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CHAPTER 14
Mathilda worked harder than I had ever seen her work. Every morning she'd wake me up as she always did but afterwards she'd drag me down to breakfast. At breakfast she'd read through her notes, stuffing herself with oatmeal in the meantime. Then she'd go up to the library, study till classes started. She wouldn't talk and giggle in class but would only focus on what the professor was teaching us. Then during lunch she'd go over more notes and read her textbooks until it was time to go back to class and then at dinner she'd give Adrian ten minutes, she'd clock it, before moving her study session up to the dorm so she could focus better. Adrian tried to complain one evening but she threatened to shorten his time to eight minutes and he quickly shut up. Although I started missing her a bit, I resolutely stood beside her. And she beside me.
Fred had surprised me by kissing my neck from behind when I was standing in line to use the register at the library to see if they had the book I was looking for. I had jumped and turned around and when he smirked at me, leaning forward to capture my lips with his I was sure that I was going to let it happen. "What's one more kiss going to do? It's not going to hurt anyone, right?" I had told myself in that split second but just as his lips grazed against mine, Mathilda had popped up.
'Excuse me!' She shrieked entirely too loud and we sprang apart. 'Cecilia promised me that she'd help me find a book!' She said, pulling me away so quickly that I barely had time to catch my breath. I saw Fred's confused eyes follow me as I was dragged off.
I was almost angry when she had me safe at the other end of the library behind a couple of rows of bookcases. 'I was doing alright.' I huffed. She rolled her eyes. 'That's the hormones talking.' She countered. 'Now check my astronomy charts for me.' She demanded. I was breathing quite heavily but after a few seconds I let out a puff of air and rolled my eyes. She was right after all.
And then, after only three weeks, the O.W.L.'s started. Half the O.W.L. students had gotten Calming Draughts from Madam Pomfrey. After a week of almost constant prepping I had to go into the infirmary to get a Pepperup Potion due to sleep deprivation. Marietta had broken down in tears in Transfiguration class (something McGonagall was almost comically uneasy with) and Cho was breaking under the pressure of both studying for her life-changing exams and worrying about her boyfriend participating in a competition that would put him in mortal danger. Aurora was strangely calm about the situation but she had her Beautbatons beau to help her study.
I had run into Felix and his friends when I walked into the Great Hall for dinner Sunday evening, the night before the start of the first exam. 'Come and sit with us!' Felix said, tugging me along by my arm. I sputtered. 'Mathilda was going to quiz me.' I muttered but Mathilda had already walked on together with Aurora, not minding my abduction, her nose buried in her Charms book.
Felix sat down and I tentatively sat down next to him. I saw that his friends were, not unlike my own, completely transfixed on their studies, books and parchment spread out in between the plates. 'Guys, Cecil is here.' Felix announced but none of them answered. He grinned at me. I took out my own textbook. He groaned. 'People are losing their minds over this!' He said to me and I impatiently pushed my hair, having gotten loose from my braid, behind my ear. 'You don't get it Felix. You were raised by muggles but from the moment we were old enough to brush our own teeth we are told how important the O.W.L.'s are.' I said to him as I pawed through the pages, trying to find where I had left off before having gone down to dinner.
He laughed. 'Maybe you are right.' He said, dumping an enormous amount of potatoes on his plate. 'I study too!' He argued to me and I "uhuh-ed", having found my chapter. 'I just think that your brain needs some rest as well. This is food time so it should be about food, right?' He asked. I nodded, not looking up from reading.
On Monday morning we were standing in line to enter the Great Hall for our first exam, the Charms written exam, and I saw everyone was nervous. I was tapping my foot. Aurora was whispering spell-definitions to herself. Mathilda was staring at the ceiling, completely motionless. I let my eyes wander around the Entrance Hall, scanning the waiting fifth and seventh years (who were having their N.E.W.T. examinations) and then saw Felix standing with his friends. After a moment of debate I quickly ran over to him to wish him luck.
