Dissemination

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

A/N: So sorry for the lengthy delay. Thanks to Nikki, Kerry and Jane, my beta team, for their hard work and great suggestions.

Cedric headed back to the common room, still brooding. Markus was lounging on the couch next to Cedric's favourite armchair and beckoned him over. After half a moment's hesitation, Cedric flopped into the armchair and grinned at his friend.

'Well, Diggs, what was tonight's clandestine meeting about then?'

Cedric's heart leapt, and he wondered whether Markus knew what he had done, but then reason won out as he realized that his friend was talking about the Triwizard Tournament. Exhaling dramatically, he explained what little he knew of the third task to Markus, whose eyes widened at the prospect of a hedge-riddled Quidditch pitch.

'That sounds like something, all right, but what else is up? You seem out of sorts, and it's not normal for you to be so worked up over something like this.'

Cedric was surprised at the unusual question from Markus and smiled.

'Careful, Markus, any more questions like that and people will start accusing you of having feelings!'

Markus let out a large, booming laugh that startled the common room and earned them disapproving looks from nearly everyone in the room, particularly the fifth-years who seemed to be up to their eyeballs in books and parchment.

'Well, I blame it all on Hannah. She's rubbing off on me.'

'I think it's a great thing, mate. She's a good person.'

Markus grew thoughtful. 'Yes, she is, she really is,' he said quietly.

Cedric pondered just how much of a positive effect Hannah was having on his friend and made a mental note to thank her after the tournament. They continued their discussion, hypothesizing about the possibilities of the maze and the creatures within. Markus suggested making a list of all the animals and creatures that Hagrid had introduced them to over the two years that he'd been the Care of Magical Creatures teacher. He was sure that with Jamie's help the three of them could figure out which would be the hardest to defeat and then figure out how to do it.

'Hey, where is Jamie anyway? I haven't seen him since Herbology.' Cedric looked around the common room for their friend.

Markus grinned hugely, his white teeth flashing in his tanned face as he waggled his eyebrows dramatically. 'Ah, our young James is in the library with Miss Bell – I suspect that they're canoodling in the stacks!'

Cedric laughed out loud, earning them both more glowering looks from the fifth years. 'Oh, come on, Markus, do you believe that everyone is hormonally driven?'

Markus' only response was to wink broadly at him, and Cedric had to admit, if only to himself, that the same was true when it came to his thoughts of Harry.

~~

Cedric pictured the dusty Hogwarts library and the stacks of books in the very back. It was notoriously a place where students went to snog and sometimes a little more, and although Madame Pince must have known about the goings on, he hadn't heard of any of the students who had ever gone far enough to warrant her intervention.

Cedric had only been there once, with Cho, early in their relationship, and although they had groped each other largely experimentally, he had never thought to take her back there. Somehow, the stacks were reserved for fantasies, and his fantasies had never included her, only Harry.

He pictured the wooden shelves that held the old, large and very dusty tomes. Research books, mainly, and the occasional book on family histories or magic through the ages. Cedric loved books and felt a strong connection to their history. He liked to run his hands along the spines of the publications, feeling their magic even through his fingertips.

He often imagined that Harry would find him there, or maybe he would stumble upon the young Gryffindor as he searched for a hard-to-find title.

'Let me help you, Harry', he'd say, and Harry would be grateful for his kind offer of assistance. Cedric would find the book in no time, of course, but would delay, just to feel Harry's body against his as they stretched their necks to read the titles on the highest shelves. Cedric would reach up for the book, bringing it down for Harry and caressing the spine of the volume before handing it to the young champion.

Harry would thank him sincerely and his eyes would glitter, even in the dim light, and that would make Cedric's heart beat faster and faster with every pulse. Their hands would brush against each other's as Cedric would surrender his find, and their eyes would meet and hold. Time would stand still and the only sound would be their ragged breathing. Their bodies would be close, so close, and Harry would move closer still and tilt his head backwards, moving his lips closer to Cedric's ear.

'Thank you again, Cedric,' Harry would whisper, and Cedric's body would respond to the heat of Harry's breath on his neck and the hoarseness of his voice. His skin would erupt in goose bumps, and he would suck his breath in through his clenched teeth, and then Harry would cover Cedric's mouth with questioning kisses, tentative yet yearning, just like the boy himself, and Cedric would answer every time.

