Chapter 3
Note: This chapter is about what happens to Cedric after he dies. While I got the "King's Cross" setting/idea from Rowling, I just made up other ideas about the afterlife as I saw fit. Anyways, hope you like!
Note: I apologize if this chapter and the previous one are a little long for anyone's liking. The next one will be short and sweet.
When a high-pitched voice ordered "Kill the spare," Cedric's first thought had been:
Wait, what?
But all too soon, he realized that the voice was referring to him. He hadn't even had a moment to run away or dodge before a flash of green light hit him. He was absolutely terrified. He could feel himself falling to the ground, and then he was flying away, his soul having been ripped from his body. Then, everything went white.
When Cedric came to, he was lying on a white marble floor. It wasn't cold or hot to the touch – it was simply a nice flat surface on which to be. He got up, dusted himself off, and looked around. He was in a vast, airy hall with cathedral-like arches, all in white marble. It reminded him a bit of King's Cross Station, actually. Though unlike King's Cross, it was totally empty, and it was filled with a soft white light that seemed to come from an unknown source, as if the air itself was softly glowing.
He then heard footsteps running toward him and then he came face-to-face with someone he hadn't seen since he was 7 – his grandmother on his mother's side, who had died in a car crash, much to everyone's dismay. "Cedric! Cedric! Oh my God!" she cried. Before he knew it, Cedric was enveloped in a hug as the familiar, comforting scent of her shampoo filled his senses.
At last, she pulled back. Grace Doyle looked about as she had in her thirties (from the photos Cedric had seen) – a few lines on her pretty face, with the same long dark hair as his mother. He recognized the familiar smile lines. Wherever they were, this place clearly agreed with her.
Tears streamed down her face. "My God, Cedric, I'm so happy to see you, but it's too soon, it's too soon!" she sobbed.
"What are you talking about, Gran? Am I dead?"
Her voice was failing her, so she simply nodded and buried her face in her hands.
"What's going on in the graveyard? What's happening to Harry?" Maybe he was being rude, but if he'd just been killed, then Harry was in mortal dance, too. He didn't know the boy all that well, but he had to do something to get to him, to protect him!
His grandmother was still too choked up to speak, so she waved her hand and a window appeared out of nowhere.
Through that window, Cedric saw Harry tied to a tombstone and the man known as Wormtail, the man who had ended Cedric's life mere moments ago, was approaching him with a knife. This could not be happening. Cedric breathed a sigh of relief when Wormtail merely took some of Harry's blood rather than outright stabbing him.
And then everything became a thousand times worse as Cedric watched Lord Voldemort himself rise out of a cauldron in the graveyard and summon his Death Eaters. This could not be happening. Cedric felt like such an idiot. If he'd just ducked out of the way of that flash of green light, he could've gotten Harry back to the portkey or apparated them to somewhere else, and done something, anything, to get them to safety before anything could happen.
And now Harry was being forced to duel the Dark Lord himself. Cedric froze as Voldemort yelled, "Avada Kedavra" and sent a flash of green light toward Harry. There was no way that Harry could defend himself, no way that "Expelliarmus" would actually save him – but the spells connected in midair, forming a golden arc between the wands. A wave of energy pushed back into Voldemort's wand…
"I feel this tingling everywhere-" said Cedric.
"Oh, my!" exclaimed his grandmother. You're being called back as a ghost!"
All at once, everything went black and Cedric felt like he was being squeezed through an infinitesimally tiny space – not unlike apparition, except it took longer.
Slowly, he emerged from the tight space and floated forth – floating as the right word for it, since his feet weren't touching the ground – and stared in awe at Harry, fighting with all his might to bring more ghost spells forth from his enemy's wand. And minutes later Cedric was surrounded by other ghosts: an old Muggle man, the missing journalist Bertha Jorkins, and Harry's own parents. They would help him. Together. Cedric knew it.
And Lily and James were now advising their son to break the connection and run for his life, in a scene that broke Cedric's heart. Along with the other ghosts, he vowed to hold Voldemort off, to fight for Harry with all his might. But he had one last request.
"Harry, take my body back… Take my body back to my parents…" And that was all he could manage.
