Right About Cedric | | Cedric Diggory

fifteen

The next day, everyone at Hogwarts, including the Beuxbatons and Durmstrang visitors, are all too excited to focus in class. Harry is preoccupied all day, along with both me and Hermione, worried about how our practice will pay off. The last two classes of the day are canceled, in light of the upcoming task.

After our last class, Potions with the Slytherins, students are sent back to their dorms to drop off bags and books and pick up flags and banners that people had made in support of a certain champion. Before I leave Gryffindor tower, 

When we arrive down at where the Quidditch Pitch used to be, people are filing into the stadium, and I see a small tent off to the side. I not at Hermione, and I can tell she gets the messages. We peel back the entryway, and it reveals Ludo Bagman talking to Harry. I knew this is where he'd be. I see Cedric, and as he walks past us, we accidentally brush hands. I blush and turn back to see his apologetic face. I wave him off with a smile, and continue into the tent, forgetting the small moment. 

I find Harry and Hermione and I pull him aside. 

"Good luck, Harry," Hermione says. 

"We know you'll be okay," I reassure him as much as myself. 

"We've gotta get going, I think it's about to start!" Hermione pulls me by my arm towards the exit. 

"Just a sec," I whisper, and she leaves me be. I walk back over to Harry and hesitate for a moment. Then, I wrap my arms around his neck and embrace him for a moment. I feel a tear roll down my cheek, and when I pull away, I see I'm not the only one. He wipes his face on his sleeve and returns to Bagman and the other champions. 

On my way back to the stands, I witness a short interaction between Cedric and a Ravenclaw girl by the name of Cho Chang. She kisses him on the cheek, they exchange a smile, and I walk faster. For some reason, I feel angry, and my cheeks fill with red, but out of anger instead of blush. I think you shouldn't be mad, he doesn't even know you exist. But I feel a stab of jealousy for the way he was associating with Cho, especially after the apologetic look, when he, if only for a couple of seconds, noticed me. 

I shake the thought and plop down next to Hermione.  "where were you?" she gives me her iconic interrogation look. 

"Nowhere! Oh look, here comes Cedric!" Hermione eyed me as I say it, but I smile at her and snap my head back toward the field, onto which Cedric just walked out. I recognize the dragon he's up against as the Swedish Short-Snout. The whole stadium leans forward to get a better view of what's going down on the field. I see Cedric whip out his wand, and a nearby rock suddenly transforms into a dog, distracting the dragon, to keep the focus on the dog, not Cedric. A clever plan, but it doesn't last. Just as Cedric is sneaking around the dragon's backside, it quickly turns itself around, and blasts fire in his face. Cedric makes a swift move behind the dragon and grabs the Golden egg. I see Cho breathe a sigh of relief, and I roll my eyes and turn my focus onto the judge's table, where the judges (Madame Maxime, Karkaroff, Ludo Bagman, Professor Dumbledore, and Barty Crouch, a ministry official). They show their scores and motion for everyone to stay quiet. 

Fleur, the Beuxbatons champion, struts onto the pitch, and looks up at her dragon, a Common Welsh Green. She stares up at the dragon, trying to dodge its flames, and then enchants the dragon into sleep using a charm. She (somehow) gracefully creeps behind the dragon, and just as she's heading toward the egg, it snorts and sets her skirt on fire. There's a collective gasp taken by the crowd, but Fleur quickly extinguishes the flame and retrieves the egg. The judges flash up their scores, and this time, it's harder for the stadium to quiet down due to the commotion down on the field.

Viktor Krum looks ready to take the dragon, which is the Chinese Fireball. He whips out his wand and quickly blinds it with a spell. While the crowd is ooh-ing and ahh-ing, I realize what dragon Harry got. The Hungarian Horntail, also known as the most dangerous dragon of the four. I tell Hermione, and I explain that it's really dangerous and vicious. She gasps, but we don't have to worry for long, because Krum quickly snatches up the golden egg, and vanishes through the tent to cheering fans, and a high score from Karkaroff. 

When Harry enters, there's an eerie silence, and only a few people are clapping, which is me, Hermione, and Colin Creevey. What doesn't help is that Harry looks terrified of the Hungarian Horntail (and I would be too). He lingers for a couple of minutes, but it feels like a lifetime. When Harry finally breaks the silence with a deep breath, I look at Hermione, with her head in her hands. Normally, I would have the same reaction, but I want to see what happens next too much. Harry glances up at Hermione and I and pulls his wand out of his pocket. I tap Hermione on the shoulder, and she glances down at the pitch. She immediately straightens up in her seat and stares at Harry. Harry utters the Summoning Spell, and for a moment, I hold my knees up to my chest and almost cry, until it's Hermione's turn to tap me on the shoulder. I look around and she points to the topmost turret of the castle, where Harry's broom is sailing towards him. He catches it like it's no big deal and boards his broom. He disappears after a few minutes of contemplation, and we can barely see the Horntail's tail. He's on the roof of Hogwarts. Fighting a dragon. Because what else is the Chosen one supposed to do!? 

After what feels like hours, Harry comes racing back around the side of the castle and snatches up the golden egg. The stadium erupts with cheers from at least all the Gryffindors. The judges show their scores, and Harry hurries back into the tent. Hermione and I look at each other, laugh, and finally let out a deep breath.