Hufflepuff in the Hole
Cedric Diggory was practically known for his smile. He was known for the kind heart he wore on his sleeve, shining more brightly than even his Prefect badge. Always eager to extend a helping hand to the younger students, Cedric was Hufflepuff to his core.
All of this is precisely why, as Cedric roamed the corridor on Prefect duty, it was completely out of character for him to be constantly checking over his shoulder, filled with paranoia. There was no easy-going smile on his face now, because he knew something was wrong. He felt it in the chill in his spine. Someone was following him.
He picked up the pace, hoping to make it back to the Hufflepuff common room before anything bad happened. But his change in speed did nothing to deter his stalker. If anything he felt their presence even stronger, the shadow in his peripheral appearing larger and the faint foot steps growing louder.
Cedric made a sudden detour into the nearest empty classroom, hoping to throw off his stalker. He slammed the door tightly behind him, like it was a shield against the unknown. He waited in the dark, heart thumping madly, as he braced himself for the inevitable attack.
As several seconds ticked by without anything terrible happening, a sense of ease slowly set in Cedric’s chest, his heartbeat returning to normal. He breathed out in relief, and shook his head at his own ridiculousness.
He opened the door, certain that there was no threat.
He was greeted with a wand pointed at his face, and a cold, drawling voice.
“Stupefy!”
Cedric Diggory fell to the ground with a thud.
Standing there, looking much too pleased with himself, Draco Malfoy smirked, victorious.
***
“He put up a fight, but he was no match for me, and I managed to stun him. You should’ve seen the look on his face!” Draco Malfoy recounted his tale to Crabbe and Goyle late that night, adding only the slightest exaggerations.
Draco sat on the edge of his bed as he mimicked the exact expression Cedric wore while he was lying unconscious. Crabbe and Goyle stared at him stupidly, each sitting atop their respective beds as well, doing their very best to follow the events of the story.
Though it was nearing three in the morning, Draco didn’t bother keeping his voice down, since he knew his other two roommates, Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott, would not be an issue. Zabini wasn’t even going to be joining them in the dorm, instead spending the night sneaking around doing who knows what, while Nott just so happened to be the deepest sleeper in the entire world - a fact that was very fortunate for Draco.
“You stunned ‘im?” Crabbe asked.
“Yes, that’s why I just said. Am I going too fast for you?” Draco rolled his eyes. “Anyways, like I was saying, I trapped him, so I should be good to carry on with the plan.”
Draco stood, and walked a few feet away from his bed towards a large, ancient looking trunk. He patted it.
“In this very trunk,” Draco said, stroking the trunk with love. “Lies Cedric Diggory, beaten, defeated, and missing a few pieces of hair.”
“How’s he fit in there?” Goyle asked, looking vaguely concerned.
Draco stared him down, unimpressed. “It’s magic, Goyle. Ever heard of it?” he asked, eyebrows raised. “Honestly, sometimes I think you must be a Muggle trapped in a wizard’s body, because there’s no way a pureblood could be this thick.”
He gave the trunk one last parting pat, and returned to his spot on the bed.
“Now,” Draco continued, shuffling through his robes in search of a small flask. Once he felt it, he pulled it out, showing it off to Crabbe and Goyle. “I just have to drink this Polyjuice Potion, and turn into Diggory. Then I’ll get to be the Hogwarts Champion, just as I deserve, and I’ll get to put stupid Potter in his place by beating him in all of the tasks.”
Draco smiled sinisterly, an intense gaze trained on the liquid inside the flask. He already placed a few of Cedric’s hairs inside of it, hence its yellow, sparkly color.
“But, ‘ow did you make that?” Crabbe asked, pointing a giant, clumsy finger towards the Polyjuice.
“What, don’t think I could?” Draco asked, defensive. “You don’t think I’m good enough at potions? Is that it?”
“No-”
“Well, if you must know. I stole it. My father had some in his study, back from his old Death Eater days, and it’s not the type of thing that expires, so I took it.” Draco shrugged. “It just takes far too much time to cook it up yourself, or else I would have.”
