Chapter three

Hogwarts Champions

The days seemed to drag past, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students soon made their presence known. By the time the entry cup had been installed in the great hall Cedric Diggory was sure he had lost his mind.

After watching Hermione being helped out of the library by her friends he simply returned to his table and quickly collected his stuff and hurried to the common room. Every sense that had eve been drummed into him by his parents told him to go straight to Dumbledore and inform him what happened.

But laying in his bed listening to his house mates snoring he couldn't pull himself back up and for some reason he trusted that Hermione wouldn't tell anyone about what happened. By the next morning as he dragged himself down to the great hall to pretend he shot a look to the Gryffindor table and to his growing worry and disappointment he didn't find Hermione nor her two friends.

Slumping down next to Scott Cedric didn't even bother to pile food on to his plate, he decided his predicament warranted him an excuse not to go through the pretence.

"What's the matter with you blood boy" Scott questioned around a mouthful of bacon and sausage causing Cedric to throw him a glare but refused to talk.

Scott huffed turning his head away knowing full well that when his friend entered this mood it was no use trying to get him to talk.

"They say Viktor Krum is going to put his name in the cup" Scott declared finally getting some sort of response from Cedric.

"I met his father once… when he was still in his fourth year nothing like Krum is now" Cedric offered smirking as Scott chocked a little too loud gaining a few looks from their fellow students.

"For someone who doesn't want any attention you sure like to talk about things that will get you some" Scott snarled as Cedric chuckled almost forgetting his worry for a second.

That was until his nose was assaulted once more by that intoxication smell, turning his head he watched as Ron walked in at a steady pace looking pained at having to wait any longer for his food then he already had. Harry and Hermione walked in a few steps behind him, the latter with a slight limp and glare sent to the rave haired boy by her side.

Cedric couldn't help the smirk on his lips guessing that Hermione was determined to hold her own despite the twisted ankle.

 "Harry really, Ron looks ready to drop from the lack of breakfast you don't have to stick by me" Hermione exclaimed seemingly exhausted at the helpfulness of her friends.

"But Hermione you were all dazed when we found you and you still have a limp" Harry injected as they approached the table not once bothered by the fact that Ron had already heaped a pile of food on to his plate.

 "Well pain can do strange things to you Harry… my is because I refused to take anymore of that vile potion. The pain is gone nearly" Hermione declared with a snip causing Harry to shake his head but wait until she was settled before he too sat and began to pile his plate gaining a snort from Hermione who paced herself at choosing her foods.

It was when she rolled her eyes after something Ron mutter to her around a mouthful of food that she became aware of Cedric still looking at her. For a spilt second her face dropped and she looked in fear of something or rather someone.

Then she smiled shyly a slight tinge to her cheeks before she mouthed a thank you to the Hufflepuff student, then just as suddenly she turned her head away and recoiled when Ron said something to her and pointed a fork loaded with scramble eggs at her.

Cedric couldn't help but grin slightly when Hermione laughed and shook her head sending golden ringlets into her eyes.

 "I would stop that" Scott's gruff voice broke through to Cedric's mind and he snapped his head to look at his friend who was gathering his things nodding to the door.

 "And what would that be fur face" Cedric challenged before he too got to his feet grabbing the bag he carried with him not daring to look back to the Gryffindor, at least not to help speed along Scott's thoughts already on the subject.

 "Calling me fur face" Scott exclaimed with an indigent tone while Cedric simply turned and headed to the door.

 "and staring at Gryffindor fourth years" Scott whispered grinning openly as Cedric haltered for a moment and Scott strolled out of the great hall.

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The great hall was packed and Cedric couldn't understand why he was being dragged down here, all Scott would say was that it would be off if the Hufflepuff perfect was absent while his house mates put their names into the cup.

Ever fearful of his secret getting out Cedric grumbled the whole way even muttering a warning that he would go hunting during a full moon to which he was simply laughed at. .

"Oh come on Diggory…I hear the Weasley twins have this great idea on how to get their names into the cup without anyone figuring it out" Scott chimed as the pair strolled into the great hall, Scott lapping up the stares from the girls even winking at few while Cedric ignored them. Despite his best efforts to stop any attention the girls of Hogwarts were still determined.

Scott nudged Cedric as Cho Chang waved her petite hand his way, with a glare sent to Scott and a silent hiss Cedric turned and looked at Cho. She was beautiful and rather good seeker, she had the smarts to be placed in Ravenclaw but that was as far as he bothered to go. Her mind was easy to read without having any powers.

Her desire to have things in a prefect way was reflected by her choices in boyfriends, they had to meet a certain standard which she believed Cedric to fit to.

With a half hearted wave back Cedric dropped his hands and slumped on the stands along with Scott who chuckled.

"Cho Chang isn't someone you would normally give the shoulder to" "I wouldn't fit into her prefect world. What with being dead and all" Cedric declared as Scott groaned and shook his head before he suddenly froze then allowed a smirk to engulf his face.

