Disclaimer: I still do not own Harry Potter.

Thanks again for the reviews! I'm so glad you're enjoying the story!

In answer to one of my reviewers, yes, I did say Harry would be meeting Dudley, but that won't be until seventh year. He'll see him at the trial later on this year, but they won't have a proper conversation until seventh year.

And now for something completely different ...

Chapter 20: Little Brother

Cedric Diggory had never had siblings.

He was an only child, and his parents always said, in teasing voices, that one child was enough. But Cedric had always yearned for some kind of sibling relationship, and he even remembered begging for a brother or sister when he was a little boy. When he came to Hogwarts, he had made lots of friends, but found that something was still missing. There was something in him that wanted to reach out, to protect, to help.

And now, he thought he had found that someone that he could reach out to.

Harry Potter was unlike any other boy he'd ever met before. When Cedric had been born, the war had still been going on, and it had ended when he was extremely young. Therefore, he'd grown up hearing the stories of the Boy-Who-Lived, the famous hero who defeated the evil You-Know-Who. "One day," his father would always say proudly, ruffling his son's hair affectionately, "you're going to have a story, too. Your name's also going to be in history books, and you'll be able to say to your grandchildren, "I'm in the same book as Harry Potter!""

Cedric had always flushed with embarrassment at hearing this, and Amos Diggory had gone on to say, "Ah, my boy, you're too modest!" But the truth was, there were times when Cedric wanted to set the man straight. Growing up, he'd always felt that Amos expected way too much of him. By no stretch of the imagination was Cedric perfect, and he knew that. But Amos was always acting as though he was, and whenever someone else did something wonderful, Cedric could sense a tinge of disappointment in his father's eyes, because his one and only son was not measuring up to that. He knew his father cared about him and would be devastated if something happened to him, and he loved his father as well. He'd do anything to make him proud, but at the same time, he didn't really want to be a famous wizard. He just wanted to be Cedric Diggory, a normal boy with hopes and dreams for the future.

He could tell from the look in Harry Potter's eyes that he didn't like his fame either. All the attention that was heaped on him annoyed the green-eyed boy to no end, and Cedric knew there was much more to him than met the eye. Two years ago, he'd been one of the only people in the whole school besides Harry's two best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, and a few others, who had believed he was not the culprit of the Chamber of Secrets attacks. He didn't understand why people turned against him at the slightest sign of crisis. He'd been disgusted by the people in his own house, making disparaging comments about how the fame must have gotten to Harry's head. Some people even wondered whether he would become the next Dark Lord.

Cedric knew something had happened to Harry that past summer. The look in his eyes was not the kind of look someone his age should have. He was very glad he was becoming so friendly with the young boy, and felt a fierce big-brotherly protectiveness overwhelm him whenever he thought of him. He had a feeling that this year would be a defining year for him, that something big was going to happen, and that something would involve Harry Potter. He vowed to himself that he was going to do everything he could to let the bespectacled boy know he could count on him.

It was October 31 today, and Cedric was excited. Today was the day of the Triwizard champion selection. The night before, Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and Durmstrang Institute had shown up, to the excitement of the Hogwarts population. He'd smiled when he heard Ron Weasley yelling at the top of his lungs about the fact that Viktor Krum was one of the Durmstrang delegates. The feast had been spectacular, with dishes from the parts of the world the other wizarding schools were located in.

Early this morning, he'd put his name in the Goblet of Fire, the impartial judge who would be choosing people for the tournament. Mostly, The reason why he was doing this was because he wanted to make his father proud. Amos had heaped the pressure on him to go for this tournament, and even though Cedric was tired of the way the man expected him to be perfect, he didn't have the heart to disappoint him. He was also doing it because if he was selected, it would maybe give him the chance to get to know the other champions. Everyone always told him he was smart, and he knew his instinct was to reach out. He spent many hours in the library or the Hufflepuff common room, reaching out to or tutoring students who needed help in certain subjects. His grades were always good, and he was always up to the challenge. Everyone seemed to look up to him; it was almost like he was the leader of Hufflepuff. But he didn't mind, for he enjoyed doing it.

