Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Harry Potter.

Okay, People. This is my first slash story as well as my first multy chapter story. If same sex couples offends you, for reasons that I couldn't possibly comprehend, kindly leave this story and refrain from sending nasty messages about it as they will be discarded without a moments hesitation. Everyone else, I do hope you enjoy. There just aren't enough Harry/Cedric stories out there.

Chapter 1: Professor Flitwick's Task

Cedric Diggory. Handsome. Intelligent. Polite. Personable. Straight O student. Prefect. Quidditch Captain and Seeker. Hogwarts Champion in the Triwizard Tournament. He'd never been in trouble a day in his life and every Hufflepuff was proud to say he was one of them. Of the Professors, only Severus Snape could find anything negative to say about Cedric, and even then it was more because of the house he'd been sorted into than anything else.

Cedric Diggory was practically perfect in every way.

Hence his blatant confusion when a serious looking Professor Flitwick held him behind after Charms. Cedric began running his behavior throughout the lesson in his head as he followed the tiny Professor's request to close the door. He could think of nothing he could have done to offend, but he couldn't help growing even more concerned when Flitwick warded the room against eavesdroppers.

"I have a request Mr. Diggory," Flitwick squeaked, and Cedric couldn't help his relieved sigh. "I'm not your Head of House and have no right to ask this of you, but you are the only student I would trust to do this properly."

"Does this have to do with why you warded the door, Sir?"

"Yes. I'm concerned, Mr. Diggory, about Harry Potter. I would like you to befriend him and watch over him."

"I don't understand, Professor. Why are you so concerned?"

"I don't believe for a moment Mr. Potter placed his name in that Goblet. He shies away from attention. He does not seek it."

"If… If you're right… Excuse me, Professor, but are you saying someone is trying to kill Potter?"

"That is precisely what I'm saying."

"So, he really didn't put his name in the goblet?"

"No."

"But, what can I do? If someone is trying to kill him, what could I possibly do? Shouldn't you go to Headmaster Dumbledore about this?"

"Albus is convinced Mr. Potter did this himself. He will not listen to reason. As for you, be his friend. Be loyal. I believe that is all he needs."

"He has friends, though."

"He has one friend who tries her best, but she is all logic and very judgmental and rather pushy. That is not what he needs right now."

"Granger?" Flitwick nodded. "What about Weasley?"

"He has turned his back on Mr. Potter."

Cedric nodded. "I understand what you want me to do, but I don't know how it could possibly change anything."

Flitwick hesitated before sighing. "Everything we've spoken of must stay between us, Mr. Diggory. It is imperative." He waited for Cedric's confirmation before explaining. "Mr. Potter is very powerful, more powerful than I believe even Albus realizes. He can defend himself, I believe, from even the worst threats. What I'm concerned about is his past. He has suffered continuous betrayal and this is not the first time he has been placed in a life threatening situation because no one would either listen to or believe him. Mr. Potter is a good person, Mr. Diggory, one of the best. If it were just his life at school that was difficult, I believe he could still pull through it all with grace, but there is more. I believe he has had a less than pleasant home life. I don't know the details, but I have noticed the signs."

Cedric sighed. "So, basically, it's been tragedy after tragedy for him."

"Yes, and I don't know how much more he can take. He needs a constant. Someone he can rely on and trust."

"And you want me to be his constant."

"In short, yes. I have no doubt the two of you will get along. Are you up for the task Mr. Diggory? You must be sure."

"I will do my best, Professor."

Satisfied by the determination in Cedric's eyes, Flitwick dismissed his student.

Immediately after his last class of the day, Cedric went in search of Harry Potter, but he found the task more difficult than he originally thought it would be. After searching the halls, the grounds, and asking a shy first year to check Gryffindor tower, Cedric was exhausted and on the verge of giving up. He sighed as he entered the library, his last resort. It was common knowledge Potter only came to the library when Granger made him, and he had seen her out on the grounds.

He didn't see Potter at any of the tables or the common stacks, so he began to move towards the very back of the library where people rarely ventured. It wasn't until he reached the corner of the library that he saw Harry Potter's small form reading a dusty tome in the poor lighting. It was almost amusing. The book he was so immersed in was nearly bigger than he was. Yes, almost amusing. Now that Flitwick had put the thought in his head, he couldn't help noticing just how small Potter was in every way. Small and fragile. Like he could break from nothing more than a touch, and he had to wonder why.

Cedric quietly approached the boy and knelt before him. He smirked. That book really has all of his attention. "Potter."

Harry jumped and managed to hit Cedric directly in the nose with the hefty tome in his hands. Cedric fell backwards, clutching his bloody nose, while Harry stared, wide eyed, in shock.

"Ow."

Belated perhaps, but it pulled Harry out of his stupor. He snorted. "Sorry, Diggory. You startled me."

Cedric scowled. "Obviously." Harry pulled his wand out of his pocket and pointed it at Cedric's nose. Cedric backed away a little bit. "What are you doing?"

Harry's eyebrows rose. "I'm going to heal your nose. It looks broken. What did you think I was going to do?"

