A/n:Well, another chapter. And let me tell you, this one is insanely long. I was going to break it up inot two chapters, but there really wasn't any place to break it, so every one who loves long chapters: happy birthday. Lol. Something like that. Please know I adore getting reviews, they are like oxygen, so gimme a review after this chapter and I will be so happy. Have fun reading. (I have some other stuff to say and clarify and stuff, but so as not to give away the chapter contents, I will wait until the end).
CHAPTER 10
The train pulled up to Hogsmeade and Cedric clambered off with the rest of the students. He hardly waited for Cho, though she did keep up with him, dragging Marietta behind. The three of them boarded a horse-less carriage together and were quiet the entire ride up to the castle. Cedric was currently feeling quite cool towards Cho and was not entirely sure why.
The carriages came to a halt in front of the massive castle moments later. Cedric climbed out first and did the gentlemanly thing by helping Cho and Marietta out. The trio tromped up the stone steps together and entered the always beautiful and expansive Entrance Hall through the great oak doors. Everything inside was warm and well-lit as Cedric, Cho and Marietta followed the throng of students into the Great Hall.
"Going to be a nice feast, isn't it?" Marietta said lightly, trying to break the strange silence between the three of them.
"Yes, I hope so." Cho said equally lightly and glanced at Cedric, clearly also trying to end the odd, cool silence. "Don't you think?"
"Yup." Cedric said and was glad when he spotted a seat at the Hufflepuff table for him. It gave him an excuse to get away from Cho and Marietta as they gravitated to the Ravenclaw table.
As Cedric wove his way through other students to reach his seat, he felt a growing feeling of self-consciousness. Others kept looking at him strangely, whispering as he neared and ceasing verbal communication when he was within earshot. He felt like there were many, many more eyes on him than usual, and he disliked the feeling very much. It was quite unnerving to watch people deliberately move out of his path as he neared. How could some newspaper articles make so many people act oddly?
He sighed and settled in the empty seat. The students on his right eyed him almost nervously and quickly shifted down so someone else could sit beside him. The students on his left quickly did the same.
"What, do I suddenly have a disease I'm not aware of?" Cedric asked loudly, very irritated by the treatment he'd just received. Even his acquaintances seemed to be acting like everyone else. He bowed his head forward to avoid the collective eyes.
He could feel his cheeks growing hot and thankfully, he was saved from further feelings of humiliation when his two best friends finally showed up, sitting down on either side of him. Ewan Fletcher and David Boone, cousins, and as close to Cedric as they were to each other.
Ewan, the more outspoken of the two, looked critically at the students next to him, on his right, and then across Cedric at the students on David's left. "What, did Cedric suddenly contract a disease that we're not aware of?" he said, and Cedric guessed he had seen how the others had reacted from across the room.
Cedric smiled, feeling a lot better about everything already. "Thanks." he mubled and lifted his head.
"No prob." Ewan winked.
"So where were you two gits on the train?" Cedric sat up straight, pointedly ignoring further stares or whispers. "Leaving me a lone to suffer?"
"Suffer?" David pretended to be offended.
"Suffer?" Ewan acted like he was deeply hurt. "I thought I was doing you a good deed by leaving you alone with your girlfriend!"
Cedric snorted. "Except she had her friend with her, and she didn't feel the need to talk to me a whole lot."
"Oh c'mon. You're exaggerating. You love being alone with Cho." David said.
"I'm not exaggerating! And she wasn't alone, I said that." Cedric briefly summarized the limited conversation between them on the train. Before he could get a reaction out of either of them however, Ewan's eyes roamed the staff table and he suddenly let out a loud, disgusted noise.
"What is that? He said and motioned towards the center of he staff table.
Cedric and David both turned in their seats to see what Ewan was talking about. It took less than a moment to spot the sight that merited a disgusted noise. For there, at the staff table seated beside a purple robed Dumbledore, was the ugliest woman Cedric had ever seen.
She had a wide, sallow face and large, baggy eyes. The woman was quite round, short and stubby looking, with a curly mop of mousy looking hair. She wore a ghastly pink cardigan over her robes which matched the hair-band on her head. Cedric was forcibly reminded of a very ugly old toad with a pink sweater on.
David made a gagging noise. "That's awful! Is it supposed to be a professor!"
