Harry Potter and the Diggory Deception
A Harry Potter Messfic by
Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)

Chapter 4: All Aboard

The Dursleys were all too happy to be rid of both Harry and Al for any amount of time, and Uncle Vernon was practically humming under his breath when he drove away from King's Cross Station.

Harry had no trouble finding platform nine and three-quarters, or at least Al didn't, even while tucked away in Hagrid's basket again. Apparently, he could easily distinguish between normal and magical walls, especially if there happened to be live birds on the other side of them. Harry was glad that he had fed Al two days previous, just so the snake would not be tempted to snack on other animals. Unfortunately, none of that told Harry how to actually get through the dividing barrier between platforms, and even Al was stumped there. Harry reminded himself that he wouldn't be the only student going to Hogwarts by train. Surely he would spot someone else searching for the elusive platform.

Only minutes later, Harry spotted a boy of similar height pushing his own cart into the same area. However, what had drawn Harry's attention was not the boy's height or cart, but the fact that he had extremely pale skin, a head full of messy white hair, and was even thinner than Harry was, which was no easy feat.

The white-haired boy slowed down as he reached platform nine, and stopped entirely when he saw platform ten. He observed the area for a moment, and noticed Harry just after his gaze had lingered on the unassuming barrier between the platforms for a few seconds. Trying to seem extra casual, he wandered over to Harry. "Nine and three-quarters?" the boy murmured softly as he leaned in close.

Harry nodded.

The boy looked just as relieved as Harry felt. "My older brother's just behind me. Bet me two Galleons that I couldn't find it and get through on my own. Well, shall we give it a go?"

The boy looked rather confident now and didn't seem to be joking, so Harry decided that he was being perfectly serious. Taking a deep breath, Harry pointed his cart at the barrier and rushed forward just as his new friend did. Instead of crashing as Harry had feared, they ran right through the barrier, and emerged on a loading platform beside a steam engine that could only be the Hogwarts Express.

The white-haired boy turned to Harry and grinned. "Looks like I owe you a Galleon, friend. Never would have had the guts to try that on my own." He stuck out his hand to shake. "Name's Edward Diggory."

Harry shook the hand and started to introduce himself, then remembered the reaction he'd gotten in Diagon Alley, and decided he wanted very much to avoid calling so much attention to himself.

Oddly enough, Edward did not seem to mind his silence. "Know who you are, of course," he added, nodding at Harry's forehead. "Don't know how you stand the gawking. Personally, I always carry a couple of hats with me." He reached into a bag tied onto his trunk and pulled out two black, fairly worn knit caps. As Edward pulled one on, Harry saw it expand to cover all but the very tips of his white hair, which immediately darkened to brown. "Dye Hats," he explained at Harry's surprised stare, offering the remaining hat. "Instant and temporary. This one's set to black, so it should just make your hair nice and shiny."

"Wouldn't all that just draw more attention to my head?" Harry asked.

Edward stuffed the extra hat back into his bag. "Fair point," he admitted reluctantly, and the two of them approached the train. It then occurred to Harry that Edward might want to share a compartment with him, which would probably not go over well with Draco and Pansy, who Harry had planned to sit with once he found them. But as it turned out, Edward had a plan of his own.

"Promised my brother I'd save seats for him and his girlfriend," Edward said, rolling his eyes to show what he thought of that duty. "You don't want to be bothered with that. If you can't find anyone to sit with, just try the Weasley twins, they're funny. Oh, and come find me at school when you want your Galleon. No doubt I'll be in Hufflepuff."

"How do know that?" Harry asked, genuinely curious.

"Not much choice. Dad and Ced are Hufflepuffs. Mum's a Ravenclaw, but none of us have got her brains. And history repeats itself, since Ced's girlfriend is a Ravenclaw, too."

Harry did find that interesting, especially since it hadn't worked out that way at all for him, and returned Edward's wave as they parted.

