Hedda's POV
The Great Hall was really crowded after Dumbledore's speech and the entrance of the affiliated Wizarding Schools arrivals. I could see Harry, Ron, Dean and Seamus were smitten by the Beauxbatons girls and Hermione, Parvati and Lavender were busy swooning over the boys from Durmstrang. I sat there with my head dipped in one of my favourite Muggle fairy tales whilst peeking over to the Teacher's table to find two of the Weasleys standing beside Bartimeus Crouch Sr. and over to the Hufflepuff table to find that fair-skinned boy we just met at the world cup. the boy that saved me from the raging death eater with his amazing stunning spell, Cedric Diggory. I admitted that he was extremely handsome. But I would not say I fell for him, for now. I was still trying to move on from my last one. And I didn't think adding up another Quidditch Captain on the list would be sufficient.
"Hedda!" Cedric shouted as he ran through the flock of people walking through the doors after the feast ended.
"Ced!" I said as I ran closer to him.
"How was your arm?" He asked as he rolled up my robe to reveal a huge gash on my left arm.
"It wasn't that stinging anymore. But really, thank you for getting rid of that masked death eater for me," I looked down, still feeling a little bit terrified.
He pulled me aside to the corridors where no one could probably find us and hugged me. "Hey, it's okay. Everything will be okay. You're safe here," He said, comforting me.
"Now, you should get back to Prefect duty, Ced. I'll be okay," I said as I helped him tidying up his tie. "The badge looked perfect on you, really."
"I'll see you around soon, Hedda," He said as he strode behind the flock of Hufflepuff first years.
I smiled as I walked back to Gryffindor Tower.
"Well, Well, Well, If it wasn't our favourite Potter," Charlie sniggered.
"Bill, Charlie! What are you two doing here?" I asked as the two of them attacked me with a big bear group hug.
"Well, I'm in charge of the first Triwizard task," Charlie shuddered. The first task? it must be related to the dragons. since Charlie was a dragon wrangler.
"For me? I will be one of the curse-breaker aurors for the competition. Just in case," Bill said as he ruffled my head.
"Are you two going to stay at the tower too?" I asked eagerly.
"McGonagall had prepared a room for us at the tower. So, without further ado, let's go to the tower," Charlie said as he pulled my arm gently and took me back to the dorm together with him and Bill.
"So, You and Diggory, Huh?" Bill teased.
"Me? Cedric?" I frowned. "We what?"
"I mean you're moving on with him, aren't you?" Bill grinned playfully.
"Nah, Ced and I had some sort of bound after the fiasco back at the World Cup. I mean he literally saved me right before that filthy death eater cut my hand off," I said. "If it wasn't for him, I'd probably be found as a corpse, let alone my body were still intact, I'd probably be found mutilated in a duffel bag." I shivered.
"Oh, Hedda," Charlie put his arm around my shoulder.
"Everything would be okay. For now, let's just rest," Bill said as we walked through the painting after I mentioned the password.
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Cedric's POV
After that incident at the Quidditch World Cup Campsite, I've been exchanging owls with Hedda Potter. I was really worried about her. Before I found her, the Death Eater slit her arm with a dagger and put a cruciatus curse on her. The scar marked her delicate fair skinned arm. She said, once fair now tainted. She was still shaken up until now. Part of me was thankful I came right on time, right before the curse took her to the brink of insanity. I knew she only read those muggle books to distract her out of her traumatic memory. I plopped on my bed after getting myself changed.
"Wondering about someone?" Eric, my roommate and best friend, asked me.
"That girl you saved at the World Cup, isn't it?" This time Adrian butted in.
"Uh, I don't know," I shrugged. Honestly, yes. I was wondering about her. I couldn't take her out of my mind.
I didn't pity her for being attacked. I adore her for her bravery. She was tortured because she let her brother and best friends run away to the hiding place Mr Weasley and my Father had created for us and the Weasleys. She was a true Gryffindor. I drifted asleep thinking about her.
The next morning, I got up early and ran to the Great Hall to find her sitting by the end of the table, the nearest to the exit. I sat beside her. Again, she was deep into that muggle fairy tale called Peter Pan. She said it was really fun to read but dark at the same time.
