Author's Notes:

I have been a very bad author. I just realized that it has been several months since the last time that I posted. I feel horrible because I said that I wouldn't abandon this story, and I basically did just that.

Well, it's time to rectify that. I am posting the next chapter in our little tale regarding Eloise Midgen's fourth year at Hogwarts. But first, a couple things.

Pinballwizard92 aka Megan: Personally, I don't like to use betas. I prefer to do all of the spell check/grammar modifications myself. It's not that I think that I'm too good to use a beta. I just like to have my story ideas kept to myself until I see fit to post them on here. I'm sure that a beta would probably benefit me, but I'd rather not have one. That's just a personal preference of mine. I have actually tried using a beta on a different website I used to post on, but it didn't work out. They changed far too much of my story, and I didn't like that. Since then, I have been wary of betas. I'm sure that's understandable? To each their own, right? *insert smiley face here*

I am glad that you are enjoying my story. I know that the makeover thing could have been done a bit better. Originally, I wasn't going to have the other students drastically react to her transformation. However, I decided that too little of a reaction really was not the answer. I guess that this is my defense regarding the matter: If someone who was basically an ugly duckling had a total makeover and looked gorgeous, wouldn't it be a normal reaction to possibly fancy that person even if it was just to be their friend? I've tried to make this as realistic as possible, and I think that I have done a very good job. I will continue to make it realistic and not Mary-Sue, which I do not believe that I have done.

Reading my response over, I realize that my tone could possibly come across as a tad bit belligerent. I'd like to take this opportunity to say that it is not intended to be taken in that way at all. Should you do so, I offer my sincerest apologies. It was intended as a completely benevolent response.

Thank you for your review, Megan. I really appreciated it greatly. And don't worry, Cedric will get what's coming to him. The arse will soon see what it's like to be in Eloise's shoes.

Thank you Renata, tootz, and jrw for reviewing as well. I hope that you enjoy this chapter as much as the previous twelve.

And now, on with the show…..

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Honestly, would I be writing fan fiction if I owned one of the greatest series ever written? The answer is pretty obvious: NO!

Chapter Thirteen

Cedric Diggory's POV:

If I thought that the girls of Hogwarts would change their mind about what I'd done to Eloise the next day, I knew that I had definitely thought wrong. If anything, every girl seemed to behave even colder towards me. Some of them dropped dung bombs onto my feet as I walked to class. Others decided to tie my shoe laces together so that I tripped. The worst of the hazing happened in Potions' class. My partner, Ophelia Wright, completely ignored me. When we were cutting up our gurdy roots, Ophelia chucked them at my head instead of passing them to me. I was unable to duck in time to avoid the flying gurdy root, so I ended up with an angry welt on my forehead.

"I hope that hurt," Ophelia hissed at me.

I glared at her as she stirred the simmering potion. Gingerly, I rubbed the spot where the gurdy root had connected with my forehead. She smirked at me before looking back at the potion. Gritting my teeth, I leaned in close to Ophelia so that only she could hear me.

"You do realize that you are just as guilty as I am, right? You've had plenty of opportunities to come clean as well. It's one thing when a guy a girl fancies lies about something, but when her supposed friend does it…"

"Do you really want to have more objects thrown at you, Diggory?" threatened Ophelia. "Because I still have the knife I used to cut the gurdy root readily available."

"Oh, did I touch a nerve," I whispered, sneering at her.

"I'm warning you, Diggory…."

"I'm not afraid, Ophelia. I know that you won't do anything when there is a teacher so close by. You aren't brave enough for that."

"I don't really think that you want to test that theory, Diggory," Ophelia growled, her hand dangerously close to the knife.

"As interesting as your conversation undoubtedly is, I must ask the two of you to return to your potion making," came the silky voice of Professor Snape. "Ten points will be taken from Hufflepuff and if I have to ask you to get to work again, the consequences will be dire."

"Yes, Professor Snape, sir," mumbled Cedric and Ophelia in unison.

Professor Snape strode away from Cedric and Ophelia to go and criticize Whitney Kensington and Eric Hopkins' potion. Ophelia gave me a look of pure loathing before attending to the potion. Sighing, I waited for class to end so that I could get as far away from her as possible. No, scratch that. I wanted class to end so that I could find Eloise and apologize to her. Despite the fact that I knew it wouldn't do any good, I wanted to at least try to make up for how I'd wronged Eloise. It wasn't right how I had treated her, and I wanted to make things better. Problem was, I didn't know if she would be willing to listen.

After what felt like an eternity, the bell finally rang. Quickly packing away my belongings, I tried to make a beeline for the door. However, I was stopped by a hand grabbing firmly onto my wrist.

"Don't even think about it," warned Ophelia.

"What?" I asked, totally confused as to what she was talking about.

Ophelia gave me a look that stated quite plainly that she knew exactly what I was planning.

"She won't talk to you. You might as well forget about it and move on."

"Obviously, she hasn't been exposed to the Diggory charm enough times yet," I stated. "She'll come around once I pour on the charm. They all do."