Draco and Pansy were ridiculously easy to find: Pansy had apparently been staring out of the window of the third compartment from the front of the train, all in hopes of finding Harry. The moment she spotted him, she beamed and waved furiously at him, then turned to speak to two very large boys sharing her compartment. By the time Harry had pushed his cart over, the two boys met him at the door and carried his trunk on board without a word. Slightly embarrassed but grateful all the same, Harry followed them with Al's basket in hand, and very nearly dropped it as Pansy eagerly gave him a huge hug the moment he stepped into the compartment.

"Harry, you made it!" Pansy squealed in delight. "We saved you a seat!" she added unnecessarily, dragging him to a seat between her and Draco, who had taken her former seat by the window.

"No trouble finding the platform, then?" Draco drawled.

Harry decided to be honest. "Yes and no. Knew where it was, but not how to get through. Had some help, though."

"Yeah? From who?" Draco suddenly seemed especially interested now.

"Think he said his name was Diggory," Harry murmured, watching Draco carefully. He recalled Edward's name perfectly, but wasn't sure what Draco might make of him.

Draco blinked and made a noncommittal noise. Apparently, he was no big fan of the Diggorys, but didn't disapprove of them so much as he did certain others.

Harry took advantage of the silence to turn and thank the two large boys for helping him. They blinked slowly at him, clearly not expecting this, and Harry quickly asked for their names.

"They're Crabbe and Goyle," Pansy informed him, although she gave no indication which was which, and neither boy did anything to suggest that they minded this. Harry got the impression they were just glad to be associated with Draco and Pansy, and either expected or were used to this sort of treatment.

"What's in the basket, Harry?" Pansy asked.

Harry hesitated, not sure how she would react, despite Snape's claim. "I got permission to bring an animal with me, as it wasn't on the approved list."

Pansy's eyes widened with obvious interest. "Really? What is it?"

"Snake," Harry replied evenly.

Pansy tensed slightly. "That's a pretty big basket, though."

"He's a pretty big snake," Harry admitted. "Don't worry, he's perfectly friendly."

Pansy wrung her hands a bit. "C-Could I see him?" she asked nervously.

"You don't have to if you really don't want to," Harry assured her.

"N-No, I want to," Pansy insisted. It was pretty clear that she was doing her best to win his approval, though, and Harry appreciated it.

Harry opened the basket, and Al slowly emerged a few feet. Harry stroked him to show it was safe, and Pansy eventually worked up the nerve to touch Al as well. It did not escape Harry's notice that the other boys made no attempt to do the same. Draco had gone very still, and both Crabbe and Goyle were staring very hard at the window. When Harry decided they'd had enough, he coaxed Al back into the basket. Before he closed the lid, Al hissed at him, "I like her. Make sure you keep her around."

Harry laughed and promised that he would, but did so in Parseltongue, which he tended to switch to automatically when speaking with Al. He was only reminded of this when he looked up into four very startled faces. "What? What's wrong?"

"You're a Parselmouth, Potter," Draco finally said in a trembling voice.

"Yeah. Did I forget to mention that?"

"Pretty sure you did. Especially since we didn't even know you had a snake five minutes ago!" Draco snapped. "And neither is the type of thing you just... spring on people like this!"

Harry shrugged. "Sorry, but I'm Muggle-raised. I don't know what's a big deal and what isn't around here unless you guys tell me."

Draco glared at him. "Well, for future reference, having a dirty great snake and being able to talk to it are both very big deals!"

"There's nothing... wrong with it," Pansy attempted to explain. "But you still don't want to advertise it. People might make the wrong assumptions."

"What, that I'm the next Dark Lord?" Harry asked. "And I assume that I can trust you guys, at least."

"Of course you can!" Pansy agreed at once, seizing his hands. "You just need to be careful, Harry."

"Fine. But it wasn't like I'd be able to hide Al for very long. Pretty sure I'm required to tell you about him, in case you have any animals he might eat."

Draco sighed and shook his head. "Just don't bring him to meals, or take him to the owlery. You'd be expelled in a heartbeat."

It was not hard for Edward to save an entire compartment. All he had to do was remove his hat. Few people wanted to sit with a kid with a head full of white hair. He had learned that lesson years ago, although he knew it was not why Cedric had asked him to save the seats. Cedric was exactly the kind of older brother that Edward had needed: supportive without being coddling, but unafraid to treat Edward like a normal kid. And somehow, he was the only one who had ever gotten it right. He was the only one who didn't, on some level, constantly remind Edward of the painful fact that he hadn't been born a Diggory.

