CEDRIC-CENTRIC FANFIC FAVORITES

Subsections

Updated:  June '08 (see )

I sometimes list several stories by one author in a single entry.  Click on the title you'd like to read, as they may go to different stories.  All featured artwork, if clicked on, can be seen at full size.




After learning how hard it is to keep story links current with my X-Men recs page, I swore I'd not make one for HP.  Yet a series of recent requests for Cedric stories convinced me to try.

Be aware that I have bullet-proof characters, not OTPs.  Nor am I slash or het exclusive.  You'll find stories here with all sorts of Cedric pairings, or none.  Subsections will help you locate what you seek.  If you're after my own Cedric fiction, see the shorts / novellas / novels links above.  This page is about others, not me.

I have personal reasons for my choices.  Thus, this page is more about 'favorites' than 'recs.'  But you can assume all the stories I link are readable -- meaning there aren't loads of spelling and grammar errors, or overwhelming Americanisms, and I'm picky when it comes to characterizations (and not just of Cedric).  You'll find no adult-child stories here.  I have serious issues with teacher-student fiction, especially when presented as romantic.  Last, you'll find few things under at least 1000 words.  I rec stories, not drabbles, and I rarely rec WIPs.  Be aware any stories here may contain adult material, including graphic sex.  Read story warnings.

Stories listed alphabetically by story title, not author.  Artists and their websites are listed at the bottom.



 MOSTLY CEDRIC
(may have a pairing, but romance isn't the focus of the story)


Cedric Diggory by Sikuriina"Brilliant Lights" by Anitsocial 47
Luna wakes Cedric to take him to see something special. (preHogwarts)  I like this mostly because it indulges my fancy for the idea that Cedric and Luna were friends growing up, as both lived near each other and were only children.

"False Hope" by Idea of Sarcasm
A father's desperate desire to speak to his son again results in a surprise from the Room of Requirement.  But is he real?  Hermione issues a warning; Cedric doesn't listen.

"Five Ways Cedric Diggory Doesn't Die" by S. Thanatos
In the fandom tradition of the "five ___" that didn't canonically happen fic explorations, Thanatos explores alternatives.

"In the Country of Last Things" by Eudaimon
Possibly one of my favorite general stories about Cedric.  Canon Cedric/Cho is there, but it's about him.  The final line is a beautiful killer.  In her notes, she says, "I wrote the line 'And the sky went out for Cedric Diggory' and saved it to my mobile phone the first time that I saw Goblet of Fire.  This entire fic came out of that one line."  Stunning.

"The Spare (a theme and variations)" by Cedar
Written from Cedric's pov of his experiences during the Tournament.  One of the better such internal examinations that was done about him (imo).

"Such a Good Boy" and "Such a Good Boy Remix" by Shaggydogstail
My dislike for teacher-student romanticized love stories is fairly well-known.  This is not of that type, which is why it's here under "mostly Cedric" not anywhere below.  It's about a student's crush on his teacher and his rather amusing attempts to get her attention by misbehaving in class.  The problem?  He's not very good at misbehaving.  Aside from McGonagall's rather startled (and no doubt flattered) response at the end, it's all unrequited and more about one of the more common experiences of one's teen years than about illicit behavior.  The remix (by the same author) shows McGonagall's POV and the opposite problem: when a teacher finds herself a little too attracted to a student.  Again, this happens.  It's stepping over the line that's the issue, and the adult's job to maintain that line.  McGonagall does.  I didn't like it as much because I thought it made McGonagall too silly, but the original is quite cute.

"What is Right and What is Easy" by Hackthis
Technically, this is Cedric/Viktor slash, with additional canon Cedric/Cho.  But I'm putting it here because it's really an exploration of Cedric.  In her notes, she says, "When I first started writing this story, I thought my biggest problems would be Viktor's dialogue and getting Viktor and Cedric together, but as I began writing, I realized that my biggest challenge was figuring out who Cedric Diggory was, and what he stood for, and what it means to be a Hufflepuff."  And pairings aside, that's exactly what this story is about.

"What You Can" by Roz McClure
A somewhat amusing look at things Cedric isn't allowed to do, and how he's a normal boy, but with a kick at the end.  Canon Cedric/Cho.  The Cedric here might be a bit OOC, but we know so little about him, I'm willing to roll with it as it's well done.

