A/n: UPDATED! FINALLY! Major major thank you to all my reviewers, because it means so so so much to get a review. I hope you like, and if there's anything I was supposed to clarify, I don't remember. ;)

Cedric heaved a large sigh as he stared at his calendar. It was still nearly a month until the start of term, where Cedric would begin his seventh and final year at Hogwarts. He wondered if anyone loved his school as much as he did.

Thus far, his summer had been completely uneventful and annoying, and it unnerved him. No outright signs from the Dark Lord, and hardly anyone seemed to really believe Voldemort had returned. Besides that, everyone fussed over him constantly as if he were made of the most brittle glass. Conversations were ended or subjects hastily changed when he entered the room, and they seemed to know when he was standing outside the door listening. Each word spoken to him seemed carefully chosen, like one little word might set him off or break him.

His owl, Merlin, the most unreliable creature on the planet, had left the day after he returned from Hogwarts and had not come back yet. Cedric wasn't worried, however, as the fickle moody owl would often take off for weeks at a time for no reason. Once Cedric had asked for a new owl, one that would actually be around when he wanted to send a letter, but his parents had refused.

"He's a perfectly nice bird!" Mrs. Diggory would say.

But of course, Merlin always liked Mrs. Diggory.

The way Cedric's parents had been protecting him all summer, Cedric felt completely cut off from everyone. His parents didn't want him to be with his friends, because there might be a danger. They never said what they thought the danger might be, just that there be one. He was allowed to receive letters, but he to ask be he could reply to them – this they never gave him a reason for – and it quite infuriated him.

The most recent "protection" however, was by far the most constricting and maddening. They wouldn't let him read the newspaper now, unless they had cut out specific articles.

"And just why not!" Cedric and groaned and shouted when they'd informed him of this new rule.

"Because you don't need to fill your head with the garbage they publish nowadays." Mr. Diggory had grumbled, and Mrs. Diggory had nodded vigorously.

"Oh, and you do?" Cedric crossed his arms and retorted angrily.

"Don't take that tone with me, young man." Mr. Diggory warned.

Cedric had stewed in his room for about a day or so before he found he could easily find the removed articles in the garbage, take them, read them, and replace them, without his parents ever noticing.

What he read, shocked him, and then he had understood why his parents had not wanted him to read it.

"Crackpots multiply at Hogwarts

Lunatic Headmaster Dumbledore is once again fueling the delusions of Potter in an open press conference last Tuesday.

'What they claim, is indeed truthful. Why no one in the wizarding world is willing to accept their word, is beyond me.' Dumbledore stated.

What's worse, it seems, is that Cedric Diggory has joined the charade. Potter, Dumbledore and Diggory all defend their positions that the Drak Lord, has indeed risen again.

The story of Marta Tunder reporting aliens landing on her home at 3:00 am in the morning two weeks ago, is worthy of a Potter/Diggory award…"

Cedric felt sick and couldn't read anymore. Before he had replaced the article in the garbage, he'd caught one for sentence:

"…all they want is fame, and apparently they are stooping to anything to get it."

He stopped stewing about wanting to read the newspaper. He could be glad not to see anything more like that in the paper.

How could they write that? How could – who reads that? Did anyone believe it? Why was the newspaper trying to turn everyone against them? They had seen him! And they knew what they saw…..

Surely the Minister had no idea of such horrid articles. Surely he would put a stop to it if he did….

Cedric retrieved the article for a second time and scanned it from the name 'Cornelius Fudge'. He found it, and read.

"Soon after the conference, the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, was quoted as saying, 'Anything these three say is absolute ludicris. The Dark Lord is dead, has been for 12 – 13 – however long. He is not - has not - come back.'"

Seething, Cedric ripped the paper into a thousand pieces and threw them at the garbage can. He stomped upstairs to his room and flopped on the bed, his cheeks burning with anger and shock. He didn't know what to think. He didn't want to think. He wanted everything to be fine and ok and normal (for him) like it had been when he was merely a second year…

Just then, as Cedric lay with his face in his pillow, his owl Merlin stumbled in the half-open window and stuck out his leg, revealing a letter. When Cedric didn't hear him, the owl hooted loudly and irritatedly, causing Cedric to jump slightly and lift his head.

"Bought time you showed up, you lousy creature." He grumbled and pulled the letter off. It read,

"Cedric,

Dementors attacked me and my cousin Dudley in Little Whinging. Used magic to stop them. Have a hgearing on August the 12th. Got to expel me. Thought you oughta know.

Harry

P.S. Don't write back. I don't want your sympathy."

Cedric's mouth opened and closed with each sentence. He re-read the letter twice, just to make sure he understood. Dementors? In a Muggle residential area? How could such a thing happen? And what did he mean he was going to be expelled? For defending himself?