When Cedric finally arrived, he was of course not alone. Cedric remained a leader no matter where he went. In this case, he was followed by Cho Chang and Marietta Edgecombe.

Cho was not officially Cedric's girlfriend yet, though only because their parents considered them too young to date still. Edward had caught them kissing a handful of times already, and so insisted on referring to her as Cedric's girlfriend in conversation. It was both a means of good-natured teasing, as well as his personal brotherly seal of approval. Cho, at least, appreciated the gesture for what it was.

Marietta was their third wheel and Cho's best friend. Edward did not, strictly speaking, care for her. He and Cedric, and indeed most people, seemed to tolerate Marietta solely for Cho's sake, and Marietta admittedly did make Cho seem twice as nice by comparison. Edward could not deny that he enjoyed teasing Marietta, and he was one of the few people ever allowed to get away with it. Cho was very good at reading Marietta's moods, and always stopped him before Marietta could reach her boiling point.

"Pay up," Edward ordered gleefully the moment Cedric dragged his trunk into the compartment.

Shaking his head, Cedric wordlessly handed over two Galleons, then helped the girls stow their trunks. Cedric then took the seat opposite his brother.

"Thanks for saving our seats, Eddie," Cho said, beaming and reaching over to give his hand a quick squeeze before she practically perched herself in Cedric's lap.

Marietta grunted what might have been thanks and sat down next to Edward, but pointedly ignored him as she usually did, much to his amusement. Much as she claimed not to like him, she was clearly used to his company already.

"No trouble finding everything, Ed?" Cedric asked.

Edward shook his head. "None. Even found Harry Potter."

Cedric's eyes widened in shock. "You didn't!"

"Did," Edward confirmed smugly. "Nice fellow. Almost as skinny as me. Needs some proper feeding, I think."

"Who would underfeed Harry Potter?" Cho asked in alarm.

"Probably the same lot who want him dead, but I don't think they'd feed him at all, in that case," Marietta pointed out grimly.

"Well, he won't stay underfed at Hogwarts," Cedric said confidently. "I'll even ask the house-elves to keep an eye on him. They love stuffing us with food. Any idea what house he'll be in, Ed?"

Edward thought for a moment. "Maybe Ravenclaw or Gryffindor. Didn't strike me as the Hufflepuff type."

Marietta snorted. "You haven't even been sorted yourself. How would you know the Hufflepuff type?"

"I know my family," Edward replied simply. "Harry is surely a friend, but not family. He'd be here with me now if he was."

"I don't know, Eddie," Cho disagreed with a smile. "Your mother was in Ravenclaw, and you sure seem like one to me."

"Thanks, but I don't think our poor, dear Mari could stand it if I were in the same house as her," Edward chuckled.

Marietta glared at him while everyone else laughed.

Hermione Granger had been lucky enough to end up sharing a compartment with a group of other first year girls. Unlike her, they were all quite nervous, and spent most of the train ride in a silly competition over who was going to flunk out first. Only one of the girls, a twin named Padma Patil, had bothered to thoroughly read any of the schoolbooks, and even she had not read them all cover-to-cover and memorized the important sections as Hermione had. This made Hermione feel much better about her own chances of success, although she wisely decided not to mention that. Lavendar Brown had been shocked enough that Hermione preferred studying to gossiping, and Hermione hadn't wanted to risk alienating them any further.

Lavendar had heard that Harry Potter was in their year. Normally, Hermione would have viewed anything that an obvious gossip magnet like Lavendar had merely heard with skepticism. However, Hermione had also done the research: Harry was within their age group, and his parents had also gone to Hogwarts, so there was a very real possibility that he would be their classmate at some point.

Things had been more or less peaceful until a girl in the next compartment screamed.

