#substitute Cedric

[nox-in-a-box]

How do they know about Cedric? Is his bad reputation that widespread?

[kingcedricthegay]

Watching Sofia the First made me realize that we should all go back to shows for kids from time to time because they remind us of the main, ground rules and life advice that we may forget as we grow older, such as “be nice to others” or “trust your gut” or whatever.

Especially in Substitute Cedric, “The Sorcerer’s Secret” actually really hit me because I definitely gave up the fight and didn’t keep trying until I finally got it right multiple times.

[nox-in-a-box]

Cool theory! I hc that Prank Day is an older tradition than Grimtrix, but Grimtrix of course encouraged it, especially the more elaborate and dangerous pranks. Cedric doesn't want to stop the Hexley Hall prankers at first because he assumes they'll just do a few harmless pranks, and maybe that was the case back when he was at Hexley Hall, but is not the case anymore thanks to Grimtrix's encouragement.

The fairies say that they will report the students to the headmaster of Hexley Hall, which may mean that in the past students did get consequences if their pranks went too far. But ever since Grimtrix became headmaster, he doesn't actually give consequences anymore, and ever since then, the pranks have been becoming more elaborate.

@shychick-52

Substitute Cedric is the next episode I plan to watch, and it just occurred to me that MAYBE Grimtrix is behind Prank Day because he secretly detests royals.

[ushstuff]

I'm making Goodwyn hotter than what he actually is

[captain-amadeus]

I wonder if the knight academy has any rivals schools or have multiple academies around the world that are connected to one another

[mentally-in-northern-italy]

a lover’s ruse — c.d. [1]

Summary: Your agonizing courtship and Cedric’s need to spite his ex are both ailments that have a very simple cure: a fake relationship, obviously.

⤷ [1] - in which prefect patrols end with a haphazard agreement being reached.

Requested: read the request here

Pairing: Cedric Diggory x fem!gryffindor!reader

Word Count: 3.9K

A/N: I'm so sorry guys. This has been such a long time coming, I'm not sure people are even waiting for this anymore. But this is the first part and I'm thinking of turning it into a full-fledged series. Second part of the fic WILL be out as soon as I'm done exams.

—

The first few dates were bearable enough  — if you squinted hard and counted the silence as a virtue. 

The next few were nothing short of painstakingly harrowing. And that’s being kind.

This one, however? It made you seriously contemplate lunging over the walls of the Astronomy Tower and meeting Death, himself, halfway. Little else could offer greater reprieve, in your mind, from this. 

The setting should’ve been romantic, in theory. The night was still, but not stiflingly so, and the moonlight danced around the top of the Tower teasingly, doing little to illuminate the dark. If he stepped into a crevice where the light didn’t reach his face and you tuned him out just enough, you might even call the view beautiful. But, you soon found out – only a few dates in – no view could be described as such when you have Trevor Selwyn standing next to you.

Trevor Selwyn should’ve been a perfect match, in theory. An avid member of the Sacred Twenty-Eight –  there was little else that could prove more pertinent to families, like yours, with snobby ideals of purity and the measures necessary to maintain it, generation after generation – a Slytherin, an athlete (he doesn’t like mentioning that he’s a substitute player, on his best days), and a prefect. And, as you soon found out – only one date in – he’s also an utter and complete idiot.

So, you should’ve said no, in theory. Kicked and flailed your arms like a petulant child, screamed and wailed and protested when your parents proposed a courtship between the two of you. You should’ve told Trevor himself that he possessed the tact of a Cornish Pixie and the wit of the dimmest of trolls. But, as you soon found out (after the wailing episode) – absolutely zero dates in – Trevor is nothing but persistent and your parents anything but unwavering in their resolve. 

“I’ve met the Minister once,” he remarks out of nowhere as he looks off, off of the edge of the tower with all the regality of an acclaimed emperor. 

You hum in response. You haven’t said a word all night and he hasn’t noticed a thing.

“Granted, I was only two but I recall the Minister telling my father –”

“I think I should head back, actually,” you interrupt before the anecdote can truly begin. There are a few things you’ve learned about Trevor so far but none of them are as glaringly consequential as this: if he starts talking about his father, he won’t be able to stop. Escapades from Uagadou, his adventures in Egypt warding off curses and serpents and the magical scrolls of Machu Picchu –

“Oh,” he furrows his brow as if deep in thought and you almost laugh. That boy has never had a thought in his life. 

“I don’t want to be late for prefect patrols is all,” a faux sweet lilt to your voice doesn’t do much to subdue the frown on his face. 

He nods curtly. “I’ll walk you back.”

Your refusal is automatic. “I think I’ll mana–”

“It’s no problem,” he starts walking towards the stairs and you’re left with no choice but to follow.

On any other occasion, the walk would’ve taken mere minutes. The hallways would’ve been something theatrical, a soft fusion of candlelight and the streaming moonlight at this time of night. With Selwyn by your side, however, the minutes seemed like hours, and the candlelit corridors, usually golden and warm, felt like the dull glow of a waiting room. Your shoulders ached from how stiffly you held herself as each step echoed louder than the last, as if the castle itself was sighing in disappointment and disdain.

“I had an enjoyable time tonight,” Trevor started when you finally reached and you tried your utter best to hide the discomfort when his clammy hand reached for yours. He brought it to his lips and pressed a single kiss on it before you gave him a tight-lipped smile. You expect him to then turn and go, to walk back down to his own common room but he stays standing there, his face blank. 

“Me too,” you smile, in hopes that this was the confirmation he was after. Another lesson you’ve learned about the boy has been this: nothing else pleases him as much as validation does. 

He gives some semblance of a smile back. You blink. The next thing you know he has started to lean in and his eyes are fluttering shut and his slightly puckered lips are mere inches from yours now and the ridiculousness of it all proves too much to bear – you guffaw in the most obnoxious way possible. A mixture of anger and hurt crosses his face before he retreats and you’re unsure of how to recover.

