The Return of Cedric - a Sofia the First fanfic
The Return of Cedric
Note: this is a story set in the future during Sofia and Lucinda's teenage years, and is set about a year after "Flashbacks".
Chapter One
In was morning at Enchancia Castle. In Sofia and Lucinda's workshop, a 16-year-old Lucinda was working on a potion when a white owl flew through the window and landed on the table next to Lucinda.
"Well, good morning" Lucinda greeted the owl.
"Good morning, Princess Lucinda" the owl started. "My name is Seth. I bring grave news from Azkaban". The owl then held out it's leg to which a message container was attached.
Lucinda then opened the mesasage container and read the message. A very concerned look came over Lucinda's face. Then, Lucinda wrote a note and put it in the message container.
"I'll make sure Princess Sofia receives the news immediately" Lucinda said to Seth. "Meanwhile, deliver the note I gave you back to Azkaban."
"Understood, Princess" Seth said to Lucinda. Seth then flew out of the window.
Rex, the German Shepard guard dog, was sitting in the workshop and had witnessed what had just taken place.
"What's going on, Lucinda?" Rex asked.
"Trouble" Lucinda replied.
In Sofia's room, a 16-year-old Sofia was getting ready for the day when a knock came at the door.
"Come in" Sofia said.
Lucinda walked through the door. "Sofia ..." Lucinda said.
Sofia saw the concerned look on Lucinda's face. "What is it ... Lucinda?" Sofia asked.
"I might as well just come out and tell you, Sofia" Lucinda started. "It's Cedric. He's escaped from Azkaban."
Early that afternoon, Sofia and Lucinda arrived at the newly created Ministry of Magic. When they arrived, the two were shown to a room where they were instructed to wait for somebody to brief them on Cedric's escape from Azkaban. In a few minutes, a man walked through the door. It was Mr. Vanoor.
"Sofia, Lucinda" Mr. Vanoor greeted.
"Mr. Vanoor" Lucinda said. "We had heard you were working for the Ministry."
"Yes" Mr. Vanoor answered. "I'm an Auror assigned to the Auror Office. Our job is to pursue and apprehend those criminally abusing their magical powers." Mr. Vanoor stopped for a few moments, then continued. "Well, let's get down to business."
"How did Cee-drick escape?" Sofia asked.
"It was a breakout which involved three other prisoners" Mr. Vanoor started. "The other three prisoners were tracked down and returned to Azkaban. Cedric, however, managed to escape without a trace."
"Is there any idea where he might be?" Lucinda inquired.
"Your guess is as good as ours at the moment" Mr. Vanoor answered. "We would ask that you and Sofia be on the lookout for him, just in case he somehow decides to return to Enchancia. Anything is possible at the moment".
"Understood" Sofia responded.
Mr. Vanoor looked down for a few moments, then turned back to Sofia.
"Sofia" Mr. Vanoor started. "This is nothing personal mind you, but the Auror Office needs to know for the record ... what are your feelings toward Mr. Cedric?"
Lucinda gasped.
"It's alright, Lucinda" Sofia said. "I would have been shocked if the question had not been asked."
Sofia thought for a few moments, then she turned to Mr. Vanoor.
"To tell you the truth" Sofia started, "I'm boiling mad at Mr. Cee-drick. Lucinda was grieving over the loss of her parents, and Cee-drick's response was to try and steal her amulet! And then we find out later on that not only had he been trying to steal my amulet for years, but had he been successful, he would have used it's power to take over the Kingdom! What kind of so-called decent person would do that?".
Lucinda put her hand on Sofia's hand in an attempt to comfort Sofia.
"I thought Cee-drick was my friend" Sofia continued. "He betrayed me! He betrayed Lucinda! He betrayed my entire family! ... and I want him caught as much as anybody else does".
Mr. Vanoor looked at Sofia with sympathy. He had hated to ask the question, but officially he had to.
Sofia had expressed her feelings, except that she had held one thing back. There was still a part of her that felt sorry for Cedric. But Sofia pushed that to the back of her mind. Cedric was an excaped criminal, and as a royal sorceress, she was legally obiligated to arrest him should she come across him.
By mid afternoon, Sofia and Lucinda were back at Enchancia Castle, having used the floo network to travel between Enchancia Castle and the Ministry of Magic.
"What now?" Lucinda asked Sofia.
"We still have some daylight left" Sofia said. "We might as well take the brooms and fly over the area, just in case Cee-drick decided to come back here to Enchancia".
"Okay" Lucinda responded. "I'll get my broom and then we can search together".
"I was thinking" Sofia started "that we should split up so we can cover more ground".
"You going to be alright?" Lucinda asked.
"I'll be fine" Sofia reassured Lucinda.
