Chapter 3: Hufflepuff's New Seeker

Cedric Diggory and Cho Chang almost strolled through the hallway. He wasn't in a hurry for he did not expect to be in the hospital wing for a long time. Besides that, he planned a last practice session for Quidditch already, according to the fact the selections were this evening.

The little pale Chinese girl kept a little distance, around two steps away from him. Shy she peeked up sometimes but her gaze never stayed on the Hufflepuff boy very long. He felt the blood dripping in his neck, almost chuckled.

'Does it hurt a lot?' her soft voice asked, and he turned around, shaking his head.

'It was just an accident, it isn't your fault.'

'I did not ask that.'

'It doesn't hurt.'

She rolled her eyes, daring to come a little closer and then he suddenly dared to lay a hand on her shoulder, only for a moment.

'Cho,' he said. 'do not worry.'

She seemed surprised he knew her name and he smiled softly. His hand lingered there on her shoulder for a moment, before sliding it down.

As they reached the hospital wing Madame Pomfrey stood on the doorstep already, sighing. She clearly got notice of his little 'accident' already.

'Mr. Diggory, you are back very soon. Should I start to worry already?'

He made an uninterested sound and grinned, running his hands through his hair and moaned softly when his fingers touched the wound.

'Very smart.' The nurse huffed a little and she made a handgasture to the bed. 'Settle yourself, I will check your wound.'

He jumped on the bed, trying to avoid every grimace of pain because his soft moan clearly shocked Cho, and she stood there beside the bed a little shaky.

'Don't worry.' He repeated and chuckles softly, giving her a nice smile to calm her down. Madame Pomfrey studied the two students and could not help to smile as well.

'What happened anyway?' she asked. 'You were showing off again, right?'

'I was not!' Cedric gasped dramatically and buried his face in his hands. Cho had to laugh, which sounded tinkling and gentle and she laid her hand over her mouth quickly. Her gaze got down ashamed but Cedric peeked to her through his fingers, smiling a little cocky.

'Why do I not believe that?' Madame Pomfrey sighed and she pushed his hands a little down. The nurse brought her hands to his head and Cedric wiggled his feet a little, playing with his fingers.

'It was my fault, Madame.' Cho suddenly said. It was half whispering, half gasping and clearly shy but she did say it.

'It was an accident.' Cedric muttered stubborn. 'Don't you worry, Cho Chang. I already said so now, didn't I?'

She nodded and gave him a careful smile.

'Besides I will be out in no time.' He winked. But till his surprise Madame Pomfrey shook her head disapproving and sighed.

'I'm sorry boy, this is a deep cut. It almost cracked your skull.'

Cho grew impossibly pale with those words and held on to the bed for support. He saw it and tried to hush her, as her hands squeezed softly into the pillows.

'Well but my skull isn't cracked, is it?'

She doubted it.

'I'm so sorry!' Cho muttered and her gaze got down again.

'It's not your fault.' Cedric answered warning. His eyes got to the nurse. 'I will be gone before the clock strikes seven I hope?'

She laughed humorless and pushed him down on the bed.

'You're not going to get out till at least tomorrow evening, Mr. Diggory.'

'What!' he stared at her in total horror his hands twirling themselves in the blankets before he jumped up. 'You can't do that! The Quidditch selections are this evening!'

'I'm sorry, but I can not let you go. Worry more about your health than about that place in the team, next year there's another chance.'

'But my dad…' Cedric mumbled softly.

'Your dad would rather have you healthy as well, not?'

He did not answer that question, chewing his lip furious and Madame Pomfrey pushed him back on the bed.

'I think he would.'

Cedric sighed and looked at her, running his fingers through his hair again. His eyes were stubborn but he mumbled something looking like 'okay' and turned his head away.

'I will make you a potion to heal the wound.' The nurse said. 'Try not to move too much and just lay down for a moment.'

He laid down without struggle, Cho standing next to him. His eyes followed Madame Pomfrey though and as soon as she disappeared in her office he jumped up, grabbing his stuff together. His unknown beauty watched him with big eyes.

'W-What are you going to do?' she muttered.

'I am not going to miss the selection, that's a sure thing.' Cedric grumbled and moved himself half running to the door, sneaking out. Cho followed him nervous and pulled his sleeve then.

'I don't think this is a good idea, Cedric.'

He shocked a little, she said his name and he smiles, couldn't help to smile his dreamy smile and tapped her hand.

'I will be fine, I just need to do this.' He started walking again.

'For who?'

'For no one.'

'For your dad?'

He froze, dropping his bag on the stone floor and turned around, looking at her a little desperate.

'You know nothing about my dad. I will do this for myself.'

'I saw you looking at Madame Pomfrey when she mentioned your dad, I…' Her voice grew shy again and she looked down. 'I'm sorry…'

He felt a little guilty and touched her shoulder again.

