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Even Cedric flinched when he heard the prelude to that terrifying curse.
The Cruciatus Curse… one of the Unforgivable Curses!
But Karpov never meant to truly unleash it. His voice had been nothing more than a cruel feint, a sinister bluff designed to freeze his opponent's heart. What he actually cast was something else entirely.
"Confringo!"
A blazing torrent of yellow light roared forward, surging straight toward Cedric Diggory with the force of an explosion.
The Hufflepuff boy was still caught on the dread syllables of that forbidden curse. His mind reeled with its horror, and his body lagged a fatal half-beat behind.
From the stands, a wave of screams erupted, shrill and panicked, as if the entire arena had been pierced at once. Time itself seemed to stretch thin, every heartbeat drawn out, every breath hanging heavy in the air.
And in that suspended instant, with annihilation bearing down on him, Cedric's eyes suddenly shed all trace of fear and hesitation. What replaced them was something fierce and resolute.
He abandoned every thought of dodging, every instinct to shield himself.
He gathered everything within him, his will, his magic, the raw instinct that fought for survival, and pressed it all into a single point of focus. His mind held nothing else, only one command, searing and unshakable in its clarity.
"Apparate!"
Just before the searing spell light could consume him, his figure vanished from the dueling platform! In the blink of an eye, he reappeared at the far end of the arena, space itself folding to his desperate command.
The spectators erupted like a cauldron boiling over.
"By Merlin! What in the world was that?"
"Apparition! He Apparated! He's only in fourth year!"
Even Percy Weasley was left gaping, his mouth hanging open in disbelief. Apparition was supposed to be advanced magic reserved only for sixth-year students. A witch or wizard had to be at least seventeen years old and pass a strict Ministry examination before they were even permitted to attempt it legally.
The spell was not only difficult but also infamous for its danger. The risk of Splinching, of leaving parts of one's body behind, was so horrifying that even seasoned wizards shuddered at the thought. And yet Cedric Diggory had dared to force it out in the middle of an intense duel!
Karpov seemed stunned as well. The cruel grin that had played across his face froze in place, his expression stiff and ugly, as if even he had never imagined his opponent would wield such a spell.
But Cedric gave him no time to recover. The instant he tore himself free from the shadow of death, the will to strike back erupted from him like a volcano breaking its silence.
His wand swept up with unstoppable force. Even before his feet had fully steadied on the ground, he slashed it forward with all his might.
"Stupefy!"
A blinding red light blasted from the tip of his wand like a cannonball. It tore through the air with a shrill, piercing whistle before slamming hard into Karpov's broad chest.
"BOOOOOM—!"
The Durmstrang seventh-year was hurled backward as if struck by a charging beast. His huge body flew nearly five meters before crashing to the ground with a resounding thud.
The dueling platform fell into silence so complete it felt frozen in time.
Every eye was fixed upon the stage, wide with disbelief. There stood that Hufflepuff fourth-year boy, wand still raised in the pose of casting, his chest heaving, his breath ragged and uneven.
Across from him lay his opponent, the proud and arrogant Karpov, who only moments ago had towered over him like an unassailable mountain. Now he sprawled in the distance like a broken sack, a faint white glow shimmering over his body… the mark of defeat.
It was Kestrel who found her voice first. Her cry cracked with excitement, raw and trembling. "Unbelievable! Cedric Diggory has defeated Parlo Karpov! Hogwarts wins—!!!"
"Yeeaahhh—!!!!"
After that brief stillness, the silence shattered like glass. The Hogwarts students erupted in a thunder of cheers that rolled across the arena like a storm of voices and applause. Even the Slytherins, who were usually the last to celebrate the victories of others, could not resist joining in, their shouts ringing out in praise of this astonishing comeback from the very brink of defeat.
Cedric slowly straightened, his chest rising and falling with the effort. His eyes fell first to the wand clenched tightly in his hand, then lifted toward Karpov, who was struggling to drag himself upright. At last his eyes swept outward, taking in the vast ocean of roaring faces in the stands.
He had… truly done it?
He had managed to call forth that spell, the one he had only ever practiced in secret, never once fully mastered, and with it he had brought down such a powerful opponent?
It seemed his earlier suspicions had been right. The dueling stage really was wrapped in protective enchantments of formidable strength.
Not only could the spells woven into the arena shield them from their opponent's attacks, they even served as a safeguard against their own reckless casting. Whenever someone unleashed unstable magic far beyond their control, the enchantments caught and softened the blow, an invisible net of safety.
