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Kill the spare!
30 Days of Harry Potter - day 17: Death that hurt/shocked the most
The death of Cedric Diggory was unexpected and shocking, not just because it was the first major death of the books but also because Cedric was a classmate of Harry's. For all that he was an adult in the wizarding world, he was still only seventeen and a student. Authors, especially authors of children's books, usually keep child characters safe, so the fact that he was killed is pretty shocking. And the way it's presented doesn't sugarcoat it - it's pretty blunt and final.
Oh Cedric, how we miss your pre-sparkling days
From high above his head, he heard a high, cold voice say, "Kill the spare." A swishing noise and a second voice, which screeched the words to the night: "Avada Kedavra!" A blast of green light blazed through Harry's eyelids, and he heard something heavy fall to ground beside him. Cedric was lying spread-eagled on the ground beside him. He was dead.
Goblet of Fire was the first Harry Potter book that I bought on Opening Night, and I devoted the entire weekend to reading it, building a set of rituals (mostly related to staying up late and eating snacks) that would continue through the release of all the later Harry Potter books. I remember eating pickles, reading and crying at 3am when the Harry Potter books took a sudden turn for the darker, the innocence was lost and I didn't want to go to sleep.
Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory.
srah - Wednesday, 17 November 2010 - 5:14 PM
Tags: 30 days of harry potter, cedric diggory, harry potter, nablopomo, nablopomo 2010
"God, Cedric. You're such a spare."