Ophelia looked as though she was going to say something, but stopped. She bit her lip and smiled.

"Whatever you say," Ophelia said, wearing a peculiar smile.

Part of me wondered why she was grinning like that, but the other part didn't care. I knew that I could make Eloise melt by just being my charming self. It worked every time that a girl was mad at me. They couldn't resist my dashing self.

Eloise's POV

When I woke up the next morning, I felt a little bit better. Putting on a pair of jeans and an argyle purple sweater, I made my way down to breakfast. For the first time in several months, I did not wear makeup, or do my hair in a stylish manner. I brushed my hair and my teeth, put on a tiny bit of perfume, and walked down to breakfast. Nothing over the top. Just simple. Like me.

Things had pretty much gone back to normal. No one stared at me as I took my solitary seat at the Hufflepuff table. A few people shot sympathetic looks my way, but I chose to ignore them. I did not want their sympathy. I wanted things to return to the way that they were before all of this had happened. That was the only way I was going to be able to move on from this. I needed to pretend that it never happened. Trouble was, it was very difficult to forget.

It didn't make any sense to me at all. Cedric had seemed so…gentlemanly. Was it really just an act, or was he the real deal? I wanted to believe that it wasn't an act, but I remembered that he had made that bet. It was an act. Those feelings that he supposedly had for me were 100% fake.

Which made it worse because I couldn't stop thinking about his actions. I mean, what sort of person toyed with a girl's affections like that? Was Cedric really that sort of person? Was winning a bet more important than hurting the feelings of another human being? If so, that meant that Cedric had to be quite despicable. Not to mention, Cedric possessed a blatant disregard for anyone's feelings but his own.

You must not think about this again, I scolded myself. It'll only put you in a bad mood.

For the rest of the day, I tried my hardest to throw myself into my schoolwork, and it paid off. When I was concentrating on spells, magical plant care, or a fascinating creature, my mind didn't travel to thoughts of a certain Hufflepuff Prefect. I even went to the library to do my homework so that I wouldn't have time to allow my mind to wander. Because I was afraid of what it would linger upon if I did.

However, my plan was to be foiled. By whom, you ask? Well, it's quite easy to figure that one out. Just think of the one thing that I'd tried to avoid. If you can do that, you can probably guess how my plan and my day was ruined.

"Hey, Eloise. Mind if I sit down beside you?"

Setting my quill down on the table, I looked up from my work. Cedric Diggory stood right beside me, casting a shadow upon my parchment.

"Yes, I do mind," I replied, coolly.

"Great," said Diggory, plopping down into the seat next to mine.

I raised my eyebrows at him. How did he not get that I was in no mood to talk to him? How could he sit there, bold as brass, and try to converse with me? Was he really that dense?

"This wasn't an invitation for you to sit here, Diggory," I growled at him. "Please go away."

"I just wanted to talk to you," Cedric replied, looking hurt. "Can't you just listen for a moment?"

He flashed the famous Diggory look. The one I'd witnessed him using on countless other girls before. The look that lulled girls into a false sense of security and made them believe that he actually cared for them. But, truth be told, he just wanted to make them think that. He cared for no one but himself.

"I know what you are trying to do, and it won't work," I declared. "You are trying to get me to forgive you, but I know better."

"What do you mean, Eloise," Cedric questioned, leaning closer to me and placing a hand on my shoulder.

Disgusted, I shrugged him off. I scrunched my face into a heavy scowl as I looked at him. Anger flooded my veins, and I felt my whole body shaking violently.

"Let me make one thing perfectly clear. I despise you, Cedric Diggory," I hissed in a voice that oozed venom in every syllable. "You don't give a damn about anyone but yourself. You think that just because you were graced with good looks that you can get whatever you want. Hate to break it to you but one day, those looks will be gone. Then what? You'll be all alone with no one to comfort you. "

"That is a lie," Cedric cried. "I am not as selfish as you make me out to be!"

I rolled my eyes.

"I find that very hard to fathom."

"Then I guess you must be pretty dense then," replied Cedric, coldly.

"Still not nearly as thick as you," I quipped.

Cedric glared at me. It was a look that I had never witnessed on his face before. He seemed madder than I had ever known him to be. The sight sort of made me feel quite satisfied with myself. At least he knew now what my feelings were.

"You didn't seem to be too concerned about that when I was all cuddled up with you in Hogsmeade," Cedric pointed out. "You seemed to be quite thrilled by the attention. What's a matter? Didn't get enough at home so now you want to seek attention elsewhere? I guess I must not be dense enough for you to hate me too much. You talk about me being selfish, but you are just as selfish as I am. Maybe worse, depending on how you look at it."

I was too startled to speak. Did he really just call me selfish?

Gathering up the last of my composure, I spoke again to Cedric.

"Get out of here before I hex you," I warned him. "I'm quite good with a wand now. I could cause some very serious damage."

Cedric eyed the end of my wand apprehensively. He shrugged.

"I have nothing more to say to you anyway," he muttered. "I'll see you around, Eloise."

Reviews are welcomed!