la chiave del tuo cuore {cedric diggory}

♛ MAD-EYE MOODY ♛

The next few days for Aurora consisted of lessons and making new friends. The Black twin and Blanca had taken to walking to and from classes with Cedric Diggory and Adam Fulton. The normally guarded girl had begun to open up to them, and the two boys almost felt a sense of achievement about that.

On Friday, the four were walking to their first Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson with Professor Moody. They were very much looking forward to it, as they were aware of his reputation as an Auror.

"Draco told me he showed his year the Unforgivable Curses." Aurora stated as they strode past a portrait of Sir Cadogan.

"That's ridiculous! Showing fourteen year olds those kind of things. And how do you know Malfoy?" Cedric questioned the girl. He was still a little suspicious of her, though he had come to realise they she wasn't a sadistic maniac... most of the time.

"He's my cousin." she replied shortly.

"How many cousins do you have?" Adam spoke up. He was an exchange student from Ilvermorny. He had come to England with his step-sister, Mackenzie Goldstein, who the twins had yet to meet.

"Too many to count." Aurora grumbled. "All of the pure blood families are related in some way shape of form through the House of Black. It's disgusting." she wrinkled her nose in distaste. Cedric thought it was rather cute, but quickly shook his head, ridding the thought from his mind.

"So you're related to the Potters and the Weasleys?" Adam asked inquisitively.

"Very distantly."

"Hai ragione. È disgustoso." (You're right. It is disgusting.) Blanca sniggered. Aurora shoved her lightly, but the girl went tumbling into a portrait of a witch dressed in very fine robes.

"Watch where you're going you silly girl!" the portrait shrieked harshly. Blanca scowled at her and turned back to her friends, who were clutching their sides laughing. "Shut up." she hissed, which just made them laugh harder. The rest of the walk to class was filled with teasing comments from Aurora and Adam and the loud laughter of Cedric Diggory.

♛

Aurora, Cedric, Adam and Blanca sat in that order at the front of the classroom. On their desks were four copies of The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self Protection. The whole class, which was a mixture of Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors plus the Beauxbatons girls, waited unusually quietly. Even the Weasley twins at the back were silent. Soon, the distinctive dull thud of Moody's wooden leg could be heard approaching. He entered the room, looking as frightening as ever.

"You can put those away." he growled in a raspy voice. "Those books. You won't need them."

The class put their books back in their backs. Aurora grinned at Cedric excitedly.

"I received a letter from Professor Lupin, who informed me that last year you studied: Ghouls, Pixies, Snakes and a number of hexes and jinxes. Is that correct?" The Hogwarts students all nodded.

"But you're behind- very behind- on dealing with curses." said Moody. "So I'm here to bring you up to scratch on what wizards can do to each other. I've got one year to teach you how to deal with Dark Curses, and then all of you will be doing your N.E.W.Ts. Well. Most of you." his electric blue eye swivelled round to stare at the two Beauxbatons students on the front row. Blanca looked away hastily, whereas Aurora maintained eye contact. She grinned triumphantly when Moody looked away first. The girl turned to look at Cedric staring at her. 'What?' she mouthed, scowling at the boy.