Chapter 79: Cedric's Home
Although Cedric's father, Amos Diggory, hoped his son would join the Ministry of Magic after graduation and take over his position in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, Cedric himself dreamed of becoming a professional Quidditch player.
When he heard the knock at the door, he assumed it was the Weasley twins again. During the summer holidays, they had been dropping by almost every day.
According to them, it was the perfect way to escape their mother's supervision—and enjoy enough freedom to experiment with new prank inventions.
But when Cedric opened the door, the face greeting him was Russell's cheerful smile instead.
"Hey, Cedric! Happy summer holidays. I came as soon as I got your letter," Russell said.
He gestured to the girl beside him. "This is Wednesday Addams."
"Hello, Wednesday. I'm Cedric Diggory. Nice to meet you," Cedric said warmly.
"Hello," Wednesday replied—then fell silent.
"Uh… are you upset?" Cedric asked awkwardly.
"I'm very happy," Wednesday answered flatly.
Is that what 'happy' looks like? Cedric scratched his head. She seemed odd, but judging from Russell's expression, she wasn't lying.
"Well, if Cho ever looked like that in front of me, I'd probably start panicking about how to cheer her up," Cedric joked, shrugging as he ushered them inside. He quickly changed out of his pajamas into a set of casual clothes.
"These are for you," Russell said, pulling two crates of cola from his pocket. Ever since their train ride, Cedric had been completely hooked on the taste.
Chocolate gift boxes, assorted biscuits, candies, and crisps soon covered the table.
"Merlin—mate, you're amazing!" Cedric said, visibly moved as he stepped forward for a huge hug.
Russell deftly dodged it.
They chatted as they drank their cola. Wednesday sat to the side, flipping through the Puddlemere United magazine that had been set aside earlier, her eyes growing brighter by the second.
She found the sport utterly fascinating.
"Gentlemen, excuse me," Wednesday said, holding up a page of the magazine. It was rare to see such excitement on her face.
"Does Hogwarts have this sport?"
"Of course," Russell paused for a moment, then nodded.
"Cedric here is Hufflepuff's Seeker."
"But it's still a bit early for you," Cedric said as he stuffed a handful of crisps into his mouth, crunching loudly.
"At Hogwarts, first-years aren't allowed to bring broomsticks, and they're not allowed to join the Quidditch teams either."
"I see," Wednesday replied, closing the magazine with a hint of disappointment.
"That's not necessarily true," Russell said reassuringly. If Wednesday really wanted to play—and if she turned out to be talented—there might be room for negotiation with the Heads of House. After all, he clearly remembered that Harry had joined the Gryffindor team in his first year.
"Cedric, do you have friends over?" a voice called from the doorway.
A tall man stood there, ruddy-faced, with a short brown beard and glasses. His hairline had receded slightly, giving him a warm, fatherly look.
"Dad? You're back already?" Cedric said in surprise, then tossed him a bottle of cola.
"Try this—Russell brought it."
Amos glanced at Russell and nodded in realization, extending his hand.
"Hello, Russell. Cedric talks about you all the time—says you're the most outstanding first-year at Hogwarts. Seeing you now, I can believe it."
He shook Russell's hand firmly, then smiled even wider when he noticed the snacks on the table.
"I'm glad Cedric has a friend like you."
"You flatter me," Russell replied modestly. "Cedric's helped me a lot at school. If anything, he's the exceptional one."
"No, you are."
"No, you are."
With Amos present, the two boys immediately slipped into mutual praise.
"Haha, you're both excellent," Amos laughed, then finally noticed Wednesday quietly reading nearby.
"And this young lady is…?"
"Wednesday. Pleased to meet you, sir. I'm Russell's friend."
"Welcome," Amos said kindly. Though her tone was cool, he took it in stride, assuming it was simply her nature.
"Cedric, I'm just here to grab a few things. I won't be back tonight. If your guests are staying over, make sure you prepare rooms for them."
With that, Amos hurried upstairs and left again just as quickly.
"So," Russell raised an eyebrow, "you've got enough spare rooms, right?"
There was no way he was sharing a room with Wednesday.
"Plenty," Cedric said casually. "Or you can just stay with me."
"That works. So what should we do next?" Russell glanced at the magazine in Wednesday's hands.
"If you've got a broom, why not let Wednesday give it a try?"
"I do," Cedric said sheepishly. "It's just… not very new. Only slightly better than the ones used in flying class."
"That's more than enough," Wednesday said, her eyes lighting up.
"That's it—slowly now, easy… yes, perfect," Russell guided her carefully as she took to the air. Cedric watched with great interest from the side, munching on crisps.
Wednesday flew remarkably well—hard to believe it was her first time on a broom.
Russell finally relaxed, grabbed a few crisps of his own, and kept his eyes fixed on Wednesday while quietly asking Cedric,
"Have you been writing to Cho?"
"Of course," Cedric replied, his face glowing with happiness. The smile was so bright it almost hurt Russell's eyes.
"So you're officially together, then?" Russell said confidently.
"My Christmas gift helped a lot, didn't it?"
"Honestly? Not really," Cedric shook his head. "I just taught Cho Quidditch every weekend."
"So that's why you always said you were busy practicing," Russell said in sudden realization.
"Hey, practice is practice," Cedric laughed.
"But aren't you worried? If Cho becomes Ravenclaw's Seeker next year, she'll be your rival."
"What's there to worry about?" Cedric said calmly.
"If she doesn't practice Quidditch, she looks at me like a frog gazing at the moon.
If she does practice Quidditch, she looks at me like a mayfly staring at the open sky."
"…Where did you steal that line from?" Russell stared at him, dumbfounded.
"That's way too dramatic."
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