Draco ignored the quick glance Crabbe shared with Goyle that was far too intelligent-looking to be quite in character for either of them.
Draco stood suddenly. “Anyways, the first task is tomorrow, so I’d better get a hang of acting like a Hufflepuff.” Draco’s nose wrinkled in brief distaste. “Tell everyone that I’m taking a sick day tomorrow, and can’t be bothered, understand? I can’t have anyone getting suspicious.”
Crabbe and Goyle gave grunts of affirmation, as Draco stuffed pillows under his blankets in the shape of a body and closed his curtains.
Once he was certain everything was in order, he put the flask to his lips, and drank the yellow, bubbling liquid. It didn’t taste bad per say, but there was a certain quality about it that was too sweet to be properly enjoyable. Draco let out a hiccup, as the potion settled to his stomach. Instantly, he began to change.
He felt himself grow taller, his spine stretching painfully. The space between his shoulders broadened significantly, and even his shoes suddenly felt tight around his feet. Panting heavily, he examined his hands, which were no longer deathly-pale, and Malfoyish.
“Get me a mirror!” he yelled, and Goyle hurried to do as he said.
Staring into the mirror, Draco saw not the sharp, pointed face that he was used to staring back at him, but instead the handsome, perfect face of Cedric Diggory.
Draco ran a hand through his new hair, and was surprised to find it softer and thicker than usual.
He turned back to Crabbe and Goyle, who looked just a little bit confused as to where Draco went. Having no time to deal with their shenanigans, Draco huffed and hurried to change into the Hufflepuff robes he stole from Cedric.
Unable to wait a second longer, he hurried out of his dormitory, leaving the Slytherin common room behind.
***
The plan was simple. He just had to, firstly, avoid getting caught by any Professors for being out of bed at three in the morning, and, secondly, make his way to the Hufflepuff common room to stay the night. The other Hufflepuffs were probably wondering where Cedric went, and Draco could easily make up some lie about “prefect duty” or whatever.
Unfortunately, when have things ever went according to plan?
The moment Draco stepped out in to the corridor, he was met by none other than Cho Chang, a Ravenclaw student in the grade ahead of him.
“Cedric!” she gasped as he appeared. “I was looking all over for you! What are you doing up so late? And near the Slytherin common room…”
“What do you think you’re doing up so late?” he shot back instinctively, lip curling into a sneer.
Apparently this was the wrong thing to say, judging from the widening of Cho’s eyes. Draco remembered, just a moment too late, that Cedric Diggory was supposed to be a nice person.
Perhaps this whole thing would be a little harder than he initially anticipated.
“I mean,” he said. “I was just…visiting a friend.”
Cho’s eyes narrowed. “Oh? Who?”
“Pansy Parkinson,” Draco blurted the first name he thought of. But, evidently, this was the worst thing he could have said.
“You were visiting Pansy Parkinson?” she asked, looking very upset indeed, her mouth forming a tight frown. “Oh. I didn’t realize you two were close.”
It took Draco an embarrassingly long time to put two and two together, to realize why Cho seemed to be so upset at the prospect of Cedric talking to a girl. At first Draco assumed it was because she was a Slytherin, but then…oh. Oh.
Cedric and Cho must’ve been together. Wincing internally, Draco wondered if it was too late to fix things.
“She’s just a- a family friend,” Draco said, lamely, shoving his hands into his pockets.
“A family friend,” Cho repeated, coldly. “I see. I bet she’s a very pretty family friend, isn’t she?”
“Why ask? I know you’ve seen her before,” Draco said. Surely, Cho would be able to recognize the ugliness of Pansy Parkinson even from the Ravenclaw table.
“I thought I meant something to you,” Cho said, wrapping her arms around herself. “But clearly I mean no more than - than Pansy Parkinson.”
Annoyed now, Draco couldn’t help but snap, “Well, to be fair, it’s not like I care about either one of you very much.”
