"Pippa. Pippa? Pippa!"
A girl poked her head out from underneath a purple quilt, yawning widely. She stared at her uncle with an unfocused gaze, her mind hovering somewhere between dreams and consciousness.
"Didn't I just fall asleep a few hours ago?"
"Well, that depends." Her uncle winked. "Did you and Ced go to bed when I told you to?"
Pippa sighed annoyingly. "I'll get up."
"Good girl. We leave in twenty minutes. Make sure you have all of your things!"
Once she was alone again, Pippa slid out of bed and walked over to the gilded mirror hanging on her wall. In reality, the room was a guest room, but she occupied it so frequently that the room was as good as hers. She liked it more than her own, come to think of it. A fun weekend last summer had been spent painting the walls a light lavender. Even though it was too early to see, she had an excellent view of the sunrise from a circular window surrounded by lacy curtains. The window seat was perfect for reading, doodling, or just napping. Needless to say, Pippa loved the Diggory property like her own home.
After getting dressed, she began to twist her dark waves into two braids that nearly reached her waist with careful hands. She often found herself quite frustrated with her thick hair. It wasn't consistently curly or straight or sleek or controlled. Rather, it curled in random places and frizzed if even a drop of moisture filled the air. During the summer, she learned that braiding was easier altogether.
"Pippa!"
"Coming!" She called hurriedly, glancing at her reflection a final time and swung a worn leather backpack around her shoulders. Her outfit consisted of a yellow t-shirt under a set of denim overall shorts. Simple, cute, and most importantly, comfortable. Her Chuck Taylors would travel quite a few miles today.
Pippa ran out into the hallway and hopped on the railing, sliding down it with the skills of an expert. She'd mastered this art at Hogwarts, even on moving staircases, so a small stationary one was amateur hour.
"Catch!"
Nearly tipping over in shock, she caught the pear in her left hand right before hopping off and onto the floor. Rolling her eyes, she took a big bite. "You threw off my groove there. I could have crashed!"
An attractive boy leaning casually against the wall grinned and took a sip of his coffee. "But you didn't."
"Shut up, Ced," she laughed through a yawn. "Two in the morning is a new level of insanity."
"Dad says we've got a bit of a walk to get to the hill. You should get a coat, he says it's still a little chilly outside," he responded as he slid on his yellow Quidditch hoodie. On the back, it read DIGGORY in bold black letters. "I don't know if that last game of chess was worth the exhaustion, Pip. Maybe we should have just went to bed."
"You're just upset that I beat you," She taunted playfully, grabbing a white crewneck sweatshirt from the post at the foot of the stairs and sliding it over her head.
Cedric grinned, shaking his head. "No, you won fair and square. And it's gonna be worth it, you know. Getting up early, I mean."
"Ireland better win." Pippa recalled the embarrassing season England had and cringed internally. "Although Bulgaria's got Krum. He could be a game changer for them."
Cedric shrugged and took another sip of coffee, attempting to hide his tired state. "So what? Who cares if they've got Krum? He's only a seeker."
"You're a seeker," she pointed out with raised eyebrows.
"Yes, and I know that it's not just about me. Quidditch is a team sport, after all. Krum's a great player, but the Irish have got seven great players, and their teamwork overall is better than Bulgaria's."
"True."
Amos Diggory jogged into the hallway, a bright smile on his face. Pippa's uncle was definitely her favorite relative, except for Cedric, of course. He was an excitable man who loved his family more than anything and he took pride in all of them. She respected that. There weren't enough people who treasured family values in the world, at least in her opinion.
Nothing was more important than family. Pippa learned that the hard way each time she interacted with one of the 'Sacred 28' Pureblood families. Her mother's maiden name was Diggory, but marrying a Muggle made her an outcast among high society despite coming from a respected Pureblood family. Luckily, Amos never turned his back on his younger sister, and the two families were now inseparable.
