Just then, another tall figure in a fur-trimmed Durmstrang cloak stepped onto the stage, his strides steady and his build imposing.
He looked like a bear surveying his territory.
Almost simultaneously, Hogwarts's Cedric Diggory took his position opposite him.
As soon as the match began, Cedric was met with a storm of attacks from his opponent.
The Durmstrang student's spells were fast and vicious, red Stupefy and blue Petrificus Totalus raining down on Cedric like hail.
At first, Cedric appeared somewhat on the defensive, his various Shield Charms flickering precariously under the onslaught of his opponent's furious magic, like a small boat in a storm.
"Merlin, he's going to be torn apart!" Astoria nervously clutched the edge of her robes, her teeth nearly chattering.
"But it's not as bad as it looks…" Luna said calmly. "He's finding his rhythm."
"What?"
As if to confirm Luna's words, after a narrow sidestep to dodge a cutting spell that nearly grazed his ear, Cedric's eyes suddenly sharpened with focus.
He stopped relying solely on Shield Charms to block attacks and instead used agile footwork to evade the most lethal spells, while his wand flicked out like a venomous snake—again and again.
One, two, three… he continuously fired precise and rapid Expelliarmus and Obstacle Curses, not to directly overpower his opponent, but to disrupt, delay, and compress the space around him.
The Durmstrang student's powerful spells began to miss or were deflected into the stage's protective barrier, sending up dazzling sparks.
He was like a provoked but hobbled beast, full of power but with nowhere to vent it. Soon, his movements grew erratic, and the accuracy of his spells began to falter.
Just then, Cedric completely abandoned his defensive stance and launched a full offensive, catching his opponent off guard.
He seized a brief moment of stiffness—caused by the strain of overcasting—and sharply thrust his wand forward.
A condensed red light shot out, precisely slipping past the edge of his opponent's hastily retracted Shield Charm, and struck him squarely in the chest.
The fierce expression on the Durmstrang student's face froze instantly, and his entire body toppled backward like a felled tree, landing with a dull thud against the stage.
The young wizards of Hogwarts immediately erupted in cheers, and even Kestrel was so excited she nearly leapt from her seat.
She turned to Sagres, who remained expressionless, only nodding ever so slightly, as if everything had gone exactly as expected.
"A beautiful counterattack," he said softly.
…
In the end, after a series of fierce duels, six qualifiers emerged.
Hogwarts had only one representative—Cedric Diggory—advancing to the next round. Beauxbatons Academy of Magic saw two witches qualify, while Durmstrang claimed a full three spots.
Time quickly brought them to the final day of the competition, the air thicker than ever with tension and anticipation.
Six highly anticipated duels were about to unfold in succession—the first three were intense 6-to-3 elimination matches, while the latter three would determine the final rankings of the top three.
This time, Fleur Delacour was once again the first to appear, facing a sixth-year student from Durmstrang.
Fleur's wand moved fluidly, her spells sharp and precise.
After a few agile dodges, she caught a brief opening in her opponent's rhythm and fired a pinpoint Expelliarmus! The red light cut through the air, and her opponent's wand flew cleanly from his grasp.
The victory was quick and decisive.
The second match saw Viktor Krum facing a seventh-year witch from Beauxbatons.
As if to reclaim Durmstrang's pride after Beauxbatons' earlier wins, Krum immediately unleashed his signature, overwhelming fighting style.
He wasted no time with testing maneuvers. His wand flashed rapidly, his spells fierce and direct, pressing forward with relentless force.
Though the Beauxbatons witch fought valiantly, casting several dazzling defensive spells, Krum's sheer magical pressure crushed her defenses layer by layer like brittle glass.
At last, a powerful Stupefy struck her squarely in the chest. She stumbled backward a few steps before collapsing to the ground.
Krum's victory was swift and effortless.
Then came the third match—the one most anticipated by the Hogwarts faculty and students.
Cedric Diggory stepped onto the dueling stage, his opponent a seventh-year Durmstrang student named Paro Karkaroff.
Karkaroff was exceptionally burly, and though only seventeen, he already sported a thick beard.
He looked at Cedric with scornful disdain, as if evaluating an insect that had mistakenly wandered onto the dueling stage.
"Random scenario?" Karkaroff asked with a sneer.
Cedric nodded.
At that moment, Karkaroff suddenly raised his wand. "Stupefy!"
A blinding red light shot straight at Cedric's head.
It was only through instinct—honed on the Quidditch pitch—that Cedric barely managed to turn his head in time, narrowly dodging the vicious sneak attack.
The red beam whistled past his ear and slammed into the protective barrier, emitting a sharp, crackling hiss.
"Coward!" Ron bellowed.
"He fouled! That was a sneak attack!" Hermione's hair practically stood on end with fury.
Ernie Macmillan's voice rang out the loudest, shouting furiously from the stands. He nearly spat on the Durmstrang students in the front row as he roared, "Shameless! Disgraceful! Is this what Durmstrang teaches?!"
Karkaroff's face darkened, but fortunately, Sagres pulled Ernie back just in time.
"This is a competition, Mr. Macmillan," Sagres said calmly and steadily. "A nod means it begins. If he wasn't ready, he shouldn't have nodded."
"But Professor, aren't their tactics a bit too despicable?" Ernie asked, still unconvinced.
"Morality is for self-discipline," Sagres replied without turning his head. "You cannot place your hopes on the moral standards of your opponent."
"Professor Greengrass, do you mean… we should do the same?" Hermione asked in disbelief.
"Not should, but can," Sagres answered, shifting his gaze to her. "The opponent has just given you a vivid lesson, free of charge. Whether in defense or attack, there's something to be learned from it."
With that, his eyes returned to the stage.
Paro Karkaroff sneered and closed in step by step. "Confringo!"
A violent blasting curse roared toward Cedric's position.
Cedric rolled aside to dodge, the spell smashing the ground and sending stone fragments raining down.
Gritting his teeth through the pain, he attempted a counterattack. "Expelli—"
But before he could finish the spell, a swift and silent Obstacle Curse from Karkaroff struck him in the chest and sent him flying. He hit the cold platform hard, the impact leaving his insides churning.
"Get up, little one!" Karkaroff jeered in heavily accented English. "Is Hogwarts out of people? Sending a fourth-year kid to disgrace yourselves?"
Cedric was in pain all over, but Karkaroff's taunts didn't shake his composure.
He realized his opponent was deliberately trying to provoke him—and once he understood that, an unexpected calm settled over him.
Gritting his teeth, he stood up and began to move, steadily shifting his position despite the pain.
Karkaroff hadn't expected Cedric to recover so quickly, let alone dodge another of his spells mid-motion.
His face darkened with frustration. Raising his wand again, he shouted, "Crucio—!"
"Stop!" came two furious cries from the judges' table—Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout had both stood up at once, their voices sharp with shock and fury.
Unforgivable Curses were absolutely forbidden!
__________
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