Robert Pattinson reveals why Cedric Diggory holds his wand in a surprising way in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. After spending several years primarily occupying the independent sphere, Pattinson has made a triumphant return to more mainstream fare with two major projects. Back in 2020, he and John David Washington led Christopher Nolan's time-bending Tenet, and next month, Pattinson will become the latest actor to don Bruce Wayne's cowl in The BatmanThe onetime Twilight star has certainly flourished in his post-Edward Cullen career.

Before all that, though, Pattinson got his big break with a short-lived, but pivotal role in the Harry Potter franchise. For 2005's The Goblet of Fire, he played kindhearted Hufflepuff Cedric Diggory, the first Hogwarts champion in the Triwizard Tournament. Cedric was portrayed as an earnest and brave student, and he ultimately became Harry Potter's first major onscreen loss when he died at the top of Goblet of Fire's climactic scene. Voldemort's servant Wormtail (Timothy Spall) kills him without a second thought.

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Fans familiar with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire likely remember that, in his final moments, Cedric doesn't hold his wand out in a normal fashion. Instead, he grips it in both hands and aims it like another kind of weapon. Pattinson recently reflected on that moment in a video with GQ and admitted he chose that stance because the normal way of holding a wand felt dorky. He said:

"I remember holding a wand and thinking that it felt so dorky to hold it like a magic wand, so I'm holding it like a gun with two hands, thinking I'm in, like, a Die Hard movie. [Laughs] I think I even have one eye closed when I'm looking down like it's got a viewfinder."

Cedric at the maze during the Triwizard Tournament in Goblet of Fire.

Without the added CGI or practical effects, holding a wand in real life likely doesn't provide the same kind of magic it seems to onscreen. For Pattinson's Harry Potter scene in particular, holding a wand out with one hand might not have conveyed the defensiveness Cedric was trying to project in that moment. One can question how effective Pattinson's chosen stance would've actually been in a duel, but it certainly stood out from the rest of Harry Potter's wand-waving. If one wants to really be charitable, they can even say it's a character quirk for Cedric; maybe his father taught him to hold himself like that in a duel!

Pattinson's time in the Harry Potter franchise was ultimately very small, but Cedric's death would have a lasting impact on the titular boy wizard. It also seemed to do much for Pattinson's career, since the Twilight creative team chose to invite him to audition based on pictures from Harry Potter. He managed to make his mark on the franchise with just a short role, odd wand-holding choices and all. Though he's moved well beyond his time as Cedric Diggory, Pattinson will forever remain a Hufflepuff in fans' minds.

More: Harry Potter Movie Sequel: What Every Original Star Has Said About Returning

Source: GQ

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