Here it goes...the story begins. Thanks to all those who reviewed, keep 'em coming! This is going to be the last chapter for a little while, sorry. But I'm working on getting the others up soon! Enjoy!!
Sofia's Sixth Year
Sofia walked down the streets in St. Ottery Catchpole, shuffling her feet as she went along. The Weasley's were packing for the Quidditch World Cup, and she needed to get away from all the excitement. With her school shopping done and having no desire to fly, Sofia was stuck walking around the village alone. It was shaping up to be the worst summer of her life, and was only expected to get worse.
"Sofia, darling." She stopped, turning to the sound of her name being called. It wasn't unusual for people to stop and talk to her, seeing as how she grew up in that every village.
"Mrs. Diggory, what are you doing here?" Sofia asked hugging the woman in front of her.
"Some shopping, but what about you? I haven't seen you here in quite awhile." Mrs. Diggory said walking along with Sofia.
"I don't come as often as I use to." Sofia replied looking in all the shops as she passed them on the street.
"Cedric told me that boy broke up with you. I'm sorry to hear that." Mrs. Diggory turned her head to watch Sofia's reaction.
"He still talks about me? I have to admit, I'm surprised." Sofia kept her eyes on the windows, avoiding her companion's gaze.
"We all miss you, dear. He tries to write you during the summer. I can't even count all the times I catch him sitting at the table with a quill in hand. It's a shame the way the two of you drifted apart, Amos and I had no idea what happened." Mrs. Diggory put a hand on Sofia's arm, stopping her from walking further. "What did happen, dear."
"We are in different houses, and we just didn't have time for one another." Sofia lied as best she could.
"Funny how that seems to happen," Mrs. Diggory said with a small, saddened smile on her face. "I hope this year is better. Give Remus my love, dear." She embraced the younger girl, squeezing her tightly for a moment, before they parted ways.
Sofia watched Mrs. Diggory walk away, saddly she would have liked nothing better than to follow her. Missing the Diggorys had grown stronger over the years, but she wasn't going to do anything about it. What happened between her and Cedric was not something she could easily forget. Turning around, Sofia continued back the way she'd came, deciding it was easier just to go back to the Weasley's home. At least there she could try to enjoy her time with the twins and Harry. Soon she would be back home with her father, and holding onto that made her that much more happy.
"I have made a promise to myself this year." Sofia said as she put the book she was reading down, and stared at the only man in her life she could count on. Remus removed the Daily Prophet from in front of him, turning to the side to stare at her.
"And what, pray tell, is this promise?" He asked with a smile on his face. She leaned forward, over her knees that were laid across the sofa cushions, her feet stopping next to her father's legs.
"No more promises." She said in a secretive tone, before laughing. "I have made too many, and they all get broken eventually. This is exactly what I need."
"But what about this promise, is it immune to being broken?" He asked, a smile playing on his serious expression.
"Ha ha, it might be, because I haven't made it with anyone. Only I can break it, and I won't." He laughed at her, patting her knees before returning to his paper. "I don't want another heartbreak." She whispered. Once again she heard his paper fall to his lap. Sofia, didn't look up from the page she was staring at.
"Sofy, you're a teenager. I'm sure it's hard, but getting your heart broken is all part of the process." Remus told her, running a hand up the side of her lower leg. "Have you spoken to Oliver lately?"
"He sent me a letter, saying he got onto some Quidditch team. Like I care anymore," she said quietly. "Why is it that I always come second to such a ridiculous game?" She asked a little louder, staring at him for an answer.
"You love that 'ridiculous game'." He reminded her staring back at her.
"Maybe not, I think I liked it before it became so competitive." She contemplated with a quizzical frown on her face.
"Sofia, you are a competitive person. It would bore you if it wasn't challenging."
"True," she said returning her eyes to the page of her book.
"Is everyone alright, at the World Cup?" She asked as nonchalantly as she could muster. She had wanted to go so badly, but had decided it would be better to take the summer off and stay home with her father.
"They seem to be. Have you written to any of your friends?" He asked her, but she just shrugged.
"I sent a letter to the Weasley's, everyone is there any way, so it got to someone."
He shook his head, but returned to his paper. After living with her for nearly eight years he had learned when to drop a subject. It still amazed him how much she changed from the day she went to the Hogwarts Express to when she was back lounging in his living room. Every year it was like a new girl came to him, and soon he was sure it would be this amazing young woman walking into his house and he wouldn't know what to do with her.
"I'm going to pack." She announced getting up, kissing him on the cheek before leaving the room. He stared after her, almost thankful that the sad, mourning girl that had moped around his house all summer would be leaving soon. He also feared the girl that would come back to him next summer, never knowing who she would be.
"I can't believe all the excitement I missed" Sofia cried in mock frustration as she listened to her friends talking about the events that took place at the World Cup. They began with the tents, Krum's unfortunate snitch catch, and the Death Eater attacks. She honestly didn't want to hear about the last part.
"What we want to know is what's going on at the school." Fred said looking more contemplative than Sofia had ever seen him.
"Percy and our father had been keeping quiet all summer." George continued. They threw ideas around for a few minutes, but it didn't last long. Soon it was back to their normal jokes and gossip.
Sofia had never felt happier to be at Hogwarts than she did sitting in the Great Hall for the welcoming feast. The sorting had already taken place, and Dumbledore was introducing the Triwizard Tournament, something that intrigued Sofia more than anything. She was glad her birthday was early, seeing as how Fred and George were fuming by the end of dinner.