Then, Harry was breaking the priori incantatem connection between the two wands and fleeing for his life while Cedric and the others did their utmost to hold Voldemort back. Cedric barely saw Harry grab his corpse and summon the portkey before the apparition sensation claimed him again. He landed back in the white hall, sobbing into his grandmother's arms.
She held him close and softly stroked his hair.
"I have to see my parents!" cried Cedric.
So his grandmother released him and let him turn to the same window he'd looked at earlier. Harry arrived back at Hogwarts, and now cries of "He's dead! Diggory's dead! Cedric Diggory, dead!" echoed into the night.
"That's my son! That's my son!" cried his father. He saw his parents rush over, shock and devastation written all over their faces.
Equally devastated was his girlfriend Cho. "Cedric! Baby, please wake up! Enervate! Cedric, please wake up, wake up!" But no matter how many times she demanded a response, none would come. For no spell exists that can wake the dead.
Professor Sprout had to drag a screaming, crying Cho away from his corpse.
As more and more cries echoed into the night, Cedric realized, perhaps for the first time, how much he had truly been loved and how very dearly he would be missed.
He couldn't take it anymore. He turned into his grandmother's embrace and sobbed with all his soul. "I was s-s-such an idiot! If only – hic – if only I'd dodged that spell! If only I'd s-s-saved Harry! The Dark Lord is back and it's all my f-f-fault!"
"Shh, Ced." She held him close and ran a comforting hand through his hair. "If you'd dodged that spell, they would've attacked you with a thousand more. There was no way you could have escaped the graveyard alive, my love."
Cedric didn't believe her, but he couldn't form the words to say so. The shock was too much, and the thought that in just a heartbeat, he could've left so much love behind! He could never face the idea.
After a long time sobbing in his grandmother's arms, a still-traumatized Cedric had exhausted his tears and somewhat regained his voice. "Uh, Gran… where exactly are we?"
It turned out that Cedric was in the Afterlife, or what some may refer to as Heaven. Over the next few weeks, he did the most he could to get used to the place. The dead were supposed to be… chill… about being dead, right?
And yet, over the weeks, he felt restless and out of place. There was an infinite universe out there – beaches to swim at, cities to get lost in, majestic mountain ranges to fly through… it was actually galaxies upon galaxies full of endless paradise. It should've been enticing.
There was even a Hogwarts there, so that Cedric could finish his wizarding education post-mortem if he wanted to. He'd already gotten a welcome letter signed by the great Helga Hufflepuff herself, complete with an invite to play on the Hufflepuff Quidditch Team and a Head Boy badge.
He should be over the moon.
The afterlife was hardly lonely, either. He stayed with his grandmother, who introduced him to several other deceased family members. Together, they hosted a fabulous Quidditch-themed wake for him. A wake in the Afterlife is a welcome party, to celebrate the arrival of a newly deceased soul. It was absolutely delightful. The entire house of Hufflepuff even showed up at one point to congratulate him on his win in the Triwizard Tournament and to give him an advance welcome to Hogwarts. He let them know he was happy to be joining their house once the summer holidays were over. But it all felt wrong.
Of course, no one just immediately adjusts to being in the Afterlife. Since death is always a big shake-up for the deceased, most newly arrived souls attend regular therapy. The therapist or therapists help the deceased adjust to things and come to terms with the way their life ended.
Cedric's own therapist was none other than the illustrious Helga Hufflepuff herself, who both ran the afterlife manifestation of Hogwarts and was also a trained post-mortem therapist, among her many other talents.
He was in Helga's (he was still trying to get used to calling her "Helga" rather than "Lady Helga" or "Professor/Headmistress Hufflepuff," but she'd insisted her use her first name) office for his last therapy appointment before the start of term.
"What's on your mind, Cedric?" she asked. "You seem unusually distracted."
"Aren't I always distracted, though?" he asked.
"Well, yes, but today, you don't seem grief-distracted – you just kind of seem like your mind is wandering. Something you want to share?"
"I, uh… it's ridiculous."
"Bah! We welcome all ridiculous ideas, weird suggestions, and shitty first drafts here! How else does one start to learn?" She flashed a charming grin at him – she was even more beautiful than the Hogwarts tapestries made her look – and in them, she was quite something. But even more attractive than her looks were her kindness and her welcoming attitudes about education.