At this very moment, he was making his way to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, the feast that would tell him who the three champions for the different schools were. He couldn't help but smile when he saw Fred and George Weasley and Lee Jordan sporting hilarious-looking beards. All three of them had tried to fool the Goblet by taking an aging potion. Of course, it hadn't worked.

Once he got to the Great Hall, he sat down at the Hufflepuff table with his mates. He looked over and smiled at Cho, who was with her best friend Marietta and a few other girls at the Ravenclaw table. His friendship with her was deepening, and he found she could always put a smile on his face to brighten his day.

Then he glanced at the Gryffindor table and saw Harry Potter sitting with his usual buddies, Weasley and Granger. He also saw the Weasley girl and Neville Longbottom sitting near them.

Dumbledore made a little speech, and then the feast began in all its splendor. Some people from Beauxbatons were sitting at the Hufflepuff table, including a girl who looked like a Veela. She kept complaining about how the food wasn't like the meals she always had at her school.

"Hey, Ced," one of his best mates, Malcolm, said. "You excited for the champion selection? Think you'll get chosen?"

"I doubt it'll be me," Cedric smiled. "But I hope whoever gets it does well."

"Aw, come on, mate," Jeff said from his other side. "You're gonna get it, I know you are."

The feast continued, and the excitement in the hall seemed to multiply as each minute passed. Finally, Dumbledore stood up and began to talk.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is time!" he beamed happily. "The Goblet of Fire is about to make its decision; we are about to learn who the three lucky champions are! I hope that all of you show them lots of respect, and wish them the best of luck in their three very difficult and daunting challenges. I am sure whoever is chosen will want to earn the Triwizard Cup, a great honor for them and their school. Champions, when your name is called, you will go to a little room right behind this hall. Mr. Weasley," he said, turning to a young man sitting on his left who Cedric recognized as Percy Weasley, the Head Boy from last year, "will be one of the judges for the tournament, along with Headmaster Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Ludo Bagman, and myself."

The Goblet was sitting on the table right in front of Dumbledore, and suddenly, the flames turned red. A little piece of parchment shot out of it, which Dumbledore caught. "Ah," he smiled. "The champion of Durmstrang Institute will be ... Viktor Krum!"

Cedric looked over and saw Ron Weasley going ballistic at the news. The people of Durmstrang, who were mostly sitting at the Slytherin table, also roared their approval. Viktor Krum himself, who was looking as surly as ever, stood up and made his way out of the Great Hall, going to the room behind it.

The applause died down, and the Goblet turned red again. Another piece of parchment came shooting out, and Dumbledore caught this as well. He looked at the name on it and said, "The champion for Beauxbatons Academy will be ... Fleur Delacour!"

It was none other than the Veela-girl who stood up and made her way out of the hall. The reaction from Beauxbatons was unlike that of Durmstrang, however, because many girls were in tears at the fact that they hadn't been chosen. But the rest of the population clapped politely for Fleur as she disappeared.

Cedric grew nervous and very excited. Now was the moment. Now it was time to find out who the Hogwarts champion was. The Goblet turned red once more, and as Dumbledore looked at the parchment which came out of it, he beamed with pride. "The Hogwarts Champion!" he boomed, "will be ..." There was a moment of silence. "CEDRIC DIGGORY!" he roared.

Cedric couldn't believe his eyes. All he knew was that his mates were pounding him on the back, Cho was beaming at him, and Harry Potter was giving him a proud smile. He got up numbly and made his way out of the hall, to the little room where the two other champions were sitting.

"Vot is your name?" asked Viktor Krum as Cedric made his way to a seat.

"Hello, Viktor," Cedric said, shaking the famous Seeker's hand. "My name is Cedric Diggory. I'm the Hogwarts champion. Nice to meet you, and you as well, Fleur."

"'Ello, Cedric Diggory," Fleur said, giving him a beautiful smile. "Zis is going to be interesting, yes?"

"It is," Cedric said. "What are we supposed to do?"

"I think ve are supposed to vait for instructions," said Krum, sitting back in his seat.

"Oh, okay."