“You’re acting like- like Draco Malfoy!” she yelled, face growing red.
Draco’s mind short-circuted at that one. “And that’s a bad thing because?”
Cho looked for a moment like she was about to say something very mean indeed, but changed her mind last second and said, “That’s it! I am done with you Cedric Diggory!”
Draco thought, if he really were Cedric in this situation, he ought to yell something along the lines of "No! Come back! I can’t live without you!" as she stormed off. But he wasn’t really Cedric. He was Draco Malfoy, and quite frankly, he was relieved to be rid of her.
So instead of any of that, he yelled, “Good!”
Scoffing to himself, Draco headed on his way, trying not to think about the fact that he drastically changed the real Cedric Diggory’s life in not even ten minutes of being him.
***
Draco was put in Slytherin for a reason, so it was no wonder that he knew the exact whereabouts of all of the other houses’s common rooms. The Hufflepuffs lived, naturally, in the basement near the kitchens. Draco thought this was probably to emphasize how useless and lazy they are were. He was not looking forward to associating with them, but he knew it would be worth it once he won eternal glory right in front of Potter’s stupid face.
Once he found the precise spot, an unassuming wall blocked by various barrels, which he knew to be the entrance, he felt a twinge of hesitation. He knew that to enter the common room he had to knock on the correct barrel in the rhythm of “Helga Hufflepuff.” The only problem was…he couldn’t quite remember which barrel was the right one.
He knew it was one of the ones in the second row, and that already eliminated a lot of barrels. He also knew it wasn’t one of the barrels on the ends of the row, so that eliminated two more. It was either the one in the middle of the row, or perhaps one to the right or left of the middle.
Draco closed his eyes briefly, frustrated. He should have interrogated the real Cedric before coming here, to make sure he was well equipped to impersonate him.
Well, there was no point delaying it any further. Gritting his teeth, Draco knocked on one of the barrels.
He held his breath, hoping that it was the right one, that the barrel would swing open any minute and reveal the hidden passage.
When the barrel did swing open Draco perked up in triumph, but instead of a secret passage, a nozzle popped up and he was shot in the face with a comically large amount of vinegar.
Draco fell backwards from the force of it, landing straight on his backside. He coughed heavily as he lay there, with nothing but the rancid stench of vinegar for company. His eyes stung from the pain of it, but no matter how much he rubbed at his eyes, there was no hope of getting it out. Bitter, and writhing on the ground, Draco cursed all Hufflepuffs. Weren’t they supposed to be nice?
Apparently, all the ruckus was heard from below, because a second later, a Hufflepuff’s head shot up from within the barrel right next to the one Draco picked. The Hufflepuff wore stupid looking glasses, even stupider than Potter’s glasses, and though Draco saw him at meals before, he had no clue what his name was.
He wasn’t going to take the time to learn the names of Hufflepuffs, after all.
“Cedric! Where have you been? We were so worried!” Stupid Glasses said, clambering out of the barrel to help him up. However, as soon as he put a hand on him, he pulled back, clearly not wanting to touch the vinegar. “Why are you soaking wet?”
Draco didn’t dignify that ridiculous question with a response.
“Did you knock on the wrong barrel?” S.G (that's short for Stupid Glasses) asked, lips quirking up.
“No I didn’t knock on the wrong barrel,” Draco said, haughtily. “I think there must have been a malfunction.”
S.G blinked at him behind those stupid, stupid glasses.
“In fact, I think it’s time we update this whole barrel thing. I mean, all the other houses have passwords, isn’t that much more dignified?”
“Ravenclaw doesn’t have a pass-”
“Who cares about Ravenclaw? What do they know?” Draco asked. Then, straightening up, as if vinegar wasn’t currently dripping off of him, he started towards the barrels again, eager to knock on the correct barrel and put this whole nightmare behind him.
He put one foot in front of the other, but failed to predict just how slippery the floor would be from all the excess vinegar. He slipped hard, falling forward right into the barrels. He threw his arms out wildly, trying to catch himself, but made the horrible mistake of grabbing on to one of the barrels. The wrong barrel.