“I’m so sorry,” you cover your mouth and try to stop the laughter. “I– I just thought of a funny joke. I’m so–”

“Fix your hair, would you? It looked atrocious today,” he quips quickly to gain control of the situation back. The last thing you’ve learned about the enigma that Selwyn is is this: his superiority cannot be challenged. If it is, he will try to establish it again – by insulting you in the most seemingly hurtful manner. 

It doesn’t quite have the desired effect. You snort at his attempt and suddenly the laughter has returned. He exhales once out of his nose as he turns to go but not before calling out, “I will pick you up at the same time tomorrow night. Don’t be late.” 

The laughter dwindles at the thought of enduring this again. “I’m busy tomorrow!” 

“Don’t be late,” he calls again. 

“Charming,” you hear someone call from behind you and you can tell who it is without having to turn and look at his annoyingly perfect face. His clever quips usually carry the extraordinary ability to irk you to no end but after the night you’ve had, they seem especially akin to knives on a chalkboard. 

You can picture Cedric Diggory’s earnest yet irritating smile he seems to wear at all times, the kind that makes his honey-coloured eyes crinkle in the slightest way at the edges with no difficulty. You can picture his perfectly ironed robes, clad with pins and awards he has won over the years and his hair that falls in place like dominoes. There’s only ever one way to describe him: pristine. Always. 

Though you’d never cared much to exalt him to the status of an academic rival, it’d be foolish to call him anything else. He had a way about him that reeked of complete and utter competence at everything, which indubitably invited a certain degree of resentment from everyone. You were no exception.

And not only did the universe seem keen on making an already-horrible night worse by scheduling him as your prefect patrols partner tonight, it also seemed quite keen on wanting to humiliate you in front of him. 

“The gossip that you are, Diggory,” you huff with biting sarcasm as you finally turn to face him. “Using your patrols as a way to spy on unsuspecting young lovers. Classy.” The break of his grin is almost blinding and you have to avert your gaze to avoid damage to your visual field.

“Nothing else entertains me these days as much as your courtship, I’m afraid,” he jests, slipping an easy hand into his pocket. “If you need more time together, I understand. I’m perfectly capable of completing the patrols on my own tonight.”

With your face aflame, you shoot him a look and begrudgingly start walking beside him, arms crossed tightly over your chest like a shield and footsteps hitting stone a bit too sharply. 

“How kind of you.” You say curtly and make it a point to walk a few steps ahead of him. He doesn’t seem particularly perturbed by it: he follows a few steps behind you, but the smugness radiating off of him envelops you nonetheless. 

“You can laugh, you know,” you say again after a moment of silence. You have long-since learned that the best way to avoid embarrassment is to submit to it. You’ve been courting Selwyn long enough to know it – sheepish smiles exchanged with classmates when he pecks you on the cheek in the hallways, mortified but apologetic grimaces whenever he tries to clasp your hand in his as he walks you to your common room after supper. Judgment – if it must be served – is best served plainly. Overtly. 

He shakes his head in amusement as he finally catches up and walks in step with you. “Now, why would I laugh? That was the most romantic thing I’ve ever seen.” 

“That was humiliating,” you mutter under your breath before you can stop yourself. 

Cedric’s amused smile wavers as he glances at you with something you hope isn’t sympathy. And as much as you hate to say it, it wouldn’t be something you would put above him – for all the determined rebuttals and rivalries in class, Cedric has only ever been infuriatingly kind. “I think Selwyn might be a tad bit more humiliated than you, [Y/L/N].”

“Good. If he ever tries to kiss me again, I might hex him into oblivion and end up as a headline in the Daily Prophet.” 

His amusement returns and you’re glad. You’re not sure how to interact with him beyond the usual teasing remarks. “Would it be in bad taste to say that I'd quite want to see that?” His smile only grows when you roll your eyes. “Will you be doing that tomorrow night then? Shall I call the reporters?” 

You make a face. “You won’t be grinning that wide when I send a dementor after you from Azkaban, Diggory.”

“Send one after Selwyn. He’s in need of a good kiss.”

Your lips twitch at the joke and Cedric notices the slight movement. You press them together before a full-fledged smile can appear on your face and Cedric revels in it. “You’re not funny.”

“Yes, I’m sure Selwyn’s funnier,” Cedric teases. 

“Still not funny.” You take a few quicker steps to walk in front of him again, having had enough of his teasing for the night. 

He catches up again and has no particular difficulties keeping up, no matter how much you try to hasten your steps. “Forgive me for prying –”

“I won’t.”

“But, why Selwyn?” The question’s sincerity catches you off-guard.

“What?”

“I just mean – I find it hard to believe that you’re… devoid of options. So…why him?” He picks his words carefully, as if he’s weighing them in his mouth before letting them fall out. And perhaps it was due to the late hour or the undeniable warmth that Cedric’s eyes perpetually hold, but you actually considered giving him a sincere answer. 

“He’s–” you pause as you vow to yourself this would be the last display of vulnerability Cedric would be getting from you tonight. Your voice drops despite yourself, and you find your fingers fiddling with the edge of your sleeve. Something about Cedric’s quiet attention makes the truth feel heavier than usual. “He’s my parents’ choice. They want me to graduate with a prospect secured.”

His eyebrows wrinkle in confusion. “If a courtship is what you’re after, I’m sure you’d find better prospects in – pardon my bluntness – anyone else.” His teasing cadence has dropped altogether now and you wrinkle your own eyebrows in confusion as you consider the notion that Cedric might actually be trying to help you. 

“It doesn’t matter who–” you pause again. “I don’t plan on marrying him, Cedric.”

Cedric frowns. 

You go on, “I’m only ‘courting’ him until graduation to subdue my parents. I won’t marry him so it doesn’t matter who it is.” You squirm in guilt as Cedric stays frowning. “And I realize it’s cruel to string him along – I do – I just – I don’t know what else to do.” 

