The Exchange Student - Cedric Diggory⁴

➣ 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝟏𝟎 "𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝙞𝙤𝙣"

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The last vestiges of the crepuscular light had taken over Scotland by the time they stepped out of the castle. Looking down at the map in his hands, Nicolás started to run towards the Whomping Willow, Caelum high on his heels.

With his shoes crashing in quick succession against the muddy ground, he was able to see a conglomerate of name tags right in front of the magical tree. Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew. But it looked like Uncle Sirius was dragging Ron and Peter, or something like that, because they moved behind the Whomping Willow, while Harry and Hermione stayed behind, probably trying to fight their way past the violent tree.

"Your father really doesn't know how to make our lives any easier, does he?" Nicolás asked sardonically.

"He spent twelve years in Azkaban! Give him a break! He's obviously not lucid," Caelum retorted with an eye roll, just as sardonically.

Speeding ahead, Nicolás and Caelum arrived to see Harry and Hermione struggling with the tree, trying to get out of the way of its swishing branches.

"We need to find the knot!" said Caelum. "Nico, can you—"

Nicolás pointed his wand at the tree, and cried, "Immobulus!" and the movement from the tree came to a halt in a second.

Harry beamed back at him before a desperate Hermione dragged him under the tree and down the passage to the Shrieking Shack.

"Harry!" Nicolás called out, but the kids kept running, screaming they needed to help Ron.

"Those kids don't make anything easier, do they?" Caelum sighed, trying to recover his breathing.

"They most definitely don't," Nicolás said, before running after them, Caelum following.

In silence, they walked the dark passage taking them from the school grounds to Hogsmeade. And in silence, they entered the Shrieking Shack.

By the time they arrived at the first destroyed space of the old pretense of a house, they heard voices.

"I thought you'd come and help your friend. Your father would have done the same for me. Brave of you, not to run for a teacher. I'm grateful... it will make everything much easier..." said Uncle Sirius.

Nicolás groaned. "Why does he make it sound like he's the bad guy." Caelum rolled his eyes, not really having any defense on his father's behalf.

"No, Harry!" cried Hermione.

"If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too!" said Ron fiercely.

Nicolás and Caelum were unsure about how to interrupt the scene that took place in the other room.

"Lie down. You will damage that leg even more," chastised Uncle Sirius.

"Did you hear me?" Ron said weakly. "You'll have to kill all three of us!"

"There'll be only one murder here tonight," said Uncle Sirius with a big grin as Nicolás stepped into the room. And he could see how well his mother had done with the Teeth-Healing Spell on the man.

"Sirius, you're scaring the children," Nicolás groaned.

"Nico!" said Harry, feeling a bit relieved. He didn't know how he was supposed to navigate this situation without help.

But Hermione and Ron looked at Nicolás and Caelum looking hopeless and betrayed in equal measures.

"You know him?!" Hermione cried. "So, it's truth... you..." she looked at Caelum. "You are his son!"