Author's Note: First, thanks for reading! Second, here is the last chapter of his first year. I want to thank you all for sticking with this story throughout its beginning stages and I hope you like where I take it. It really means a great deal that anyone is reading this, let alone giving me a review, follow, or fav.
I wanted to give Harry a taste of Quidditch here, but I don't see how he could devote any time to it with everything else that he needs to focus on. It will certainly become less of a fixture in subsequent years as the plot progresses and his attention is directed elsewhere, but there was a reason for me writing it.
As always, I really appreciate the feedback I have gotten and encourage you to tell me what works and doesn't.
Standard disclaimer about not owning anything; I am so thankful for JKR and all that she did for us. She gave us one of the greatest gifts, and so many people have taken to this site and played brilliantly with her creation. We should have a JKR day and it should be a global holiday!
One week. That was all it had taken to convince Harry that there was no way he was ever playing Quidditch for his house team ever again. For during that those three mandatory practices he had barely managed to finish all of his homework before the match on Saturday while also keeping up with his hour-a-day studies devoted to preparing himself for defeating the Dark Lord.
Even though part of his increased workload was because of having to do his Saturday homework during the week, he knew he would never be able to sustain that amount of effort, unless he didn't want to see Neville or Hermione ever again.
The only good thing about his hectic week had been that he was able to spend quit a fair bit of time with Cedric. But even those moments were not enough to make him consider ever making this arrangement permanent.
In his mind Harry was merely been polite with accepting the week-long offer he had received from the captain to practice with them before their hopefully non-final match against Slytherin; however, in no uncertain terms, he had made it clear that this was something that he would not be pursuing next year.
Cedric was a little bummed when Harry had said that because he thoroughly enjoyed the time that he spent with him, but was partly relieved that he wouldn't have to worry about losing his spot on the team – though that was a very small part of how Cedric was feeling.
Nonetheless, the day of the match finally arrived, bringing with it a beautiful late April air that was crisp and refreshing. It heralded that spring had arrived and that summer was just around the corner. The Hufflepuff Quidditch Team, and Harry, ate breakfast together at one end of their house table in the Great Hall. They were nervous and excited and it took them some time to be able to eat any significant amount of food, which they would need to be able to play at their best. This was the day that would determine whether they moved on to the final match for a chance to play for the Quidditch Cup.
Harry was the only one at the table that resembled his normal self, as he wasn't playing he didn't have any of the pressure that the others had on their shoulders. In fact, Harry would be sitting with Neville and Hermione in the stands and watching what was no doubt going to be a thrilling afternoon. The only way that Harry would see game time was if something happened to Cedric – and Harry didn't particularly care for thinking such thoughts and so he didn't.
It was rare for teams to have reserve players to substitute in during a match and they were only allowed if a player was injured. This was because it took a great deal of time to practice with the team on the off hand that you were needed. Now, if a player was injured before a match then it usually wasn't that difficult to find a replacement that could train in time for the next game.
And so Harry was the only one that had any real appetite that morning and wished his fellow housemates, who he had gotten the chance to know more in the past week, good luck that day before heading over to where Hermione and Neville were standing.
Harry watched as the team stood up to applause from the rest of his house as they made their way down to the quidditch pitch. The Slytherin team followed soon after. A half an hour later found the whole school marching towards the stadium, and Harry and his friends joined Hufflepuff's unofficial cheering section.
The trio watched as the teams made their way out of the changing rooms and then began shouting in support of their team along with the rest of the spectators. The usual hush followed as Madam Hooch met the captains and laid out the well-known ground rules to the players.
A nervous and excited energy then bristled throughout the air and ignited to a full-blown cacophony once her whistle sounded and the quaffle was released alongside the all-important snitch. Players took to the air with a feverish determination, and Harry couldn't help but follow Cedric's every move as he hunted for Hufflepuff's ticket to the final.
It soon became apparent what Slytherin's approach to this game would be: since they had failed to prevent Cedric from being able to play, they resorted to try and unseat him from his broom at any and all cost. The beaters were hardly paying attention to the other players and focused their bats solely towards the seeker. Normally, the beater's role was to try and spread out the attacks and disrupt the attention and flow of everyone on the opposing team. By focusing all of their attention on one player, Hufflepuff's chasers were doing very well in holding their own and had even scored a few goals in the opening moments of the match. However, Cedric soon found himself dodging bludger after bludger and had given up trying to look for the snitch in his attempt to survive from one moment to the next.