Mostly, though, it was the last sentence – the 'P.S.' – that caught him.

"Don't write back? 'I don't want you sympathy'?" Cedric said aloud, and Merlin blinked dully. "Harry doesn't talk like that…. I don't – " he gave an exasperated grumble, and Merlin fluttered slightly, looking very bored.

There was no date on the letter, and Cedric had no idea how long it had taken his stupid bird to deliver the letter. He glanced at his calendar again, and saw that it was August 10th. Harry's hearing was only two days away. Harry had said not to write back, but after such news, how could Cedric not?

He wouldn't use Merlin, though, because who knew how long it would take for Merlin to find Harry and in turn come back? If he sent Merlin, he could bet Harry wouldn't receive his letter until they were at Hogwarts, and by then, Cedric could just talk to Harry himself. He then thought of the post office, but it was nearly ten miles away.

His eyes rested on his shining Nimbus 2000, leaned up against his closet. It wasn't as good as Harry's Firebolt, nor a Nimbus 2001, but it was the best broom Cedric had ever had and he loved it and took very good care of it. It could take him to the post office in much less time then it took to walk.

Cedric had been sternly told never to leave the property, and more than once, instructed not even to leave the house. But this was different. He wasn't just going to sit here day in and day out wondering. He had to know.

Hardly without thinking, Cedric grabbed a coat and a hat – partly for weather, partly in case he somehow spotted his parents while in town he could disguise himself – snatched up his beautiful broom and opened his window fully. He mounted and pushed off, stuffing Harry's letter in his jacket pocket. He'd write his reply when he got there.

Right away, he circled the house to get his bearings of which way to head in regards to the location of town and the post office, all the while very thankful his parents were at work and did not return for another few hours.

Cedric flew hard and fast, completely exhilarated by the wind rushing around him. He'd nearly forgotten how good it felt to be on a broom, considering he hadn't been on it all summer and all last year as Quidditch was cancelled because of the TriWizard Tournament. He hadn't been able to just mess around on the pitch, either, between sixth year homework, Hogsmeade, Tournament Tasks and duties and everything else that went with being a sixth year.

Cedric whizzed along, occasionally seeing other witches and wizards on their brooms, out and about running errands, and he was careful to avoid them. He wasn't entirely sure why he felt the need to stay as far away as possible, but he did.

Finally the town came into view, cradled in a small valley, a forest on two sides. Cedric exhaled deeply, feeling somehow relieved that he had made the first leg of his trip successfully. He landed discreetly in a back-alley beside the post office and then hurried towards the front entrance.

People nearby stared as he sped walked past, and he felt very uncomfortable under the sudden attention. Did this all have to do with the newspaper article? He pushed open the doors to the post office forcefully, desperately trying to ignore more stares coming his way. The odd person gestured toward him, and some even had the guts to out right point and say, "Yes, that's him alright."

He kept his eyes averted from the short wizard audibly snickering at over from behind an open spread of newspaper. He didn't know for sure if the snickering was indeed directed at him, but it was a good guess and it annoyed him nonetheless.

There were a few witches and wizards in the post office, half of which stopped doing what they were doing to openly stare at Cedric, whose cheeks were flaming red from the sudden, awful attention. Conversations died down to a mere whisper and Cedric did his best to continue to ignore as he sat down at a small table in the corner.

The table was obviously meant for people like him, writing their letter now instead of before they reached the post office, and therefore was supplied with a hefty stack of fresh parchment, several quills, ink bottles and envelopes, all neatly laid out on the table's mahogany surface.

Cedric snatched a piece of parchment, dipped a silver quill in black ink and hurriedly began scribbling a note to Harry.

"Harry,

I'm not giving you sympathy – as you call it – and though you told me not to write back, I am. What do you mean their going to expel you? Explain Harry, or I swear I'll come straight to you and make you explain.

I'm using a post office owl because my owl is a git and it'll take months for you to get this. Tell me what's going on, please.

Cedric"

He rolled it up quickly and chose an owl labeled, "Urgent Delivery", paid for it, and hurried out of the eerily quiet post office. He mounted his broom immediately, not bothering to jog into the alley. But not before he heard a frizzy haired blonde witch hiss to her friend, "THAT'S Diggory! You the crackpot who…." And he heard no more, as she leaned in closer to her friend. Her friend's eyes went wide as saucers and she nodded with her mouth agape.

Cedric clenched his jaw and leaned forward on his broom, forcing it go faster. As fast as it could go, away from everyone.

A/n: So? Like it? Don't like it? Let me know, I LOVE REVIEWS and I can't say that enough, lol. Just no swearing please, and flames will be snuffed like a Survivor's torch (Survivor, btw, how heart breaking is it to see Steph and Bobby Jon as the two remaining Ulong's! And who loves Ian:D)