Hufflepuff boy - Cedric Diggory x male oc x Viktor Krum

10

Lockhart struts atop a golden stage and Cayden, Harry, Ron, Harper, Hermione and a good number of other students watch.

"Gather round! Gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent. In light of the dark events of recent weeks, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little Dueling Club, to train you all up in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions-- for full details, see my published works." Lockhart added at the end making Cayden and Harper roll their eyes.

The boy next to Harry, Justin Finch-Fletchley, turns to him. "That Lockhart's something, isn't he? Awfully brave chap." He said, offering his hand to Harry. "Justin Finch-Fletchley. Hufflepuff, like your brother."

Harry takes the hand, shaking it. "Nice to meet you. I'm--"

"I know who you are. We all do. Even us Muggle-borns." Justin said, grinning.

Harry looks at Cayden, raising his eyebrows at his twin brother who shrugs at him in response.

Cayden looks back at the stage where Severus has joined Lockhart making him smile.

"Let me introduce my assistant Professor Snape. He has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration. Now I don't want any of you youngsters to worry. You'll still have your Potions Master when I'm through with him, never fear!" Lockhart said, grinning.

"What's the fun in that?" Ron muttered, letting Harper lean his head against his shoulder.

"Should we pray for Lockhart?" Cayden whispers, leaning his head close to Harry.

"No." Harry quickly answered making Cayden snicker.

Lockhart and Professor Snape face each other and bow. They turn, walk ten paces, then spin, wands poised like swords.

"As you can see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position. On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course." Lockhart said.

"I wouldn't bet on that." Harry said, eyeing Professor Snape.

"One... two... three--"

"Expelliarmus!" Professor Snape said, and a dazzling flash of scarlet light bursts forth and blasts Lockhart off his feet and into the wall behind.

"Do you think he's all right?" Hermione asked.

"Who cares?" Harry, Ron and Harper said simultaneously while Cayden snickers into his hand.

Lockhart stood up unsteadily. "Well, there you have it. That was a Disarming Charm. As you can see, I've lost my wand." He said, taking the wand from Hermione. "Ah, thank you, Miss Granger. Yes, an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind my saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy..."

"Perhaps it would be prudent to first teach the students to block unfriendly spells, Professor." Professor Snape said, trying hard not to roll his eyes at Lockhart. What was Albus thinking employing this man?

"An excellent suggestion, Professor Snape. Let's have a volunteer pair. Potter, Weasley, how about you?" Lockhart said, pointing at Harry and Ron.

"Weasley's wand causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending Potter to the hospital wing in a matchbox. Might I suggest someone from my own house. Malfoy, perhaps." Professor Snape said.

Draco and Harry walked onto the stage, eyeing each other malevolently. They took a bow to each other before they turned and walked ten paces, then whirled, wands poised.

"Wands at the ready! When I count to three, cast your charms to disarm your opponent-- only to disarm. We don't want any accidents. One, two--" Lockhart was cut off by Draco firing early, knocking Harry off his feet with a blast of white light.

Harry jumps up. "Rictusempra!" He exclaimed, pointing his wand at Malfoy as a jet of silver light hit the Slytherin dead in the stomach.

Draco doubles up, laughing and wheezing.

"I said disarm only!" Lockhart exclaimed over the spells.

Draco shakes his head and recomposes himself, pointing his wand at Harry. "Serpensortia!" He said as the tip of his wand explodes and a long black snake slithers forth.

"Don't move, Potter. I'll get rid of it for you." Professor Snape said after glancing at the worried expression on Cayden's face.

"Allow me!" Lockhart flicks his wand and the snake flies into the air, hisses in rage, and slither straight towards Cayden. As students scream, Harry approaches the snake. It rises, fangs exposed, poised to strike the Hufflepuff.

"Leave him!" Harry hissed, as the snake looks into Harry's eyes, then turns for Cayden again. "LEAVE HIM!" He hissed again, watching the snake hover a moment more, then slumped to the floor. Harry blinks, as if coming out of a trance, grins curiously at the snake, and offers his hand to Cayden.

Cayden took it and stood up, looking behind Harry's shoulder where he could see Severus glancing at him and Harry with concern before it disappeared. He was about to ask what was wrong before Justin's voice rang out.

"What are you playing at?" Justin said, terrified, and backing away. As if he was the one who was about to get attacked by a snake.

Severus waves his wand and the snake vanishes in a puff of black smoke, then regards Harry with a look before turning his eyes to look at Cayden who has his eyes narrowed on Justin. "Cayden." He calls out, bringing the Hufflepuff's attention to him as Harry lets himself get dragged away by his friends. "Let's go." He said, walking out of the room with Cayden beside him, noticing the Hufflepuff beside him pointing his index and middle fingers to his eyes before pointing them at the stunned crowd making a small smile appear on his face.

≪ °❈° ≫

"What language did Harry speak?" Cayden asked, sitting on the chair in the Potions class as he looked up at Severus.

"Parseltongue." Severus answered, standing on the opposite side of Cayden while looking at him. "And I'm gonna guess you could too."

"I could understand him." Cayden said, before he retracted himself back and got confused. "What's Parseltongue?" He asked, looking up at Severus.

"It means you can talk to snakes." Severus said.

"Really?" Cayden asked, Severus nodded. "Awesome." He said, watching as Severus raised his eyebrows in amusement.

"Awesome?" Severus questioned, looking down at Cayden with amusement.

"Imagine all the snakes I could talk to." Cayden said, smiling up at his father who softly returns the smile.

"You shouldn't use it while there's people." Severus warned.

"Oh, yeah. Never." Cayden said. "Can I tell this to Cedric?"

"You two are strangely close." Severus said, moving to the shelf to keep himself busy.

"We're friends." Cayden said, looking at Severus with confusion.

"Mm, hm." Severus said, believing it. He will not believe these words in later years when Cayden starts talking about attractive boys and complain about how Cedric should not look good when he had just woken up from his sleep. He heard these from other students, not his words. He is not ready for Cayden to be talking about boys and go through puberty. He is not ready for Cayden to grow up, and to lose all those baby fats on his face and those innocent baby blue eyes.

But he can't stop it, he can't control the time. Severus glances behind him where he can see Cayden playing with something he found on the table making him smile before he turns back to the shelf.