Being called a blood-traitor bothered Pippa, but she learned to shrug it off with a cheerful smile. When any of those pompous families, whether it be the Notts or the Malfoys or the Rosiers or an innumerable amount of others, snubbed her, she shook off the hateful comments and moved on with life. They didn't call her the 'Puff Princess' at Hogwarts for nothing. According to the student body, there wasn't a hateful bone in her body.
Amos slung one arm around Cedric's shoulder and another around Pippa's. "You two ready?"
Cedric laughed. "Ready, Dad."
"Ready," Pippa confirmed.
He clapped them both on the back. Scooping his bag off of the ground, he yelled, "Quidditch World Cup, here we come!"
They stepped outside into the cool morning air. Later, the temperature would increase, but for now, Pippa relished in the moderate weather. While Amos locked the door, she walked out onto the lawn, Cedric close behind. She picked a big dandelion and stuck it behind her cousin's ear, a difficult feat due to his height. Pippa wasn't overly short, but Cedric was a gentle giant, at least in her eyes.
"There. You're nice and pretty now."
He laughed and struck a dramatic pose, which made her laugh. "Aren't I pretty enough without you adorning me with weeds?"
"They're not weeds!" She protested. "They're just... lesser flowers."
"All right, princess, let's get a move on." He shook his head at his younger cousin, but kept the dandelion where it was. She grinned.
With Amos leading the way, the three walked on for hours, eating breakfast and chatting nonstop as they went. Pippa's exhaustion quickly wore off as the excitement built up inside of her. In a few hours, they'd be in a screaming stadium watching the greatest Quidditch players on the planet.
Pippa loved the sport even though she didn't play it. Cedric bugged her about it for years, saying that she had the perfect build for a seeker once he graduated from Hogwarts, but she refused each time. Heights nauseated her and she was uncomfortable doing absolutely anything in front of absolutely anyone. She was only able to really let her guard down around close friends and family, one of the perks of her mild anxiety issues.
The trio gathered around a moldy old boot that Pippa had no interest in touching. However, she knew she had to, because this stinking piece of footwear would transport them to where they needed to go.
"Why doesn't the Ministry enchant nice things for Portkeys?" Pippa asked, grimacing. "Things that don't smell like mildew and sweat?"
Amos squeezed her shoulder, chortling. "Because no Muggle would accidentally grab a boot that smelled like mildew and sweat."
"I guess."
"Down there," Cedric said, pointing to a group at the foot of the hill. "Who's down there?"
Amos squinted from underneath his glasses. "Ah. Weasleys!"
"They all can't be," Pippa commented thoughtfully. "They all aren't gingers."
"I reckon they've got a few tag-alongs, then," Amos said before raising his hand in greeting. "Over here, Arthur! Over here, we've got it!"
One of the figures also waved and yelled, "Amos!"
The two groups met in the middle, and the two men shook hands. "This is Amos Diggory, everyone." Mr. Weasley introduced his clan. "And I think you know his son, Cedric, and his niece, Phillipa?"
"Hi," Cedric said, nodding politely to them all. He offered Mr. Weasley a genuine smile and a handshake.
Pippa waved to the group but chose to stay silent. She knew them all through school, although she really couldn't call the majority of them friends. She was closest with Ron, having grown up near his home. Harry, of course, was incredibly well-known, but she thought there was more to the boy than the scar on his forehead. She liked his modest attitude. And frankly, Hermione Granger intimidated her more than any Slytherin she'd ever crossed paths with.
A few of the boys were sniggering incessantly. At first, she was mortified that they were making fun of her for some unknown reason, but then she realized that the teasing wasn't directed at her. One of the twins, either Fred or George, she wasn't quite sure, motioned to Cedric, who turned beet red and brushed the dandelion from behind his ear.
"Long walk, Arthur?"
Mr. Weasley shook his head and gave Amos a hearty handshake over the boot. "Not too bad. We live just in the other side of the village there. You?"
