Golden- Cedric Diggory

Chapter Two- The Sorting

I ended up falling asleep on the train, and was alarmingly shaken awake by an enthusiastic Cedric. Fred and George had already left, he explained. They wanted to be the first off the train. I scoffed.

    "Like they'd be able to push their way to the front of all these older students," I mumbled, quickly pulling my robes on

    Cedric rolled his eyes at my discountenance, and nearly ripped my arm out of its' socket as he pulled me down the train. My wand nearly fell out of my pocket! Finally, the train slowed to a crawl and stopped. I could tell Cedric was a nervous ball of energy, the way he bounced on his feet and aggressively fiddled with his robes. I, myself? Basically a nervous wreck. I twisted the rings on my fingers anxiously, zoning out at the ground. We finally made it off the train, and were led by a large man, who introduced himself as Hagrid, to magical boats that pulled us across the lake. Cedric and I awkwardly clambered in one together, trying not to rock it too much.

    Soon, we were all gaping at the magnificent sight before us. Hogwarts. I almost forgot about how scared I was for the sorting ceremony. What if Cedric and I weren't in the same house? I assured myself it wouldn't be the end of the world, but I still worried. What if no one in my house liked me? What if I didn't like anyone in my house? I clenched a fistful of my robes and gritted my teeth. I just wanted this boat ride, although quite breathtaking, to be over already. It felt like hours before we reached the castle, but it was probably only mere minutes.

    "Isn't it just incredible?" Cedric babbled as we climbed out of the boats.

    "Mm."

    I was focused on getting my two feet back onto solid ground. Cedric kindly offered his hand, but I stubbornly refused; even as I nearly slipped on the slick, muddy banks of the lake. We walked in silence to the castle, both of us too worried to say much. A woman named Professor McGonagall introduced herself and explained the sorting ceremony to us. The Sorting Hat would be placed on our heads and would tell us what house we would be in. After it sang us a song, of course. But what business did a manky, old, singing hat have telling me what house I should be in? I huffed and shuffled into the Great Hall. We all stared in awe at the enchanted ceiling. I read in Hogwarts: A History that it reflected whatever the weather was outside. I busied myself in finding constellations until Cedric's name was called.

    "Diggory, Cedric!" My head immediately snapped up.

    He made it to the stool without tripping, albeit he was a tad wobbly as he walked. The Sorting Hat seemed to ponder for a moment before making its' decision.

    "Hufflepuff!" It announced.

    I squealed and cheered as Cedric jogged over to the Hufflepuff table, a wide grin stretched across his face. I glanced up at the head table to see Dumbledore watching after him with a smile, then he turned and looked at me. I gulped and stared at my feet, wiggling them in my shoes. Will I be in Hufflepuff too? George's words about my temper rang in my ears. Suddenly, my name was called.

    "Smith, Eva!" Professor McGonagall called.

    I slowly climbed to the stool, sitting with a pit in my stomach. The Sorting Hat was placed precariously on my head, almost slipping over my eyes.

    "Let's see here... Ooh, I love a challenge," The hat seemed to taunt me. "You sure are kind, but also witty and intelligent. Cunning and ambitious as well. You want to prove yourself, eh? Oh, but plenty brave as well. Lots of nerve and a daring personality, but quite the short-temper. That changes things."

    I gripped the sides of the stool. The waiting felt like pure agony.

    "Better be... Gryffindor!"

    Loud cheers erupted from the Gryffindor table, but the last thing I felt like doing was smiling. Still, I painted on a grin and made my way to the table; not before catching Cedric's eye, though. He looked devastated. His shoulders curled in and his previous grin drooped. My footsteps faltered. He looked up, then stared down at his empty plate. I continued on my way to the Gryffindor table, not allowing the sadness inside of me to swallow me whole. Fred and George grinned at me and patted the spot in-between them, which I gladly accepted. At least I knew someone here.

    "We didn't want to say it on the train and jinx it, but-" George started.

    "We knew you would be a Gryffindor!" Fred finished.

    I gave them both a smile as they clapped me on the back.

    "Well, I'm glad to see you two got into the house you wanted." I said.

    They nodded, and quickly drew their attention to Dumbledore as he began speaking. I accidentally drowned him out, staring at Cedric instead. He was staring right back, the pain in his eyes was palpable. Trying to improve his mood, I gave him a soft smile and tilted my head, He tilted his head in response, but no smile. Suddenly, the large dishes in front of us were filled with food. Fred and George wasted no time in helping themselves.

    "Mmph, Eva you have to try this. It's godly." Fred mumbled over his mouthful of food.

    He slopped some potatoes down on my plate.

    "Potatoes? They're just mashed potatoes, Fred. How can they be godly?" I asked genuinely.

    "Just give 'em a whirl." Said George, also around a mouthful of food.

    I shrugged and took a bite, my mouth immediately satisfied. I grinned at them, potato leaking out of the side of my mouth.

    "See?!" Fred exclaimed, while George laughed loudly at my current state.

    We finished the night with a belly full of food and laughter. I glanced over at Cedric, who seemed to be having a similar experience to me. I glanced up at my fellow Gryffindor first-year, Angelina Johnson, who seemed to be enjoying her custard quite a bit. Suddenly, an idea crossed my mind. I pulled Fred and George close to me by their robes.

    "Say, that custard Angelina's enjoying looks a lot like the mashed potatoes, doesn't it?" I whispered.

    They immediately caught on, wicked grins crossing their faces. As soon as Angelina was distracted by a friend from Ravenclaw passing by, we got to work. Fred and George quickly scooped his remaining custard into a napkin, while I dumped some mashed potatoes back onto her plate. As she turned around, we tried to look as conspicuous as possible. She took a spoonful of her 'custard', and immediately screwed up her face. Fred, George and I giggled quietly as she frowned, looking around the table.

    "Listen, as lame of a prank as that was, I can already tell we're going to be great friends." George whispered to me, as Angelina pushed her plate away.

    I smiled at him and Fred, feeling more comfortable by the minute. I kept glancing over at Cedric though, who caught me and couple times and gave me a quick smile.

    Soon, Dumbledore announced it was time for bed, and time for us to follow the prefects to our dormitories. I yawned, and Fred and George put their arms on my shoulders, and slumped onto me.

    "We're so tired. Can you carry us there?" Fred groaned into my ear.

    I pushed them off with a grin.

    "Yeah, sure. Once you both lose about 60 pounds." I mumbled.

    They laughed as we continued up the steps. I quickly traded spots with Fred and peered over the edge of the stairs for a moment. I could see the Hufflepuff first years making their way down to their dormitory. I caught a glimpse of Cedric's light brown curls bouncing as he walked. I sighed, and caught up with Fred and George. What I wouldn't do to have him here with me right now. I made my way up to the girl's dormitories, following the prefect. I gave Fred and George a quick wave, and then collapsed on my bed.

AUGUST 19TH 2020