The Same Side Now

"Lily! Hey, wait up a mo!"

Lily turns around to see me. God, what a beautiful girl. She's not that typical airhead, like her friends. She's a cut above.

"Yes, Amos?"

My name. Wow. My name sounds great on her tongue. I clear my throat. Two years of pining after her, and it came down to this. In your face, Potter. You might have beaten me to Head Boy, but not to –

"Hi, love."

You've got to be shitting me.

James Potter just wrapped his hand around her. Just kissed her. And she's not hexing him.

My world just crashed.

"Hey, baby," she says. In that annoying little voice, the one that girls only use when they're completely smitten. The irritating one. "Oh, Amos, did you need something?"

"Yeah... um..." Think of something, think of something! "Just wanted to know – what the Charms assignment was." Nice. Idiot.

She starts telling me. That beautiful mouth of hers tells me all about the essay, and the practical assignment, and everything else. All I hear is, "Potter won. Potter beat you. Potter won again."

Damn.

.o.O.o.

The wind in my hair. The smell of grass. God, I love Quidditch.

And this isn't just any old Quidditch match. This is the first time that Hufflepuff could win in over twenty years. We could get the cup. I'd be a hero. And I'd beat Potter.

I'm way above the stands, scouting, searching, and I can feel that I'm getting closer. The Gryffindor seeker, that Morgana girl, is circling nearby. Gryffindor is up by fifty points. They have to win by at least a hundred to get the Cup.

Oh. My. God.

Before I even know what's happening my broom is pointed at the Gryffindor hoops and I'm speeding towards it. Morgana is opposite me, but I'm closer, I'll get it, come on, come on –

What the fuck?

Potter. It figures.

Black is roaring with laughter. I can't believe it. I missed. Ref, come on, that was illegal!

Potter just conveniently missed the goal, and just conveniently curved the Quaffle towards my head, and just conveniently knocked me off my course. Morgana caught the fucking Snitch. Gryffindor won.

I can't believe my eyes. We lost. All that glory... gone.

And the worst part?

Lily kissed him.

.o.O.o.

All I want is to be head of the class. Or head wizard, anyways. Lily is obviously head witch.

Graduation is what I'd been waiting for, for all of six years. I want out of this place. I want to prove myself. I want to be better than those idiots. I'm better than that.

Dumbledore stands up and calls Lily forward, along with a Slytherin – I think her name is Taxa. The top two girls in the year. I can see Potter clapping behind them. Lily is laughing.

"And the top two wizards in the graduating class," Dumbledore says. I puff out my chest just a little bit, rearrange my robes, getting ready to stand up –

"I present to you –"

Yes, yes, come on...

"Mr. James Potter and Mr. Remus Lupin, both with eight 'O's on their NEWTs!"

I think my heart just stopped.

Lupin. Yes. I understand that. Lupin was practically a genius. I respect him. But Potter?

And Lily is happy.

Potter, I hope you die young.

.o.O.o.

I didn't mean it.

I didn't really want him to die. And I never wanted Lily dead. I can't – I – no, God, don't let it be true.

There's no way that they're really dead. Maybe this is the Quibbler ... no, no, it's the Prophet. I can't believe it.

But wait... their son...

It figures.

Potter, I hope you rest in peace. And Lily too. Honestly. But it fucking figures that your son would outdo mine. It just fucking figures.

.o.O.o.

Ha!

Potter, your son looked just like you. You probably knew that. But he lost! He lost! He lost to my son! To Cedric! HA!

I can't believe it. I guess that was my revenge. And he fell off of his broomstick, too.

I'm sorry. A little.

Okay, I was lying through my teeth right there.

.o.O.o.

You're kidding me.

Cedric made it as Champion.

I'm so proud of him. It's so wonderful. I can't believe it. I really am proud.

It figures that Potter's son would be champion too.

Damn.

.o.O.o.

And now I'm lying here, with my son, and he won't ever look up at me again and say, "Okay, Dad, I'll make you proud." He'll never talk again.

Your son, Potter. I'm sorry for everything I ever said. Your son is the greatest boy I've met, much wiser beyond his years, and I believe him, the Dark Lord is back.

Cedric. I'm so sorry, Cedric. You told me you didn't want to do it. You never wanted to be champion. I'm so very, very sorry.

And I'm sitting here with him, and Potter, you'd better keep a watch over your boy. Keep him safe. You won. Your son outdid mine.

And now, I'm going to do everything I can to make sure he overthrows the bastard that killed my Cedric. I'm calling a truce, Potter.

We're on the same side now.