Chapter 5: Time
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Amos Diggory even allowed his beloved son to fly a magical broom for the first time when Cedric turned seven, much to the dismay of Barbara Diggory, who unsuccessfully opposed this.
The flying broom that Amos gave to Cedric was a beautiful Comet 260.
Cedric loved it, and flying on the broom came almost naturally to him, which pleasantly impressed his father. Amos wasn't just proud of him; he clung even more to the title of genius he had given his son.
However, Barbara didn't allow Cedric to fly outside the mansion without constant supervision. So, he usually had to fly in the large playroom that Amos had made for him in the mansion, after feeling terribly guilty for forgetting his son's fourth birthday.
Anyway, Cedric fell in love with the sensation of flying on the Comet 260, so it became his favorite pastime, whether it was after eating, reading, studying, meditating, practicing, or exercising with Qui-Gon Jinn.
Even when he woke up in the morning, he hurried to meditate and then fly a bit, claiming it helped him fully wake up. Additionally, when he flew, he could also practice his control of the Force, which Cedric counted as training. Naturally, his master didn't fully agree with this.
And so, what started as a way to unwind and relax after a hectic day turned into a daily routine for him.
However, as much as Cedric wanted to spend more time flying, Qui-Gon Jinn wouldn't let him slack off too much.
Every morning, Cedric had to meditate. After lunch, he took sword lessons and learned about the Force privately in his room. In the late afternoon and evening, Qui-Gon made him read all kinds of books to learn more about the magical world. Cedric suspected, or rather, was quite sure, this was also partly to satisfy his master's own curiosity.
"In my master's words: Knowledge is essential. A Jedi can only make good use of the Force with a solid theoretical foundation, and to be a great wizard is similar... blah, blah, blah," Cedric remembered, rolling his eyes as he glanced at the stack of books on his bedside table that he had already read.
Although Cedric couldn't deny any of this, he had heard that even powerful wizards like Dumbledore and the infamous dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald stood out for their extensive knowledge of magic.
As boring as sitting and reading might be when he could be doing other things like flying or having sword practice, he had come to understand the benefits of reading and acquiring knowledge about all kinds of magic, spells, and many other things that would help him in the future.
Furthermore, to become a Jedi, he had his master to teach him. But to learn more about being a great wizard, for now, he could only rely on his family or trust the books he read until he was old enough to attend a magical school.
Cedric had also inherited Anakin's great ability to learn things practically before learning them theoretically.
"Too bad my master is stubborn and won't let me implement my knowledge of magic practically yet," Cedric thought with a sigh.
And his parents didn't help either. He had asked for permission to practice magic, but they had refused, saying he was still too young.
So, for now, he had to settle for reading about magic, meditating, and taking his sword and Force lessons.
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Cedric cherished every moment he could spend with his family, and they pampered him quite a bit, especially his father, Amos.
He received everything he wanted; if he asked for it, they gave it to him... especially his father.
Although his master had taught him not to be greedy just because he could, he generally limited himself to asking for basic and necessary things like books on magic topics he knew little about.
Many of these were very boring to him, but Qui-Gon always insisted. The Jedi master knew how to convince young Cedric.
And his parents didn't suspect anything about his strong interest in these particular magic topics. After all, with his master's help, he always gave a good excuse or reason for his interest in learning more about the subject.
Amos Diggory was delighted with the idea that his son was so self-taught at such a young age. He never stopped praising him and expressing how proud he was.
Yes, at the age of seven, Cedric was already a budding prodigy.
From an early age, his parents, Amos and Barbara, noticed something special in him. At the age of five, while his friends played with toy broomsticks or dragon plushies, Cedric was immersed in books.
His parents realized that their son was exceptionally talented, far beyond his age.
And Barbara Diggory didn't want her beloved son's unique abilities to go to waste in a standard education with other children who would only hold him back.
Therefore, Cedric's mother concluded that her son didn't need to go to magical tutors to learn the basics of magical society because he was much more studious than most children his age and sought knowledge on his own.
In the magical society, each family could choose what kind of initial education to give to children under 11. Some took them to magical tutors, while others simply let them be homeschooled.
Although usually, pure-blood and wealthy magical families tended to send their children to the same magical tutors to get acquainted.
