Champion Showdown

Cedric stepped into the duelling circle opposite Viktor Krum, the tension in the air palpable.

A hush settled over the stands—this was the match everyone had been awaiting, the first official clash between Triwizard champions.

"Wands at the ready," Professor Flitwick declared, his voice magnified by a Sonorous Charm.

"Duelists, bow!"

Cedric inclined his head in a respectful gesture, meeting Krum's measured stare for the briefest moment.

The intensity behind the Bulgarian's gaze left him certain that Krum planned to strike hard and fast. When Krum bowed just as deeply, Cedric's heart thudded once, firmly setting the tone.

"Three… two… one—BEGIN!"

The instant Flitwick's voice died, Krum slashed his wand down in a vicious arc.

"Frangere Ossis!" he snarled.

Cedric's mind instantly supplied the danger: a bone-breaking curse. He twisted sideways, feeling a rush of air as the spell singed past his shoulder and cracked into the stones behind him with alarming force. A cold ripple of shock coursed up his spine.

'He's not holding back,' he thought, pressing his lips into a thin line.

Wasting no time, Cedric retaliated, sweeping his wand in a smooth flourish. A pack of stone hounds shimmered into existence at his feet, their jagged forms snarling as they bounded towards Krum.

Krum responded immediately, unleashing a flurry of curses that kept Cedric on the defensive.

A crimson bolt tore overhead, close enough for him to feel the heat on his scalp.

Another spell crackled orange against his hastily raised shield, sending sparks flying.

Cedric braced through the jolt vibrating up his arm and focused on keeping the conjured dogs barreling forward.

They sprang at Krum with snapping jaws, forcing him to pivot.

"Confringo!" Krum bellowed, sweeping his wand in a broad arc. The concussive blast shattered the front row of hounds into rubble, though three still lunged from the flanks.

Cedric saw an opening, preparing his own curse—until Krum cut across with a sudden wand movement. A sickly yellow beam shot forth—a blinding hex.

His heart jolted.

He sucked in a sharp breath and sidestepped, narrowly evading a direct hit. 'I can't lose,' he reminded himself fiercely, fingers tightening around his wand. 'Not here, not now. Father's in the stands.'

To avoid tripping himself up in the chaos, he banished the remaining stone hounds with a sharp twist of his wand. Then, with the path clear, he launched a salvo of jinxes in rapid succession—Stunners, shield-breakers, even a few curses he'd spent weeks practising.

The spells illuminated the hall in brilliant arcs of purple, crimson, and electric blue.

Krum fought through the onslaught, weaving and dodging. Whenever he couldn't evade, his shield charm flared.

Cedric noticed the tightness in Krum's jaw and the narrowing of his eyes, signs the Bulgarian was already plotting a fierce counter.

All around the circle, onlookers leaned forward, enthralled by the spectacle.

Cedric, meanwhile, felt the strain in his own limbs. This was no friendly practice duel, and his muscles trembled slightly beneath the relentless onslaught of spells he cast. Across the circle, the onlookers pressed closer, breath held. He glimpsed a few of his housemates from Hufflepuff, knuckles white on the railing, silently urging him on.

Suddenly, Krum jabbed his wand forward with startling speed. A flaming curse roared towards Cedric in a vortex of licking flames.

Cedric slashed his wand in a defensive arc, conjuring a shield of shimmering water. The flames hissed and sizzled, steam billowing upward and momentarily obscuring the duellists from view.

Seizing the cover of steam, Cedric darted sideways, heart thudding. 'Surprise him. Don't let him set the pace.' He silently cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself—though crude and rushed, it could still provide a second's advantage.

In a duel, a single moment could mean the difference between victory and defeat.

Glimpsing only a faint ripple where Cedric had stood, Krum fired a hex into the mist, but it whistled past harmlessly.

Cedric circled to Krum's side, dropping the partial Disillusionment before taking a shot at Krum's exposed flank.

"Stupefy!" he whispered as lowly as possible, red sparks leaping from his wand.

But Krum was no sitting duck.

It was almost like he felt the shift of magic behind him as he spun on his heel, and countered with a shield that flared bright gold.

The stunner ricocheted away, crashing into the duelling platform's boundary.

The crowd gasped.

Krum shot back with a jinx Cedric couldn't identify—a swirling purple coil of energy. Cedric braced and brought his wand up to block, feeling the force slam into his defence and push him back a good two paces.

He gritted his teeth, anger sparking behind his eyes.

He feinted a high Stunner, driving Krum's guard upwards, and abruptly slashed his wand downward to send a wave of shimmering water rolling under the shield's edge. Krum's eyes widened as he hastily sprang aside, narrowly avoiding being swept off his feet. Yet even with his balance compromised, he somehow managed to launch a hex that caught Cedric in the side.

Pain lanced across Cedric's ribs, and his vision blurred at the edges for a single heartbeat. Teeth gritted, he forced himself upright, refusing to yield. A surge of dread shot through him as he glimpsed Krum's wand rising again; the Bulgarian muttered a guttural incantation Cedric didn't recognise.

Instinct had him cast his strongest shield charm in one sweeping gesture, bracing for the worst. Sparks exploded on impact, scattering across the floor, and for an instant, Cedric thought he might hold. Then the shield shattered.

The force of the blow sent him stumbling backwards, boots scraping against stone as he fought to remain upright.

A single, lethal-looking curse—a turquoise jet—seared across the circle.

Cedric's pulse pounded in his ears. He pivoted awkwardly, parrying at what he guessed was the final fraction of an instant. Relief flared in his chest.

'I parried it!'

Alas, his triumph came too soon.

Krum seized that moment of distraction, flicking his wand again.

A brilliant Stunner blazed towards Cedric with blistering speed.

His final coherent thought was a curse. 'Bloody Merlin.'

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Chapter 92: One Step Away

Chapter 93: Lover's Quarrel

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Chapter 100: Air