Title: Sound of the Revolution, Chapter 02
Author: kevo
Pairing: Harry + Cedric.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership to these characters or the series they're from.
Summary: In his fifth year, Harry faces ostracism with boyfriend Cedric for coming out and for declaring Voldemort has returned. (Order of the Phoenix canon re-write.)
The Love So Green Collection
Playlist #2:
sound of the revolution
CHAPTER TWO
"I've Got a Dark Alley and a Bad Idea That Says You Should Shut Your Mouth
(Summer Song)"
The days between Cedric's visits were always excruciatingly long. Harry spent most of their time apart doing what most would call sulking. And maybe he was, but he couldn't help it. Maybe the situation was better than any previous summer spent on Privet Drive, where he was on his own the whole time. That knowledge didn't provide much comfort, though. Now that he'd experienced having company in Little Whinging, especially company he enjoyed so much, it was torture going without.
At least he had his new CD player to occupy him.
Eventually, Monday, and Cedric, did arrive. Harry found the latter at their usual spot down the block from his house, waiting with a smile. He'd developed a fair amount of stubble since Harry last saw him. The younger boy reached up to feel it.
"You're all scratchy," he observed.
"It's not that bad," he frowned. "I haven't gotten around to shaving for a couple of days."
"Are you telling me that Cedric Diggory, Hufflepuff Hottie, has not been keeping steadfastly to his normal grooming habits?" Harry teased. "I am stunned."
"All right, that's enough out of you," said Cedric.
"Oh, fine," Harry harrumphed. "But, so you know, I was about to say that I think it's kinda sexy."
"Did I say 'enough'? Because what I meant was 'not enough'," Cedric clarified. "Please, continue."
Harry laughed.
By now their walks had become routine. They would wander the streets before inevitably winding up at either the Red Windmill or the local park, sometimes both. Harry had seen more of Little Whinging in the past few weeks than in all of the fourteen years preceding them. Tonight they took the long way to the park, dawdling their way down the length Magnolia Crescent rather than taking the shorter route through Wisteria Walk.
"So, you haven't mentioned Cho in a while," Harry remarked. "Have you heard from her?"
"Not really," Cedric replied. "We've owl'd a couple of times, but that's it. We normally see each other during the summer. It's starting to look like that won't happen this year."
"I'm sorry."
"It's my own fault, really," Cedric admitted. "With everything that's been going on, I haven't been keeping in touch. Been a bit preoccupied."
"Well, there is a war on," Harry pointed out. "That can be a bit preoccupying."
"True," said Cedric. "School's only a month away, now. I'll make it up to her then."
"Oh yeah, school," Harry said dully. "Don't remind me."
For the first time Harry could remember, he was actually dreading his return to Hogwarts. He'd always had reason enough to feel like an outcast, given his history. Now, thanks to the Daily Prophet's lies, he really was going to be an outcast. Sure, his school friends could always surprise him. It was possible. But when Harry thought about past circumstances – most recently the way he was treated when named the second Hogwarts champion last year – he didn't feel very optimistic.
"I don't suppose I can interest you in dropping out and running away with me?" Harry wondered.
"Oh, sure, because the Prophet would love that," Cedric quipped. "'Degenerate Diggory Kidnaps Underage Lover.'"
"Don't call yourself that," Harry frowned. "You're not a degenerate."
"You sure?" said Cedric. "Because that's the exact phrase they used in the paper today. Compared me to an apprehended pedophile that was just sentenced to Azkaban. Although, at the very least, they did say he was a bit worse than me."
"Oh my God!" Harry exclaimed, horrified. "Are you serious!? That's – that's completely mental! You know they're wrong, right?"
"Confusing syntax much?" Cedric smirked. "Oh, I know, I know they're wrong. Still, I can't help wondering if there's some small amount of validity to their statement. You were only fourteen when we started dating, after all. And you're still so young."
"Ohh, no," said Harry. "Don't you dare start with that again. You haven't done anything wrong! Neither of us have! There's loads of couples at Hogwarts with an age gap. Ours might be at the larger end of the scale, but I don't even think it's the biggest one. You've never pressured me into anything. If you'll recall, I was even the one to kiss you first!"