The Diggory Papers by Machiavelli Jr.
I'm putting this at the end for two reasons.  First, it's Cedric as you've never imagined him.  Second, it's Cedric as I'd rather not think of him.  Hee.  BUT, that said, it's actually pretty well done, ergo, it's wroth including.  This could be called wildly OOC ... except that's the point of the story.  The summary says: '
GoF in the words of Cedric Diggory as you've never seen him before. Nobody's hero and nobody's fool.'  If the reader can bear the idea of a not-very-heroic (and quite sarcastic) Cedric, this is worth looking into.

 

CEDRIC/HERMIONE (perhaps the largest opposite-sex pairing for Cedric)


The Boy Who Died by Koalathebear
This little novella is one of the first and best known of the stories featuring Cedric and Hermione, hence I'm listing it at the top and apart from others by Koala linked below.  It deserves its own entry.  Koala nearly single-handedly created a subfandom with this story.  As the title suggests, it follows canon, so Cedric dies, yes, but anyone interested in C/Hr should read this story.  She's done several other C/Hr stories that are either AU or follow canon.  See below.

Cedric and Hermione by Undula for InellAlways the Bridesmaid, "Green Toothbrush" & "Appreciating Beauty" by Inell
The novella listed first is another key entry in the C/Hr subfandom in terms of fandom development, but Inell is known for writing a huge variety of pairings.  She has several stories that are C/Hr, so one can simply check the C/Hr page on her archive.  I've listed above some of my personal favorites or the better known.

"Behind Schedule" & For Our Alotted Time by Flora Hart
The first is a short little piece about being late, and how they got that way.  But the real masterpiece here is the second one, a full-scale novella. 
Written for me for the 2007 spring smut exchange, this was so much more than I'd expected.  It's long on plot -- a mystery even!   Cedric survived the maze, but now ten years later, odd things begin to happen.  Harry is having memories of events that never occurred, including Cedric's death, and Cedric begins to suffer strange magical maladies.  He seeks the help of time specialist Hermione Granger of the Department of Mysteries.

"Brawl & Consequences" by KayCee
On the night of the Yule Ball, what if Ron had confronted Viktor?  Cedric takes advantage of Viktor and Ron's distraction to steal away the girl.  Very Gamma Male of him.

"Cloaked Business" by Join the Conga
Hermione gives an injured Cedric a hand reaching books in the library.  He enjoys the glimpse of bare legs.

"Conniving" by SciFi Chick
Cedric Diggory is dead, but he isn't dead.  A rather amusing little story about how Cedric was brought back to life by Hermione, with a charming, pushy, self-confident and occasionally lewd Cedric who enjoys tweaking her.  (Requires one to become a member to access the archive; fairly easy to do, but be aware.)

"Dreamcatcher" by Ishibishispider
Hermione deals with the loss of Cedric.  What's really nice about this one, for me, is the presence of Hermione's Muggle life.  It's very sad, but in one of those good ways.  A dreamcatcher results in some dreams that aren't dreams.

"Flying Lessons," "Soap Bubbles," & "Out of Her Tree" by Koalathebear
The full, ordered list of Koala's C/Hr fiction can be found HERE, but above are 3 of my favorite stand-alones.  The first involves Hermione in need of remedial flying lessons; Cedric is her personal tutor.  The second involves what might have happened if Hermione had gone to solve the egg puzzle rather than Harry, and found Cedric in the bath (despite the situation, isn't not erotica).  The third is a series of three ficlets about Cedric, Hermione and a tree that influenced my own notion that Cedric loves climbing.  But if you like C/Hr?  Just go to Koala's page and systematically make your way through all her stories.

"In the Library" by Amandea
Cute little one-shot of Cedric coming to Hermione's rescue in the library when Draco is harrassing her.  Not really a romance in the usual sense, but they share a brief kiss at the end.

"Making Excuses" by Silver Natasha
Written for a Smuttyfic exchange, this finds a grown-up Cedric and Hermione working in the same office.  Cedric is stubborn.  Hermione finds a way to make him jealous and get him alone in a cupboard (closet).

"Quintessential" by Mausolea
A largely reflective story, which is normally hard to pull off but works here.  Hermione gave Cedric a very brief note after the second task that said only, "Thank you."  Cedric puzzles over it.