"I… Well, in my third year, someone killed a unicorn in the Forbidden forest. It was really horrible; my Care of Magical Creatures class found it by accident. But I felt weirdly drawn to it for some reason. So I wound up going to the Forbidden Forest after dark and when I was there, I found the unicorn's mate and its foal and I fed them coconut cake and they let me pet them for a minute… and then I ran into Professor Dumbledore afterwards, and… he told me that the unicorn gave its tail hair for my wand. But he also told me that unicorns can reincarnate. And he said I reminded him of the unicorn that died in the forest."
"And what do you think he was implying?" asked Helga, her golden curls gleaming in the sun. She had a cat-and-the-cream look on her face that told him this conversation was not about to be easy.
"Ah come on, please don't make me say it," groaned Cedric, drooping his head and running his hands through his hair.
"Albus Dumbledore knows what he's about and since he and I think quite alike, I think you should tell me exactly what he was trying to tell you!"
"Uh, he's not just like you. You know he was a Gryffindor, right?"
"Bah, that was back when he was young and reckless! He's still incredibly brave, of course, but he's nowhere near as impetuous as dear old Godric."
Cedric had to concede she had a point. The founder of Gryffindor house did visit Hogwarts on occasion, but he generally preferred to spend his time as part of an Afterlife task force that fought demons. Dumbledore, on the other hand, was the unassuming type who'd rather teach students and knit in his spare time than slay demons all day long. And he was way more egalitarian than Gryffindor had been when he chose to accept only the bold and brave into his house.
Helga rolled her sparkling blue eyes. "Now, tell me what you think Professor Dumbledore meant."
Merlin help him, Cedric was no match for a very firm talking-to from the great Helga Hufflepuff. "I think he was trying to imply that I was the reincarnation of the unicorn that gave its tail hair to my wand?"
"Very good!" exclaimed Helga, jumping out of her chair and rustling her long, elegant robes. "I didn't think you'd be ready for this bit until after you completed your last year at Hogwarts, but here goes!"
She pulled a vial of silvery glowing mist from the cupboard, poured it into Hufflepuff's Cup, and proffered it to Cedric.
"Wait, I had a past life where I was actually a unicorn?" Cedric blurted out. He nearly dropped the cup in the process.
"Uh, YES." Helga righted the cup in his hand. "Now, don't spill that pensieve! I mean, it's one of the many things that made you perfect for Hufflepuff. Sure, there's also your sweet disposition, your fair-mindedness, your loyalty, the way you were willing to work your ass off for the things that mattered to you… but ultimately, I happen to be the only founder of Hogwarts that takes unicorns… or any magical creatures, really. Lordy, I'm excited! This is my first time teaching a unicorn ever!"
Cedric set the pensieve down on a table so he wouldn't spill it. "Wait, Hogwarts in the Land of the Living only takes humans."
Helga pressed her fingers to her temples and closed her eyes. "Ugh, I know! I wanted to admit house elves, centaurs, goblins, giants, unicorns, anyone with a brain and some magic who cared to learn, really! I mean, think of all the knowledge we could have shared between us as magical brethren! Think of how much we could have learned from each other, and how much we could have achieved together!"
She took a deep breath. "But Gryffindor was prejudiced against taking non-human magical creatures and Ravenclaw didn't think it would be feasible. So then, I talked to Slytherin because I figured that as a parselmouth, he would be open-minded about admitting non-humans! But then he went on a rampage about only admitting pure-blooded students to Hogwarts, and I fervently disagreed with him there, making an alliance between us impossible. At the end of the day, I faced the choice between joining the other founders to create Hogwarts or trying to create a more permissive school on my own. And I didn't have the resources to create a school on my own. At least I got the other founders to be willing to take werewolves and half-giants.
"But you take reincarnated unicorns," said Cedric.
"Well, I may have persuaded the Sorting Hat to put any reincarnated unicorns under my protection. But besides you, there haven't been any reincarnated unicorns since about the 400's CE and no one really knows why. Even in the Afterlife, unicorns are incredibly isolationist."
"Do you think I could meet with some of the unicorns I knew from my past life, if there are any in the Afterlife?"
