The hundredth chapter!


CEDRIC III

When Cedric stood up from the Hufflepuff table at the end of lunch time, Cho was still sitting with her friends. Cedric's didn't stay behind to wait for him. He didn't blame them. They were in the middle of intense revision for their O.W.L.s. They didn't have time to wait. Cedric had eaten very quickly, and he just as quickly headed to the library where he knew many people would be revising.

"Hey, where have you been?" Heidi asked him as he sat down next to her.

"Got distracted," Cedric offered as a fast explanation, pulling his manual of Transfiguration from his bag. The cause of his distraction was fresh in his mind, between her shining black hair and her slanting eyes. Cedric smiled fondly at the thought. His time with Cho outside had made him forgotten about the upcoming O.W.L.s, even if it was only for an instant.

Someone in their group snapped his fingers, bringing Cedric to reality. His mind must have wandered. He went to work. The afternoon proved to be long. They had no homework, but the teachers gave them lots of exercises to do, saying it would prepare them for the exams. Cedric advanced quite well, but not fast enough to his taste. He revised Charms this morning. It was an easier subject than Transfiguration, but still very important. Cedric confessed that he wasn't looking forward to his revision in Potions this evening.

Next to him, Heidi was writing frantically, her hands shaking. When she didn't write and was busy reading something, her chair shook so heavily that Cedric was afraid she might fall over. Cedric looked outside through a window, where the sun seemed to invite him to go out. Only, he couldn't. Time for outside activities was over. His last Quidditch game took place yesterday, and as O.W.L.s kept approaching, he knew his free time wouldn't stop to squeeze.

Cedric had always been hard-working. From the very first day he arrived at Hogwarts, he was diligent both in and out of the classroom, making him one of the best students of his year. Personally, Cedric never saw himself like a genius. He worked hard, that was all, and this was the only thing that made him have good scores. As such, he had been surprised at the beginning of the year, when he received his letter from Hogwarts, to not only be named captain of the Quidditch team, but also Prefect. Both nominations were unexpected to him, even more so at Quidditch. He had been on his house's team for a single shortened season, and only played two games, which he both lost. He had even considered resigning from the position of captain to focus on his studies.

Cedric had mixed feelings about his decision to finally head his team this year. He enjoyed it, there was no debate to hold about that. And truth be told, Quidditch probably prevented him from going crazy between his Prefect duties and preparing the O.W.L.s. However, he had the impression that he achieved little in the end. Hufflepuff ended at the bottom of the ranking again, and their only victory of the season was won uselessly, if not unfairly. He told himself and everyone that victory was secondary in Quidditch, as long as you played the best you could, but Cedric was not impervious to the same frustration many Hufflepuffs felt of being seen as underdogs in all domains.

Now, and for the rest of the year onward, Cedric would have to focus on his Prefect duties and exams. These weren't the most enjoyable prospects. There was still the last match of the season between Gryffindor and Slytherin. He wouldn't miss it for everything in the world. This match would decide who would win the Quidditch Cup. Cedric already felt the growing tension between the two houses involved, as was showcased by the brawl between two of their students this morning. Cedric was sitting not far away when the fight began. He had wanted to intervene, but Dumbledore did so before any of them could react. It was a chance that the duel didn't last long, for even then it was enough to have one student with a black eye and the other with a bleeding nose.

Still, Cedric, like the rest of the school, was looking forward to this match. However, he couldn't let it distract him, and anyway it couldn't bring him joy and relief like practicing Quidditch on a regular basis could. Discussing endlessly about a game he would not participate to would only distract him from studying without providing much chance for enjoyment. Cedric had always been more of the kind to love playing Quidditch rather than watching it. Although he was excited for the Quidditch World Cup, he was probably less excited than most other students.

Cedric was distracted though. He tried to work as much as he could this afternoon, but his mind was always distracted. He regretted the end of the Quidditch season, not only for him but for his team as well. Heidi, who sat next to him right now, was the perfect example of it. She was always stressed, but exams stressed her much more than Quidditch, and the sport was a good way for her to let go some steam. When time for dinner arrived, he was both relieved for stopping to study, and frustrated that he didn't advance as much as he would have liked.

"Why is Transfiguration so hard?" Heidi asked him later, as they walked towards the Great
Hall for dinner.

"I think this is one of the things we revised this afternoon," Cedric replied.