Shouts and jeers against Slytherin's strategy were soon heard from three-quarters of those in attendance. Harry was too nervous to put any effort into speaking or shouting and instead remained glued to his friend's daring game of avoidance-bludger. His hands were clenched over his mouth and his prayers had turned from hoping for a win to just letting Cedric come out of this game unscathed.
After ten minutes of play, Hufflepuff was up seventy points to twenty – but Cedric was losing ground and energy. He had gone from swerving with plenty of time to spare to barely managing to dodge out of the way. A few times he had even been grazed by the bludger but his mind didn't even have time to focus on the bruises that he already had as the next bludger screamed towards him.
Eventually, there came a time when he was just a fraction of a second too late and the bludger collided with his head and he was knocked unconscious.
Gasps from all around were heard as the third year went limp and fell several stories to the ground. His impact with the hard ground below was softened through the use of charms that cushioned the otherwise disastrous effect of falling from tens to hundreds of feet in the air.
The game was paused by Madam Hooch and Madam Pomfrey took to the field at once and began casting the moment she arrived at Cedric's unresponsive body. Harry's face reflected a look of sheer terror and heartache before a brief pain tore into his side. Harry turned to Neville who had elbowed him rather strongly while they both watched the scene unfold before them.
"Harry – you better get down there. I don't think Cedric's is going to rejoin this match any time soon."
Harry closed his eyes for a moment, disbelieving that this moment could get any worse. But it had because he was the reserve seeker, and he would therefore have to play.
"Shit," he uttered in a broken manner, as Cedric was magically carried off of the field and play resumed.
How was he supposed to think about Quidditch when he didn't know how his friend was doing?
He didn't have all that long to sit there and contemplate every little detail because Neville was practically dragging him towards the changing room. Harry would have to hurry and get changed to give Hufflepuff an outside shot at winning this match. With no seeker, Hufflepuff was assured of a defeat because Slytherin could always postpone catching the snitch unless it would ensure them a place in the final. With a seeker, there chances were still low, as Harry was an unknown factor, but they were now better than zero.
Neville tried to give Harry an encouraging pep talk as they made their way down the stairs and through the bowels of the stadium towards the locker room.
Harry was in another mental place, however, and was only able to catch every few words while changing into a spare uniform that magically sized to fit him.
"Harry… will… fine… worry… best… win… Slytherin… safe… you."
Harry came out of his anxiety-induced stupor for a brief second before he was about to enter the pitch and looked at Neville with a somewhat coherent mind.
Harry was taking as many deep breaths as he could and wasn't able to articulate any of his thoughts to Neville. He wasn't entirely sure of how he was feeling, anyways.
"I would prefer not to fly, Harry. Leave me here with Neville. You will be fine, Calm down. Breathe. Give me to Neville."
Kaa's hissing helped to focus Harry somewhat and allowed him to explain to Neville that he was leaving Kaa with him. A Quidditch game was no place for a snake.
Neville seemed better at handling this situation and nodded at Harry before bravely letting Kaa slither into his robes and circle around his wrist. Neville tried his best not to focus on the venomous snake and instead led Harry in the direction of the field.
Harry stood there looking up at the players above him and the people in the stands, and felt like he was being judged on an incredibly large level. The Hufflepuff captain saw him standing with Cedric's broom clenched in his hand and called for a timeout.
His team descended around him and Madam Hooch was not far behind.
"What's this, a reserve?" The dragon-eyed force asked.
The captain nodded.
"Yes, Madam Hooch. Harry Potter will be subbed into the game for Hufflepuff."
She nodded and flew to inform the commentator of what was occurring.
Harry was in a daze. Everything had happened and was happening so fast; he had gone from looking forward to being a spectator, to sitting on the edge of his seat watching Cedric fly from a bludger, to worrying about his friend before being shocked into action.
"You'll be fine, Harry. There is no pressure. Without a seeker we lose, but with a seeker… well, anything is possible. Just try your best and pretend like it is just another practice."
The captain, a strong sixth year who put Quidditch above all of his other responsibilities, in this moment was being supportive and nurturing to his only hope of getting out of this mess. Gone was the manic drill master who pushed his team to their absolute limits – he knew enough of the game to know that for him to get anything out of Harry during this match, he would need to take a softer approach with him.
Harry just nodded at him, too nervous of spilling the bile that was threatening to come up to open his mouth.
The team took to the air and play resumed with a few squeals and gasps from the crowd.
