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Chapter 599: Harry and Cedric
Harry moved cautiously through the dark tunnel, his wand tip casting a flickering light that danced across the damp stone walls. Suddenly, a faint whimper echoed from a narrow crack beside him. Harry’s muscles tensed instantly.
He had intended to keep moving, but as he drew closer, something about the voice struck a familiar chord. After a brief hesitation, he lowered his voice and whispered, “Cedric?”
The whimper cut off abruptly. A moment later, a weak voice replied, “Harry?”
Harry’s heart skipped. Without a second thought, he hurried through the narrow gap and stepped into a small cavern chamber. There, Cedric lay half-buried in a staircase, his limbs trapped and glued fast by some sticky substance, unable to move.
Around him, several tiny, inch-long imps scurried, chattering and jabbing at him—pinching his nose, tugging his ears, yanking his hair. They weren’t dangerous, but their relentless torment was exhausting.
Harry quickly cast a Repelling Charm, sending the little creatures scattering. He knelt beside Cedric and asked, “What happened?”
“It’s Salem Academy,” Cedric coughed. “Be careful—they’re three of them.”
“Three champions from the same school have all made it here?” Harry asked, surprised.
“Yeah,” Cedric said with a bitter smile. “They got lucky.”
He’d thought the Fire Dragon was the real challenge. But once he’d entered the Chamber of Secrets tunnel, he realized the true danger wasn’t the beast—it was the tunnel itself.
The narrow, nearly featureless passage had no branching paths, meaning the first arrivals had no choice but to face whoever came after. The early entrants had to solve traps, decipher mechanisms, and fend off magical creatures—searching for the Golden Egg was never going to be easy. Even a small delay meant facing a full wave of enemies.
The first to arrive could set ambushes—giving them a clear advantage. But the later arrivals could also lay traps on the return path. Once the two met, trust was impossible.
And with no commentary to guide them, the champions had no idea how many had already claimed their Golden Eggs, how many remained, or who else was in each tunnel. It was like being trapped in a dark box, unsure how many eggs were still out there. So, whenever an opportunity arose, every champion felt compelled to eliminate their nearest rival—seizing the chance to claim the one they could reach.
Salem Academy’s students had known this danger from the start. But Cedric had still clung to the naïve hope that half the contestants would make it through, and that they could help each other during the search for the eggs. Or at least, he’d assumed they could talk face-to-face and decide whether to fight—just like he’d done with Ryan and the others.
But Salem had been far more aggressive. Hearing footsteps from afar, the three had silently ambushed him. He’d barely shown his head before they disarmed him, then tossed him into this nearly inescapable trap.
“Wait—let me get you out,” Harry said, standing up. He took a deep breath, pointed his wand at the stone floor beside Cedric, and said, “Split-into-Parts Spell!”
A thin crack split the stone. Cedric jolted, but his arm remained locked in place.
“It’s no use,” he muttered. “I feel like I’m stuck in a huge bucket of glue—solidified, like it’s frozen. You should just go. I don’t even know how to undo this magic.”
Harry felt a flicker of anxiety. He glanced down the tunnel, worried the Golden Egg might be taken by someone else. But seeing Cedric trapped, he couldn’t just walk away.
“What about you?” Harry asked. “If you can’t even handle those little imps, what if you run into something worse—like a Red Hat, or worse?”
Cedric looked at him, calm and logical. “Dumbledore must’ve arranged proper safety measures. I’m stuck, but I’m not in danger of dying. But if you—”
Before he could finish, Cedric suddenly felt a flash of golden light streak across the edge of his vision. He turned sharply—nothing there.
He frowned, puzzled. “Did you see that? Something just ran past.”
Harry turned slowly, still questioning. “…What?”
“I thought I saw a golden light,” Cedric said.
“Stop! Put the Golden Egg down! You thief!” A furious voice echoed through the tunnel.
Harry and Cedric stared in astonishment as the three Salem Academy champions bolted past, sprinting so fast they seemed to blur like horses in full gallop.
Harry didn’t understand. But Cedric, who had spent class time with them, knew their usual demeanor—quiet, reserved, almost silent. He’d never seen them so… animated.
He paused, then said to Harry, “Looks like they just lost their Golden Egg to a thief. What do you want to do? Chase the thief, or keep exploring?”
He didn’t offer the obvious: Help me or Stay with me.
Harry stood frozen. He looked at Cedric, then at the fading darkness where the egg and the pursuers had vanished.
And then it hit him—his worry was pointless. Dumbledore wouldn’t allow a student to be killed in the tournament while helpless, defenseless against the dangers of the arena.
Staying here wouldn’t help Cedric. And he didn’t know what else he could do.
Harry gripped his wand and stood. “I’ll keep exploring,” he said. “Maybe I can find another Golden Egg.”
He squeezed back through the narrow gap. The tunnel was silent again. After walking a short distance, he found a broken stone plaque, a burnt straw man, and several large-headed fur beasts lying unconscious.
Further on, a brilliantly colored flower leaned down, its scent overpowering. Nearby, a circular pedestal lay discarded.
—This must have been where the Golden Egg was hidden. Probably a test of Herbology knowledge.
Harry thought, The egg’s been taken. I don’t know how many are left.
Then he noticed a hole in the stone wall—dozens of vines snapped and torn, revealing a small, empty cavity.
—Another hiding spot… Hope there’s still one left for me.
Anxious, he quickened his pace into the deeper dark. Suddenly, a rustling sound came from nearby.
He turned, and saw a strange, ancient-looking crab-shaped magic puppet, dragging a Golden Egg along the wall as it scuttled toward the exit.
Harry: “…?”
Crab Puppet: “…!!!”
Harry opened his mouth, preparing to speak—when the puppet’s legs flipped over in a flash. It swiftly scooped the egg from its back and tried to shove it into its hollow, branch-laden belly.
Harry: “…?”
It didn’t work—the belly was solid, crudely built.
The puppet froze, then reluctantly pushed the egg toward Harry’s feet before clicking and clacking away into the shadows.
(End of Chapter)
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