The Girl Who Hid: Cedric Diggory

Chapter 2: Prefects and Potions and Picking-Oh My!

Humming softly to myself, I make my way to the Prefects' Bathroom on the fifth floor. Pausing for a moment to pull the piece of parchment I had scribbled the password on to, I hear footsteps coming up behind me.

"Oh, are you going in there?" A familiar voice asks, and I turn around to be face to face (well, face to chest was more height accurate) with Cedric. Shaking my head, I step aside to let him in.

"Oh, don't do that! I know you were going in there-I can just come back later." He tells me, a slightly concerned expression on his face.

"It's okay." I respond timidly, and before he can argue again I hurry off clutching my towel in my hands so tightly my knuckles turn white.

***

The next day I sit outside the potions classroom, waiting for my last class to start, reading the textbook for the third time and thinking about all the ways Professor Snape planned on making this year a living hell for us. He didn't have any particular grievances towards Ravenclaws-especially ones who are the top of the class-but his lessons are still full of passive aggression and dullness.

I feel someone sit next to me, and look up to see the now all too familiar Hufflepuff uniform of Cedric Diggory.

"Have a good first day?" He asks cheerily, and I nod slightly.

"And you?" I whisper back, and he goes off into a story about how Professor McGonagall approved his request of taking an animagus tutoring session with her, but he'll have to wait until next year to start because part of it requires not talking for a month-which apparently he just couldn't handle.

Being an animagus myself, I know everything he's talking about already, but still try and act as interested as possible.

"Have you ever considered becoming one? You're great at transfiguration-not that you're not great at everything else! I just mean-" Cedric's rambling is cut of by the whoosh of the potions classroom door opening. Professor Snape steps out and spots us, and for a moment his eyes seem to flicker with what almost looks like relief.

"Ms. Bloom, Mr. Diggory. At least this class will not be completely incompetent...I hope." Snape drawls in a monotone voice, motioning for us to enter the classroom. "If it isn't too much to ask, I'd like you to sit together in the front of the room to act as an example for your classmates." Snape calls when he sees me heading for the back of the room. Clutching my schoolbag nervously, I turn back around and sit next to Cedric.

"I guess we'll be spending some more time together then, eh?" He comments, playfully elbowing me in the side. My face turning red, I give him a small smile and nod, before pulling my materials out of my bag and getting ready for the lesson.

Potions goes better than I anticipated, and the lesson was actually pretty interesting. What's more, Snape didn't give us any time to speak, so I didn't need to talk to Diggory at all.

Of course, the over-friendly Hufflepuff had to change that as soon as the lesson ends.

"So are you putting your name in the goblet?" He asks as I collect my things and start to head for the door. I shake my head in response, and he frowns.

"Why not?"

"Too dangerous." Cedric scoffs at me. "What is it?" I ask, and he shrugs.

"Too dangerous? You're the best witch in our year-probably the whole school-and you're saying it's too dangerous?" I feel my face heat up at the compliment, but nod anyway. Cedric sighs.

"Well, the Goblet wouldn't choose you if it didn't think you're up to it, so what's the harm in trying?" He counters, and I struggle to think of a good response. I guess there is some logic behind his thinking, but there is still something making me uncomfortable about the tournament.