"No guarantees, but since you're one of them, I'm sure they'd be willing to see you. I'd be thrilled to help you reconnect to anyone you knew in your past life!"
"Fantastic! But what's this, then?" asked Cedric, gesturing to the pensieve.
"The memories of your past life, of course. Want to see?"
"Yes, please. Definitely yes."
"Well, you know what to do."
Cedric leaned his head over the pensieve in Hufflepuff's cup and allowed himself to get sucked in.
Memories swirled past him, strange and familiar all at once.
He was a foal, happily trotting along between his parents Arkle and Aristedes. The forest was lovely and there were so many sights to see, sounds to hear, scents to smell, delicious plants to taste… it was all simply delightful.
Then, he was a grown unicorn, lounging in a beautifully flowered clearing with his mate Celeste. Every moment spent with her was an absolute joy.
"Rocinante," she breathed his name, "I'm pregnant."
"Celeste, that's wonderful!" he exclaimed, nuzzling close to her and thinking of starting a most excellent roll in the grass, "Do you know what it is? Boy, girl, nonbinary?"
"Aren't all unicorns a bit genderqueer?" she replied coyly. "After all, our gender has been known to filp-flop between lifetimes. I mean for heaven's sake, you have two fathers!"
"Come onnnn…" he moaned.
"It's a boy," she whispered coyly.
Then, the memory changed, and he was running more furiously than he ever had before. Celeste was by his side and she was beginning to tire while a cloaked figure pursued them, faster than any human possibly could.
The cloaked figure approached, and he knew that the pregnant Celeste could not escape it – not without help or a detour, anyway.
He turned back to face the cloaked figure.
"What are you doing?!" cried Celeste.
"Run, Celeste! Run! Save yourself and our son!"
"Rocinante-" she protested.
"RUN!" he bellowed.
This time, she heeded his request.
He charged the hooded figure, horn down in attack position. He was about to gore it, when his horn only pierced its robes.
No matter, he thought as he sprinted through the man's ripped robes and turned around, he would try again. He didn't know who this cloaked adversary was, but he knew it was bad news for the herd unless he himself disposed of it.
He charged again.
The cloaked figure raised a wand. "Impedimenta!" it shrieked, and he felt himself fall on his side, winded.
Then, the cloaked figure approached him and flipped back his hood to reveal a turbaned head. "I have found you a victim, my lord. Soon, you shall feast on its blood."
The hooded figure unwrapped its turban.
Still under the Impedimenta curse, Rocinante could not move.
Turban unwrapped, the figure unsheathed a knife and slashed Rocinante in the throat.
Cedric was only watching the memory, but he knew it was his own, and he was experiencing it for real, and the pain was unbearable.
He emerged from the Pensieve, screaming at the top of his lungs.
Cedric spent another year in the afterlife. He'd learned, shortly after his trip into the memories of his past life, that no unicorn had reincarnated as a human… since the 400's, CE. He'd been the first one, and his herd had consoled him about how abysmally his second life on Earth had ended. The other unicorns had also made it amply clear that it would be horribly ill-advised for him to reincarnate back on Earth again.
So Cedric decided to make the most of things and adjust.
He attended Hogwarts for his 7th year, where he captained the Hufflepuff Quidditch Team, was Head Boy, completed a 7th-year thesis on becoming an animagus (besides being a human and a unicorn, he could also now turn into a badger), made lots of new friends, and generally had to have the best time he ever possibly could.
He also found plenty of time to spend with his grandmother and other deceased family members. They showed him around some other parts of the Afterlife, and he told them all about his life.
He even found some time (admittedly, with the aid of a time-turner, so he could fit all his commitments into his schedule) to spend with his herd. They were glad to welcome their Rocinante back, and they seemed to have forgiven for his "folly" of reincarnating human.
But even in his happiest times, he wasn't truly satisfied. He missed being alive. His life had been cut brutally short and he had so much more he'd wanted to do! People tried to console him that he'd be able to live a full and happy life here, and that there were plenty of amazing pursuits to which he could dedicate his existence. But something was missing.
Finally, as NEWT exams approached, Cedric slipped into the library to do a little more research on unicorns. By this point, he'd been through most of the history of unicorns, and was merely looking for something he'd missed.
