As night fell, the Great Hall of Hogwarts was brightly lit, but the atmosphere was more subdued than usual.
The food on the long tables remained abundant, yet the Hogwarts students spoke in hushed tones, occasionally casting complex glances toward the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons delegations.
"Only three people…" Hermione muttered, biting her lip, her fingers tapping the table unconsciously. "Durmstrang qualified almost twice as many."
"At least we weren't completely wiped out," Ron mumbled, poking at a pie with his fork. "Percy's match was a close call. If it hadn't been for that last move…"
"He used the environnt," Harry said quietly. "Professor Greengrass taught us that dueling isn't just about casting spells—it's also about how you use the arena."
Fred and George, uncharacteristically serious, exchanged a glance. George sighed, "Looks like we'll have to count on Cedric and Aulius for tomorrow's matches."
Percy sat at the Gryffindor table, back straight, his Prefect badge catching the candlelight with a faint gleam.
His expression remained solemn. When others occasionally offered congratulations, he simply gave a curt nod in response.
At the Ravenclaw table, Aulius Arc was surrounded by a group of classmates.
The seventh-year looked composed, occasionally responding to a few questions, but mostly focused on eating quietly.
Cedric Diggory, by contrast, appeared much more at ease.
The Hufflepuff students had gathered around him, excitedly discussing his victory.
He responded to them with warm smiles, his fingers occasionally flipping through the thick book resting on his lap: A Comprehensive Record of dieval Spell Changes.
This was a to from the Restricted Section; its spine was already slightly yellowed, and the entire book bore the marks of ti.
Last year, during Professor Greengrass's Magical Theory class, Cedric, as an auditor, had not been allowed to ask questions. At the ti, he'd felt a bit embarrassed—but he hadn't expected the Professor to recomnd this book to him after class that very day.
He still rembered that mont clearly: when the Professor handed him the approved borrowing slip, a flicker of approval seed to flash in his gray eyes—or at least, Cedric liked to believe it was approval.
It had been Cedric's first ti handling a book from the Restricted Section. Its yellowed pages recorded not only the evolution of nurous spells, but also contained many dangerous forms of magic.
Once, while researching in the library, Cedric noticed Professor Greengrass also seated nearby, quietly reading.
Gathering his courage, Cedric approached to ask for guidance, only to discover that the Professor, who seed rather stern in class, was much more approachable in private.
Professor Greengrass had not only offered detailed explanations, but even picked up the book and wrote nurous annotations for him.
That was also why Cedric hadn't returned the book yet—if Madam Pince discovered those handwritten notes, she'd surely brandish her feather duster and accuse him of "desecrating books."
...
Ti passed quickly, and soon it was the next day.
The atmosphere in the dueling arena was even more intense than yesterday, with the stands packed full of eager students.
Percy Weasley was once again the first to compete, but this ti, his luck was clearly lacking—his opponent was Fleur Delacour.
The Beauxbatons girl stepped onto the stage with poise, her silver-gray hair gleaming like flowing moonlight under the sun.
Her appearance was exquisite, her figure graceful, and her every movent carried an almost captivating elegance.
Of course, anyone who mistook her for just a pretty face would pay dearly—Bafflerose was proof enough of that.
Fleur possessed one-quarter Veela blood, which granted her magical talent far beyond the average witch.
Despite only being in her fifth year, she had already been awarded Beauxbatons' Tricolor Ribbon dal—the highest honor given by the school to its most outstanding students—making her one of Beauxbatons' undisputed top students.
As the stone tablet rumbled and sank into the ground, Percy quickly raised his wand, trying to seize the initiative with an Impedinta.
But Fleur's reaction was faster. With a graceful turn of her body, she effortlessly dodged Percy's spell, and with a flick of her wrist, a dazzling red light burst from her wand.
"Stupefy!"
The spell shot forward like lightning. Percy hurriedly raised a Shield Charm to block, but Fleur's magic was clearly stronger—the barrier shattered with a loud bang after just a second.
The impact sent Percy stumbling backward, and before he could recover, Fleur's second spell had already followed.
"Expelliarmus!"
Percy rolled to the side, narrowly dodging the swift flash of spell light, then fired a blind counterattack without even turning to aim.
The light of the Petrificus Totalus grazed Fleur's cheek, but she didn't even flinch. Instead, she responded with three silent spells aid directly at Percy.
First, a "Glissade" spell struck the ground beneath Percy's feet, imdiately followed by two ropes that appeared out of thin air, binding him tightly—then a scorching fireball slamd into his chest.
A flash of white light signaled Percy's defeat.
The entire Great Hall fell silent for a brief second before erupting into enthusiastic applause and exclamations.
The match had ended far more quickly than anyone expected.
Fleur Delacour had defeated her opponent with only five spells. She lifted her chin slightly, a confident smile curving her lips, and bowed gracefully toward the judges' table.
In the stands, Cedric gently closed the book in his hands. His slender fingers traced along the spine as his thoughtful gaze followed Fleur's retreating figure, a faint frown appearing on his brow.
"So strong… and only a fifth-year?" he murmured.
The magical power this Beauxbatons girl displayed was nearly on par with that of an adult wizard. Even more impressive was her dueling technique—her spell transitions were seamless, and her timing impeccable, entirely unlike a typical student.
Cedric recalled rumors that she had Veela blood and couldn't help but think of Professor Nixia, who also shared that heritage.
Their identical silver hair and the graceful elegance in every movent made him wonder if the two were related—
Or perhaps… that powerful Potions Professor had privately tutored her?
Cedric shook his head, temporarily setting aside those tangled thoughts.
He turned his attention to the center of the arena, where Viktor Krum and Aulius Arc had already begun selecting their dueling scenario.
Like Fleur, Krum was also a fifth-year student—but his strength was equally not to be underestimated.
Though still young, he had long displayed the potential of a top-tier duelist. From the angle at which he held his wand to the posture of his stance, every detail was textbook perfection.
What stood out most was the explosive force behind each spell—precise, decisive, and incredibly powerful.
As a fellow Seeker, Cedric understood well that Krum possessed not only remarkable agility, but also a solid build and calm temperant—traits that greatly enhanced his performance.
By contrast, Aulius Arc seed rather frail.
This seventh-year Ravenclaw was an academic prodigy—Cedric rembered that Arc's Transfiguration essay had even been published in Transfiguration Today.
But his slender fra and sowhat awkward evasive movents betrayed a truth: he was a typical scholar-type wizard.
__________
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