Cedric Diggory trotted down the stairs from Defense Against The Dark Arts, Roger Davies and Herbert Fleet right alongside him. The Entrance Hall was bustling with students queuing up for dinner. Herbert slid down the bannister side ways, arms raised up above his head, grinning and laughing as Cedric and Roger simultaneously warned him to get down before they docked him points for unruly behavior.

"Unruly behavior?" Herbert laughed, "If you were docking me for that I'd be pointless."

Cedric grinned wickedly.

"Shut up, Diggory," Herbert said, shoving Cedric's shoulder.

"What? I didn't say anything," Cedric laughed.

"You were thinkin' it," Herbert accused.

"I think anyone in ear shot of you was thinkin' it, Fleet," Roger input. The doors were opening and the queue was moving into the Great Hall. "You lot going in?" Roger asked.

"Yeah, in a sec," Cedric said. A large group of Slytherins had just come up from the dungeons and he was hoping to spot that lad who'd lost his sickles to the Weasley twins, "You lot go on, I'll catch you up," he added, craning his neck to see over the crowd of green robes. Herbert waved Roger off, staying with Cedric as Cedric waded through the crowd, looking at the Slytherins as they shoved by him.

"Weasley! Hey, Weasley!"

Cedric turned when one of the boys shouted - half expecting it to be the boy he was looking for, given the tone he was calling "Weasley" out in - but he found it was a fourth year. Draco Malfoy. Draco was on the Slytherin quidditch team and Cedric had a bit of a bad taste for Malfoy, honestly, as the boy had more of a ruthless entitlement to his gameplay than sportsmanship and a great deal more money than he had talent to boot. And it wasn't the Weasley twins that Draco Malfoy was shouting to but rather their younger brother, Ron.

"What d'you want, Malfoy?" Ron snapped.

"Your dad's in the paper, Weasley!" said Malfoy and he took a copy of the Daily Prophet from his robes pocket and flapped it meaningfully open, snapping the paper so it made a loud cracking sound and caught the attention of several passers-by.

Herbert raised a brow and nudged Cedric, who turned back from his search for the second year Slytherin boy as Draco read, loudly in his drawling voice, "Listen to this!

"Further mistakes at the Ministry of Magic! It seems as though the Ministry of Magic's troubles are not yet at an end, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Recently under fire for its poor crowd control at the Quidditch World Cup, and still unable to account for the disappearance of one of its witches, the Ministry was plunged into fresh embarrassment yesterday by the antics of Arnold Weasley, of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office...

"Arnold!" The shit-eating grin that lit up Draco Malfoy's face was one whose energy could have lit up the whole of Scotland. "They didn't even get his name right, Weasley! It's almost as though he's a complete nonentity, isn't it?" he crowed.

Everyone in the Entrance Hall was listening, faces turned toward Draco, flanked by Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, and Ron Weasley, who stood in a knot with Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, both of whom Cedric recognized from when they'd all shared a portkey from Ottery St. Catchpole to the World Cup.

Malfoy flourished the paper a bit, grinning 'round the room at the people listening in, and he continued on, "Arnold Weasley, who was charged with possession of a flying car two years ago, was yesterday involved in a tussle with several Muggle law-keepers - policemen," he added, looking around, nodding, showing off his knowledge of muggle things before he continued, "over a number of highly aggressive dustbins. Mr. Weasley appears to have rushed to the aid of Mad Eye Moody, the aged ex-Auror who retired from the Ministry when no longer able to tell the difference between a handshake and attempted murder. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Weasley found, upon arrival at Mr. Moody's heavily guarded house, that Mr. Moody had once again raised a false alarm. Mr. Weasley was forced to modify several memories before he could escape from the policemen, but refused to answer Daily Prophet questions about why he had involved the Ministry in such a undignified and potentially embarrassing scene."

Ron's face had gone very, very red.

Cedric's brow furrowed - that had been the scene that his dad, Amos, had also responded to. Amos had come back early, Cedric remembered, to see him off to school at Platform 9 3/4.

"And look, there's a picture, Weasley!" Malfoy snickered and he held the paper up for everyone to see, "A picture of your parents outside of their house - if you can call it a house!"

