The seeker from next door

On that winter break, Cedric loved

Cedric didn't tell anyone about his conversation with Cho, as he assumed his teammates would make fun of him, and at worst, scold him for showing interest in the rival seeker.

He and his friends watched Ravenclaw's match against Slytherin. From the stands, they could see the two teams entering the field, but everyone's eyes were on the newcomer, which was Cho.

- Oh, look at their seeker! – Preece pointed to the girl.

- So skinny and frail... – Fleet teased, and Cedric refrained from saying good things to him.

- The Slytherin Seeker is not far behind! – Heidi Macavoy said, indicating the short, blond boy in the greenish robes, who was famous at school for being from an influential family.

- Is it Draco Malfoy who paid to be on the team? – the other Hufflepuffs agreed, and Fleet gave his verdict:

- Oh, so I'm going to be a Ravenclaw since I was a kid! – Everyone agreed with Fleet, especially Cedric.

The Ravenclaws were better on the field, but again the Slytherins won. Cedric, unlike many onlookers, only had eyes for the seeker. Cho flew divinely, her blue clothes moved gracefully, in harmony with her black hair, and the boy had fun imagining the expressions that her face would be making during the game. He knew that she had smiled a lot at each point scored by Ravenclaw, that she had become indignant and sulked at each foul caused by the Slytherins, and that she had become serious and concentrated the moment she saw the snitch next to her.

However, Malfoy was luckier, as when he saw the snitch, the golden object was closer to his left arm. The Slytherin would only need to fly faster than Cho, and that would be extremely simple for him, who owned one of the fastest broomsticks in the school. But Draco wanted to ensure that Chang wouldn't stop him from winning the golden object, so he waited for her to approach and gave her a violent push, which made her unbalance from the broom and need help not to fall to the ground.

This made Cedric angry, to the point that he stood up and shouted:

- This is cheating, Madam Hooch has to mark a foul in favor of Ravenclaw!!!

Before Madam Hooch could do anything to punish Draco, he caught the Snitch and ended the game, helping his house turn the tables and secure victory.

Cedric returned to Hufflepuff's quarters trembling with rage, and still indignant:

- That coward, he didn't need to have appealed like that, he just had to fly a few meters, but no! He had to knock Cho Chang off the broom! He could have killed her!

- Calm down, Cedric! – asked Preece, who was scared for never having seen his friend like that.

- When it's our turn, he'll see what's good! - commented Fleet, in a tone of hope.

But before the next Hufflepuff Quidditch match, there were still long months to go. And in the meantime, Cedric would have his beloved winter break. As they got closer, the Seeker's thoughts turned to spending time with his friends. He found himself organizing a winter celebration for his fellow Hufflepuffs that could only be complete with a roaring fire, steaming mugs of hot chocolate and a festive atmosphere. Together, they decorated the common room with twinkling lights and an imposing Christmas tree, a pine tree that Head of House Professor Pomona Sprout always had placed in the Hufflepuff common room.

That year, the Hufflepuffs wanted to extend the celebration of their team's victory over the dreaded Gryffindor. They created several cartoons praising Cedric's achievement and ridiculing Potter for being terrified of dementors.

- Please remove these posters.

- Didn't like them, Cedric?

- No, Herb. And I think Potter should be treated with more respect by all of us, who always like to say that we are the most tolerant house at Hogwarts.