As soon as Cedric returned to Hogwarts, the first thing he did was head straight to the Weasley twins.
"Here, this should be enough to last you a while," he said, handing over a small backpack filled with candies worth eighty gold Galleons.
The twins looked at him in disbelief.
"Are you kidding?" Fred asked, eyeing the small satchel skeptically. Compared to their tall frames, the bag looked more like a child's lunch pouch than a serious stash of goods.
"With this little thing? You really think we won't sell out in one night?" George challenged, already rummaging inside to check the contents.
And then, they froze.
"Fred!" George hissed.
"What?"
"Stick your hand in."
Fred did—and his expression instantly shifted to one of shock. "What the—?"
The interior, despite the bag's palm-sized appearance, was easily as spacious as half a desk.
"This... this is a Traceless Extension Charm!" George exclaimed, eyes gleaming with excitement.
Cedric nodded. "I thought it'd be better to store the candy more discreetly. Consider it my wager for this school year—keep it low-key."
Fred opened the bag wide and peered inside, as if he could somehow inspect the entire spatial enchantment.
"You're a proper magician, you know that?" George said, awe evident in his voice.
Though all three of them were just first-years, Cedric always gave off the impression of being... more. Mature. Capable. Someone who had already figured out how the world worked.
The more you interacted with him, the clearer it became: he was operating on a whole other level.
"Don't be so modest," Cedric said, smiling. "You both have your own talents too."
Then, on a whim, he decided to test something new—Slughorn's Recognizing People skill.
[-100 experience points.]
[Target: Fred.]
[Result: He is a good student!]
…That couldn't be right.
He tried again.
[-100 experience points.]
[Target: Fred.]
[Result: No matter how critical the moment, he always makes the right decision.]
Better.
[-100 experience points.]
[Target: George.]
[Result: He will be a great man someday!]
Nice.
[-100 experience points.]
[Target: George.]
[Result: Failure.]
Nope.
He kept going.
[-100 experience points.]
[Target: George.]
[Result: He has a flexible mind and endless clever ideas—though some are a bit wild. Like his frequent desire to prank his self-important brother Percy.]
Now that was accurate.
Without realizing it, Cedric had spent 1,000 experience points just analyzing the two of them. But now that he knew more, he decided to give some advice.
"Just a suggestion," he began. "George, your ideas are brilliant—keep experimenting. But Fred, you tend to see the bigger picture. So when you're making important decisions, maybe let Fred have the final say."
The twins stared at him.
"What?" Cedric asked, confused by their intense expressions. "Did I say something wrong?"
"No," Fred muttered, clearly dejected. "I just realized how far behind you we are."
George sighed dramatically. "This is starting to feel unfair."
Cedric laughed. "You two will catch up."
With the Weasleys set up, he soon turned his attention to another target: Hufflepuff's Quidditch team.
According to Professor Sprout's life goals, winning the Quidditch Cup was one of three major honors needed to fulfill her third wish. Cedric wasn't going to let that slip away.
So, come Friday—training day—he arrived at the pitch ready to work. And he came armed with Slughorn's gift of insight.
He spent 3,000 experience points using Recognizing People on every teammate.
Then, he offered advice.
"Maria, I noticed you have great reflexes when tracking the ball. Have you tried playing as Keeper?"
"Sinclaven, your left hand is stronger—try throwing from that side."
"Vincent, your dive changes at the last second. Try to smooth out that movement."
Most of his housemates accepted the suggestions easily. After all, Hufflepuffs were known for their patience and open-mindedness.
To Cedric's delight, many of the players found that his advice worked. Movements became more precise. Reactions were sharper. Coordination improved.
By the end of practice, a few teammates huddled around him.
"You know... maybe you should be our captain," someone suggested.
"Yes!" another chimed in. "You're good-looking, smart, and you cook. Plus, your feedback today was amazing."
Everyone nodded.
And just like that, Cedric—still a first-year—was unanimously chosen as the new captain of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team.
After practice, energized by his success, Cedric wandered through the common room. That's when Tyne approached him—one of the few classmates who constantly asked for help.
"Cedric, I'm really sorry, but can you go over the Levitation Charm with me again?"
Cedric smiled. Tyne had been struggling with Wingardium Leviosa for nearly a week. While his other spells were fine, this one just wouldn't stick.
He decided to try the Recognizing People ability again.
[-100 experience points.]
[Target: Tyne.]
[Result: Failure.]
Tch. One more time.
[-100 experience points.]
[Target: Tyne.]
[Result: Weakness identified: During incantation, he unconsciously inhales when reaching the sixth syllable. This disrupts the spell's rhythm.]
Ah!
That made perfect sense.
In spellwork, proper pronunciation and fluid rhythm were crucial—especially for longer incantations. Cedric now understood why Professor Flitwick hadn't noticed. It was too subtle.
"Try the spell again," Cedric instructed.
Tyne obeyed. Cedric watched his lips closely and, sure enough, noticed the faint pause mid-word.
"There's your problem," Cedric explained. "You're inhaling right before the final syllable. Try controlling your breath this time."
Tyne attempted it again. The first time wasn't perfect—but then the second attempt worked. And the third too.
"I did it!" Tyne cried, jumping up and hugging Cedric. "Thank you so much—I love you, man!"
Cedric laughed, slightly embarrassed—but genuinely pleased.
Then came the most unexpected surprise of all:
[You've received sincere gratitude from a classmate. +500 experience points.]
Wait. What?
He'd spent 200 points, but gained 500 in return?
That was a net gain of 300 experience points—just for helping a classmate?
His eyes lit up.
He had just discovered a new and sustainable method of earning experience: helping others succeed.
He couldn't help but grin to himself.
It seemed that "knowing people" truly was
one of the most wonderful abilities in the wizarding world.
And Cedric was going to make the most of it.
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