"Okay, okay, you've made your point!" Cedric said, holding up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "It's just, when they're accusing us of lying about You-Know-Who, it doesn't bother me, because I know we aren't. But the stuff about me being older, taking advantage, it's different. Those are real concerns I've had since we started dating. I know I'm not a pedophile, I'm not that daft. Even so, it upsetting to have someone accuse of the very thing I've been afraid of doing."
"You love me, yeah?" Harry asked. "And you'd never do anything to hurt me?"
"Of course," Cedric vowed.
"Then there's your answer," Harry concluded. "Doesn't matter what anyone else says."
"You're right," said Cedric. "And I'll try to remember that. For you."
"Thank you," Harry said.
They continued on their walk, putting the distressing subject of the duplicitous Prophet behind them for the time being.
O O O O O O O
It was nearly nine-thirty when Harry and Cedric decided to say an intimate goodnight in the shadows of the alley between Magnolia Crescent and Wisteria Walk. They were so focused on each other that they almost didn't hear someone approaching from Magnolia. They pulled apart in time to see that their intruder was none other than Harry's cousin, Dudley.
Harry was at a loss. If Dudley saw them, he was going to have to explain what he was doing in an alley in the dark with a strange boy. There was no reason he could think of that would satisfy his pudgy cousin. Harry glanced at Cedric. The older boy looked just as concerned.
Dudley kept coming closer and closer. The alley was dark, but not that dark. He'd see them as he walked past. Even if they ran, they were too far from the exit. He'd be recognized.
There was no escape.
"Evening, Duds," Harry called out, trying to sound calm.
Dudley stopped in his tracks.
"Oh," he said flatly. "It's you. And…" Dudley squinted through the darkness. "You. I've seen you before. Walking around with my cousin."
"Yep, that's me," said Cedric. He took a step forward and extended a friendly hand. "Cedric Diggory."
Dudley eyed the hand warily.
"You're one of them, aren't you," said Dudley. It wasn't a question. "Like him."
"If you want to put it that way, yeah." Cedric replied evenly. "I am."
"Hang on," Dudley said. He appeared to be thinking very hard, screwing up his brow in concentration. "You're Cedric?" He looked at Harry and said, with a smirk, "So he's the one whose name you've been shouting in his sleep. 'Don't kill Cedric!' Who's he, then, your boyfriend?"
At first, Harry couldn't respond. He was too stunned. Because it was true, he had shouted that, in his nightmares about the night Voldemort returned. The one where he wasn't fast enough to save the boy he loved. He felt a sharp spike of concern coming from Cedric. Harry never told him how intense, how vivid and terrible, the dreams were at the start of the summer. He didn't want to worry him. He also didn't want to talk about them. It was too painful.
"None of your business, Dudley," Harry said finally.
"He is, isn't he?" said Dudley, eyes gleaming with malice. "Ooh, just wait til I tell Dad."
"If you tell him about me, I'll tell him about you," Harry threatened. Dudley looked confused, so Harry elaborated: "Running about, beating up ten-year-olds."
"Like he'll believe you," Dudley sneered. His expression didn't carry the same confidence as his words
"Maybe not," Harry allowed. "But maybe he will."
"What's that on your neck?" Dudley asked suddenly. He looking at Cedric. "Did you do that to yourself on purpose? To match my queer cousin? That's sick."
"I'd watch what you say to him, Dudley," Harry warned him coolly. "Cedric's older than me. He's allowed to do magic outside of school."
"You're lying," Dudley accused.
"He's not," Cedric replied quietly.
"H-he won't do anything," Dudley said, adding, meekly, "Will you?"
"Not if you go away very quickly," Cedric promised.
He did not look pleased at this turn of events. Harry felt bad, putting him on the spot like that. But he knew from experience that the only way they could get his cousin to back off was by threatening him.
"You can't," Dudley insisted. He was clearly trying to sound confident but fell short. "There've got to be laws against it. Right?"
"Are you willing to take that risk?" Harry mused. He couldn't help enjoy watching Dudley squirm a little.
"Harry…" Cedric said lightly.
"Knock it off," Dudley demanded.
"What?" said Harry, ignoring his cousin's pleas. "Like he doesn't deserve it? You know all the things he's done to me."
"That doesn't justify –"
What it didn't justify remained unsaid. Because suddenly the alley they stood in, which had been bathed in the soft light of the stars and streetlamps at either end, went dark.