'Remember how I said I wasn't nervous?' He asked with a chuckle, after we had said hi to each other, and I nodded, remembering our conversation in the library. 'Well I take it back! I'm bloody pissing myself!' He exclaimed and that made me laugh. 'Join the club.' I told him and then the doors opened and I hurried back to where I saw the Ravenclaw fifth years, waving as I ran off. He held up his thumbs for me. 'Let's sit near the back.' Mathilda hissed to Aurora and me.
The house tables had disappeared to make place for rows of single tables. There was already parchment and quills present on the table. Mathilda sat down and I sat down behind her, Aurora behind me again. On my left Jeremy Stretton sat down, Cho behind him and Marietta behind her and in front of Jeremy sat Eddie Carmichael. I glanced down at my paper and saw that the moment I had sat down my name, year and house had printed themselves at the top of my parchment. I looked to my right to see that the Hufflepuffs had sat down, Heidi Macavoy right beside me, her boyfriend Anthony Rickett behind her and in front of her Felix. He was goofing around with Raashid Hussain and Karl Limpley. Peter Hollywood, who sat in front of him, had his head in his hands.
I looked back at my parchment, picking up my quill. This was the moment. Everything would depend on these two weeks. My family had all sent me letters full of words of encouragements. Mum and dad a long letter and Aidan and Nina had send me a quill charmed to help cheat along with a pot of Self-Correcting Ink (I'm sure they were joking around) and Aunt Tamora had sent a postcard from Indonesia where she apparently was still on holiday, or honeymoon, or whatever was going on in her life.
My Aunt Irving and Aunt Odetta had sent a letter too, signed by cousins Roderick and Stacy; Stacy was adopted only two years ago and I didn't know her very well but she'd start Hogwarts next year. My little cousin Roderick had even drawn me a picture on the back of the letter. He wasn't a good drawer but I appreciated the gesture. Mathilda turned around in her chair to look at me.
'We'll do amazing, okay? That was the deal, remember?' She said, her face pale. I wasn't usually the one who had reassure the other in our relationship but I took up my role when she needed it. 'I remember.' I said, leaning forward. 'You worked very hard and when we went over Charms yesterday evening you did good. I'm sure you're going to pass.' I told her. She smiled a small smile. 'You will too.' She said. I nodded. I did think I was going to pass, but what with? An A simply wasn't good enough.
As I got out of the exam room I sighed in relief. I didn't think I had to worry about getting an A. 'Cecilia!' I heard Felix shout and I stopped walking so he could catch up to me. 'How did you do?' He asked and I grinned. 'I knew everything, I do think!' I said and he clapped. 'Good job! I don't think I did badly but I did certainly not know everything. Did we ever even discuss the Cheering Charm?' He asked and I laughed. 'Definitely.' I answered. Mathilda popped up beside me, her nose in her notes. 'I can't find the answer to question 52.' She murmured. 'You were also stuck on the Cheering Charm?' Asked Felix. Mathilda looked up. 'Did Flitwick even mention the Cheering Charm?' She asked Felix and he said; 'Definitely.' With a wink at me.
However good I felt about the written exam, after lunch it was time for the practical exam. We were called into the examination room in order of our last names, making me one of the last ones to go. It went alright though. Professor Griselda Marchbanks was a strict looking woman but she seemed pleased by my Growth Charm and when I made the tea cup at her desk change from white to blue and bronze, representing my house, I was sure I saw the corners of her mouth lift upwards. 'Excellent, you can join your peers now, Miss Wiggleswade.' She said, waving her wand to stop my cup from dancing around. I nodded, not able to contain my grin.
The rest of the exams went by as smooth as I could hope for. The next day Transfiguration flew by and at the end of the day I felt very satisfied by my performance (I had been worried about my Vanishing Spell but it had been flawless in front of the examiner). The day after was Herbology and although I think my written had gone fine, one of the Fanged Geraniums had bitten my hand during the practical and in shock I had knocked it off the table. I had felt incredibly flustered but Mathilda had punched my arm, making me cry out in surprise, telling me that it was not a big deal and that I had to keep my head in the game. Although my upper arm was now bruised, she made her point and I buckled on.
