Star Girl | Cedric Diggory

|*| One Hundred Three |*|

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, hoggy warty Hogwarts, teach us something please!" Cedric sang in Aquila's ear. His pitch was painstakingly off, but Aquila still smiled and sang along. They skipped down the corridors like curious first years, planning on spending their last day at Hogwarts together. Well, together with their friends.

"Tell me again why they are hosting the party in Gryffindor Tower?" Aquila asked. "Why couldn't we party somewhere more nonchalant like the dungeons or outside the building?"

"Take that up with Harley Parrot," Cedric told her.

"You know I don't like talking with Hyper Pit-sweat," she reminded him, laughing at their new joke. They decided that they would address all Gryffindors with strange variations of their names as their final day prank. It wasn't really much of a prank, but since Fruitcake and Grumble Weasel weren't there, they would do what they could without the expert pranksters.

"Then talk to Hammer Gingerbread," Cedric told her.

"I'd rather take this up with Roonil Wazlib," she replied. "Or even Onion Wafer. Or Gangly-"

"Don't use them all up before the party!" Cedric exclaimed, tickling the back of her neck to make her stop. She erupted in a fit of giggles, trying in vain to get him back; but he was just too fast.

"Fine!" she managed to shout amid her laughter. "Celestial Rainforest Dragon, stop it!"

He stopped, but only because he was now laughing as well. "Celestial Rainforest Dragon?" he asked.

"Yeah, it stands for Cedric Rutherford Diggory," she told him as though it were obvious.

After informing her that, one again, his middle name was not Rutherford, he made up his own name for her. "Okay then, Armadillo Violin Worm."

"So, you're Celestial, and I'm Armadillo, eh?" she asked with a silly smile on her face.

"I prefer Sir Celestial," he informed her, puffins his chest.

"Then call me Lady Armadillo," she added with a laugh.

"I think we're here," Cedric told the newly dubbed Lady Armadillo.

"What makes you so sure?" she asked.

"The portrait of the fat lady is glaring at you, and-"

Richard Wayne ran up to them and shouted gleefully, "Aquila! Cedric! Oh my Merlin, am I glad to see you. You're like a breath of fresh air... Seamus almost blew up our party decorations a minute ago, and don't get me started on Ron-he's been no help whatsoever. Ugh, anyway, come on in guys! I'm so happy everyone can finally get a glimpse of the greatest Hogwarts House."

"I wasn't aware they moved the Slytherin dorms," Aquila told him jokingly.

Richard rolled his eyes. "Apricot," he told the fat lady.

The woman in the portrait shook her head. "No Slytherins will be entering the common room! I will not allow it!"

"Apricot," Aquila told it, repeating Richard.

"How does she know the password?" the fat lady asked skeptically before realizing Richard had spoke it first. With a heavy sigh, she swung open, allowing Aquila and Cedric to catch their first glimpse of Gryffindor.

"Go on in, Quil," Richard said. "Just try not to kill anyone."

"Whatever you say, Roasted Walrus," Aquila told him, patting him on the shoulder before entering the Gryffindor house.

Richard furrowed his brow and turned to Cedric. "Roasted Walrus?"

"Hey, it could've been worse, mate," Cedric told him. "And I don't trust her being here, if I'm completely honest. Could you help keep an eye on her; I'd hate for anything to be broken or incinerated by her hand."

"No worries, Cedric," Richard said. "We already went through the room and enchanted the valuables. Hermione made sure nothing could be broken or incinerated by anyone."

"It's a wise precaution," he agreed.

"Go on; enjoy the party, mate," the young Gryffindor told him. "The food is killer!"

Cedric entered the room behind his girlfriend and met up with her in a group of DA members. Richards's friend Hannah, Ginny Weasley, Ernie Macmillan, Terry Boot, and Cho Chang.

"I gotta hand it to you Gryffindors," Aquila said. "You know how to throw a party." The room around them was fully covered in red and gold streamers and banners; trays of butterbeer were found all around the room; music that was just the right volume blasted from the radio; and everyone was having a genuinely good time catching up and eating snacks.

Aquila and Cho had been getting along a lot better. After talking about exactly what happened, the girls had come to an understanding, agreeing to act like civil acquaintances-not exactly "friends" yet. However, Aquila promised not to call her Ching Chong anymore, so that was indeed progress.

"I wonder what would happen if Snape found out about the party," Terry said.

"He'd probably dock Gryffindor one million points," Ginny guessed.

"No, he'd join in," Hannah said. "Umbitch is gone; even Snape would party to that."

"True," Ginny said. "He be out on the dance floor faster than Harry on his Firebolt."

"That Firebolt is fast," Cedric commented.

"Yeah, Cedric here would give his left man tit for a ride on that Harmon Peter's Firestick."

The group of students blinked at her, confused. "You mean Harry Potter?" Cho asked.

"Yeah, Hillbilly Porridge," Aquila verified.

"It's called a Firebolt," Cedric proceeded to correct her before any more questions could be asked about Hallelujah Parakeet.

As the sun set in the sky (and those who got tired returned to their respective houses or dorms) Aquila lead a small group of students out to the lake to see the stars. The group consisted of Lavender, Luna, Cho, Hannah, and Richard (who wanted to see Aquila move the stars); Ron, Seamus, and Dean (who were skeptical about the whole thing); and Harry, Hermione, Cedric, Lee, and Ginny (who were still awake, so they decided to tag along).

When the stars fully shown in the sky, Aquila took suggestions as to what to put there. Everyone took turns asking for specific images or words, but the only one worth mentioning was Richard's suggestion. He whispered something in her ear, and suddenly, with a smile glued on her face, Aquila arranged the stars in the first word she ever heard him say.

Shit.

Everyone in the group began laughing, and Richard told the story of how he met Aquila when the Chamber of Secrets had been opened in his first year.

The stars were not happy about Aquila's choice in words, so in the sky, they wrote a message-the first in a long time. Do not abuse your gift, Star Girl.

"Yeah, whatever," she told them. "I haven't heard from you in a while. What's the latest, stars?"

"Are you actually talking to them?" Ron asked. "Or is this some type of joke?"

"It's real," Cedric told him. "They're friends... of sorts."

"Everyone," Aquila said to the group, "say 'hi' to the sky!"

|*| just thought I'd give you a cute chapter before hitting you with a shitstorm of bad news |*|