"States of Emergency" by Rozarka
Rozarka is well known for her lovely Viktor-Hermione stories and her lyrical prose never ceases to amaze, whatever the pairing.  This one was just charming.  Also, I admit to being fascinated by reporter Hermione and editor Cedric, which makes a lot of sense to me.  I'd also like to mention "The Girl Who Got Away" for the Cedric-Viktor friendship.  The latter involves Cedric/Hermione, Viktor/Hermione and Ron/Hermione.  (And if this page may be All About Cedric, if you love Viktor, don't miss Rozarka's Viktor/Hermione stories.)

"Wake up" by Midnight Writer
Done for the SummerSmut challenge for Idea of Sarcasm, this is a cute little Living!Cedric AU that takes place some years after the war with Voldemort is over.  In it, both Ron and Cho have fallen, so when Cedric wakes from a coma, he finds Harry and Hermione with him and the three of them develop a friendship.  Eventually, he and Hermione learn to move past their personal losses.

"Wildcat" by Alp Crim
What the author calls an "intense shag" -- in the prefects bathroom.  To be honest, I think Hermione is a bit OOC here, but part of the point of the story is that she isn't what Cedric's expecting, so it's arguable that's intentional, not an inability to get her character right (and sometimes people are different in sex than we expect).  It's mostly smut, but fairly well-written smut that's not drowning in clichés, which is why it's here.


CEDRIC/HARRY (probably the largest slash pairing for Cedric)


Cedric by Alexiel Neesan"[All Men] Reach and Fall" by Tarie
As it's canon, Cedric dies and this contains later Harry/Draco, which isn't usually my cup of tea, but it's very well done.  A look at Cedric "tethered" still to the land of the living.

"Compound" by Dented Sky
What does it costs to hide who you really are?

Eternal Glory by Romaine24
A novella that takes an unusual Ghost!Cedric tact.  Although it does involve some "blood play" -- which is normally not my thing -- it's interestingly done, and neither a tragedy nor BDSM.  I quite liked it. (The link goes to the story on an archive and will contain an NC-17 warning pop-up.)

"Everything You Want" by Rhysenn (Iscaris)
A lovely story that doesn't feminize either boy, and allows Cedric to be ambitious without being obnoxious.  She also did the better-known novella A Season in December, but I think I like this short piece best.

"Force of Will" & "Change of Heart" by Rotaryphones
Cedric, not Krum, is Imperiused, and so the Third Task turns out differently.  Unexpected kissing is involved, and the boys must then try to figure out just what that meant.  Their confusion, uncertainty and discovery is handled very realistically.  Rotaryphones has written a number of lovely pieces, not all of which involve Cedric but there are a few others not listed here.  The list.

"Friendship" by Claire
Cedric/Cho, Cho/Katie, Cedric/Harry
This lovely story is actually focused on CHO, exploring her grief, and confusion about what she should feel after Cedric's death.  Here, Cho is attracted to Katie and Cedric to Harry, but Cedric and Cho are close friends -- and eventually more.  Cho's confusion about these relationships -- those that are socially acceptable and those that aren't -- is sensitively explored.

"Games Almost Played" by Copperbadge (Sam Storyteller)
It seems that virtually everyone in the HP fandom has heard of Stealing Harry and sequels.  I hadn't realized that Copperbadge had written a Cedric/Harry story, even if it's only one part of three explorations of the Triwizard Tournament.  This story also has implied Sirius/Remus, although the more graphic rating relates to the Harry/Cedric sections.

"Get a Clue" by Emma Grant
A cute and humorous little story about Cedric, Harry, a tree and a first kiss.  The link goes to her journal which includes a link to the image that inspired the story.

"The Ghost of Yesterday" by football girl
Using the mysterious Veil to get Sirius back is a fairly common trope in fanfic; using it to get Cedric back isn't as common.  But what I liked best about this story is that it addresses the trauma for Cedric of coming back to life five years after he died, when everybody who knew him is either dead in the war or has moved on.

Green Politics: a Theory by C. Diggory & Giggles & Blushes & Curses -- Oh My! by Niya
Niya keeps the lovely Harry/Cedric site Bittersweet Symphony.  Here, she's written a wonderful pair of stories (the first two in a series) from Cedric's point-of-view, in which Harry catches Cedric in flagrante delicto, which starts both boys thinking confusing thoughts.