"Had to get up at two, didn't we, kids? I tell you, I'll be glad when these two get their Apparation tests, but that's a few years off anyway. Still... not complaining... Quidditch World Cup, wouldn't miss it for a sackful of galleons - and the tickets cost about that." Amos' eyes swept around the rather large group behind Mr. Weasley. "All these yours, Arthur?"
"Oh no, only the redheads. This is Hermione, one of Ron's friends, and this is Harry, another friend."
Amos' eyes went wide under his wire spectacles. "Merlin's beard. Harry? Harry Potter?"
"Um... yes," Harry said hesitantly. His hand immediately went to his forehead and he adjusted his hair in a way that it covered his infamous scar. "Hello."
"Ced's talked about you, of course. Told us all about playing against you last year... I said to him, I said - Ced, that'll be something to tell your grandchildren, that will... You beat Harry Potter!"
Cedric glanced at his feet, obviously embarrassed by his father's bragging. Pippa stepped forward and put a hand on her uncle's arm. In a soft yet firm voice, she murmured, "Uncle Amos, you're making them both really uncomfortable."
This caused Amos to close his mouth rather quickly. Both Harry and Cedric flashed her grateful smiles, and she winked. This was her true strength. Pippa had a certain warmth that served her better than arguing.
Mr. Weasley pulled out a dented pocket watch and glanced at it. "Must be nearly time. Do you know whether we're waiting for any more, Amos?"
"No, the Lovegoods have been there for a week already and the Fawcetts couldn't get tickets. There aren't any more of us in this area, are there?"
"Not that I know of. Yes, it's a minute off, we'd better get ready."
Pippa glanced at the disgusting boot and her nose wrinkled up. All ten of them huddled around it, clutching onto a sole or a shoelace.
"Three... two... one!"
And then she felt it, like someone had pulled her by the middle and was spinning her around excessively. She bit back a scream as the world blurred before her eyes.
She landed on top of Harry, whose green eyes went wide. Blushing furiously, she immediately rolled off of him, embarrassed beyond belief.
"Sorry!" She stammered.
He laughed a little and offered her a hand up. "No worries, Pip."
"Thanks."
Mr. Weasley grinned wildly as everyone collected themselves. "Welcome to the Quidditch World Cup!"
Amos, Cedric, and Pippa waved goodbye to the Weasleys and company before departing to find their own campsite.
"We're up here, kids!" Amos shouted, pointing to a shabby tent amidst a forest of similar ones. A small, crooked sign up staked into the grass read DIGGORY. "Toss your things inside, then you can take a look around, if you like. I'm going to get our tickets squared away. You two are on the bunk beds in the room to the left."
"I call the top bunk!" Pippa yelled, dashing into the room and tossing her bag on the bed before Cedric had a chance to say otherwise. She climbed up and waved to her cousin, who laughed and stowed his own backpack underneath.
"Nice view from up there?"
Pippa looked left, then right, then left, sarcasm in her sweet smile. "Is this what it's like being super tall?"
"Sort of," he chuckled. "Come on, I want to check this place out. In a few hours, people'll start flooding towards the stadium and we won't be able to look around."
Cedric shed his hoodie and led the way out. Pippa shoved her hands in her pockets and vowed to absorb everything, because there was just so much to take in.
Her head kept whipping around as she soaked in the sights around her. Witches and wizards from all over the world were setting up tents, lighting fires, and just sitting on the grass. A few little kids zoomed around on toy broomsticks or played with Quidditch action figures. She counted at least seven glaring Victor Krum figurines among them, which she found funny, but when she opened her mouth to point this out to Cedric, she noticed that he wasn't paying attention at all.
"What're you staring at?" She asked interestedly.
Cedric instantly dropped his gaze as soon as she asked. "Nothing."
Pippa made a disbelieving face and scanned the crowds. "Nothing? Give me a break. You had to be looking at someth- oh."
