Chapter 42: Durmstrang!
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The cold was affecting Potter much more than Diggory, who had been smart enough to transfigure his robes into a thick fur coat.
Diggory's extensive repertoire of spells was giving him the advantage but Potter was quicker and smaller, using it to his advantage to weave around the rocks in a guerilla warfare like manner.
He took a deep breath and calmed the storm that was raging in the coliseum, letting the temperature rise and the rain to stop.
Thunder still rumbled as an occasional bolt of lightning struck the ground, but the snow had turned to slush and had started to freeze.
The final duel would be interesting for sure. Aries opened his eyes as a thump sounded and saw that Diggory had finally managed to stun Potter.
He closed his eyes again. Diggory's hard breathing was loud in his ears, but after a few moments he quieted.
Aries opened his eyes to find Diggory standing roughly ten paces from him, wand brandished and ready to fight.
His robes began to glow as they changed, obsidian black and golden armor styled in Greek smithing, formed, and Aries readied himself.
He had gone on the offensive at the beginning with Fleur, but those of Durmstrang recognized the famed stance of the Viper.
He would wait for Diggory to make his move, and then when the time was right, he would destroy him.
There was a tense moment, thunder rumbled as the intensity of the lightning strikes picked up, and then their duel began.
Cedric's light magic barreled towards him and Aries' darker magic raced back. Cuts and bruises started to cover his opponent, but no spell touched Aries, though he was not entirely unaffected.
Diggory had taken to blasting his surroundings and more than once a shard of stone had embedded itself in him, though he was sure that he had shattered his opponents' non-dominant arm.
He had to admit, Cedric was powerful, and he began to unleash magic not seen since Grindewald's war.
He reached out, bending the air around them into a torrent that threatened to throw Diggory off his feet.
Then Aries unleashed fire, allowing the wind to take it until they were surrounded by a tornado of fire, one that Aries seemed to control with ease with his hand, as curses flew from his wand.
The heat drew them closer, as Diggory tied to get away from the wall of flames, and they forced to dodge each others spells as neither had enough time to cast a shield due to their proximity.
Diggory was clearly giving his all, but Aries hadn't even started yet. He let loose of the tornado, and began firing curse after curse towards Diggory, who was forced to relent his own offensive and raise a shield in defense.
Aries drew his magic upon him, and thunder rolled, as he summoned the lightning that struck his opponent's shield, shattering it.
The explosion threw Diggory back and his wand went flying across the stadium.
Aries walked cautiously over to the champion, dismissing the torrent of fire as he struggled to his feet, before casting a simple stunner to finish the duel.
Diggory ducked under the spell and threw his fist towards Aries's face. It connected and Aries saw red, forgoing a simple end to the duel.
A blasting hex caught Diggory in the chest and landed hard on his back. The rain had started falling again, but now with each slow step Aries took, lightning struck and thunder rumbled, a sign of his struggling control over his magic.
The storm he had created was thriving off his anger and power, and the darkness that he so often contained inside himself screamed for Diggory's death.
He was on all fours as the thick boot of Aries caught him in the gut. He landed on his back, clutching his stomach, but he stared defiantly at the Black Heir.
A bone-breaker shattered Diggory's leg, and his screams echoed off the stone walls. That darkness in the back of his mind screamed to unleash the Cruciatus Curse, but he shattered his other leg.
Aries' heart was pounding and there was a voice whispering in the back of his mind to finish it. Aries reached out with his magic, wrapping it around Diggory's throat and squeezing.
His fist clinched as his opponent clawed at his throat, gasping for air. Silent moments passed before he released him, and Diggory's loud gasping of air filled the coliseum.
He could feel his blood racing through him, the power within him screaming to be unleashed, and lighting flew from his fingertips.
Diggory writhed on the ground and there were screams from the stands for him to stop, but he refused, not yet. When at last he relented, trails of smoke floated from the burns on Diggory's body.
Aries thought the fight was finally done, and he waited for Diggory to surrender, but the champion remained determined.
For a moment, Aries felt a certain appreciated of the boy, and then Diggory sent a rather sickly purple looking spell towards him.
There was a gasp from the crowd and Aries saw red again. Another bone breaker shattered the champion's hand.
The Hogwart's champion screamed as Aries stomped hard on the hand he just broke. Another kick to the ribs and he heard several cracks.
Aries reached down, grabbing Diggory by the front of his robes, and pulled him to his knees. He held them there, letting the cold rain hit them both.
Blood was running from Diggory's mouth and nose, and his robes were soaked from the cuts he had given him.
Aries struck him across the face with an armored fist, soaking in the satisfaction of his actions. He struck him again and again, and on the fifth strike he heard Cedric's jaw break as he fell to the ground, unconscious.
Cheers rose up from the Durmstrang delegation, who appreciated his brutality, but the students and staff of the other two schools were dead quiet and Aries could feel their fear.
Part of him rejoiced in it, it rejuvenated him, and as he raised his arms, clenching his fist, thick bolts of lightning struck the ground and the stadium shook from the thunder, as his magic struggled to be contained.
The Durmstrang students only cheered louder, but the rest reeked of fear.
"Ladies and gentlemen, your winner." Ludo Bagman said shakily. "Aries Black of Durmstrang."
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