"Really?" Heidi looked panicked for a moment. Refraining a smile, Cedric tried to calm her down.

"That's a joke, Heidi. We were studying Vanishing Spells. You haven't forgotten what we studied."

Heidi blew some air. Cedric blew some as well in silence, relieved he could calm down his friend.

"I'm sure I would study better if we had won yesterday," Cedric's teammate went on.

"I'm not sure. You might have been too happy to focus," another one of their friends nearby said as they sat down at the Hufflepuff table.

"When I'm in a good mood, I study better," Heidi said on a tone that seemed to mean this was a closing argument. The others didn't seem so sure, and they debated on the subject for some time. Then they spoke about the last Quidditch game of the season. Cedric felt a little bitter that everyone seemed to have forgotten yesterday's match already, even though he knew from the beginning that this was the game between Gryffindor and Slytherin that would decide the winner.

In the meantime, Cedric spotted Cho at her own table with her friends. He remembered the discussion they had this morning, and what she said then, talking about the Gryffindor team.

It's too bad we can't help them. I mean, imagine if we could allow them to use our own players, so they could have the best team against Slytherin.

Indeed, it was too bad. Cedric was sure that some of his teammates would have loved to extend their Quidditch season. He thought about Heidi who struggled to participate to the conversations around.

Cedric eventually enjoyed dinner, until someone he didn't particularly appreciate ruined it at the end.

"Hey, look at those losers!" Marcus and Flint and his gang, who just walked past them, stopped at their level. "How does it feel to be at the bottom, Diggory? I'm asking because you must feel accustomed to it by now."

Cedric felt that Heidi was tensing next to him. He seized her arm under the table to make sure she wouldn't react too much.

"In your place, Marcus, I would study for my N.E.W.T.s. It would be time much better spent," Cedric replied on an even tone. He wouldn't stoop to Flint's level and start to insult him. The captain of the Slytherin team sniggered, then walked away with the rest of his friends who imitated him. Cedric recognized a few other players from Slytherin among them.

"Any problem with Flint?" another feminine voice asked behind them. It was Maxine who just joined them, and she was clearly ready for battle. She had not forgotten her injury, and she did not forgive the Slytherins for that yet.

"No more than usual," Cedric simply replied.

"I hope the Gryffindors will crush them," Heidi declared. "At least, we will be able to say that we were the only team to defeat the champions this year. That will be something. And that will remove that smirk from Flint's face. That would certainly ruin the end of his year."

"If you want, I can arrange for this troll face to never set foot on the pitch at the end of the month," Maxine offered.

"No, Maxine. I forbid you from doing anything. You'll just end up in trouble," Cedric warned her.

Maxine sighed so loudly and strongly that a few people around turned their heads towards him. "For how long will you play nice, Cedric? You think the Slytherins will ever play nice?" She rubbed the back of her head with emphasis, where Bole sent a Bludger with all the force he could gather a few months ago. "I doubt it."

On that, Maxine left in fury. As she left, Cedric had the impression that half the table of Hufflepuff, and even some people among the Ravenclaws, were looking at him. He inhaled deeply, then addressed them. He was a Prefect. He had to give the example.

"Look, everyone. I know you're frustrated, and even angry after some students in Slytherin. You have the right to be. But we will not stoop to their level, okay? I refuse that a Hufflepuff intimidates, bullies, injures or cause any form of prejudice to any other student, whether he is a Slytherin, a Gryffindor, a Ravenclaw or another Hufflepuff. Did I make myself clear?"

Cedric could see in the gazes of the others that they did not agree with his words. He supposed that after yesterday's defeat, the Hufflepuffs were not well disposed like before to follow him. For a rare time, Cedric felt hostility towards him among his own comrades.

After dinner, he decided to head for the library instead of their common room, where he was initially supposed to revise with his friends. He thought it would be better to take some distance. Their attitude towards him was quite cold after dinner, and Cedric himself needed time alone to think. Most tables at the library were occupied, but Cedric finally found one where only one person was sitting. She was younger than him by a few years, with red hair, and was wearing the same colors as he did.

"Hi, Susan," he said. He didn't know this girl particularly well, but he knew almost all students, even if only by name, in Hufflepuff.

"Hi, Cedric," she returned his salutation with a smile before digging into a sheet of calculations in front of her. Cedric recognized the hallmark of someone studying Arithmancy.