He found that something in a personal memoir of the unicorn Sabriel, who'd reincarnated in 17 different lives in a row before finally calling it quits.
On many occasions throughout my many lives, people saw fit to ask me how I'd acquired the power to come back so very many times. I told them, it is not a question of whether or not you have the power. All unicorns can reincarnate for as many times as they wish to – into either human or unicorn form. A unicorn must, therefore, simply choose when and where to come back – and then commit to doing it.
Cedric slammed the book down, being sure to mark his page. This was a glorious epiphany! He'd ask Helga to introduce him to Sabriel, and then he'd make some inquiries about coming back to Earth.
Just let anyone try to stop him.
What Cedric didn't expect, as he hurried out of the library, was to run into Sabriel right in the library entrance.
"Hello, Cedric. Er, Rocinante. Do you have a preferred name?"
"Either one is fine," he replied. Then, he remembered his manners and bowed to Sabriel. "Did you come to visit me?"
"I did, rather. I hope you don't mind, but I brought a guest. Lady Rhea, Goddess of Death and Empress of the Afterlife, meet Rocinante, a.k.a. Cedric Amos Diggory, the first unicorn in over 1500 years to reincarnate into unicorn form."
The unicorn pointed his snout sideways and a beautiful woman in long flowing robes entered the library. The statues of her showed a gorgeous woman dancing to charm the spirits of the deceased, or casting the creative spells that initially began the Afterlife. The statues looked glorious. But the goddess herself was even more so in person, with her tall figure, her long pearly-white hair, her flawless features, and her bright, soulful eyes.
"Your majesty!" Cedric exclaimed, and then he dropped to his knees and into a low bow, just like people did when they met the incomparable Lady Rhea.
"Please rise," offered Lady Rhea. "We don't stand on ceremony here. Sabriel and I just wanted to meet you, is all.
"Oh. Right. Sorry for being loud." Cedric was glad that they were the only three ones in the library, or else there would have been a huge commotion.
"Not to worry, Cedric. We just wanted to see how you were doing as you finished out your education at Hogwarts. How are you doing?"
"I'm doing good," said Cedric, wishing he could come up with something better to say. He supposed he should be extolling the paradisical beauty of the afterlife, or the joy of re-joining his unicorn herd, or the fun of finishing his education at Hogwarts.
A silence fell after his remark, but Cedric honestly couldn't come up with a way to fill it.
"That's it? You're doing good? That's all?" asked Lady Rhea.
"That definitely is not all," blurted Cedric. "Sabriel, Your Majesty Lady Rhea, there's something I want to say, and I really don't want to offend you with it because I don't mean it to demean either of you."
"You're too kind a soul to hurt us," said Sabriel. "Helga Hufflepuff told us of your sweet and kind nature. What do you want to say?"
Cedric paused, gathering the courage to truly speak his mind. "I'd like to reincarnate back to the Land of the Living again."
A brief silence followed what Cedric had said. It felt awkward, but Cedric forced himself not to say anything further.
"See?!" exclaimed Sabriel, "I told you he'd go for it!"
"You guided me right," replied the goddess.
"Cedric, I'd be happy to see to getting you to your next life. Do you have any ideas as to how and where you'd like to reincarnate? We can't get you a specific life, of course, but we can try to generally direct your course…"
"Sabriel, I read about your reincarnations, and how you'd come back at a time that overlapped your previous life, so that you could take the reins of your previous life immediately once your other self died. Is there a way for me to do something like that?"
"But of course," said Sabriel.
"And you don't think I'm crazy?" asked Cedric. "Because I know that the definition of insanity is when you do the same thing multiple times and expect different results. And me coming back again and hoping to not get killed by You-Know-Who… I know that's crazy. But I don't care if I'm crazy! I just have to get back!"
"You're not mentally unhinged for going after what your heart desires, Cedric Diggory," said Lady Rhea. "And this time could possibly be quite different for you. Now, if you don't mind, could you come with me? Sabriel, do please come too.
