Wigtown Wanderers
Chaser 1: The Kabuki Dance of Japan; write about a character, excluding Neville, who spends most of their time behind the scenes, but eventually gets their moment to shine.
Prompts: [song] "Demons" by Imagine Dragons, [song] "Music of the Night" from Phantom of the Opera, [genre] tragedy OR [setting] on a farm
Word Count: 2,169 (not including the breaks and including the song lyrics)
~o0o~
Don't want to let you down
But I am hell bound
Though this is all for you
Don't want to hide the truth
"Demons" by Imagine Dragons
~o0o~
The chickens clucked insistently around Cedric Diggory's feet as he got water from the pump. It was difficult tending the sheep, cows, chickens, and horses by himself, but the little bit they saved during the summer would help pay for farm hands while he was at school. They barely made enough, and each year they had to sell a little more away just to keep it afloat. Part of him was hesitant to leave for one day for the Quidditch World Cup, but his mum insisted he have a little bit of fun. He honestly wouldn't have minded. The work kept him busy and in shape for Quidditch and, besides, it's not like he was invited anywhere during the summer. Cedric was fine with doing farm work and learning about the things he couldn't learn in school.
Cedric hoisted the buckets of water up and carried them inside so Tavi could boil them. Tavi was a freed elf that his grandmother hired to help before she moved home to Algeria. Unlike other house-elves, she was trained in proper English so she could school pure-blooded children.
"Hello, Cedric," said Tavi, snapping her fingers to relieve his burden. "Your mother is asking for you."
"Thank you, Tavi." Cedric pulled off his work boots so he wouldn't track mud, washed his hands, and took the tray of tea Tavi prepared upstairs.
As he approached his mum's room, he could hear her talking with his father. Actually, arguing was more like it.
"The Triwizard Tournament would be a great opportunity for our son!" Father insisted. "The glory will keep him in the spotlight for years and the prize money is nothing to sneeze at. We could sell this old place and finally be with upper society where we belong."
"This old place is my home," Mum argued. "I won't sell it. Besides, you'd really risk the life of our only son for the chance to rub elbows with the snooty racists? And how could you be so certain he'd be Champion?"
"They changed it. Cedric has brains and brawn, no matter who the judge is, they're certain to choose him, even if he is a Hufflepuff. It's a thousand Galleons, Bel."
Rude. Even so, a thousand galleons transferred to pounds would be enough to save the house. And the Tournament would make his dad proud of him for once. Cedric would move heaven and Earth for his parents. Adjusting his grip on the tray, Cedric entered the room.
"I'll do it," he said. "I'll enter the Triwizard Tournament. I'll get chosen and win. No matter what it takes."
"Cedric…" Mum gasped.
"See? He wants to do it," said Father.
"Cedric, please…" Mum trailed off into a coughing fit. She'd been sick for years. If they didn't have Tavi, Cedric might've even dropped out of school to take care of her.
Cedric went to her side and poured some cough potion into a spoon.
"It's okay, Mum," he said. "I have to try. Let me do this for you two. If I win that Tournament our troubles will be pushed back for at least a while longer."
She placed her hand on top of his and sighed.
"Okay. Just, please, be careful."
"I'm always careful."
~o0o~
When his name was called out of the Goblet of Fire, Cedric was overjoyed and couldn't wait to write home. Things were going according to plan.
For about five minutes.
And then Harry-freaking-Potter strolled through the door of the trophy room and announced himself as the second Champion of Hogwarts.
Okay, so it didn't happen quite like that. The poor boy was terrified, a blind person could see that. And it infuriated him that all the adults were just allowing it to happen. Harry didn't enter his name, but he had to compete anyway as, what, bait? All respect Cedric had for Albus Dumbledore went out the window that evening.
It didn't get any easier.
While the school cheered for Cedric, the papers neglected to mention him on any level. He was just a stupid Hufflepuff after all. Only thing notable about him was that his great-great-great-great grandfather was a Minister for Magic. Being snubbed made Cedric's blood boil, but he wasn't about to let the school bully Harry. A small part of him felt glee at seeing the buttons and that just made a bigger part of him feel… icky.
Despite this, Harry played fair and told Cedric about the dragons.
Cedric planned and thought he was being clever with the dog when he fought the Swedish Short-Snout. However, points were docked when he got his face burned. Karkaroff also scored unfairly by giving him a three. What would have been fair was a system that could have expectations that must be met and judging based on those expectations.
Harry used his broom to out-fly the dragon and performed a perfect Wronski Feint, earning him 40 points, tying him with Krum. Fleur received 39 points. And Cedric got 38, earning him last.
He had smiled and congratulated Harry, then sulked after everyone went to bed.
Don't get him wrong, he didn't want anything bad to happen to the boy. He just wished that the Ministry could've found a way to pull him out of the Tournament. A few days later, he received a letter from his father berating him on earning last place.
It wasn't fair.
But Cedric was a person who paid back debts. Since Harry told him about the dragons, he gave him a hint about using the egg in the Prefect's bath. Granted… Professor Moody mentioned in class about what Mermish sounded like and that got Cedric thinking. Plus, he remembered when his cousin, Luna Lovegood, was learning Mermish and had claimed it sounded better underwater. It took him awhile to figure out the riddle in the egg, but he didn't know he was saving Cho Chang until the day of the task.