But despite being from a well-off pure-blood family herself, Barbara Diggory didn't see much importance in these magical tutors. In fact, unlike Amos Diggory, her husband, she firmly believed that sending Cedric to a tutor along with other children would only slow down his learning. She was convinced that her son's self-taught education at home was much more enriching for him.
Of course, she didn't neglect Cedric's basic studies, and that's why she occasionally administered tests to see if he was really learning everything a child his age needed to know.
Naturally, Cedric passed all the exams and his mother's questions with ease. Only two years later, Barbara Diggory stopped asking him questions or giving him exams because he was already so advanced in his studies that he could even start learning topics from his early years at Hogwarts, and Cedric did just that.
Suddenly, someone knocked on Cedric's room door, interrupting his thoughts.
"Young master, the Mistress requires your presence," the voice of the house-elf, Nixie, came from outside the door.
"...Alright, I'll go right away."
After putting away the book he had just finished reading, Cedric opened the door, stepped into the hallway, and, after a few turns, reached his mother Barbara Diggory's study.
When he entered, he found his mother sitting in front of her fireplace in a large armchair, writing on a parchment with the Diggory seal.
Yes, she was the polar opposite of his father.
While Amos was a friendly person with a warm, relaxed personality, full of energy, and always with a smile on his face, who was both passionate and fully involved in whatever he did, his mother Barbara was more like an analytical, shrewd, and reflective mind. She always sought to understand situations from different perspectives before making decisions. She was somewhat conservative in her beliefs and actions, so she tended to choose the most beneficial or safe path, which was very helpful in managing the Diggory family's business.
But despite her serious appearance, Barbara Diggory had a tender heart and a deep love for her husband and son. Although she didn't show her emotions as easily as Amos, she was willing to do anything for those she cared about.
"Ah, Cedric, my son, please have a seat," she said in a low voice with a soft smile that quickly faded into her usual composed expression.
"What's going on, mother?" he asked as he sat down calmly.
"How is your studying going? How are the books I got you?" Barbara asked, showing a lot of interest in Cedric's progress, as she, like his father, considered him a genius and was extremely proud of her son, but she didn't go around shouting it.
Unlike other children his age, Cedric had shown a keen interest and commitment to learning about all sorts of magical knowledge from an early age, thanks to his master's influence.
As a result, Barbara, noticing her son's talent and enthusiasm for magic, personally started teaching him some things privately and instructing him. However, she didn't allow him to perform any actual magic.
She naturally had high expectations for her son, to the point where she spent a large sum of Galleons on books about various topics he could start tackling now, topics that were not usually taught in magical schools or were only briefly mentioned.
"Well, good. I still have some books to read, but most of the ones you gave me last time I've finished"
"As expected of my son," she nodded very satisfied, once again allowing a slight smile to briefly grace her face.
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Chapter 6: The Johnson family
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"Ah, I almost forgot. Tomorrow, the Johnson family will be coming to our house as guests, and they're bringing their daughter, who should be the same age as you," Barbara casually mentioned to her son.
"Oh and Cedric, remember the formalities and manners we practice. A good relationship with a family like this is beneficial for both parties," she added, staring seriously at Cedric, although her gaze remained warm.
"I know, mother. It won't be a problem," Cedric replied confidently and with a calm smile.
"Good, it's good to hear you say that," Barbara nodded, satisfied that her son understood and didn't complain.
The Johnson family was a pure-blood wizarding family, although not as well-recognized as some other noble and ancient houses because they didn't have as high a status as those other prominent families.
But among magical houses that supported the Ministry, the Johnson family was one of the most financially prominent, which was important if you wanted to do business with noble and influential houses and didn't want to engage with less reputable ones.
Yes, there were several other much more powerful and prominent magical families now supporting the Ministry of Magic after the fall of the Dark Lord, like the Malfoys, the Parkinsons, among many others. Even though it was known that they had supported the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters in some way, they couldn't be imprisoned.
Although these magical families did suffer losses, as they had to pay a substantial fortune and even lost several important businesses.
After the fall of the Dark Lord and his followers, there was a period of relative calm and peace in the magical world in the years that followed.
Many of the Dark Lord's followers were imprisoned, while others went into hiding, and some managed to claim they were coerced into obeying. So they remained unpunished.
However, the threat of dark wizards in the British magical community seemed to have dissipated.
