Harry's heart was tightly tangled in a knot.
Cho Chang's smiling face as she cheered for Cedric and Cedric's handsome profile flashed alternately through his mind, overlapping and turning into a tiny, sharp thorn.
He was in no mood to listen to Ron's complaints.
Ron first saw how distraught Harry looked and wanted to comfort him but did not know how to begin, then noticed everyone around them discussing Cedric.
"They're just a bunch of useless Hufflepuff wimps!"
Those words struck Harry's tangled nerves like a vicious bolt of lightning.
In an instant, a greater, more primal fear shot through his spine.
His survival instinct took over every one of his actions in that instant.
He leaped up and lunged like an enraged lion.
He clamped his hand tightly over Ron's still-blabbering mouth.
The whole movement was as swift as catching the Golden Snitch that would decide a match.
"Mmph! Mmph!"
Ron was caught completely off guard by the sudden attack.
Harry glanced around in terror, his gaze sweeping like a searchlight as he frantically searched the figures of the staff at the end of the corridor.
He saw Professor Sprout, Professor Flitwick, Professor McGonagall...
Thank goodness, he did not see that figure in a trench coat.
He leaned close to Ron's ear and lowered his voice, every word a growl forced through clenched teeth.
"Are you out of your mind?"
"Do you want to be hung upside down from a lantern on the Demon-Suppression Tower as a decoration?"
"Ron!"
Hermione hurried over, her brow tightly furrowed.
Her voice carried a restrained warning.
"Cedric is outstanding. He deserves this."
She too cast a nervous glance around and lowered her voice even further.
"Besides, don't forget that Professor Holmes graduated from Hufflepuff!"
"I'd advise you not to bad-mouth that house anywhere