The beginning of the year from Cedric's perspective.
CEDRIC IV
Cedric woke up at the ringing of his alarm clock. He shut it and remained to bed for a little while longer. He definitely needed to sleep a little while longer today. It was Saturday, and the first day when he didn't have lessons in this term. However, he had something else planned, and despite being initially excited about it, he now felt he could do without it. Despite this, he forced himself to get up, rubbing his eyes and yawning a few times in the process, and went down with another boy of his year to the common room. There, he met Heidi, who looked as tired and asleep as he must be himself.
"Hey, Cedric. Quidditch is still planned?" she asked him.
"Yes. Yes. We organized it. I'm not going to cancel it at the last moment," he said with a smile.
"Good. Then, to the Great Hall."
Cedric didn't think the other players of Ravenclaw and Gryffindor would be reluctant to hold a Quidditch practice all together, like they did last year before Gryffindor played its last game against Slytherin. Usually, they wouldn't train together, since their teams were in competition and they wouldn't reveal their tactics to the others, but since Quidditch was cancelled this year due to the Triwizard Tournament, most players of the three houses had agreed to Cedric's idea to hold another practice all together.
As Cedric sat down with Heidi at the Hufflepuff table in the Great Hall, he began to take his breakfast while the rest of the team slowly joined them. A face was missing though, that of Maxine O'Flaherty. Cedric's former girlfriend obtained her N.E.W.T.s in June, and she was no longer a student at Hogwarts. According to the few letters they exchanged, Maxine was now following a cursus to become Curse-Breaker. Cedric had to admit he wasn't sure if Maxine would make through it. She obtained the bare minimum results at her N.W.E.T.s to apply to the cursus, and he also knew that she was trying to integrate a Quidditch professional team. The problem was that women seldom managed to become Beaters. Cedric sincerely hoped she would succeed, although for now it didn't look very good for her.
Oliver Wood was also absent at the Gryffindor table. There were so many faces who left and wouldn't come back. He knew that Oliver was taken by the Puddlemere United as a reserve player. Oliver told him so when they crossed path at the Quidditch World Cup. Still, Cedric would miss his presence on the field today. He wondered how Oliver would have reacted to the news that Quidditch was cancelled this year.
"Some Quidditch will do some good," Heidi said. "Especially since we've been deprived of it this year. I wonder why. Can't they hold the Quidditch season and organize the Triwizard Tournament at the same time?"
"Dumbledore said that the Tournament would take too much time from the professors," Cedric said. "It's sad, but maybe it's the price to pay to see a Triwizard Tournament in our life."
"Says the guy who can participate to the tournament," Herbert said.
"I don't find it very fair," Heidi commented. "I will be seventeen on November 13. If the choosing of the champion had taken place a month later, I could apply just like you, Cedric."
"Yes, I know. It's unfair," he agreed.
"You're going to do it, Cedric?" He looked up at the mention of his name. On the other side of the table, Ernie Macmillan was standing, and looking at him with round eyes. He was with other students who Cedric recognized as being in the same year as he was. "You'll participate to the Triwizard Tournament?"
"I can try," Cedric said, trying to sound as detached as he could. "My birthday is on October 4, so I'll be able to apply."
Everyone seemed excited. As a result, a group of fourth-year students joined the group of Quidditch players by sitting in front of them.
"I hope you'll be chosen, Cedric," Hannah Abbott said.
"Thank you. But it's unlikely to be me. I mean, there are dozens of other students who are going to apply to be Hogwarts' champion. The odds that I will be chosen are quite limited," Cedric explained.
"Don't say that, Cedric," Ernie said. "With an impartial judge, you have all your chances to be selected."
Cedric took a mouthful of porridge. He knew that many people in Hufflepuff would like for him to be Hogwarts' champion. The truth was that Cedric was excited for the Tournament, but he didn't believe he would have the chance to participate. Despite applicants being limited to those who were seventeen of age or more, there would still be many candidates. The moment the Tournament was announced, all kinds of student in Hufflepuff pressured him to know whether or not he would try to become Hogwarts' champion. He felt it as an unwanted, unsolicited, undeserved pressure. He also felt pressure from his family. His father told him about the Triwizard Tournament a few days before he embarked on the Hogwarts Express. He had heard about it at the Ministry, and from the way he talked about it, Cedric easily guessed that his father expected him to participate.
