Cedric Diggory of Hufflepuff was one of Professor Sprout's favorite students.
He had excellent grades, was tall and handsome, and had a gentle temperament. Naturally, he was popular among the girls. However, to everyone's surprise, he ended up attracting the attention of the boys instead. Because of this, Professor Sprout brewed countless potions in an attempt to counteract the effects of those Valentine's Day chocolates.
But her efforts were in vain. None of the potions worked effectively, and she could do nothing about it.
The Valentine's Day chocolate created by Regulus Black did, in fact, have a way to be countered. After all, any enchantment without a counter-curse fell under the domain of dark magic—and Regulus had no desire for the students' parents to think that he, as an assistant professor, was harming students with dark magic.
So, Regulus Black privately shared the antidote's formula.
It only required reversing the entire process: the one who had eaten the love-laced chocolate needed to make the same type of chocolate, discard it, have it picked up by the person they had fallen for, and then have that person gift it back to the original sender. Finally, Regulus Black would need to come into contact with the chocolate's love potion to neutralize its effects.
Regulus was more than willing to help, since he had caused the whole incident. It was, without question, his responsibility.
The problem, however, was that the reversal process was stuck at the very first step. None of the people who had eaten the chocolate were willing to cooperate.
"How can you be so cruel, asking me to forget someone I love so deeply!"
When those chubby little sweet tooths tearfully cried out these words, everyone present was heartbroken. Their eyes were swollen from crying, their faces streaked with tears—it was impossible not to feel moved.
Back in the arena, Cedric understood that no matter how gentle the Welsh Green might seem, it was still a dragon. The difference between it and the Chinese Fireball was like the difference between a tamed animal and a wild beast—there was no way to communicate with it through conversation.
To the Welsh Green, however, these human wizards who came to disturb it were nothing more than passing nuisances. It didn't care if they pointed at it or gawked. This had happened too many times before. Watching what they might do was actually more interesting.
Of course, the Ministry of Magic had strict protections in place for such adorable yet dangerous dragons. As a result, it became common for wizards to go on sightseeing tours to observe Welsh Greens, to help them when they were injured, or to feed them if they were hungry—this kind of behavior had become routine.
So when Cedric Diggory stepped into the dragon's enclosure, the Welsh Green didn't attack. It was curious to see what this brave, small human would do.
After standing for a while, Cedric noticed the dragon was simply staring at him without making any hostile moves. He knew his hunch had been correct. He began walking clockwise along the courtyard wall.
As he walked, he sprinkled magical potion ingredients on the ground. A faint herbal fragrance started to fill the air.
This potion had been specifically prepared once he learned the kind of dragon he would face. In fact, Cedric had strategies prepared for all the different dragons, but the potion for the Welsh Green had taken the most time and effort.
Since Cedric couldn't cast spells like Regulus, he had to rely on potions to achieve a similar effect.
After making a full circle along the courtyard wall, what had started as just a fragrant scent had now transformed into an actual meadow—lush grasses were sprouting everywhere.
The Welsh Green was clearly intrigued. It ignored the dragon egg and turned its body, observing the fast-growing grass with the curiosity of a child discovering something new.
Returning to the entrance, Cedric pulled out another potion. At that moment, the dragon had its back to him. But instead of using the opportunity to snatch the egg, he continued his careful pace, keeping in sync with the dragon's movements, and sprinkled the new potion across the grass.
Moments after Cedric moved on, tiny flowers began to sprout—red, pink, purple, yellow—all common wildflowers. Every type and color imaginable bloomed where the potion had touched, growing rapidly. Though each flower was only the size of a bottle cap, they were incredibly numerous.
The flowers piled together in thick clusters. From a distance, the field looked like a deliberately arranged flowerbed.
When the Welsh Green turned around, Cedric had already vanished from the entrance. The once grassy area was now a sea of wildflowers, and the dragon was immediately drawn to the intoxicating aroma.
As a true glutton, the Welsh Green's eyes sparkled. It eagerly pounced forward, licking up huge mouthfuls of the blossoms.
Cedric had sprinkled the potion in a complete loop from the entrance and back again. The Welsh Green, now completely focused on the trail of flowers around the edge of the courtyard, licked away voraciously—utterly forgetting about the dragon egg.
Cedric Diggory stepped forward and picked up the dragon egg—at that moment, the Welsh Green had only eaten half its meal.
"Congratulations to Cedric Diggory on his victory, and congratulations to the Hogwarts champion!"
Barty Crouch loudly announced Cedric Diggory's triumph.
The entire Hogwarts erupted in excitement. From the very first match, no champion had obtained their dragon egg easily. Even Gabrielle, who faced the Chinese Fireball, had to make a "dishonest" vow just to win the dragon's favor. But Cedric Diggory had relied entirely on his own strength and skill to secure the egg.
Hogwarts had won decisively! For the host school, this was fantastic news—powerful and immensely face-saving.
Cedric Diggory was warmly welcomed by the students, but the cheering quickly died down as his fan club, exclusive entourage, and the core members of the Theban Legion swarmed around him. They lifted Cedric high, set him on a throne fit for a king, and carried him toward the final arena.
"Cedric is our king! Diggory is our pride! We worship him! We adore him!"
Chanting their self-composed anthem, a group of chubby boys hoisted Cedric Diggory at the front of the parade.
Cedric, meanwhile, slouched with his head lowered, covering his face with one hand, striking a silent, contemplative pose.
"He looks like a king on the verge of a breakdown."
"Maybe he's wondering how to deal with his royal guard, who've essentially imprisoned him in their idea of protection."
Every school has its share of oddities, and Hogwarts was now proudly showcasing its most bizarre.
"Headmaster Dumbledore, perhaps we should force those children to cooperate and remove the effects of the love potion. Of course, this is my fault," Regulus Black said, stepping up beside Dumbledore and glancing toward the throne at the front of the procession, visibly guilty.
"Don't say that, Regulus. Those who toy with a girl's affections deserve no sympathy," said Cho Chang as she passed by, picking up Regulus's remark and offering him comfort instead.
"I remember you accepted Cedric's invitation to the ball," Regulus said knowingly. He was well aware of every girl he considered "his"—they had all confessed who they danced with at the ball, worried he might misunderstand.
"Our principle at the time was to say yes to whoever looked the most handsome among the ones who asked," Hermione chimed in, forcing Regulus Black to slow his steps.
"And after comparing them, we still thought you were the most handsome. So that proves we didn't choose the wrong guy," Ginny added cheerfully, hopping in front of him with a grin, showing no concern about being a latecomer.
Regulus Black couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. These girls were originally meant to follow their own destinies, to be with their original dance partners. But he had cut in, and now he had no intention of ever letting go.
At this point in the parade, aside from the Theban Legion at the very front and the Black harem at the very back, the rest were merely onlookers enjoying the spectacle.
Harry Potter felt a twinge of envy toward Cedric—not because he was surrounded by the Theban Legion, but because he was so genuinely celebrated. As for himself, burdened with the title of the Chosen One, there wasn't a single thing about him that truly stood out.
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