"It's a house!" snapped Ron, "A damn fine house, too, not like the overstuffed load of tosh your parents keep you in!"

Malfoy acted as though he hadn't heard the response and mused, looking at the picture a moment, then, with a grin he said, "Damn, Weasley! Your mother could do with losing a bit of weight, couldn't she?"

A hushed gasp went through the room as people audibly leaned in, looking at Ron with wide eyes, breaths all held, waiting for what the answer might be. It was a terrible thing to insult someone that another bloke loved - but to stoop so low as to insult their mothers... well that was another sort of warfare altogether.

Ron was shaking with fury.

"Get stuffed, Malfoy!" Harry snapped, "C'mon Ron.

"Get stuffed?" hissed Herbert, "Jayzzzus, where did he learn how to fight? A garden party?"

"I reckon the old ladies at a garden party could come up with a better insult than that," said Malcolm Preece, suddenly appearing at Herbert's side, having just come up form the Hufflepuff common room.

"Shhh!" hissed Lavender Brown from a few steps away.

Cedric started pushing his way through the crowd toward the escalating drama.

"And we're off to the races!" Herbert snickered, watching Diggory push his way through the kids in their green robes.

"Tell me, Potter, is his mother really that porky or is it just the picture?" Malfoy asked, laughing loudly and accepting enthusiastic high-fives from Crabbe and Goyle.

"Yeah? You know your mother, Malfoy?" Harry snapped as both he and Hermoine caught onto Ron's arms to hold him back from what would have ended up a good pummeling from Goyle, who was greedily cracking his knuckles in anticipation. "You know that expression she's got? Like she's got dung under her nose? Has she always looked like that, or was it because you were with her?"

Several people laughed loudly, including other Slytherins.

Malfoy's face was pinkened. "How dare you insult my mother, Potter!"

"Keep your fat mouth shut then," Harry said, and he turned to pull Ron away, headed for the direction of the Great Hall.

Malfoy raised his wand and Cedric panicked and shoved his way forward, diving, and he hit Malfoy's elbow just as he cast his spell.

BANG!

The spell streaked past Harry, just missing him, the sparks grazing the side of Harry's face. Cedric hit the flagstone floor and rolled to get up as a second BANG! echoed through the Entrance Hall, several students screaming and leaping aside, clearing a large bit of space in the center around Draco and Harry. Cedric blinked, the wind knocked out of his chest and -- he must've hit his head, he had to of, for he simply must have been seeing things for there beside him on the floor was a twitchy white ferret.

Everyone in the hall had gone silent, except for one voice, which roared like a lion. "OH NO YOU DON'T LADDIE!" growled Mad Eye Moody. Cedric looked up, watching as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher descended the stairs with a loud CLUNK CLUNK CLUNK of his false leg hitting the floor. Cedric blinked in awe and distress as he pushed himself up from the ground halfway before he felt Fleet slip his arm through Cedric's elbow and pull him up the rest of the way, even dusting off his robes...

"Is - is that --?" Cedric stammered, staring at the ferret. "Did - did he just --?"

"Yeah, I think he did," Herbert was stifling a laugh. "I mean --" Cedric had looked at him in shock and horror and Herbert sobered himself, "Yes, it is," he said in a more stoic tone.

The ferret was shaking with fear, its little heart beating so fast you could nearly see it through it's chest.

"Oh my gods," Cedric said.

Moody paused, leaning close to check on Harry Potter as he reached the bottom of the stairs, his magical eye roving about the room, his true eye on Harry Potter. They were talking quietly enough Cedric couldn't hear him.

Vincent Crabbe looked at the ferret, then up at Mad-Eye, a look of greediness in his eyes, he dove for the ferret. The ferret panicked at the quick motion and he squeaked as Crabbe's hands reached for him and --

"LEAVE IT!" Moody suddenly bellowed and Crabbe dropped the ferret and back ed up quickly.

"Leave what?!" Harry looked bewildered.

"Not you - him!" Moody answered, jerking his thumb over his shoulder and Crabbe's face paled even more.

Cedric scrambled out of the way as Mad Eye Moody shoved his way past him toward Crabbe, Goyle, and the Ferret Formerly Known as Malfoy.

