The Junior And The Prefect.

Chapter one: Reminiscing At The Boot

I felt like I had barely fallen asleep when Mrs. Weasley woke me up.
'Time to go, Harry, dear' She moved over to wake Ron.
I reach for my glasses while the younger Weasley boys are woken. Mrs. Weasley exits and we dress in silence, too sleepy to talk, just a few yawns and stretches and we all head down stairs.

Mrs. Weasley was stirring a large pot while Mr. Weasley checked a sheaf of large parchment tickets.
'What d'you think?' he asks, smiling and holding out his arms.
He was wearing a golfing jumper and jeans too big for him, held up by a thick leather belt.
'We're supposed to go incognito – do I look like a Muggle, Harry?'
'Yeah, very good,' I smile.

o~O~o~O~o~O~o

'… Two hundred Portkeys placed at strategic points around Britain, and the nearest one to us is up the top of Stoatshead Hill, so that's where we're headed,' Ron rolled his eyes, he obviously didn't find the conversation on Portkeys such a big thing.
'What sort of objects are Portkeys?'
'Well, they can be anything, unobtrusive things obviously, so Muggles don't go picking them up and playing with them… Stuff they'll just think is litter…'

The conversation died as we trudge up Stoatshead Hill, being too steep to do anything but concentrate on breathing.

Upon reaching the top Mr. Weasley took off his glasses and wiped them on his sweater.
'Well, we've made good time – we've got ten minutes… Now we just need the Portkey,' Mr. Weasley replaced his glasses. 'It won't be big… come on…'

It's a little difficult to search for something when I have no idea what it looks like.
'Over here, Arthur! Over here, son, we've got it!' That solved my problem. I stand up, wiping dirt away from my pants.
'Amos! This is Amos Diggory, everyone, works for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. And I think you know his son, Cedric?'
I look over at Mr. Diggory, who in comparison to Cedric was nothing. Said boy smiles at me looking a little nervous, my only reasons to this is that he is nervous about being around those who were flogged by him in the first round of Quidditch last year. I smile back at him.
'Hi,' he looks around at everyone; they say "hi" back except for Fred and George, who still haven't forgiven Cedric.

Not that it was really his fault, if I had known how to cast a Potronus during that game; I wouldn't have fallen off my broom. But then I wouldn't have received that lovely Firebolt from my Godfather either.

Mr. Diggory looked over everyone in the group.
'All these yours, Arthur?'
'Oh, no, only the redheads. This is Hermione, friend of Ron's – and another friend –' Mr. Diggory's eyes widen.
'Merlin's beard, Harry? Harry Potter?'
'Er – yeah,' Mr. Diggory looks at Cedric excitedly then back at me. Cedric looks embarrassed. I can't help feeling uncomfortable, even though I have become used to the idea that people see me as some kind of a miracle in the Wizarding world. "The Boy Who Lived". The looks I often get from strangers are still unnerving.
'Ced's talked about you, of course, told us all about playing against you… I said to him, I said – Ced, that'll be something to tell your grandchildren that will… you beat Harry Potter!' How do you reply to something like that? Cedric looks at his feet, scratching the back of his head, Fred and George have a look to kill about them.
'Harry, fell off his broom dad,' Cedric mutters. 'I told you… It was an accident…'
'Yes, but you didn't fall off did you?' Mr. Diggory claps his hand on Cedric's shoulder looking proud 'Always modest our Ced, always the gentlemen… But the best man won, I'm sure that Harry, would say the same, wouldn't you eh? One falls off his broom, one stays on, you didn't need to be a genius to tell which ones the better flier!' Mr. Weasley looks nervous pulling out his watch.
'Must be nearly time, do you know if we're waiting for any more Amos?' Mr. Diggory looks at Mr. Weasley as if he just realized where he was.
'No, the Lovegood's have been there for a week already, and Fawcett's couldn't get tickets. There aren't any more of us in this area, are there?'
'Not that I know of, yes, it's a minute off, we better get ready…' Mr. Weasley looks at Hermione and me.
'You just need to touch the Portkey – Just a finger will do –'
All nine of us gather around this moldy old boot, Ron on one side and Cedric on the other.

I just realized how odd it would look to a Muggle if one were to walk up the hill just now and saw two grown men and seven teenagers touching a boot.
'Three…' said Mr. Weasley, still eyeing his watch. I look to the left of me at Cedric, who looks back and smiles. I feel his fingers curl around mine, and I think back to last year when he last smiled at me like that.

I had just received the Firebolt from Sirius, and wanted to show it off, just wanted to see the look on Malfoy's face. Everyone had walked down with me as of they were afraid that someone would swoop down and snatch it away. Upon entering the Great Hall everyone was excited about it. Malfoy's face had a look of envy, those grey eyes glaring me down the whole way to my seat. People from the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables gathered to admire the broom. Cedric Diggory was among them. His smile showed off his perfectly pointed teeth…

'Two…' Mr. Weasley's voice brought me back to the present. '… One…'