Some additional information on Cedric
Although I have a personal time-line for Ced post-recovery for my own reference, game players wouldn't know/need to know most of what happened to him (what is needed is here). Overall, though, and as mentioned before, Cedric's survival itself wouldn't be a surprise anymore except to those really isolated. It was known in Britain from July of 2002. Given the state of communications, though, exactly WHAT people heard could have varied a lot, as most would have been spread word-of-mouth (and we've aaaall played the telephone game, yeah?). If some folks didn't believe it till they saw him in the flesh, or had some strange ideas about why he was gone and just what happened to him, that would only be expected. Any Aurors or others who'd have had contact with the Amerindian sorcerer-hunters (especially at the Ministry) would probably have got a straighter story.
So here's some additional info about Cedric since he returned that might be of use to anyone who had contact with him, or thinks they might have. He's been at Stoatshead Hill/Ottery St. Catchpole off and on for about a year -- almost since he returned to England.
Cedric at Stoatshead Hill/Ottery St. Catchpole
Cedric returned to England literally days before the final attack/collapse of Diagon Alley and so he immediately threw himself into relief work. He's a good organizer, which is something he's aware of but doesn't make a lot of. He just does it if it's not being done already. (Cedric is one of those rare people who's good at taking or giving orders. He's honestly not inclined to jealousy or resentment; he has different faults. (g))
Anyway, he was also active in evacuating survivors at St. Mungo's. So if your character was present at either of these, he or she may have already run into him. Also, if your character has been at Stoatshead Hill a while, he or she has no doubt met him already, at least in passing. Later, I'll post a query for who might have met him, so I'll know as the game opens who he's meeting for the first time (more or less) and who he's been in contact with already.
As the Diggory house was completely destroyed but his family has been there for some generations, they have a decent-sized tract of land, and he opened that up almost immediately for anyone in need of a place to pitch a tent before getting settled in more permanent shelter. There is a well on the property that still functions, and the barn (of all things) survived. But otherwise, it would have been a bit primitive as the plumbing is shot and the well water, while drinkable, isn't that tasty. Bottled water might be preferred. ;> But it would be fine for bathing, washing clothes or even for cooking.
As far as Cedric is concerned, you don't need an invitation to show up. His attitude is that if you have, you share. Especially now.
He would also have been involved in helping to get people to housing, but not alone in that and we're still looking at details. Cedric's 'specialty' (such as it is) would have been getting people settled who arrived with virtually nothing, needing simple things like clothes, toiletries, and toilet paper. (g) He's also rather good at remembering who knows what/does what, and pointing people in the right direction.
Cedric and Muggle Life
For a wide variety of reasons, Cedric has become quite familiar in the past 8 and a half years with Things Muggle. As noted in his bio, American Wizarding Culture (at least as I've conceived of it) is rather different from British or Continental, and First Nations/American Indian magical culture is even more different. There's far less separation. FAR less. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the whole pure/half/muggleborn division is virtually non-existent; the U.S./Canadian class system isn't nearly as rigid. Cedric was never very fond of it in the first place, and now he thinks it's downright socially destructive, not just problematic or exclusive.
But the upshot is that he has no problem navigating the Muggle world, owns a laptop, used to own a cell phone, and can drive a car -- without recourse to magic. (In fact, he's spent a lot of time behind the wheel, crossing and recrossing N. America, trying to elicit help against Voldemort.) When he rebuilds his house, he'll want electricity, phone and cable lines, and finds it ridiculous to live without those things now -- but he'll still have a fireplace on the floo network, et al. ;>
He doesn't tend to drive in Britain without good reason, at least not yet. He started out trying, renting a car when he needed it, but after turning the wrong way onto some roads, he became reluctant. The real kicker, however, was when he stopped to get petrol, went back to his car, got in . . . and found his steering wheel missing. He sat there for about half a minute, trying to figure out who'd stolen his steering wheel . . . before realizing he'd got in on the wrong side. (g) Feeling like a TOTAL idiot for a native Brit, he swore off driving for a while. But he'll probably go back to it.
Incidently, he has Canadian citizenship as well as British. (I wasn't entirely clear on this when looking into it, but as he's British born and Canada retains ties, I think he could apply for Canadian citizenship without renouncing his British nationality. That wouldn't apply to U.S. citizenship, which is why his family never considered coming stateside. If anyone knows for sure, let me know.)