"Oh gosh, I hope not." Cedric pulled his eyes away from the unpleasant sight at the staff table just as the doors to the Great Hall opened grandly. Professor McGonagall came briskly forth, a long line of trembling first-years trailing behind her. She carried a stool, a top which sat a very old, very up looking wizard's hat sporting a wide rip near the brim.
Immediately the chatter died away as Professor McGonagall set the stool and hat in front of the pale little first-years and took a step back. Everything was tense and silent for a moment. Then, the large rip opened like a mouth, and the Sorting Hat began to sing.
"In times of old when I was new
And Hogwarts barely started
The founders of our noble school
Thought never to be parted;
They had a selfsame yearning,
To make the world's best magic school
And pass along their learning..."
The Hat sang a long, glorious song, very much focussing on the ideas of strong friendships among Hogwarts four founders that broke and the students currently in the school uniting under the Hogwarts banner to fend against outside dangers. The usual song that described that qualities looked for in each house seemed to merely mentioned.
"...Oh, know the perils, read the signs,
The warning history shows,
For our Hogwarts is in danger
From external, deadly foes
And we must unite inside her
Or we'll crumble from within
I have told you, I have warned you...
Let the Sorting now begin."
The song stopped singing, stopped moving.
Cedric and David exchanged glances but immediately joined in the massive explosion of applause resonating throughout he Great Hall. Cedric was not surprised that for the first after the Hat's song, murmuring and whispers could be heard circulating through the room during the applause. Cedric didn't have to guess what about.
"That was... different." David said.
Cedric nodded.
Ewan leaned across Cedric. "Has it ever done that before?" he asked.
David shook his head and was about to answer when he heard the room quieting down suddenly and Ewan caught sight of McGonagall shooting daggers at anyone who continued to whisper.
McGonagall swept the room with another scary glare before beginning the sorting, starting with the first name on the list: "Abercombie, Euan".
For little Euan, who Ewan beside Cedric remarked must be a good kid because of his name, the Hat shouted out, "Gryffindor!" Cedric clapped politely as the young boy joined Harry Potter's table, and Ewan mumbled it was rotten luck that "the kid wasn't in Hufflepuff".
The sorting continued on for some time, sorting all the first-years into one of the four different houses and each sorted student smiled a little embarrassedly as they made their way to the house table that excitedly took in their newest recruits. The group of students kept dwindling, until the very last first year on the list, "Zeller, Rose", came and joined the Hufflepuff table.
Finally the sorting concluded and Dumbledore rose gracefully out of his chair after McGonagall took the shoddy looking Sorting Hat and the stool it sat on out of the Great Hall. The Headmaster looked magnificent in brilliant purple robes, speckled with silver stars and a hat to match. He smiled at the students before speaking.
"To our newcomers," he said, his arms outstretched widely as if he were about to receive a hug. "Welcome! To our old hands - welcome back! There is a time for speech-making, but this is not it. Tuck in!"
Ewan laughed with the rest of the students and Cedric chuckled, feeling comforted by Dumbledore's voice and presence. Some people clapped for a moment or two as Dumbledore reseated himself and tossed his silvery beard over his shoulder so as not to get it in the way of his food.
The four house tables and the staff table were suddenly covered in all kinds of food that had magically appeared. The first years gasped loudly and gazed at the food in amazement for a moment before tentatively filling their plates. Cedric smiled, remembering himself having a very similar reaction when he'd been a first year.
"Why do you think the Hat was giving us advice?" David said and spooned himself some potatoes.
Cedric shrugged. "Maybe it thinks we're in danger."
"Said that much. But it's a hat. How would it know anything?" Ewan said, though more curiously than skeptically.
Cedric shrugged again. "I dunno. It does live in Dumbledore's office after all. Maybe it hears stuff."
"I suppose that would make sense." David nodded. "But why would it tell us that we have to - what, 'unite from within' or we'll crumble?"
"Well," Ewan said slowly. "I would've thought that was quite obvious, dear cousin. If You-Know-Who is out and about, it'd be a lot easier to take Hogwarts down if we all hate each other than if we're fighting together, don't you think?" Ewan paused briefly to take a sip of water. "Think of an army. What's more effective: an army that shoots each other or an army that shoots the enemy?"
