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encassent · 3 years

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young maiden. [ch 1]

cedric diggory x reader

[a/n: i’ve been procrastinating on school with this and it’s a real pain in the arse to have to catch up. do your homework kiddos.]

Cedric Diggory was fascinated with ghosts.

They could do anything they wanted, stay up as late as they wanted, and go anywhere they wanted. No rules applied to them. They didn’t get their house’s points deducted for accidentally falling asleep in class or accidentally forgetting to do assignments. They woudn’t get yelled at for wandering the hallways during class (he got lost! It’s a big castle!) and winding up in a sixth year Charms class.

When Cedric at age eleven first saw the ghosts at Hogwarts, he wrote a detailed letter explaining to his parents about how his backup career— if he didn’t become a famous Quidditch player, of course— was becoming a Hogwarts ghost and living at the castle for the rest of his ghostly life.

Unfortunately, neither one of his parents took it seriously.

His mother gently offered applying to the Ministry of Magic as a backup plan. His father said “If you, my boy, aren’t accepted by any Quidditch organization, it will be the day the sport dies.”

He tried to express his frustration about his parents’ reactions to his new friends, but they all just laughed at him. He then tried to talk to Professor Sprout about it and she considered scheduling an appointment the school counselor about it.

After that interaction during his first few weeks at Hogwarts, Cedric learnt that considering becoming a Hogwarts ghost (no matter if it was a backup for his backup plan) was not something a wizard or witch would consider a good aspiration.

I don’t want to die. Cedric wanted to say to everyone before they looked at him weird. I just want to be free. Independent.

***

“I’m having a bit of trouble with the actual... technical part of the spell, that’s all,” Cedric said. Wingardium leviosa was taught to him last week, but he still couldn’t quite get the hang of it yet.

“That’s jus’ fancy for I can’t do it please help me,” Elciel— the Hufflepuff Prefect who gave him a tour of the castle two weeks ago— shot him a knowing look.

“Yeah,” Cedric admitted. “I’ve been fine with the other charms, I just can’t get this one for some reason and—” He shrugged. “I thought you could help me? Because you’re a Prefect and everything?”

Elciel smiled sadly. “I’m sorry. I’m very busy right now, Diggory.” She gestured at the parchments and textbooks surrounding her.

Cedric’s face fell a little. Elciel must have noticed, because she put her hand on his shoulder reassuringly.

“However—” She leaned in a little, as if sharing a secret. “There’s someone who could help you out.”

Cedric perked up. “Who?”

Elciel took a look around the common room. Nobody else was paying attention. “A ghost,”

Cedric’s heart pounded with excietment in his chest. He’d get to talk to a ghost? A real ghost?

Elciel chuckled at the look on his face. “The teacher and adults call her Young Maiden ‘cause she died at seventeen, but she’ll respond to Maiden or Maid.”

“Where can I find her?” Cedric said giddly. He was ready to sprint to the very top of the Astronomy tower if he had to. Ghosts were just so cool.

“‘Round,” Elciel looked up, thinking about it. “She likes to hang out near the Great Hall, mostly. She’s also ‘round the Study Hall, the Quidditch pitch. ‘nd the Astronomy Tower. A very helpful ghost, she is.”

“Brilliant,” Cedric grinned. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Elciel tapped the side of her head with the end of her quill. “Say ‘ello to her for me, won’t you?”

“Sure!” Cedric called over his shoulder as he bolted out of the common room.

***

As one of the younger school ghosts, you stood out more than you older peers. You were also the currently the only ghost reading over a Muggle Studies report in the Study Hall.

“So these... pens really are just Muggle quills?” A small girl asked. “I thought they also used quills?”

“Your report’s right about that. They did use quills,” You shrugged “They just invented pens and liked them better.”

“Well, I like quills,” The girl showed off her white quill. “They look nicer.”

“That they do,” You laughed a little.

“I think I’ll be okay now, thank you Miss,” The girl nodded.

“It’s no problem. If you need help just yell for me,” You patted her head. Or, you tried to. Your hand simply passed through her head. You sighed a little and drifted away from the Study Hall into the corridor, planning on going to the Great Hall next.

“E-excuse me?” A boy’s voice called from behind you.

“Yes?” You turned around. The boy’s eyes grew to twice their size. His expression was a cross between terrified and intrigued.

“You— you’re the Maiden, correct?” He stammered. He stepped closer cautiously, like the way you’d approach a flock of birds without starting them.

You nodded.

“I heard from my friend Elciel that you can teach me?” The boy slowly pulled out his wand from his pocket. “I’m having trouble with wingardium leviosa.”

You smiled dreamily. “My favorite spell when I was in school,”

“So...” The boy looked up shyly at you. “You can help?”

“Sure,” You nodded at the end of the hallway behind him. “There’s an empty classroom over there, we can practice inside without bothering anyone.”

The boy’s face broke into a giant grin. “Brilliant,”

“Before we start, may I ask you your name?” You asked while drifting towards the door.

“Cedric. Cedric Diggory,” He stopped walking, sticking out his hand for a moment. He then frowned, dropping it back to his side. “S-sorry. I forgot about that.”

“No worries,” You hummed, letting him open the classroom door.

“And you are?” He asked.

“Me?” You raised your eyebrows. “Nobody’s asked my name in a while... I’m (F/N) (L/N),” You smiled at Cedric and phased into the classroom through the wall. Cedric grinned again, following you inside.

“Now the flying charm—” You looked around the room for random items. “should be practiced on a smaller item first.”

“Like this?” Cedric held up a ratty old Transfiguration textbook. It might’ve been from your time at the school.

“Looks good,”

“Now what?” Cedric asked after placing it onto the floor.

“Stand shoulder-width apart and focus,” You floated beside the boy. “You have to concentrate one hundred percent on doing a spell properly or else it won’t work. This will apply to every spell you do, not just this one.”

“Okay,” Cedric squinted his eyes shut and furrowed his thick eyebrows.

“Now, how exactly do you pronounce the spell?” You asked softly.

“Wingardium leviosa?” He asked, his eyes still shut.

“Close, it’s wingardium leviosa,” You said, emphasizing the a at the end. “Don’t enunciate the o, enunciate the a.”

“Got it,” He opened his eyes, focusing on the textbook like a laser pointer. “Wingardium leviosa!”

A weak shower of blue sparks trickled out of his wand and floated upwards lazily.

Cedric frowned. “That’s not how it was supposed to work.”

“Your wand motion was wrong,” You said. “You’re swishing your arm too much. Swish it like this—” You demonstrated. “And flick your wrist slightly. Swish and flick.”

“Like this?” Cedric mimicked your movements perfectly with his other hand.

“Beautiful,” You nodded.

“C-cool,” Cedric cleared his throat and turned back to the textbook, preforming the spell. The textbook only levitated for a couple of seconds, but it was a huge improvement compared to his previous attempt.

“Again,” You said.

“Again,” Cedric echoed, rolling up the sleeves of his uniform.

***

next part

[a/n: i grinned, then chuckled while adding the links to this chapter]

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