"Or you could just sit there staring at a fourth year Gryffindor" Scott offered with a snort as Cedric glanced at him before looking away to find Hermione sitting beside Ron and Harry. Ron was enthralled by one of the Beauxbatons girls while Harry was trying hard not to look at Cho.

Hermione however had the heavy tome she was attempting to reach for a few days ago, it looked almost painful for her but she bore it well.

"See figured I could get you interested in someone" Scott chuckled as Cedric tore his eyes away and glared at Scott.

"You know she might pay more attention to you if you entered" Scott offered not scared in the lest by Cedric's glare.

"I don't really care if she pays attention to me or not" Cedric countered as Scott shrugged and looked back to Hermione who scowled when Ron made a fool of himself in front of a Beauxbatons girl.

"Well I'm sure then she really doesn't want you paying that much attention to her" Scott declared as Cedric wondered if Dumbledore would be that mad if he hit Scott.

"she's interesting… I've never had a human cover their thoughts from me" Cedric hissed at his friend who was only growing smugger by the second.

By the time Cedric had pushed out any notion of Dumbledore being mad with him for hitting Scott after he heard what led him to do it the whole hall had grown silent as Viktor Krum and his fellow house mates strolled into the great hall.

Cedric watched with fringed interest this time just to stop himself from hitting Scott who still held his smirk.

It was however after Krum had made his way to the cup and slipped his name in that Cedric ground his teeth as the stoic student flashed an over confident and rueful smile to Hermione who flushed for a second before offering her own shy smile.

Not moving his eyes from Hermione who returned once more to her tome, Cedric held back the urge to snap his teeth at Krum's passing thoughts.

"Fame. Glory. I vill vin this… perhaps hogvarts has more to offer then little runts" Gripping his seat Cedric tore his eyes away when Krum finally left the great hall.

"Oh for the sake of Merlin Diggory…just put your name in the blasted cup. For someone trying to not raise suspicion your doing a great job" Scott snapped causing Cedric to look at him a frown gracing his pale features.

"yes because having a hundred year old vampire competing wouldn't be unfair" Cedric muttered bitterly while Scott shot him a look.

"I'm not talking about actually partaking in the blasted thing… I'm just saying put your name in that's all I'm saying. Look three of that Krum's fellow house mates have already put their name in but I think they have a clear idea on whose going to be picked. Only five people from Hogwarts have put their names in and I doubt they have a chance at even getting picked" Scott told him as Cedric shrugged not bothering to ask why it had anything to do with him.

"Diggory for crying out loud don't you think it looks a little strange that the top student of our year and a perfect at that won't put his name into the cup" Scott growled lowly causing Cedric to roll his eyes. Scott quickly dove into his bag and pulled out a blank piece of parchment and using a tattered quill scribbled something down in the corner once finished he tossed his quill back into the bag and ripped the corner from the parchment.

"Why don't you" "because if I get chosen which I doubt then it's going to be hard to explain just why I can't take part on the night of a full moon" Scott growled with distain causing Cedric to lower his eyes. He didn't have to read Scott's mind to know that he hated his condition most of the time because things like this made him feel less normal.

"Just attempt it… the rest of the students will be happy and it will keep questions off your back" Scott declared as Cedric glared at him half hearted. Though being annoying and often the cause of Cedric's many glares there was times when Scott could be smart and reasonable enough to make sense to the vampire.

Thrusting the scarp of paper into Cedric's hand Scott still shook a little at the feel of his icy hands, with a jerk of his head Scott refused to say anything more on the matter.

With a growl that only Scott heard Cedric rose to his feet ignoring the interested looks from the Hufflepuffs.

"Besides the Gryffindor might be interested in you if you try" the low mutter made Cedric tighten his grip on the scrape of paper and stalk straight to the cup.

Eyeing up the cup and the age line Cedric wondering what the rules were on vampires… he knew any student under the age of seventeen wasn't allow to go near it but what about students over a hundred years old.

Dropping the paper into the fire he turned only to catch a glimpse of Harry and Ron gapping at him, he had played against Harry during a Quidditch match that hadn't happened on a too sunny a day and he had to admit the boy had moves.

Snapping his eyes up before he could look at Hermione Cedric glanced to Scott when Hufflepuff cheered loudly, turning just in time to see the flames change back to their blue colour Cedric bit back the groan.

He was greeting with the sight of several of his fellow housemates racing towards him along with Cho and her friends.

"Oh bollocks" was all Cedric could mutter not even attempting to glare at Scott who smirked, glancing around over the heads of the crowd growing around him he spotted Hermione's questioning glaze on him.

It was only to easy to read the thoughts of those around him but she simply just looked at him, confusion written across her face.

He didn't need to read her mind because he could guess what was going through her mind, no doubt cementing the idea he wasn't a normal student.

What normal student would hesitate about putting their name in the cup and cursing when it was accepted.

He didn't feel any better when she looked back down at her book oblivious to the commotion on around her.