The book forgotten, their bodies would entwine as their kisses grew more intense and more demanding. Cedric would press Harry's body against the hard wooden shelves and groan as he felt the heat of the flesh beneath his hands. Harry would moan, a delicious, sinful, needful, desperate sound that would fuel Cedric's desire further, and he would make quick work of the buttons of Harry's clothes, exposing his pale skin in the dusty air of the library.

Ever mindful, Cedric would cast a Silencing Charm wordlessly as he ran his tongue along Harry's chest and up the side of his neck, relishing the sweet-salt tang of his flesh, a taste that was so uniquely Harry. Their breath would come in ragged pants as the need for skin-on-skin contact would drive Harry to fumblingly remove Cedric's robes before he would slide his hand down the front of Cedric's trousers. His fingers would close around Cedric's cock, already impossibly hard, and Cedric's every pore, every nerve ending, would be tuned to that delicious feeling of lightly calloused fingers on his sensitive flesh.

Cedric's legs would threaten to give out, and he would push his body against Harry's, driving him harder into the shelves and grinding his pelvis against the hard young body. They would moan into each others mouths as they kissed, deep, erotic kisses that would intensify with every movement against each other, and he would feel the delicious friction of Harry's erection through his trousers, the rub of sweat-slicked skin so very delicious to the touch that it was almost enough to have them coming from barely held desire. Cedric would always feel Harry's aura surround them, and the power would surge through them, first stripping them bare and then binding them to each other.

Harry would whisper Cedric's name, over and over, a moaning, groaning, begging, pleading mantra that would accompany their simultaneous orgasms, and the magic surrounding them would throb with every thrust, every heart beat and every pulse of their bodies.

They would stand, gasping, leaning against each other as the dust settled around them. Harry's back would be bruised and marked by the shelves as a result of their tryst, but he would never complain. Cedric would run his hands over the injured flesh, gently caressing the skin and murmuring a healing spell, and the damage would be repaired.

Until the next time...

~~

'Oi, Cedric, mate, are you okay? You seem a little... flushed. You feeling all right?'

Cedric realized that he was shaking and swallowed nervously. 'Yes, I'm all right. Just a little light headed... skipped dinner, you know.'

'Oh. Right.'

Cedric knew that Markus' doubting tone spoke volumes, and he hated the lie but felt awkward for the first time around his friend. Although he and Jamie shared an empathetic bond that made their interactions easier, ever since their first weekend at Hogwarts, Markus' approval was always what Cedric strove for, and he pondered how his boisterous friend would take the news of his being gay and of his attraction to Harry.

Markus was the strong-willed one, a natural leader and hugely charismatic. Like the star sign he was born under, he was often bullish, opinionated and stubborn, but to Cedric, Markus represented stability. Whereas Cedric was perhaps the most popular of the three in the school, Markus held the real power. Jamie was the soothing, equalizing force, and although Cedric felt fairly certain that Jamie would support him no matter what, Markus usually required proof, certainty and logic. Cedric realized that there was no logic in this situation, but what he felt for Harry was incontrovertible, and he knew one thing – their mutual attraction couldn't be ignored any longer. He wanted to square things away with his friends, and he vowed to do so later that night when Jamie returned to the dorm.

~~

Later that night, however, Cedric was called into the Headmaster's office on a matter of great urgency. He arrived just as Fleur was being questioned by Dumbledore with Madame Maxime in attendance as to what she saw, who she saw, who was there and what happened. Cedric was bombarded by impressions of fear, dismay, discomfort, anger and mistrust. His heartbeat was unsteady as Fleur and Maxime brushed past him, and his eyes met Fleur's for a brief moment. He realized that something very grave had happened and shuddered as he wondered what could have prompted the Headmaster to call the champions to his study at this hour of the night.

His mind sent out feelers for Harry's aura but the magic within Hogwarts was entirely too strong for him to be able to pick out the signature of the young Gryffindor.

Dumbledore met Cedric at the door to his office.

'Ah, Cedric, come in, dear boy. Quite a business tonight.'

'What's happened, Headmaster?' Cedric was concerned to see the tiredness in Dumbledore's face.

'I was hoping that you could tell me.'

Cedric had a fleeting memory of Harry and Krum on the grounds and felt a wash of shame for his actions. He struggled to meet the Headmaster's eyes and was surprised to see that they lacked their usual twinkle, yet he wondered whether Dumbledore really saw and knew all. He quailed slightly in the wake of this unprecedented development but found comfort from an unexpected source.