"Hey, Diggory. Why are you sitting at our table?" A Gryffindor asked.
"Why can't I?" I answered gently. "I just want to check if Hedda is okay," I grinned.
She closed her book and sipped on her pumpkin juice. "I'm okay, Ced," She smiled. Merlin! her smile was the prettiest I've ever seen all my Hogwarts years.
"How about your arm?" I asked again.
"I had a nightmare," She whispered. "Don't tell anybody."
"I'll head back to my table but I am not letting you go to your classes alone. I'll escort," I whispered as I messed her hair.
"Cedric! It took me 15 minutes to brush my hair. and you messed it with only 5 seconds," She pouted. and God knows she was really cute when she pouted.
"I'll catch to you after breakfast," I said as I fled back to Hufflepuff table.
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Narrator's POV
After the breakfast at the hall, Cedric picked Hedda up at the Gryffindor table. He walked her to her first class, Defence Against The Dark Arts. The two walked behind Harry, Ron and Hermione while talking about the book she just read. as interesting as it could be, They had to stop when they reached the classroom.
"I'll pick you up after class," Cedric grinned.
"See you later, Mr Seeker," Hedda smiled and pulled his hand gently. "You always forgot about the messy tie, Mr Prefect." She tidied his tie and giggled.
"See you later, Heds," He grinned and walked away from the class.
"What's with that? Are you two on a friendly basis?" Ron asked.
"Well, as you see, Ronald. I am trying to settle myself. after that incident at the camp, and after the breakup, He seemed to care about me a little more than you and Harry," Hedda shrugged.
"What happened?" Harry asked as they walked into the class.
"A death eater put me under Cruciatus curse and slit my arm with a dagger," Hedda said, looking down to the table where she sat. She was staring at the table because she found out a heart with her parents' initials were carved on the table.
Harry pulled up Hedda's robe to reveal her bandaged left arm. "You never told," He said.
"I am just grateful Cedric saved me before I went nuts," Hedda said as Harry sat beside her. "I owed him my life. And repaying it with a hand in friendship wouldn't hurt so much, right?"
"Well someone would certainly be jealous for you and Diggory," Ron shrugged.
"Who?" Hedda asked.
"Bill. It was obvious enough that Bill had something for you since the two of you met at the Burrow," Ron said.
"Can we continue this later, Professor Moody's here," Hermione said as the peg-legged one-eyed blond middle-aged man came into the classroom.
That day at the class, Professor Moody taught the fourth year about the unforgivable curses. There were three of them. The first one he taught about was Imperius curse, then he moved on to the Cruciatus Curse. Before he moved on to the third one, Hedda grasped Harry's arm when Moody shouted out the incantation to perform the Cruciatus Curse. She winced as the pain emerged from her spines to her brain.
"Hedda!" Harry shouted as Hedda slumped into his lap, looking lifeless.
"Stop it!" Hermione shouted as Harry and Ron ran outside the class carrying Hedda to the Hospital Wing.
"Ron, you look for Cedric. I'll take care of my sister," Harry said as he laid her on the bed.
"What happened to Miss Potter?" Madam Pomfrey asked.
"I don't know the details. It happened in the class. Professor Moody was teaching us about this curses, she suddenly fell onto me and fainted," Harry tried to elaborate.
Cedric rushed into the wing with Ron. "Weasley told me the whole story. Is she okay?" He asked.
"Apparently not. I think it was the trauma surging on her. Because the curse was practised on another creature," Harry said.
"I'll try my best to help her through," Madam Pomfrey said.
Hedda slowly opened her eyes and saw Cedric sitting by the side of her bed. She cried and hugged Cedric. "He did the curse. not to me. but it tortured me," She whined between her sobs.
"Sshh, it's okay. I'll be here," Cedric said as he comforted her. He stayed with her the whole night at the hospital wing. He refused to leave her alone at any rate. "You'll be okay, I promise," Cedric kissed the back of her hand to comfort her.
Harry, Ron and Hermione were watching with a smile plastered on their faces.
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