QLFC, Final Round
CHASER 1: Write a story set during Harry Potter's third year (1993–1994 school year)
9. (image) c8. alamy comp/S00YTD/mans-tie-on-floor-S00YTD. jpg (tie on floor)
12. (quote) 'On Wednesdays we wear pink.' —Karen Smith, Mean Girls
14. (dialogue) "Were you just kissing that thing?"
wc: ~1450
Nobody had expected Hufflepuff to play Gryffindor that day. It had been a last-minute decision, and although Cedric had had his team train twice a week, they were not ready for the imminent match. Even less so given the bad weather.
Striding around their locker room, Cedric sighed as he took in his teammates' demeanour. They were nervous and resigned. That much was clear from the unusually careless way in which they were changing their clothes to put their Quidditch robes on. Uniforms, ties, even a Prefect badge were lying on the floor as if their owners were simply too tired to bother with them.
It did not bode well, but Cedric couldn't really blame his teammates. Not only was a ferocious murderer on the loose and targeting a fellow student, but ever since the Dementors had been guarding Hogwarts, the castle had been shrouded in negativity and anxiety. The tension was so thick that it felt like a dark fog on his skin.
Looking around once more, Cedric decided to at least try to deliver his first pep talk to his team. He had never considered himself a great speaker — or even a good one — but a few words were in order to lift his teammates' spirits.
"It's time to go, guys," he said as worried eyes fixed on him. "I know you're scared — Merlin knows this whole situation gives me goosebumps — but we have to trust Dumbledore and be sure we can't be harmed as long as he protects us."
Justin Finch-Fletchley snorted, annoyed, but Cedric chose to ignore him. Now it was not the right time to dig up old grudges.
As his mind furiously worked to find something meaningful to say, Cedric kept on talking, aware that he would just be collecting a cliche after another. "All we have to do is beat the Gryffindor team." A few incredulous huffs resounded among his teammates, and he inwardly sighed. "The weather is not the best, I know, but we can do it. We trained hard, so I don't see why we shouldn't win, so forget about Black —"
Helpless eyes stared at him.
What a great, reassuring Captain you are, Cedric mocked himself.
His thoughts tumbling over themselves, he focussed on a memory, not older than three months. He smiled, relaxing a bit; he could as well use Black's betrayal to his own advantage. His pep talk would be longer than expected, but it was worth it.
Ξ
Cedric found the old newspaper announcing Black's impossible escape peering out his Herbology book as he walked towards the greenhouses. He didn't even remember how it ended up in there. Despite knowing the story by heart — he and his father had talked about it thoroughly — he found himself caught in the article that described Black's betrayal all over again. It was just crazy.
Barely aware of the emptying halls as all students were rushing to their own classes, he only had the time to catch a flash of blue and bronze before finding himself crashing into the smaller body of a black-haired girl. Thrown out of balance, his apologies halfway on his lips, he sucked in a sharp breath as his own shoulder collided painfully with the cold stone wall. Needing a few moments before resuming his walk to the greenhouses, he just leaned there, hoping he would go as unnoticed as any other Hufflepuff. He was not in the mood to deal with the other Houses' prejudices against Helga's students.
"Watch where you're going next time, Diggory!" a girl said. "We Ravenclaws are too precious to end up in the Hospital Wing."
"Yeah," her friend continued. "This School has to thank us for such high standards of knowledge."
As if! Cedric gritted his teeth. Of all people, he had to run into a Ravenclaw girl — where was she by the way? — whose friends felt all high and mighty just because they belonged to Rowena's House. He glanced at them; they were all wearing pink earrings, clearly hand-made, a smug display of creativity and, who knows, of elitism.
Maybe it was true what they said about the Dementors — that they bring out the worst in people. After all, ever since those hooded creatures had been stationed here, every student seemed to incarnate the worst traits of their own Houses. Including him. He had always been proud to be a Hufflepuff, but lately he just felt so… helpless.
"You Hufflepuffs, however —" another girl said, haughtily shaking her head to make her earrings clink, as they all turn to leave.
Cedric stared after them incredulously before bowing to collect his book and newspaper that had fallen on the floor. Suddenly, a small, pale hand entered his field of vision; it picked his things up, handed them to him, and reached out again, somewhat timidly this time.
"Cho Chang," the girl said.
He shook her hand, recognising her as the one he had bumped into. "Cedric Diggory."
She nodded. "Sorry, my housemates were not kind," she said, her sweet eyes brought out by the slight blush under them.
"No, it's my fault. I should have watched where I was going…"
"But I was running, and I shouldn't have." She smiled. "W-what were you reading?"
"The old newspaper article about Sirius Black."
"Oh."
"Yeah, apparently not all Gryffindors are brave," he said, fighting his bitterness and his irrational urge to defend himself, to apologise for not being one of them nevertheless — not being the courageous knight in shining armour every girl dreams of.
"Miss Chang, Mr. Diggory." The unexpected drawl could only belong to a Slytherin — the Head of Slytherin House, in fact.
"I'm pleased to see an old newspaper is more interesting than attending classes. To what do we owe such a fondness for printed paper?" Professor Snape briskly grabbed the newspaper. "Oh, Sirius Black." He spat.
Cho and Cedric glanced at each other; this would not end well for either of them.
"30 points from either of you. Now go to your classes," Professor Snape said, folding the newspaper and burying it into his robes.
"B-but… the newspaper…" Cho blinked a few times, her gaze not meeting the teacher's, but her voice steadied. "It belongs to Diggory."
Cedric looked at her, stunned. It would only make matters worse.
"I see, Miss Chang, you'd rather toy with this stupid thing —" Professor Snape waved the incriminated piece of paper before igniting it. "— than attend Professor Flitwick's class. He'll be very displeased to know it."
Cho looked down, her shoulders dropping.
Professor Snape cast a disdainful glance at the newspaper ashes. "Hm, one might wonder about your interest in a useless piece of paper, Miss Chang… Were you just kissing that thing? That'd explain your love for it. Or do you merely think that being a Ravenclaw exempts you from classes because you're the smart ones? Smarter than Slytherins? You're just a bunch of superb, vain children." His eyes glowed ominously.
Cho took a few steps behind until Cedric put his free hand on her shoulder, his other hand being clenched into a tight fist.
Straightening his back and feeling like a dragon could be less frightening than the Head of Slytherin House, Cedric said, "Not all Ravenclaws are superb, Sir."
Professor Snape's nostrils flared, but surprisingly, no smoke came out of them. "100 points from Hufflepuff. Not another word, Diggory, if you don't want to be expelled." He turned his back to Cedric and Cho. "Now. Go. To. Your. Classes."
"Well…" Cedric turned to Cho, forcing the next words out of his mouth with regret: "We have to go now." He shuffled his feet uncomfortably as he caught the intent look in her eyes.
"Not all Hufflepuffs are weak, Cedric Diggory," she said as she walked away.
Ξ
"... so remember that not only don't they have our loyalty, but we Hufflepuffs can be as brave and strong as any Gryffindor, and we certainly won't allow any Slytherin pettiness to affect us. Now let's get out and win this thing like we deserve." Secretly drawing a breath of relief for reaching the end of his speech, he threw his fist in the air with perhaps more conviction than he felt, but then, what were Captains for if not to motivate? And he was honestly proud to wear yellow and black every day. They would always be the colours of his choice, not just the price to pay to belong to an elite group. "I believe in any of you. Are you with me?"
He felt slightly breathless and his mouth was dry by now, but the excited cries that followed his first pep talk as Captain covered the sound of the ongoing storm, if only for a moment, and that was reward enough for Cedric.
"For our House and for Helga!"