Chapter 214: Cedric Diggory

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 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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