Harry used gillyweed of course.
Cedric wanted to kick himself for not thinking of it. With Professor Sprout as his Head of House, there were plenty of books about herbs. Instead, he chose the bubblehead charm paired with a warming charm and practiced swimming every day he could until the Task.
He was so thrilled when he rescued Cho first, but when he learned Harry could've gotten first had he not tried to save the others, it made him angry. By that point, a majority of the school stopped cheering for him, choosing instead to cheer for Harry. He just counted himself lucky they weren't making Cedric Stinks buttons. He probably wouldn't have been able to maintain his happy-go-lucky exterior if someone did. First place didn't stop his father from sending him a letter demanding he try harder.
A fourteen-year-old was outshining him with minimal magic use. A fourteen-year-old who already had money and eternal glory. Cedric believed him when he said he didn't enter the Tournament, but that still begged the question why somebody felt that Harry needed more money and eternal glory.
But it wasn't too late.
There was still the Third Task and Cedric had more practical experience and spells under his belt to utilize for this challenge. True, his defense training was lacking compared to Fleur and Viktor, due to inconsistencies with teachers for the past six years, but he could practice every day.
Cedric promised himself he was going to win this Tournament. He was going to win it fairly. He was going to show that you didn't have to play dirty to win. He wanted—no—needed to win this. For himself. For his father who wanted to see him as Champion. So his mother wouldn't have to worry. He wanted this. He wanted this more than anything else in his life. Whatever he faced in that maze was worth it if it meant he could feel the light of glory and acceptance on his face. For his dad to finally say: I'm proud of you, son.
"On the sound of the cannon!" Ludo Bagman announced.
BOOM!
Cedric entered the maze with full confidence that he was going to win this and walk out with his head held high.
Cedric Diggory, Triwizard Champion had a pretty good ring to it.
He fought his way through the maze and ended up catching the trophy the same time as Harry. They had agreed that they would win as Hogwarts. Cedric planned to ask if he could have the prize money after and just let Harry have the trophy. Sure, he would be pushed to the back, but he was making his peace with it. Only the people who mattered would care. Right?
Instead of depositing them in the front of the maze, the two boys ended up somewhere dark.
Cedric looked around, a pit opening up in his stomach. This wasn't right.
"We need to get back to the Portkey," said Harry.
Cedric nodded, but became distracted by a figure moving in the darkness. Overcome by a need to protect the boy beside him, Cedric readied his wand.
"Kill the spare," an icy voice hissed.
Cedric opened his mouth, but the second voice was faster.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Cedric opened his eyes to find himself at King's Cross station. It was too bright but nothing hurt. A woman's shape appeared over him. She helped him up and wrapped him up in a grey robe.
"Come on, Cedric," she said in a soft voice.
"Where am I?" he asked, looking up at the red-haired woman with the kind green eyes. She looked only a few years older than him.
Behind her was a man who looked shockingly like Harry with brown skin, messy hair, and glasses, as well as an old man and a woman with blonde hair and wide eyes.
"I… the maze," said Cedric. He pressed a hand to his chest and felt nothing. Not even an echo of a heartbeat. He remembered a green light.
"Come," said the redhead. "We have a train to catch and I'll explain on the way."
Cedric glanced at the train painted all in black. The group boarded and stood in a compartment.
"Where are we going?" he asked as the train sped along the tracks.
"We have to help my son," said the redhead. "Harry. He needs to live. I'm not ready to see him home just yet. I hope I won't for a long time. Will you fight Voldemort with us?"
Cedric narrowed his eyes in determination and nodded.
"It's time," said James Potter, adjusting his glasses.
They exited the train, filing out into a cemetery. Cedric saw his own body lying on the ground, not far from Harry, and felt a twinge of anger. If he wasn't so desperate to prove himself, he might've been contently sitting in the stands outside the maze. Perhaps disappointed he wasn't in the tournament, but he would've been alive.
"Harry?" he said, turning his attention to the boy. "Will you take my body back to my father? Please?"
Harry nodded. "I will! I promise!"
"It's time to let go sweetheart," said Lily Potter. "Let go."
Once the cross-fire was released, Cedric flew right into Voldemort's ugly face with the ferocity of a badger. An instant later, he was back on the train heading back to the station. Rather than stopping at King's Cross, the train kept on going.
"Where are we going now?" he asked.
"Home," said James Potter. "I think you'll like it."
When he was alive, Cedric didn't know what to think about what lay beyond death. He didn't know what to think about his death. He was surprised to find…that he didn't care. He didn't have responsibilities weighing on him anymore. His entire life was spent trying to be perfect. Perfect grades for his father, never acting out, and was always obedient. He had never complained about his chores, no matter how back breaking the work was. How could he when his mother was too sick to leave the bed? At least she still had Tavi. At least she had the option to sell the farm. He didn't have to worry about her. Tavi would take care of her.
What else did he have in his short life?
He was the person everyone relied on at school. The prefect who listened and cared about the problems of everyone around him no matter how petty it was. A perfect and affectionate boyfriend. A perfect and best friend. In his six years of school, he never let anyone see the worst in him. He was afraid they would hate his insecurities, anger, burdens, and fears as much as he did.
Now, he was finally free.
~o0o~
Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams
Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before
Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar
And you'll live as you've never lived before
"Music of the Night" from Phantom of the Opera