Moments later, she felt herself landing hard on the floor. She sat up, rubbing her head.

"You guys all right?" she asked.

"I think so..." Harry said.

"Ow..." Ron groaned somewhere.

Harry and Megan exchanged a look.

"He's fine," they laughed.

"Everyone all right down there?" called a voice above them.

Megan rolled over and looked up. Amos, Cedric and Arthur floated down nearby. Cedric landed neatly and held out a hand to Megan.

"Thanks," she smiled, taking it.

"Sorry about the rough landing," he smiled.

"That's okay, I had worse." She smiled as she brushed the grass off her arm.

She looked around. They were in more woods.

"Come on, everyone, the fun's over there!" Mr Weasley called, beckoning them.

Cedric grinned.

"You'll love this."

"How do you know that?" she teased.

"You're an open book, that's why," he laughed. "But it's more because no one can go to something like this without being blown away."

She smiled.

"Although," he added with a grin. "Perhaps I should hold on to you so you don't fly away too far."

Megan couldn't help grinning back.

"Perhaps you should."

He held out his hand. She smiled and took it. They headed down a hill. Soon, they reached a gigantic camp site. People were bustling about as far as they could see. Rows and rows of tents surrounded a replica of the Quidditch pitch at Hogwarts, only ten times bigger.

Mr Weasley beamed at them.

"Well, then, everyone. Welcome to the Quidditch world cup!"

Megan couldn't decide where to look. It was all incredible. People chatting cheerfully, children chasing each other, a colourful array of various tents of all shapes and sizes. Cedric laughed at her amazed expression.

"Nothing like Hogwarts, is it?" he smiled.

"It's amazing!" she said excitedly.

"I told you you d'love it," he smiled.

"You bet! I can't wait to see the match!"

"You and me both."

They grinned at each other, united in their love of Quidditch. They made their way through the tents, passing many other witches and wizards along the way.

"Is it true they have Firebolts, Dad?" a little voice asked behind Megan.

"Yes, all of them. Can't win the world final without the top notch broom, can you?"

Megan smiled. She had her own Firebolt, and loved it, even if she missed her first ever broom, a Nimbus Two Thousand, that she had lost to the Whomping Willow in the Hogwarts Grounds. There was already a cheery excitement in the air.

"Ah, here we are, this is our spot." Arthur said.

"We're further north," Amos said. "So we'll see you around."

"See you later."

"Bye, Cedric," Megan said, her smile a little forced. "Nice meeting you, Mr Diggory."

Then, Arthur showed them a large tent.

"A friend gave me this, sent it over a few days ago." He said. "He can't go camping any more, poor fellow has lumbago."

Megan had to wonder how they were all going to fit in the tent. It was quite big but surely not big enough... But Arthur didn't seem worried at all.

"Home sweet home, everyone," he said.

They went inside, and Megan saw how they would fit. It was like a small house. Bunk beds, a kitchen, a toilet...

"Neat, isn't it?" Harry grinned, knowing she had never seen anything like this.

"I love magic," she smiled.

Then, Cedric came to see if Megan, Hermione, Harry, Ron and the others wanted to go look around.

"Fred and George can help me with the fire," Arthur said. "You kids go ahead."

So off they went.

"Oh, by the way! I almost forgot your birthday present." Cedric said as the others settled their things before joining them.

"Oh, you don't..."

"I want to. Here, happy birthday."

She smiled. It was a silver pendant with the head of a lioness with red stones for eyes.

"True Gryffindors deserve to be acknowledged."

"Wow... it's awesome." She turned around to let him put in on. "Thank you. And I have something for you, too."

In a funny twist of fate, their birthdays were very close, even if set three years apart. Her gift was also a pendant, but with a shield and a golden topaz in the centre. On the back, she had had carved "Be safe"

"Thank you," he said.

"Just in case I'm not around," she teased.

"I thought I was meant to protect you?" he smiled.

"Because that's not at all archaic," she laughed.

The others arrived at that moment, so they moved on to the many souvenir stands. Hats, make up, horns, fireworks and what looked like very strange binoculars.

"What are those...?" Megan asked.

"Omniculars," Harry said. "They're even better than binoculars, see, you can pause, slow the image down, zoom in really close... it's really great for matches of this magnitude."

She then noticed Ron, who had bought a flag, glance at them enviously. Megan glanced at the price. Five Galleons.

"Five pairs, please," she said.

"You don't-" he began.

"Oh, thanks, Megan! And I'll get us programs." Hermione said.

So they wandered around, running into people from Hogwarts. They saw large banners of the Irish team and Bulgarian team.

