Chapter 11

"I'm going to Cedric's, bye mum!" Sage called through the house, before exiting out of the front door. She hadn't seen Cedric in a couple of days, and he had not responded to her owls, so she decided she would visit him in person.

"Hello Amos." She smiled as Amos, Cedric's father, answered the door, looking rather pale, and ill. "Good morning, Sage." He smiled kindly, welcoming her inside. "Is something wrong?" She frowned.

"Yes, I assume Cedric's been unresponsive?" He asked, and Sage nodded. "Cedric's mother passed away on Thursday. He's not taking it very well." Amos sighed. Sage could tell he was trying to stay strong for his son, but he had loves his wife very much.

"Oh no. Amos, I am so sorry, if I had of known-"

"Nonsense, child. You're always welcome here, and Cedric could do with some company. He only leaves his room at mealtimes." Amos led her upstairs. "He might not want to see me." Sage smiled sadly, but Amos shook his head. 

"If he doesn't, then come and have a cup of tea with me. It's been a long time since we've had a chat." Amos smiled at her, before leaving her in front of Cedric's door. She brought her knuckles up to it, knocking twice. 

"Not right now, father." Cedric's voice sounded through the wood. "Cedric? It's me." She bit her lip. At first there was no movement, but after a few seconds she heard shuffling, and the door opened. "Sage?" 

Cedric was as pale and thin as his father. "Cedric.." She frowned. "I am so sorry.." She swallowed, waiting for his response, she did not want to hug him if he wasn't feeling up to it. "It's okay." He smiled sadly, and Sage took that as her opportunity to hug him.

"Come in." He stepped aside, and she entered. She normally would have pointed out the mess, seeing as Cedric was quite a tidy person, but instead she decided against it. He didn't need that. Cedric watched her as she wandered around the room, picking up bits of rubbish and cleaning up after him. 

"You don't have to do that." He kept his eyes on her. "I want to." She smiled. "Are you okay? You don't have to talk about it, if you're not feeling up to it." She finished tidying the rest of his room. "I don't really want to talk about it." He smiled. "How are you?"

"I'm good." She sat on his bed, leaning into his pillows. "I had to sneak past Athena to get here." She laughed. "Is she dating Blaise?" He went on. "No. She said he was just an 'experience.'" Sage scoffed. 

They talked a little while longer, never bringing up Cedric's mother, but it was what he wanted, and Sage wouldn't push him. She didn't mind. "And so February and August get along very well." Sage continued. 

"Cedric." She hesitated. "When was the last time you ate?" She swallowed. "I ate breakfast, don't worry." He smiled. "Okay, sorry for asking." 

"No, don't be." He laughed. There was a moment of silence between them, before Cedric got up from his spot at the end of the bed. He crawled up to where she laid, laying his body across hers, resting his head on her stomach. "I'm tired." He whispered.

"I know." She brought her hands down to his hair, combing through it, and playing with the strands, as Cedric laid there silently, and she assumed, he was probably on the verge of sleeping. "Sorry." He muttered. "No. It's okay, rest." She smiled, playing with his hair as he drifted off to sleep.

----

Sage awoke the next morning in a different room than her own. She squinted, straining to make out her location through the faint sunlight, that shone through the sides of the curtains. Beside her, someone stirred, and she realised that she was in Cedric's room.

Cedric had his arms around her waist, and his head resting a little above her chest. Their legs were tangled together, and her arms were wrapped around his neck. "Cedric?" Sage mumbled tiredly, and the boy opened his eyes. 

"Sage?" He blinked in confusion, they had both fallen asleep. "You slept over?" He smiled. "I didn't realise I had. We must have fallen asleep." She laughed, as they disentangled themselves from one another. 

Sage's hair stuck up in all directions, and her eyes were droopy and tired, but to Cedric, she looked perfect. "My parents.. Oh no." Sage groaned. "Father would have told them." Cedric chuckled. "Are you hungry?" He asked.

"Not really." She laid back down. "Neither." He smiled, and they fell back asleep. 

----

"His name's Sirius Black." Olive pointed at the Daily Prophet, where an image of a man was moving. "He escaped from Azkaban, father says there'll be Dementors guarding the school. Father doesn't like the idea, but i'd love to see one." Olive shivered with excitement. 

"I don't. My mother works at the ministry, she's been in the same room as one, and she says they suck all the happiness out of you. It's awful." Rowan shook his head as they made their way to a compartment. 

"Move, Mudblood." Graham Montague shouldered Jill as he passed. "What did you just call me?" She scoffed, as he turned around. "I called you a Mudblood, Mudblood." He sneered, ducking into the next compartment. 