She apparated herself, Cedric, and Sabriel to a room full of vast windows. It was quite high up, from what Cedric could tell by the view over the vast green and sulfur-yellow waves pulsing well below them. Ced walked to the window and looked over the waves. Then, he gasped. Because the waves were not waves of water or gas – no, they were waves of corpses, advancing forward to attack a mighty white wall. They couldn't yet surmount the mighty wall, but their numbers were growing.
"What are those things? Are they inferi?" Cedric gasped.
"No, Cedric, they are not inferi," replied Lady Rhea. "They are people. Specifically, they are captured souls of the deceased. Seized on their way to the afterlife, they were forced into attacking our world instead. I built a wall against their hordes, so as to buy some time for my researchers to figure out how to rescind their terrible curse. But Cedric, even though this war seems well in hand now, please know that it is not."
"I'm so sorry," breathed Cedric. "I didn't even think of helping to fight this. I'm so selfish. Once I set my mind on reincarnating again, I-"
"You are not selfish," interrupted Sabriel. "Lady Rhea has an offer for you."
Cedric's eyes turned back to Lady Rhea, giving her another once-over. She was tall, beautiful, and powerful, but there was something in her face, something he hadn't seen before: fear. He even saw her gulp. "I must tell you a secret, Cedric Diggory, and you are to tell no one. Do you understand?"
He nodded.
"As this army of accursed souls attacks our Afterlife, I am, myself, a vulnerability. I know the magic that began the Afterlife, and anyone who gets this knowledge from me will thereby know the means to end our precious Afterlife. Planets upon planets of people, whole worlds of magic and creativity and love will simply be gone! I cannot let that happen.
"If it comes to pass that the accursed army makes its way into our world, they will want to capture me. They will want the knowledge of this world's very foundation, so that they can remake it into a Hell of their own design. I cannot let that happen."
"Of course, you can't let them destroy your creation!"
"Ah, but Cedric, the reason I cannot let them destroy this world is not because it is of my creation. In fact, this world, this Afterlife, is hardly my creation at all!"
"What?" spat Cedric. "But you're the Goddess of Death, the Empress of the Afterlife! How is this not your creation? Everyone worships you!"
"Oh, to be sure, I founded the place by creating the origins of a universe. But being a God – if I even am that – is not so simple as creating things willy-nilly and imposing your will upon your world. You see, Cedric, the people of the Afterlife have always worshipped me ever since its creation. But in turn, I have worshipped them. They are the ones whose ideas gave rise to our many solar systems and galaxies of planets! They are the ones who came up with such multitudinous ways of conceiving of life after death! I was just the one who facilitated them. It is THEIR work which I will not allow to be destroyed."
Cedric had grown up with a basic understanding of religion: people worship their God. There were even many faiths where people believed their god was purely benevolent. But it was not until now that Cedric realized: just as her people believe in and worship her, a truly benevolent god believes in and worships her people.
At the realization, Cedric dropped to his knees. "What can I possibly do to help? I'll do anything!" he pleaded.
"There is no need for kneeling or prayers, Cedric," the goddess replied kindly as she helped Cedric get to his feet again. "But I do have quite a huge favor to ask of you. You see, if the accursed army invades the Afterlife, I may need to flee for the purpose of guarding my secrets. Of course, the only place to flee would be into the Land of the Living, which is to say: I would need to reincarnate as a mortal. My secrets would stay guarded with me, but there might come a time when I would have to return to my dominion. And for that purpose, it would be quite useful to have someone in the Land of the Living, who could reunite with me and support me as I continue my quest."
"Of course," said Cedric.
"Now, you will – just like I will, if I reincarnate – lose your memories of what it is like to be in the Afterlife. But there is a possibility that you will recover some procedural memories – that is to say, skills – from your time here. So, if you are willing, I would like to teach you a number of things before you reincarnate. Then, I will be able to observe what you do and don't remember when you return to Earth. And of course, there is the possibility that you will be there for me if I need you."
"I'm… I'm honored," replied an awestruck Cedric. "I'd do anything for you."
"And that makes me truly honored. Really, it does."
"Thank you so much for agreeing to do this for us," added Sabriel.
For the rest of the night, Lady Rhea told Cedric about what she intended to teach him. She explained that he'd live in the same house as her and her wife Estella while learning a litany of skills, from long-forgotten sorceries to how to surf. By the time they were done discussing their plans for his lessons, it was nearly time for the first NEWT test to start. Cedric hastily apparated back to Hogwarts.