"Hand in Glove" & "Lionhearts" by Sweet Socery
She may be better known for her Tom Riddle-centric fiction, but she's done some just darling (and hot) Harry-Cedric stories.  "Hand in Glove" falls into the 'hot,' and "Lionhearts" qualifies for the 'sweet.'  There are other Harry-Cedric tales available at her website page.  Please keep in mind the page contains ADULT material and she has a splash page so-stating, so don't click if you're not of legal age.

He Sends Bubbles by AHS
A lovely restrospective look in Harry's voice about Cedric.  I was struck by the fact Harry doesn't like the "Remember" speech by Dumbledore because it seems to reduce Cedric's importance in and of himself.  The ending is a nice surprise and the writing is very fine.

"It All Started With Cedric" by Abstract Concept
Harry was incontrovertibly straight.  Except when he wasn't.  Strongly film-Cedric, canon death, and with a sucker punch at the end.

"It's Only Fair" by Droobin
Very cute story with Awkward Harry (tm) set during the World Cup before Harry's fourth year.  Cedric and Harry plan a Quidditch rematch.  More it caught than a Snitch.

"Lesson Learned" by Jai Marie
I went to great lengths to find an archived copy of this since most links to it no longer worked.  It's a good 'bad first time' story.  Fanfiction has a tendency to make the first times in sex go well.  Sure, it's wish-fulfillment.  But in real life, sex (and especially first times) are rarely like that.  This story brilliantly captures classic blunders.

"Needles and Pins" by Seven of Velvet
A Valentine's Day story.  Secret valenties are sent, and Harry's more forward than Cedric expects -- but Cedric isn't complaining.  It's cute.

"Rainy Days" by Tresa Cho
A cute little tale about Harry and Cedric caught in the rain.  Cedric admits to being scared of storms after being hit by lightning the year before.  Things progress from there.

"Something New, Something Better" by Jadis
Lovely longer short story written from Cedric's POV that picks out scenes across Harry's fourth year, illustrating a slowly growing friendship that eventually becomes something else, but without losing the friendship at the root.  Some lovely imagery here, and Cedric's voice comes across particularly strong, and very believable.

"Touch" by Fabs
Short but lyrical erotica that deals with Harry's sexual awakening.

Watching the Tide by LaDorki
A story about Harry and Cedric after death.  While it is definitely a Cedric-Harry story, it also deals with Harry coming to terms with being dead, and his worry about those still alive as well as his godfather, Sirius, stuck in the veil.  Cedric's quietly observant POV is primary, and leads the reader through like the ocean tide the story is named for.

"What the Maze Made" by Freudian Fuckup
Written for a fic exchange -- and in second person (which works surprisingly well here) -- it deals with two boys, fear, adrenaline, and panic-driven need.  Cedric bluntly admits to loving Cho, and even asks Harry to look after her.  Harry, recalling the incident later, is confused about what happened and what he felt, and struggles with guilty resentment that Cedric died, and he can't, now, answer his questions.

"The Yule Ball" by Jen
Cedric/Cho, Cedric/Harry (unrequited).  Cedric asked Cho to the Yule Ball when he heard Harry was going to, which is such typical teenaged reasoning.  To stop the boy he fancies from going with the girl his boy fancies, he asks the girl ... she turns out to want a little more (physically) than he does.  The night doesn't end happily for Cedric.  (Cho is not particularly villified, unlike a lot of stories of this type.)


CEDRIC SLASHED (Other male pairings & Cedric)


Butterfly Casualties: the Time-Traveler's Boyfriend Remix by LupinsLittlesis
SEE Rise From the Ashes below first!  Cedric/Teddy.  This story is a "remix" of Midnitemarauder's original, seen from Cedric's POV.  The original was a fascinating use of time-travel that made an extremely unlikely pair work as well as giving us a wonderful father-son story (not just a Cedric-slashed story).  This is an equally good take-off on it, seen from the other side, and almost as long as the lovely original.

"Chronology" by Mad Maudlin

Cedric/Zach.  Zach becomes slowly aware of Cedric Diggory, and that he's something special.

"Glow" by Eridanus

Cedric/Zach.  Zach and Living!Cedric have a fling at an after party following a Hufflepuff Quidditch win.  Features special glowing body paint which I found rather cute.

