Cedric's head was still buzzing as he walked toward the Academic Affairs Office.
The uproar in the Swiftwind Sword Club classroom had not faded with his departure.
Those voices had become a tangible warmth, a flame burning quietly in his chest.
He knew.
As Hogwarts' Champion, he had a responsibility to find an outlet for that fire.
An outlet that would let it burn stronger and brighter within controlled bounds.
He could never let it run wild and burn the Castle's peace to ashes.
He came to a brand-new door made of black oak.
The door was thick and heavy, giving off a mingled scent of fresh timber and magical protective treatments.
A brass plaque hung on it, engraved in elegant cursive with the words "Hogwarts Academic Affairs Office."
This was the Castle's newly established center of power.
He raised his hand, curled his fingers, and knocked three times on the hard wooden door.
"Come in, it's unlocked!"
A voice with a touch of irreverence and vigor came from behind the door.
Cedric pushed it open and entered.
The sight before him made him pause.
As a good student, this was his first visit here.
It was utterly unlike any professor's office he had imagined.
There were no piles of musty parchment, nor any stuffy academic air.
An enormous, constantly changing map of Hogwarts hung on the wall, with red ink lines tracing intricate patrol routes across it like pulsing veins.
In a corner lay a Golden Snitch that had been taken completely apart, its pieces scattered over the floor, with several books of Muggle mechanical diagrams beside it.
Sirius stood before the map, wearing well-tailored robes, but with his sleeves casually rolled up to his elbows, exposing sturdy forearms.
Seeing Cedric, he grinned, showing white teeth, curiosity in his