A gentle crooning emanated from the corner of Dumbledore's office and Cedric turned to see a large, blood-red bird gazing at him with dark, glittering eyes. A phoenix! He was suddenly awash with awe and a gentle soothing comfort – he had heard tell of the power of phoenix song, but didn't imagine that the bird's crooning would have such a powerful effect.

'Ah, yes, I see you've met Fawkes. He approves of you, dear boy, and a phoenix's approval is never given lightly.'

Cedric briefly wondered whether the bird knew what he'd done tonight and whether all his impurities, both of mind and body, were somehow laid bare for Fawkes to see. He chanced one last look at Fawkes' magnificent vermillion plumage and was surprised to see the bird nod its regal head at him. Cedric arched an eyebrow and considered that the phoenix might just be the one who knew and saw all.

'Thank you, sir.'

'Not at all,' Dumbledore said, dismissing Cedric's formality with a wave of his hand. 'Now then, tell me what happened tonight down at the Quidditch pitch, and leave nothing out.'

Cedric had been conflicted; on the one hand he had wanted to be completely upfront with Dumbledore, but on the other hand he didn't know quite how to verbalize his feelings. A gentle crooning from the corner had boosted his nerve, and he chanced the truth with the older man.

Dumbledore's eyes had twinkled slightly as he regarded Cedric, and for a moment he had looked to be the man as Cedric had always known him to be, old, yes, but wise, gentle and fair. Cedric had gathered his courage...

Twenty minutes later, Dumbledore sighed heavily and walked around his desk to sit on its edge facing Cedric, who in turn sat back wearily in the armchair. They had been over most of the events of the night in minute detail, and Cedric hadn't been able to offer the Headmaster any insight into what had happened prior to the attack on Viktor.

Now, as he slumped back in his chair, he knew that he could no longer keep anything from Dumbledore.

'Headmaster, there is something more.'

He almost stopped when he saw Dumbledore's frown, his greying eyebrows nearly meeting in the middle of his forehead, but the words were out of his mouth before he'd even given due consideration to their impact.

'I think there's something you should know about Professor Moody.'

What the hell? Where did THAT come from?

Cedric hadn't meant to bring up that subject at all, yet he knew that, despite his classmates' agreement to keep the matter a secret, Dumbledore had a right to know, especially in light of the night's events.

'What should I know, Cedric?'

'Earlier this month, Professor Moody conducted a mock battle with our class in the Forbidden Forest. We were firing hexes at each other and protecting ourselves, but L... a student began behaving strangely and threatened another student at wand point. Professor Moody appeared and was acting in a decidedly odd manner, then informed us that the first student had been under the Imperius Curse. He used an Unforgivable on a student, sir, and it was certainly different than in his Defence class. It... felt different.'

As the sound of Cedric's voice died away, the room was filled with a deafening silence. It was as though the many shiny instruments and whirring gadgets had ceased their frantic existence at the enormity of Cedric's news.

Professor Dumbledore's eyes were troubled, their depths mirroring the angst and disquiet that Cedric felt. He knew that Dumbledore was capable of shielding himself from Legilimency, but Cedric could still feel the barest echo of the Headmaster's intense emotions, and he had to admit that it frightened him.

'Thank you for telling me this, Cedric. I know that you have done the right thing, and I do not believe that you have betrayed any confidences.'

Dumbledore placed his hand on Cedric's shoulder and stood. Cedric realized that their meeting was over and accompanied his Headmaster to the door where the older man turned to face him once more.

'Good night, sir.'

'Good night to you, Cedric. Tell no-one of this, my boy, for secrecy is of the utmost importance now. You would do well, I feel, to follow your instincts, no matter how questionable, as they seem to have led you down the right path thus far.'

Cedric couldn't be sure, but he thought he saw the faintest hint of a wink from the Headmaster's eyes as they peeped out over his glasses. He cocked his head to the side and considered Dumbledore's words as the door closed gently between them.

~~

Cedric awoke early the following morning and decided that he would speak with Jamie and Markus before breakfast. He heard Jamie stirring in the bed next to his and steeled himself for the ordeal.

'Hey, guys, are you awake?'

Jamie stretched extravagantly in his bed and opened his eyes experimentally. 'What time is it, Cedders?'

'Don't know, but we need to talk. Seriously.'

'Okay, I'm awake, I guess.'