"How Eternity Works" by emiime

Cedric/Percy.  Done for the Percy ficathon, not a typical Cedric pairing, but an interesting look at how Percy deals with being dead, and remeeting someone he'd loved long ago, and lost.  The narrative has a lovely, lyrical quality.

Cedric and Oliver by Slytherinfiend"Hurting the Ones You Love" by Aspen
Cedric/Olver.  This is just plain cute.  Oliver can't admit his attraction to the Hufflepuff Captain, but is rather forcefully shoved towards him by his female Chasers.  The banter here is delightful, showcasing several minor characters.

"Moments" by Inell
Cedric/Zach.  Ten years after Cedric's death, the Triwizard Tournament is being held again and Zach tries to deal.  Goes backwards through Zach's memories of Cedric.

"Nets to Catch the Wind" by GarlandGraves

Cedric/Viktor, Cedric/Cho. 
The things you'll lose and the things you'll find; things you'll sorely miss and things you're glad to leave behind. (movie canon)


Rise From the Ashes by Midnitemarauder

Cedric/Teddy.  As unlikely as the pairing sounds at first glance, this novella creates a believable AU that sends a seventh-year Hufflepuff prefect Teddy Lupin back in time to what was Harry's third year, in response to Teddy's desire to find out about his father.  While stuck there, he gets to know the real boy behind the portrait in the Hufflepuff common room.  This AU does not have an 'automatic reset.'  Teddy's time-travelling has consequences.


"Shiver" by Aspen
Cedric/Viktor.  A cold night, a warm kiss.  This one is just charming.

"So Polite" by Under Lucius
Cedric/Viktor.  Plays on British stereotypes in a memorable way.

"Touching the Sky" by Flora Hart
Cedric/Charlie.  It avoids my adult-child squick despite the age difference, perhaps because this is very much about hero worship and by the time it's sexualized, Cedric is virtually an adult.

"Transparent" by Salmon Pink

Cedric/Oliver.  Cedric decides to check on Oliver after Hufflepuff defeats Gryffindor.  Is it just concern that drives him?  Cedric's desire is well-done.



CEDRIC/OTHER (Cedric/Cho and other female pairings with Cedric)

"... and almost completely ..." by Jane (passionflows)
Cedric/Cho.  Treats both respectfully and with humor.  Not terribly long, but I quite like it.

"Bolder Thing to Do" by Sam

Cedric/Fleur.  Part of what promises to be several stories set during the Triwizard Tournament, this particular story deals with the Yule Ball from Fleur's point of view, frustrated with her date, and thinking about Cedric, but it flows well and leaves enough to the imagination to avoid "diary-type" wholly internalized (and often boring) monologue.

"But Drowning" by PointEtcetera

Cedric/Fleur.  One of the few stories with this pairing that I actually like, it paints Fleur as more than shallow, and trying to deal with the fact she failed at the second task.

"Friendship" by Claire

Cedric/Cho, Cho/Katie, Cedric/Harry.  This lovely story is actually focused on CHO, exploring her grief, and confusion about what she should feel after Cedric's death.  Here, Cho is attracted to Katie and Cedric to Harry, but Cedric and Cho are close friends -- and eventually more.  Cho's confusion about these relationships -- those that are socially acceptable and those that aren't -- is sensitively explored.

"Hero" by SciFi Chick

Cedric/Katie.  A cute series of encounters between Katie Bell and Cedric Diggory set mostly around the World Cup.  Katie's voice comes through very well.

"How Luna Lovegood Became Loony Luna" by Lady Alchymia

Cedric/Cho hinted, Luna|Cedric friendship.  This is really a Luna story, but Cedric features prominently and plays the role of protector.  There's an abundance of exclamation points, which I don't normally care for, but here it suits the Luna voice very well, which the author has down.  Cedric gets to be heroic and Cho is presented as kind-hearted.  The twins also feature, and the Weasley's flying car.

"The Kaleidescope" by Syven

Cedric/Ginny.  A post-DH "Cedric-throught-the-veil" story in which Ginny brings Cedric back.  Shows a strong and intelligent Ginny (which I always like), and a charming Cedric.  Friendship blooms into something more, but it's not instantaneous.

"Maybe It's Because" by OreoLine00
Cedric/Katie.  I don't often rec things for ff.net, but this one manages to capture the voice of a teenaged girl quite well and the confusion of those years.

