glow. // cedric diggory

00

FOUR YEARS EARLIER

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Books were a way for Ellie Campbell to escape. Every letter inked onto the crisp pages created a whole new world that surrounded her. It protected her from everything that was wrong with the world. That is, everything except for Cedric Diggory.

"Eleanor!" the boy shouted, stomping into the Hufflepuff common room. Ellie was sitting in one of the plush chairs by the fireplace, Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander sitting open in her lap, her feet tucked under her.

"What do you want, Cedric?" she sighed, resting her chin in the palm of her hand.

"You need to keep that horrible cat of yours away from my dorm!" he exclaimed. In his arms was a small tortoiseshell cat, sleeping comfortably. "She tore up my room! Now I can't find anything and I had homework due tonight!"

"If you don't want my horrible cat in your bedroom, don't leave the door open!" she snapped, holding her hands out. He put the cat in her arms gently--the gesture soft in comparison to the tone he was talking about the cat in. "Everyone else's pets walk around the common room all the time and mine is the only one you ever complain about."

"Vera is the only one who has ever waltzed into my room and screwed up all my work," Cedric told her cooly. "So yes, Campbell, she is the only one I'm complaining about."

Ellie groaned. "Look, Diggory, if it's really that big of a deal, I'll redo your homework for you. Alright?" she offered.

When they were four years old, Ellie and Cedric's families (who were very close friends) had tried to get the two to play together at a Hogwarts class reunion. They had disagreed on everything, especially after Cedric snatched a toy from Ellie's hands and she ran to her mom's side in tears.

Since then, any time Cedric or his family came over, Ellie wouldn't talk to Cedric unless it was completely necessary, and even then, they weren't nice to each other.

"I don't want your pity," Cedric scoffed, dismissing her offer. "But you need to get a grip on that cat."

"Show me what she did," Ellie said, placing a bookmark between the pages, setting it on a side table, and standing up. "We'll see if your reaction is justified or if you're being overdramatic." She wouldn't have been shocked if it was the latter--he was always being loud and annoying about something.

"Fine," he retorted, turning on his heel and stalking to where the third year boys dormitories were. He opened the door and inside, pages of parchment were strewn across the wood floors, an ink pot had been knocked over (although it was empty), a quill had been tipped from it's stand, and books littered the ground.

"My cat did not do all of this," Ellie told him, stroking Vera's small head softly. The cat purred and moved around in her arms.

"Yes, she did, Campbell. I found her asleep on my bed," he recounted, looking at her as she scanned the room.

"Well, I'd be glad she didn't do worse," she replied, turning to leave. "See you at dinner, Diggory."

"Keep your cat under control!"

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AUTHOR'S CORNER

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