They say that when you die your life flashes before your eyes. Cedric had never really thought about the possibility of dying, or the likelihood that it would happen to him at such a young age. But there he was, watching helplessly as the green flash came hurdling towards him.
The first image to flash across his mind was when he received his Hogwarts letter. He had already been practicing his magic and he had been eagerly waiting for the owl post for almost a week (well, really since the beginning of summer). Thinking back, he was really a rather impatient eleven year old, but when that letter arrived, he couldn't help but conceal his excitement. Although no one had doubted that he would get into Hogwarts, he still couldn't help but feel relieved when the owl showed up at the window with the large envelope.
The second image he saw was his first day at Hogwarts. It's funny how he had lived for eleven years, but didn't really feel that his life had started until he got accept to the school he had always dreamed of attending. His parents smiled happily at him as he boarded the Hogwarts express for the first time.
He could remember being shy, afraid of what others would think of him, and anxious to find out what house he would be sorted into. His father had been in Gryffindor, his mother in Slytherin, and he knew that it would mean a lot of both of them if he got sorted into one of their houses (although he would rather be in Gryffindor then Slytherin).
As he stood there waiting for the green light to end his life, he could remember, almost as if it was yesterday, walking up to the front of the great hall and having Professor McGonagall place the sorting hat onto his head. He could feel his stomach flutter as it whispered into his ear, mentioning how he was brave, but also fiercely loyal. He could remember the disappointment that raced through his mind when the hat finally yelled out "HUFFLEPUFF".
The third image he saw was the day that Harry Potter came to Hogwarts. At that moment in time, he had no idea that the young boy would soon eventually help lead him to his death; but he wasn't going to hold it against him as Harry had no idea the Triwizard Cup would turn out to be a portkey. He could remember seeing the bushy haired girl that started to hang around with Harry, and the youngest Weasley boy. Those two had become inseparable over the year, gaining the nickname "The Golden Trio".
The fourth image he saw was the day he formally met Hermione Granger. It was his sixth year, and he was on his way to the Quidditch World Cup along with his father. They were to meet up with Arthur Weasley and his family, and Harry and Hermione were tagging along too. Her bushy hair always stood out in his mind, from the time he saw her during her first year, until now, when his life was almost at an end. A lot had happened during that World Cup, and for him, it was the start of a friendship that would change his life forever.
The fifth image he saw was the day he finally got to kiss Hermione Granger. After the World Cup he had made an effort to keep in touch with her, and was quite looking forward to seeing her on the Hogwarts Express in September. It had taken him hours to talk himself into it, and by the time he managed to reach Kings Cross Station, his stomach was so tied up in knots that he wasn't so sure he'd actually be able to go through with it. He had actually almost backed out when he first saw her, but knew that if he didn't do it now, he probably wouldn't get another chance. He asked her to sit with him in a compartment, and luckily she agreed. He had invited Harry and (much to his discomfort) Ron as well, but they had declined in favor of sitting with two other girls from their house. After a pleasant conversation, he found that he could no longer control himself and impulsively kissed her. That kiss, even when he was facing death, was enough to bring a smile to his face; it was soft and tender, and amazing. Unfortunately they both didn't know what to do and Hermione ended up running out of the compartment quite quickly. But that kiss changed their whole relationship.
As the green light came closer, he though of Hermione once more; the beautiful, amazing, intelligent girl he had fallen in love with. The only thing he feared right now was never seeing Hermione again; never hearing her voice or kissing her lips, or tangling his fingers in her wild bushy hair.
They say that your life flashes before your eyes right before you die. The images that Cedric saw were less of his life, and more of the moments where he had truly began to live. He didn't have time to be afraid of the green light rushing towards him; the whole exchange took seconds, at most.
And his last conscious thought was of the beautiful bushy haired girl he was leaving behind.