Cedric and David both nodded and considered what Ewan had just said before either one of them spoke again.
"Well, we don't hate each other." Cedric glanced at the other house tables. "The others houses and Hufflepuff, I mean."
In unison, Cedric, Ewan and David turned, looked at the Slytherin table, and without realizing the other two were doing the same, said, "Except them."
They burst out laughing at the fact that all three of them had done th exact same thing at the exact same moment and turned back to finish their meal, including a tiny bit of dessert, once gaining control of themselves.
When everyone was finished eating and the noise level began to escalate, the leftover food vanished from the plates, obtaining more astonished gasps from many of the first-years. Dumbledore stood to make his familiar start-of-term announcements and the noise level dropped off immediately. A quick glance at everyone in the Hall would show that nearly everyone appeared to be feeling full and content.
"Well, now that we are digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices." Dumbledore paused ever so briefly. "First-years ought to know that the Forest in the grounds is out-of-bounds to students - and a few of our older students ought to know by now, too.
"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four-hundred-and-sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in the corridors b/t classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door."
"Ya, I'll be sure to go read that over." Ewan mumbled sarcastically.
Cedric smirked.
"We have had two changes in staffing this year." Dumbledore continued. "We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."
The room was slowly filled with a smattering of polite applause as it appeared no one seemed to be very happy or even care much about the new appointments.
"No Hagrid?" David whispered, but was swiftly shushed by someone nearby as Dumbledore began to speak again.
The Headmaster began, "Tryouts for the house Quidditch teams will take place on the - "
Dumbledore stopped abruptly and looked questioningly down at the very ugly woman beside him. The woman was apparently standing though she looked hardly any taller than the height she'd been at when she was sitting down. She cleared her throat ("hem, hem") in an irritating manner and it was suddenly apparent that she was going to make a speech.
Dumbledore looked surprised for a small moment before sitting down quickly and waited alertly for the woman to speak. Some of the other teachers looked quite shocked and did not hide it in the slightest. Cedric didn't blame them.
"Who does this woman think she is?" Ewan whispered and David was trying not to smile.
"Thank you, Headmaster, for those kind words of welcome." The woman, the newly appointed Professor Umbridge, had a fake sounding, high-pitched, breath voice. It made Cedric grimace to hear that voice coming out of the ugly toad-like woman in a vivid pink sweater.
Professor Umbridge cleared her throat again, using the same irritating little cough, "hem, hem", before continuing. "Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" she grinned widely, revealing very pointed teeth. "And to see such happy little faces looking up at me!"
Cedric glanced at the other students and saw not one happy looking face among them. Others were glancing around too, presumably trying to find the happy face she was speaking of. Most, though, looked quite annoyed at the way they had just been addressed.
"What, are we two?" Ewan whispered loudly, his arms crossed over his chest.
A boy across the table snorted at the comment.
"I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!" Professor Umbridge held the pasted, horrid looking grin on her face as she said this.
Students all over exchanged glances at this last comment. Cedric ducked his head a little and fought to hold in the sudden laughter threatening to escape. He could hear Ewan beside him laughing as quietly as possible.
Professor Umbridge coughed again ("hem, hem") and when she continued speaking, her voice was suddenly less breathy and more monotone, making it sound like she hd memorized every word she was saying.
"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the wizarding community must be passed down the generations lest we lose them forever. The tressure trove of knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."
Professor Umbridge stopped talking to give a tiny bow to the other teachers, though none acknowledged her back. She "hem, hem" -ed again before picking up where she left off, though Cedric's attention was already faltering because of the Professor's awfully boring voice.
"Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress' sake..."
Cedric sighed, shifted in his seat and let his ears stop focussing on Professor Umbridge's words. Instead he only heard the woman droning on and on about progress this and tradition that - he didn't know what she was saying anymore as it all blended together in a continuous monotonous voice. He glanced around the room and saw he was not the only one no longer listening to the bland, learned speech.
Many others were shifting restlessly and gazing around the Great Hall, paying no attention to the speaker. Others were chatting quietly, some giggling and chuckling with their neighbour, and several were staring into space (like David). Various students were leaning on their hands, letting their eyelids slowly close (like Ewan) and others still had their heads turned completely away from Professor Umbridge and the staff table, plainly not listening even a little. Even so, there seemed to be a small few who seemed to actually care about what was being said.