Lee Jordan was in announcer heaven and couldn't believe his luck.
"Will you look at that; Harry Potter takes over the position of seeker for the injured Cedric Diggory who was injured during the disgusting and revolting play of Slytherin's…"
"Lee, that is enough!" McGonagall's voice roared.
"Right, Professor. Play resumes as Hufflepuff looks to regain the form they started out with," before adding in a softer, but still audible, "you know when Slytherin was being unfair…"
"Mr. Jordan!" her voice sounded again.
"ly judged for playing unfairly. I meant to add that, Professor. Honestly!"
McGonagall had a reputation for being fair, and she was concentrating on her ingrained habits in favor of worrying about her Harry take to the air for the first time.
While Harry flew about searching for the snitch and slowly building his confidence up in his flying abilities and gaining more control over the situation he found himself in, Remus and Sirius's faces had never recovered from the shocking reality that their Harry was playing too. However, as much as the pair would have been overjoyed in seeing Harry follow in James' footsteps, their parental instincts were worried that he would end up hurt like Cedric had instead. They had never entertained the idea that he would actually play a game under these circumstances.
The longer that Harry was in the air, the less everything else affected him. The wind against his cheeks shielded him from thinking about the crowd below. Harry needed to focus now and his mind slipped into Occlumency mode, with his sharper mind considering only the task that was before him and holding everything else at bay. He no longer agonized over Cedric's injury or where he currently was because the only thing that he was directing all of his consciousness to was a little golden ball with hummingbird-like wings.
His instincts took over and he rode through the wind currents and zipped around the other players in daring fashion to those in the stadium that couldn't take their eyes off of him. To them, Harry Potter was flying with such skill and nerve that it rivaled professional players and the loud sounds that they had been making only moments before were replaced by mouths unable to produce any sound at all. They were wondering how a first year had gotten so good without any apparent effort.
And Harry would agree with their assessment; he couldn't explain his flying abilities. They were something that came from deep inside him and he felt as if his body were being controlled by something else.
The score had now gone in Slytherin's favor and Hufflepuff was behind by five goals when Harry caught a glint of light reflecting behind his opponent's goalpost. He rolled into a spin as he spiraled through the dense chaser activity and righted himself to sounds catching in people's throats at what he had just done.
He raced towards his goal and his Occlumency-induced tunnel vision only cleared when his fist closed around the golden ball that sent tingles shooting up his arm.
The stadium seemed to let out a collective breath before the tumultuous and joyous screams from Hufflepuff and their supporters bathed out the disappointing jeers and angry-shouts from Slytherin. Hufflepuff had one it; somehow they had beaten Slytherin and would now face Gryffindor in the final match. Remus and Sirius had come to their senses and were standing and jumping up and down, not at all concerned about how others would view them. They were beyond overjoyed at what they had just witnessed and made them both feel as if James had been in their presence for a brief moment.
They were also tremendously relieved that Harry had come out of this unscathed.
Harry's team circled around him in the air and they all became an entangled mass that slowly fell to the pitch in each other's arms. The spectators rushed at them and soon a very large crowd of black and yellow with the occasional odd color thrown in were chanting, "Hufflepuff! Hufflepuff!"
Neville's arms were soon around Harry and it took Kaa several moments before he could surreptitiously rejoin his bonded one.
He hissed words of joy and congratulations and he kept Harry company as they made their way back to the castle. It looked like Hufflepuff would now be busy well into the night again celebrating another unexpected triumph.
But the celebrations took a pause when they entered their common room and Cedric's absence began to become noticed. The crowd then moved to head out and storm the infirmary when the captain voice rose above all of the others.
"I think only the team should go, not everyone will fit in the infirmary and we all know how Madam Pomfrey would love that."
The crowd laughed, but he did have a point; Madam Pomfrey would chase them out for daring to disturb the recovery of one of her patients.
The team, plus Harry, ventured out then to check on Cedric. It was the first time since he had seen Cedric fall that his fear and worry had returned to him. He had been overcome with the rush that came with flying and the exuberance of catching the snitch that his mind allowed the congratulatory cheers and support of his house to move aside any worry about his friend's health. He felt partly ashamed of how long it had taken him to think of Cedric, and by the looks on the faces of his teammates, he wasn't alone.
The group arrived with heavy spirits as they slowly entered the infirmary and met with Madam Pomfrey.
She knew why they were there; it was obvious considering that their outfits matched the one that Cedric had been wearing.
"He will be alright," she said quickly while reassuring them with calming hand movements.