Faster than he could run, another burst of vinegar shot out from the barrel.
As he lay sprawled out on the floor, he thought maybe this whole Cedric thing was more trouble than it was worth.
S.G winced, still dry, and wordlessly helped him into the correct barrel.
The Hufflepuff common room was about how he’d expect it to be. It was a warm, cozy, low-celinged room with splashes of yellow and black everywhere. It reminded Draco vaguely of a beehive. As soon as he entered the room, he was met with more Hufflepuffs than he hoped to ever see in his life, all sitting on various armchairs and couches.
There were at least twenty of them, and they instantly swarmed around him. Again, Draco thought of horrible, stinging bees.
“Cedric, are you hurt?”
“Cedric, what happened?”
“Cedric, we missed you!”
Draco was beginning to get quite overwhelmed with all the questioning. It was just like Hufflepuffs to be horribly overbearing.
“I’m fine-”
“No, you aren’t,” one of the Hufflepuffs, a short and fat fellow said. “You look unhappy.”
Shortnfat reached out to touch his face, running his thumb tenderly along Draco’s scowl. Draco recoiled, stumbling away from him. Unfortunately, he backed up straight into another overly touchy Hufflepuff, because Draco soon felt slender arms wrap around his waist.
“You’re safe now,” said the girl who was subjecting him to the horrible hug. Draco pulled away from her roughly, to see her acne-covered face drop, sadly.
“Don’t touch me,” Draco hissed, in a most un-Cedric-like manner. The Hufflepuffs looked around, concerned and confused.
“Are you sure you’re feeling okay?” Acne asked, stepping forward, and trying to touch him again, but Draco evaded her grasp.
“I’m fine, just tired,” Draco said, forcing his mouth into a smile to get them off his case. His smile must not have been very convincing, however, going by the way it only made everyone look more concerned. “I’m going to bed now. Goodnight!”
He took off as fast as he could, weaving in and out between armchairs until he made it to a wooden door on the left side of the room. He grabbed the doorknob.
“Cedric!”
But instead of opening, the doorknob itself shifted to reveal a tiny, metal nozzle that, without warning, shot him in the face with vinegar.
Soaking wet, and lying on the floor for the third time that night, Draco groaned loudly.
“That’s the girl's dormitory, silly,” Acne said. “Boys can’t go in there.”
Without even a backward glance, Draco pulled himself up off the floor and went through the door on the right.
Once he found the bed that he deduced to be Cedric’s, he collapsed on top of it. He didn’t even have the energy to change his clothes, instead simply hoping the vinegar would dry quickly. Just this morning, the prospect of stealing Cedric’s life seemed incredible. To be the school’s champion, to beat stupid Potter - it was all something out of a dream. But just now, it didn’t seem too great.
It’ll get better. Once the first task rolls around and he establishes himself in first place, everything will be worth it.
“It’ll be worth it,” Draco muttered to himself, thinking of Harry Potter’s stupid face alight with anger and jealousy once he manages to show him up.
The mental image was so satisfying, Draco almost didn’t notice the sudden warmth filling his right hand. Almost.
Draco opened his eyes to see Shortnfat laying right next to him in bed, holding his hand.
“What’ll be worth it, Cedric?”
Draco screamed.
***
The next morning, Draco woke up early, not just so he could take more Polyjuice Potion without arousing any suspicion, but so he could get down to the Great Hall while avoiding the bulk of the Hufflepuffs. Of course, there were a few awake, but thankfully they didn’t attempt to speak with him.
As Draco stepped into the hall, he couldn’t help but look longingly towards the Slytherin table. His home. But, alas, he had a facade to maintain, so he reluctantly headed towards the Hufflepuff table.
He hadn’t taken a step in his desired direction when a blur of red and gold darted in front of him, knocking him off balance. He caught himself before falling, but that didn’t stop him from glaring up at the inconsiderate person who had bumped into him.
Potter. Of course it was Potter.