"It still seems unfair that only those who are seventeen or eighteen-years-old can participate," Heidi said. "I would have liked to try. And the choice of age seems a little arbitrary. You can have two students who were born on October 29 and November 1, at only two days of difference. But because the latter is still sixteen-years-old on October 31, he cannot participate."
Cedric had to agree with that. Most people around seemed to be of the same mind. However, he had a counterargument. "They still had to draw a line. I mean, they cannot say that people of seventeen get a full chance of participating, while people of sixteen get only half a chance, people of fifteen a quarter of a chance, and so on. They had to decide at which age someone could apply."
"Well, in this case," Ernie said, "why not let you everyone apply? I mean, if they are to choose the best candidate to be Hogwarts' champion, it will probably be someone in seventh or sixth year anyway. They have more experience and knowledge with magic, so they have higher chances to win. But it may be not worth it to prevent everyone from being a candidate. I mean, if younger wizards will not participate, at least don't steal from them the chance to apply to be champion, even if they can't. What's the danger in allowing students like us to be a candidate if it is unlikely we will be chosen?"
"It would still be a risk," Cedric said. "Look, I know it seems unfair. And I think it is for some people. But I also believe that Dumbledore would not have put into place such a rule if he didn't think it was safer for younger students. No insult intended," he added for Ernie, Hannah and their group of friends.
"It's not Dumbledore who implemented this rule. And it wasn't for safety reasons it was put into place. It was for legal reasons."
Everyone looked at Susan Bones who just spoke. She was back to eating her cereals very quickly though.
"What do you mean, legal reasons?" Hannah asked her.
"Someone who is seventeen or older is legally responsible for all the decisions he takes. The Ministries of Magic set this rule to avoid the possibility that parents might sue them if an underage wizard was injured or killed in the Tournament. That was one of the reasons why the original Tournament was cancelled. Parents were beginning to complain that their children got killed or injured too often, and the Ministries decided to ban the Tournament. They didn't want this problem this time, so they set the age limit. The Ministries can be held responsible if an underage wizard is injured or killed in the context of the Tournament since they organized it, because our parents temporarily entrust us into their responsibility. But for a wizard of age who participates willingly to the Tournament, the legal risks are much reduced."
Everyone stayed silent for a moment afterwards. Then Herbert reacted. "So, we're being kept out of the Triwizard Tournament for legal risks?"
"Mostly."
Cedric could have imagined better criteria to set an age limit. Most of his friends seemed to be thinking along the same lines, for they started complaining quite aloud about the Ministry of Magic and the Headmaster for preventing most people to participate. In the meantime, he spotted Cho who had arrived at the table of the Ravenclaws. It wasn't long before their eyes met, and they smiled at each other. She and her team would come to practice with them today. Cedric then looked over his shoulder to see the players of Gryffindor also taking their breakfast.
About an hour later, Cedric and the other members of the Hufflepuff team were walking into the changing rooms. Some Gryffindors and Ravenclaws were already there, including Harry who seemed to have just finished to put on his Quidditch robes and seized his Firebolt. Cedric looked at the famous broomstick in envy. He saw at the Quidditch World Cup what a whole team equipped with those brooms could do. One of his regrets for the Quidditch being cancelled this year was that he wouldn't get to face a Firebolt in a real match. Well, luckily enough, he would still have another school year to complete after June, and he and Harry were very likely to remain their team's respective Seeker.
"Hi, Harry. Thank you for coming," Cedric told him as he placed his broomstick on the bench and pulled out his Quidditch robes from his bag.
"It was a good idea you had," Harry said. "Maybe we could try to do that each weekend."
"I'm not sure if that will be feasible, but we can try. Let's talk about it at the end of the morning. Your first week was fine?"
"Fine enough, yes. You had a lesson with Professor Moody?"
"Yes, I did. That was something." Seeing their professor use Unforgivable Spells on spiders was indeed quite something. Some in his classroom, including Cedric himself, were still talking about it. "I heard he showed the Unforgivable Spells to you too."
"Yes, he did," Harry replied on an even tone. He didn't seem enthusiastic or impressed about it like most people.
"So he showed it to you too?" Another voice joined their conversation, and Cedric felt himself happier all of a sudden. Cho just arrived in the changing rooms as well and came next to him. "Did he show them to all his classes? Even the first years?"