One important thing most people wouldn't know because he's not talking much about it ... but is worth explaining
Cedric was engaged to a Canadian Ojibway activist named Gwen Banks (distantly related to the Banks family of A.I.M. fame), before breaking that off to return to Britain. Gwen IS a witch, or rather comes from an old Meda family. Their 3.5-year relationship was very solid; they had a joint bank account and were looking into buying a small house. The reason they broke up was not because they didn't work, but because he felt increasing internal pressure to help with the war effort beyond getting Canadian/U.S. participation. She wanted to be a tribal lawyer for her people, as well as a medicine woman, and that's just not possible from Britain. Their life goals were diverging too far. But Cedric loved, and still loves, Gwen Banks; he probably always will at least a little. They tried to stay in touch, but it didn't work well. Gwen was too angry and he was too guilty/apologetic. He feels like he let her down, but he'd have felt worse not returning.
Although he did the leaving, the breakup was extremely painful, he almost went back a few times, and he threw himself into work/relief efforts to avoid thinking about it. He does not talk about her. Once in a blue moon he'll make a reference to his ex- or their life together, but it tends to be mostly a result of a direct question whose answer can't avoid mentioning her. Someone would have to be persistent to draw him out (and he does need to be drawn out). He continues to wear a silver Indian-style bracelet on his left wrist that she gave him. His excuse is that she put a special protection charm on it. The real reason is that he hasn't let her go yet entirely.
If anyone wrote to him before he returned to Britain, they WOULD know about Gwen. He would've talked about her freely, and his affection would've been evident.
All that said, it's been over a year and he's starting to feel recovered enough at least to think about seeing other women.
(Incidently, he was not chaste for that whole year. He had a few casual encounters, which he didn't feel very good about -- he prefers long-term, monogamous relationships . . . but he also doesn't do monkhood well. I haven't specified the 'who' and don't really need to, but if anyone is interested in applying for having scratched his itch, let me know. (g) It could make for interesting in-game interaction, as he's not entirely sure he's comfortable with it/doesn't think of himself as a one-night-stand sort of fellow.)
Anyway, anyone who met him/knew him early after his return would have found him moody and depressed and drinking a bit too much. That's faded.
Cedric and Americanisms/Canadianisms
He never lost his British accent entirely, but after living overseas for so long, it softened. When he returned to Britain, he rapidly reverted -- but if he were ever to run into/speak with an American or Canadian, he'd probably sound rather different. He still has a bit of a Canadian accent, and he'll also throw in 'eh?' at the end of a sentence now then, although it's rare.
More common is his use of N. American slang and some N. American constructions. He still tends to say trousers or jeans not pants, arse, sweets not candy, simply not plain, stupid not dumb, trainers not tennis shoes, and getting off with more than making out with, along with some others, and he retains his horror of "gotten." (g) He'll mostly sound like a Brit, but if he throws in an "American" term, it's not accidental. ;> And if others want to react TO his use of Americanisms, that's fine. (g)
(On spelling, his Muggle is an American, and will make no attempt to use U.K. spelling. (g))
So here's some additional info about Cedric since he returned that might be of use to anyone who had contact with him, or thinks they might have. He's been at Stoatshead Hill/Ottery St. Catchpole off and on for about a year -- almost since he returned to England.
Cedric at Stoatshead Hill/Ottery St. Catchpole
Cedric returned to England literally days before the final attack/collapse of Diagon Alley and so he immediately threw himself into relief work. He's a good organizer, which is something he's aware of but doesn't make a lot of. He just does it if it's not being done already. (Cedric is one of those rare people who's good at taking or giving orders. He's honestly not inclined to jealousy or resentment; he has different faults. (g))
Anyway, he was also active in evacuating survivors at St. Mungo's. So if your character was present at either of these, he or she may have already run into him. Also, if your character has been at Stoatshead Hill a while, he or she has no doubt met him already, at least in passing. Later, I'll post a query for who might have met him, so I'll know as the game opens who he's meeting for the first time (more or less) and who he's been in contact with already.
As the Diggory house was completely destroyed but his family has been there for some generations, they have a decent-sized tract of land, and he opened that up almost immediately for anyone in need of a place to pitch a tent before getting settled in more permanent shelter. There is a well on the property that still functions, and the barn (of all things) survived. But otherwise, it would have been a bit primitive as the plumbing is shot and the well water, while drinkable, isn't that tasty. Bottled water might be preferred. ;> But it would be fine for bathing, washing clothes or even for cooking.
As far as Cedric is concerned, you don't need an invitation to show up. His attitude is that if you have, you share. Especially now.
He would also have been involved in helping to get people to housing, but not alone in that and we're still looking at details. Cedric's 'specialty' (such as it is) would have been getting people settled who arrived with virtually nothing, needing simple things like clothes, toiletries, and toilet paper. (g) He's also rather good at remembering who knows what/does what, and pointing people in the right direction.