"Neighbor at the Window" by Oh Honestleigh

Cedric/Luna.  While out walking, a 24-year-old Cedric spots Luna changing clothes in front of her window.  He begins returning to the same spot, hoping to repeat the experience (and maintain his fantasy).  One evening, he'd caught at it, but Luna's response isn't what he expects.  Luna's characterization is charming, and the final line is perfect.

"Nets to Catch the Wind" by GarlandGraves
Cedric/Viktor, Cedric/Cho. 
The things you'll lose and the things you'll find; things you'll sorely miss and things you're glad to leave behind. (movie canon)

"A Place in Displacement" by Mandy JG

Cedric/Katie.  Another Summersmut entry.  This one is about 90% exposition and I'm not a grand fan of telling rather than showing; it could probably have been 3xs as long without hurting it, but I suspect she didn't want to commit that much space to it, so she summarized in order to get to the sex, which isn't bad.  There's not a lot of readable Cedric/Katie, so it's nice to have another example.

"Reprehensible" by Dee

I remember Dee from our days in X-Men and a mutual love for Scott/Ororo stories.  She's an excellent writer, and here takes a look at a not-always-heroic Cedric.  It might make Cedric look less noble, but I actually liked how she framed it, like her Pansy, and like how she looks at the fact even 'good' boys may have less-than-good fantasies.

"Saturday" by cOnvolution

Cedric/Cho.  A short little piece, but I liked it for the glimpse of a whimsical Cho and a clever Cedric when chasing her.  She manages to tell us a lot about the characters in under 1000 words, and that's hard to do.

"That Within Which Passeth Show" by Fionnabhair
Cedric/Cho. Deals with Cho's recovery from Cedric's death and is perhaps my favorite Cedric/Cho story as it portrays grief realistically ... and shows that Cho is not some silly little girl with a crying problem.  If you don't like Cho Chang, try reading this story.  I don't think you'll look at her the same way again.

"The Yule Ball" by Jen
Cedric/Cho, Cedric/Harry (unrequited).  Cedric asked Cho to the Yule Ball when he heard Harry was going to, which is such typical teenaged reasoning.  To stop the boy he fancies from going with the girl his boy fancies, he asks the girl ... she turns out to want a little more (physically) than he does.  The night doesn't end happily for Cedric.  (Cho is not particularly villified, unlike a lot of stories of this type.)



CEDRIC Artwork

There are some very talented artists out there in HP, and some have taken on Cedric.  I thought it might be nice to showcase them on the rec page, with their permission.  Please do not take these images for use without asking the original artist.

Cedric in Robes by Sikuriina

Sikuriina's Deviant Art page

Cedric and Hermione by Undula
This picture was commissioned by Inell and matches her novella Always a Bridesmaid.  She kindly gave me permission to use it, but it belongs to her.  Undula is on fandom hiatus, but her LJ is here.

Cedric & It's Always You I'm Looking at by Alexiel Neesan
Alexiel's LJ.  The second was done specifically to illustrate Chronicles, so it's available HERE.


1993 Hufflepuff and Gryffindor Quidditch Captains (Oliver and Cedric) by Slytherinfiend
Slytherinfiend's Deviant Art page



WHY ISN'T ____ HERE?  Or how to recommend me something.
Think I missed an important story?  HP fandom is Balkanized across Live Journal communities, archives (major and minor), websites, bulletin boards, fanfiction.net and even (still) Yahoo Groups.  I've done some pretty extensive looking, but make no claim to having read every single story about Cedric Diggory even if I've read a whole lot.  So a story may not be here because I don't know about it -- but there could be other reasons.  On the one hand, I really hate hurting anybody's feelings so I rarely tell why I didn't recommend something, but on the other hand, I do take the process seriously and won't link to a story that doesn't stand out from the crowd or which contains too many errors of grammar, spelling, plot construction or character development.  T
his isn't a comprehensive list of stories about Cedric, by any means.  It's a list of some that *I* think Cedric fans shouldn't miss.

But there very well might be a hidden gem out there I've not read, or even one I read a while back and just forgot about, or can't find again.  So please, if you think you know of one, EMAIL ME the link!  Just be aware that doing so assumes an automatic 'I won't be upset if you don't agree' clause. ;>