"Who's that sour-looking guy on the Bulgarian banner?" Hermione asked.

Megan looked more closely at the banners. The Irish team had lined up to show they were equal, whereas the Bulgarians had emphasised the one Hermione had qualified as "sour-looking".

"Sour-looking...!" Ron said in offended shock. "That is Viktor Krum! The Bulgarian Seeker and the best player in the world! And really young, too, just eighteen, I think. But he is really amazing, you'll see tonight!"

"I know an even younger and better Seeker," Cedric said, squeezing Megan's shoulder.

"Oh, I may be good at Quidditch, but I don't know if I'm national team material..." Megan said, flushing.

"Over the last three years, you lost one single match, Megan. I'd say that's national team material," Cedric smiled.

Megan wasn't sure she was convinced. A school match was most likely nothing like an official match. But the thought of being up there, with the huge crowd yelling her name was pretty thrilling. Her thoughts were interrupted by a very comical sight.

"Archie, just put these on, the Muggle by the gate's already suspicious!"

"Muggles wear these, I've seen them!" the one called Archie said.

"The women do, not the men!"

They glanced round and saw a middle-aged man wearing a very buoyant pink dress.

"No, I want to wear these, I like a healthy breeze round my privates, thanks!"

It was all they could do to keep from bursting out laughing until they were out of earshot, and couldn't stop even when they reached the tent again.

"What's got you all excited?" Mr Weasley asked.

"Probably the same as every one else, dad." Said a young red head man coming out of the tent. "Hello, there, guys."

"Hi, Bill."

He, Percy and Charlie had just arrived.

Amos was off talking with his colleagues, so Cedric stayed with the Weasleys and the others. Ron, Fred, George and Ginny were discussing the match, while Hermione was reading a book.

"So, what have you been up to?" Cedric asked.

They were sitting cross legged in the grass outside the tent, where it was a little less noisy.

"Oh, not a lot. I had to endure my cousin's love story for weeks. She had to hide in my room so her parents wouldn't come in and overhear."

"Did your aunt and uncle ever find out about that?" Cedric asked.

"Ugh, don't even get me started!" Megan laughed. "I didn't tell you, did I? A few days before I went to the Burrow, my uncle left work early and wanted to get a sundae at the parlour, you know the one Nathalie always goes to?"

"Oh, no...!" He grinned.

"Yes, Nathalie was there with er... Doug, I think it was, some guy from her school. And boy, was he furious! I'd seen him mad, but that was something else!"

Cedric laughed, but then frowned.

"It didn't rebound on you, did it?"

"No more than usual, don't worry. And I wasn't even with them, I could hear everything from my room. And she was just as furious, saying he'd embarrassed her beyond anything humanly possible, and that she didn't care if he didn't like Doug, she would see him if she wanted, because love wasn't something you could lock up."

She couldn't agree more with that last statement, but she had to admit she wasn't sure she and Nathalie had quite the same definition of love.

"So then, what?"

"They tried to ground her of course, but she refused, and they argued for the entire week. But I think the last straw was after."

"How so?" Cedric asked.

"Well, we'd fixed a date for the Weasleys to pick me up, but the thing is we'd never clearly said how they'd come. I didn't see how they could drive, seeing as they don't have a car any more, but I didn't know how else they would come. So we waited. And my uncle, he's always about appearances and impressing everyone else. So you can imagine how he felt when half the living room was covered in ash and rubble."

"What?!" Cedric said, half incredulous, half amused.

"They tried to use Floo Powder, but the Dursleys use an electric fire which was blocking the chimney, so Mr Weasley had to blast his way through!"

Cedric burst out laughing.

"Oh, he must have been furious!"

"Only for a few seconds. Ron's dad fixed it up in seconds! And he was so astonished he didn't say a word until we'd gone!"

They laughed again. Megan then leaned back and said:

"Thanks Cedric."

"For what? Being such an awesome friend?" he grinned.

"Shut up!" she laughed, nudging him. "No, I mean this. I'd never have gotten to live this if it hadn't been for you."

She paused.

"What do I do for you to be so good to me?"

"Oh, it's not you," he said. "I'm like that with anyone."

Megan laughed and shoved him.

"All right, now, you're just being obnoxious," she grinned.

Cedric let out a cry of mock indignation.

"I'll give you "obnoxious!" he snarled playfully. "You wait till I get you!"

He leaped forwards and began tickling her, making her burst out laughing, and they scuffled about humorously until Cedric found himself on top of Megan, pinning her wrists to the ground, laughing and panting.

"Okay, I give up," Megan grinned. "You win."

He smiled, got to his feet and held out his hand.