"Hey!" Dudley cried. "Who turned out the lights?"
The dark was accompanied by sudden chill. Which would've been strange enough, given the sweltering heat, but this wasn't an ordinary chill. It washed away all the warmth, all the happiness, from his body. He looked at Cedric, who then looked back at him. They both knew what was going to happen next.
A moment later, the dementors attacked.
Harry went for his wand, which he carried despite Cedric's protestations. The older boy grabbed Harry's arm, stopping him.
"Put that away!" Cedric hissed. "Don't you dare try and use it, not one spell!"
"They're dementors, Cedric!" Harry pointed out. "It takes a Patronus to stop them, meaning you need me!"
"Keep your wand down," the older boy repeated. "I'll take care of this."
Before Harry could argue further, Cedric turned to face their attackers. He pulled out his wand and pointed it at the creatures.
"Expecto Patronum!"
Silvery white light burst from the end of from Cedric's wand, forming something large and furry. A Patronus, in the form of bear.
Cedric's Patronus.
Harry had never seen it before. He didn't even know Cedric was capable of casting the charm. Most Hogwarts students, even in the seventh year, couldn't. Most fully-grown wizards weren't able, for that matter.
The bear Patronus charged at the dementors, chasing one out of the alley right off the bat before coming back around for the second. The other was bent over Dudley, preparing to deliver its horrible kiss. The shimmering bear rushed towards them, pouncing on the dementor and shoving it off the large boy. Like its companion before it, the dementor retreated hastily. The Patronus padded back to its owner. It was quite docile and friendly-looking now that the threat was over. Cedric patted the thing on the head, and the bear closed its eyes contently before fading away.
"I didn't know you could do that," said Harry. "Where did you learn…?"
"Lupin's been teaching me," Cedric replied. "I thought it might come in handy. Turns out I was right." He looked down at Dudley, who was a quivering, catatonic heap. "C'mon, we should get him home. And you."
As they were attempting to hoist Dudley up, a noise at the end of the alley caught their attention. Standing there, mouth agape, was Harry's elderly neighbor, Mrs. Figg. Her horror rapidly turned to rage.
"Oh, I'm going to kill Mundungus Fletcher!"
"Mrs. Figg! What are you doing here?" Harry cried. To Cedric, he muttered, "Hide your wand!"
But Cedric didn't. He was too busy asking a different question:
"You know Mundungus Fletcher?"
"Of course I do," she replied. "He was on watch tonight. He was supposed to be keeping an eye on you two. If it hadn't been for my Mr. Tibbles, I wouldn't've even known he swanned off!"
"You're in the Order?" Cedric asked, stunned.
"You're a witch!?" Harry asked, even more stunned.
"I'm a Squib, thank you very much, a fact that Dung is fully aware of, and yet where's he, I ask?" She shifted on her slipper-clad feet, glancing around nervously. "We should get you indoors, Harry. You and your lump of a cousin."
"But, I don't understand," Harry stammered. "All this time you knew who I was – "
"There'll be time enough for answers," Mrs. Figg said irritably. "We all need to get off the streets, now shift!"
The boys did as they were told, as Mrs. Figg, Squib or no, did not seem like the kind of woman you would want to cross. As Dudley did not seem like he'd be moving of his own volition any time soon, they each threw one of his beefy arms across their shoulders. Even with both of them doing the carrying, it was no easy feat.
"It was dementors, wasn't it?" Mrs. Figg asked. "I thought I felt something off, and then I saw the Patronus. They told me you were good, Harry, but I honestly didn't believe it when they said you could conjure one at your age."
"It wasn't me," Harry informed her. "That was Cedric's."
"Well, well," Mrs. Figg said admiringly. "Sounds like you might've been better off without Mundungus. I don't know that he can handle a doxy, let alone a dementor. Keep your wand out, sonny, there may be more of them about."
"What was Dung doing here, anyway?" Cedric demanded. "The Order knows I'm with Harry tonight."
"For goodness sake, don't be so thick," Mrs. Figg replied with a derisive snort. "Did you really think the Order was going to place Harry Potter's protection solely in the hands of a seventeen-year-old? They always have someone tailing, even when the two of you are together."
