A Change in Fate || Cedric Diggory [1]

Chapter 50: Awakening

Exams were over, the sun had set, and the skies had turned a dark shade of blue. As this all happened within the span of a couple of hours, Cedric Diggory waited in the circular, abandoned office that he and Analeigh had claimed as their own, now serving as a comfy little nook at one of the highest points in the castle aside from the Astronomy Tower.

But Analeigh never arrived, and the anxiety ate Cedric up alive. And when it was already time for supper, he forced himself to get up and leave. Why hadn't she showed up like she promised? Did she have second thoughts and decide to back out? Was she going to end their relationship just like that?

A frown was etched onto Cedric's face as he silently made his way to the Great Hall. The sounds of students walking alongside him and the chatter coming from the hall were white noise to him, his mind too preoccupied with thoughts about Analeigh and what this all meant for them. He risked a glance at the Gryffindor table, eyebrows furrowing even further when he realized that Analeigh was nowhere in sight. Actually, her closest friends weren't there, either — Harry, Ron, Hermione, and even Neville and Ginny. It was strange, to say the least, but he couldn't pinpoint what they could possibly be up to. Alternatively, maybe he was just trying to make up excuses as to why Analeigh never showed up.

The staff table was missing a couple of teachers, too. McGonagall, Umbridge, and Snape were all absent, making their long table look quite bare, even more so than it already was with Dumbledore having left the school earlier that year. Cedric was probably just overthinking, but it all just seemed so strange.

He ate his dinner quietly, not wanting to respond to Alden's jests or listen to Heidi and Tamsin's gossip. Cedric wasn't sure which one it was, but either his friends didn't notice his change in demeanor or they eventually knew it was best to leave him to his own thoughts. Either way, he was grateful that they decided to let him be because he was too distracted, anyway.

This went on even until his rounds that evening. As Head Boy, he got updates from his prefects and gave them the usual reminders half-heartedly before he went on his own way to patrol the castle. He wondered if he was really going to spend this entire night overthinking about everything, or if there was some way to ease his anxieties one way or another.

Just as he was pondering on this, the urgent voices of professors and the quick footsteps that accompanied them sounded from down the corridor.

"I sent the message to Dumbledore hours ago, right after Potter and company mentioned Black."

"And you're certain he got it? The Order, too?"

Cedric stopped dead in his tracks. What in the world was happening? Dumbledore, Potter, Black, the Order? Something huge was going on, and he badly wanted some answers.

"Yes, Minerva," Snape resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the woman, although he had to admit that he was quite uneasy about the whole ordeal, too. "Alastor received it at the headquarters, and I got a response not too long ago. They're on their way with reinforcements."

"They're still students, Severus. They shouldn't have left the castle in the first place," McGonagall said sharply.

"And what was I supposed to do? Argue with Dolores to let them go? Tell Potter that I understood his message with everyone else listening?"

"I know, but a bunch of fourth and fifth years can't possibly —"

The two teachers stopped talking when they turned the corner, finding Cedric standing there. He didn't know whether to feel guilty for eavesdropping or not since he was really meant to be patrolling this section at that hour. He plastered on a polite smile, attempting to look composed.