"I don't know. I just don't particularly like having a wand pointed at my face. Do you even know how to fix it?"

"No, Diggory. I thought I'd just wave my wand in your general direction and hope it worked," Harry deadpanned.

"Right." Cedric slowly lowered his hand and before he could blink Harry had waved his wand and Cedric's nose snapped back into place. Another wave and the blood disappeared. Cedric cleared his throat. "Thanks."

Harry shrugged. "S'my fault anyway."

"Not really. I'm the one who startled you."

"Not to be rude, but what are you doing here?"

"Can't I be curious about my fellow Hogwarts Champion?" Harry merely stared at him, expressionless, waiting for the truth. Cedric sighed and pulled himself over to sit beside Harry. "Honestly? I was asked to keep an eye on you?'

Emerald eyes narrowed behind bulky glasses. Cedric absently noted they were far too large for his face. "Was it Dumbledore?" Cedric was surprised by the venom in Harry's voice.

"What? No. It was Flitwick. He's worried about you and frankly so am I."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you worried?"

"Because someone placed your name in that goblet and somehow I don't think they did it with good intentions towards your health."

Harry remained suspicious. "Why do you suddenly believe me? You didn't two nights ago."

Cedric blushed. "Flitwick talked some sense into me. I'm sorry. If I had even spent a second thinking about it I would have realized you didn't do it. I do think you're powerful enough to have done it, but you avoid the limelight and this tournament is all about limelight. Anyone with half a brain can see that."

Harry blinked and looked at his book. "Thank you for believing me Cedric. That makes three people including Flitwick."

"I'll talk to my house. Try to get them to see reason."

"Thank you," Harry whispered.

"So, what book do you have there?"

"It's a book on ancient contracts. I'm looking for a way out of this Tournament. I don't want to participate."

"Can I help?" Cedric asked after a moment's hesitation.

"You're a little late. I'm coming to the end of the only passage on the Triwizard Tournament's contract. Whoever created this thing was a real bastard. There is absolutely no loophole."

"How do you know this is the only passage?"

"I created a spell last year that summons all books with information related to what you're looking for within a 100 foot range. The only other book that came to me was Hogwarts, A History and it says nothing about the contract besides it being binding." Cedric stared at Harry in wonder as he finished the passage and slammed the book shut in frustration. "Looks like I'm participating."

"You created a spell?"

Harry snorted. "Yes, Cedric. I created a spell."

"When you were thirteen?"

"Yes."

"How come no one knows you're that brilliant?"

Harry actually laughed at Cedric's indignant tone. "It's not that big of a deal."

"But… why?"

"Three reasons: Ron, Hermione, and attention."

"What?"

"I have two friends, Cedric. Well I had two friends. Now it's really only one, but that's not the point. Ron has an inferiority complex. I would have lost him sooner if he knew what I was capable of. Hermione would turn everything into a competition. The only thing I enjoy competing in is Quidditch. Besides, think about it. I already get more attention than I like just by being Harry Potter. I don't feel the need to draw more attention to myself by showing off." Harry smirked. "Of course, it's always nice to have an ace in the hole, you know?"

"… Slytherin."

"What?"

"You should have been in Slytherin."

"That's what the hat said." Harry froze. "Shit."

"What? What happened?"

"What the hell did you do? You come waltzing over here and in a matter of minutes have me spilling my secrets! No one knows any of what I've just told you. No one."

"I won't tell, I swear to Merlin. My lips are sealed."

"What did you do?"

"Nothing. I didn't do anything."

"Don't lie to me, Diggory, I never tell anyone things like that, especially not that easily. I have a spell that will make you tell the truth."

"Then use it because I didn't do anything."

Harry sagged against the wall. Cedric breathed. An angry Harry Potter was a scary one.

An awkward silence fell over them. "Sorry."

"…It's alright… Probably would have been suspicious too given your past."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that you've had a complicated past. Are you always this suspicious?"

"Yes."

"Well, alright then."

"That's it?"

"Yes, that's it."

"I don't understand."

"According to Flitwick, things like someone putting your name in a goblet to enter you into a deadly competition are relatively common for you. I don't blame you for being suspicious."

"That's…awfully understanding of you." Harry kneeled beside Cedric and slowly began poking him in the face, eyes narrowed in concentration.

Cedric caught Harry's finger. "What are you doing?"

"Seeing if you're real."

Cedric snorted. "I'm real."

"You're not under a spell?"

"No."

"And you're not just pretending to be nice because Flitwick asked you to, because if you are you can leave. Now."

The answer to that was not so simple, but he got the feeling only one hundred percent honesty would be the only thing Harry Potter would accept. "I found you because Flitwick asked me to. I stayed after you broke my nose because I knew it was the only way to comply with Flitwick's request. Everything after that was genuine on my part. You are probably the most interesting person I've ever met and I find myself truly wanting to get to know you better."

Harry stared at him for a minute. "And you're not lying?"

Cedric smiled. "No, Harry. I'm not lying."

"Okay."

I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of Turning Point. Please let me know what you think. That means reviews. Please. They can be a writer's muse. Sometimes.

Tweena