Diggory Is A Loser

7- Hogwarts Champion

Celia was glad that the following day was a Sunday, as this meant she didn't have any classes, so she could track down and confront her brother without having to work around her schedule.
She caught Cedric coming out of the library in the early afternoon, so she dragged him off to a nearby empty classroom.
After making sure that Peeves wasn't inside the room, Celia locked the door and turned to face her brother.
"So" said Celia.
Cedric frowned, "So what?".
"You're the Hogwarts champion" replied Celia.
"One of them. But yes, I am" admitted Cedric.

"Well, haven't you got anything that you'd like to say to me, about you becoming a champion?" Questioned Celia.
"Like what?" Asked Cedric.
"Like sorry" snapped Celia.
"You want me to apologise for being chosen?"
"Yes. You put your name in the goblet, knowing full well that if you got chosen you would have to compete"
"I still don't see why this effects you or why I should need to apologise".

"You being chosen as the Hogwarts champion is big news, and it effects our whole family, not just you" informed Celia.
"I am the one who is competing" replied Cedric.
"Yes, but the tournament is public knowledge. I expect there will be an article about you in the Prophet very soon" admitted Celia.
"So? What does this have to do with you?"
"I am your sister! That's a fact you might choose to forget, but everyone else will be looking at me now, because I'm your sister. You've put our family in the spotlight. The Diggory family is now going to be mentioned up and down the country, for the duration of the tournament, and maybe even after that".

"I know that you're my sister, and I will never forget that. But I'm the champion, so I'm the one that everyone is going to be talking about. Not you, and not father. Me" insisted Cedric.
"You're a fool if you think people will only be talking about you. The journalists will want to dig up all the dirt they can find, on our family" admitted Celia.
"Why does that bother you? You haven't committed any crimes or anything like that. You're a good student" reminded Cedric.
"I'm a loner. A weird ugly Ravenclaw, with no friends. The complete opposite of you. So people are going to talk about the strange differences between us".

"I wish you wouldn't talk about yourself in such a negative way" sighed Cedric.
"You know it's all true" mumbled Celia.
"I don't believe that. You're different to me, I agree, but you're not the person you make yourself out to be" replied Cedric.
"You're just trying to be nice to me, to make up for putting your name in the Goblet of Fire"
"Look, I don't think many people are going to be talking about me, let alone you. Harry has also been chosen, so I expect everyone will be gossiping about him, rather than me, since he's underage".

"I wouldn't be so sure. I heard lots of people whispering about you today, all throughout the school" revealed Celia.
"Really?" Questioned Cedric.
"Lots of girls now have crushes on you. Even more than before... Several people looked at me as I passed them, and then began muttering about me behind my back. I intentionally never draw attention to myself, which is why I never raise my hand in class. I can usually go through a corridor unnoticed. But things are different now, because of you" replied Celia.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make your life so hard, or put you in the spotlight" apologised Cedric.
"That's the thing. Sometimes you don't think about anyone but yourself. I could never compare with you, before all this. And now I have no hope of ever being noticed by dad. You're a Triwizard champion, and no one is ever going to forget that. And if you win, my life will be over. I think dad might even forget that I exist, if that happens" admitted Celia.
"Are you saying that I shouldn't try to win, for your sake?" Questioned Cedric.

"No, even I wouldn't ask you to do that. It's too late for you to back out, so you might as well try to win. People are going to talk about us, regardless of where you place" sighed Celia.
"I would like to win, for Hogwarts" said Cedric quietly.
"Then you had better start training. The challenges will not be easy. And need I remind you, that people have died in this tournament before. If you don't want to die and look like a fool, you need to start preparing".

"It's hard to prepare for a task, when I don't know what it's going to be" admitted Cedric.
"Well, just practice every spell you can think of, in case one of them comes in handy. That's the only piece of advice I can give you" replied Celia.
"Will you help me train?" Asked Cedric.
"No. We both know that I'm an intellectual, not a fighter. I may be a Ravenclaw, but I'm not a duelling champion, like Professor Flitwick. Besides, I am not a Triwizard champion. Dumbledore said that those who are chosen must stand alone. And you placed your name in the goblet, knowing that you would have to face all the tasks, alone".

"I'm prepared to fave the challenges alone. But I would love to train with you" admitted Cedric.
"I'm sure you have a long list of admirers, who would do anything for you. Why don't you ask one of them to help you?" Suggested Celia, before heading towards the door.
"You're my family. I would love to use this time to hang out with you" insisted Cedric.
"We're not family. And any journalist who looks into our family, will see just how much of an outcast I am. I have never fitted in before, and now the whole wizarding world will see why".