He was greeted by Helfa Hufflepuff outside the school gates.
"Were you visiting with Sabriel and Her Majesty Lady Rhea?"
"Yeah. We were up all night planning my return to Earth."
"Well, Cedric, I shall miss you, but I'm so very proud of the person you've become. I can't wait to see what you'll do with your next life on Earth."
"Thank you so much, Helga." He already knew he'd miss her, too.
"Now, let's get you to the exam room before you're late!" she said as she grabbed his arm and hustled him into the Entrance Hall.
"I've had no sleep at all. I'm going to completely flunk this History exam, aren't I?" he asked. He would use his time-turner, but he'd temporarily turned it in before the start of exams. Use of a time turner to get extra time on an exam was strictly prohibited, and Cedric turned the device in for honor's sake.
"Cedric, I know you want to finish your time at Hogwarts as smoothly as you can, but… your grades don't matter at this point. All your NEWT grades will say is how much you learned in your classes during this past year, and during your life.
"I'm tempted to use that logic to skip the exams, but I really do want to finish this term up smoothly."
"Then that's what you'll do," said Helga.
Over the next couple or so years, Cedric lived under the same roof as Lady Rhea and her wife, Estella. They taught him lots of different things, from long-forgotten sorceries to the all-important skill of surfing. In his spare time, he would still visit his family and his herd, but he was not to tell them the content of his lessons.
It was a nice time, and Cedric felt satisfied to be working towards a goal that would serve both the Wizarding World and also the Afterlife. The one thing that marred his lessons was how jealous he was of the relationship between Lady Rhea and Estella. They were such a loving couple, and so well suited to each other. He'd hoped to have that kind of relationship with Cho someday.
But then it occurred to him that he might be reunited with Cho in his new life, and that he might very well have that kind of loving relationship for himself. So, he held out for now.
The day of Cedric's departure and reincarnation arrived.
"So, remind me one more time what the deal is with your reincarnation?" Cedric's grandmother asked him.
"I'm reborn on Earth at an approximate time and date that'll put me in a good position to meet Harry Potter and all my other family and friends and fight the Dark Lord. They can't exactly control which family I end up with when I'm reborn, or quite what I look like. Oh, and they can't control what gender I'll be and gender sometimes flip-flops between lifetimes – which kind of freaks me out. But odds are, I'll have a pretty good life, and then I'll help fight the Dark Lord. And we'll win. And I'll hopefully survive."
"Right," said his grandmother. "We'll all miss you over here."
"We are so very proud of you," added Helga.
"That means a lot to me. Thanks. Seriously, thanks," said Cedric, squeezing both women's hands.
His grandmother and Helga Hufflepuff both squished him into a hug. "We love you so much! So, so, so very much!"
When they broke apart, there were a couple of other people there to see him off: James and Lily Potter. "We're so glad you're doing this," said James. "Please look after our Harry for us," added Lily.
"I'll do my best," said Cedric.
"Are you really sure about this, though?" asked his grandmother.
"Gran, Lady Rhea offered to let me work with her if I chose to stay. She said that I'd be welcome to change my mind about reincarnation and she wouldn't resent me for it one bit. But I've got to do this. I want to do this. It's my heart's desire. I told her as much."
James, Lily, Helga, and his grandmother all nodded. At that moment, the unicorn Sabriel entered and he was nodding in agreement, too.
"I have something to say to you too, Cedric," said Sabriel. "You'll forget everything we say when you come back, of course, but before you go, I must tell you: there is a powerful magic that protected Harry Potter from the Dark Lord because Lily Potter died to save him. But you, dear boy, are about to perform an equally powerful sacrifice."
"I thought I sacrificed myself when I died and when my ghost delayed Voldemort attacking Harry?" asked Cedric.
"Ah," said Sabriel ,"but it is one thing to die for a person and another thing altogether to live for them. Goodbye, Cedric. I know we'll meet again."
"Goodbye. Thank you, all, for being there for me. I swear I'll do you proud. I love you" And with that, Cedric Diggory walked forward into the doorway to Reincarnation, where anything and everything awaited him.