cedric watched with disgust, and was grateful that neither of them had noticed him yet.
"I just wanted to wish you good luck. For Tuesday," she added, now standing rather close to him. She wouldn't stop blinking, dammit, and he could see it from here. It was somehow more noticeable than the annoying girlish flush in her cheeks, which she was obviously trying to use to her own advantage.
"Oh. Well. Thanks?" Harry asked, stepping away backwards. Cedric wished he had been facing a different direction, so he could watch Harry's facial expression instead of Cho Chang's, which he had already seen quite enough of.
He watched as Cho reached out to touch Harry's shoulder. "You'll do wonderfully," she told him with a wickedly sweet smile.
Harry recoiled, and Cedric smirked. "T-thanks? I'm sure Cedric will, too," he added.
Cedric felt a bit of warmth spread inside of him.
Cho tilted her head. "Oh, perhaps. But I'll be watching you." She was watching Harry now, too, and it made Cedric want to run over and snatch Harry away from he uncomfortable gaze. He knew how awful it felt to have her watching all the time....
"Oh. Well, I'm sure. You'll be in the stands, anyway, so you'll have to," Harry told her. Cedric noted with disdain that he even sounded... cheery.
"Of course! Anyway, Harry, I have to go. I've got Defense Against the Dark Arts... It's really my worst subject," she confided Harry, leaning in a little closer, and making Cedric suddenly feel rather aggressive. How many 'worst subjects' can one person have?
He contained himself, though... Even when she chirped at Harry, saying, "Perhaps you ought to tutor me sometime? I've heard you do rather well." She turned and skipped away, giving Harry little option to say yes or no. Either way, Cedric had a bad feeling she would be pestering him often now.
He watched as Harry turned around, looking upset and perplexed. Cedric stepped away from the wall, standing in the middle of the hallway so Harry would notice him. He did, too. Right away.
"Cedric!" Harry exclaimed. "I didn't even notice you," he sputtered, his face turning red.
"S'okay." Cedric grinned at him. "Cho's on your back?" he asked good-naturedly as he fell into step with Harry.
Harry shrugged, discomfort showing on his face. "Apparently. I thought she was after you?" he inquired, staring ahead at some unidentified point.
Cedric was quite content to stare to the side at Harry. "I told her off. I think she hates me now," he confessed with a laugh. "You think she just wants herself a Champion?"
Harry turned red again, this time to the tips of his ears, and Cedric wasn't sure what he had said to illicit that reaction.
"That's what Hermione told me," remarked, still not looking away from the ground in front of him. Goddammit, Harry, he thought. Look at me!
"Hermione?" Cedric asked. "She your girlfriend? I bet she'll be jealous," he added with a hint of uncertainty. He wanted to know if Harry was dating anyone, and he didn't care if he was being nosy.
Harry laughed, still sounding uncomfortable. "No, she's not. Not really my type, I don't think. I, ah... I've got my eye on someone else," he confessed, this time finally looking at Cedric through a side shifted glance.
Cedric stiffened, but he didn't let the casual charm leave his voice. "Oh. Is it Cho, then?" he blurted out, and hoped Harry didn't think he was foolish.
"No!" Harry exclaimed, letting out a bark of laughter. He definitely sounded even more uncomfortable than before, Cedric noted. "No, I find she's rather distasteful, anyway."
Cedric narrowed his eyes, wondering what Harry was hiding.
So, he's not with Granger. But he's not being honest with what he feels about Cho...
Half of Cedric wondered why he cared so much. The other half knew for sure, and it was screaming loudly in his head. Cedric wasn't in the mood to listen to either.
"So," Harry interrupted Cedric's chain of thought. "I was wondering if you'd want to go flying with me? On Sunday, maybe. It would help to unwind before the Tournament." He added the last bit as if it were an afterthought. He hadn't needed to, though. Cedric was already sold.
"That'd be great, Harry!" He beamed, looking down to smile at the younger student. "See you Sunday?"
Harry grinned back. "Sunday."
The days seemed to crawl, and Cedric didn't know if it was in uneasy anticipation for the First Task, or with eager excitement for flying with Harry on Sunday.
But Sunday came, and he was standing by the broom shed, waiting for Harry. No one else was nearby, save for a Ravenclaw third year that he had sometimes seen with Cho. He also recognized her as the girl who wore the lion-hat to all the Gryffindor-Slytherin Quidditch matches. She was off in her own world, doodling or writing something in a notebook. It didn't really matter to Cedric; Harry had just shown up.