"Only the third years and up," Cedric replied. "Though I think he might have showed them to everyone if Dumbledore didn't stop him."
"Uh! I understand why he would want to show them to us, but to the first years? Really? I think we were a little too young back then."
"I'll be waiting on the pitch," Harry said all of a sudden, and he headed out.
"See you there, Harry," Cedric told him, before returning his attention to Cho. "Well, anyway, I feel that Defence Against the Dark Arts will be interesting this year. My father once worked with Moody on a case that involved a werewolf. He says this man is amazing, a true legend."
"I know," Cho replied. "My father saw him quite a lot of times. Even after he retired, he kept doing lectures at the Ministry. He even trained Harry's mother. Did you know that she became an Auror recently?"
"Yeah, I read about that. That must be something, to have an Auror in the family."
Cho nodded. "So, what have you planned for today?"
"Not much, really. We're going to do what we want. The Chasers can exercise with scoring goals, while the Seekers can fly after Golden Snitches. By the way, you would be interested in doing that on a regular basis, since we won't have any match this year?"
Her face glowed up. "I'd love that! Especially after the week I just had."
Cedric understood immediately what she meant. "Rough?" She nodded. "All teachers are obsessed with O.W.L.s?"
"Yes. I've never had so much homework, let alone in the first week. I can't imagine you went through this."
"I don't want to discourage you, but this is only the beginning. It's going to get worse. I hate to say that, but having no Quidditch this year might be a blessing in disguise."
She pointed a finger at him. "Don't ever tell me that Quidditch is less important than O.W.L.s."
He laughed. "How did you end up in Ravenclaw?"
"We are good at school and value knowledge. That doesn't mean we don't like having fun. Or that we enjoy working all the time."
Though her smile showed she understood Cedric was really only joking. People from different houses often sent innocent jabs at each other about their values.
Not long after, they were all on the Quidditch pitch with their broomsticks. All the players of the teams, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, were there. The only missing people were those who left in June because they completed their last year in Hogwarts.
"Okay, everybody," Cedric began. "We're all here. I didn't plan much, so, tell me what you would like to do for today?"
Quickly, groups organized. Chasers and Keepers went together to train in the scoring areas, while Beaters either went to work sending Bludgers on dummies or tagged along with Chasers who wanted them to add some challenge to their attempts in scoring. In the meantime, Cedric arranged himself with Cho and Harry to practice catching the Snitch. First, they made solo attempts, and Cedric and Harry allowed Cho to try first.
"Hey, Cedric. You're going to participate to the Triwizard Tournament?" Harry asked him.
"Yes. I can," he replied. "My birthday happens to be in early October, so I'll be old enough at the time of choosing a champion." He looked at Heidi. "Too bad for Heidi. She will be seventeen in November."
"Same thing for Fred and George," Harry informed him. "They were born on April 1st. And Alicia was born too late as well."
"Yeah, that's not really fair," Cedric acknowledged. "You would have liked to participate, you?"
"Me? I'm not sure. Well, I would rather have a Quidditch season, but… I would have liked to participate, if I had the right age. But I can't."
"I'm sorry, Harry. Well, at least, if the teachers are so occupied, a lot of activities should be taking place this year as a result of the Tournament. We will certainly not have time to get bored. And anyway, there's only going to be one champion. I doubt it will be me. You know people who are going to apply?"
"Angelina. She's lucky. She was born in late October."
Cedric smiled. "Good for her. Oh, I think Cho spotted the Snitch."
Indeed, Cho was diving near the base of the rings where Angelina was currently trying to score against Herbert. "No, the Snitch is not there."
Cedric tried to look closer, but indeed, he saw no Snitch, and Cho took altitude again. "Probably something that shone on the field," he commented.
Overall, the morning went quite well. They even made a short fake match at the end, where each time played with five Chasers, Ravenclaw's usual Keeper taking a position of Chaser, and where Cedric and Cho got a lot of fun by playing together to stop Harry from catching the Snitch. Though Harry still managed to get it in the end. When noon was approaching, they stopped, and to Cedric's suggestion, they agreed to meet together to play Quidditch for fun each Saturday morning, whenever they were available.
Cedric then spent the afternoon completing his homework. He had more free time as a sixth year, but this was needed for the large amount of work his teachers gave him. As a result, he knew his nose would be buried in books for most of the weekend.