'Hey, Cho… You're just…worried, you should not be ashamed for that.'

'It's not my business.' She mumbled. 'But will you be… careful I mean I almost cracked your skull, as the nurse said…'

'I'm always careful.' Cedric chuckled. 'It will be all okay, I will just fly the best I can, catch the snitch and come in that team…'

'And then?' she wondered.

'And then I'll go back to Madame Pomfrey, where McGonagall will give me some lifelong detention or so…'

She had to laugh again, he eyes a little sparkling with that.

'Go back to your class, I will get you in trouble, I have to run.' He chuckled and smiled at her, winking for a moment.

'I…I will.' She mumbled. 'Can I come, tonight to the selections?'

'Off course!' he said with a wide smile, then a calling voice sounded through the hallway.

'DIGGORY!'

'Oops!' he muttered and smiles at Cho, before quickly tapping her hair and running as fast as he could, disappearing into the hallway.

That evening Cedric Diggory did appear on the selections for Hufflefuff Quidditch team. Till he stepped on his broom he pressed his yellow black scarf against the back of his head all the time. Once in a while he looked around nervously, if none of the professors came to get him away. He had to do this. For himself ánd for his dad. The captain of the team stepped forward and called his name. He knew the boy, Marc Faredell, and shook his hand. A gentle push against his shoulder was the response.

'So Diggory, you're going to try?'

'Try? I'm gonna be, you know that.' Cedric hiffed and he threw his scarf on the ground, grabbing his broom.

'Gosh dude, what did you do with your head?'

'Nothing.' He simply answered and grinned, shooting up into the air and making a loop. He shocked a little, feeling dizzy and stars appeared in front of his eyes. Cedric blinked, shook his head and grinned.

'You're okay up there?' Marc shouted.

'Always, release the freaking snitch!' Cedric grinned. Not more than two seconds later a little golden ball zoomed around his ears before disappearing into thin air.

'You wanna play, boy?' Cedric huffed. 'Then you'll get your game.'

He wiggled his eyebrows for a second, making a loop into the air once again, ignoring how he got dizzy and sprinted after the snitch.

He chased it in no time, as an excellent played has to. His hand was already stretched out when he still was almost half a field away, but Cedric's real home was there in the air. He knew where the little golden ball was, even when he had his eyes closed and he chased it, teasing Marc by not getting it at the moments he almost could. All this time he showed how brilliant he actually was, and it felt good. He sprinted low over the tribunes, suddenly catching a glimpse of a little girl with a blue grey scarf.

'Cho!' he shouted and grinned at her. She waved, cheering to him. It gave him, somehow, an extra burst of energy. He speeded up, after the little golden ball and his fingers just closed around it, the public cheering.

'Brilliant catch, Diggory!' Marc shouted and he smiled full of triumph. Cedric grinned and held up the snitch, making another loop. That last one was just a little too much. It got black in front of his eyes, little flashes of light making him impossibly dizzy and the next moment he passed out. Everyone watching could see how Cedric Diggory's broom zoomed down, how the boy fell off, onto the tribune, cracking through the wood with the force he smashed into it. It grew silent, the cheering faded. A couple of seconds later the almost looking lifeless body of hufflepuff's new seeker crashed onto the field.

Madame Pomfrey just came running, together with professor McGonagall. They were followed by a little Chinese girl who shot inside the castle as soon as she saw Cedric fall. Cho Chang had tears in her eyes, saw pale and followed her teachers to the crashed boy.

'Miss Chang, it might be better if you go inside.'

'No, no let me be here.' She struggled, for the first time stubborn to a teacher and she kneeled down next to Madame Pomfrey, daring to touch his cheek softly. The professor did not send her away. Cedric made a soft noise which was supposed to be a greet. It sounded sad and a little painful. She squealed unhappy, pulling her hand back and looking to the ground. Professor McGonagall sent Marc to get Dumbledore, Madame Pomfrey not sure if the boy needed to be shipped to the hospital.

'Cedric? Can you hear me?' Cho mumbled when everyone was busy talking. She got no answer, but that did not stop her from taking as hand, out of a feeling of guilt, together with something else. She did not know what, but it was clearly there.

'Miss Edgecombe, would you like to take miss Chang to the hospital wing for a moment? I will be right there.' Madame Pomfrey told another first year Ravenclaw girl, Cho's friend. She nodded and took Cho's arm. Cedric still laying on the ground, his nose started to bleed. The little Chinese girl pulled herself loose of her friend, sitting next to the boy again and pressed softly under his nose with her handkerchief, wiping away the blood.

'Cho, come on, they will do that.'

'But I want to do it!' she called out and tried to struggle away but this time her friend showed no mercy and dragged her up. They walked inside the castle, Cho strolling a bit slow behind her friend looking over her shoulder as much as possible. Her face was pale, her handkerchief clenched tight into her hand.