He didn't have his broom with him, which Cedric thought was a shame, because he owned a Firebolt. Cedric had selfishly wanted to try it out, and just as selfishly wanted to watch Harry on it.
"Hullo," Harry smiled, walking up to Cedric with his hands in his pockets.
"Hi." Cedric grinned. "Don't have your broom with you?" he asked him rhetorically.
Harry raised both his eyebrows. "No," he replied. "Not yet. I'm practicing," he added conspiratorially, taking his wand from his pocket.
"Accio Firebolt!" he exclaimed. There was nothing for a moment, and then there was a buzzing sound. Before he could fully understand what was happening, Harry's Firebolt smacked into his hand. Harry had a surprised smile on his face.
"That's the first time that's worked." He looked utterly elated as he held up the broom.
"You're learning summoning charms already?" Cedric asked curiously.
Harry licked his lips (which Cedric had already been staring at). "Something like that," he muttered, hopping onto his Firebolt. "Grab a broom from the shed," he commanded. "I'll give you a go with the Firebolt in a minute."
Cedric was satisfied with that, and he ran into the shed to take one of the school's brooms. As an afterthought, he wished that he knew how to get into the rest of the supplies so he could find a Snitch for them to use. Wouldn't that be fun?
Harry was already up in the air, so Cedric didn't waste a moment in hopping on his own broom and joining him above the Pitch. "I wanted to get a Snitch, but I wasn't sure where to find one," he told Harry, flying up and hovering close to him.
Harry grinned, pulling something out of his pocket. "Oh, look," he winked.
It was a Snitch, fluttering and struggling in Harry's hand and trying to escape.
"How...?" Cedric asked, feeling impressed.
Harry didn't answer his question. Instead, he tossed it into the air.
"Catch!"
From below, Luna watched the two boys in the air. She was sketching them in her notebook, smiling at their apparent flirtatiousness. They were shy and uncertain around each other on the ground, but they both gathered a certain kind of confidence in the air.
Quidditch truly is the queerest sport, she thought to herself, looking up to note that they were trailing each other closely. They had resorted to flying in a circle together.
"Oh, clever, Harry!" Cedric teased, speeding up and closing the distance in the circle. They had traded brooms, and Cedric was trying out the Firebolt.
"Just look for the bloody Snitch!" Harry shouted back, diving down as if he spotted the thing.
Cedric chased after him. "Why would I, when I can just watch you?"
Luna knew for sure that the comment had more than one meaning. She smiled ruefully to herself, thinking that Cho had to be blind to think she stood a chance with either of the Champions.
Too soon, it was the day of the First Task. Cedric found himself unable to eat much at breakfast, and didn't even go to the Great Hall. Nerves prevented him from thinking of little else than Harry's warning at the lake. About the Task.
Dragons.
How the hell am I supposed to fight a dragon?
Of course, he didn't know he would have to slay it, but it was his best guess. He didn't bother fancy the idea that Harry had told him it was dragons just to throw him off; he trusted the other boy too much.
He relished the time alone; none of his friends had bothered question him on it when he told them he was going off for a walk. They didn't dare bother him, in fear of risking the effectiveness of the Champion.
He had been wandering the hallways, doing his best to ignore everyone who passed him. They didn't question him, either, despite the fact that he was usually a more sociable fellow. Today, he reserved his right to be reserved.
Not even fear of the match could stop him, however, when he encountered Ludo Bagman with Harry in tow.
"Hullo," Cedric stopped walking, looking at the two with surprise.
"Cedric, my boy! We were just about to head over to the tent and the arena. Would you care to join us?" Bagman asked him, grinning cheekily.
"Is it that time already?" Cedric queried, turning to go on with them in their direction. He fell into step with Harry, enjoying the brush of their shoulders.
"It is indeed. Are you nervous, then?" Bagman inquired. Cedric wasn't sure if he was addressing him or Harry, so he waited a moment.
"Should we be?" Harry asked testily, casting a knowing glance at Cedric. Both of them were, and they had reasons to.
Bagman laughed. "The two of you? I think you'll be fine." Cedric wasn't sure if he meant that, though.
They walked off of Hogwarts grounds in an uneasy silence, towards a large, brightly colored arena. There was a tall, striped striped tent propped up next to it, and other Hogwarts students were already marching past it towards the stands.
