Pen Pals [Cedric Diggory]

chapter four

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Dear Pen,

I never intended this Pen Pal thing to go to these kinds of lengths of letters, so please, by all means, you can write shorter replies. I know we're trained to write long essays for almost every class to the point our hands hurt but I don't think summer should include that kind of pain as well. Although, I can tell you're stubborn and really want to make your point come across in the conversation. It feels like we're fighting.

I did call the Magpies my favourite team. The leaderboard doesn't lie, dear. And doesn't the fact that you never know the outcome of the game make it that more entertaining to watch? I wouldn't want to even go watch a game between two teams where one was a clear sore loser (like Puddlemere United).

About the Holyhead Harpies fan thing, honestly, I was just teasing. I would be quite surprised if you said you were their die-hard fan since you know all things Quidditch. And you're absolutely right about an all-female team, I fully support it, but they aren't exactly destined to be at the top. Kudos to them for not even being at the far bottom.

Let's bet who's going to win this World Cup because I hardly doubt it's going to be the Irish. There has been an account of a team in the finale one World Cup and then being last in the next. But I have no clue who's got the best chance  this year, so for it to be a fair bet, I bet the Irish won't win. You can set the terms for the loser or winner.

Isn't family talk too detailed to be included in the letters and still have no clue of who we are? Well, you wrote it already so I might as well do too. I indeed am an only child. I feel like that is already a big giveaway and it really narrows it down to who I am in person. I guess I wished for a younger sibling when I was younger myself because it seemed like everyone else had siblings, but now I'm fine by myself.

Although my parents try awfully hard to make everything about me and have all the attention on me all the time. So maybe a sibling that would steer their concern onto them wouldn't hurt sometimes.

I never thought that not disclosing some details about myself would be so difficult.

Until next time
Pal

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Dear Pal,

you are pretentious. If you are going to trash talk Quidditch teams at least use some true facts to back up your statements. I never said Puddlemere were the best, I said they are on a good path to be the best in the future. Which your beloved Magpies are sadly (or gladly) not and I'm not going to repeat myself why.

And this is not fighting, dear, it's debating. And if it wasn't clear already, my stubbornness makes me win my debates.

I feel like I'm dreaming the word Quidditch every night since we talk about it so much and the talk won't stop if you don't concede in the next letter and just let your Magpies go already. Or don't let them go, just don't mention them anymore.

I'm on for the bet, absolutely. I strongly believe the Irish are going to win, especially now that you're trying to prove me wrong. And for the terms, I bet five galleons the Irish will win. It'll get me a nice new (probably fancy) quill since I'm on a path to ruin this one by writing so much and trying to prove a point to a stranger.

Are you trying to ruin the fun of the game? Indeed, it is hard not to tell everything about ourselves, but in order for this game to successfully play out you have to disclose some indirect facts. Even so, liking Quidditch, you being a guy, an only child and around sixteen years old, it really narrows it down. There aren't that many guys going into the sixth year in September with those qualities. I bet it's not going to take me that long to figure out who you are, even without you telling me your looks or your Hogwarts House. Especially when we go back to Hogwarts, but this is all part of it, it can't be a secret forever, but we can prolong it as much as we can.

I'll hang on to your words and write shorter letters, now that I have proven my point with Quidditch already.

Hear from you soon
Pen

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Dear Pen,

alright, alright, no need to call me pretentious, which is absolutely false by the way. I don't think I have the heart or the energy to fight you on Quidditch anymore, but it still doesn't mean you win. I'll mention Magpies until you start dreaming about them. (Magpies). I think three times the charm, right?

I knew you wouldn't back down from a bet. But I'll one up the terms of it, instead of your precious new quill (which you won't get to buy because you won't win), I say the loser buys drinks instead. I get that the loser's payment won't be carried out for a while after the World Cup. Unless you're ready to confess who you really are when you lose. But you're right, where would be the fun in that, huh?

How in the bloody hell did you know I was sixteen? I don't remember ever writing my age down or was I too drunk once when replying?

So, you think you're that smart you're going to figure me out in three months? If I were to guess you're definitely a Ravenclaw because of your confidence in your knowledge. But you won't be any closer to the truth when we come back to Hogwarts, I guarantee that.

I should have more facts about you, this doesn't seem really fair.

We're hardly strangers anymore, so bye friend
Pal

P.S.: Magpies

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Dear Pal,

First of all, I'm not going to lose the bet and second of all, I'm all for drinks, since you're buying. ;) And it doesn't matter when it will be carried out, I'm prepared to wait as long as it takes for you to figure it out.

You're sixteen because you took Muggle Studies in your fifth and only fifth years got the Pen Pal assignment. You let me know you're one of my peers in the very first letter you sent.

And I am that smart, just proven.

People in other Houses can also be smart or even smarter than Ravenclaws, you dummy, I have no clue why you stereotyped me so quickly into Ravenclaw. Your statement only confirms my already rising suspicion that you are in no way a Ravenclaw. Only I haven't settled it yet between Gryffindor or Hufflepuff. We'll see back at Hogwarts though, won't we?

And if you reread the few paragraphs again, I gave you plenty of facts about myself, you just have to learn to read between the lines.

Also, have you been drunk replying to my letters? If you were you are damn good at writing in cursive even under the influence, but it didn't seem like you ever were. I bet that you would actually sign your name to the letter if you were to reply in your drunken state of mind.

Hear from you soon "friend"
Pen

P.S.: I hate you.

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