"I'm going to enter." Sofia announced as she pulled out her nightwear. Angelina stopped what she was doing to stare at her.
"Are you sure?" She asked. "You heard how dangerous it is. People have died."
"Nice try Johnson, you don't want me to enter because you know that if I do you won't stand a chance." Sofia smiled as she watched her friend's concern disappear quickly.
"You're an awful friend you know that." Angelina said in mock hurt, tossing a pillow at Sofia's face. "Give some of us lowly Gryffindor's some time to shine." She looked to the other girls for some support, but they were all laughing too hard to be any help.
"Angelina, we have been friends for too long. I know you want to put your name in the cup, but you'll regret it. Just like you regretting taking N.E.W.T level Transfiguration." Sofia told her, while Angelina huffed and climbed into her four poster.
"I'm still going to enter." She said with resign
"Good because you would do great." Sofia told her with a big smile, glad to see one in return on Angelina's face.
The next day after their lessons Angelina and Sofia headed to the Great Hall to submit their names. Most students spent their time watching those old enough place their names in the glowing blue flame. There was always a nice audience to cheer and clap for the potential champion.
Angelina linked arms with Sofia as they entered the room. "I'm not so sure about this." She said slowing down. Sofia couldn't help the little smile that graced her lips.
"We talked about this. You will do great, don't chicken out now." She scolded pulling her best friend into the room. She was floored when she saw the group of Hufflepuffs cheering around who she had to assume was Cedric. She knew he would enter, she had only hoped not to see his fan club cheering him on.
"Come on," Sofia said pulling Angelina through the age line. Angelina took in a sharp breath and placed her name in the flame. Sofia went after her, turning to catch Cedric's stare. Angelina's confidence was restored as she heard the applause from the Gryffindors watching and she went to join them, while Sofia made her way back out into the hall.
"I figured you'd enter." Cedric's voice called after her. Sofia stopped, turning on her toes to give his a smirk.
"Did you, well I'd be lying if I said I was surprised you entered." She crossed her arms over her chest, staring at him defiantly. "You're doing this for him, aren't you?" Sofia shook her head with a small smirk on her lips.
"And you're trying to prove something to everyone else. Still trying to get out of your parents shadows?" He stared at her, their expressions mirrored in the other. Sofia wanted to slap him, let all of her pent up violence out, but he wasn't worth the punishment.
"So we both have something to prove," she shrugged stepping forward.
"I guess the best wizard will win." He said following her every move.
"I'm sure I will." She hissed once she was right next to him, leaning into him a little.
Sitting in the Great Hall, Sofia couldn't stop the smile that was threatening from spreading across her face. She couldn't wait to hear her name called as the Hogwarts Campion. Angelina on the other hand had been freaking out all day, regretting her decision and blaming Sofia for allowing her to be so reckless.
"Relax Angie, I'm going to win." Sofia reassured her. Angelina had one of Sofia's hands held tightly in hers.
"For once I hope you're right." Angelina told her, glancing at her other friends for support.
"It's going to be a Gryffindor. What other house could possibly win?" Katie said rubbing a hand up and down Angelina's arm. "Let's just hope it's not you."
Dumbledore appeared next to the Goblet of Fire, sweeping his hand over the room it began to dim. Sofia was surprised to feel a knot forming in her stomach. She wanted this, if anything just to prove to Cedric that she was better than him. As the first piece of paper flew out of the Goblet the crowd was completely silent waiting to hear whose name would be called.
"The champion for Durmstrang is…Viktor Krum." Dumbledore's voice boomed. The crowd cheered, though everyone knew he would be the champion.
Again the Goblet spit out a piece of paper this time with Fluer Delacore's name on it. Yet again there were cheers. But as the Goblet turned to a fiery red, and prepared to give the last champion's name up the entire room was still. This is the moment everyone had been waiting for since the start of term.
"The Hogwarts champion is …." Sofia held her breath. "Cedric Diggory." Dumbledore's voice boomed again, this time deafening Sofia. The room was filled with cheers from all over, even Angelina clapped glad that it hadn't been her name. Sofia's eyes watched him walk from his table to Dumbledore, from Dumbledore down the aisle where he even slowed to winked at her as he passed, and finally disappearing through a door at the front of the Great Hall.
"This can't be happening." She said quietly to herself. Dumbledore continued speaking, but she didn't hear a word of it. Her attention was lost until she was shaken out of it by Dumbledore's booming voice. She wanted to cover her ears, but what he said had gotten her attention.
"Harry Potter," she glanced up to see him holding another piece of paper. She turned her gaze to the fourteen year old sitting on the other side of her. Their eyes connected for a split second before Hermione was pushing him towards Dumbledore.
There had to be a mistake. He couldn't have put his name in the cup and she knew no one would have done it for him. As he headed in the same direction as the rest of the champions she felt saddened as the other students shouted that he was a cheat. She wanted so badly to protect him, but there was nothing she could do for him.
"Well, that was certainly interesting." Angelina said as the girls got into their beds. Sofia had been practically silent since they had returned to the Gryffindor tower. "Sofy, you have to let it go. Maybe he wanted it more than you did."
"Maybe, goodnight," She said as she closed the curtains around her four poster.
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