Glaring, he snapped, “Watch where you’re going, Potter!”
Harry blinked, confusion evident on his face. “Oh. Sorry.”
Sorry? Why was he being so - oh.
He was supposed to be Cedric. And he had just acted in a very un-Cedric way to Harry Potter of all people!
“I mean-” Draco hurried to rectify the situation. “Hi!”
His voice was high and awkward, and it only served to make Harry look more confused.
“Hi?” Harry asked, looking at him like he had a second head.
“I’m- I’m not a morning person,” Draco explained clumsily, trying to give a reason for his rude behavior.
“I can see that,” Harry said coolly.
“Well, I better be off,” Draco said, wondering the proper send off to give Harry as Cedric. Does he simply say goodbye? Or is something more friendly in order, perhaps a farewell hug? It seemed the type of thing a Hufflepuff would do. No, a farewell hug would be really horribly weird - but then again, Hufflepuffs.
Eventually, Draco compromised by giving Harry a chummy punch to the arm. It was perhaps the most uncomfortable bro punch of all time, an awkward, half-hearted tap.
“Right,” Harry said, rubbing his arm, looking downright bewildered. “I’ll see you around, Cedric.”
Harry left to sit at the Gryffindor table, and Draco hurried to the Hufflepuff table before he could make an even bigger fool out of himself. He plopped down at the nearly empty table and made to eat as quick as he could, to continue his trend of avoiding the others. But, just as he piled some eggs on his plate, Shortnfat and S.G entered the Great Hall, and sat right by him.
Draco scowled internally, and began shoving his mouth full of food in an effort to avoid conversation. It worked for a while, as they spoke of mundane topics, such as how tired they were, but not before long there was a shift in the discussion.
"Did you hear the news? About Harry Potter?"
Draco’s ears perked up.
"Yeah I heard the Weasley isn't talking to him anymore! Got in a huge fight."
A fight? Potter? And Weasley? In a fight? Draco was reeling from that bombshell.
"Serves them right, I say," S.G said. "Is it mean that I kind of enjoy seeing those two mope around?"
Draco sneakily snuck a glance at S.G to see him wearing an expression he knew all too well. The slight smirk, the hatred glowing in his eyes - it was the same face Draco pulled whenever he badmouthed Harry Potter. He knew that the Hufflepuffs wanted Cedric to win, but he hadn't realized the full extent of their hate for Potter. …Maybe he could get along with these Hufflepuffs after all.
"Nah," said Shortnfat. "It's only natural. And to think that fool is going against you, Cedric!"
Draco took a moment to respond, unused to being referred to by that name. "Yeah," he said too late. "I hate that Harry Potter!"
Shortnfat and S.G shared a glance. Draco began to worry that he had said something wrong, but his fears were relieved as the two Hufflepuffs smiled wide.
“Finally, you’ve come around!” S.G grinned.
“We thought you’d never admit how much he stinks!”
Draco smiled at the subtle nod to his wonderfully innovative “Potter Stinks” badges.
“Well, I was trying my best to be nice,” Draco said, because it was probably the sort of thing Cedric would say. “But the nose doesn’t lie.”
The two Hufflepuff goons erupted into raucous laughter at that remark.
Sighing and wiping a tear, S.G said, “Okay, okay. Let’s all say our least favorite thing about Potter. I’ll go first - he’s so egotistical.”
Shortnfat snickered behind a plump hand. “My turn! He’s really self-centered.”
The pair broke off into more mean-spirited giggles.
“Ooh, I’ve got one,” said a voice from behind them. Draco turned just in time to see another Hufflepuff join them, a girl that was shockingly ugly for a face so plain. “He only cares about himself.”
The Hufflepuffs cackled.
“What about you, Cedric?” S.G asked.
“Yeah what about you,” Shortnfat repeated with a wink that Draco chose to ignore.
“Well,” Draco pretended to think. “How about the fact that he likes Muggles?”
Draco broke off into peels of laughter, slapping his hand against the table. The Hufflepuffs stared at him, unamused. Draco’s smile faded.