David blinked for the first time in almost a full minute and his eyes refocused on the staff table. He moved his head just a tiny bit so he could see if anyone else was paying attention or if anyone had noticed he had not been. Seeing the restless students alla round, he seemed a little relieved and didn't pretend so hard to be interested.
Cedric picked at a loose thread on his robes, a little surprised and amused at the way Professor Umbridge was dutifully plowing through her terrible speech even though hardly anyone was listening. He sighed and forced himself to tune back in.
"... on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."
Finally, the woman sat, and Cedric had to smirk again at the very minimal change in height from her standing to sitting position. Dumbledore clapped immediately and most of the staff reluctantly followed suit. Scattered students joined in the clapping, though the majority was just realizing the dreary speech had ended. Dumbledore stood to finish the start-of-term announcements, though the usual attentiveness when Dumbledore spoke was minimal since everyone's attention capacity had been severely dwindled.
"Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating." Dumbledore said and offered a small smile and bow to Umbridge. "Now, as I was saying, Quidditch tryouts will be held..."
David abruptly turned in his seat to completely face Cedric. "You're still the Captain, right?" The way he asked, it seemed more of a usual confirmation than a question he actually didn't know the answer to.
Cedric shook his head. "I'm passing it off."
"What?" Ewan and David said in shocked unison on either side of Cedric.
"I've thought it over." Cedric said firmly. "I'm going to give the title to Benjamin Summerby. I know he wants it."
David's face fell. "You're serious, then."
"But Ced!" Ewan protested. "You're a great Captain! Why're you quitting?"
"Look, I've thought about - "
"You're quitting!" David sounded scandalized.
Cedric sighed and tried to explain a second time. "I've thought about this a lot. And I'm not quitting." he shot David a look before he continued. "Its not as fun when you have to organize and plan everything and everyone. It's a big job, one I'm thankful I had. But I really feel someone else should take it this year."
"You're still playing, though, right?" Ewan sounded as though if Cedric said no he would fly into a panic.
"Of course I'm still playing!" Cedric said earnestly and Ewan and David looked very relieved. "I'm just not going to be Captain anymore."
Ewan shook his head, clearly disagreeing with Cedric's decision to give up the position of Hufflepuff Quidditch Captain. He looked like he was about to say something but Cedric held up his hand quickly to stop him.
"Don't try. I don't want to talk about anymore. I've made my decision and I'm sticking with it."
About that moment everyone began getting up and moving around, so Cedric knew they must be dismissed. He, Ewan and David started for the door, beside new Hufflepuff prefect Ernie Macmillan as he gathered up a trail of gaping first-years. Several of them stared and pointed openly at Cedric, and he felt his cheeks once again growing hot under the looks.
"Little fungus." Ewan mumbled angrily. "I outta scare them into -
"Ewan, be nice." David cautioned automatically, though his tone was quite agreeing with Ewan.
"Its alright." Cedric said irritatedly. "I should be used to it by now."
The trio exited the Great Hall and Cedric caught sight of Harry Potter, also trying to hurry away from wide eyes and annoying whispers.
"See you in the Common Room." Cedric said to Ewan and David, then rushed to catch up with Harry. When he caught up and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder to stop him or at least slow him down, Harry whipped around and snapped,
"What?"
"Sorry, I just - "
"Oh, its you." Harry's features softened some. "I was worried you were... well, one of..."
"Ya, I know." Cedric nodded in immediate understanding. "Some moron who wants to pry or make fun of you."
Harry half-smiled and nodded also. "S'pose I should have expected it, really."
"Why's that?" Cedric thought he knew the answer, but he asked anyways.
"Well, showing up in the middle of a field claiming the Darkest wizard in history has returned before my eyes while I'm clutching your limp body probably wasn't the best way to end the term." Harry smiled wryly and Cedric laughed. "No wonder people stare and point." Harry added.
The two were quiet for a second or two and Cedric felt the need to say something he'd been considering.
"Look, Harry..." Cedric rubbed the back of his neck. It wasn't really that it was hard to say, just a little awkward. "You don't have to be my best friend or anything just because you saved my life - ok, that's not what I mean. Well, it sort of is, but - ok this is not going how its supposed to."