"Took a nasty hit to the head and will most likely be out until tomorrow, but nothing to worry about – he'll have a bump for a few days, but that's about it. His own magic had already started the healing process when I arrived."
Everyone visibly calmed at that and started moving forward to where Cedric was lying on his back, his hair partially covered in gauze.
Harry didn't like the feeling that settled in his gut upon seeing Cedric so motionless. Gone was his smile and life in his eyes, and he only wanted to hear the smooth voice that he had grown overly fond of. The team paid their respects quietly before leaving him in the capable hands of Madam Pomfrey.
The walk back to their common room was striking in its absence of sound. The reality of seeing their teammate unable to celebrate this historic occasion with them was hard for them to bear. They had reached this point together, and they wanted to be able to celebrate together.
The party that night was more muted than past victory celebrations, but food and drink were again provided by the elves. The Puffs stayed in the common room and kept their victory to themselves again, while Harry found himself to be the center of everyone's attention after Cedric's absence had been adjusted to. People were clamoring to know how he had flown that well and with such precision.
Harry was thankful that Neville was with him to shield him from a lot of the attention because in truth he didn't know how to respond. He knew he had a talent for flying, but it was very instinctual, and he could never find the right words to properly describe it. Time passed quite quickly that night and everyone was worn out slightly earlier than usual considering it was a Saturday night. Soon, Harry found himself alone with Neville slightly after eleven.
They were both sitting by the remnants of the fire and each was nibbling on some of the leftover food.
"You going to bed soon, Harry?" Neville inquired after a yarn as he stretched his legs out before him.
"You have to be exhausted after everything that happened today."
Harry moved his head up and down in agreement.
"I think I'll sit here for a few more minutes and then head to bed."
Harry continued to stare into the embers; he was still able to appreciate the warmth they gave out.
"I'm looking forward to a lazy day – though with finals approaching, a little revising might be good. I doubt Hermione will do anything but revise at this point."
Neville chuckled at that very accurate statement.
"Hermione is overzealous when it comes to studying, even when we know she will do fine and she knows that she will do fine."
Neville looked at him seriously for a moment.
"Harry, I'm not even worried about these exams – not with all of the work we have put in throughout the year. I mean, I am even looking forward to some of them – and not just Herbology, but Potions too! How can she be so worried?"
Harry just shrugged at Neville; he didn't think Hermione could help herself. Studying was just something that Hermione would likely never grow out of, probably because it comforted her to know that she was doing everything she could do.
Neville continued shaking his head in confusion over their friend and patted Harry on the shoulder before calling it a night.
Harry remained in the chair for a couple of minutes before standing up and heading towards his room when a random thought entered his mind as he passed the hidden entrance.
He thought for a moment before retrieving the map from his room so that he would be able to exit from the tunnel later and unseen. He made sure that everyone in Hufflepuff were in their rooms, or at least away from the common room, and then quickly opened and then closed the door after he had ventured inside.
A short while later Harry exited and unconsciously headed over to a spot that was directly under where Cedric was in the infirmary. Harry sat down and let Kaa down so that he could roam around free and laid the map fully open at his feet. The floor was not dirty anymore as the boys had made sure to remove the dust and had even brought a few cushions so that they wouldn't have to sit on the hard floor.
At this hour, Hogwarts was fairly uneventful and everyone was in his or her room. The only movement that Harry could discern was from where the teacher's quarters were. It suddenly occurred to Harry that the Marauders would have needed the map to be in those places in order to have them show up on the map. He didn't want to know how his … father and his parents, Sirius and Remus, had managed to get into each and every faculty member's apartment. It was quite disconcerting to think about sneaking into McGonagall's quarters and he wondered if they ever served detention for their exploits. He made a mental note to ask Remus about it later.
Some of the feelings of separation and loss at not being able to celebrate Hufflepuff's triumph with Cedric lessoned somewhat as Harry thought about the fact that Cedric was right above him. If he concentrated hard enough and let his mind feel the space around him, he was able to feel the trace of whatever tingle would spark between them. It comforted him and he longed to have him in his presence once again; Harry was finding his friends, and Cedric especially, becoming a part of his everyday life so much that he was acutely aware of when they were not there.
Feeling partially alone and isolated with these thoughts, despite the presence of Kaa who had wriggled back onto his wrist, Harry gently leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. He was determined to focus on how what he was feeling was a reflection of all the good things that he had going on in his life, and it was because of this that he was feeling a little low.
