How strong was this strange, ominous wind? Strong enough to blow Harry Potter away like a scrap of paper. Even Snape was starting to get
How strong was this strange, ominous wind? Strong enough to blow Harry Potter away like a scrap of paper.
Even Snape was starting to get nervous, because it was obvious that something was wrong with Harry Potter's current condition.
If the scene could be replayed in slow motion, one would see that Cedric had been one step ahead of Harry and had already stepped onto the pedestal.
However, the moment Harry touched the pedestal, the trophy would teleport again—and that was clearly not the outcome the one helping Harry wanted.
Harry flew right over Cedric's head, reaching out toward the Triwizard Cup.
Cedric, unwilling to fall behind, stretched out his hand toward the trophy as well.
In that instant, the two boys touched the cup at the same time—and vanished, along with the trophy.
"What just happened? Barty Crouch, what's going on here? Regulus Black, you assured me there was nothing wrong with the props!"
Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge suddenly felt he had been set up. Flustered, he instinctively tried to shift the blame.
"Calm down! Minister Fudge, the worst thing you can do in uncertain circumstances is panic."
Regulus Black stepped forward, his expression grim. But judging by his face, no one would suspect him of tampering with anything. In fact, those familiar with him knew very well—Regulus Black was furious.
"I need to retrieve that gauntlet first."
With that, Regulus Black levitated into the air—no permission needed.
"Reducio!"
With a flick of his wand, Regulus shrank the massive body of the giant lying motionless at the center of the maze—Stanislav Ivaneski—back to its original size. Whether this might injure him was no longer his concern.
"Take him to the medical unit."
After removing the gauntlet from the large man, Regulus immediately ordered the nearby students to handle the transport.
"When designing these gauntlets, we accounted for many contingencies. Each gauntlet is capable of determining the location of the others. The props I crafted are flawless. Through these four gauntlets, we can track down the two missing champions."
As he spoke, Regulus handed the gauntlet to a nearby Auror for inspection.
The Aurors donned the gauntlets, and soon they confirmed something important: Cedric and Harry were in a faraway location. If the coordinates were correct, the place was infamous among wizards, though many chose to ignore it deliberately.
Riddle Manor Cemetery—the family burial ground of Lord Voldemort.
"Look! There's another image!"
Regulus quickly did the math. It had taken nearly thirty seconds from the moment the champions disappeared to the time the image reappeared.
Apparently, magical remote image transmission still lagged behind Muggle technology. More research was clearly needed.
On the large screen, Cedric and Harry appeared in a graveyard. A massive cauldron stood nearby, gently heating a potion. The two boys, transported there by the cup, were still unaware of what was going on.
"Avada Kedavra!"
A figure emerged from the shadows and fired the Killing Curse directly at Cedric.
"No!"
Amos Diggory—Cedric's father and head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures—watched in horror as his son was killed before his very eyes. He collapsed in anguish. It was clear who had acted. This was the Dark Lord's family graveyard. There could be no doubt.
Peter Pettigrew appeared, cradling a creature shaped like an infant. It was he who had just taken Cedric Diggory's life.
The Dark Lord's resurrection could not be jeopardized. Any extra person at the scene had to be eliminated.
Just as Harry tried to fight back, his body was immobilized by Peter Pettigrew. He was pinned tightly against a tombstone statue—a reaper carved in stone. The statue was animated by a Transfiguration spell, turning it from stone into a living construct, which held Harry tightly in its arms.
"What are you waiting for? Arrest Peter Pettigrew immediately!"
Regulus Black turned to shout at the surrounding Aurors. It was now obvious that someone had enchanted the Triwizard Cup as a Portkey to lure Harry away from Hogwarts.
The Aurors exchanged glances, and without hesitation, several of them Disapparated, heading toward Riddle Manor Cemetery.
But it wasn't long before they returned.
"We can't get there. The cemetery has been placed under a Fidelius Charm—and the Secret Keeper must be…"
The returning Aurors looked up at the large screen. Peter Pettigrew was preparing the ritual, wearing a triumphant grin—the ritual to resurrect Voldemort.
Apparition was a spell for long-distance travel, but the destination had to be somewhere the wizard had personally been to before. Only such vivid memories could serve as coordinates. The reason why the Aurors who had been to the Riddle family graveyard couldn't reach their intended location was because another spell was in effect.
The Fidelius Charm—a spell capable of concealing a location through enchantment—was typically used to keep addresses secret. Once this charm was cast, even those who previously knew the location would no longer be able to find it. Anyone searching for it would wander aimlessly, and only those residing at the address or the Secret-Keeper would be able to remember it.
If the identity of the Secret-Keeper was revealed, the address could be extracted through interrogation or the Legilimency spell. Once the secret was leaked, the Fidelius Charm would lose its effect, and everyone who had previously known the address would remember it again.
However, if the Secret-Keeper was hiding at the concealed location, then no outsider would ever be able to find it. Even if they stood right outside the door, countless reasons would cause them to leave without ever realizing it.
That's why Peter Pettigrew made himself the Secret-Keeper and stayed at the place protected by the Fidelius Charm. It was the safest way to hide—and likely the only reason he managed to avoid being found by the Aurors. Any Auror attempting to reach the location would simply end up somewhere else.
When Cedric and Harry Potter touched the Triwizard Cup at the same time, the world spun wildly, and both were transported away.
Even the defensive magic of Hogwarts could not prevent the use of a Portkey from within.
"Where are we?"
Dizzy from the fall, Cedric looked around. The area was clearly a graveyard, but he had never been here before.
He quickly realized why: the cup they had grabbed had been enchanted with a Portkey spell, which had transported them to this unknown location.
"I think I've been here before."
A strange memory overtook Harry Potter's mind—as though he had come to this place long ago. Unconsciously, he glanced around at the gravestones. One bore the surname Riddle. This place was connected to Voldemort.
"Cedric! Get back to the cup. It's not safe here."
Harry instinctively felt that this place was not somewhere they should stay. Since nothing had happened yet, it would be best to leave as soon as possible.
"Harry, the Portkey brought us here—maybe it's part of the tournament?"
Cedric was confused about what was going on. He examined the Portkey enchantment on the cup, then began observing the surroundings. A surprise twist at the end of the tournament—he hadn't seen that coming.
"No! Go back to the cup—this place is dangerous... Ah!"
Suddenly, Harry felt a splitting headache. A powerful soul force had emerged around them.
Peter Pettigrew appeared, holding the infant form of Voldemort. The sight was terrifying—like something that had crawled out of hell.
In the center of the graveyard, a cauldron that had been gently simmering suddenly erupted into roaring flames.
"Who are you? What is this place?"
Cedric saw Harry in visible pain and immediately realized these two strangers were suspicious. But since he hadn't seen them cast any spells on Harry, he couldn't make sense of what was happening.
"There's no need for extra people here."
Voldemort wasn't one for unnecessary words. He ordered Peter Pettigrew to kill.
"Avada Kedavra."
Without the slightest chance to defend himself, Cedric collapsed to the ground, dead on the spot.
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