Cedric Diggory

The first name written on the parchment was Dumbledore. Once Eli finished writing it, the ink seemed to be absorbed into the paper and vanished.

"I've arranged someone for you. He's already helped you set up a shop in Diagon Alley. If you need anything, you can go to him. He might not look very reliable, but he can do quite a few things others can't."

"Who?"

"Mundungus Fletcher."

After settling the matter of the potion factory, the two returned to school.

They definitely could not make it back in time for dinner. The students had long since returned to their respective common rooms.

"What happened? Is Dumbledore going to expel you? I can contact my father and have him put pressure on them!"

Eli hurriedly stopped Draco Malfoy. "Dumbledore wasn't trying to expel me. He just wanted me to explain everything that happened today so nothing was left out. The Ministry of Magic gets awfully twitchy about these things."

Draco Malfoy nodded in deep agreement. Born into a prominent wizarding family, he naturally knew exactly what the Ministry of Magic was like.

"Scarhead and the others are famous now. You should've seen how smug Weasley looked!"

The thought of Ron Weasley's smug expression made Draco Malfoy furious. Why wasn't I the one getting all the attention?

Ron Weasley asked everyone he met, "How did you get back to school?"

Then he would say smugly, "I drove here!"

They were all at an age of youthful recklessness, so naturally they flocked to something that exciting.

Many people on the train had seen that car, especially the little lions of Gryffindor, who were incredibly envious of Ron Weasley.

The other Houses were not as excited as Gryffindor, but they were still very interested.

Even the little snakes of Slytherin occasionally imagined themselves driving a flying car past the train and showing off.

The first class of their second year was Herbology.

Inside Greenhouse Three, a group of little lions and little snakes chattered away endlessly.

"Quiet, children."

Professor Sprout, the Herbology professor, arrived rather late. She was dressed as though she had just finished tending to plants.

The young wizards had not seen one another all summer and had endless things to say. That was simply children's nature.

It was as if they had not heard Professor Sprout at all.

The professor sighed helplessly and tapped a flowerpot with her wand. "Quiet down now, children."

Only then did the young wizards fall silent.

Before them were small plants growing in little pots, all of the same kind.

Eli recognized the herb at a glance—Mandrake.

He had spent an entire month chewing leaves over the summer. It had tormented him badly; how could he possibly fail to recognize it?

"All right, today we'll learn about Mandrakes. Can anyone tell me what a Mandrake is?"

Whenever there was a question-and-answer segment in class, Hermione Granger was always the most eager. This time was no exception.

In the entire greenhouse, Hermione Granger was the first and only one to raise her hand.

The professor happily called on Hermione Granger.

Hermione Granger was a little excited that she had been given the chance to speak, and she took a deep breath.

"Mandrakes can cure creatures that have been Petrified, but they're also very dangerous. Their cries can be fatal."

The professor was extremely pleased. "Excellent! Ten points to Gryffindor!"

"Today's task is to repot these Mandrakes. Our Mandrakes are only seedlings, so their cries are not fatal, but they can still put you to sleep for several hours."

Professor Sprout picked up an earmuff. "I've handed one out to each of you. Make sure you put them on properly!"

Everyone picked up the earmuffs in front of them. Once they had all put them on, Professor Sprout lifted one of the pots and gripped the Mandrake near its base.

"Watch carefully. Grab them by the bottom, then pull hard!"

With a forceful tug, the professor pulled the Mandrake free, exposing its roots.

Its roots looked exactly like a tiny baby, except it was remarkably ugly.

The instant it was pulled from the soil, the little creature unleashed a piercing wail.

"Waaah, waaah, waaah..."

Everyone furrowed their brows. This damned thing was far too jarring.

Eli could clearly sense the magic contained in its cry, though the earmuffs blocked it out.

His Undetectable Extension Bag contained quite a few living Mandrakes.

By now, his Undetectable Extension Bag was nearly a four-dimensional pocket. The space inside was astonishingly vast.

At noon, everyone was eating in the Great Hall when a gray owl suddenly flew in.

Everyone's attention was drawn toward it. This was not the time for mail delivery.

"Errol?"

Ron Weasley recognized the owl at once as his family's stupid bird.

Eli could clearly see a bright red envelope clutched in the owl's talons.

"A Howler?"

The owl plunged headfirst into the plate in front of Ron Weasley, drawing laughter from all around.

Eli silently mourned for Ron Weasley.

Ron Weasley was still holding his wand, which was nearly snapped in two, as he blankly looked at Harry.

"I'm finished."

Harry could not think of anything comforting to say either. "Yeah, you're finished."

"You'd better open it. I ignored my grandmother's Howler once, and the consequences were terrible."

Neville still looked shaken by the memory.

Ron Weasley trembled as he prepared to open the envelope.

Eli could not bear to watch any longer. With a flick of his wand, he cast a barrier around Ron Weasley, and no sound could escape.

Everyone looked at Eli in surprise. They had never seen that trick before.

Still, they were a little disappointed to lose the chance to watch the show.

Though they could not hear anything, Ron Weasley's ashen face alone made it clear that the consequences were serious.

This was merely a small interlude. The real highlight of the day was yet to come.

The Dueling Club would hold its first gathering of the school year!

After the efforts of the previous semester, aside from the fifth- through seventh-years busy preparing for exams, more than half the students in the remaining years had joined the Dueling Club.

Many people had originally remained on the fence or simply had no interest at all.

But as the Dueling Club later sparked a wave of studying, many feared being left behind and joined as well.

"I'm very happy to see all of you in the new term."

Eli stood on the raised platform, with the room packed full beneath him.

Since the number of people had far exceeded their expectations, Professor McGonagall had no choice but to move the event to another, larger classroom.

Professor Flitwick did not attend. In truth, after witnessing Eli's abilities last semester, he had felt comfortable handing the club entirely over to Eli.

The wizards below were all eager to try. After an entire holiday, they had not forgotten about defeating their opponents.

Sure enough, Draco Malfoy and Ron Weasley had already locked eyes.

"So then, the usual program. Does anyone want to challenge me?"

The room below immediately fell silent.

Quite a few people had refused to believe it last semester and challenged Eli.

But without exception, they had all lost easily, utterly unable to fight back.

"I'd like to give it a try."

Everyone's gaze converged on him, eager to see which Champion it was.

The person being watched was somewhat uncomfortable under so many eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.

Eli nodded. At the very least, he was very steady.

"I'm Cedric Diggory, fourth year. I hope the president will go easy on me."