It was then that she saw Cho Chang talking with one of her friends by the water tap. She didn't know much about the girl except that she was a fifth year Ravenclaw and played seeker for her house's team.
Oh, and that Cedric clearly had eyes for her.
"Mmm, I get it now," she said mischievously, wiggling her eyebrows at her cousin, who ran a hand through his brown hair and laughed nervously. "Have you ever even talked to her?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said with a holier-than-thou air. Then, to change the subject at lightning speed, he pointed ahead of them. "Looks like the Irish are having fun up there. See that?"
An entire section of the campsite looked as though it had been drenched in green paint. Shamrocks adorned each tent, some that flashed neon and some that sang the national anthem. The flag of Ireland fluttered in the summer breeze. Posters of the Quidditch team hung from every blank surface and little leprechaun dolls danced for the children's amusement.
"I think I need sunglasses," Pippa muttered in shock, blinking away some of the green. "They really went all-out, didn't they?"
"It's been a while since Ireland made it this far in the competition. They're probably just pumped up."
They walked past many people from Hogwarts. Pippa recognized Seamus Finnigan, one of the boys in her year who had an unfortunate habit of blowing things up, and Dean Thomas, his quieter best friend.
As they passed a emerald-clad vendor, the pair decided to stop and buy souvenirs. Pippa impulse-bought a cap decorated with the Irish flag that she immediately popped on over her braids and Cedric picked out a new shirt.
"Pippa! Hi!"
A blonde flung herself into Pippa's arms, nearly knocking her over on impact. The two squealed as they embraced.
"It's so good to see you!" Pippa exclaimed. "It's been months! How was Paris?"
Lynn Montgomery stepped back and twirled her blonde ponytail, which was adorned with a festive shamrock. Her Irish Girl shirt brought out the green in her blue-green eyes. As usual, she chewed a piece of bubblegum and smiled like she had just seen the prettiest sunrise.
"Paris was amazing. The art, the food, the fashion, the accents! Ugh, I didn't want to leave." Lynn blew a bright pink bubble and popped it. "I missed you, Pippa! You don't write enough!"
"I'm sorry, I get busy!" Tugging on her right braid, Pippa asked enthusiastically, "Are the other two here?"
Lynn shook her head, her ponytail swinging back and forth like a pendulum. "Amy couldn't get tickets on time and Dove said she'd rather die than come to a crowded sporting event full of crazy sweaty fans who drink too much."
"That's about right," Pippa said, giggling.
"Are your parents here?" Lynn asked.
"Nah. Mum's on a business trip and Dad's never really been able to wrap his head around Quidditch. Soccer's his limit. I'm here with my Uncle Amos and Cedric."
Cedric, who had been watching the pair with an amused smile, stepped forward to say hello. "Hey Lynn. Nice to see you again."
"Oh. Hi." A faint pink color flooded her cheeks as she stared up at the seventeen-year-old heartthrob Hufflepuff Prefect she'd been pining after for years. At first, Pippa found it weird, but she got used to it. It wasn't the first and was definitely not the last time she heard about someone liking her cousin. Now, she found teasing her friend about her crush hilarious. "Um, hi Cedric."
"Um... hi?" He grinned, trying to put the younger girl at ease, but his friendly nature and handsome smile only made her more flustered.
"I've got to go. My mum's going to need help with... dinner. Yeah, dinner! Dinner! I'll see you two around! Bye!"
Once she was gone, both Cedric and Pippa burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"She's got it bad," Cedric said, shaking his head with a rueful smile.
"It's that obvious, isn't it?"
"Are you kidding me? Her little crush sticks out like a Weasley in a crowd of blondes!"
She shoved him with her shoulder. He shoved back. "Shut up."
"Unless we get out of here, I think I'm going to start seeing the world as broccoli-green all the time, so maybe we should head back to the tent?"
Pippa giggled. "Okay."
first chapter! let me know what you thought! i'm super excited about writing this!