In Every Possible Way
Saturday, 2 July 1994
Harry,
I’m writing to see if you made it home alright. I’m already missing Hogwarts, there’s very little to do at home. I only have one sibling, he’s Bill Weasley’s age. His name is Matthew. He doesn’t live at home anymore, so it’s just me and my parents. My dad works at the ministry, as I believe I’ve told you and my mum is a healer at St. Mungo’s so I’m alone most days. Playing quidditch by yourself is far less fun than playing with others. I may see if the Weasley twins are around, but they’ve been rather busy recently. Who knows what they’re up to.
Hope all is well.
Your friend,
Cedric Diggory
* * *
Wednesday, 6 July 1994
Harry,
I didn’t receive a response from you so I’m guessing that you weren’t able to send one. I’ll ask Cato, that’s my owl’s name, to wait for a response from you instead of just dropping the letter off and leaving, please let me know if that’s alright. Otherwise, I’ll send post the Muggle way to the address you gave me.
Cedric
Cedric,
Asking Cato to wait for a response works well. If you could also ask him to only come at night and when I’m alone, that would be best. My relatives don’t like magic or anything “strange,” so they don’t really like owls. I don’t want them to try to put Cato in a cage as well.
My summers are usually pretty boring. My uncle works, my cousin spends all his time with his friends from the neighborhood, and my aunt spends most of her time critiquing everyone around her. I mostly just do chores. I was able to get some of my books before they put my trunk away so at least I’ll be able to do my summer homework.
Hopefully I’ll be at the Burrow by the end of the summer.
Signed,
Harry J. Potter
* * *
Thursday, 7 July 1994
Harry,
I’m glad asking Cato to wait works for you. You live in a Muggle neighborhood, right? What sorts of things do you do for fun? I’m guessing there’s nowhere that you could go flying. What sorts of chores do you do? I help my mum out with gardening quite a bit and we have a couple of chickens that I help take care of but most of the other chores get taken care of with magic, so I guess I’m not even sure what other chores you’d have to do!
What books did you keep out? I’m happy to help with homework, if you’d like. Just let me know if you have any questions.
Your friend,
Cedric
Cedric,
Yes, I live in a Muggle neighborhood. It’s a suburb of London and there’s really not much to do around here. There’s a small park down the street that I go to sometimes. Most of my chores are housework; cooking, cleaning, laundry. But I also do some gardening and other work outside.
I have my potions and charms books, I haven’t run into any issues yet, but I’ll be sure to ask you any questions I have. Thank you for offering!
I know you said you had a brother and mentioned what your parents do for work, but I don’t know anything else. What’s your family like?
Best,
Harry
* * *
Sunday, 10 July 1994
Harry,
Charms is my favorite subject so definitely don’t shy away from asking me any questions, I’d love to help!
I think I told you that my older brother’s name is Matthew. He graduated with Bill Weasley so he’s a few years older than me. He just turned 24. He’s exactly what my father hoped he’d be. He’s incredibly smart and loves listening to my father talk about the Wizengamot and Ministry policies and family magic. He works in the Magical Accidents and Catastrophes department in the Ministry. He was a Gryffindor at school, like my father. He played quidditch (chaser) and was top of his class in Transfiguration and DADA. We aren’t all that close, mostly because he’s 6 years older than me but also because we have rather different personalities, but he’s a good guy and he helps me when I need it.
My dad works for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. He’s very proud of his job and of everything the Ministry does. He’s a good dad; wants us to learn and very proud of everything we do, but sometimes he takes it too far and I’m not sure what exactly I can do to make him happy. That might be too deep to say in a letter to a new friend, but for some reason I feel like I can tell you anything. Anyways, he’s a good guy overall.
My mum is my best friend. That might sound lame, but it’s true. She was a Hufflepuff like me and incredibly proud of it. She’s the kindest person I’ve ever met. Like I said in my first letter, she’s a healer at St. Mungo’s. But more specifically, she works in the Janus Thickey Ward. That’s the ward where they treat people with permanent spell damage. She’s explained that some of the patients are the sort of people you’d find in a Muggle Mental Hospital, so that might help you understand her more as a person. She’s incredibly patient and fiercely protective. I’m much more like her than I am like my dad, I even look more like her.
I don’t know what you know about magical traits, but I really don’t look like a Diggory. You look like a Potter for sure, in case you were wondering. That messy hair is the most recognizable Potter trait. What I mean to say is that the main Diggory traits are dark brown hair and brown eyes, but I’ve got light brown hair and grey blue eyes, same as my mum. My mum is an Abbot, you might’ve met my cousin Hannah, she’s in your class. But that’s where the blonde hair and blue eyes are from. My brother looks like a Diggory, though. He looks so much like my dad it’s uncanny.