That was what reassured him most. With so many professors present, even if something went wrong, the risk was little more than a lesson learned. And strangely enough, in this moment, he realized victory or defeat no longer felt so important at all.
He descended from the dueling platform, his legs still faintly unsteady, his steps light as though he walked half in a dream. When he lifted his head, his eyes happened to pass over the section where the Durmstrang delegation sat.
Viktor Krum stood there with his arms folded across his chest, his dark, hawk-like eyes fixed firmly on him. At last, Krum gave a slow, deliberate nod.
Cedric answered with a carefree smile, then turned his gaze to the professors' table.
There was Professor Sprout, her round face glowing with joy as she waved happily in his direction. Beside her, Professor Lumina whistled loudly and continuously, unable to contain her excitement. Even the other professors, more restrained, were smiling and clapping, their eyes warm with approval.
And so, the top three of the Triwizard Dueling Tournament were set. Though the final order would still be decided in matches to come, the names now stood clear.
Fleur Delacour of Beauxbatons, Viktor Krum of Durmstrang, and Cedric Diggory of Hogwarts. Each of the three great wizarding schools had claimed one place among the finalists.
What made it all the more remarkable was that not one of them was a seventh-year, not one on the verge of graduation.
By then it was noon, and at Dumbledore's announcement the tournament was suspended for the midday meal. Students poured out toward the Great Hall in a great crowd.
They trooped together across the long suspension bridge of woven ivy. Some daring souls, unable to resist mischief, bounced and rocked the bridge beneath their feet, sending shrieks from classmates who dreaded heights.
Before the professors even had to intervene, the bridge itself came alive. Several supple green vines whipped out smartly, snapping across the pranksters' legs and backs with sharp cracks. "Smack! Smack!" The crowd erupted into laughter, while the culprits staggered away clutching themselves and wailing in exaggerated agony.
What surprised everyone most was how, in this moment, the atmosphere among the three schools had softened. The rivalry that usually kept them apart seemed to ease. Even the stern-faced Durmstrang students, who so often wore only grim reserve, now carried faint smiles, speaking freely with those around them.
"But seriously though," Justin Finch-Fletchley of Hufflepuff said as he crossed the bridge beside a Durmstrang boy, "that brute of yours was downright nasty. He didn't just try to strike when Cedric wasn't ready, he even pulled those sneaky tricks. Cedric nearly got taken down!"
"This is proper dueling strategy," replied the Durmstrang student, tall and broad-shouldered, his close-cropped hair bristling under the sunlight. His heavy accent colored every word, and his voice carried a steady pride in his school's traditions. "That was not a sneak attack. It was a preemptive strike. The moment the heads bow, the battle has already begun."
"You're serious?" Justin's eyes went wide, round with disbelief as he glanced from one face to the next among the Durmstrang students. "You all… actually think that way?"
Several of the Durmstrang boys nodded at once, their expressions calm, almost matter-of-fact, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"This is… this is just…" For a moment Justin was struck speechless, fumbling for words strong enough to capture his shock, but nothing came.
"Constant vigilance!"
A clear voice cut in, steady and precise. It was Susan Bones. She pushed her glasses higher up the bridge of her nose, her face solemn.
"What?" Justin looked at her blankly in confusion.
"Constant vigilance," Susan repeated, enunciating carefully. "That's the famous catchphrase of 'Mad-Eye' Moody, the legendary Auror. I've met him several times at my aunt's house."
"Your aunt is…?" someone asked curiously from the side.
"Amelia Bones, head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement." There was a faint but undeniable pride in Susan's voice as she spoke. "The Auror Office falls under her authority."
A ripple of awe swept through the crowd of students nearby, especially those from Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. Even if they did not fully grasp the workings of the Ministry of Magic, the title of department head carried a weight that was unmistakable. It sounded lofty and important, far grander than something like caretaker of the castle. Compared to poor Filch's humble post, it belonged to an entirely different world.
"Anyway," a Beauxbatons girl chimed in, slipping into the conversation. She had a head of pretty curls and bright, lively eyes. "That Cedric of yours is truly impressive. Is he really only in fourth year? I mean… he looks at least like a sixth-year, judging from his build."
"And he's actually quite good-looking too…"
Cho Changof Ravenclaw happened to be passing by just then with her friend MariettaEdgecombe. Cho lowered her voice and added softly, almost conspiratorially, "More than good-looking, actually…"
At once both she and Marietta covered their mouths, bursting into muffled giggles as they hurried past.
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[Chapter End's]
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