Cedric nodded and peered into the corner of the room where Markus' bed nestled against two walls. He knew that Markus loved his sleep and wasn't surprised to hear the groan from behind the curtains.

'Oh, Merlin, a serious talk this early in the morning, Diggs? Can't we wait for breakfast or even lunch?'

Cedric understood completely, and if he'd had his druthers he would have waited for the right moment to tell his friends everything. Unfortunately, he felt as though time was rapidly running out, and he needed to let his friends in on this very important part of his life now, especially if he wanted Harry in his life in the future. 'Not really, Markus, the sooner the better.'

Jamie sat on the side of his bed and ran his hand through his short hair. Markus opened the curtains and sat up, groaning as he threw off his coverings and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. 'Okay, Champion, what's up?' he yawned.

'Well, you know about the thing with me and Cho?'

'Yes, Diggs, bad show there, but not to worry. There are many more birds around.'

'Well, it's not really about her.'

'Of course it isn't. Don't worry, mate, you'll find the one,' he mumbled, his voice still husky from sleep.

'Markus...' Jamie's tone held a warning, but typically, Markus didn't notice.

'What, James? I'm just saying, that's all.'

Cedric was quick to intervene. 'It's not about her, Markus. It's about me.'

'What about you?'

Cedric looked at Jamie who nodded encouragingly.

'What he means is ...' Jamie began.

'What I mean to say, Markus – thanks Jamie – is that I'm not interested in what the girls have to offer me.'

Silence.

Markus looked at Jamie, then back at Cedric, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. 'Okay... so I'm waiting for other shoe to drop, Diggs.'

'I find myself attracted to someone else.'

'Someone who's not a girl?'

'Right.'

'Anyone we know?'

'Yes, actually, someone we all know ... well, know of.'

Markus looked at Jamie again, then back to Cedric, who felt the sweat trickling down his back as his stomach twisted and tied itself in knots. He couldn't seem to catch his breath.

'It's Potter, isn't it?' Markus' voice seemed to boom in the quiet dormitory. Cedric froze and everything stopped. The entire universe felt as though it had stopped revolving.

'What do you mean?' he said cautiously.

'You know perfectly well what I mean, Cedric. He's put you off your game!'

'Harry is the game, Markus,' Jamie spoke softly, but his words were precise.

'What? What the fuck do you mean, he's "the game"?'

Cedric easily felt Markus' growing impatience and knew that he had to do something, say something definitive so that his friend could wrap his mind around the idea.

'There's something going on between Harry and me, Markus. I can't exactly explain it, but there's a very strong connection that I can't ignore.'

Realization dawned, and Markus took a deep breath as he sat on the bed beside Cedric. Cedric's insides twisted violently, and his pulse pounded in his ears as he glanced at Jamie, all the while feeling dangerously close to screaming.

'Diggs.' Markus said slowly. 'Cedric. Do you mean to tell me that you're not shagging girls because you've got it bad for Harry Potter?'

'In a manner of speaking, yes, Markus, that about sums it up.'

Much to Cedric's surprise, Markus dissolved in laughter. 'Well, he is a pretty little boy, isn't he?'

'Markus!' exclaimed Jamie, 'you're not making this any easier.'

Cedric blushed right down to his feet. He was sure that Markus was making fun of him, and his heart sank as he realized that the one thing he wanted from his friend was the one thing he wasn't going to get. Acceptance.

Markus finally stopped laughing and wiped the tears from his eyes. 'Oh, I'm sorry, Diggs, but damn. The number of females who will want to Avada themselves just because you're off the market... it's just staggering!'

Jamie and Cedric gaped at Markus in complete surprise as their friend rolled around on the wooden floors, clutching his sides in mirth.

'But if you're into diminutive Gryffindors-Who-Lived, then Potter's your boy! Oh, Diggs, you're killing me here!'

That one hurt. Cedric felt a rush of anguish and shame, but Jamie stepped in. 'Markers, can't you find a shred of decency somewhere in that shallow heart of yours? Don't you realize how hard it was for Cedders to tell us and all you can do is laugh at him? Make fun of him? What the hell's the matter with you?'

Markus seemed surprised at Jamie's speech, and he sat up, his expression changing from amusement to disbelief as he fixed his dark brown eyes on Jamie.