Hermione was the first of her group to race out in the corridor, but probably the third person to rush over to the second year girl who had screamed, and was now just outside her own compartment, clutching the edge of the doorway and looking as if she might faint. Looking past her, Hermione could see that a white-haired boy, a first year by the size of him, had collapsed onto the floor. Fortunately, his other compartment companions seemed a bit more capable, and had bent over him in a clear attempt to revive him, although they didn't appear to be using any method that Hermione recognized as being effective. Without a moment's hesitation, she pushed her way into the compartment and cried, "Excuse me, I know CPR!"

This did not get the reaction she had been hoping for: the older boy who had been leaning over the first year instantly jumped to his feet and spun around to face Hermione, his face contorted in both fury and concern. "What do you want?" he demanded.

Hermione gaped at him, thoroughly confused. "I-I know CPR," she repeated hesitantly. "I could help-"

"He doesn't need whatever that is," the older boy snapped, growing more irritated by the second. He suddenly became aware of the crowd at the door, which only seemed to feed his anger. "Clear off, the lot of you!" he roared. "You'll have plenty of chances to gawk at him later!"

Hermione tried to protest, but he took a threatening step toward her, and she became very aware of how much taller and more solidly built he was. "Please," she whispered urgently, tears in her eyes. "I only want to help him!"

The older boy faltered, becoming uneasy at the sight of her tears. "You can't," he muttered. "Anyway, Cho can handle this." He gestured to the girl that was still bent over the fallen boy. Cho appeared to be massaging the boy's temples, much to Hermione's surprise. Just as Hermione was about to explain the merits of CPR, the fallen boy suddenly groaned and opened his eyes.

"Eddie?" Cho asked desperately, grabbing his shoulders. "Can you hear me?"

Eddie stared at her, looking fairly dazed, and murmured something that Hermione couldn't quite make out.

This only seemed to agitate Cho. "Eddie, what's my name?" she demanded, giving him a shake. "My name!"

Eddie's eyes seem to be a little less glazed as he answered, "Cho?"

"And your name?"

"Edward," he said, sounding more certain now.

And so it went on, with Cho demanding that Eddie identify everyone in the compartment (the older boy was his brother Cedric, and Cho had gone pink when she realized after the fact that no one there knew Hermione's name), the date, their location, and what he had last been doing (sleeping, apparently). Once Cho was convinced that Eddie was fine, she hugged him fiercely and covered his face with kisses, much to his embarrassment. He then had to endure the same treatment from Cedric, who had limited himself to a single but still very touching kiss on Edward's forehead.

"What is CPR?" Cedric finally asked.

Hermione launched into what she felt was a short summary on CPR and how it was used, but by the time she finished, Cedric and Eddie both seemed to have a glazed look in their eyes. Cho appeared to have followed the explanation well enough, though.

"Oh. So it's a Muggle way to revive people," Cedric murmured, sounding both confused and apologetic. "Sorry I snapped at you, I didn't realize that's what you were trying to do."

"Well, I'm not so sure it would have worked now," Hermione admitted. "If he was already sleeping, I don't think he fainted, which was my first guess."

A noticeable look passed between Cedric, Cho, and Eddie.

"We know what it was," Cedric explained, "but we'd really rather not discuss it with anyone outside of the family." He paused, then amended quickly, "Cho's practically family, anyway. We just met you, though."

Far from being offended, Hermione simply nodded. "I understand completely. I'm just glad he's okay. Sorry to have bothered you." Hermione started to leave, but Cho stopped her.

"Why don't you stay?" Cho suggested. "Eddie doesn't know many people in his year, and I imagine you don't, either. Cedric can probably answer any questions you might have, too. I need to go find Marietta, she was pretty freaked out."

Hermione realized Cho was referring to the girl who had screamed, and who had vanished with the rest of the crowd.

As it turned out, Cedric could only answer about half of Hermione's questions, which were admittedly numerous and probing, but Cho was able to answer most of the rest upon her return. Hermione took an immediate liking to her, less because she was nice and more because she was clearly highly intelligent. Cho seemed to recognize this, and had soon convinced Hermione that Ravenclaw was the proper house for her.

Hermione walked away with the distinct impression that this was nothing new for any of them: apparently this was a recurring health issue for Edward, and she made a mental note to keep an eye out for him at school.

