It Meant Family

21st of January 1994

"Self-preservation warned some of us that we could not afford to settle for one easy definition, one narrow individuation of self." - Zemi: A New Spelling of My Name, Audre Lorde

Hogwarts, Scotland

He sat on his broom by the goal posts, his eyes darted around searching for the Snitch, he finally spotted it across the Pitch, the golden surface reflecting the dim late afternoon sunlight. He bent forward and flew towards it, the cold wind felt like razor blades on his face. He caught it quickly with the stomach twisting speed of his new broom.

He watched the wings retract and tossed it from one hand to the other contemplating going for another round when he saw movement in the corner of his eye. He turned his head and spotted a yellow and black Quidditch uniform on the stands. Harry pocketed the Snitch and flew to it, recognizing him once he was close enough.

"Diggory?" He asked surprised. "How long have you been sitting there?" The Hufflepuff stood up with a smile and walked closer to the guardrail.

"Not long." He shrugged and gazed at the broom amazed. "Ravenclaw and Slytherin have no chance against you on that." He said.

"Can't win if I fall off." He smiled looking at it as he hovered. "So I still gotta practice." He watched the way Cedric stood with confidence and full of charisma and finally understood what Alicia and Angelina and half of the other girls in school saw in him.

"Seems like we had the same idea." He picked up his own broom from the bench he'd been sitting on and waved it at Harry. "Madam Hooch told me you had the Practice Snitch."

"Oh, right," it finally hit him, if Cedric was there in his Quidditch uniform and with his broom, he intended to practise and he felt a little stupid for not working it out sooner, "you need the Pitch?" He said it, more as a realisation than a question.

"You can stay." He shot back immediately, not wanting to bother Harry, because Cedric Diggory was that nice. "We can play a seekers game." He offered joyfully and a couple of butterflies fluttered in Harry's stomach.

"No, it's fine." He'd decided to practise mostly out of lack of better things to do. Ron was in detention and Hermione was so stressed and overwhelmed with her studies, she'd nearly bit his head off that morning. "I've been here a while anyway." He took the small golden ball from his pocket and handed it over. "Just don't forget to return the Practice Snitch or Madam Hooch will feed us to the Giant Squid." He laughed awkwardly.

"Harry, are you alright?" He took the Snitch hesitantly and frowned at the Gryffindor. "You shouldn't worry about Quidditch, you're really good." Cedric had no reason to care about him and he had no reason to care that Cedric cared about him, so he tried to dismiss him.

"I'm fine." The Hufflepuff raised his eyebrows, not believing him. "It's not about Quidditch." He tried instead, but his mouth betrayed him and continued speaking. "It's actually everything, but Quidditch."

"Yeah, you haven't had the easiest time at school, have you?" It wasn't like Cedric had noticed anything special about him, his atypical school experience was public knowledge, but Harry liked that he noticed and more so, acknowledged it. "Having to save people." He continued. "Being a hero instead of a student."

How a guy he'd barely ever spoken with had managed to verbalise one of the things he had struggled with most in his life was beyond him, specially when no one ever talked about it unless he brought it up. He felt seen, as though maybe he wasn't being dramatic when he cried about it, as though he'd been given permission to.

"I'm not a hero." He corrected him. "It was just circumstance and I didn't even know what I was doing, honestly." He played it off, knowing it wasn't entirely true.