'Get serious, Jamie, our mate here's just having us on! He's just told us that he likes Harry Potter, the Boy Who Somehow Managed to Put His Name in the Goblet of Fire! How do you want me to take it? Because it pisses me off that not only has Potter the Rotter taken Hufflepuff's glory but he's trying to undermine our champion's chances in the tournament by becoming a diversion for Diggs. Unless,' Markus' eyes narrowed for a moment, and he spoke slowly, as though working ideas out step by step. 'Unless you're trying to undermine his chances in the tournament by creating a diversion of sorts? Very devious, Diggs; I didn't think you had it in you!'

Jamie gasped in exasperation, and Cedric could only stare at his friend as he felt Markus' anger, disbelief and concern coming off him in waves. He had been shocked at Markus' initial reaction, but he was completely gobsmacked that anyone would think that he would willingly compromise himself and his personal beliefs just to win the tournament. He understood that Markus was a master strategist, but this was a shade too Slytherin, even for him.

'It has nothing to do with the tournament, Markus. It started long before that.'

'HOW long before? Christ, don't tell me this thing has been going on for years or anything, Cedric, he's a child!'

'No, not that long. It started when we went to the World Cup. There was... a connection of some sort... but I didn't know what to make of it. And he's not a child.'

'What kind of connection, Diggs? Come on, give me something I can understand.' Markus' brow was furrowed in confusion and frustration.

'I can't make you understand it, Markus. It's a very strong feeling, an almost magical connection. It's something that I can't explain, but I know in my gut that it's real.'

'And we're only hearing about this now.'

'Well, considering your reaction, it's just as well I only told you now!'

'Cedric, you do realize that this is wrong on so many levels. I mean, you're a prefect and he's what, a fourth year? He's been somewhat of a problem ever since he got here, and his history with Dark Magic and You-Know-Who are legendary. You're both competing in a tournament that he somehow managed to enter despite being underage, a tournament which will bring eternal glory to the winner, and you're in the lead with a very real shot at taking home the Cup.'

'We're tied for first place, Markus. You know that.'

'Worse again! He's somehow managed to wriggle his way through the two tasks and rise in the standings so that he's now neck and neck with the true Hogwarts champion. Why can't you see that? Why are you risking everything you've worked so hard for just so that you can do... whatever... with Potter? Come on, Diggory, you're better than that!'

Cedric felt backed into a corner and he struggled to remain rational and calm. Markus was hitting him with argument after argument, all very logical and entirely reasonable, but that was the way Markus thought. Cedric, like Jamie, was much more of an emotional being, and how could he explain to his friend that logic didn't play a role in this situation or that he was no better than anyone else?

'Markus, I didn't ask for any of this to happen, all right?'

'So what, Diggs, are you trying to tell me that you and Potter shared a "moment" at the World Cup and suddenly you're a ponce? What about Cho? What about Anna in our fourth year? Christ, Diggs, you've had women following you around even before this bloody Champion business, and now you're beating them off with a stick! Don't let something like that go to waste!'

Cedric's mouth was dry and his heartbeat fluttered in his ears. Markus' words made sense, it all made sense, but yet Cedric knew that Markus didn't have all the facts. How could he trust Markus enough to share everything with him and make him understand? How could anyone understand when they didn't feel what he felt? His skin felt hot and the magic within him swirled as he fought to keep it in check. Jamie placed a soothing hand on Cedric's shoulder and turned to where Markus sat on the floor.

'Markers, you're such an idiot sometimes. Whether Cedders likes Cho or Anna or Harry or Hagrid, for Merlin's sake, he's our best mate. With him out of the picture, there are more than enough girls for you to handle. So what's really bothering you, that he's somehow involved with Harry, or that he's only now telling us?'

Cedric felt Jamie's calming aura around him and was thankful for the buffering that it afforded him. He was better able to centre his power now and berated himself for not being strong enough to maintain better control of his emotions.

'I... well, I don't know, Jamie. Perhaps a bit of both, but I thought that we were closer than that, you know?'

Markus shook his head in disbelief, and Jamie shared a significant look with Cedric, who realized that he had let his friends down in the trust department.

'I don't think I'm a ponce, Markus, because I'm not attracted to all men, or even any other man. It's just about him, and I don't know what to call it, and I'm sorry.'

Jamie's grip on his shoulder tightened as he shook Cedric.

'What are you sorry for, mate?'

'For not being more upfront with both of you. And as for all those girls who follow me constantly, Markus, especially Cho... well, it can make a guy get a bit crazy, especially when... you know.'