Harry chuckled. "Its fine Ced. I'm not your friend just because I saved you. I'm your friend because you're a cool guy to hang with."
"Really?"
"Ya. And you don't have to be my friend just because I saved our life."
Cedric smiled. "I'm your friend, Harry, because you're a cool guy to hang out with."
They both laughed a little. They were friends because they both felt a tiny stab of warmth and comfort knowing that the other knew exactly what happened in June. They both knew the depth of the terrifying experience better than anyone else ever could, and that gave them a tiny bond.
"So how 'bout that Umbridge woman?" Cedric asked with another smile.
Harry snorted. "Barely listened to a word she said."
"Me too. It was quite possibly the most boring thing I've ever been forced to listen to in my entire life." Cedric dug his hand in his pocket.
Harry opened his mouth to speak but shut it quickly as his eyes landed on something (or someone) just past Cedric's shoulder. Harry smiled a little crookedly and his cheeks went a little pinker.
Curious, Cedric turned to look.
"Hi Harry." Cho walked up beside Cedric and smiled shyly at Harry. Cedric immediately noticed that extra flush in Cho's cheeks as well.
"H-hi Cho." Harry didn't take his eyes away from Cho.
Cedric witnessed the exchange and was not quite sure how he felt. Moments ago he had been feeling friendly towards Harry. A second ago he had turned, his eyes had landed on Cho and he felt a jolt in his stomach, his previous cool feelings towards her already melting. Now he wasn't sure if he felt angry, sad, jealous or protective. All four mixed together in different doses seemed right. The emotion that seemed to surface most was the one that told him to remind Harry whose girlfriend Cho was.
Cedric made an obvious gesture by slowly grasping Cho's hand tightly t his side nd ignored the mixed emotions now crossing Cho's face as she shot him a look. Harry looked ever so slightly ashamed and hurt. Cedric forced his voice to stay light and even.
"See ya 'round, Harry." he said, and offered a smile to show he may be mad now, but he'd cool off later.
"Bye." Harry said and ducked into a group of chattering students passing by.
"You didn't need to do that." said Cho quietly.
Cedric didn't answer. The emotion winning out on the surface right now was anger. How could Cho stand beside her boyfriend and yet look at Harry like that? He didn't blame Harry for liking her. Cedric began speed-walking in the direction of the Hufflepuff dorms.
Cho jogged to catch up. "Ced, what's wrong?"
Cedric stopped in his tracks. "Did you ask me what's wrong? How about what was with that little display between you and Harry just now?" He wasn't shouting - yet.
Cho furrowed her brow a little. "What - you mean me saying hi?"
Cedric exhaled frustratedly. "You're my girlfriend, and yet you stalk up and say hi to my friend like I'm not even standing there." He started speed-walking again.
Cho jogged up beside him. "Oh, Ced. I'm sorry! I didn't realize. Don't be mad."
"I'm not mad." Cedric said sharply.
"Yes you are. Do you want to talk about it?" Cho said pleadingly.
"Nope." Cedric said shortly and shook his head. Not when his emotions were brimming like this. It was such a small thing and yet for some reason it was just ticking him off. He needed to come back to this when he'd had a bit of time to think about why he was mad in the first place. He'd talk to her when he was much calmer.
"Ced, please... "
"Later Cho." Cedric turned a corner and knew Cho had stopped walking beside him because she had to go the other way to reach the Ravenclaw dorm. He didn't glance back at all to see if Cho was still standing there, but if he had, that's indeed what he would have seen: Cho standing there watching him stalk angrily away.
A/n: Well, did ya like it? Loathe it? (I hope not, but tell me anyways). Love love love getting reviews, so as long as you don't completely roast me or swear, tell me what you thought and I'll so appreciate it. :)
Other notes: Cedric's best friends haven't shown up before because of some reasons that will be explained in the next chapter. Cedric may be over reacting a little to the little exchnage b/t Harry and Cho, but the way he saw it was that Cho just walked up and went pinkand said 'Hi' to Harry, completely ignoring her boyfriend. More will be clarifiedand explained in coming chapters. And note to people reading this: this story isin its final leg. If you're like, "Whatever, I see no end in sight." then just you wait. I havea twist up my sleeve yet, so stick around.:)