EPOCH [CEDRIC DIGGORY]

SCENE I

SCENE I

SUMMER 1993

Eric and Genevieve Fawley were at their wits' end. They were completely unsure of what to do. It was early in the morning and they sat at the worn wooden table. Eric exasperatedly ran a hand through his hair, letting out a heavy sigh. Genevieve gently placed a steaming mug of extra strong coffee in front of her husband, planting a chaste kiss at the top of his head as she sat down. She sipped from her own mug, looking out the window in thought. Her eyes narrowed as she saw a dark-colored blur approach the window. A wave of relief washed over her body as she saw the feathered body of the family owl, Rutherford.

In Rutherford's beak was a scarlet envelope sealed with golden wax. The brown and black speckled owl flew through the kitchen window and perched himself on the back of a dining chair. Eric quickly snatched the letter from the bird as Genevieve paid him in treats. The delicate script of Albus Dumbledore decorated the envelope's front. Eric ripped the envelope open, desperate to read the letter's contents. Genevieve anxiously watched as Eric's eyes ran over the text. She chewed on her lip as she watched her husband. The brunette man slowly put down the letter and cleared his throat.

"So? What did he say?" Genevieve pushed. She was desperate to hear what Dumbledore's letter had included. The couple had been frantically corresponding with the headmaster for the entire summer. Genevieve and Eric had both been part of the original Order of the Phoenix, there was no one they trusted more than Albus Dumbledore.

"He's not certain, of course, because he hasn't spoken to her," Eric began slowly, "but he believes she may be... a seer."

-

Gemma had barely had a moment alone the entire summer. She basically felt like a lab experiment. From the moment she woke up each morning her parents would observe her every movement. The only time she could escape them was if she visited her friends. The Weasleys and the Diggorys were her neighbors. Well, neighbors was a bit of a stretch. Living in the country meant there was quite a distance between each house. Nonetheless, the three families were the only wizarding houses within miles. They lived a bit near a small village, but they avoided that as best they could. As such, Gemma had become close with the Weasley twins, who were just a few months older than her, and Cedric Diggory, who was in her same year and house at Hogwarts.

The brunette was growing tired of being inspected by her parents every day. Sure, she had started having weird visions this summer, but they probably didn't mean anything. And yes, they were sometimes a bit scary, but that didn't mean anything either. She remembered waking up with a start one night from a vision that came to her in a dream. She had tried to block out most of the memory, but she didn't ever think she would forget the spine-chilling voice she heard, the flash of green light, and the man who looked like a mouse. Her parents had looked positively horrified when she had described the man she had seen. Peter Pettigrew was his name. Still, she had absolutely no idea what the dream meant.