After returning to the common room, Cedric Diggory kept Su Er talking for quite a while about techniques for advancing his Patronus Charm more quickly.
But Su Er himself was rather baffled. He had never gone through the process of advancing step by step.
"Think about it, Su Er. What did you experience between the first stage and what Professor Flitwick called the second stage? Perhaps it could serve as a reference?" Cedric persisted.
"Hmm... if I had to say..." Su Er hesitated for a while. "I probably crossed from the first stage to the second on the train. Last summer, I could still only produce a few clouds of mist."
"On the train at the start of term, I encountered Dementors. That was probably when my Patronus took shape."
"See? Isn't that a great method!" Cedric seemed to have figured something out and suddenly slammed his left fist into his right palm.
"No wonder I kept feeling something was missing. Thank you, Su Er. I know what to do now."
"Face my fears? Dementors..." Cedric muttered, walking away with his head bobbing.
Su Er scratched the back of his head as he watched him leave. Had he said something just now? Had the top student found the key in that?
Suddenly, his expression changed, and a faint sense of foreboding arose in his heart.
Surely not... Cedric wasn't going to go outside and challenge a Dementor to a duel, was he...
Dumbledore's warning had been perfectly clear. That bunch of Dementors outside were not easy to deal with.
So... he pr... probably wouldn't, right? We Hufflepuffs aren't as reckless as Gryffindors... although badgers did seem, sort of... to have a bit of a reckless streak too...
Fortunately, at least Cedric did not go out that night. He stayed in