Even Cedric Diggory was startled by the chilling first syllable of that spell.
Crucio—an Unforgivable Curse!
But Paro Karkaroff had only feigned the incantation, never truly intending to use it.
"Cruci—Confringo!"
A blazing yellow light roared toward Cedric like a cannon blast.
The Hufflepuff boy's mind was still reeling from the shock of hearing the Unforgivable Curse, and his body reacted a moment too late.
A horrified scream erupted from the stands, and time seemed to stretch and freeze.
Just as the destructive spell was about to strike him, all the fear and hesitation in Cedric's eyes vanished, replaced by unwavering determination.
He abandoned every thought of dodging or defending.
All his will, all his magic, even his instinct for survival—he poured everything into one desperate act, one blindingly clear thought in his mind:
Apparition!
An instant before the spell struck, Cedric's figure disappeared from the spot—and in the next second, he reappeared out of thin air at the other end of the arena!
The audience instantly erupted.
"Merlin! What was that?!"
"Apparition! He's only in fourth year!"
Even Percy Weasley's mouth hung open in shock—Apparition was a sixth-year advanced topic, requiring students to be at least seventeen and pass a strict examination to use it legally.
Not only was the spell extremely difficult, but the risk of splinching was terrifying. Yet Cedric Diggory had dared to forcibly cast it in the middle of a high-stakes duel!
Karkaroff looked equally stunned; his sneer froze on his face, clearly never expecting his opponent to use such a move.
But Cedric Diggory didn't hesitate for even a moment. The instant he escaped danger, his will to fight back surged like a volcano.
Before he had even fully regained his footing, his wand swung forward with unstoppable force.
"Stupefy!"
A brilliant red light burst from the tip of his wand like a cannon blast.
With a sharp whoosh, the spell struck Karkaroff's broad chest head-on.
Boom!
Karkaroff's massive frame was flung backward by the impact, flying nearly five meters before crashing heavily to the ground with a metallic clang.
The entire dueling arena fell into stunned silence.
Everyone stared wide-eyed at the Hufflepuff fourth-year boy standing on the stage.
He still held his casting stance, chest rising and falling rapidly, breathing slightly uneven.
Across from him, the once-arrogant Durmstrang seventh-year now lay sprawled like a crumpled sack in the distance, a soft white glow marking his defeat.
Kestrel was the first to react, her voice breaking with excitement, "Unbelievable! Cedric Diggory has defeated Paro Karkaroff! Hogwarts wins—!"
"Yeah—!!!"
After a brief pause, Hogwarts erupted in thunderous applause—even the Slytherins couldn't help but cheer for this astonishing comeback.
Cedric Diggory slowly straightened.
He looked down at the wand clutched tightly in his hand, then at the fallen Karkaroff, and finally at the wave of cheering faces below the stage.
He really… did it?
He'd used that spell—something he had only practiced in secret and was still far from mastering—to defeat a powerful opponent?
It seemed his earlier suspicion had been right: the dueling arena truly was protected by powerful enchantments.
Not only did it shield them from their opponent's attacks, but it also served as a hidden safety net when casting unstable, high-level magic.
Most importantly, with so many Professors watching, even if something went wrong, it wouldn't have been a big deal—because now, Cedric felt that winning or losing no longer mattered that much.
Cedric Diggory stepped down from the dueling platform, his footing still slightly unsteady.
He looked up, his gaze inadvertently sweeping toward the Durmstrang section.
Viktor Krum stood there, arms crossed, eyes fixed on him. Then, slowly, he nodded.
Cedric gave a casual smile, then turned his gaze toward the Professors' table.
There, Professor Sprout was beaming and waving enthusiastically, Professor Lumina was whistling nonstop, and the other Professors were all smiling and applauding.
At this point, the top three of the Triwizard Tournament had been decided.
However, the final rankings would be determined after one last round of duels.
Fleur Delacour of Beauxbatons, Viktor Krum of Durmstrang, and Cedric Diggory of Hogwarts—each magical school had a representative in the finals.
Interestingly, none of them were graduating seventh-years.
At noon, under Dumbledore's announcement, the competition paused, and all students headed toward the Great Hall for lunch.
The young Wizards crowded onto the vine-woven suspension bridge.
A few daring students deliberately rocked and jumped on it, sending their more acrophobic classmates into panicked shrieks.
Before the Professors could scold them, the suspension bridge itself extended several flexible vines that smacked the pranksters sharply on their legs and backs with a crisp "thwack! thwack!"—prompting bursts of laughter and exaggerated cries of pain.
Surprisingly, the atmosphere among the students from all three schools was quite harmonious at this moment.
Even the usually stern Durmstrang students wore rare smiles as they chatted with others.
"But seriously," Justin Finch-Fletchley of Hufflepuff said to a Durmstrang student walking beside him, "that big guy of yours was really underhanded. He ambushed Cedric! It was practically cheating—Cedric almost got hit!"
"That's a legitimate dueling tactic," replied a stocky, short-haired Durmstrang boy in a heavy accent. "It wasn't an ambush, but a preemptive strike. The moment the nod is given, the duel has already begun."
"Are you serious?" Justin's eyes widened as he looked incredulously at the nearby Durmstrang students. "You… all believe that?"
Several Durmstrang boys nodded matter-of-factly, their expressions unbothered.
"This is just… just…" Justin was at a loss for words, unable to express his shock.
"Constant vigilance!"
A crisp voice interjected—it was Susan Bones.
She adjusted her glasses, her expression serious.
"What?" Justin Finch-Fletchley looked at her in confusion.
"'Constant Vigilance,'" Susan Bones explained. "It's the catchphrase of the legendary Auror 'Mad-Eye' Moody. I've met him a few times at my aunt's house."
"Your aunt is…?" someone asked curiously.
"Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."
Susan's tone carried a subtle note of pride. "The Auror Headquarters falls under her jurisdiction."
Several students nearby—especially those from Hufflepuff and Gryffindor—immediately looked at her with newfound respect.
Although they weren't entirely sure about the exact hierarchy within the Ministry of Magic, "Head of Department" certainly sounded like a big deal.
At the very least, it sounded far more important than Filch's position as Castle Caretaker.
"Speaking of which, that Cedric Diggory from your school is really incredible."
A Beauxbatons girl joined in the conversation. She had beautiful curly hair and bright eyes. "Is he really only in fourth year?"
"He looks like he could be in sixth."
"And he's also very handsome…"
Cho Chang of Ravenclaw and her friend Marietta Edgecombe happened to walk by just then. Cho whispered the comment and then giggled with Marietta, both covering their mouths.
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