And without meaning to spend more than a half hour on the floor, Harry succumbed to the drowsiness and began to dream. Meanwhile, right above him, Cedric was also dreaming under the influence of the potions that Madam Pomfrey had given him to combat his concussion.
… The sun was warm; his skin was absorbing all of the heat that it could as he lay on the grass under a clear blue sky. His hands were grasping at something that was giving off even more heat, but it was not uncomfortable. There was a familiarness to the sensation that was coursing through his hands that could instantly soothe any fear or worry that he might have.
A spectacular sound that penetrated into the very depths of his being reverberated throughout the colored landscape, his companion's laugh filling his heart with joy. He attempted to open his eyes and put a face to that laugh that he would never tire of hearing but his vision was off and before him was only an abstract shape. But he didn't worry about it, nothing felt abnormal. In fact, he was in a state of bliss. The chirping of birds could be heard in the distance and a cool wind was kissing his warm skin where the sun had lingered a little too long.
He moved his head to rest against the boy besides him and inhaled the delicate and enticing fragrance; it reminded him of summer, perfect and refreshing, and of fresh wood being cut just after drying from a heavy rain. He sighed with a contentment that he had never known and never wanted to live without. He never wanted to leave his companion's presence.
Eventually, the sun started to fade into the horizon and things became hazier and more difficult to distinguish. He tried to move closer into the other boy's arms and found himself drifting off into nothingness…
Cedric blinked a few times as he opened his eyes. His brain was trying to process the room in which he found himself, unable to remember how he had gotten here or even the last place he remembered being. He was groggy though comfortable, and had just had a most wonderful dream. It was difficult to describe; in fact, he couldn't think of what it had been about and was just on the tip of his tongue but he couldn't get to it. He returned to thinking about his current situation.
He supposed that the last thought he had was of eating breakfast in the Great Hall. From there what had he done?
'QUIDDITCH!' He thought furiously to the point that he almost snapped his neck as he quickly went from lying peacefully on his back to sitting upright and scanning the room for someone, anyone, that could answer his many questions.
Madam Pomfrey ran over to Cedric after hearing the commotion from inside her office.
"Mr. Diggory, you will injury yourself further. Relax; it's okay. You are going to be fine."
She figured that he was confused as to why he was there, which he was – but he cared more about what happened to the game.
'I must have been knocked unconscious,' he thought to himself as bits and pieces of the game flashed through his brain. He was beginning to remember how many bludgers he had managed to dodge and now assumed that he had simply been hit by one. Did that mean that Slytherin had won? Had Harry been substituted for him? How long had he been out?
"Madam Pomfrey," he looked up at the stern but motherly figure looming over his bed, "how did the Quidditch game go?"
She rolled her eyes at him. Only teenagers could be more concerned over a game than their own health.
"I wouldn't have the faintest idea. I brought you back up the castle at once to treat you. Foolish game, Quidditch."
She shook her head and scanned over Cedric with her wand.
"Half of the people that come in here are because of that sport – if it was up to me I would find a way to make it safer. Or ban it entirely," she added as she picked up a quill and wrote something down in Cedric's chart.
Cedric was stunned; how could she not know the outcome of the match? He looked at her like she had lost all of her marbles.
After several minutes of additional scanning and ramblings about the dangers of Quidditch, Cedric was released from her care with instructions on taking it easy for the rest of the day. He was informed that he should return to her at once if he felt off.
Cedric walked slowly until he was certain that he was out of her view and then hightailed it to Hufflepuff, desperate to hear about the match.
He practically burst into the common room and was met with a stunned silence before clamoring and applause broke out.
"Cedric, you're alright!" was the only thing he could pick out among many people that were surrounding him. Some of the members of the Quidditch team were mulling about besides him.
"We did it!" They explained, to Cedric's amazement.
"Harry caught the snitch and we are in the final – I mean how are you feeling? Will you be able to play?"
There was sheer joy and happiness in everyone's eyes, not only had they won at Quidditch but also because Cedric was now okay.
'Harry did it, he caught the snitch,' he chuckled to himself. Of course his Harry had caught the snitch.
His Harry? Where had that come from?
He pushed that thought aside and allowed himself to focus on the grand retelling of the match after he had been taken out. Though, they did fill him in on how his injury had occurred since Madam Pomfrey had only focused on what she had done after he had been knocked unconscious. He sat there in rapt attention as their triumph over Slytherin was woven into this grand tale that had everyone reliving what had most definitely been one of the highlights of each and everyone's year.