When the exams were over we were all left with a sense of emptiness. For so long we had lived up to this point and now it was over. All fifth years sat together in the common room, butterbeers in our hands and relieved (if not slightly worried) expressions on our faces.
'Most difficult exam?' Asked Eddie and Mathilda immediately answered 'Potions written exam.' to which everyone agreed. It had been an incredibly difficult exam and when we were told to put our quills down, multiple groans had gone through the hall. 'How about Divinations?' Opted Cho, who was tying her shoes. She'd be meeting up with Cedric in ten minutes.
'Not difficult at all.' Said Mathilda, purposefully being argumentative. I knew for a fact that she had done terribly at her Divinations exam; she made up all her premonitions and, when she got frustrated, had told the examiner she hated "the bloody subject" anyway. 'I feel like Divinations went alright; it was just the tea leafs that got me struggling.' Said Jeremy, his legs stretched out in front of him.
'Alright, I'm going to meet Cedric.' Cho announced, standing up and patting down her robes. 'Give your boyfriend a kiss from me!' Yelled Eddie after her. She didn't pay him any mind. I glanced at Marietta. I sat right next to her on the sofa, Aurora on my other side. Marietta had a grouchy look on her face. 'Haven't you two talked yet?' I whispered to her. She shook her head.
She changed her position slightly so others couldn't listen in as easily. She leaned close. 'I tried, just before the O.W.L.'s.' she admitted. I nodded at her to go on. 'She totally brushed it off. Said I was just imagining things.' Marietta muttered angrily. I nodded again. 'She was probably just stressed from studying. And Cedric doesn't have much time either; preparing for the Third Task and all. They might just want to spend all those little moments together.' I tried to rationalize. She shrugged. 'I know that.' She sighed. 'But I just really miss her.' She told me. 'I wished she spent a little less time with Cedric and some more with me.' She added.
The Third Task was imminent now. With the O.W.L.'s over the Task was only a week away and the students were getting more and more excited. Cedric sat with us at the Ravenclaw table one day at lunch, Cho fuzzing over his hair. 'Are you feeling ready yet, Diggory?' Asked Mathilda. 'Not to worry you or anything but I heard that you'll have to fight a coven of vampires.' She told Cedric (and everyone else listening).
Cho shot her a glare. Cedric was ever so good natured though. 'I'm sure to keep my stake with me then.' He said cheerily and Mathilda couldn't help but grin. 'Don't be silly.' Said Cho annoyed. 'Ced is brilliant, he'll be fine.' She said. She sounded like she tried to convince herself more than anyone else really, a tremor in her voice. Cedric looked nervous too but his grin was also excited. And why wouldn't he be? He was part of the history books now, whether he'd win or not!
Soon enough it was the 24th of June though and everyone was making their way to the quidditch pitch. Everyone with eyes could see from the castle windows that a maze had been growing on the pitch but we weren't allowed close enough to snoop. When we climbed up the stands though we realized how tall the hedges were. Mathilda groaned. 'It's going to be as boring as the Second Task!' She complained. 'We couldn't see anything there either!' She added and she was right because even when we sat down at the uppermost seats of the quidditch stands (Eddie and Jeremy scaring a couple of second years a row down), our eyes could only just graze the tops of the thick hedges.
Cho was almost vibrating in her seat. Her eyes were shooting around and she sat on her hands in her attempt to stay still (and utterly failing at it). Despite her reservations was Marietta being a good friend for Cho. She rubbed her back and whispered soothing words to her ('The professors wouldn't let anything bad happen to any of them' and 'Cedric would never get hurt – he promised you not to, right?') and I turned back to the pitch with a smile.
Mathilda leaned closer. 'I hate to admit it, I'd never hear the end of it from Cho, but I hope Cedric wins. He's a good chap.' She said. I stifled my snort. 'I hope so too.' I agreed nonetheless.
When the champions, one by one, entered the maze we all cheered our lungs out but once our duty was done it was indeed quite boring business. Conversation started up, the music extra-curriculars had taken their instruments with them and gotten together to play boisterous music. The weather was warm, unlike with the last task, and the atmosphere was lively. I could see Felix playing his drums and I tried waving at him but he didn't see me. Aurora and Robin were kissing on Mathilda's other side. They parted for a few moments to catch their breath.