The ferret didn't like his friend going at him and he really, really didn't like Moody going for him. He squeaked - a high pitched shriek of a sound, terrified and tremulous - and streaked off for the stairs to the dungeons, but Mad Eye was having none of it. "Ohhh, I don't think so!" he shouted. Then, "Accio," he hissed and the ferret came flying back toward him across the Hall, air bound, legs flailing and a wide-eyed panicked expression on his face that was nearly cartoonish.

Everyone else in the Entrance Hall was laughing - but Cedric felt sick to his stomach at the sight of the bouncing ferret as Moody tugged his wand back and the ferret went ten feet in the air quickly, turning head over heels, and then was brought back down nearly to the flagstones before being whiplashed back into the air. Even without knowing it was Draco Malfoy, Cedric would have been disgusted by this act. "Someone's got to stop him," he gasped.

"I'm not doing it," Herbert choked, "He might turn me into a hamster and do the same rot to me." He shook his head.

"Bleeding hell." Cedric pushed 'round Harry, Hermione, and Ron and through the sea of other students watching wide-eyed as Moody bounced the white ferret, and he broke into the Great Hall, running as quickly as he could up to the staff table, where Minerva McGonagall was talking to Pomona Sprout and laughing about something they were discussing. "Professor," Cedric said, addressing Sprout, who was his head of house, "Mad Eye Moody's - he's changed Malfoy into a ferret and he's bouncing him 'round the entry hall and --"

"Excuse me?" McGonagall spat tea back into the cup she'd just raised in surprise. "He's - he's WHAT?" she got up and pushed 'round the table, as did Professor Sprout, both of them setting off in a rush 'round the staff table and down the center of the Great Hall toward the Entrance Hall, Cedric trotting after them as they went, McGonagall at top speed, quickly taking the lead.

"Malfoy was being a little so-and-so," Cedric was explaining as he stepped into line with Professor Sprout. Students at the tables were turning around, hearing the commotion and curious when McGonagall went zipping past them in a full run, followed by Cedric and Sprout at a good trot. "He was antagonizing Ron Weasley, then Harry Potter got involved, and you know those two --"

"Oh don't we all," muttered Professor Sprout, shaking her head, "Don't we all!"

"And Malfoy went to hit him with a spell and Moody transfigured him and --"

"Oh my stars," gasped Sprout, stepping into the Entrance Hall to see the ferret, bouncing nearly twenty feet in the air now, shrieking in a high pitched cry.

"NEVER - DO - THAT - AGAIN!" Moody was bellowing loudly as he waved his wand up and down. Cedric came to a stop next to Sprout at the door way as McGonagall shoved her way through the students hurriedly. Herbert Fleet caught Cedric's eye as he dodged out of McGonagall's way.

"Professor Moody!" McGonagall shouted and the remaining students in her way looked and parted like the Red Sea before Moses as she shoved her way through to Moody, horrified. "What are you doing?!"

Moody's face was flush with amusement. "Hello Professor McGonagall," he said calmly. Then added, a smirk on his disfigured mouth, "Teaching."

"Is that a student?!" McGonagall demanded.

"Yep!" said Moody, flippantly.

"No!" McGonagall waved her wand and with a cracking sound, Draco Malfoy lay sprawled on the flagstones, panting and pale, tears in his eyes and streaking down his cheeks, shaking and twitching like the ferret had done, his robes pooled about him as he lay there as though dead for several seconds. "Moody, we never use transfiguration as a punishment!" she gasped as Malfoy struggled to his feet, wincing and looking around with a panicked expression, as though expecting the whole room to laugh at him some more as he smoothed his robes and hair, hands shaking. "Surely Dumbledore must have told ye that!" McGonagall's accent was thick.

"Might've mentioned it," grumbled Moody.

Herbert had made his way through the crowd as McGonagall went on scolding Moody and Sprout hurried over to check that Malfoy was alright. Herbert arrived at Cedric's side, "Alright, hear me out, Ced, I know that was bloody awful but -- but c'mon, it couldn't have happened to a better bloke, could it, d'you reckon?"

Cedric looked at Herbert with a raised eyebrow.