Cedric and Muggle Life
For a wide variety of reasons, Cedric has become quite familiar in the past 8 and a half years with Things Muggle. As noted in his bio, American Wizarding Culture (at least as I've conceived of it) is rather different from British or Continental, and First Nations/American Indian magical culture is even more different. There's far less separation. FAR less. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the whole pure/half/muggleborn division is virtually non-existent; the U.S./Canadian class system isn't nearly as rigid. Cedric was never very fond of it in the first place, and now he thinks it's downright socially destructive, not just problematic or exclusive.
But the upshot is that he has no problem navigating the Muggle world, owns a laptop, used to own a cell phone, and can drive a car -- without recourse to magic. (In fact, he's spent a lot of time behind the wheel, crossing and recrossing N. America, trying to elicit help against Voldemort.) When he rebuilds his house, he'll want electricity, phone and cable lines, and finds it ridiculous to live without those things now -- but he'll still have a fireplace on the floo network, et al. ;>
He doesn't tend to drive in Britain without good reason, at least not yet. He started out trying, renting a car when he needed it, but after turning the wrong way onto some roads, he became reluctant. The real kicker, however, was when he stopped to get petrol, went back to his car, got in . . . and found his steering wheel missing. He sat there for about half a minute, trying to figure out who'd stolen his steering wheel . . . before realizing he'd got in on the wrong side. (g) Feeling like a TOTAL idiot for a native Brit, he swore off driving for a while. But he'll probably go back to it.
Incidently, he has Canadian citizenship as well as British. (I wasn't entirely clear on this when looking into it, but as he's British born and Canada retains ties, I think he could apply for Canadian citizenship without renouncing his British nationality. That wouldn't apply to U.S. citizenship, which is why his family never considered coming stateside. If anyone knows for sure, let me know.)
One important thing most people wouldn't know because he's not talking much about it ... but is worth explaining
Cedric was engaged to a Canadian Ojibway activist named Gwen Banks (distantly related to the Banks family of A.I.M. fame), before breaking that off to return to Britain. Gwen IS a witch, or rather comes from an old Meda family. Their 3.5-year relationship was very solid; they had a joint bank account and were looking into buying a small house. The reason they broke up was not because they didn't work, but because he felt increasing internal pressure to help with the war effort beyond getting Canadian/U.S. participation. She wanted to be a tribal lawyer for her people, as well as a medicine woman, and that's just not possible from Britain. Their life goals were diverging too far. But Cedric loved, and still loves, Gwen Banks; he probably always will at least a little. They tried to stay in touch, but it didn't work well. Gwen was too angry and he was too guilty/apologetic. He feels like he let her down, but he'd have felt worse not returning.
Although he did the leaving, the breakup was extremely painful, he almost went back a few times, and he threw himself into work/relief efforts to avoid thinking about it. He does not talk about her. Once in a blue moon he'll make a reference to his ex- or their life together, but it tends to be mostly a result of a direct question whose answer can't avoid mentioning her. Someone would have to be persistent to draw him out (and he does need to be drawn out). He continues to wear a silver Indian-style bracelet on his left wrist that she gave him. His excuse is that she put a special protection charm on it. The real reason is that he hasn't let her go yet entirely.
If anyone wrote to him before he returned to Britain, they WOULD know about Gwen. He would've talked about her freely, and his affection would've been evident.
All that said, it's been over a year and he's starting to feel recovered enough at least to think about seeing other women.
(Incidently, he was not chaste for that whole year. He had a few casual encounters, which he didn't feel very good about -- he prefers long-term, monogamous relationships . . . but he also doesn't do monkhood well. I haven't specified the 'who' and don't really need to, but if anyone is interested in applying for having scratched his itch, let me know. (g) It could make for interesting in-game interaction, as he's not entirely sure he's comfortable with it/doesn't think of himself as a one-night-stand sort of fellow.)
Anyway, anyone who met him/knew him early after his return would have found him moody and depressed and drinking a bit too much. That's faded.
Cedric and Americanisms/Canadianisms
He never lost his British accent entirely, but after living overseas for so long, it softened. When he returned to Britain, he rapidly reverted -- but if he were ever to run into/speak with an American or Canadian, he'd probably sound rather different. He still has a bit of a Canadian accent, and he'll also throw in 'eh?' at the end of a sentence now then, although it's rare.
More common is his use of N. American slang and some N. American constructions. He still tends to say trousers or jeans not pants, arse, sweets not candy, simply not plain, stupid not dumb, trainers not tennis shoes, and getting off with more than making out with, along with some others, and he retains his horror of "gotten." (g) He'll mostly sound like a Brit, but if he throws in an "American" term, it's not accidental. ;> And if others want to react TO his use of Americanisms, that's fine. (g)
(On spelling, his Muggle is an American, and will make no attempt to use U.K. spelling. (g))