This news came as a bit of a shock. Harry felt violated, not to mention embarrassed. He thought back on all the times Cedric had visited that summer, the private moments they'd shared; dinners at the cafe, their heated encounter in the men's room at the park. Someone had been following them that whole time. How much had they been watching? He could feel Harry could feel Cedric's embarrassment, too, intermingled with resentment.
They didn't have much time to dwell on their humiliation, because a few seconds later there was a loud bang as a man Harry quickly realized was Mundungus Fletcher appeared. He knew it was Mundungus from the way Mrs. Figg began screaming at him and beating him with the bag of cat food she was carrying. He Disapparated to inform Dumbledore of the situation before she could do too much damage. As they resumed hauling Dudley home, a thought occurred to Harry.
"Hang on," he said. "You still didn't answer my question: all this time you've known who I am, where I came from, and you never said a word?"
"Dumbledore's orders," she replied. "I couldn't tell you then, you were too young. Sorry I couldn't show you a better time when you came around. If the Dursleys thought you were actually enjoying yourself at my place, they would've never let you come back."
"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard," Harry told her, bristling with anger and bitterness. "You knew who I was, how my parents died - sorry, were murdered - not to mention the hell that the Dursleys put me through, and you couldn't even show me the slightest bit of compassion?"
"I – I thought it best –" Mrs. Figg stammered.
"You could've told me to lie to them, you know," Harry pointed out. "It's not as if I would've had a problem doing that."
"I never – I hadn't considered that," Mrs. Figg said.
"Obviously," said Harry. "Look, I think we can manage to get the rest of the way on our own. Perhaps you should just go."
"Harry –"
"You've done enough, Mrs. Figg," Harry barked. "Just go."
For a moment, the guilty look on Mrs. Figg's face made Harry feel bad for snapping at her. Then he recalled the countless days he'd spent growing up on Privet Drive feeling scared, alone, and unloved, without a single person to show him the smallest bit of kindness. After that, he was glad to see her slink off bashfully into the darkness. This left Harry and Cedric carrying the burdens of Harry's cousin and the million questions that had just been raised.
"I can't believe they've been lying to me," said Cedric. "That they didn't trust me to look after you on my own."
"I don't need looking after," Harry informed him, annoyed. "I can defend myself, you know."
"No, you can't," Cedric replied flatly.
"Excuse me?"
"No, I don't – that's not what I meant," Cedric fumbled. "You're perfectly capable of defending yourself, sure, I get that. But you know what'll happen if you use magic outside of school. You'll be expelled. Is that what you really want?"
Harry contemplated the question before responding. True, he'd made light of dropping out earlier. And it was an intriguing notion, considering what he was probably going back to. But it would mean losing the place he'd considered his home for four years. It would mean losing Hermione and Ron, and Cedric. He couldn't risk that.
"No," Harry answered. "It isn't."
"Good," said Cedric. He nodded at the next house ahead. "We're here."
They dragged Dudley, who was still too out of it to stand on his own, up to the front door.
"I've got to go," Cedric announced, removing the limp Muggle's arm from across his shoulder.
"Right now?" Harry asked. He nearly buckled under his cousin's full weight. "Can't you stay? I might need your help, explaining."
"I can't," Cedric replied. "I'm sorry, but I've got to. I need to get home."
He was biting his lip rather vigorously. Harry hadn't seen him this nervous since they learned Cedric's parents had seen them in bed together in the hospital wing.
"Cedric? What's wrong?"
"I can't – it's nothing," Cedric insisted. "I've just got to get home." He kissed Harry on the cheek and whispered, emphatically, "I love you." Then he turned and hurried back to the sidewalk, where he Disapparated with a sharp pop.
The rest of the night was a blur. After getting Dudley inside, Harry explained what happened as best he could to his aunt and uncle, though they didn't make it very easy. Neither did the owls from Arthur Weasley, Sirius, and Dumbledore. The last left Harry the most confused. What did 'remember my last' mean? Clearly something important enough to convince Aunt Petunia to countermand Harry's eviction by Uncle Vernon.
Once in his room, Harry sent identical letters out to the four people he cared for the most: Ron, Hermione, Sirius and Cedric. Each demanded answers about what was happening and when he'd be liberated from Privet Drive. He then went to sleep, certain they would all reply by the next morning.
