Chapter 9
J. Finch Fletchley spends the summer between his second and third year of school pretending that he hasn’t gone through something terribly traumatic, because, to be fair, it’s easier than coping.
Instead of facing the trauma of being stuck in a terrifying state between life and death for over half a year, he daydreams. He finds comfort in his own imagination in the way only a Puff can; spending hours outside in the tall grasses, his face turned towards the sun, dreaming of impossibilities.
Justin is now a 13 year old boy, who thinks long and hard about things all 13 year old boys think long and hard about. He thinks about being the seeker for his favorite Quidditch team and winning them the world cup. He thinks about saving the school from an evil dark wizard and being given the role of Minister for Magic as a reward. But mostly, he thinks about Cedric.
He thinks about Cedric looking at him with something impossible in his eyes. He thinks about how his hair falls in his face when he’s doodling on his parchment. He thinks about his smile, and the blue of his eyes, and how soft his hands are, and he pretends that it’s probably normal to think of a person as much as he thinks about Cedric.
The theme of the summer seems to be denial.
But that’s just the way things are.
And maybe it’s because he’s a Puff, or because he’s naturally naive and trusting, or because he’s a child, but he’s okay with not thinking much harder about it than that. He’s faking it, maybe. But he’ll make it.
He has to.