"But don't worry Cedric, you will play in the final. Harry said one game was more than enough for him – he much rather prefers to watch the game rather than be in it. Also, he reiterated that you were the primary seeker and far better than him, not that we tried to replace you. I mean, after his spectacular flying it crossed all of our minds. You should have seen it Ced, it was incredible!"
The captain had rambled on too much, but it was fine. Cedric knew that Harry could easily take the spot if he wanted to, as he was the superior flyer. But Harry didn't believe that for whatever reason.
Cedric looked around the room for Harry but he couldn't find him.
"Harry and Neville are in the library."
Nearly everyone laughed at that. It was rare for Harry not to be in the library at least at some point during the day and it was a well-known fact in Hufflepuff. It was also known throughout the school just how much Harry excelled in the classroom, and people respected his quiet intelligence and non-flashy personality. He didn't need to be the star, but at the same time it was hard to deny that he was anything but special.
And not everyone in the castle considered that to be a good thing.
Cedric eventually was allowed to leave the common room and went looking for Harry to hear about how things had gone from his perspective. Cedric knew how much his first game had reduced him to a ball of nerves and he wanted to make sure Harry was handling the experience all right.
After catching up with Harry, Cedric hunkered down in his room to begin preparing for finals and drew up a schedule to make room for more Quidditch practices and revising for his exams. Cedric wasn't worried though; he was very diligent in fulfilling his responsibilities. He was more than excited at getting to play for the Quidditch cup with his team, but he knew he couldn't neglect his studies. He didn't want to play the game forever and knew that he needed a solid foundation for his later years in Hogwarts and beyond. His saving grace would be that the final match would be two weeks before the exams, leaving him plenty of time to make sure that he kept up his academic reputation. He may have to forgo his Sundays with Harry for a little while, but they would be able to resume them next year. Perhaps they could even catch up over the summer, he would have to talk to Harry about keeping in touch during the break from school like he did with his other friends.
In the seventh year suite of Ravenclaw, Brianne Coughlin was suffering through a tutoring session with the second year, Cho Chang. Brianne was a Muggleborn witch and very smart. She was the top of her year and had ambitions that would place her very high within the Ministry; however, she was handicapped by her blood status and lack of connections. In her fifth year, she had cottoned on to the uphill struggle she would face after she graduated and began to apply herself to overcome that handicap in anyway that she could think.
She began to tutor Ravenclaws that had prominent parents in the Ministry that perhaps she could use as a recommendation or a leg up when she applied for her dream job of working in the Department of Mysteries. She devoted most of her free time to networking with those students that offered her the best shot at succeeding later in life and this was the reason that she currently found herself holding her tongue at the idiot second year in front of her.
The only reason that she even endured the disaster that was Cho Chang was because her mother worked in the very department that she sought to apply to. Cho was an average student and could be labeled as intelligent when she put in the required effort to study, but Brianne thoroughly questioned why she was sorted into Ravenclaw.
Brianne was sacrificing precious time that she needed to expertly revise for her NEWTs. She was confident in her abilities and expected at the very least an E in every subject, but she strived for as many Os as she could get.
Her study session with Cho was interrupted when someone knocked at the door.
"Brianne, there is a first year that just broke into hysterics about finals in the common room. All of the other Prefects are in the library, can you come down for a moment?" One of the fourth years that Brianne was on friendly terms with asked.
'Almost done with this crap,' she sighed to herself.
"Keep working on those potion ingredients, Cho. When I get back we can go over the properties of their combinations again, okay?" She looked over at the black-haired girl.
Cho nodded absentmindedly, her mind focusing on her crush, Cedric, and his luscious brown hair. He was the epitome of a dreamboat, in her opinion.
Brianne walked over and exited the room, leaving Cho sitting on her bed not even pretending to study. Cho looked around curiously, wondering if there was anything juicy or informative hanging around the room that the older girls shared.
She quietly paced around the room and peaked into this and that but hadn't found anything interesting until she returned to Brianne's bed and happened to catch sight of a satchel shoved under her bed.
Curious, she went to see if there was anything of note inside and pulled out a small chest. She stared at it for a moment before reasoning it was possibly shrunk down as it was beautifully ornate and it wouldn't make sense to have something so intricate be so small. Who would do such a thing?
She tapped it with her wand and her greedy eyes smirked as it enlarged, and practically chortled as she opened it to reveal what was quite literally, treasure.