O O O O O O O
As he soon discovered, Harry's assumption that his letters would yield immediate results was dead wrong. There were no replies from anyone. He thought that maybe Cedric would turn up in person, but the day came and went with no sign of him.
With Cedric gone and not communicating, Harry returned to sulking. Only this time it was even worse. At least before he knew Cedric would be returning soon. Now he had no idea where his boyfriend was, or if he'd ever see him again. Before September 1st, anyway. Harry would definitely see him at school, no matter what.
He hoped.
After three days with nothing, Harry was starting to truly worry. He was used to Ron, Hermione, and even Sirius taking a long time to write back. Cedric, however, never let more than a day go by without replying, especially if they went this long without seeing each other. Did his silence have something to do with the reason he took off so fast?
So many questions, and so few answers.
Finally, on the fourth day, Harry's prayers were answered when the Advance Guard came. He'd barely had time to register their arrival before they were off. He tried asking about Cedric, but his questions were all rebuffed. Moody insisted that they not discuss anything relating to the Order until they reach headquarters. Harry found it a bit silly that their extremely covert journey was to be made on broomstick, yet he also wasn't about to complain for the opportunity to take to the sky once more. Since Quidditch was canceled for the Triwizard Tournament, he'd barely gotten any flying in last year. Unfortunately, the elation he felt astride his Firebolt didn't last, as the soared to higher, and colder, altitudes. It reminded Harry of his Quidditch match against Hufflepuff in his third year, when his hands nearly froze to his broom handle. This then reminded Harry of Cedric, and made him feel even worse.
In less time than he would've thought, the group descended upon London. Harry was shown a slip of paper revealing the location of the Order's headquarters, or Order of the Phoenix as Harry now knew it was called. They all entered the newly-materialized 12 Grimmauld Place, where Mrs. Weasley welcomed him with a fierce hug before sending him upstairs to Ron and Hermione while the Order had a meeting downstairs.
The first thing Harry heard upon entering the room she directed him to was Hermione's shriek. She tackled him with a hug that rivaled Mrs. Weasley's, and spouted off a lengthy greeting that only Hermione could get out so speedily:
"HARRY! Oh, Ron, he's here, Harry's here! We didn't hear you arrive! Oh, how are you? Are you okay? No, of course you're not okay, how could you be? You must be so upset with us. I'm so sorry we couldn't tell you anything, it was Dumbledore, he made us swear we wouldn't, there was too much of a risk. But you're here now! We can tell you everything! Well, everything we know, and that's not saying much, and you! You've got to tell us – the dementors! When we heard – and Cedric, that was so brave of him! But the Ministry, they can't do anything to him, I've been researching for days, because he's of-age now, and he was protecting a Muggle! I'm sure he's going to be fine, just fine, and, oh, Harry, I'm so sorry – "
"Merlin's beard, Hermione," Ron interrupted, peeling her off of their newly-arrived friend. "Give a guy a minute, would you? He just walked in the door."
"Right," Hermione said, taking a step back. "Of course."
"Sorry, mate," said Ron, turning to Harry. "You know how she tends to go on when she's excited."
"Lord help me, I think I actually missed it this summer," Harry replied. They hugged, one-armed with a handshake. It was manly, yet affectionate. "So, how've you two been?"
They look at each other, then looked away awkwardly.
No change there, then, Harry thought with an internal groan.
"What have you been doing here, anyway?" Harry asked, perfectly willing to avoid the subject of their uncomfortable relationship if they were.
And they were. Ron and Hermione proceeded to fill Harry in on all the things they couldn't before he came to 12 Grimmauld Place. They explained that all they'd been doing was cleaning the house, and hadn't been privy to any information about the Order. The only thing they knew was who members were, and even then they didn't know everyone. The Weasley twins, Fred and George, as well as the youngest Weasley, Ginny, came in somewhere in the middle discussing Extendible Ears. Harry noticed Ginny was making a concerted effort not to look direct at him, and wondered what that was about.
"Are you angry?" Hermione asked nervously. "That we didn't tell you anything?"
"You know, I thought I would be," Harry admitted. "And I might've been, had it not been for Cedric. He couldn't say much, obviously, but having him there was a big help. If it hadn't been for him, I would never have known to look for the shit the Daily Prophet's been printing."
"He's been really helpful here, too," Hermione said. "He comes a few times a week to help with the cleaning."
