Chapter 214: Cedric Diggory
Chapter 214: Cedric Diggory
On the last Saturday of September, the Runic Script Club's recruitment test began.
Hermione woke Harry and Ron up early. After breakfast, the three of them hurried to the Ancient Runic Script classroom.
Harry looked exhausted, and Ron was rubbing his eyes, complaining, “Hermione, we’re here way too early. Besides, Harry and I just need to hand in our essays; Professor Hep won’t grade them on the spot.”
Hermione gave them a serious look, “Of course, we’re here to help. The essays you wrote…” She pursed her lips but didn’t say anything harsh, though her meaning was clear.
Harry blushed slightly. He and Ron had spent two weeks just to barely cobble together a seven-foot essay, which had nearly driven them to despair.
The longest essay Harry had ever written was three feet, which was last year’s assignment on the “Comprehensive Guide to Medieval European Wizards” given by Professor Binns. If he remembered correctly, Hermione had submitted a four-foot-seven-inch essay, and her handwriting was tiny.
The door to the Ancient Runic Script classroom was locked, with a note on it: "Runic Script Club test location changed to Classroom 7 on this floor."
Below the text was a simple sketch of a stick figure waving them forward.
“The location changed?” Harry looked puzzled at Hermione, who shook her head, “I’m not sure. It might have been a last-minute change.”
A clear, pleasant voice came from behind them, “Hello?”
They turned around to see a tall, slender boy standing there. He was strikingly handsome, with jet-black hair and a straight nose. The only flaw was his slightly pale complexion, but otherwise, he was nearly perfect.
He extended his hand, introducing himself, “I’m Cedric, Cedric Diggory.”
Harry also reached out, “I know you, the Seeker and new captain of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. Wood mentioned you, and you’ve been impressive in Duelling Class. Oh, right, I’m Harry Potter.”
Cedric smiled, “I can’t compare to you. I doubt there’s anyone in the school who doesn’t know you. These two are your friends?”
“Yeah, this is Ron Weasley, and this is Hermione Granger. They’re both in third year,” Harry introduced them.
Ron and Hermione looked at Cedric curiously.
They walked together toward Classroom 7. Ron and Hermione were quieter than usual with the newcomer, and Harry, though not particularly talkative, found it easy to chat with Cedric about Quidditch.
Harry found a topic to discuss, “Cedric, are you new to the team this year? I remember the Hufflepuff Seeker was a senior girl.”
Cedric laughed, “I joined the team in third year. This is my third year.”
Harry felt a bit embarrassed; he couldn’t recall Hufflepuff having such a player.
Fortunately, Cedric clarified, “I used to be a Chaser, but last year, several seniors left, and it was hard to find a suitable Seeker. So, I stepped up, took the captaincy, and rebuilt the team.”
Harry began to understand. Wood had mentioned that the new Hufflepuff captain was formidable and certainly not a rookie.
However, no matter who the opponent was, Harry was confident he could win and lift the Quidditch Cup for the second time.
The two of them then started discussing Quidditch tactics, which Ron and Hermione found rather strange. After all, in a month or so, they might be on opposite sides.
Cedric said, “To be honest, I’m feeling a lot of pressure. I took on the role in a crisis and spent the whole summer reading various tactical manuals. As a player, I never had to worry about these things before.”
Harry also recalled how last year, Wood had desperately pulled the team members aside to explain various tactics. As the final match approached, the twins thought Wood was becoming a bit hysterical and might need to "stay in the Hospital Wing for a couple of days."
Now, he suddenly understood Wood.
Harry casually mentioned a few Quidditch books he had read for leisure last year, which he found quite useful. Cedric happily jotted down the names. "One of them I haven't heard of, thanks, Harry."
"By the way", Harry asked, "can a Seeker also be the captain? I've always flown alone, so I might not be aware of the overall situation on the field."
Cedric happened to have read about this topic: "There are two different strategies. Some teams focus on ensuring the Seeker's flying freedom, not involving them in team actions, allowing them to perform at their best. They believe this helps them spot the Golden Snitch faster."
"Other teams, however, require the Seeker to occasionally participate in the team's offensive and defensive plays."
Harry pondered for a moment. "The latter sounds more demanding." Wood had never asked him to organize defense; his only requirement was to catch the Golden Snitch as quickly as possible.
"That's not entirely true", Cedric explained. "For a genius Seeker like you, Harry, you can end a match in half an hour. If I had someone like you on my team, I would definitely give you complete freedom, as it's hard to make up a 150-point difference in such a short time."
Hearing this, Harry understood the similarities and differences between the two strategies.
Ron suddenly chimed in, "Harry's fastest catch was in just five minutes! He broke the school record."
Harry felt a bit embarrassed, remembering his performance against Hufflepuff last year. He glanced at Cedric, who, as the new Hufflepuff captain, looked a bit displeased.
He quickly changed the subject. "Cedric, are you writing an essay too? Honestly, seven feet is a bit much, Professor Hep's requirements are quite high."
Cedric agreed, "I've met the first requirement, a rough mastery of thirty practical Runic Scripts."
As they turned down a dark corridor, Harry was delighted to find that they had finally discovered the well-hidden Room Seven. He breathed a sigh of relief, glad he wouldn't have to keep making small talk.
The door was half-open, and they peeked inside. The room was pitch black, with no sign of light.
"Did we come to the wrong place?" Harry asked. He had a bad feeling, reminiscent of their first year when they had accidentally stumbled into the entrance to the Philosopher's Stone, hidden behind a trapdoor while trying to avoid Filch.
At the time, they had seen a three-headed dog, whose middle head could reach the ceiling when it stood up. Later, he learned that the three-headed dog was Hagrid's, and its name was "Fluffy."
"I don't think so", Hermione said, pointing to a note on the wall that read, "Runic Script Club New Member Assessment Venue."
The four of them exchanged glances and tentatively stepped inside.
To their surprise, the room's interior was a lush, fragrant meadow, as if they had been transported to the heart of the Forbidden Forest.
After a few steps, they spotted Professor Hep's silhouette—
He was sitting on the grass, a small table in front of him, and it seemed he had brought his entire tea set. He was savoring his tea with evident enjoyment. In front of him stood about a dozen Magical Automatons, both male and female, young and old.
These Magical Automatons were standing a short distance away, rehearsing a play.
"Look, that's the East, and you are the Sun."
As they approached, they heard one of the lines being delivered.
(End of Chapter)
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