In spite of this, this weekend had its good moments. He wrote to his parents, telling them that he decided to try to participate to the Triwizard Tournament. When they replied, his father told him how much he was proud and wished him good luck, while his mother also warned him to be careful, since the competition was considered heavily dangerous. Cedric promised her he would in another reply. He also spent some time with Cho, even helping her a little with a homework in Transfiguration, which she seemed to appreciate a lot.
In the afternoon of Sunday, Cedric was completing a homework assignment in Ancient Runes, and was looking for a specific book to help him finish it, but he couldn't find it. Consulting the records, he noticed it was borrowed for consultation at the library by a Gryffindor student known for her high marks and work ethic that would make any Ravenclaw blush with shame. He found Hermione Granger at an isolated table, with Susan Bones accompanying her. They were both reading.
"Hi, Hermione."
"Hi Cedric," she replied.
"I'm sorry, Hermione, but I'm completing a work assignment in Ancient Runes, and I need a book you borrowed. I think it's this one," he said, pointing the one she currently held in her hands.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Of course, you can have it. I was just reading it for pleasure."
Reading for pleasure. Here was something he had not been able to do in a very long time. He turned to Susan.
"What are you reading, Susan?" he asked her.
"Oh, it's a history book on the Triwizard Tournament. I wanted to know more about it," she answered.
"Really?" He was interested all of sudden. "Is that interesting?"
"Yes, very much. I understand now why it was cancelled. One of the early editions of the Tournament saw twelve people die, including two champions and ten people who were in the audience. The third champion won because his opponents were already dead at the beginning of the third task."
This sent a chill in Cedric's spine. For a moment, he wasn't that ready to participate as he thought he was moments ago. But he tried to remain calm and rational. "When did this happen?"
Susan looked through the book. "1307. One of the first editions of the Tournament, like I said."
Cedric almost breathed in relief. "Well, it was a long time ago, and I think they will do everything to prevent that kind of thing from happening."
"I hope they will be more successful than in the past. Over the centuries, they seem to have made the Tournament safer. The number of deaths and injuries decreased with each edition. However, you remember, Hermione, that last edition in 1792 that took place in Hogwarts?"
"Oh, yeah, I recall," Hermione said, coming up from the depth of another book she started reading avidly. "A cockatrice the champions were supposed to be catching went on the rampage. The three Heads of the schools were injured at this moment."
"Well, they give even more details, here. Apparently, around fifty people were badly injured. One of the champions lost an arm permanently, and the Head of Beauxbatons lost both his legs. This was the last Triwizard Tournament in history."
New chill on Cedric's back. He blew some air. "Well, I definitely hope they increased the security measures this time," he said.
"Will you try to participate?" Hermione asked him.
"Yes. I've thought about it, and I will try. Although the odds that I will be chosen are limited."
"Well, if you are, I'm sure you will be a great champion for Hogwarts."
"Thank you, Hermione. That's very kind." Especially considering she came from Gryffindor. Though he still turned back his attention to Susan. "So the last Tournament was really about two hundred years ago?"
"Yes," Susan confirmed. "After that, they tried to improve the safety again, but the next edition that was supposed to take place in 1797 was cancelled. Apparently, it started an international crisis."
"To that point?"
"Well, the Tournament had existed for hundreds of years, so…" Susan let the sentence unfinished.
"In the Muggle World, we have what we call the Olympics," Hermione stared to explain. "They started in the Antiquity, in Greece, but disappeared in the fourth century. Then they were revived at the very end of the nineteenth century and are still being held today. The last Winter Olympics happened in February, in Norway. And believe me, international crisis have happened because of the Olympics, among Muggles. So I'm not surprised it can happen in the Wizarding World too."
"Are people dying today in those… Olympics?" Cedric asked, interested.
"Not really," Hermione said. "In the Muggle World, the Olympics cover a wide range of sports, and there are hundreds, maybe thousands of athletes from across the world who participate. These sports are not deadly, although some people get injured in accidents, of course."
"Thousands of athletes?" Cedric was surprised. "They should let more people participate to the Triwizard Tournament. If Muggles can hold competitions with thousands of people, we could do the same."
"It's not completely the same thing," Hermione said. "The Olympics are probably followed by billions of people from all around the world. And the people who participate are adults, not students. And it only lasts during two weeks, not an entire year. And there are over a hundred countries who participate, and dozens of different competitions."
