DISCLAIMER: These characters are not mine; they belong to J.K. Rowlings and are used here without her permission.
Please
Eleven-year-old Cedric Diggory was petrified.
He lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, trying in vain to calm his pounding heart. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the calender that hung on the wall, but he did not need to strain to see the date. He knew what day it was.
It was September 1.
From where he lay, he could see the moon hanging over the Earth, casting its pale light on everything. In only a matter of hours, he would be on his way to Hogwarts.
He lay, frozen with fear, his stomach tied in knots. His clammy hands clenched the sheets, and he was sure that his skin was pale and pasty.
Next door he could hear the quiet sounds of his parents' slumber. *They* certainly weren't scared; on the contrary, his father had been boasting about his acceptance at Hogwarts ever since the letter had arrived.
Of course, that was the problem. Sure, he had done very well in school, but this was Hogwarts! He knew that, no matter what, his parents expected that he would shine at Hogwarts. He could imagine the things that his father saw in his future: Quidditch captain, prefect, Head Boy...
Cedric bit his lower lip. His parents expected so much from him. He was their only child, and they wanted him to achieve greatness. Ever since he was young, his parents (especially his father) had taken great pleasure in boasting about every accomplishment.
It had been easy when he was young. But now...Hogwarts was a great school! Could he possibly live up to his father's expectations there?
Tears ran down his face as he whispered the same plea that he would whisper every night for the rest of his life.
"Please, don't let me let anyone down. Whatever happens, just don't let me let anyone down."
Please
Eleven-year-old Cedric Diggory was petrified.
He lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, trying in vain to calm his pounding heart. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the calender that hung on the wall, but he did not need to strain to see the date. He knew what day it was.
It was September 1.
From where he lay, he could see the moon hanging over the Earth, casting its pale light on everything. In only a matter of hours, he would be on his way to Hogwarts.
He lay, frozen with fear, his stomach tied in knots. His clammy hands clenched the sheets, and he was sure that his skin was pale and pasty.
Next door he could hear the quiet sounds of his parents' slumber. *They* certainly weren't scared; on the contrary, his father had been boasting about his acceptance at Hogwarts ever since the letter had arrived.
Of course, that was the problem. Sure, he had done very well in school, but this was Hogwarts! He knew that, no matter what, his parents expected that he would shine at Hogwarts. He could imagine the things that his father saw in his future: Quidditch captain, prefect, Head Boy...
Cedric bit his lower lip. His parents expected so much from him. He was their only child, and they wanted him to achieve greatness. Ever since he was young, his parents (especially his father) had taken great pleasure in boasting about every accomplishment.
It had been easy when he was young. But now...Hogwarts was a great school! Could he possibly live up to his father's expectations there?
Tears ran down his face as he whispered the same plea that he would whisper every night for the rest of his life.
"Please, don't let me let anyone down. Whatever happens, just don't let me let anyone down."