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Cedric had been a healer at St Mungo's for only three weeks when Christmas rolled around, and as such, was the first one required to work the holiday shift.
"The Christmas season gets pretty crazy around here in St. Mungo's," A mediwizard told him. "Not sure how it was in France."
Ever since graduating from Beauxbatons, Cedric had been working at Hôpital des Mystères Magiques as a healer in the Curses ward. But Cedric wanted to be closer to his family, so he moved back to England just before Christmastime.
"It got pretty crazy around there too," Cedric said with good humor. "Nothing I haven't dealt with before."
"You haven't dealt with the Auror department yet," The mediwizard chuckled. "I swear, they're in here constantly."
"Not all of them," A mediwitch nearby piped up. "Just Auror Potter."
"That's true," The mediwizard replied. "Poor kid can't catch a break."
Had Cedric gone to Hogwarts, he probably would have met the famous Harry Potter. He was only three years older than Potter, so they would have been bound to run into each other had they gone to the same school. He had only seen Potter in person during the Triwizard Tournament that had been held at Hogwarts during Cedric's sixth year at Beauxbatons. Potter had only been 14, and had been forced to compete as a 4th champion, but he had beat out Fleur Delacour, Viktor Krum, and Angelina Johnson for the cup, and had battled Lord Voldemort along the way.
"This is why I sent you to Beauxbatons," His father had said that summer. "Who knows what would have happened if you had gone to Hogwarts?"
Well, Cedric didn't think anything would have happened, but that was neither here nor there.
"Auror Potter is in here a lot?" Cedric asked with interest.
"Oh yeah," The mediwitch confirmed. "Just don't get all weird with him, he doesn't appreciate it."
"Weird?" Cedric's brow furrowed in confusion.
"Weird like.... hero worship, or treating him like a celebrity." The mediwitch continued. "He hates it."
"Good to know." Cedric replied. "Hopefully he gets a nice holiday and I won't even see him."
Of course, Harry Potter was in two hours later, sending Cedric rushing to the emergency room.
"What happened?" Cedric asked as soon as he entered the room. Auror Potter was in a statis charm, neat spellwork keeping tabs on his heart rate and oxygen saturation.
"He was hit with an unknown curse,” the mediwizard said, taking notes. “When the stasis is removed, we’re seeing rapid bone calcification.”
Cedric waved his wand over Auror Potter, frowning slightly. “That’s not calcification, that’s his bones literally turning to stone.”
Cedric and the mediwizards and mediwitches worked tirelessly, reversing the unknown curse with several potions and, oddly enough, a well placed jelly legs jinx.
“I’ll keep him under observation,” Cedric said, dismissing the crew. “You go on ahead.”
The room emptied out, and soon it was just Cedric and Auror Potter, the later still unconscious.
“Urgh,” Potter complained. Apparently he wasn’t so unconscious after all. “What happened?”
“Ah, Auror Potter,” Cedric said softly. “I was actually just going to ask you that. You were hit with a nasty curse that was turning your bones to…well…stone.”
Auror Potter’s eyes opened, and he glanced around the room before his gaze landed on Cedric. His eyes narrowed slightly, as if sizing him up.
“You’re new,” Harry said, watching him closely, any haziness fading from his eyes immediately. “Or, I’ve never seen you around at the very least.”
“Astute,” Cedric smiled at Auror Potter, noting that his heart rate picked up slightly. Was he feeling nervous because he didn’t know Cedric? “I’m Healer Cedric Diggory. I’ve spent the last 5 years or so working at Hôpital des Mystères Magiques in Paris, and I attended Beauxbatons before that.”
“Beauxbatons?” Harry repeated. “You look around my age, did you come to the Triwizard Tournament?”
“I was there,” Cedric confirmed. “I would have been in my sixth year at the time.”
“Hm,” Harry hummed. “I don’t remember seeing you.”
“Well, I’m not very memorable,” Cedric said with a small laugh. “Now, Auror Potter, if you please. Do you remember what spell hit you?”
“Not memorable my arse,” Harry muttered. “It was a nonverbal spell, so I didn’t quite catch the details, but it can’t have been too deadly. It was a family argument that got out of hand, so the Aurors were called in to deal with it. The grandpa threw a curse at his son when his Quidditch team was insulted, I believe. Merlin , I hate the holiday season. ”
“Does this sort of thing happen often, Auror Potter?” Cedric asked, casting another diagnostic spell.
“Harry, please.” Harry said, “And yeah, every Christmas. It’s supposed to be a happy time of year.”
“Well, it looks like you’re healing well, so it should be a happy Christmas for you yet.” Cedric said,
“It hasn’t been entirely terrible,” Harry said with a shrug. “It’s nice to know that St Mungo’s has a cute new doctor.”
Cedric blushed at that, and he finished his spell to see Harry watching him. “Is this a test of yours, or are you actually flirting with me?”
“A test?” Harry asked curiously.
“A mediwizard warned me how much you hate hero-worship,” Cedric sniffed. “Not that I needed to be warned. Anyone that can read knows how much you hate publicity; I would think that hordes of fans flirting with you would factor into that.”
“It’s not a test, Healor Diggory, I swear it.” Harry said.
Cedric sighed, but offered Harry a small smile. “Please, call me Cedric.”