Cedric nods after a while – a slow, courteous nod that indicates he understands but wholly disagrees with whatever you’re saying. It’s a nod you’ve seen from him when he proposes a rebuttal to whatever alternate answer you’ve proposed in class, an alternate solution to a problem and admittedly, a much more pragmatic one.  He opens his mouth to voice it before the sound of giggles fill the empty hallways from around the corner.

You both exchange a prefectly look with each other, acknowledging the obvious student out of bed, awaiting a scolding for being out past curfew. Before you two can approach to see who it is, they turn the corner themselves.

“Evelyn,” Cedric breathes out in surprise as your gaze lands on the familiar brunette-haired girl in your year, her hands firmly clasped in Damien Avery’s, matching love-sick grins plastered on both faces and lipstick stains on the latter’s neck. With their hair dishevelled and robes askew, they blink in stunned silence.

You purse your lips as you look between the two, realization cresting at once. Though Cedric’s dating life was never a particular topic of interest, you immediately recognized the girl as his girlfriend, Evelyn Waters. 

Well, ex-girlfriend as of two weeks ago. 

“Ced,” his name falls from her smudged, lipstick-stained mouth softly, her eyes widening slightly. She hastily straightens out her robe and runs a hand through her hair. “I–”

Cedric clears his throat awkwardly as he shoots Avery a lingering glare. “It’s an hour past curfew–” He manages to get out, his voice unbelievably even. He keeps his eyes on Avery, not sparing Evelyn another glance. 

“I’m a prefect, Diggory. I think we’re fine,” Avery dismisses, stepping around him. He tugs at Evelyn’s hand.

Cedric steps in front of him again, towering over the shorter boy with ease. “Forty points from Slytherin,” he says simply, his eyes uncharacteristically stoic.

Avery scoffs and looks at Cedric in disbelief. “Yeah?” He sneers. “Are you going to take another forty for theft?” 

Cedric exhales heavily through his nose at the implication. The night air has suddenly chilled and the tension is so thick, it makes it hard to breathe.

“You know… considering…everything.” Avery smirks, gesturing subtly to Evelyn’s hand he still has clasped within his own. Evelyn watches the exchange silently.

“Considering everything, Avery,” you finally find your voice in the uncomfortable silence and step forward. “I’ll be taking another hundred points away from Slytherin for your misuse of prefect privileges. Expect to hear from Professor Snape tomorrow when I formally file a complaint.”

Avery turns to you, his goblin-green eyes staring into yours for a minute before he narrows them. “This isn’t your fight, [Y/L/N]. Stay out of it.”

“I think you,” you jab a hard finger at his chest, pushing him away slightly, “should stay out of the hallways after curfew. Now, if you’ll excuse us.” You grab Cedric’s arm and tear him away from the pair. 

He doesn’t protest when you begin to lead him down a random set of stairs to get away from the scene of the stiff confrontation. Cedric walks a few steps behind you wordlessly as you chance periodic glances to make sure he’s still following. After a few moments, you slow your gait so he can catch up with you.

“Hey,” you jostle him out of his thoughts which seemed to have permanently etched a furrow in his brows as he shuffled his feet across the stone floor.

He sighs, running a quick hand over his face and then stuffing it back into his pocket. “You didn’t have to enjoy that quite so much.”

You frown. “Enjoy what?”

“Do you not normally enjoy my humiliation?” He asks with a teasing lilt in his voice, but the humour stops short of his eyes. You can tell his mind is still stuck elsewhere, replaying that scene over and over. 

“I’m not a sadist like you,” you quip. 

He offers you a quick smile as if to confirm receipt of your well-intentioned humour, but doesn’t say much else. You walk in uneasy silence once again. 

“She’s an idiot,” you say finally. “Just– for the record.”

“Hm.” He smiles wryly again but his eyes hold a heaviness that you don’t like. You can tell the breakup took a greater toll on him than he has let on the past few weeks. And you’re not exactly sure why that weighs down on your heart.

“Seriously, Diggory,” you sigh. “She’s an idiot for breaking up with you and she’s an idiot for getting with Avery.”

He exhales a quiet laugh. “Yeah.” 

The heaviness still hung in the air despite your attempts at trying to provide Cedric an outlet to let out his frustration. You scoff internally at his staunch unwillingness to talk ill of anyone – not even his ex-girlfriend who moved on from him in a blink of an eye. You think again of Cedric’s genuine interest in your ‘Selwynian’ plight. You sigh once before shaking your head. Were you really about to help Cedric Diggory?

“You know what? You need to stop that.”

“Stop what?”

“Acting like it doesn’t bother you,” you hit him lightly on the arm. “It bothers you, right?”

He holds your gaze for a moment before nodding. “Yeah. Suppose it does.” He admits quietly.

“Do you want her back?” 

He frowns at the question. “What–”

“Do you?”

“Yes,” he breathes out after a while and looks away, as if embarrassed at the confession. You can tell he’s fidgeting with his pockets nervously. 

“Then, make her jealous,” you say. “I saw how she was looking at you. She knows she made a mistake. But she won’t admit it because that’s not how it works. Make her jealous and she’ll have to admit it. It’ll get it out of her.”

He looks at you in amusement. “I can’t tell if you’re trying to help me or sabotage me.”

You scoff. “Accept the generosity before I change my mind.”

He shakes his head with a bitter smile, clicking his tongue against his teeth quietly. “That won’t work, anyway.”

“It will,” you assert. “Trust me, Diggory. It will.” 

He shakes his head again. “I don’t even know how to–”

“Date someone else,” you supply easily.

“I don’t like anyone else.”

You shoot him an unimpressed look. “No shit. We already established that you still like Evelyn.”

“So, I ask out a girl I’m not actually interested in?” He asks in disbelief, discomfort evident on his face. 

“Yeah,” you shrug. 

He frowns and pauses, glancing at you with confusion. “That’s cruel beyond belief, [Y/L/N].”

His admonition makes you pause, too. The familiarity of the proposal strikes you at once. It was exactly what you were doing – stringing along a clueless Selwyn until graduation and then breaking his heart without a second thought. The cruelty of it all had always been a nagging thought – but its noise had been distant and dull. It was now ringing in your ears however, your skewed perception of morality hitting you at once.