"Really?" asked Harry.
"Oh yeah," George agreed. "He's a whiz with household magic. You've picked a fine husband for yourself, Harry."
"Shut up," Harry blushed.
"Yeah, Cedric's perfect," Ginny muttered.
Then, scowling, she stormed out of the room. Ron, Hermione, and the twins all looked at each other uneasily.
"We'll go after her," said Fred. "Good seeing you, Harry."
He and George departed after Ginny. Harry turned to Hermione and Ron, confused.
"What was…?"
"It's nothing, really," Ron said. "It's just… Ginny's got a bit of a thing about Cedric. He sort of rubs her the wrong way."
"What?" cried Harry. "That's ridiculous! How can she have a problem with Cedric? He's polite and funny and –"
"Your boyfriend," Hermione cut in. "Ginny's had a crush on you since before she started at Hogwarts. She was devastated when she found out you were gay."
"But that's not Cedric fault!" Harry exclaimed.
"We know that, mate," said Ron. "And she knows that, too. It's hard for her, is all. She'll adjust. Give her some time; it's barely been a month since you two came out."
This news was a real shock to Harry. He'd expected some adversity after coming out publicly, but never thought it would come from someone so close to him. He wondered how many other people's reactions would come as a surprise when he returned to Hogwarts.
"Hermione," said Harry, his thoughts of Hogwarts reminding him of something the girl said when he first came in. "What was that you were saying before, about the Ministry and Cedric?"
"You – you mean he didn't tell you?" Hermione asked. Harry shook his head. "Oh, Harry, they're charging him with breaking the Statute of Secrecy, for using magic in front of a Muggle."
"They want to expel him from school," Ron said gravely. "They're even talking about taking his wand away."
So that was it, Harry thought. That was why he hadn't heard from Cedric in four days. He remembered about how quickly Cedric left that last night, how he refused to explain. He must've known this would happen.
"But they can't!" Hermione insisted. "I know they can't. He was saving your cousin's life!"
"There's going to be a hearing," Ron told him. "Like when Buckbeak mauled Malfoy. They'll decide then whether or not to… well, you know."
"When?" asked Harry.
"Thursday," Hermione replied.
"Okay then," said Harry.
Their conversation ended there, as Mrs. Weasley appeared to let them know the meeting was over and dinner was about to be served.
After their meal, Sirius invited Harry to ask the questions he had been dying to ask, about the Order and the war. Mrs. Weasley tried to protest, vehemently, but was outvoted by the others. Most of it Harry could've guessed at. Voldemort was rebuilding his army. Some, like the fact that Fudge was afraid of Dumbledore taking his power as Minister of Magic, was news but not very surprising. Right as they were getting to the good stuff, the part about what Voldemort was truly after, Mrs. Weasley stopped them, and demanded that everyone go off to bed. Harry went without a fuss.
It had been a long day. He almost couldn't believe he'd woken up in Little Whinging just that morning. As soon as the Weasley twins Disapparated back out of his and Ron's room, having popped in to discuss the evening's revelations, Harry rolled over and was asleep in minutes.
O O O O O O O
Some time in the night, Harry rolled over to find that he wasn't alone in his bed. He could instantly tell the identity of his unexpected bedfellow, even without their Scar Sense.
"Cedric?"
"Hi, Harry," Cedric replied quietly.
"S'it really you, or am I having that dream again?" Harry asked.
That made the older boy crack a smile. It wasn't a very big one, though. He was fully dressed, and did not look nearly as happy as he normally did when in bed with Harry.
"It's me, baby," Cedric assured him. "Go back to sleep, okay? We'll talk in the morning."
"Oh, okay," said Harry. "Love you."
"I love you, too," said Cedric.
And with that, Harry fell back asleep.
End Notes: Spot the Doctor Who reference! This chapter almost went up earlier, but I found Cedric to be very mopey, and that's not the Cedric I wanted in this story. So I had to fix it.
One last thing: I find reviews demanding that I update faster very frustrating. I do this for fun, I do this for free. When people start making me feel bad for "taking so long" to get a new chapter up, it stops being fun, and, since it doesn't pay, I lose interest. Saying you're excited for the next chapter is one thing, but insisting that I'm not updating fast enough is just going to make me take longer.
Thanks for reading. -kevo