Takes place after Ron ad Harry become Aurors, but before Neville becomes the Herbology professor.

The Creeper

Pomona Sprout was sitting comfortably in her bed, feeling quite satisfied. She had just finished grading the second years' essays on the Venomous Tentacula. They had done quite well on the whole, except for a particularly ill-written essay by a Slytherin. She didn't know how Severus (and now Horace) had managed reading the class reports by the prefects if their handwriting was as horrible as this poor second year's.

She was about to extinguish the candles in her room when several ear-splitting shrieks pierced the air.

Professor Sprout dashed from her room and up the stairs to the girl's dormitory. A fifth-year girl stumbled down in front of sobbing and looking basically miserable.

"Oh Professor! You've got to help! It's awful!"

"What has happened? Oh Fat Friar," she said to the ghost as he floated through the wall to see what all the fuss was about, "would you please fetch Minerva for me?"

"Of course ma'am," said the happy friar.

"Now dear, tell me what the matter is?" The girl wailed. "It's Diggory!"

Professor Sprout blinked. "Diggory? Cedric Diggory?"

Before the girl could answer, her roommates bolted into the stairway.

"Professor, make him go away!"

"He told me he likes to watch me sleep!"

"He said his name was Edward!"

"Pomona! What is all the commotion?" demanded Professor McGonagall, who'd jus rounded the corner. By now the other years were filing into the way, the younger students looking confused, the elder frightened.

"I haven't the foggiest notion Minerva!" said the mightily confused Herbology professor. "The girls must have been dreaming: they say that Cedric Diggory is in their dorm."

McGonagall snorted derisively. "That is preposterous! Diggory is dead! Has been for six years!"

"Why would we make this up?" shrieked one of the fifth-years.

"I'm not going back in there until he's gone!" wailed another one who was nearing hysterics.

"This is ridiculous," muttered McGonagall, marching towards the door and pushed it open. "I am going to prove to you that Cedric Diggory is not in your roo—"

Pomona looked up to see that Minerva had frozen in the doorway. Then she slammed the door shut and magically locked it.

"Cedric Diggory was just leaving out the window, muttering about how he'd be back to watch them tomorrow."

"Minerva, are you quite sure?" asked Pomona anxiously.

"Absolutely," said the Headmistress faintly. "He didn't look a day older than he did on the day he died." She turned to the fifth years. "Girls, I want you to sleep in Professor Spout's room until we get this Diggory problem sorted."

Then she turned and made a beeline for the exit.

"Minerva," called Pomona, hustling after her, "how are we going to get this sorted?"

"Not now, Pomona! I'm trying to think of how I'm going to word the letter!"

Harry walked into his office that day to see Ron going through their assignments.

"Anything interesting, or is it the usual 'Mundungus-stole-something' lot?"

"Well," said Ron frowning at one particular letter, "there is this one. But I'm not quite sure it's our department."

That caught Harry's interest. "Why's that?"

Ron handed him the letter and Harry looked at it.

Dear Aurors Potter and Weasley,

Cedric Diggory is back. The fifth year Hufflepuff girls woke to find him sitting in their dormitory, telling some of them, "I like watching you sleep." Please come at once.

Sincerely,

Professor McGonagall

"…I see the dilemma."

"How do we go about this Harry?" asked Ron, leaning back in his chair.

"Well," said Harry, running a hand through his already-untidy black hair, "there's no department that deals with dead Triwizard Tournament participants come back to life. I suppose we'll just have to go and get rid of him."

"How the bloody hell are we supposed to do that?"

"Merlin only knows."

A/N: Soooo... What do you all think? Sorry Edward lovers but I had to. The comment box adores reviews!