Bittersweet Love | Cedric Diggory

Chapter Thirty Two: Third Task

Breakfast was a very noisy affair at the Hufflepuff table on the morning of the third task. The post owls appeared, bringing me a good-luck card from my parents and various other family members.

I finished my breakfast in the emptying Great Hall. I then saw Fleur Delacour get up from the Ravenclaw table and join Krum as he crossed to the side chamber and entered. I joined them shortly afterward.

My parents were just inside the door. Viktor Krum was over in a corner, conversing with his dark-haired mother and father in rapid Bulgarian. He had inherited his fathers hooked nose. On the other side of the room, Fleur was jabbering away in French to her mother. Fleur's little sister, Gabrielle, was holding her mother's hand. Harry was talking to the Weasley family, and I thought that it was nice of Dumbledore to let them attend.

"We're so proud of you son!" My mother beamed at me as she placed another kiss on my cheek.

"There's something I need to speak to you about mother," I began.

"Can't it wait Cedric? This is a big day for you after all." Said father.

I shook my head, "Not really. There's this girl-"

"Bet you're not feeling quite as full of yourself now Cedric's caught you up on points, are you?"

I looked up to see father had turned his attention to Harry, who looked incredibly confused. "Ignore him," I spoke in a low voice to Harry. "He's been angry ever since Rita Skeeters article about the Triwizard Tournament - you know, when she made out you were the only Hogwarts champion."

"Didn't bother to correct her, though, did he?" said father, loudly enough for Harry to hear as he started to walk out of the door with Mrs. Weasley and Bill. "Still, . . you'll show him, Ced. Beaten him once before, haven't you?"

"Rita Skeeter goes out of her way to cause trouble, Amos!" Mrs. Weasley said angrily. "I would have thought you'd know that, working at the Ministry!"

Father looked as though he was going to say something angry, but mother laid a hand on his arm, and he merely shrugged and turned away.

"Your father has such a temper," Said mother as she shook her head slightly out of annoyance.

I nodded.

"Why don't we go take a walk around the castle grounds? It's been so long since I've wandered around Hogwarts." Mother suggested.

"Yeah, I can speak to you about something on the way." I agreed and we set off out of the chamber.

I found it quite enjoyable walking over the sunny grounds with mother and showing her the Beauxbatons carriage and the Durmstrang ship. Mother was quite intrigued by the Whomping Willow, which had been planted after she had left school, and reminisced at length about the gamekeeper before Hagrid, a man called Ogg.

"What is it you wanted to tell me son?" She mentioned.

"There's this girl," I began. "Her names Amira Malfoy, you may have heard-"