“It’s not– cruel.” You try to tell yourself, more than him. “It–”

“It’s heartless,” he says again, matter-of-factly. “This, and what you’re doing to Selwyn, by the way.” 

You sigh at his moral policing. You knew he was right, but Selwyn was a problem for another night. 

“Fine,” you relent. “How about a girl who agrees to be your fake girlfriend?” 

He scoffs lightly. “If that were so easy to find, wouldn’t you have gotten a fake boyfriend already?”

You both stop walking at the same time, your footsteps coming to a screeching halt simultaneously. It was almost as if Cedric’s words had materialized and turned into physical roadblocks. His gaze slowly turns to you, honey-brown eyes landing on yours, but you’re already watching him in stunned realization. 

“[Y/L/N] –” he begins thoughtfully.

“No. No. Absolutely not.” That look in his eyes — the one like he’s already decided. Like he’s already seen this through to the end. It makes you nervous in a way you can’t name. You start walking ahead of him rather quickly but he catches up to you with no difficulty once again. His long strides match your pace perfectly.

“This was your idea–” He tries to reason again, the sound of hurried footsteps echoing off the walls as he chases after you with a walking stride.

“My idea– was not for us to do that–” you huff out as you keep up the pace, unrelenting.

He finally catches up to you and reaches for your arm, his hand closing gently around your elbow. The warmth of his touch sends a jolt through you, halting your steps more effectively than his words ever could. “It makes sense.”

You blink, momentarily thrown. “No–” 

“You won’t have to be needlessly cruel just to keep a prospect around–”

“Cedric.”

“And I won’t have to heartlessly pretend to like a girl who doesn’t know I’m pretending,” his hands find your shoulders. “It makes sense. You know it does.”

“I won’t–”

“And no more nightly dates with Selwyn,” he interrupts. “No more dodging his kisses.” 

That finally shuts you up. You shake your head though you can’t find the words to protest anymore. Cedric decides to sweeten the deal further.

“No life sentence in Azkaban, either.”

“Shut up.”

His lips tug upwards slightly and your eyes can’t help but catch on the movement. You let your eyes roam over his face — annoyingly symmetrical, irritatingly warm — and suddenly it hits you how easy it would be to fall into this lie. How dangerously tempting it is to pretend.

“No one would even believe it,” you say weakly. “We hate each other.”

“You mean you hate me?” He smiles dryly. “Because I don’t recall ever hating you.”

You avert your eyes before you start tracing his smile lines again with your gaze. “I just mean– we’re always at each other’s throats.” 

“That makes it more believable, don’t you think?” 

You shake your head, closing your eyes. “It’s a bad idea–”

You don’t get to finish your sentence before a familiar owl flies overhead and perches itself on the ledge next to you, clutching a letter. It doesn’t take long for you to realize who it’s from – the intricate green envelope and Selwyn family crest catching your eye immediately.

Cedric raises an eyebrow as he holds back a smirk. You grumble under your breath before plucking the letter from the owl begrudgingly. 

“Aren’t you going to open it?” He questions as he stifles a smile.

“No,” you huff in annoyance. “He … sends these every night. A ‘goodnight poem’, he calls them.”

Cedric doesn’t say anything, his grin already revealing he knows what your next words will be. 

You glance at the letter again — Selwyn’s cursive looping like a snake about to bite. What were you even doing?

You sigh, knowing exactly what this meant. “Fine. Let’s do it.” You cast the ignition spell, watching the green wax seal curl into smoke. “Let’s date.”

He blinks. “Wait — really?”

 “Don’t make me change my mind.”

 His grin returns, slow and lopsided. “Pretend to date,” he corrects.

“What?”

“We’re pretending,” he says cheekily, your cheeks aflame at his teasing cadence. "Don’t fall in love with me, [Y/L/N].”  

With a determined roll of your eyes, you turn on your heel. “As if, Diggory.”

Second part coming soon!

[weasleys-wizard-writes]

weasleys-wizard-writes | general m.list

- Key -

☼ -Fluff ☾ -Angst ✧ - Suggestive ♡ -NSFW

- Series Masterlists - (Coming Soon)

Over The Years (Charlie Weasley x Reader) The Making Of A Weasley (George Weasley x Reader) We Stood In the Sun (Before It Exploded) (George Weasley x Reader) Betrothed (Fred Weasley x Reader x Draco Malfoy) Latency Lingering (Fred Weasley x Reader)

- Characters -

Fred G. Weasley:

Oneshots:

Passion ☼ ☾ How Things Can Change ☼ Strength ☾ Trying ♡ For The Best ☾

Series:

Betrothed - [I] [II] [III] ☾ Latency Lingering - [I] [II] ☾

George F. Weasley:

Oneshots:

The Parent Couple ☼ Girls Night Out ♡ Miles Away ♡ Bright Mornings ☼ ♡ Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder ♡ The Funny Thing ☾ A Minor Injury ☼ The Best Wedding Present ☼ Knowing The Difference ☼ A Weasley Sized Family ☼ ♡ Lucky ☼ When We Live ☼ Forever in the Rain ☼ Wardrobe Mix Up ☼ ✧ Waiting on a Magpie ☼ ☾ Beautiful Ruiner, Damn My Ashes ♡

Series:

The Making of a Weasley - [I] [II] [III] ☼ ♡ We Stood In the Sun (Before It Exploded) - [I] ☾ ♡

Charlie S. Weasley: 

Oneshots:

A Painful Comparison ☾ A Damn Chance ☼ A Big Misunderstanding ☼ Because Of A Bird ☼ How Much I Love You ☼ Baby Blues ☼ ☾ Long Distance Baby ☼ ☾ Unexpected ☼ ☾ Love Me ☼ ✧

Series:

Over the Years - [I] [II] [III] [IV] ☼

Percy I. Weasley:

Oneshots:

Surprise, Surprise ☼

Draco L. Malfoy:

Series:

Betrothed - [I] [II] [III] ☾

Oliver B. Wood:

Excerpts:

Oliver Wood and the MILF Next Door ☼

Regulus A. Black:

Oneshots:

A Sorry Substitute ☾ ☼

Ominis T. Gaunt:

Oneshots:

Return ☼

Excerpts:

Ominis x Childhood best friend Reader ☼

Cedric A. Diggory:

Oneshots:

Fuck Buddies ♡ ☾

- Additional Links -

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[sweetmariihs2]

If Cedric's experience at Hexley Hall was bad, why does he talks so fondly of it?