"Do you bother if I sit with you?"

"Not at all," she replied, not lifting her eyes from her parchment this time, only pointing an empty seat of the table with her feather.

"Thank you." Cedric took his place and began to unpack his bag to study Potions. "Arithmancy?" He asked Susan. She nodded. "I have an O.W.L. in that subject. I'm not looking forward to it."

"Good luck," Susan told him, lifting her eyes from her parchment for a moment before returning to it.

As he opened his Potions textbook, Cedric noticed, laid in front of the girl, the very same exercises he did two years ago. Back then, he was a normal student like everyone else. He wasn't a Prefect, nor captain of the Quidditch team. He wasn't even on the team yet. Sometimes he missed this time. It already looked like the good old times, when now he had to worry about what he would do later in his life. He remembered how everyone complained about the huge amount of work they already had for their final exams of the third year. Cedric shook his head, thinking about how naive and stupid they were. They had no idea that the worst was yet to come, and people like Susan who were now currently preparing their third-year exams were as ignorant as Cedric and his friends were two years ago.

"Let me give you an advice, Susan," Cedric said. "Enjoy your third year while you can. Because it's only going to get harder."

"I know," she replied, without adding anything.

They studied each other on their own side for some time. After maybe half an hour though, Susan said something, and she was so silent before that it took him by surprise.

"Are the others very angry at you? I heard what you said in the Great Hall," she added in front of his puzzled expression. "They didn't seem happy."

"I don't blame them," Cedric said, trying to not be unfair with his comrades and friends. "It can be hard to support the attitude of some Slytherins." He sighed. "What's wrong is… I know some Slytherins. I wouldn't call them friends, but I get along with them. There is one of the Prefects in their house that I worked with a lot, and he's a very nice guy. I saw him punish other people in his own house for breaking the rules, and I never saw him favor his comrades. There are people in Slytherin who are nice but… The only ones we remember are those who draw attention, those who are unfair."

More than once, he saw some Slytherins, especially the youngest and those who remained quiet most of the time, suffering of intimidation and mockeries from people of their own house. In fact, Cedric was almost certain that three quarters of the students in this house were nice people. All those who followed the likes of Draco Malfoy and Marcus Flint, who laughed at their bad jokes and their bullying but didn't perform or participate to them directly, were probably only scared. Cedric refused to believe that an entire house, even Slytherin, was made of aspiring dark wizards and future criminals. It would be as stupid as to believe that all Ravenclaws were intellectuals who spent time in their books and had no social life. Or to believe that all Gryffindors were selfish and arrogant. Or that all Hufflepuffs were cowards and idiots. He was fed up with prejudices over his own house and refused to apply any to the others, even though he found it difficult sometimes.

"For what it's worth, I agree with you," Susan said. "I hate the Slytherins, but… I don't want us to become like them."

"Thank you, Susan," he said, quite touched and relieved, he had to admit it.

"Though I definitely hope they will lose in two weeks. I think it would be the best way to put the Slytherins back to their place and to remind them they are not making the law in Hogwarts. I mean, they behave as if they could do anything. They hurt people, insult them. And then there's that thing with the hippogriff."

"The hippogriff?"

"Oh, it's Malfoy. At the beginning of the year, he attended a class of Care of Magical Creatures. The professor showed them hippogriffs, and told them to never insult them, or it could be the last thing they would do in their life. But Malfoy insulted one of the beasts all the same, and he was injured to the arm."

"Oh, yes," Cedric said, remembering. "I recall now. That's why he was injured at the beginning of the year."

"Well, Malfoy's father had the beast accused of attacking his son, and he convinced the Ministry of Magic to execute it. Hermione has been talking to me about this lately. Many people in Gryffindor are angry at Malfoy for this. The class was between the two houses."

Somehow, Cedric was not surprised. So, Malfoy had his father use his relations to the Ministry to execute a beast that attacked him. Cedric's father told him that Lucius Malfoy had a lot of influence. On that, he understood the Gryffindors to be angry.

"If Gryffindor beats Slytherin, I'll be very happy. I could even think that my father had a hand in their victory," she added.

"Why?"

"Because my father designed the broomstick Harry is using."

Cedric was stunned for a moment. "Wait. Your father… He's the one who created the Firebolt?"

"One of the people who developed it," Susan replied. "When I told him that Harry got one, he sent me a letter so long that our owl could barely carry it."