"You and the other Champions will wait in the tent to start, and I'll be with you in a minute," Bagman told them. Harry and Cedric turned to face each other, and Harry nodded. They entered the tent, where the other two champions were waiting for them.
Viktor was pacing, looking particularly aggravated or nervous. Fleur had collapsed onto a beanbag on the floor and was muttering things in French with her face in her hands.
"Have you a plan?" Cedric asked Harry quietly, as the two resigned to a corner to sit together.
"Yes," Harry whispered. "I already told you."
Cedric frowned. He was sure he remembered every encounter he'd had with Harry, and he had no such recollection of any discussion of plans. "Did you?" he questioned.
Harry smiled wryly. "You'll remember when you see it. You're smart enough," he nudged Cedric's shoulder, almost affectionately. "Now, what about you? Have you any plans?"
Cedric shook his head. "Not entirely. I've read plenty on slaying dragons, ever since you warned me... But all I've got is a couple Transfiguration spells," he muttered.
Harry looked at him with concern, but Cedric set his jaw, and said, "I'll be fine."
The fear gathering inside him told him otherwise.
Then, Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman entered the tent. Crouch scowled at them. "Our two Hogwarts champions aren't in cahoots over something, are they?" He snapped. "Cheating won't do."
Bagman laughed. "I'm sure whatever they're doing is completely innocent. Right, boys?" He winked at Harry and Cedric. "Now, get over here and let's talk about the task!" He clapped his hands together, and looked positively, sickeningly, giddy.
Bagman and Crouch talked at them, assuring them that they would indeed, be facing dragons. Only, to Cedric's surprise, they wouldn't be slaying them. They would be stealing an egg from them.
From what he'd read about dragons, this was even worse.
Then, they were told to reach into a bag, and they all pulled out a dragon. Cedric got a Swedish Short-Snout, which looked like your typical fairy tale beast. It's silvery blue scales shone as it slid around in his hand, and it glared at him with bright blue eyes the color of.
Harry, was tasked with a Hungarian horntail, and it's spiky tail looked like it could do a lot of damage to a person... Cedric shuddered, and felt himself suppressing the need to reach out and hug Harry. He sufficed with a quiet, "Good luck."
Harry swallowed, and contemplated the figurine in his hands.
Bagman clapped again. "Lovely! Now that that's done, Cedric, it looks like you're first!" he cried. "Lucky you." He winked at him, and then promised they'd have about fifteen minutes before the trial began.
Cedric was going to use it to think out his plan, but that idea went to hell when he saw something that he really did not like.
Harry's friend Hermione had darted into the tent, spoke fervently with him for a moment, and then abruptly drew Harry into a tight hug. The tent flap had ripped open, photographing their embrace. The photo had also captured Cedric's own envious glare, and Viktor Krum's incredulous one.
He had spent his remaining time sulking, though Harry had (for some reason) sat next to him and complained that now everyone would have the wrong impression, and that he and Hermione were "I swear to gods, just friends."
Then, in a surreal sort of trance, Cedric was being called out of the tent to face his dragon, the Swedish Short-Snout. He wasn't sure how he got there, but in a matter of minutes, he had stumbled into the arena.
The dragon was huge, towering over him like a building. Those fiery eyes glared down at him, and it let out a huff of intense, blue flames. At once, Cedric was spotted, and it saw him a threat.
He made a dash to run as it shot at him a bigger line of flames, and he watched the ground become singed. He had a feeling that if she kept that flame focused on a single part of the ground for longer than a few seconds, the earth itself might melt.
He gave himself a moment to hide behind a rock, and the beast fumbled around slowly. She wasn't swift on the ground, but from what he had read, she would be a true terror if she took to flight.
And there's students in the stands! What the hell were these people thinking? He thought angrily, ducking out from behind the rock as she located him and started blazing again. If it weren't for the loud noise the fire made, he would have known just from the rock's heat.
He summoned what ever quick thinking he had and remembered the spells he had learned, and any other useful knowledge he had of dragons. His survival instinct, however, could only supply him with ways to try and kill the dragon, and he knew it would lose him points if he tried something like that.
He couldn't think of anything. If only he could just distract her...
That's it!
He pointed his wand at an untouched rock from across the arena, and Transfigured it into a dog. He had always been good at Transfiguration, and it was the first thing that came to mind.