Watching the Hexley Hall episode recently, I noticed that Cedric seems proud of his old school and says a lot of good stuff about it to Sofia.

When they're arriving at Hexley Hall, Cedric sighs and says "Oh, Hexley Hall, my old sorcering grounds. I learned everything I know about magic behind these walls" with a huge smile in his face. He doesn't seem uncomfortable or anything, in fact, he seems quite happy for being there, walking proudly through the corridors.

When they enter the Hexley Hall, Sofia says "I've never seen a school like this. It's like Royal Prep, only..." and Cedric interrupts, saying "...Better. Much, much better."

In other episode, one that happened in the second season, "Substitute Cedric", Cedric also speaks fondly of his old school and the old tradition that they had, the prank day.

Which means: Cedric is really proud and nostalgic about Hexley Hall and the time he spent there.

But as we know, Cedric was constantly mistreated during his whole life, more specifically after the incident at Cordelia's birthday, where he was certainly less than 10 years old.

As we see Cedric growing up, during the "My Evil Dreams" song, we see that he was mistreated at his school too, and it seems like he grew different and an "outcast" based on his looks during his teenage years and adulthood, being constantly mocked by people.

At the song "The Sorcerer's Secret", he shows us that he was bad at magic when he was little (probably due to his lack of self confidence! because the spell he performed at Cordelia's birthday was said to be advanced for his age and he did it effortlessly). He needed a teacher's help to finally learn magic properly.

I don't need to describe it fully here, as you are already familiar with this story, but Cedric was mistreated (by parents, sister, the king (who was his childhood friend), the people in the castle, classmates, apparently other sorcerers at his sister's birthday), excluded, didn't have many friends, was lonely, bitter, and "looked weird" as it's implied. His reputation was terrible.

Still in the episode "Substitute Cedric", Hexley Hall students see him and say something like "at least you're not worse than that Cedric guy in Enchancia", and he says "I AM that Cedric guy in Enchancia!", which means that:

his reputation is bad around the whole EverRealm

his reputation is bad as an old student at Hexley Hall

both (the most realistic option)

If he's seen as a bungler EVEN in Hexley Hall, that means that people weren't so kind to him back then. It only reinforces the scenes that play durying the My Evil Dreams song.

The only characters we know that he knew during his time at Hexley Hall are Grimtrix and Greylock.

His experience with Grimtrix: He couldn't stand Grimtrix. He thought he was annoying, known for being too nice. In my opinion, it seems that Grimtrix gained people's attention for his false kindness, and Cedric was the opposite of that, despised and excluded, even before Grimtrix turned evil.

His experience with Greylock: He also found him annoying. Always getting his name wrong, and apparently they have class reunions from time to time, and Greylock annoys him about his hair, with jokes, getting his name wrong and everything. Cedric's memories of Greylock are also not good. Now they're friends, but I'm talking about back then.

Cedric's experience in Hexley Hall:

Difficulty to make spells, being known as a bungler, stupid, or similar adjectives

Lack of self confidence

Being severely bullied by groups of other people/students

Growing up as an "outcast"

He had bad experiences with Greylock and Grimtrix (the only people he knew that were studying there at that time)

It seems like his experience in Hexley Hall and in his childhood/teenage years weren't good... but why does he feel proud and nostalgic about them? About his school?

Perhaps it's because of that teacher, because the teacher helped him and everything. But honestly, I studied in the same school since 1st grade to 9th grade (6 years to 14 years), was bullied by the whole class, only had one friend, I didn't felt part of the class and I felt unmotivated with my studies so I was the worst in the class, people spoke that way about me, I basically lived like Cedric for a long time 💀 I'm still the black sheep in the family. And recently, because of my artistic skills, the new principal of this school asked me to do something for her, and I had to walk all those hallways to her principal room. The memories were bad, I felt bad, I felt strange for a long time after I left. That period of my life literally shaped my personality today, and most of the teachers weren't mean with me, so how the hell does Cedric feels proud of Hexley Hall?!? I only speak badly of the period I studied at my old school and the school management's lack of concern in dealing with bullying. (Don't need to worry, I'm much better now and have already overcome much of it)

Maybe the writters didn't went through something like that, or idk, Cedric probably has his reasons

@mushroomsie224 @majoresca @shychick-52

[tookishcombeferre]

Think Better of Me Father: An Analysis about "Greatness" in Sofia the First

So, first off, yes, I did in fact use Faramir's words very intentionally in this title because I will absolutely die on the hill that Cordelia, Cedric, and Goodwyn are toddler reincarnations of Boromir, Faramir, and Denethor. Also, there are striking similarities between Cedric and Sofia's relationship and the one between Gandalf and Pippin.

However, those are a different posts for a different time.

I recently got into a reblog chain with @shychick-52 about the line in Day of the Sorcerers in which Cedric says: "All I wanted was to be seen as a great man."

Throughout the series, we see the concept of "greatness" discussed frequently by various characters. Specifically, we see it as a title applied to Goodwyn, Cedric's father.

We know from the pilot that Cedric "comes from a long line of Royal Sorcerers, so we're stuck with him." We know that Goodwyn has "saved the King's life 9 1/2 times."

However, throughout the series, as we get to know Goodwyn, we see he's not all that great a man.

He's distant. He's unfeeling. He's unkind. He brags. He ignores his son's pleas for affection. He pits his children against each other. He doesn't pay much attention to his wife.

He's a great sorcerer.

He's not a good man.