"Graham's foul." Sage scowled at the compartment door he's entered through. "Want to go jinx him?" She placed a hand on Jill. "No. He can call me what he wants, his opinion is of no value to me." She held her head high. 

Jill was Muggle-born, but she had never been called a Mudblood before. Sage applauded how little she cared, but at the same time, she felt Graham deserved a little punishment for his cruel insult. 

"They say he's near Hogwarts." Rowan told the group as they continued their discussion on Sirius Black. "I hear-" Olive was interrupted by the trains sudden halt. 

Everyone fell silent as the lights suddenly went out, and the air grew cold and crisp. Sage gasped inaudibly as frost began to manifest upon the window, crackling slightly as it spread to the rest of the glass.

"What's going on.." Cedric grabbed Sage's hand, making sure she was near as a large, dark, hooded figure floated across the corridor outside, peering into their compartment. Sage heard Olive gasp in fear from across her. 

"That was one of them. A Dementor." She breathed out as the otherworldly creature passed by. "That was thrilling." Olive clutched her chest, breathing heavily as the lights eventually flicked back on, and the train began to move.

"They're searching the train for Sirius Black." Harper grinned. 

----

"Athena was snogging Ernie Macmillan this morning." Rowan looks up from his book. "At least he's a Hufflepuff." Sage sighed. She still found it difficult knowing her sister was spending so much time with boys, but she had calmed down to the idea.

"Shall we get going? We have Care of Magical Creatures." Olive looked up at the clock, and they began to pack their things away. The group waved Cedric and Rowan goodbye, before heading for Hagrid's hut. 

"Today we'll be taking a look at some Fanged Puffskein." Hagrid beamed at the class, as a crate behind him shook violently, apparently there was something alive inside. "What's in that crate, Professor?" A timid looking Ravenclaw asked.

"Glad ye asked! In this crate, i've got three of em. Three Fanged Puffskein." He grinned, before taking a step back and tearing the lid of the crate off. "Now, now, don't you- ARGH- No! No biting." Hagrid struggled, before pulling out one of the creatures.

It's head was a large ball of fluff, and attached to it, was a long pink tail. At first appearance, the creature seemed to be quite cute, but if you looked closely, it had two large fangs that poked through it's mouth. Along with angry red eyes that glared venomously at the class.

"This here is a Fanged Puffskein, supposedly they were bred just for their fangs." Hagrid held the creature up, and the whole class took a step back. "Now they may look quite scary, but I can assure you they're quite lovely creatures." He smiled. "You've just got to know how to tame em! So, any volunteers?" 

The whole class took another step back. "You there." Hagrid pointed at Jill, and she groaned in defeat. "Miss Garcia. Now, I need you to grab em by the tail, there you are." He handed Jill the Puffskein, and she cringed as it attempted to bite her.

"If you'll all quiet down, you'll be able to hear the noise it makes." 

The class fell silent, and a low humming sound could be heard coming from the creature. "Hear it?" Hagrid grinned. "That's how you get em to calm down. You've just got to hum to em." He nodded his head. "Give it a go." He looked at Jill, who flushed pink.

"You want me to hum? Alright then.." She looked at the creature with fear filled eyes, before humming very quietly. "Little bit louder." Hagrid encouraged. "Hmmmm-" She hummed a little louder, and the puff evidently calmed.

"Great job! Now I need all of you to remember this for your O.W.L's." Hagrid nodded. "Now I'll get the rest of you to have a turn, line up." He directed the class to line up in three lines in front of the crate.

"Jill, that was hilarious." Olive grinned. "Oh, shut it." she huffed as they lined up. "What happens if you sing to it?" Harper suggested. "Nothing, I suppose." Sage shrugged. "Hagrid says every lesson that 'this'll be in our O.W.L's,' which ones are actually on it?"

"I suppose we'll find out in the O.W.L." Harper shrugged. "When do we start studying?" Olive frowned. "My sister said about four/ five months before the test, apparently everyone freaks out." Jill interrupted as they moved up the line, the sound of humming getting louder. 

"How did your sister do on her N.E.W.T's?" Olive asked. "Very poorly." Jill grinned. "It'll be easy to upstage her, my parents will worship me." She laughed. "Aren't they muggles, how is it that your sister is a wizard too?" Harper asked.

"Dunno. We think maybe a distant relative was a wizard. There are a few loonies in the family who we think might be Witches, which means there must be some wizard blood in our bloodline." She shrugged.

"Which means Graham Montague can shut up about all that 'Mudblood' bullshit." Harper rolled his eyes. "Don't say that word, Harper!" Olive scolded him. "Olive, we're fifteen." Harper laughed. "Lighten up."