Harry had been hoping to see the other students sorted into their houses, but Snape had come to fetch him and Al the moment they entered the castle. Briefly, Harry had feared that Snape intended to punish him for having shown off Al on the train. Instead, Snape took them deep into the castle, to a plain-looking stone wall that turned out to be the entrance to the Slytherin common room. Once Snape had told Harry the current password (ancient blood), the wall slid away to reveal a spacious underground room, with a fireplace and several high-backed armchairs.

"Your snake will only be allowed in two areas of the castle this school year: here in the common room, and in your dorm room," Snape explained. "The Headmaster has conjured a special containment barrier specifically for... Al. He must stay within it at all times. Only you and those you give permission to can temporarily breach the barrier, to either handle the snake or feed him." Snape flicked his wand, and what looked like a giant blue bubble floated up from behind an armchair and slowly moved toward them.

"What about when he needs sunlight?" Harry asked.

"The barrier will simulate any condition that Al requires. When he sheds, you may collect his skin and submit it to me for extra points towards your latest Potions assignment. Unless you have inherited your mother's brilliance in the subject, I have no doubt that you will need those points."

"And this barrier will keep other animals out?"

"Not at all," Snape replied. "The Headmaster will announce that all animal companions must be registered with Mr. Filch, our caretaker. The barrier is designed so that no registered occupant of the castle can breach it without your permission. This will prevent Al from attacking anyone that is supposed to be here. He is welcome to any unregistered animals that may cross his path, and of course, if an intruder should enter the castle, he would be free to attack them, as they would be unregistered as well."

"Are we expecting intruders?"

Snape paused and stared at Harry. "There is very little evidence that suggests the Dark Lord was defeated permanently, and not all of his followers were known. I know that you are young and unprepared, but I cannot pretend that you are perfectly safe even here. I advise you to be very careful, Potter. Not all magic is good, not all men are decent. If you are truly lucky, you will survive the next attempt on your life."

"Wouldn't I be luckier if there were no attempt on my life at all?"

"I prefer not to waste time thinking on things that are extremely unlikely," Snape said simply. "As soon as you have placed Al within the barrier, I will take you to the Great Hall. If we hurry, we may arrive before the feast begins."

Harry knew what a feast was, but he had never seen or been to one. Even calling what he'd gotten from the Dursleys 'meals' was being generous. Much as he loved Al, Harry was not about to miss out on that much food, ever. In any case, Al understood: he did not need to eat as much or as frequently as Harry, and Harry had only been able to demand more food from the Dursleys with the lie that he needed it for Al. They had given in without much fuss, being unaware of how rarely Al needed to eat, and preferring that Harry's giant snake not be hungry around them.

Harry was slightly comforted by the fact that Al seemed to like his new cage: he began to float around the common room contentedly in lazy circles. Once assured that the snake was fine, Harry announced that he was ready to leave.

Snape paused at the door, then turned to face Harry with an unreadable expression. "Welcome to Hogwarts," he murmured, thrusting a small, square package into Harry's hands. Harry nearly dropped it in his surprise, and when he looked up, Snape was in the hallway and striding rapidly away, so Harry stuffed the package into his pocket and hurried after him.

Harry would not discover until after the feast that the package contained a stack of old magical photos, all of his mother, though only before she actually had been his mother. To no great surprise, Harry's father was not in any of them, although a young man that was obviously Snape appeared more than a few times, and young Lily Evans did not seem to mind his company one bit. Harry would go to bed later that night conflicted, torn between loyalty to James, the man who had been his father, and growing interest in Snape, the man who might have been his father if given the chance.

Harry and Snape slipped into the Great Hall just after the Sorting had begun. Snape made his way to staff table, and Harry took his place at the Slytherin table beside the newly sorted but rather imposing Millicent Bulstrode. The large girl gave him a brief glance, but either did not notice his scar or thought nothing of it, and quickly lost interest.