As someone who is transmasc nonbinary and a parent, I'm fascinated by portrayals of manhood in media for all ages.

Yet, the thing I find the most utterly fascinating of all is that the further Cedric strays from trying to emulate Goodwyn the *better* he becomes.

Cedric's dreams of having a lot of power, of being seen as a great sorcerer?

That is the place Cedric's villainy comes from.

Once Cedric decides for himself to become a *great man,* not a great sorcerer, A GREAT MAN, he is finally able to be free from villainy and unkindness. He is able to be himself freely.

He is able to *be* great.

In the end, Cedric is powerful because he is a great man, and a good person. He is someone who loves people, someone who wants to teach through encouragement and not over correction, someone who wants to take out bullies in all forms even Fliegels, someone who knows the difference between innocent pranks and real harm, and someone who, at the end of the day, loves his charges with all his heart, all his mind, and all his strength.

There are several moments that highlight the major differences in personality between Cedric and Goodwyn throughout the series.

Therefore, I don't think it's an accident how closely in the lineup we see "Substitute Cedric" and "Mystic Meadows."

Cedric, at first, tries teaching the way we see Goodwyn teach. He's standoffish. He's cold. He complains. You can just hear the “It couldn’t be more simple, (Cedric).”

However, when he sees the kids struggling, Cedric sees *himself.* And, the walls come down. He can't do to the RPA kids what his father and so many others have done to him. He can't perpetuate what he has endured.

So, he changes the script.

And, he is recognized as a great sorcerer for his efforts in being able to teach without ever once lifting his wand.

He would have never recognized that, but he's overjoyed to see that there *is* greatness there.

Goodwyn can do any spell himself but, even waving his wand around and screaming his head off at his son, he never makes Cedric any better at doing spells. Even after 37-40+ years of going at this, Goodwyn has never once been successful at making Cedric better at anything.

Cedric in one day with the RPA students taught them more by relating to them with humble empathy than Goodwyn has with his own biological son ever.

Cedric's trying to prove himself and show off leads to him being in a position of humility. It's through that humility that Cedric is able to show more greatness than most other sorcerers ever show. Period.

Also in the "Mystic Meadows" episode, we see Goodwyn talking about all his trophies. We see him showing off all his magical artifacts and such.

Sofia once got cursed for getting a little too swept up in getting to sing her national anthem.

Goodwyn is basically gloating over every single thing he has ever done while calling his son incompetent to his face.

Meanwhile, the first time Cedric has a real conversation with Sofia, in "Cedric's Apprentice," he basically humbly lays bare why she shouldn't want his help. He admits to her his faults before any successes he has had. "I've never saved anybody's life. Not even half."

(I don't actually believe that's true. For, it is heavily implied in DotS that Cedric has had successes, perhaps major ones, we just don't really see them or know about them because we're not supposed to. Leaves a lot up to the imagination. 15 years in school is a looong time. 17+ years after graduation is also a long time. We’ve only seen like 3-4 years of those 17+ since Cedric’s graduation from Hexley. But, that's a story for another time.)

So, despite Cedric's story and admission, Sofia chooses to ask for Cedric's help anyway. She's immediately relaxed and comfortable around Cedric in ways that she's just *not* around Goodwyn.

Sofia grimaces awkwardly so many times in "Mystic Meadows" before she finally points out all of Goodwyn's flaws in "helping" Cedric. Goodwyn’s constant berating and belittling of Sofia’s mentor makes her really uncomfortable.

Goodwyn is supposed to be great. He has trophies. He has fought monsters. He's respected. He never once turned against his king.

But, he's not a good person.

He's not a great man.

Sofia's greatest gift is her ability to see through the masks people put up to protect the hurt they hold inside themselves.

Sofia saw through Amber's hurt that Sofia was going to take away, instead of add to, the love and stability in her home.

Sofia saw through Hugo's pretenses every time he tried to put up walls around his true desires or interests.

Sofia saw through Minimus' anxieties into the desires for adventure that he thought could never be his because of what he had been taught about himself.

Sofia saw through Goodwyn's perfectly-perfect in every way exterior to see the arrogance underneath.

Sofia saw through Cedric's stone heart and the mask he put up to protect himself from further abandonment to see the kind hearted mentor, friend, and father figure who would protect her from anything.

In the end, Cedric is great, just not in the ways he expected.

In "In Cedric We Trust," Cedric's magic goes right until it doesn't. He gets disarmed pretty quickly. But, instead of giving up, instead of calling failure because he has to be a great sorcerer to be great, he sacrifices himself and his safety.

He's not his father.

He's not throwing in the towel because the spell went wrong or because there are no spells at all.

Cedric is going to do whatever he can to defend the people he cares about. Up to and including throwing his own body in front of the child he has come to care about like his little Arthur, of sorts.

He's a great man.

In the "Finale," he allows the energies of an entire cast of characters to run through him. He asks for help. He becomes a conduit.

Personally, I can't imagine that sensation would be very pleasant.

But, it doesn't matter to him.

He'll do whatever it takes to bring Sofia back.

Cedric has finally, at that point, accepted that he is not going to be great in the way his father is.

It doesn't matter to him if Goodwyn could cast that spell without any help. (I personally HC that Cedric was *the only person in the Realm* who could have cast that spell. But, that is also a story for another time.)

Instead, Cedric accepts that he's different. He has to become a conduit. Everyone has to work together through him. He'll direct the energy, but he needs everyone to help him do this.

Cedric's greatness is his sacrifice and humility.

Even with "help," he almost falls over. He struggles.

When Roland braces his shoulders and speaks to him with kindness, when he acknowledges Cedric's greatness for what it is, Cedric tears up.

Cedric is not his father.

He may use the family wand.

He may have moments of power.

He may be successful.

But, to quote Disney's Hercules, "For a true hero isn’t measured by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his heart."

In the end, Cedric is great.

Not because he's super powerful.

Not because he gets spells right all the time.

Not because he's perfect.

