Emotion Prompt: Proud

Characters: Amos Diggory, Cedric Diggory

Summary: If there was someone Amos was even prouder of than himself, it was Cedric.


Not my favourite story... But please bear with me. Got low on inspiration *sheepish grin*


People said that Amos Diggory was a proud, self-obsessed man. He was always considering his work and his thoughts and his opinions to be fine, and it often offended people. At school, he had lost many a girl who had fallen for his good looks and charms because he often lost himself in talking about himself. And growing up, this habit of his did diminish slightly, but it was still there, annoying people.

But there was something that Amos was even more proud of than himself. It was his son. It was Cedric.

Ever since he laid his eyes on his baby son, at the little boy's rosy face, chubby cheeks and fisted hands, lying so sweet and innocent beside his wife, he knew that this was the best child in the world. He had been the proudest man on all of the earth.

When little Cedric had uttered his first word, it had been 'papa'. Alicia, his wife, had been delighted, but Amos' pride and joy was beyond words.

Cedric began walking at the age of exactly ten months, three whole months before the child next door, who had been born in the same week as him. Amos couldn't contain his smug smile that bloomed as he watched his son accomplish the feat.

Cedric was a quick learner. Amos himself taught his little boy to fly, and no one else was more delighted than him when the four years old mastered the Shooting Star at only his second attempt.

When Cedric got his Hogwarts letter, the only person who was happier than him was perhaps Amos.

Cedric got sorted to his father's house. It is probably needless to describe said man's pride and joy at the news.

As he sat at home while his son went through the same steps of learning that he had at the beloved school, Amos got one good news after another. His boy became a prefect. Then he became the Hufflepuff quidditch captain. He even beat the Boy Who Lived — Harry Potter, at quidditch.

Amos had no longer any time to brag about himself; he was too busy talking about his son. Cedric, the sweet, humble boy that he was, often became embarrassed at his father's praise, but Amos didn't care. His Cedric was the best son a man could ask for, and he was going to make sure that the world knew that.

When his son became the Hogwarts champion at the Triwizard Tournament, Amos actually wept with joy. Within an hour of getting the news, every person alive who had ever known Amos Diggory knew that his son had entered the Triwizard Tournament.

Amos kept track of every achievement of his son in the tasks, and with every passing day, he grew prouder and prouder still.

He saw his son on the day of the third task, and looking at his athletic figure, the small smile and the humble expression adorning his face, Amos knew for sure who was going to win the Tournament.

He saw his son when he and Potter appeared out of nowhere that dreadful night. He saw that blank, lifeless face, and even as his body and heart screamed in denial, he knew that somehow, all was lost. As he cradled the body which was his greatest treasure, as he grew oblivious to his surroundings, as he cried and cried his heart out, Amos knew just one thing.

He was the proudest, and the unluckiest father in the whole world.