Having had experience with pilfering odds and ends from her housemates, she took a little of what was inside and placed it within her own bag. Not enough to notice that anything was gone upon a quick glance, but leaving Cho with more than enough trinkets to satisfy her kleptomaniac tendency to borrow the loose odd or end.
She quickly shrunk the box back and placed it under the bed in the exact position in which she had found it; she had experience with these things and knew the best way to go about leaving things unnoticed.
When Brianne had returned to the room, she resumed her session with Cho and would remain unaware of the horrible death that Cho had inadvertently saved her from.
The Quidditch final lived up to everyone's expectations. It was everything that any Quidditch fan could hope for and had delivered on all fronts. In the end, Hufflepuff had squeaked by with the snitch and with the Cup. Gryffindor had lost, but they weren't as dejected as they normally would have been in this situation. The had managed to fight their way back from a humiliating season and earn a birth in the final with only a single victory and would end above their arch rivals in Slytherin. They had given it everything they could have and each member of the team had left the field with their head held high knowing that they couldn't have done anything different. On this day they had simply been outplayed.
Hufflepuff was quieter in their victory than one would expect. A large part of that was because they were in stunned disbelief that they had actually done what they had dared to hope for the entire season.
The party that night was still riotous and loud and went on far into the night, but it was different; more hugs were exchanged and slaps on the back were frequent. Each member of their house had contributed to the victory in some way, whether through playing or supporting those on the brooms. But it was also bittersweet because it was the end of the season and getting close to the end of the year. All of those friendships and bonds would soon be tested as exams were taken and everyone went home for the summer. Hufflepuffs were also more closely knit than the other houses, but this year they became more like a family. They had achieved highs and lows, but in the end they would always have each other's backs and support one another.
The following days were difficult for them and for the rest of the school to adjust to. For now, they needed to buckle down and finish revising and prepare to take the dreaded exams that for some could dictate the rest of their lives.
And like most things, for some it dragged on and for others it flew by. Harry was thankful that he was in the group that it seemed to blur by at the speed of sound. However, he was well prepared and was more than ready to admit that he had achieved full marks on almost every question. He was pleased with his performance and looked forward to the future and the magic that he was bound to discover. He resolved to spend the summer advancing his studies and focusing more on the Voldemort issue along with some of his other interests.
Saying goodbye to his friends had been hard, but they had made plans to keep in touch over the summer and he had even accepted Draco's offer to visit Malfoy Manor. Although, he imagined that Sirius and Remus would be accompanying him.
His blossoming friendship with Draco and the trust that was growing between them really highlighted just how magical a friendship could be between people from very different backgrounds if they were allowed to develop naturally. Harry could only hope that their bond would strengthen a lot more before it would undoubtedly be tested by the extenuating circumstances that were bound to manifest themselves at some point.
His friendships with Neville and Hermione were much easier and he had little doubt at how easy it would be to keep in touch and they had already planned multiple things to do in both the muggle and the magical world. He was looking forward to the times he would have with them and was glad that he wouldn't have to be apart from them for long.
On Harry's last night in the castle before everyone departed on the train, though Harry would again return to Grimmauld Place with Remus through the floo, Cedric knocked on his door just as he finished packing the last of his possessions.
Harry opened the door and looked at Cedric who had a big grin on his face.
"Busy?" Cedric asked nonchalantly.
"Not really, just finishing packing. And I am leaving later than the rest of you, so I can always finish in the morning. What's up?"
Cedric's grin grew even wider.
"I was just wondering if you wanted to take a walk with me. I think there is something that you would like seeing."
Harry eyed him suspiciously, wondering what on earth this could be about.
"Sure, do I need my map and cloak?" Harry asked as he went to retrieve them. It was just second nature at this point to not leave his room without them. While he was busy removing them from his nightstand, Kaa slipped around his wrist. The snake was determined to not let Harry walk about alone at this hour, even if it was with Cedric.
Cedric asked if he could use the map because he wanted this to be a surprise for Harry and with a slight roll of his eyes Harry handed it to him. Though, on the inside, Harry was doing cartwheels that Cedric had planned something special for him. It was also nice to have someone do something unexpected to show you how much you meant to them.
Harry let Cedric lead the way and he was carefully holding his cloak and ready to deploy it at a moments notice should a teacher be walking the halls at this hour.
They walked in silence for a few moments towards the heart of the castle before Cedric stopped and turned to look at Harry.
"Now, close your eyes." Cedric said in his rich and smooth voice.