Cedric is a great man because, despite every adversity, despite every mistake, he never allowed that to truly penetrate the strength of his heart. No matter what he may have believed for however brief or long a time on the surface, underneath it, he was always a good and great man.

It was there to see the whole time if people were simply willing to look for it.

[the-gayest-show]

In a slight derailment of this post, I think that might explain why Sofia is meant to be overpowered in magic (so much so that she goes to a magic school in the sequel series!)

In the finale we see her fighting against Vor in the amulet. How does she do it? She spawns some magical light from her heart!

Sure, she was singing and shit but the magic SPAWNS from her and is so potent that she defeated the core of evil that the fucking protectors couldn't!!!!!!

MAGIC COMES FROM THE HEART CANON! Aaaaaand considering how good she already seems to be with magical objects, to me, it's no doubt that maybe Sofia Got Good simply because of her big heart and a bit of practice

Each time I rewatch an episode I realise how much I miss. Cedric did WANDLESS magic to try and fix Cordelia's hair? Are there other instances in the show? How much have I been freaking missing here?!

[cedric-k-rossignol]

We see undertaker dancing with a skeleton on cover of chapter 54, he has a bunch of crosses on his waist and from the size of the skeleton and the strings of corset behind it I assume that it belongs to a female the skeleton also has a crown of thorns ( same as the skeleton on his death scythe) then we have Claudia's locket which also has a crown of thorns on it....I like to imagine that the skeleton he is dancing with belongs to caludia , and we know that crown of thorns symbolises jesus , I don't think that's random and as far as i know yana , she doesn't put things for no reason .. the manga is full of references and symbolising, so even tho I know it sounds stupid but but makes me wondering is there is any connections between jesus and claudia? Like is undertaker religious? Is caludia jesus? I also reqd a crack theory somewhere that Undertaker is judas😂This is starting to sound funny but I really need to know, but unfortunately I will be 80 until these things get revealed in the manga🙂

Undertaker is Jesus confirmed.

I kid, I kid... Lest?

I don't know if you've read all my theories, but I've referenced Jesus in a loooooot of them, if not all of them, so I'm going to summarize the main points I've hit on Jesus/Christian symbolism in relation to Undertaker below, in no particular order;

Cedric K. Ros- was born on March 25, which is the Day of the Annunciation. This is the day in which the angel Gabriel appeared before Mary to tell her she would become pregnant with the Incarnation of God, aka Jesus.

The medieval French poem 'Floire et Blancheflor' tells the love story of a couple who are represented by roses and white lilies. In this story the lovers are born on the same day - 'Holy Sunday'. Claudia was born on Monday April 5, 1830. In 1830 the day of 'Holy Monday', a part of the holy week preceding Easter, fell on April 5th. I think Undertaker was born on Holy Monday as well - Monday March 25, 1331. Holy Monday is the day on which Jesus cursed the fig tree, cleansed the temple, and responded to the questioning of his authority.

The Campania Arc in which Undertaker's identity as a reaper is revealed takes place over the holy week preceding Easter. The ship departs on Holy Wednesday. The Aurora Society's meeting takes place on Good Friday, and the ship sinks early on the morning of Holy Saturday.

The crown of thorns on Claudia's locket, as you mentioned, as well as the laurel branches. Palm branches are blessed as part of the ritual in 'Holy Sunday', but in France laurel branches are often used as a substitute. There is a custom in which people lay the blessed branches on top of the graves of their loved ones as a sign of hope of resurrection.

The French Monarchy was in possession of the majority of the purported relics of the Crown of Thorns. The thorns were incorporated into several different reliquaries, and some were given/sold to other European monarchies. The 'primary' relic of the Crown of Thorns was held at Notre Dame in 1889, and Notre-Dame is featured heavily in the BOC opening.

In the First Legend of Merlin, a King is told he must sacrifice a half-mortal child to allow for construction of a tower he's attempting to build. The child (Vincent) brought forth to be sacrificed is sometimes referred to as the antichrist, although he has never been portrayed as a malevolent force.

Red roses and white lilies are flowers associated with the Virgin Mary; red roses representing her love of God, and white lilies representing her sexual and spiritual purity.

Undertaker wears a cassock beneath his funeral mute outfit, a piece of clothing usually worn by priests and monks.

If he drowned, him being reborn in water is reminiscent of a baptism.

I guess I associate Undertaker with Jesus moreso than Claudia, though I agree that the skeleton in the cover you're referencing is meant to represent Claudia. I do not see Undertaker as being associated with Judas (though I would like to read that theory if you don't mind sending it to me). I'll discuss the cleansing of the temple more in future theories, as I think it's the most relevant to Undertaker's dislike of Queen Victoria and his rebellion against reaper HQ. I interpret Undertaker as being a righteous figure - or at least, I believe that he sees himself as one. But then, don't we all? Still, I think he rebelled against his superiors because he discovered something he found to be amoral.

It's worth noting in the story Floire et Blancheflor, the girl is a Christian and the boy is a pagan/Muslim (depending on which version you read) who converts to Christianity. There's also something to be said for the first king of the Francs, Clovis I, and his wife Clotilde, who is the patron saint of the lame. As in Floire et Blancheflor, Clovis was a pagan convinced to convert by his Christian wife. As the story goes, an angel appeared before Clotilde and gave her three white lilies, which Clotilde convinced Clovis to use as his insignia in battle. When he won, he converted, and so the fleur-de-lis became a symbol of the French Monarchy and their divine right to rule. Fleur-de-lis have been confirmed to decorate the sides of the ring Undertaker wears, and a fleur-de-lis was painted on the cheek of the doll-maker Drossel Keinz in season 1 anime, a character that I believe was inspired by Polaris (who I believe to be Joker), and who was in position of the other hope diamond ring.

So, was Undertaker religious? The Breton aristocracy in the 14th century was Roman Catholic, so yes, I do think he was religious. He also committed suicide in a time where it was very firmly viewed as a sin for which you could not repent. I also believe he is the 'Celtic Dragon' i.e. pagan, and I believe John Brown is an angel - soooooo tldr...