Suddenly, Cedric heard commotion coming from the Great Hall. He thought he heard people shouting "That's impossible!" and "This can't be happening!" and "He's too young!" He wondered what on Earth was going on, but knew it couldn't be anything good.

Suddenly, he saw Harry Potter walk into the room. But he wasn't looking right at all. He looked terrified, shocked. He 'seemed to be going on autopilot, like he was only walking because his feet were doing it automatically. He looked lost, like nothing in the world could ever be right again. Cedric immediately stood up and walked over to him. "Harry?" he said in a concerned voice, hoping the younger boy would tell him what was wrong. But Harry just stared into space, seeming to be unable to hear him. "Harry?" he repeated, "What's wrong, my friend?" But the boy's eyes continued to glaze over.

Then, he heard angry voices coming near the room. Karkaroff, Cornelius Fudge, Dumbledore, Ludo Bagman, Moody, Snape, McGonnagall, and Madame Maxime hurried inside.

"This is preposterous!" Karkaroff was yelling. "Dumbledore, my students and I will be leaving immediately! I never thought that you would resort to such trickery!"

"Now, now, Igor," said Dumbledore calmly. "There is no need to get so upset."

"No need!" spat Karkaroff. "How did that boy's name get in the Goblet? He's way too young to compete, and you know it!"

"Well," said Snape silkily, "Potter never misses a chance to show off. He is always landing himself in trouble, and does not think about the consequences of his actions. He thinks he is above the law, that normal rules such as age lines do not apply to him."

Cedric looked from Harry to Dumbledore to Snape to Karkaroff, and realized with a jolt what must have happened. Somehow, Harry Potter's name had come out of the Goblet of Fire, and he was the fourth Triwizard champion. But Cedric immediately knew the boy had not put his own name into the cup. Harry looked totally defeated; if he had put his own name in, surely he would have been excited that he'd gotten past Dumbledore's protection.

"Are you saying," Fleur said, looking at Harry, "zat zis leetle boy eez supposed to compete?"

"Yes, and I'm not going to put up with it!" boomed Karkaroff.

"Igor, can't we talk about this in a civilized manner?" said Dumbledore.

"No, because obviously you can't do things in a civilized manner!" Karkaroff shot back.

Cedric looked at Harry again, looking so lost and vulnerable. "With all due respect, Professor," the seventeen-year-old Hufflepuff said, looking at Karkaroff, "haven't you seen Harry's face? Don't you realize he's as shocked by this news as everyone else?"

"And what right do you have to talk back to me?" Karkaroff snapped. "You have no idea what Potter's made of, boy. The fame's probably gotten to his head, and he thinks, as Severus said, that normal rules are not applicable to him!"

Cedric glared angrily at Karkaroff, who glared right back.

"I think," said Moody, "that the lad did not put his name into the Goblet. I think it is a plot to try and get him killed. There are people," he said, his face growing ugly as he glowered at Karkaroff, "that would like to see his head on a silver platter, are there not?"

"That's enough, Alastor," Professor McGonnagall said firmly.

"I do not know how this happened," Dumbledore admitted, "but if you just look at the boy's face, like Mr. Diggory said, you should be able to see that he did not do this voluntarily. Unfortunately, because of the binding magical contract, he has no choice but to compete."

The arguing continued for a little while longer, until finally, Bagman chirped, "Let's just tell them about the first task! Why don't we just get started?"

Dumbledore nodded his head in agreement. So Bagman went on, "The first task will take place on November 24. There is not much you four can do to prepare for it, but just know that this task will test your courage, strength, and your skill."

"Thank you, Ludo," Dumbledore said. "All right, all four of you can go. Have a good night."

The teachers left the room, except for Dumbledore. Cedric didn't leave either, for he had to see if Harry was alright. The younger teen didn't seem to have paid attention to a word that was said. His eyes were dull, still staring at nothing, and his face was a picture of gloom. Dumbledore and Cedric repeated his name over and over again, but the boy was still unresponsive. Finally, Cedric shook his shoulders and said his name right in his ear. "Harry!"

Harry's eyes opened wide, and he gasped when he found himself looking at the older boy. "C-Cedric?" he stuttered. He seemed to look even more devastated than before. Cedric realized it was probably because Harry thought he was angry with him for becoming champion as well, and "stealing his glory".