"C'mon, Ced --"

Malcom and Michael arrived at their sides then, too, both giggling uncontrollably. "That was brilliant, that was," gasped Malcom.

"Absolutely brilliant," agreed Michael.

"I like Moody," Malcom said.

Cedric stared at the back of Mad Eye's head as McGonagall scolded him profusely. "Yeah, I don't know," Cedric said. He felt conflicted. HIs dad had talked profusely about Mad Eye, about what a great man Alastor Moody had been and how much respect he commanded at the Ministry, how Mad Eye was an icon, a hero... but there was nothing heroic or good about what Cedric Diggory had just witnessed - whoever it had been, that had been nothing short of a horrible abuse of power and skill. He felt sick, even as Herbert, Malcom, and Michael sang praises and traded whispered ferret jokes and led the way into the Great Hall to the Hufflepuff table.

Cedric sat numbly, his mind playing it over and over and over, unable to let it go.

"Taught him a lesson, I'll bet, at least," Herbert said, "Malfoy certainly won't be shooting spells behind blokes backs anymore, I reckon."

Cedric stared at his dinner, unable to eat.

"Oh c'mon Ced," Herbert said again, "He would've hit Harry Potter with Merlin knows what for a spell if he hadn't been stopped... You know, you deflected the first one, even."

"Deflecting a spell and doing that to a person is completely different," Cedric said firmly, shaking his head and pushed his plate away. "I'm going to go do my homework," he murmured, "I'm not hungry." He got up, ignoring the protests of his friends and started for the door, shoving his hands in his pockets. As he did so, his fingers hit the coins from earlier and he realized he hadn't given the Slytherin boy back his coins. He turned toward the Slytherin table.

Ironically, the boy in question was sitting next to Crabbe, who was next to Malfoy, who was still pale and staring down at the table as he pushed his food about with his fork, an embarrassed and angry expression on his face as the others were talking and laughing quietly around him, shooting glances at him.

Cedric took a deep breath. He paused and dropped the two sickles in front of the second year. "Here - I won back the money from the Weasleys." he said quietly.

The second year boy looked up at him in surprise, "You're giving it back?"

"Yeah, it's yours, I saw you lose it."

The boy raised his eyebrow, then pocketed the money. He was clearly thinking Cedric was a nutter for returning the money. "Why didn't you keep it?"

"Because it isn't mine," Cedric shrugged, and he turned to Draco Malfoy. "Hey, are you alright, Malfoy?"

"Pisser," he snarled.

"I'm sorry Moody did that to you, mate, that was really wrong."

Malfoy looked up at Cedric and for a moment he looked grateful, but then from behind him Goyle snapped, "Hey Diggory ain't you supposed to be over there with the other weasles?" he motioned to the Hufflepuff table.

Crabbe snickered, "Hey maybe Draco should go over there, ain't ferrets weasles?"

"Shut up," Malfoy snarled.

"Badgers," Cedric said, "We're badgers."

Malfoy glared at him, thinking he was making fun, too, and he snapped, "Go away, Diggory." He reached over and snapped the two sickles out of the other boy's hand, too, and shoved it into Diggory's palm. "Mind your own business instead of everybody else's!"

Cedric stared at the two coins in surprise, then looked up at Malfoy, "I just wanted to be sure you were alright, that was quite a horrible thing that Mad Eye did to you and --"

"Forget Mad Eye, he's as good as sacked when I tell my father what he's done to me! When my father hears about this he'll --"

"Have them off Moody like he had that hippogriff offed?" snorted Crabbe. "Didn't that hippogriff escape? Lot of good that did, huh?" Goyle stifled a laugh, too.

Malfoy's eyes flashed as he looked between them, his face flush with anger. "Shut up, both of you," he hissed.

Cedric dropped the two coins in front of the second year again, frustrated and annoyed. "I'm just trying to do the right thing, Malfoy," Cedric said, and he left the Great Hall. He stormed his way through the castle, down to the Hufflepuff common room and let himself in through the big round door, heading up to the sixth year dormitory and throwing himself across the bed with a sigh, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

After a few minutes, though, he got back up and went to his desk, pulling out parchment, ink, and a quill.

Dear Dad,

So I've mixed feelings about Professor Moody. Let me tell you about something that just happened --