Is anyone's relationship with Catholicism straight forward?

Thanks for the ask anon. The religious symbolism is definitely significant and I will be continuing to explore it in future theories!

[shychick-52]

What I liked and didn't like about Cedric in the series finale - Part 3

(OMG, IT'S BEEN MONTHS SINCE I DID THE LAST ONE).

The graduation from Royal Prep

What I liked:

First of all, the fact that Cedric was at the graduation ceremony at all (especially since during the opening song 'A Big Day', it didn't seem like he was going to attend, given how the episode excluded him from the family shot of them all headed towards graduation to watch the children, which I talked about in my last post)!

THE SWEET, ABSOLUTE LOOK OF PRIDE AND PATERNAL/FAMILIAL LOVE CEDRIC SHOWS (after Sofia gave her big speech about how far she came in the years since she became a princess/first arrived at Royal Prep, and led her classmates in singing the school song):

Not only was Sofia's inspirational speech and singing the school song a beautiful callback to the pilot 'Once Upon a Princess' when she was brand-new to royal life and uncertain how she would fit in (and her classmates and the Good Fairies welcomed/introduced her to Royal Prep by singing the Royal Prep song), but the inclusion/closeup of Cedric in the audience was symbolic of his own character journey from the pilot movie all the way up to this moment (when he first met Sofia, all he cared about was getting his hands on her amulet and taking over the kingdom, and only pretended to show concern when she expressed how difficult a time she was having fitting in after her first day at school; but now he cares deeply about her and is completely loyal to both the royal family and to the kingdom)! They both came full-circle!

I also imagine his pride was not just for Sofia (though probably the majority of it was), but also for the twins, and even for all of their classmates since he had the pleasure of teaching them all in s2's 'Substitute Cedric' (and he was very proud of how much they learned in that episode, and was deeply touched when they all told him they wouldn't have saved the school from the Hexley Hall pranksters without him and that he was a great sorcerer; 'Substitute Cedric' was also important for his character growth).

I love the detail of Cedric and Baileywick being right next to each other in this scene-

-because it not only allowed them to share a moment of feeling deep pride for Sofia and the children, but it also indicated they'd grown closer after 'In Cedric We Trust' (when Roland finally forgave Cedric for his treason from DotS, and gave him his trust, respect, and friendship; and I think it goes without saying that the rest of the family officially did the same once they heard how Cedric saved Sofia's life in 'In Cedric We Trust', and that he became closer and closer to the family ever since then).

And yes, it absolutely sucks that Cedric wasn't in any more episodes between 'In Cedric We Trust' and the finale.

@tookishcombeferre @sweetmariihs2 @ushsblog @the-gayest-show @fantadym @moonypears-blog

(Click here for Part 2)

[toastyslayingbutter]

Despite the endless discourse on Twitter about why “Black people don’t need to read Marx,” which reads like something an FBI intern would start discourse about, I’ve never actually seen anyone suggest a real alternative.

I love Black revolutionary writings, but very little of it is about the pernicious development of the capitalist mode of production, the ways in which it’s changed over the last couple of centuries, or proletarian alienation.

The critiques aren’t a replacement, either.

I always recommend Walter Rodney’s How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, W.E.B. Du Bois’s Black Reconstruction, Eric Williams’ Capitalism and Slavery, Angela Davis’ Women, Race and Class, and C.L.R. James’ The Black Jacobins - but none of these are a substitute for Capital Vols. 1, 2 & 3.

For secondary literature, Ruth Wilson Gilmore’s Golden Gulag, Immanuel Wallerstein’s The Modern World System I-IV, Cedric Robinson’s Black Marxism: Alexander Anievas & Kerem Nisancioglu’s How The West Came to Rule, and Frantz Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth (and A Dying Colonialism) are also incredible - but none are a substitute.

Does anyone actually have a substitute for Marx that they’ve engaged with?

[kyitsya]

i went on a bit of a dubbing quest and have come back with this interesting piece of information.

in the ukrainian dub, baileywick seems to always address cedric with “ви,” which is the formal way to say “you,” rather than the informal “ти.” this is especially intriguing to me because, in return, cedric only addresses baileywick informally, despite the fact that the latter’s seniority calls for the formal form.

“ти” can be substituted for “ви,” if the senior of the two agrees to it, but i highly doubt that they would ever come together on that. in my opinion, i feel as though baileywick uses the formal form because he feels its his duty as a steward to address every staff member with respect, while cedric’s informality is more-so based on his lukewarm standing with the steward.

however, the fun part of it all is that the usage of “ви” can also signify a lack of closeness with a person, so maybe that is also part of the reason that baileywick uses it for cedric.

[pepperonipenny2]

I have this theory that in Substitute Cedric, he was the one who started the whole prank day thing when he was younger in Hexley Hall

He was perceived as a troublemaker as a child so it would make sense. Also, when they were pranking him - he was actually feeling nostalgic instead of being annoyed

[ushsblog]

what do you think they did very right about cedric. like. what is your favourite part of his story

or you may not choose fav just tell some thoughts about a very good one in your opinion

I’ve been thinking about this for a while because there are so many moments in Cedric’s story that I love. I think what they did well with him was showing such a great evolution. His personality is also endearing in its own way.

It’s not like he magically became good at some point; he always had this duality between wanting to follow through with his plans and preserving the friendship he had formed with Sofia, which I find to be a very compelling conflict. I especially love his 'relapse' in the Sorcerer’s Day episode.

In general, I really like his backstory about the incident, how everyone distanced themselves from him, and how that shaped who he is, because his psychology is so interesting.

It’s hard to choose because I love so many moments of his, but a top 3 would be something like:

1. When he’s a substitute teacher at Royal Prep.

2. When he teaches Sofia magic.

3. When he rescues Sofia from the amulet.

I think I like it mostly because it shows that what he wanted was to be taken seriously, for others to stop seeing him as a failure. And that he longed for the friendship, care, and respect that was denied to him after the incident.