Shoot. He had forgotten. Hufflepuffs, like Gryffindors, don’t enjoy the particular brand of Anti-Muggle humor that Draco subscribed to, and Draco, in his attempt to crack a joke, had only made things really awkward.
“I mean…” Draco faltered under the questioning looks he was receiving. “I like Muggles. It’s just stupid when he does, right?”
S.G still looked unimpressed. Plain Ugly had already left to go sit with her other friends. But Shortnfat, ever loyal to Cedric, flashed him a quick thumbs up.
Draco returned to his meal, hoping to avoid any more slip-ups. However, as the conversation left Harry Potter and moved on to Ron Weasley instead, Draco found it increasingly difficult to keep his mouth shut.
“Weasley is stupid for ditching Potter,” S.G was saying. “Now no one’s going to talk to him. He can’t afford to lose the only friend he has.”
“He can’t afford anything,” Draco blurted, as if possessed. At the weird look S.G shot him, he clamped his mouth shut and put poor-jokes right next to Muggle-jokes on the list of topics to avoid.
“Okay,” said S.G, rising from his seat. “We’ll catch you later Cedric, classes are starting soon.”
Classes were, in fact, not starting soon, as it was still the beginning of breakfast and half of the Hufflepuffs haven’t even woken up yet. But Draco didn’t really want to talk to them anyways.
S.G strode off, Shortnfat trailing behind him, casting a few longing looks back at Draco.
***
Draco’s classes that day went by fairly uneventfully. He simply tuned out the Hufflepuffs most of the time, and was able to get along with them very well. Though, impersonating a sixth year did mean he would have to keep up with sixth year class work, Draco thought he was smart enough to handle the task.
And if he wasn’t, he would just cheat. He was a Slytherin, afterall.
The biggest problem was in Potions. Without looking like himself, he was no longer given Snape’s special treatment and was, instead, lumped in with all the rest of the “dunderheads.” There was a really close call halfway through the class when Draco had taken out his flask in order to take more Polyjuice Potion, in which Snape had threatened to confiscate it. This would be disastrous, as, Potion Master that he is, Snape would immediately recognize the drink. Luckily, Snape let him off with a warning. Draco was thankful he wasn’t impersonating a Gryffindor or he wouldn’t have had such luck.
That night, after dinner, Draco took to wandering the corridors, waiting for the Polyjuice to wear off. He wanted to turn back into himself again so that he could return to the Slytherin dorm, and check up on the real Cedric. Unfortunately, Draco did not want to go to Azkaban for murder, which meant that he would have to feed Cedric at least once every couple days.
As he was wandering, he happened upon a pair of familiar faces; Crabbe and Goyle.
Upon seeing him, Crabbe and Goyle stopped in their tracks, exchanging a trollish look. Draco winced internally, hoping that they’d act natural.
Of course, they didn’t. “Draco?” Crabbe asked, hesitantly.
Draco shot Crabbe a nasty glare, trying to wordlessly tell him not to give away his cover!
“What? My name’s Cedric!” Draco said loudly, looking around to make sure no one heard what Crabbe had called him.
“But Draco-” Goyle started.
Knowing it was a lost cause, Draco simply covered his face with his hands and rushed past the two fools. He never should have let them in on the plan.
Once he was far enough away he sighed dramatically, leaning against the wall with nothing to do but hope the potion wears off soon.
“Cedric,” said an approaching voice.
Draco had to work hard to prevent a scowl from reaching his lips as Harry Potter approached him.
“Yes?” Draco asked, evenly.
Harry Potter had a strange look in his eye, one of urgency and seriousness. He glanced around his shoulder to make sure no one was nearby and said, “The first task is dragons.”
Draco’s mind did a somersault. “What?”
“They’ve got dragons, and the task is for us to get past them,” Harry explained quietly.
“How do you know?” Draco asked, and unable to stop himself he added, “I didn’t think you’d resort to cheating P- Harry.”
