PARALLEL {Cedric Diggory | Harry Potter}

Six

*

The tables in the Great Hall had all been pushed to the side, the Goblet of Fire sitting proudly on the middle of the stone, a white line dancing around it.

Leanne was sat sandwiched in between her new friends, Katie and Lori, watching as various budding sixth and seventh years put their names into the blue flames.

Angelina had just put her piece of parchment in, earning polite applause from all the onlookers, which consisted entirely of Hogwarts students who were sheltering from the rain.

"Come on, Cedric! Put it in!" a Hufflepuff roared as a large group, who were dragging their Quidditch Captain, raced into the Hall. They shoved him forwards, across the line.

Cedric smiled at his friends, before turning to the Goblet, dropping the parchment into the flames.

His friends greeted him with boisterous applause as he rejoined them, noticing Lori and sending her a warm smile. Cedric led his friends over to where she was sitting, taking a seat next to Lori.

"Looks like you've got an admirer." Leanne said lowly.

The rest of them climbed onto the bench, most of his friends sending him similar remarks about the Weasley.

Two Gryffindors suddenly ran into the Hall, bearing pieces of parchment aloft and yelling as they went.

Lori groaned, recognising the twins instantly, "For Merlin's sake."

Cedric and their friends laughed from beside her as they did a lap of the Hall, high fiving all they passed, before coming to a stop in front of Hermione.

"It's not going to work," she sang.

"Oh, yeah?"

"And why is that, Granger?"

Hermione pointed to the line, "You see this? This is an Age Line. Dumbledore drew it himself."

"So?"

"So," Hermione began, snapping her book shut, "a genius like Dumbledore couldn't possibly be fooled by a dodge as pathetically dimwitted as an Aging Potion."

"But that's why it's so brilliant."

"Because it's so pathetically dimwitted."

Smirking, the twins stood on the bench, shaking the vials of their potion excitedly.

"Ready, Fred?"

"Ready, George?"

They pulled the stoppers, linking their arms and with, "Bottoms up." they drank.

Lori rolled her eyes as they paused, before throwing themselves across the line. After a seconds silence, the Hall broke into loud cheers.

"This isn't going to end well." Lori muttered.

Cedric smiled down at her, her gaze fixed intently on her brothers as more cheers erupted as parchment hit flame.

Blue swirled from the Goblet, engulfing the twins and throwing them across the hall and onto the floor. As they sat up, everyone realised they had now sprouted white hair and beards.