Cedric Diggory and Harry Potter were both students at Hogwarts, seekers on their respective Hogwarts House Quidditch teams, and the eventual Champions representing Hogwarts in the Triwizard Tournament. The two did not go out of their way to interact, but when they did, they were friendly toward each other, and they did help each other out during the Tournament.
However, their friendliness and inclinations to help each other out do not necessarily mean that they were friends. In fact, many of their actions, or lack thereof, toward each other would indicate otherwise. Here are ten examples showing that they were not actually friends.
They Had More Reasons To Be Rivals
Harry and Cedric were often in competition with each other. While Gryffindor had more of a rivalry with Slytherin in terms of house points and Quidditch, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff still had to compete against each other. Harry and Cedric ended up going head to head in Quidditch during Harry’s third year, which was Cedric’s fifth year, in which Hufflepuff won the match.
They later competed against each other in the Triwizard Tournament, which only allowed for one winner in spite of the fact that they were representing the same school. Furthermore, both vied for the same girl’s affection, adding to the competitive feelings between them.
They Were On Opposing Quidditch Teams
As mentioned above, Harry and Cedric competed against each other in Quidditch as seekers for the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff teams, respectively. Because of this, they probably did not feel the need to interact with each other outside the context of the Quidditch field. And while Harry is only depicted as a sore loser if Draco Malfoy is involved, he may feel less inclined to be friendly toward Cedric after the latter caught the snitch, giving Hufflepuff a win during Harry’s third year.
Furthermore, while Gryffindor and Hufflepuff’s rivalry was likely more friendly than Gryffindor and Slytherin’s, this would not stop a bunch of teenagers from begrudging opposing team members on or off the field.
They Did Not Congratulate Each Other For Being Selected
The Triwizard Tournament traditionally has three champions, one from each school, meaning that Harry being selected as a fourth champion was a surprise to everyone, especially Harry himself. After Harry’s selection, confusion and chaos ensued among those present in the Great Hall. The film’s take on Albus Dumbledore is even depicted as angrily confronting Harry about it.
Even after the confusion died down, Cedric and Harry did not even take a moment to congratulate each other on being chosen to participate in the opportunity of a lifetime. They instead went their separate ways, originally intending to fend for themselves during the Tournament.
They Did Not Interact While Traveling To The World Cup
As mentioned above, Harry and Cedric technically met during the events of Prisoner of Azkaban in which they played against each other in a Quidditch match. Cedric, in the book, even congratulated Harry after he was given a Firebolt broomstick as a replacement for his Nimbus 2000.
However, the following summer, the two traveled together with Cedric’s father Amos, the Weasley family, and Hermione Granger to the Quidditch World Cup. In the film version of Goblet of Fire, Cedric and Harry did not acknowledge that they knew each other, let alone greet each other or make small talk.
Cedric Thought Harry Was Lying
This aspect of Cedric is depicted in the Goblet of Fire book but not the movie. After the initial meeting of the champions, Cedric pulls Harry aside and asks Harry how he managed to get his name in the Goblet of Fire. Harry insists, as he had been, that he had not made any attempt to enter his name. Cedric clearly does not believe Harry in spite of the latter’s insistence.
If Cedric and Harry were truly friends, Cedric would have taken Harry at his word. To Cedric’s credit, he did not tell Harry that he did not believe him, but Cedric’s demeanor gave his true thoughts and feelings about the matter away.
They Only Interacted With Each Other Because Of The Tournament
Harry and Cedric only interacted with each other within the context of the Triwizard Tournament. The two would occasionally make small talk while waiting for the tasks to start and tended to only do so with each other rather than include any of the other champions. Harry and Cedric even helped each other out of dangerous situations they individually encountered in the maze during the third task.
Outside of the actual tasks, Harry and Cedric only talk to each other in order to give each other tips about upcoming tasks. They never help the other develop strategies, but they do give each other enough information to help the other develop a strategy of their own. Other than this, they do not go out of their way to talk to each other.
They Both Had Feelings For Cho Chang
In the books, Harry met Cho Chang during his third year in which she rooted for Gryffindor’s team over Slytherin’s and later competed against Harry as the Ravenclaw seeker. During Harry’s third and fourth years, he developed a crush on Cho, at one point asking her to be his date to the Yule Ball.
Cho had already agreed to go with Cedric and the couple later dated until his death at the end of Goblet of Fire. While it is possible for two friends to be amicable while having romantic feelings for the same person, Harry was depicted as somewhat resenting Cedric for dating Cho.
They Helped Each Other Out Of Obligation
When Harry learns about dragons being the first task, he also learns that every champion except Cedric knows the same information. Out of fairness, he seeks Cedric out and warns him so that he could adequately prepare. Cedric later returns the favor by advising Harry to take a bath with his dragon egg, the clue about the second task.
These events initiated a pattern in which one of the boys would help the other and vice versa. Neither of them helped each other out of friendship, though. For both Harry and Cedric, it seemed to be more out of a sense of moral obligation than anything else.
Harry Pursued Cho Soon After Cedric’s Death
In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry and Cho develop a romantic relationship. This relationship, which was more detailed and developed in the book than in the film, occurred less than a year after Cedric’s death. Harry was dealing with intense post-traumatic stress caused by Cedric’s death, and Cho was still grieving the loss of her boyfriend.
In spite of these two factors, the two still attempted to have a romantic relationship, which led Cho to feel guilty and ultimately seek closure through Harry. In both the film and the book, the relationship did not end well.
They Respected Each Other, But That’s Where Their Feelings Ended
Throughout Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, it is clear that the two teenage boys respect each other. Cedric discourages his friends and peers from wearing “Potter stinks” badges, and it was Harry who initiated their eventual mutual attempts to help each other throughout the Triwizard Tournament.
However, their respect for one another is where any feelings toward each other end. As mentioned before, they did not make any attempts to interact with each other outside the context of the Tournament, meaning that neither felt the need to become friends with the other.
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