Harry looked offended. “I didn’t mean to-” he shook his head. “Well, it doesn’t matter now, because Fleur and Krum already know too. I thought it wouldn’t be fair if you were the only one who didn’t.”
Typical Potter, thinking of fairness. But Draco couldn’t dwell on that too long because his mind kept circling back to the elephant in the room.
“Dragons,” Draco repeated, still disbelieving. “And we’ve got to fight them.”
“Yeah,” said Harry, solemnly. If Draco didn’t know any better, he would say Potter looked a bit scared.
“Well,” said Draco, sticking out his chin. “That’s no matter. I mean, surely beating a dragon can’t be too hard. Especially for me. Draco means dragon in Latin, after all.”
Harry made a funny face, his mouth hanging open slightly and his eyebrows shooting up his forehead. It took Draco far too long to realize why.
“Yeah,” Harry said slowly. “Too bad your name is Cedric.”
Not again. For the amount of times he slipped up, he was beginning to think that maybe he just wasn’t good at this whole, “impersonate Cedric” thing. He rushed to rectify this fatal error.
“My middle name is Draco!” Draco lied. “Didn’t you know? I guess I just assumed everyone knew that…”
He trailed off with an awkward laugh. It was a weak lie and they both knew it.
“Your full name is Cedric Draco Diggory?” Harry asked, clearly not buying it.
“It sure is.”
“That’s cool,” Harry said, eyeing him suspiciously. “It’s kind of a unique name, no?”
“My mother picked it out for me,” Draco said, putting an unnecessary emphasis on the word mother. He couldn’t do so as Cedric, but if he looked like himself he would surely make a point to mention how Harry didn’t have one. Unfortunately, the best he could do at the moment was send the dead-mum insult to Harry telepathically, hoping he’d pick up on it.
Harry did not pick up on it. “I only know one other person who has a name like that,” he continued. “Do you know Draco Malfoy?”
“What? That good-looking Slytherin fourth year? Yeah, I’ve seen him around,” Draco shrugged, not liking how much Potter was pushing this subject. “What’s your point?”
“I don’t know, I just thought it was funny, that’s all. That you two both happen to have such an uncommon name.”
Draco felt a sting of annoyance. “Maybe uncommon to you, but it actually comes from a long line of…” He struggled to find a synonym for “pureblood.” “...Nobility.”
Harry stared at Draco for a long moment, and despite his disguise Draco felt like he could see right through him.
“I better get to bed,” Harry said finally, an iciness in his voice that wasn’t there before. “I don’t know about you, but I’ve got to get some rest before I have to fight the dragons. I’ll see you around, Draco.”
And Harry strode past him without sparing a look back.
***
Cedric Diggory grimaced as a sudden light flooded the darkness. He looked up to see the face of Draco Malfoy peering down at him, as if from the top of a well. To his knowledge, he was trapped in some sort of trunk, charmed so that it was as wide as a lift and as deep as a flagpole. Cedric had spent the last hour in the dark, blindly trying to climb up the sides of his prison, but it was impossible.
“How’s the weather down there, Diggory?” Draco Malfoy asked, voice full of humor. “It doesn’t matter, because prepare for rain!”
With that, he threw down bottle of water, along with various food items he presumably stole from that night’s dinner.
Cedric had known the fourth year boy was cruel, but he had never anticipated this. He was embarrassed to be kidnapped by someone so much younger than him.
“Let me go,” Cedric said, voice hard.
Draco merely laughed, not responding to Cedric’s futile request. “I didn’t know Hufflepuffs got angry!”
“Well they do,” Cedric said. “And I know a lot of Hufflepuffs. You better watch out, because the second they find out what you did to me-”
“They won’t find out,” Draco said, and Cedric marveled at how ridiculously sure he sounded.
“Now,” Draco said. Cedric saw him pull out his wand. “This will hurt a bit, but it’s kind of necessary for the potion.”
“Accio Cedric’s hair!”
Piece by piece, Cedric felt his hair rip from his skull.