'I'm telling you, if I had been picked by the Goblet of Fire instead of Fleur for Beauxbatons, I would've found my way out of the maze already.' Robin said, with a yawn. Aurora softly slapped his shoulder. 'Boring you, am I?' She asked teasingly. 'I would never tell you that to your face.' He said seriously and I laughed and Mathilda clapped him on the back approvingly. Aurora seemed ready for rebuttal but right at that moment we were interrupted by bright red sparks shooting up from the maze.
For a moment all the students stilled. Even the band stopped playing for a few seconds and then everyone started talking. 'Red sparks! What are red sparks!' I heard the second years in front of us hiss to each other. 'It just means someone's giving up. Someone needs help.' Said Aurora. 'Merlin, do you kids never pay attention? Dumbledore said so at the beginning!' Mathilda said and the younger students ducked their heads.
'Oh I hope Cedric is alright, he cannot be hurt!' Cho wailed from my left and once again did Marietta remind her that the Triwizard Tournament was a lot safer now and that surely nothing of consequence could've happened. When the professors pulled out an unconscious Viktor Krum from the maze Cho breathed a sigh of relief. 'How did he shoot up those sparks if he was unconscious?' Robin asked and we frowned. 'He must've done it before he passed out.' Mathilda reasoned. 'He must've.' Agreed Aurora.
With the disqualification of Durmstrang the student body had gotten a lot more excited. Hogwarts' odds of winning were considerably higher than those of Beauxbatons' and the unfairness of it all was something Robin would gladly remind us of. 'Maybe we should've gotten two people to compete as well.' He grumbled and Aurora kissed his cheek. 'You're adorable when you're grumpy!' She exclaimed and Robin turned on a smile for his girlfriend. Mathilda gagged.
'Where's Adrian?' I asked Mathilda as she gazed over the stands. 'He's sitting with the Slytherins.' She said moodily. I could tell there was more to that sentence and I debated whether I wanted to know more but then decided I might as well. 'Are you two fighting?' I asked. She groaned. 'We aren't. Not really anyway.' She answered. I raised my eyebrows questioningly.
'Are you sure?' I asked amused. She leaned her face in her hands. 'He's punishing me.' She said. 'He's sentenced me to eight minutes a day.' She explained and I started laughing. She glared at me. 'It isn't funny. I sat with him at breakfast this morning and he's refused to speak to me since. He just smiles at me and says he's "terribly busy" and that he'll talk to me later.' Mathilda moaned.
I was about to comment, a chuckle at my lips when the crowd yelled out. The music surged to a victory march. Then a scream came. Everyone leaned forward to look at the entrance of the maze and I could recognize two figures, one of them stretched out in the grass and the other one hunched over the first. 'That's Cedric!' shrieked Cho. She was right.
On the grass was the lifeless body of Cedric Diggory. Harry Potter was leaning over him, his hands grasping at him almost desperately. 'Is he unconscious?' Asked Mathilda uncertainly. Cho pushed passed us towards the stairs, closely followed by Marietta. 'Cho!' She yelled out. We quickly stepped aside.
We all trained our eyes on the entrance of the maze where Potter was still clutching onto Cedric for dear life. His other hand seemed to be wrapped around a trophy of some kind but he dropped it when professor Dumbledore approached him. He didn't drop Cedric though; if anything he held onto him tighter. Their words were hushed but then the Minister for Magic appeared on the scene and his cries were heard by everyone.
The mutterings of the student body increasing until it consisted of nothing more than screams and gasps. 'He's dead!' I heard being yelled. 'He's dead!' others repeated. 'Cedric Diggory! Dead!' echoed into the night.
And, as I watched the students pile from the stands, fighting to get closer to the tragedy in front of us, and Dumbledore pull Potter upright, away from Cedric, I realized the terrible reality of the situation.
Cedric Diggory was dead.
And life will never be the same again. This is a turning point.
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