Harry was particularly interested in the Sorting, mostly because Edward Diggory was proven right immediately: he became the first new Hufflepuff that Harry witnessed, at any rate. A girl named Hermione Granger became the first new Ravenclaw, and Harry thought she looked quite happy about it. Not for the first time, he wondered if the other students had been able to make a more informed decision about the houses they went to, because Hermione was not the only one who seemed to know where she wanted to end up.

All Harry really cared about was that Draco and then Pansy were indeed both placed in Slytherin, and made a point of taking seats near him. Harry would have thought that Millicent might prevent this, but she was accommodating enough. Soon Pansy had struck up a conversation with her, though of course Pansy did nearly all of the talking, but Millicent did appear to be listening attentively. Draco was more interested in where Harry had disappeared to, so Harry told him about the unexpected trip to the Slytherin common room. By the time Harry finished, everyone around him was listening in, most likely due to the mention of his owning a boa constrictor. By then, the Sorting appeared to be over and done with.

McGonagall had just rolled up the parchment she'd read the names from when it suddenly became obvious that she had missed one. There was a girl standing where the other first years had been lined up, although Harry could not recall her having been there previously. The girl made no effort to draw attention to herself, and she did not need to: a great deal of curious murmuring began at once, and McGonagall soon realized the error. She beckoned the girl close and they quickly exchanged a few hushed whispers. Then the older witch turned back to the students and said loudly, "We have one last student to be sorted: Scamander, Selma."

This caused even more curious muttering. Pansy explained to Harry that the Scamanders were famous magizoologists. However, she strongly suspected that Selma had been adopted: every Scamander she'd seen a picture of was of European descent. Selma, on the other hand, had copper brown skin, almond shaped green eyes, and unmistakable poise that immediately put Harry in mind of an Egyptian queen in miniature.

The oddities did not stop there, either. The Sorting Hat sat upon Selma's head for almost five minutes before it finally screeched, "HUFFLEPUFF!" And then, before she could remove it from her head, "AND RAVENCLAW!"

Selma did not seem at all bothered as she removed the hat and handed it to McGonagall, who was gaping at her. In fact, she dipped her head in a polite bow to the teacher, and then calmly made her way over to the Hufflepuffs, who immediately began to clap and cheer, although with many confused glances among them. A few Ravenclaws joined in the applause, but most were uncertain if they had actually benefited from gaining only half of a student.

Professor Dumbledore stood up and addressed the hall. "Welcome to all of our brand new students, and welcome back to those that are a bit more worn-in but no less cherished! Now, I would normally save all announcements until after our feast, but I feel these two are of the greatest importance.

"First, as some of you may have seen or guessed, Harry Potter is indeed starting at Hogwarts this year. I assume that the majority of you, however, are unaware that he was sorted well before he arrived at the castle, due to circumstances of great necessity. So I am pleased to announce that Harry was the first student this year to be placed in Slytherin.

"Also, as you have just witnessed, Selma Scamander is the first student in quite some time to be placed in two houses. In the interest of fairness, she will divide her time equally among both, and her robes will be enchanted to clearly display which house she is currently representing. This will ensure that neither house will be mistakenly rewarded or punished by any points she might earn or lose for the other."

The sorting had gone much as Edward had suspected. He was placed in Hufflepuff, the newest Weasley brother in Gryffindor, and the Malfoy boy in Slytherin. Hermione Granger, the girl with bushy hair that he'd met on the train went to Ravenclaw, something that Cedric seemed fairly relieved about. They had been warned that the Sorting Hat might have a tough time with Selma, though they hadn't expected her to be shared with two houses.

Harry's name was curiously omitted from the list, yet Edward had been surprised to spot him at the Slytherin table. Edward thought Harry had looked pretty comfortable among the other Slytherin first years. It was good that Harry seemed to have made other friends already, though Edward wished he'd managed to end up in any other house.

Edward was only half-listening as the announcements were given. He noticed that Hermione was sitting next to Cho, and the two appeared to be deep in conversation about something. There was little doubt about what, as Hermione glanced at him several times, while Cho distinctly avoided doing so. Edward only remained as calm as he did because he knew Cho would quickly squash any misconceptions that Hermione might have about him. It would hopefully save him the trouble of having to deal with them later.