Sofia and Lucinda took their brooms out to the castle courtyard, then they flew off in different directions.
Chapter Two
After a little while, Sofia found herself over a wooded area. Sofia seemed to be strangely drawn to the wooded area. She couldn't explain why she was so drawn to the area. It was as if some force had led her there.
Sofia landed her boom and dismounted it. The forest seemed quiet enough, but Sofia pullled out her wand just to on the safe side. As she continued to look around, she suddently heard a twig snap behind her. Sofia spun around and saw to her shock ... Cedric standing there.
"Hold it right there!" Sofia commanded.
Cedric put his hands in the air. "Princess, I mean you no harm ..."
Sofia quickly walked up to Cedric with her wand drawn. When she reached him, she slapped him across the face. "That was for Lucinda!" Sofia shouted as she slapped him a second time. "And that was for me!"
"... I had that comming" Cedric quietly said.
"Cee-drick!" Sofia started. "I'm placing you under arrest for excaping from Azkaban!".
"I'll submit myself to your custody" Cedric quietly said. "All I ask is that you hear me out".
"Oh! This ought to be good!" Sofia mocked. "More lies?".
"Just a chance to explain myself" Cedric said.
Sofia felt that part of herself that felt sorry for Cedric, but she was still angry at him at the same time. "Go ahead! But it had better be good!" Sofia barked.
"I'm sorry" Cedric started "for the pain I've caused you, caused Lucinda, and caused your entire family. That by no means makes up for what I've done, but I am truly sorry for the pain I've caused".
"But why, Mr. Cee-drick?" Sofia demanded. "Why did you do it?"
"When your in Azkaban, you have pleanty of time to think" Cedric started. "The truth is, I felt I never measured up as a person. I was a disappointment to my father, and a disappointment to your father. It was always Cedric messed up at this, or Cedric messed up at that. I felt like I never truly fit in. And, after a while, that begins to do things to you. You want ... revenge".
Sofia thought for a moment about some things that had happened in her life.
"I can understand not truly fitting in" Sofia started. "Yes, I have many friends among the royals. But, not everybody was happy with me being a Princess. Because I came from the village, there were some royals who looked down on me. I was that lowly village girl. And some other vulgar names that I won't bother to repeat".
"I had no idea, Princess ..." Cedric said in a shocked tone of voice.
"... Something I don't talk about a whole lot" Sofia said. "But you didn't see me going out seeking revenge."
"And that makes you the better person" Cedric said.
Cedric thought for a few moments, then continued.
"You were the only person who treated me with kindness" Cedric said to Sofia. "And how did I repay that kindness? By plotting to steal your amulet, and by plotting to take over the Kingdom. I won't insult you by asking your forgiveness ... I don't deserve it. But I am sorry for what I have done. I have betrayed the only real friend I ever had. And I wanted you to know that".
Sofia thought for a few moments. In her mind, she remembered the good times she had experienced with Cedric. Like the time Cedric had taught her how to use spells so she could pass a magic test at Royal Prep. Sofia found herself suddently torn. In spite of everything, she had seen Cedric's good side. And now he seemed truly sorry for what he had done.
"You may now take me into custody" Cedric said. "I have said what I needed to say."
"Do you have a wand on you?" Sofia asked.
"Yes" Cedric answered. "In my backpack".
"Bring it out" Sofia instructed.
As Cedric reached into his backpack for his wand, Sofia raised her wand and fired it at a nearby tree. The resulting blast left a mark on the tree.
"What are you doing, Princess Sofia?" Cedric asked in an astonished tone of voice.
"It's the only way the Ministry will ever believe me" Sofia answered.
"I don't understand" Cedric said.
"It has to look like I came across you" Sofia started, "and that you got the jump on me. You have to knock me out with your wand, then escape".
"Princess Sofia?" Cedric asked. "I could ask why?"
"... For old times sake" Sofia said. "I've seen there is good in you, and I've seen you are sorry for what you have done. I'm giving you a second chance. But I must never lay eyes on you again. You must go as far away from here as you can."
Sofia paused for a few moments, then continued.
"Go ahead, then" Sofia said. "Fire!"
"But" Cedric responded, "I can't!"
"You must!" Sofia ordered. "Do it! Before I change my mind!"
Cedric raised his wand. "I'm sorry ... Sofia" Cedric said.
"Wait" Sofia said. "Just one more thing. Goodbye ... Mr. Cedric".
"... you pronounced my name correctly" Cedric observed.
"Due to the way I've been pronouncing it, I realise that I've been murdering your name" Sofia said. "I just thought that once, you should hear me pronounce it correctly".
Cedric smiled at Sofia.
