Christine's heart pounded as a voice in her mind kept urging her—she could not afford to delay any longer. She had to eliminate them as soon as possible.
Just as Christine was about to give the order for the surrounding wizards to attack and finish off Wentworth, Wentworth suddenly spoke:
"What's wrong? You proposed the game yourself—are you too afraid to play now?"
Before Christine could respond, another wizard stepped forward from behind her, drawing his wand as he sneered:
"I'll do it! I want you to watch as your people die before your very eyes—one by one! Remember, I'm not the one killing them. You are!"
Seeing the wizard step forward and face off against Cedric, Christine momentarily put aside her previous plan. She looked up at Wentworth and said coldly:
"Since you're so eager to play, all the better. Let's see what you'll do once both of them are dead!"
The wizard and Cedric took their positions, standing face to face. Slowly, both raised their wands.
"Protego!"
"Avada Kedavra!"
In an instant, both moved simultaneously. Cedric's first move was a standard Shield Charm, but his opponent wasted no time and immediately unleashed the Killing Curse without hesitation.
Cedric reacted swiftly. The moment his Shield Charm was cast, he flipped to the side, narrowly dodging the green jet of light.
"Avada Kedavra!"
But the opposing wizard was relentless, launching a second Killing Curse at Cedric without pause.
This time, Cedric did not dodge. Instead, he raised his wand and aimed it directly at his opponent.
"Avada Kedavra!"
A curse identical to his enemy's shot forward, the two green beams colliding in midair, intertwining in a dazzling display of lethal magic.
"Impossible!"
The stunned exclamation came from Cassandra, who had been watching in silence. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Cedric, her voice trembling:
"No… that's impossible! He's only a second-year at Hogwarts! How could he have mastered an Unforgivable Curse?!"
Beside her, Christine sat up straighter in her chair, her sharp gaze flickering between the two struggling Killing Curses. Her expression grew solemn.
Wentworth, on the other hand, seemed entirely unconcerned. A slight smile played at his lips.
Then, the balance shifted.
One of the intertwined curses began to weaken, being pushed back inch by inch.
Cedric, his wand unwavering, took a step forward.
With each step he took, his Killing Curse advanced as well.
The opposing wizard, now drenched in sweat, gritted his teeth, desperately trying to push his own wand forward. But it was no use—he was losing ground.
Seeing the deadly green light creeping closer to their ally, Christine subtly gestured to another wizard in the shadows.
Noticing the signal, the second wizard discreetly pulled out his wand and aimed at Cedric from a distance.
A silent, unknown curse flew toward Cedric's unguarded back.
"Boom!"
But before the curse could reach its target, another spell shot through the air and intercepted it mid-flight. The collision erupted in a violent explosion.
From beside Wentworth, Kirk's voice rang out:
"Oh dear! I must have accidentally flicked my wand. And look at that—it caused an explosion! How peculiar!"
The sudden explosion startled everyone present. Even Cedric's opponent momentarily lost focus.
Cedric, however, remained entirely unfazed.
Seizing the moment of distraction, he poured even more power into his spell. His opponent, already struggling, could no longer withstand the force pressing against him.
"Ahhh!"
With a scream of despair, Cedric's Killing Curse struck true.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Christine and the others had no time to react.
Their fallen comrade lay motionless on the ground, his face drained of all color. Christine slammed her hand against her chair and stood abruptly.
Around them, the circle of wizards that had been surrounding Wentworth and his companions all drew their wands, hostility burning in their eyes.
In an instant, Kirk stepped in front of Wentworth, shielding him. At the same time, Cedric raised his wand, aiming it directly at Christine.
As the tension escalated and battle loomed, Wentworth, still standing behind Kirk, spoke up:
"What's wrong? Can't handle it? Are you saying you can't play by your own rules?"
Christine took a deep breath, steadying herself. Then, pointing at Cedric, she asked Wentworth:
"Who is he?"
Wentworth immediately responded with exaggerated enthusiasm:
"A second-year student from Hufflepuff House at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A prodigy who achieved Outstanding in every subject during his first year—Cedric Diggory!"
Christine let out a cold laugh before replying:
"Do you take me for a fool? Are you seriously expecting me to believe he's just a second-year student?"
Wentworth shrugged. "What else do you think he is?"
Christine scrutinized Cedric carefully before musing:
"Did he take Polyjuice Potion? Or is it Transfiguration?"
Wentworth immediately pointed at Christine in mock outrage:
"Oi! Are you trying to cheat now?"
Christine was silent for a moment before saying:
"Fine. Ask your question."
Wentworth let out an exaggerated sigh of relief before continuing:
"First question—who are you?"
Christine answered without hesitation:
"Christine Graves."
"I meant—what are you?" Wentworth asked impatiently.
Christine sneered. "That's your second question. You should have phrased it properly the first time."
Wentworth was momentarily at a loss but quickly waved a hand dismissively. "Doesn't matter! I'll just beat you again! Who's up next?"
This time, however, Christine's expression turned icy as she declared:
"Wentworth Grindelwald—the game is over. I think it's time we put an end to you."
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