Once the feast ended and the students rose to depart for their dormitories, Edward hurried over and caught up with Cho just as she reached the door. With her staring at him expectantly and several pairs of eyes on them, all he could come up with was a hastily murmured, "Um, thanks for earlier."

Whatever he had expected, it wasn't for Cho to lean forward and gently kiss his forehead. "You be careful, Eddie," she whispered, squeezing his shoulders briefly before joining her housemates, some of whom were giggling softly. Edward stared after her until Cedric thumped him on the back, then draped an arm around his shoulders and dragged him along.

"She does that sometimes, get used to it," Cedric assured him with a grin.

Cho had always had a gift for making friends quickly and easily. This was in part due to how attractive most people found her, but also because of a lesson that her parents had instilled in her at an early age. They had stressed that many things could change, violently and without warning, and that it was best to make the most of life while one was free to. Cho had embraced this wholeheartedly, partially because it meant her parents were much more open-minded than some others she knew. It also meant they had been only slightly uncomfortable with Cho's obvious crush on Cedric Diggory.

It was, of course, no reflection on Cedric himself or his family. Cedric was an honest, intelligent boy with a perfectly respectable background, and the Changs had every intention of welcoming him into their home as a potential and even favored suitor for Cho, though only after they were both a bit older. As her father had said several times, Cho had done very well in selecting a good match for herself. They just hadn't expected her to find him in her very first year of school. In all other respects, her parents approved of the relationship, though they insisted on calling it a friendship for the time being. Cho and Cedric accepted this, though with the private understanding that they would begin dating as soon as they both felt ready to.

Cho and Marietta had spent the last Christmas holiday with the Diggorys, who had been delighted to have them. That had been Cho's first real chance to spend any time with Edward. Her first impression had been that he was an adorable, sweet, but slightly troubled little boy. It had taken some effort on her part to get him talking, although once she had, Edward had proven very interested in Cho's experience as a Ravenclaw. Even now, she wore his gift of silver monogrammed cufflinks every day. Cho was almost sure that Edward's claim had been a lie, though an amusing one: the cufflinks had spelled out "CCD" from the moment she had opened the box. So either they were perfectly ordinary and had actually belonged to Cedric, or some adult had paid handsomely to help play a little joke on her. Or, less likely, Edward had been entirely truthful, and the cufflinks far too perceptive. But from then on, the "CCD"s that Cho sometimes doodled within her notes did not always refer to Cedric.

Cedric had warned her about Edward's episodes long before the holiday. He referred to them as seizures, and Cho could tell that while Cedric accepted Edward fully, those incidents terrified him, because there was no real way to prevent them, only to see Edward through them. Nor did anyone seem to know what caused them. Cedric believed that the seizures, as well as Edward's white hair, had something to do with what had happened to him before he had come to live with the Diggorys. But all Cedric remembered about that was his mother telling him one night that he would finally have a little brother like he'd wanted, and that Edward needed them because he no longer had a family. Cho had worried that Edward had been abused, but Cedric had doubted that, if only because his own parents did not seem angry when Edward's parents were mentioned, only sad and pitying. Cedric suspected they were dead, and that it had not been a peaceful death.

If Cho had needed any proof how serious Cedric was about her, she now had it. Cedric had instructed all of his friends how to respond to Edward's seizures. Actually, he had demanded that they know, and Cho had been no exception. Cedric had patiently taught her to channel her magic into her fingers, but it was much harder than doing so with a wand, which was made specifically for that purpose. Cho had at least managed it to Cedric's satisfaction, but she had always assumed that Cedric would be the one to help Edward if he had an episode.

Instead, on the train Cedric had asked her to be the one, while he kept everyone back. He had placed his trust entirely in her, and that had nearly given Cho a panic attack herself. But she'd kept herself together somehow and revived Edward, but with that had come a startling realization: if she had failed, if anything bad had happened to Edward, it would have destroyed her, and if Cedric had not ended their relationship over it, then she would have. Edward was that important to them both, and Cho already thought of him more as her little brother than her boyfriend's.

Next Chapter: The Chivalrous Slytherin

Shared frustration in Potions manages to bring Harry and Hermione together.