"It must be hard to pack so many competitions within only two weeks," Cedric commented.
"It is. And it costs a lot. I think some countries even went bankrupt to hold Olympics."
"I hope the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts will not go bankrupt for holding the Triwizard Tournament," Susan commented.
"I'm sure we won't," Cedric replied.
"People in the Ministry and Dumbledore are certainly not stupid enough to ruin themselves with a tournament," Hermione supported.
"They seemed stupid enough to do that with the Quidditch World Cup," Susan said. "The Ministry emptied its coffers to hold it."
"Really?" Cedric and Hermione asked together, surprised. Susan nodded.
Susan nodded. "There's a journalist who investigated it, but few people listened to him because they were too eager for the finale to take place in Great Britain."
"Well…" Cedric tried to put it the best way he could. "At least, if the Ministry is ruined, we got a very fine Quidditch World Cup. Were you there, Susan, by the way? I don't think I saw you in Dartmoor."
"Yes, I was there. My parents wouldn't have missed it for all the gold in the world. You and Hermione used the same Portkey to travel?"
"We did," Hermione confirmed. "But sorry, the boys spent the entire trip to Hogwarts discussing about the Quidditch World Cup. I'm kind of close to an overdose."
Susan seemed to be sympathizing with Hermione. Cedric, on his side, wasn't fed up with Quidditch, far from it. However, if the two girls didn't want to hear further about it, he wouldn't press the topic. Anyway, he had work to do, and it was time to return to it.
"Well, sorry, girls, but I've got homework to complete. Thank you for the book, Hermione. I'll bring it back to you once I'm done with it," he told her.
"Thank you, Cedric," the Gryffindor girl replied.
He went back to his work. It took him some time. When he was done with Ancient Runes, he tried to bring the book back to Hermione, but she was gone. Only Susan was there.
"Still reading?" he asked her.
"Yes." She looked at Cedric's book and understanding went through her eyes. "Hermione left some time ago. She…" Susan looked at her watch, and her eyes went big. "What? It's already so late?" He sighed. "I didn't see time go on."
Indeed, sun was starting to drop. Cedric wanted to finish his homework, so he continued, but it seems Susan was way too interested in what she was reading. Cedric helped her gather her things, then they went together to the Great Hall.
"I hope there's something left," she said.
"There will be. Don't worry, Susan. There's always far more to eat than what is necessary," he told her. "What you were reading was that interesting?"
"Oh, yes," she replied. "There's lot of interesting stuff to learn. By the way, Cedric, if you're ever chosen as the champion, be very careful. I've read about some of the things that happened to past participants, and it was really not pretty."
"You have my word. I'll be careful. I'm not going into this Tournament with the intent of dying. And I play Quidditch. I was already injured in the past."
"Yes, but this tournament is way more serious than Quidditch. There were even cases when the champions fought each other. There was even one champion who won the Tournament one year, and he was assassinated two weeks later, probably by one of his adversaries who lost against him."
"Stop that, Susan," Cedric said quietly. "It was hundreds of years ago, in another era. They changed the rules this time. Don't imagine the worst. I expect the tasks to be challenging, but I don't imagine Dumbledore allowing a competition in Hogwarts where people could really die."
"Dumbledore is not all powerful. It's the Ministries of Magic of Great Britain and Ireland, France, Spain, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Poland, Germany and many others who negotiated to hold the Tournament. They reorganized the Tournament and got it to take place at Hogwarts, not Dumbledore. At least, he wasn't the only one involved. If Dumbledore could really do everything he wanted at Hogwarts, he would never have allowed Dementors near us."
Susan scored a hit on this one. "Well, at least, it's Dumbledore who is going to oversee the tournament. And I cannot imagine him allowing someone to die for the sake of a competition."
Cedric thought of how Dumbledore rescued Harry in the middle of their Quidditch game last year. If someone was about to die, certainly Dumbledore would intervene.
"Anyway, I'm still really uncertain about this Tournament," Susan said. "I don't think I would try to participate if I was of age."
"You're sure about that?"
"A thousand Galleons is not worth risking your life. And being famous is not worth the risk either. Seeing what Harry got from being famous, this is not something I look for."
They arrived in the Great Hall not long after. They dined in different places at the Hufflepuff table, then Cedric went back to the common room where he kept working for a while before going back to bed.
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Next chapter: Lily