A Change in Fate || Cedric Diggory [1]

Chapter 44: The Return

A/N: Sorry for the long wait, a huge typhoon hit my country last week so I haven't had the time to write :< Thankfully, I wasn't affected, but a lot of my close friends were so I've been busy helping them out. Please stay safe whenever you are and offer help if you know you're capable of doing so!!

The holidays were wonderful, to say the least. Staying at Grimmauld Place for it was much better than anyone expected. To be frank, almost everyone thought it would be dull and gloomy to match the house's atmosphere, but they were wrong. Being surrounded by all your loved ones like that made it feel as if they were all one big, happy family, and it certainly made the break both relaxing and enjoyable. Thus, going back to Hogwarts brought about a mix of emotions.

On one hand, it seemed that the holidays were a good time for couples. Analeigh found herself more and more entranced with Cedric since then, and the same could be said for him towards her. They had been together for a year already, but Christmas seemed to always trigger some deeper emotions within them. It was actually sort of scary and exciting for Analeigh — she felt as if she was falling deeper and deeper for him, and she wondered if it was normal to feel so strongly about him like that. Even Harry had started officially dating Cho the moment they got back to school. It made him considerably happier to be around her so often, and he still found it unbelievable at times that the girl he had a crush on for so long finally felt the same way about him.

On the other hand, though, Umbridge was even more awful as usual, and her Inquisitorial Squad was also a complete nuisance. They would lurk down every nook and cranny of the castle, and they would always find reasons to take points off of other students. It angered Cedric as Head Boy, and Hermione and Ron weren't happy about that either seeing as Malfoy was the squad's leader and the most insufferable of them all. Furthermore, Harry had to start taking Occlumency with Professor Snape, which was an absolute pain. Dumbledore insisted that he take them as regularly as possible, and to say that Harry was struggling was an understatement.

Strolling down the hall with Cedric after class — which was one of the only free times they shared since they were both becoming increasingly busy with their O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s — was a simple yet blissful activity that helped Analeigh take her mind off of all those worries. The light from the bright sun seeped into the castle through the windows, making it slightly warmer to combat the bitter, cold weather as Analeigh and Cedric walked together hand in hand.

"As much as I love Hogwarts," Cedric suddenly said. "I suppose leaving it this year wouldn't be that bad, either."

Analeigh glanced up at him curiously.

"Why is that?"

"Aside from starting a career, I can finally escape the pink toad that controls this school," Cedric said with a hint of humor, making Analeigh chuckle. "And, well, Hogwarts is practically my home, but it hasn't been the same in a long time."

"I hate to say it, but you're right."

"Umbridge is getting worse, too," he continued, lowering his voice in case anyone was nearby. "Not to mention that bloody Inquisitorial Squad — they have no concept of respect and manners at all."

"They do abuse their power a lot," Analeigh agreed as they descended one of the moving staircases. "They're literally everywhere all the time, taking points off of people just for fun. I wouldn't be surprised if they start following us and accusing us for something ridiculous."

"That's exactly why I'm worried about being in the D.A."

Analeigh turned to Cedric upon hearing his change in tone. He looked almost hesitant to keep talking.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the meetings are getting more frequent now, aren't they?" he said cautiously. "And that squad is becoming more active every day — there's more of them, they're always 'patrolling' or whatever you want to call it, and like you said, it won't be long before they start following us around, too. I just think that... that maybe we should refrain from always going to D.A. meetings."