A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Chapter 214: Cedric Diggory

On the last Saturday of September, the recruitment assessment for the Magical Runes Club began.

Hermione had woken Harry and Ron up early, and after the three of them had breakfast, they hurried to the Ancient Runes classroom.

Harry looked tired, and Ron rubbed his eyes vigorously. He complained, "Hermione, we arrived way too early. Besides, Harry and I only need to turn in our essays. Professor Harp won't grade them on the spot."

Hermione looked at them sternly, "Of course, you went to help out. The essays you wrote..." She pursed her lips, refraining from saying anything harsh, but her meaning was clear.

Harry blushed slightly. He and Ron had spent two weeks barely scraping together seven feet, and it felt like torture.

The longest essay Harry had ever written was only three feet, from last year when Professor Binns assigned a composition about "A Comprehensive Guide to Medieval European Wizards." If he remembered correctly, Hermione had turned in an essay that was four feet seven inches long, and her handwriting was tiny.

The door to the Ancient Runes classroom was tightly closed, with a note attached: The Magical Runes Club assessment location has been changed to Classroom 7 on the same floor.

Beneath the text was a simple drawing of an abstract stick figure waving them forward.

"The location changed?" Harry looked puzzledly at Hermione. She shook her head, "I'm not sure either. It might have been a last-minute change."

A voice came from behind them, a clear and crisp voice, "Hello there."

The three turned around, and a tall and slender boy stood behind them. He had a striking handsomeness, with jet-black hair and a straight nose. Except for his slightly pale complexion, there seemed to be no flaws.

He extended his hand with a friendly smile and introduced himself, "I'm Cedric, Cedric Diggory."

Harry also shook his hand, "I know you, the Seeker and new captain of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. Wood mentioned you, and you also did well in the Dueling class. Oh, right, I'm Harry Potter."

Cedric chuckled, "Can't compare to you, I suppose. There's probably no one in the school who doesn't know you. Are these two your friends?"

"Yeah, this is Ron Weasley, and this is Hermione Granger. Both in their third year," Harry introduced Ron and Hermione.

The two looked curiously at Cedric.

They walked together towards Classroom 7. With the addition of a stranger, Ron and Hermione were a bit more reserved in their conversation. Harry wasn't exactly the most talkative person either, but he could chat about Quidditch with Cedric.

Harry found a topic, "Cedric, are you a new addition to the team this year? I remember the Hufflepuff team had an older student as the Seeker before."

Cedric laughed, "I joined the team in my third year, and this is my third year on the team."

Harry felt a bit embarrassed; he didn't remember a Hufflepuff team member like that.

Luckily, Cedric explained his confusion, "I used to be a Seeker. But last year, several older players left all at once, and it was hard to find suitable Seeker candidates. So, I stepped up, became the captain, and formed a new team..."

Harry began to understand. Wood had also mentioned in a previous conversation that the new Hufflepuff captain shouldn't be underestimated. They wouldn't have put a newcomer in such a position.

Regardless of who the opponent was, he was confident in securing victory and lifting the second Quidditch Cup.

The two then began discussing Quidditch tactics, which Ron and Hermione found rather odd. Hufflepuff's captain and Gryffindor's Seeker discussing Quidditch – keep in mind, in just over a month, they could very well be opponents.

Cedric said, "Honestly, I'm feeling quite pressured, being thrust into this role... I spent the entire summer reading various strategy manuals. Back when I was a player, I didn't have to think about these things."

Harry also recalled the image of Wood desperately explaining various tactics to the team members last year. In the days leading up to the finals, the twins had thought Wood was a bit hysterical, perhaps needing a "two-day stay at the hospital."

Now he suddenly understood Wood's situation.

Harry casually mentioned a few Quidditch books he had come across for leisure last year, thinking they could be useful. Cedric happily noted down the names, "One of them I haven't heard of. Thanks, Harry."

"Speaking of which," Harry asked, "can a Seeker also be a captain? I've always flown solo, so I might not be considering the field situation."

Cedric happened to have read about this aspect: "These are two different strategies. Some teams fully ensure the Seeker's freedom to fly, not participating in team actions, allowing them to play freely. They believe this can help them catch the Golden Snitch more quickly."

"While some teams require their Seekers to occasionally engage in both offensive and defensive plays."

Harry pondered for a moment, "The latter sounds more demanding." Wood had never asked him to coordinate with defense; his only requirement was to catch the Golden Snitch as quickly as possible.

"Not entirely true," Cedric explained, "for a prodigious Seeker like you, Harry – you can finish a match in half an hour. If my team had someone as talented as you, I would definitely give them absolute freedom, because it's difficult to close a 150-point gap in such a short time."

Upon hearing this, Harry grasped the similarities and differences between the two strategies.

Ron suddenly chimed in, "Harry's fastest time was five minutes! He caught the Snitch in just five minutes and broke the school record."

Harry felt somewhat embarrassed as he recalled his performance against Hufflepuff last year. He discreetly glanced at Cedric, and true to form, the new Hufflepuff captain seemed a bit displeased.

He quickly changed the subject, "Cedric, did you also write the essay? Honestly, a whole seven feet, Professor Harp's expectations are quite high."

Cedric followed his lead, "I met the first requirement, roughly mastering thirty practical runes."

Turning a corner into a dim corridor, Harry was relieved to find they had finally located the deeply hidden Classroom 7. He sighed with relief, thankful that he wouldn't have to resort to idle chatter anymore.

The classroom door was slightly ajar. They peered inside, finding complete darkness, no sign of light.

"Did we get the wrong place?" Harry wondered aloud. He had a bad feeling about this, the last time he had experienced something similar was back in his first year, when they accidentally entered the trapdoor concealing the Philosopher's Stone while trying to escape from Filch.

Back then, they had encountered a three-headed dog that, when standing on its hind legs, could reach the ceiling. He later learned that the three-headed dog was Fluffy, Hagrid's pet, and its name was "Fluffy."

"I don't think so," Hermione pointed at a note on the wall that read, "Magical Runes Club Recruitment Assessment Venue."

The three exchanged glances, stepping hesitantly inside with uncertain feelings.

To their amazement, the interior was a lush grassy field filled with the songs of birds and fragrant blooms. It was as if they had traversed through space, arriving deep within the Forbidden Forest.

Taking a few steps, they spotted Professor Harp's figure – he was sitting on the grass, a small table before him. It seemed like he had brought all his tea things with him and was leisurely sipping tea. In front of him were over a dozen magical puppets, male and female, old and young.

These magical puppets stood not far from them, rehearsing a play.

"Look, that's the east, and you are the sun."

As they approached, they happened to catch a line of dialogue.

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