Despite the fact that almost all wizards and witches' lives became more peaceful after the Dark Lord's fall and his Death Eaters, for the Malfoys, the Parkinsons, and many other pure-blood houses, things became more complicated.
In the first few months after the Dark Lord's fall, all those who had been involved with the Death Eaters went through a complex situation. They had to do everything in their power to avoid going to Azkaban.
They spent long nights debating in the Ministry of Magic, presenting different explanations. Some denied their involvement in Death Eater activities and claimed they were simply involuntary followers who didn't harm anyone. They argued that they were being coerced or threatened and feared reprisals if they didn't obey.
Most magical families used the excuse that they were under the influence of the Imperius Curse and claimed they weren't followers of the Dark Lord but were being controlled. They argued that they weren't direct culprits of their actions, so there was no evidence or sufficient reason to prove their direct and conscious involvement.
And a few managed to reach an agreement with the Ministry, claiming they had repented their support for the Dark Lord and were willing to cooperate with the Ministry to stop other followers and dismantle the remaining groups of dark wizards in Britain.
But in the end, most noble and wealthy magical families like the Malfoys and the Parkinsons had to buy off many people, from important politicians to doctors and various other expert wizards who helped them come up with excuses and reasons for their actions.
Of course, all of this cost them a large fortune to achieve this, after all, nobody really believed in their statements that they had been under the Imperius...
However, there were always people willing to accept money and the Ministry of Magic was not in a position to take on all the richest houses in Britain, they needed money to recover and rebuild what the war had left in ruins.
And with the fall of the Dark Lord, the Ministry knew that most of these noble families were not a real threat or potential danger to the wizarding community, as they used to always support the winning side.
Although this time they clearly chose the wrong side to join, but despite being part of the perpetrators of the war and having been accused by countless wizards and witches for many crimes of all kinds, these noble and ancient houses managed to avoid going to prison using a good part of their fortunes.
Losing money wasn't the biggest problem for noble and ancient houses with great influence and power. They had ways to make more money. What was most important to all of them was their image in the magical community. These grand families were part of the noblest and oldest houses in Britain, which demanded respect. They couldn't allow other families or wizards to see them with contempt or dare to challenge their status just because of the mistakes they made during the war.
No, these pure-blood families had to maintain their position of power at all costs.
To achieve this, they not only needed to acquire and purchase the assistance of many wizards, witches, and other influential people who would prevent others from challenging or supporting them no matter the situation.
No, what these ancient and noble houses really needed was to have respectable and legitimate businesses with other noble and important houses that had an upright and honorable reputation in society.
Why?, you might ask...
Well, because respect and power were most important to these noble houses. Especially now, with so many other noble and ancient pure-blood families losing their reputation and power.
This would cause other houses to gradually increase their influence at the expense of those who had lost it, and no one would miss such a good opportunity, no matter how much it cost.
"Hmm... besides the Johnson's daughter happens to be a possible future Lady Diggory" Barbara Diggory muttered under her breath and lightly to herself not expecting her son to really understand what that meant at his age, but on the contrary, Cedric was not a typical 7-year-old boy, he fully understood what she was referring to.
After all reading so much about the magical world had paid off.
'Cursed be the tradition of pureblood houses making marriage contracts with other pureblood houses' complained Cedric to himself.
"Well, at least I know my parents, unlike others, won't force me into anything... I hope," Cedric wondered if his mother would be capable of it... he didn't think so, but well, at least he was sure his father would support him if he opposed it. He could always count on Amos.
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-Diggory Manor, Ottery St. Catchpole, Devon, England
-December 2, 1984
The next morning, Cedric continued his meditation routine with Qui-Gon, as usual.
After finishing, since he still wasn't hungry, he decided to read for a while before his master complained about him spending too much leisure time in the afternoon.
But only an hour had passed since he began reading when he heard the house-elf knocking three times on his room door.
"Young master, the guests from the Johnson family have arrived, and the mistress invites you to join them."
"... Okay, I'll go right away," Cedric replied with a sigh. He closed the book he was reading slowly and then left for the hallway.
Once he reached the guest room, looking in the distance, he saw two figures dressed entirely in black, one tall and one short. The taller figure wore a wizard's robe, and the shorter one was in what appeared to be a frilly black dress. Both were probably today's guests, the Johnson family.