So that’s a rundown on my family, what’s yours like?
Hope all is well,
Cedric
* * *
Tuesday, 12 July 1994
Cedric,
I can relate to not knowing how to make someone happy. I live with my mother’s sister and her husband and son. From what I know, I was rather unceremoniously dropped on their doorstep in the middle of the night. She woke up to a toddler sleeping on her porch with a note that said her sister was dead. So, on some level, I can understand why she’s never totally warmed up to me.
My aunt doesn’t work so I’m around her the most and when it’s just the two of us, she’s a bit warmer. She gives me chores, but she also tells me to take breaks and makes sure I drink water. My uncle is the problem. He’s never liked me and spends a lot of time talking about how much I cost them to keep around. My cousin, Dudley, sort of follows his lead but I don’t think he knows better. He’s gotten better over the last couple of years, I can tell he’s growing up. I hope someday we can be friends; it’d be nice to have a family member I actually get along with.
But overall, it’s alright, I do my chores and stay out of their way, and I spend 10 months of the year in Scotland. I’m also sure I’ll end up at the Burrow sometime before the end of the summer. I’ve asked before about why I need to stay here when they don’t like me and Dumbledore explained that there’s some sort of ward attached to my mother’s blood that keeps me well protected, so I understand the need to keep me here. Strangely, it also feels nice knowing that my mum is still protecting me somehow. That might be a lot for a letter to a new friend, but to echo you further, I feel like I can tell you what I’m actually thinking.
Your friend,
Harry
* * *
Friday, 15 July 1994
Harry,
I can’t imagine how your aunt must’ve felt getting that letter, but I don’t think that excuses her not “warming up” to you. You were just a baby, how was any of it your fault?
I’m glad to hear that, overall, it’s alright, but I wish it were a little happier. You deserve to be happy and safe. I like what you said about your mum still protecting you though, I think if I were in your shoes I’d be comforted the same way. I asked my mum what those wards might be, and she got a rather far off look in her eyes before saying “that Lily Evans always was craftier than anyone gave her credit for,” and then she walked away, if she ever offers me any real explanation, I’ll be sure to share it.
I hope you and Dudley can be friends someday too. I love all of my cousins. Are you close with your cousins at Hogwarts? They’re in your year right?
Best,
Cedric
Saturday, 16 July 1994
Cedric,
I know the wards are tied somehow to my mum sacrificing herself for me if that brings any light to what your mum said, but it’s nice to hear that my mum was crafty, I like to think I’m the same way. Maybe not the smartest, but definitely able to find my way out of a situation. I’ve heard more about my dad than I have my mum, but everything I’ve heard about her has made me wish I’d gotten to know her. Everyone says she was the kind of person who was friends with everyone, that she was smart, and now that she was crafty. She sounds like someone I’d like.
What do you mean cousins at Hogwarts? My dad was an only child, according to Professor Lupin (who, by the way, was apparently best friends with my parents. Sometime, in person, I’ll have to tell you more about my parent’s friends, it’s a pretty insane story).
Best,
Harry
* * *
Monday, 18 July 1994
Harry,
My aunt and uncle, Hannah’s mum and dad, were a couple of years older than your parents in school so all of my mum’s stories about them are second-hand but everything I’ve heard anyone say about them has been kind.
As for cousins, your dad was an only child, but his mum was a Patil and had at least a couple of siblings. The Patil twins are your second cousins, their dad was your dad’s first cousin. I don’t know them well; I’ve only met them in passing but from what I hear they’re nice girls. They might offer a chance to get to know your family better, if you’re interested.
How’s your summer homework going? Do you know when you’ll be at the Burrow yet? Also, have you heard anything about the World Cup?
Signed,
Cedric
* * *
Wednesday, 20 July 1994
Cedric,
I’ve gotten my potions and charms homework done so I’ll be able to get the rest done when I get to the Burrow, I’m not exactly sure when I’ll be there yet but hopefully soon, I’m ready to get out of the suburbs and back to the open air!
I had no idea that I was related to the Patils, they’ve never mentioned it. It might be something where they expected I’d known. I ran into that situation with Neville. We’re godbrothers but no one had ever told me so when we started talking about godparents this year it came up and apparently he’d thought that I’d known but just hadn’t wanted anything to do with him, I made sure to rectify that and we’ve been getting along great. I’ll be sure to bring it up to Padma and Parvati. They are in my class, Parvati is in Gryffindor and Padma is a Ravenclaw.
Ron mentioned the World Cup in his last letter, but I don’t know much about it. I have no way of keeping up with Quidditch when I’m here, anything I should know?
Best,
Harry
* * *
Sunday, 24 July 1994
Harry,
Oh no! Poor Neville, I’ll be he was excited when he learned you’d had no idea and that you actually did want to be friends. Hopefully the Patils are the same way.