He had also become familiar with Disillusionment charms of late, seeing as he used them to avoid his "fans" (and possibly to sometimes watch Harry). He cast one on himself now, silencing his footfalls and making him blend with the ground. The judges would still see him, but the dragon's eyesight was poor and she would have trouble locating him with the charm making his footsteps practically weightless.
Without even thinking, he made a mad dash for the nest and the Golden Egg. He was halfway there, and then all of a sudden--
He shrieked. He felt blue flame meet his face, and his vision was blurred, and his steps faltered. Then, all at once, the pain faded. He knew he only had a few moments before the pain would come back and the shock would be over, so he ran.
He took the Golden Egg, sprinting, and ran for the gate to leave. The blue dragon behind him wailed in utter despair at the loss of a child, but Cedric didn't care. His face erupted in an explosion of pain and heat, and he collapsed.
When Cedric awoke from unconsciousness, the burning sensation had faded. He felt the cool, slippery sensation of a salve on his face, and he realized he was in a tent. Madam Pomfrey was hovering over him.
"Oh, good. You're awake!" she exclaimed, handing him a potion bottle. "Drink this, dear. It will keep the pain from coming back before it's healed, which shouldn't be much longer. The salves work well," she told him. He swallowed the potion in one go.
"How long was I out?" Cedric demanded, wondering if the Task was already over, and he'd missed everything...
"Not long, dear. Mr. Potter is currently--"
She was interrupted as a loud cheer erupted. It was louder than any other he'd heard, save for perhaps the Irish supporters at the World cup. He stumbled out of the tent, and saw that Harry was flying a victory lap around the arena.
His Firebolt. He summoned the Firebolt.
"The cheeky bastard!" he exclaimed as he watched Harry land. Several professors grouped around him, but he didn't see what happened next. Madam Pomfrey had pulled him back into the tent, telling him to "Sit down, Mr. Diggory!"
And then Harry was ushered into the room, and Cedric gave him an unabashed grin, though he winced as the scab over the burn on his face stretched. Harry looked at him concernedly, but he looked away as Madam Pomfrey administered something to his shoulder. Cedric realized with horror that the Horntail must have nicked him with that awful, spiky club of an appendage it had.
"You alright, Cedric?" Harry asked, walking over once the nurse was done.
"Yes, Diggory, how does it feel now?" Promfrey asked, shuffling over to him.
"Better, Mrs. Pomfrey," Cedric sighed, waving her away. He turned to Harry and smiled as widely as he could without affecting the burn. "And I'm fine, Harry. Does it look bad, though?" he asked sheepishly.
Harry laughed. "I'm afraid it's mauled your pretty face," he told him. "It won't be permanent, will it?" he questioned, worry gliding over his face for a moment.
"No, Mr. Potter. Though I can't see why you're worrying about Mr. Diggory's appearance when you should be worried about your shoulder!" she snapped at him, and both boys laughed.
"How're you, Harry? I didn't see until the last minute. You summoned your broom?" Cedric asked him.
Harry nodded eagerly. "Yes, I--"
"Harry!"
The sudden cry interrupted him, and Harry turned around as Cedric looked over his shoulder to see Harry's friends rushing into the room. The girl practically toppled him with a hug, and even the boy (who had seemed slightly bitter from Cedric's earlier observations) was exuberant. They chattered about some drama, and the girl burst out crying and the boy hugged Harry, too, as if in amends.
"They've probably got the scores ready. Let's go, Harry," the red headed boy said.
"Sure." Harry said. He looked over his shoulder at Cedric. "Coming, Cedric?"
Cedric grinned and followed him out. They returned to the arena, and he saw the judges now at the edge of the dragon enclosure, which was now (thankfully) devoid of all flying lizards.
Harry had tied in first with Krum, Cedric soon found. Almost all the Hogwarts students were cheering for Harry, he found. He wasn't bitter or jealous, because hadn't that been what he'd wanted all along?
Then, they were informed that the next Task would be in the end of February, and they had until then to use the eggs to discover the clue for the Second Task.
Before they left, Harry brushed by him and dropped a note in his pocket.
After the festivities, meet me by the Quidditch Pitch. We can talk about the task.
Also, your face isn't too bad for the burn. But, in case you haven't noticed, it is covered in orange paste. It's not the most flattering color on you.
Cedric grinned. He would suffer through his House's adoration, as he was sure Harry would, too. But then, he'd get to see him again.