"Now fire!" Sofia said as she assumed a defensive stance and raised her wand.
Cedric stood there for a few moments. He then raised his wand ... and fired on Sofia. Sofia fell unconscious to the ground. Cedric then slowly walked over to where Sofia was laying.
"I'm so sorry, Sofia" Cedric said with tears in his eyes. Cedric then produced a small round container from his backpack and removed the lid. He put the container on the ground, then raised his wand. "Your allowing me to escape. But I can't allow you to put your career on the line. There is something I can do for you".
Cedric then gently touched his wand to the side of Sofia's head.
"Now, lets see" Cedric started. "Ah, there it is"
Cedric then slowly moved his wand across the side of Sofia's head as a thin white wisp of a memory fragment wrapped itself around his wand. Cedric then placed the memory fragment into the container, and closed the container.
"There" Cedric said. "All you'll remember about this is landing here, and hearing something behind you. If your memory is scanned, that's all anybody will see".
Cedric looked at the unconscious Sofia, then gently kissed her on the forehead. "Goodbye, my friend" Cedric said. "You are the best part of me". Cedric then left.
A few minutes later, Lucinda was flying her broom nearby. Something had told her it might be wise to check in with Sofia. As Lucinda flew overhead, she suddently noticed somebody laying on the ground.
Chapter Three
"Sofia! Sofia!" Lucinda shouted as she put Sofia's head in her lap. "Sofia! Can you hear me?"
Sofia slowly woke up.
"Yes" Sofia responded. "I can ... hear you, Lucinda".
Lucinda helped Sofia to her feet.
"Are you alright?" Lucinda asked Sofia with concern.
"Yes" Sofia said. "I think so".
"What happened?" Lucinda asked.
Sofia thought for a moment.
"I remember landing here to check out the area" Sofia started. "I heard a twig snap behind me, and I turned around to see ... Cee-drick". Sofia tried to remember more, but found she couldn't.
Lucinda looked around, and noticed the blast mark on a nearby tree.
"Looks like you managed to fire off a shot" Lucinda said to Sofia.
"... And he must have fired and hit me" Sofia responded.
Sofia then looked around.
"He must have fired, then took off" Sofia said. "That must have been it. I can't remember anything past the point I saw Cee-drick".
"Can you fly your broom?" Lucinda asked Sofia.
"Yes" Sofia answered.
"Then let's get home" Lucinda said "so we can get you looked at".
Back at Enchancia Castle, Sofia was checked out by a doctor. It appeared that Sofia was alright.
The following day, Sofia was debriefed by the Auror Office. Sofia told the officials there what she remembered. Her mind was also gently scanned, and her memories confirmed what she had said. With that, the Auror Offfice was satisfied that Sofia had done everything she could have.
In a Ministry hallway, Sofia was walking with Mr. Vanoor.
"I can't believe I had Cee-drick ... and that he got away!" Sofia said in disgust.
"You musn't blame yourself, Sofia" Mr. Vanoor said, trying to make Sofia feel better. "It could have happened to anybody. Rembmber that Cedric managed to escape from Azkaban. Anybody capable of doing that is a force to be reckoned with".
"I guess your right" Sofia said.
"Try not to think about it anymore" Mr. Vanoor said as he put his hand on Sofia's shoulder. "You did all you could have done".
A few weeks later at Enchancia Castle, it was night, and Sofia was getting ready for bed. Suddently, on her dressing table, a small round container appeared with a note attached to it. Sofia read the note.
Sofia: if you wish to remember what happened in the woods when you encountered Cedric, you'll find the memory here.
Sofia at that point found herself torn. Part of her didn't want to know. But another part of her did want answers. Sofia opened the container, and discovered a memory fragment floating in the container.
"I've got to know, no matter what" Sofia thought to herself as she brought out her wand and wrapped the memory fragment around it. Sofia then touched the wand and memory fragment to the side of her head. The memory fragment entered Sofia's head, and the memory of what had happened in the woods came flooding back.
Sofia then remembered what had happened, and how she had let Cedric go. As Sofia walked to her window, she smiled. She may not have done the right legal thing ... but she had done the right thing as far as friendship was concerned. There was good in Cedric, and Sofia had seen that. Cedric was truly sorry for what he had done. He was never comming back to Enchancia. And what purpose would sending him back to Azkaban serve? Two years of hell was quite enough Sofia thought. Sofia then went back to the dressing table, put the container away, and picked up the note. She took the note over to the fireplace. When she reached the fireplace, Sofia threw the note into the fireplace. The note quickly burned up.
Sofia never saw Cedric again. As for Cedric, he set up an apothecary shop in a far away kingdom and sold remedies for a varirty of ailments. He lived a peaceful and happy life.