The World Cup Final is scheduled to happen in August and my dad got tickets for the two of us, Matthew is going with some of his friends from work. It’s down to three teams now; Ireland, Bulgaria, and Peru. Bulgaria just beat Uganda in the first semi-final and Ireland and Peru are playing in a couple of days, I’m guessing that Ireland is going to win, they have an almost unbeatable Chaser line. I’ll let you know how the game turns out if you’d like? We listen to the games on the wireless.
I’m a Ballycastle Bats fan, they’ve always been mum’s family’s favorite team. Do you know much about the professional quidditch league?
Best,
Cedric
Tuesday, 26 July 1994
Cedric,
Ron is a massive Chudley Cannons fan. His bedroom is almost painfully orange. He, Seamus, and Neville all came in knowing a lot about quidditch, so Dean and I have had to catch up. The two of us have decided that we’re Holyhead Harpies fans. Mostly because they’re a great team, but also because Ginny Weasley bullied us into siding with her for weeks before we finally just gave in. We listen to the games on Seamus’ wireless sometimes. Do you know anything about football? Dean and I have taken it upon ourselves to educate the wizarding masses. I’m particular to Fulham and Dean’s an Arsenal fan, his stepdad sends us mutli-page letters every week with game updates.
Signed,
Harry
* * *
Thursday, 28 July 1994
Harry,
I know a bit about football, one of my roommates is Muggleborn so he’s tried to teach us about it, but I’ll have to let him know that there’s a couple other football fans at Hogwarts, so he has someone to talk to that actually understands a single word out of his mouth. And people think quidditch is confusing? For having only one ball and being played entirely on the ground, football has a ridiculous number of rules. You’ll have to try and explain it to me sometime because Truman has failed entirely. Your birthday is soon, right? Do you have any plans?
Your friend,
Cedric
Saturday, 30 July 1994
Harry,
Cato came back without a letter from you, is everything alright?
Cedric
Friday, 29 July 1994
Cedric,
Hope Cato coming without a letter didn’t concern you too much, Fred and George may have taught me how to pick locks a couple years back, but I try not to use the skill too often. Neville’s birthday is the day before mine and I had to send him a present, so I think that warrants a little jailbreaking don’t you think? I took the chance to send a couple other letters as well, but Hedwig has been instructed to go to you right after she goes to Neville, so you’re not left wondering why I sent Cato back letter-less for too long. I apologize in advance if she tries to steal your bacon or preen your hair. She’s an incredibly smart bird but also has a big personality.
My birthday is on the 31st and I don’t have any plans but I’m looking forward to hearing from some of my friends. One of the letters that Hedwig is carrying is to Dean to let him know that I’ve finally found someone for him to chatter about football with. I’m much more of a casual fan than he is, he could talk for hours. I hope Truman is prepared.
Best,
Harry
* * *
Sunday, 31 July 1994
Harry,
You should’ve given me more than a 48-hour warning that it was your birthday! I’ll just have to have a gift ready for you when I next see you. For now, just know that I’m incredibly thankful that we’ve become friends. Writing to you has been the best part of my summer.
It sounds like Truman has finally met his match and maybe it’ll spare the both of us from having to hear about whatever the hell the offsides rule is.
Hope you have a great day and hope to see you soon.
Your friend,
Cedric
Tuesday, 2 August 1994
Cedric,
Sorry for the lack of warning on my birthday, but you really don’t need to get me anything. I’m glad we’re friends as well, writing to you has made this summer so much better. Also, guess what, Mr. Weasley got us all tickets to the World Cup! I think he won some sort of lottery for Ministry employees. Maybe I’ll see you there? And, if not, you mentioned you lived close to the Burrow so maybe I’ll see you after. I’ll be spending the rest of the summer with the Weasleys.
Best,
Harry
* * *
Thursday, 11 August 1994
Harry,
You are absolutely getting a present, no arguing. Also, sorry for the delay in writing back. My mum and I have been visiting my grandmother, but I’m back home now.
I’m so happy to hear that you’ll be coming to the cup and spending a couple weeks at the Burrow! Hopefully I’ll be able to see you, I’m getting rather bored at home. Most of my friends have been travelling with their families all summer so no one has been around to do anything. I saw the Weasley twins once, but they’ve been really busy this summer and, knowing them, whatever they’re working on is probably going to be both a risk to society and incredibly impressive. Fair warning to avoid wherever their workspace is when you get to their house! Do you know when the Weasleys are coming to get you?
Sincerely,
Cedric
Sunday, 14 August 1994
Cedric,
I got a letter from Mr. Weasley saying that they’re coming to get me on Tuesday so I think this will be my last letter from Surrey, soon I’ll be just down the road and Hedwig will be free to fly again!
See you soon,
Harry