'No, I don't know. All the girls only ever wanted you, Diggs.' Markus' tone was almost bitter. 'Look, not that it'll change anything, but for years most of the girls who'd go out with me only wanted to be in our group. Well, in your group.'

Cedric gaped – he'd never imagined that Markus could have felt in any way inferior to anyone, but the closer he examined that simple statement, the more he realized that much of Markus' bluster and bravado was a shield against possible rejection. He was surprised by Markus' methods of coping with his problem. His friend was generally seen as the leader of their group, and it always seemed to be a role he willingly played. Cedric was still blinking when Jamie quirked an eyebrow and snorted in disbelief.

'C'mon, Markers, you're the leader of this crack bunch. I can't imagine that girls would be THAT shallow.'

'You'd be surprised, Jamie. Not all of them, of course, but quite a few, and... you know, before Hannah, well I just sort of let them come and go. I didn't build any kind of attachment because it wasn't worth it.'

'And now?'

Markus blushed and grinned sheepishly. 'And now... well, let's just say that she doesn't have any designs on our Champion, here. Just as well, eh?'

'Markus, I had no idea,' Cedric began lamely, but both Jamie and Markus raised their hands and stopped him from going any further. Jamie spoke first.

'Cedders, let's not stray too far from the real problem. This is a big chance to take, especially with both of you in the Tournament. I mean, the boy's only twelve.'

'Fourteen, actually.'

'Still, fourteen is so young! I'm not saying you're wrong or anything, and you know that I'll support you in whatever you want to do, it's just that I wonder whether you've thought this whole thing through.'

Cedric understood exactly what his friend was saying, and for the most part, he agreed with him. Harry was only fourteen and still very impressionable, and Cedric hated to think that he was pushing the young Gryffindor in any direction against his will. That, above everything else, concerned him the most.

'I know, Jamie, believe me, I know, and I've asked myself those questions a hundred times. It's just that... well... something inside me knows that I have to try, and I can't rationalize it, but I know it to be the truth.'

'Well, Cedders, I think that I have some inkling as to how you feel. Perhaps you could wait until after the third task is over before doing anything definitive?'

Cedric smiled at his friend and nodded – empaths rarely needed to explain feelings to each other – and he did understand Jamie's point about waiting until after the tournament. He certainly didn't want any more scandal or suspicions with regard to Harry's eligibility.

'I know, and I agree, but here's the thing. I do want something definitive afterwards, that is, if he's willing. We haven't... I haven't really even approached him about it or anything, but I wanted to let you both know of my intentions where Harry's concerned.'

'Intentions? So you mean there's nothing concrete yet?' Markus sounded surprised.

'No, not really.'

'Then what leads you to believe that there will be something concrete, Diggs?'

Cedric looked at Markus and considered that most pointed question. What if he was just imagining things? What if Harry didn't want what he wanted? Could it be all in his mind?

'Listen, guys, I know it sounds insane, but there IS something there; I've felt it and it's strong. You know what I mean, Jamie.'

Jamie nodded and sighed as he sat on the bed next to Cedric and cleared his throat as he looked first at Markus, then at Cedric.

'Listen, here's the deal. We're all different and for that we MUST be grateful. I love you two guys like my own brothers, and I wouldn't let anything come between us. Not females, not tournaments, not Harry Potter, not anything. If he's good for you, Cedric, and being with him is what you want, then I'm behind you one hundred percent.

Jamie paused and looked pointedly at Markus.

'Markus, we're his mates, and mates look out for each other. I know you think he's making a mistake, but it's his mistake to make, so maybe you could ease off a bit and let's just see what happens? How's that?'

'Okay.' Markus' voice was little more than a rasp, and Cedric swallowed hard against the lump at the back of his throat. He thought he saw Markus blinking back tears as the impact of Jamie's words hit home. He had been so concerned about their reaction to his news, fearing that they would react badly, and although things hadn't gone exactly as he would have liked, still, he and Markus had at least reached an understanding of sorts.

Markus cleared his throat. 'So, what do we do about him?'

'What do you mean?' Jamie voiced Cedric's question.

'Well, we know that Diggs is interested in the lad, but do we continue to treat him as we have been or does he now rank a little higher than the rest of the Gryffindors?'

They all laughed at Markus' seemingly casual remark, but Cedric had to wonder. Since the dynamic had changed among his friends, how did Harry fit into the new equation?

============

TBC