"Harry," Cedric said compassionately, looking at him. "Listen to me, Harry, I'm not angry with you. I don't know how this happened, but I know you didn't put your name in that Goblet. But I just wanted to let you know that no matter what anybody else says, don't listen to them. I've got your back, Harry."

Harry looked extremely surprised. "You-you don't think I cheated?" he asked.

"I knew you hadn't from the first time I saw you," Cedric reassured him. "If nobody could tell from the look on your face, I don't know what's wrong with them."

"Thank you, Mr. Diggory," Dumbledore said. "I'm sure that Harry appreciates that. I happen to agree with you." Harry looked incredibly relieved, but still very lost.

"I'm too young for this," Harry said in a small voice. "I don't know what I'm doing!"

"I'll help you," Cedric promised. "I don't know about Fleur and Viktor, but I've got you covered. We're going to be playing against each other again, but that doesn't mean we can't help each other."

"Thank you," Harry said, looking shocked that a boy with popularity like Cedric would be willing to help someone like Harry.

"All right, you two should go and get some rest," Dumbledore said. "I'll see both of you later."

"Thank you, Professor," both boys replied, and they headed out of the room off the Great Hall. They walked in silence until they had to go their separate ways.

"Harry," Cedric said, "don't worry about this, all right? Everything will be fine. I don't know how you were chosen, but you're going to do great."

"Thanks. I'll try," Harry said, still looking at Cedric with disbelief. He slowly walked away from the older teen, and Cedric began to make his way back to the Hufflepuff common room.

As he gave the password and opened the door, he was greeted by many, many faces. People started yelling his name, throwing food at him to celebrate, pounding his back, punching him on the arm, and shaking his hand. Cedric flushed with embarrassment as the whole common room lavished praise and attention upon him.

He finally got to one of the couches and sat down. Stanley, another of his dormmates, sat down next to him and looked at him very seriously. "Don't you think that was an awful thing for Potter to do?" he asked. "I can't believe the nerve of him! To cheat like that!"

"Yeah, seriously," Jeff said, sitting on his other side. "We only let him in the common room a few weeks ago to be nice, you know. I swear, if his head gets any bigger, it'll explode!"

Cedric felt anger sweep over him. How could his mates be saying such things? "Listen, you guys don't understand," he said. "He didn't cheat! Didn't you see the look on his face? He looked totally shocked at how something like this could happen!"

"Awwww, come on, don't be so gullible," Stanley said. "He was having you on, mate, and you know it. Man, you've got to admit he's stealing your glory. For once, you get a chance to shine, and Golden Boy Potter took it away from you!"

"I don't see why you're sticking up for him anyway," grumbled Jeff. "You're way too nice to him, Ced. Stop thinking about others for a change and think about yourself, for once in your life. And I don't know what you're doing, associating with him. Everyone he associates with is in danger, you know."

Cedric stood up and glowered furiously at his so-called mates. "How dare you!" he snarled. "I never thought I'd hear you say such things! He's not just some celebrity who wants the attention! If you only got to know him a little better rather than stick to your stinking prejudice, you'd see a boy who needs help, who's got emotions and feelings just like everyone else! And he doesn't put people in danger on purpose! Just because he's got some damn Dark Lord out to kill him doesn't make it his fault! Listen, I can't deal with you anymore for tonight. I'm going up to the dorm!" And with that, he turned away from the group of gaping Hufflepuffs and started to make his way up the stairs.

"Ced, wait!" Malcolm called, but Cedric paid no attention; he was fuming. Let people think what they want to think, he thought fiercely. But I'm going to help Harry, whatever it takes. The big-brotherly feelings he was having towards the other boy had now only grown in intensity.

He knew that the next talk he had with his father would be hard. Amos would start comparing him to Harry again, but Cedric knew he'd have to somehow make him understand. This was, after all, Cedric's chance to shine, but not in the way everyone thought. He was going to prove that he could be there for Harry, that he could help him. These thoughts consumed his head as he fell asleep that night, and he desperately hoped Harry would get some rest as well; he needed it.