Cedric muffled a laugh.

"My father always says that to win a Quidditch game," Susan continued, "you need the help of thousands of people. From the people who build the broomsticks, the bats and everything a team uses during and before the match, to the players, to the people who support them during the game. There's always something we can do to help a team win. The best we can do is to support Gryffindor when they will face Slytherin, and also before. That's how we can help them win."

Cedric nodded. He had not really looked at things this way. He preferred that Gryffindor wins the last match of the season, of course, but he thought it was only Wood and his team who could win. But Susan was right. They all had a role to play in this upcoming game. Everything they would do to support the Gryffindors could be decisive in its final score.

However, Cedric doubted he could do much to help the Gryffindors. He had his .s to prepare, and all his team members had crucial exams approaching. They were already quite burdened like this. He thought of Heidi, who was especially susceptible since yesterday's game.

And then, an idea emerged into Cedric's mind. It looked crazy first, but after all… He pondered about it for a few moments, then he took his decision. He quickly grabbed everything he left on the table of the library, and he put it back into his bag.

"Thank you, Susan," he said quickly before walking away quickly. He had another Quidditch captain to talk to.

Later this evening, Cedric was standing in front of his team. He just finished explaining them what he had in mind, and the six of them looked stunned by what he told them. He waited for the first of them to react.

"Are you sure about this, Cedric?" Anthony asked.

"Of course, I am," he replied to his Beater.

"And Wood is okay with that? He agreed?" Herbert wondered aloud.

"No, not yet. He was surprised when I first suggested it, but he seemed… open to the idea. He should tell me tomorrow if it is going to work."

"You want us to train with the Gryffindors?" Maxine asked, summarizing through her question what Cedric intended.

"Yes. Our season is over. We will not play before next year, and that is for those who will come back next year. So… I thought it would be a good idea to participate to the Gryffindor's team training sessions. This way, we continue to play Quidditch for two additional weeks, and we can help the Gryffindors for their upcoming match against Slytherin."

All his teammates looked quite perplexed.

"Look, team," Cedric started. "Tell me if I'm wrong, but no one here wants Slytherin to win the Quidditch Cup again. And the Gryffindors have a chance to defeat them. If we help them, if we train with them, they'll be able to face real players while practicing, and they will be readier when time comes for them to face Slytherin. You wanted a chance to take your revenge for what they did to Maxine? Well, here it is."

"Some of us have O.W.L.s or N.E.W.T.s coming, Cedric," Tamsin reminded them after a moment, while everyone seemed to be thinking very hard. "Perhaps we should focus on our exams."

"When has anyone here privileged exams over Quidditch?" Cedric asked, not without a bit of humor.

No one denied his words.

"And you really think the Gryffindors will want our help?" Maxine asked. "We defeated them in November, remember."

"I believe they will agree," Cedric carefully said. "I cannot be certain, but Oliver seemed tempted when I talked to him this evening. We cannot spy on them and discover their strategies since we will not play against them anymore this year. And Oliver will not come back to Hogwarts in September. Now, the questions is, do you want to take part to this?"

For a moment, no one answered. Everyone seemed to be still thinking. Then Heidi spoke up timidly.

"I would have nothing against it. I would like to keep playing Quidditch a little longer."

Then Maxine stood up and walked to stand next to Cedric. "Well, it seems we have two options. First option is Cedric's, where we help the arrogant Gryffindors and have two additional weeks of Quidditch that we could instead use to study like mad men for our exams. Second option is mine, where I show Lucian Bole how it feels to receive a blow behind the head. Which one do you prefer?"

Slowly, and beginning with Heidi, finishing with Maxine who displayed a large and sufficient smile when she realized the team followed her, all of Cedric's six teammates raised their hand to approve. Cedric wasn't sure if he liked what had just happened.


I can't believe that I reached the 100th chapter of this fanfiction! I want to thank all of you who reviewed, followed, favorited, or simply read this story since I started writing it. You're the main reason that keep me writing it. Many more chapters are coming, and we are very far from the end of the story. After all, we are not done yet with the third book, and there are four more afterwards. So I hope you will keep enjoying this long journey with me and Harry, Lily, Ron, Hermione, Severus, Hannah, Cho, Cedric and all other possible POVs we can imagine.

Please review.

Next chapter: Cho