Harry again obliged him and shut his eyes tightly.
"Do you trust me," Cedric said in a near whisper.
Harry nodded his head.
"Of course I do."
Harry was momentarily startled when he felt his friends hands grab onto his shoulders and guide him to wherever Cedric's intended destination was.
Harry's heart was beating wildly, he didn't know what to expect or what was going to happen.
They came to a halt after walking around fifty paces or so, just enough to give Harry some ideas as to where they could have gone.
"Open them," Cedric beckoned proudly as he released his hands from Harry's shoulders and stood next to him.
The first thing that Harry noticed was a plethora of trophies and plaques that were mounted to the wall and displayed proudly behind glass.
And right in front of him was the newly awarded quidditch cup that had their team's picture on it and proclaiming Hufflepuff the champions.
"Tada!" Cedric announced joyously.
Harry smiled and laughed along with his friend and peered closer at the moving photo, which had been taken just after they had beaten Gryffindor in the final. Harry could be seen standing next to Cedric and his heart filled with happiness that his name was listed with reserve seeker next to it.
Cedric let him study it for a few more minutes before revealing his second surprise and the real reason that he had brought Harry here, hoping that the younger boy was unaware of what else the room contained.
"There's one more thing, Harry."
Harry's attention was focused on Cedric as he moved around the room before stopping in front of another case that looked like it contained the triumphs and memories of years past.
His heart stopped as he noticed what Cedric was pointing to. It was his father's Quidditch team that were all standing in a similar manner to the photo he had just viewed. It obviously wasn't the first time that he had seen a picture of his dad as Remus and Sirius had shown him many before this. Still, it was unique in that they had both been captured after the same triumph and in similar circumstances.
There was the same camaraderie and excitement in everyone's faces and his dad had such life in his eyes; it drew Harry in and gave him this physical connection to his father that he never quite had before. His mannerisms were almost mirror images of his father's and he now knew where he got his smile from. Though, despite their almost identical facial structure his father's eyes looked off because they weren't a stunning emerald green. He got his eyes from his mom, and he wouldn't trade them for anything.
Cedric was in the corner watching the touching scene unfold before him and it broke his heart just a little that Harry would never get the satisfaction of receiving a hug from his own dad because he too had also won a quidditch cup.
He watched as Harry's finger lovingly traced the frame around his dad's face – who was also listed as that year's Head Boy along with his mom. Cedric was imagining that Harry was having a conversation with both of his parents and describing the year to them. Cedric was doing his best not to become overwhelmed by the situation, he just wanted his friend to know that his parents were here and that his picture would always share a spot next to them inside of Hogwarts.
Reluctantly, Harry turned away from his parent's smiles and venture slowly over to Cedric, his fingers were removing the last vestiges of tears from his cheeks. He wasn't even thinking when he went to hug Cedric and thank him for what he had given Harry. To him, it was more valuable than anything that he owned except the heirlooms his parents had given him.
"Thanks, Cedric. Thank you," he spoke directly into the other boy's chest.
Cedric wrapped his around his friend and held him tightly, doing his best to give Harry that fatherly hug that his own dad had given him after his Quidditch triumph. He rested his chin on Harry's head as he waited for Harry to finish his hug, though by no means was Cedric uncomfortable. He was unconsciously focusing on the smell of summer that began to seep into his nostrils and he thought about the bonfires that he would have at his parents place. He made a mental note to invite Harry and Neville, and perhaps even Draco if his parent's allowed it.
Eventually then made their way back to Hufflepuff and shared a final goodbye before the summer holidays started.
A few days later, after she had settled back into her own room, Cho brought out the items she had helped herself to and laid them out on her bed to examine her haul.
This had been a particular satisfying year, what with that boon she had embezzled from Brianne's room. She was salivating over some of the obviously pricey mementos and trinkets that were now hers when her attention soon became focused on a delicately wrapped item that she hadn't remembered even grabbing.
She unwrapped it gingerly as if it held the perfect present that she had always wanted and her eyes widened when she realized what it was. Here, in her own hands separated by a thin layer of cloth, was Ravenclaw's missing Diadem. It took all of her willpower not to squeal in delight.
She quickly jumped off her bed and went over to her floor-length mirror and carefully placed it on her head in anticipation of admiring the regalness it would no doubt bestow upon her.
However, the last thing that Cho Chang saw was her reflection's eyes turn blood red and the last thing that she heard was a murderous laugh in her own head.
Year one is now complete!
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