rate this。 It was plain that the Hufflepuffs felt that Harry had stolen their champion's glory； a feeling exacerbated； perhaps； by the fact that Hufflepuff House very rarely got any glory； and that Cedric was one of the few who had ever given them any； having beaten Gryffindor once at Quidditch。 Ernie Macmillan and Justin FinchFletchley； with whom Harry normally got on very well； did not talk to him even though they were repotting Bouncing Bulbs at the same tray…though they did laugh rather unpleasantly when one of the Bouncing Bulbs wriggled free from Harry's grip and smacked him hard in the face。 Ron wasn't talking to Harry either。 Hermione sat between them； making very forced conversation； but though both answered her normally； they avoided making eye contact with each other。 Harry thought even Professor Sprout seemed distant with him…but then； she was Head of Hufflepuff House。
He would have been looking forward to seeing Hagrid under normal circumstances； but Care of Magical Creatures meant seeing the Slytherins too…the first time he would e face…to…face with them since being champion。
Predictably； Malfoy arrived at Hagrid's cabin with his familiar sneer firmly in place。
〃Ah； look； boys； it's the champion；〃 he said to Crabbe and Goyle the moment he got within earshot of Harry。 〃Got your autograph books？ Better get a signature now； because I doubt he's going to be around much longer。。。 Half the Triwizard champions have died。。。 how long d'you reckon you're going to last； Potter？ Ten minutes into the first task's my bet。〃
Crabbe and Goyle guffawed sycophantically； but Malfoy had to stop there； because Hagrid emerged from the back of his cabin balancing a teetering tower of crates； each containing a very large Blast…Ended Skrewt。 To the class's horror； Hagrid proceeded to explain that the reason the skrewts had been killing one another was an excess of pent…up energy； and that the solution would be for each student to fix a leash on a skrewt and take it for a short walk。 The only good thing about this plan was that it distracted Malfoy pletely。
〃Take this thing for a walk？〃 he repeated in disgust； staring into one of the boxes。 〃And where exactly are we supposed to fix the leash？ Around the sting； the blasting end； or the sucker？〃
〃Roun' the middle；〃 said Hagrid； demonstrating。 〃Er…yeh might want ter put on yer dragon…hide gloves； jus' as an extra precaution； like。 Harry…you e here an' help me with this big one。。。
Hagrid's real intention； however； was totalk to Harry away from the rest of the class。 He waited until everyone else had set off with their skrewts； then turned to Harry and said； very seriously； 〃So…yer petin'； Harry。 In the tournament。 School champion。〃
〃One of the champions；〃 Harry corrected him。
Hagrid's beetle…black eyes looked very anxious under his wild eyebrows。
〃No idea who put yeh in fer it； Harry？〃
〃You believe I didn't do it； then？〃 said Harry； concealing with difficulty the rush of gratitude he felt at Hagrid's words。
〃Course I do；〃 Hagrid grunted。 〃Yeh say it wasn' you； an' I believe yeh…an' Dumbledore believes yer； an' all。〃
〃Wish I knew who did do it；〃 said Harry bitterly。
The pair of them looked out over the lawn； the class was widely scattered now； and all in great difficulty。 The skrewts were now over three feet long； and extremely powerful。 No longer shell…less and colorless； they had developed a kind of thick； grayish； shiny armor。 They looked like a cross between giant scorpions and elongated crabs…but still without recognizable heads or eyes。 They had bee immensely strong and very hard to control。
〃Look like they're havin' fun； don' they？〃 Hagrid said happily。 Harry assumed he was talking about the skrewts； because his classmates certainly weren't； every now and then； with an alarming bang； one of the skrewts' ends would explode； causing it to shoot forward several yards； and more than one person was being dragged along on their stomach； trying desperately to get back on their feet。
〃Ah； I don' know； Harry；〃 Hagrid sighed suddenly； looking back down at him with a worried expression on his face。 〃School champion。。。 everythin' seems ter happen ter you； doesn' it？〃
Harry didn't answer。 Yes； everything did seem to happen to him。。。 that was more or less what Hermione had said as they had walked around the lake； and that was the reason； according to her； that Ron was no longer talking to him。
The next few days were some of Harry's worst at Hogwarts。 The closest he had ever e to feeling like this had been during those months； in his second year； when a large part of the school had suspected him of attacking his fellow students。 But Ron had been on his side then。 He thought he could have coped with the rest of the school's behavior if he could just have had Ron back as a friend； but he wasn't going to try and persuade Ron to talk to him if Ron didn't want to。 Nevertheless； it was lonely with dislike pouring in on him from all sides。
He could understand the Hufflepuffs' attitude； even if he didn't like it； they had their own champion to support。 He expected nothing less than vicious insults from the Slytherins…he was highly unpopular there and always had been； because he had helped Gryffindor beat them so often； both at Quidditch and in the Inter…House Championship。 But he had hoped the Ravenclaws might have found it in their hearts to support him as much as Cedric。 He was wrong； however。 Most Ravenclaws seemed to think that he had been desperate to earn himself a bit more fame by tricking the goblet into accepting his name。
Then there was the fact that Cedric looked the part of a champion so much more than he did。 Exceptionally handsome； with his straight nose； dark hair； and gray eyes； it was hard to say who was receiving more admiration these days； Cedric or Viktor Krum。 Harry actually saw the same sixth…year girls who had been so keen to get Krum's autograph begging Cedric to sign their school bags one lunchtime。
Meanwhile there was no reply from Sirius； Hedwig was refusing to e anywhere near him； Professor Trelawney was predicting his death with even more certainty than usual； and he did so badly at Summoning Charms in Professor Flitwick's class that he was given extra homework…the only person to get any； apart from Neville。
〃It's really not that difficult； Harry；〃 Hermione tried to reassure him as they left Flitwick's class…she had been making objects zoom across the room to her all lesson； as though she were some sort of weird magnet for board dusters； wastepaper baskets； and lunascopes。 〃You just weren't concentrating properly…〃
〃Wonder why that was；〃 said Harry darkly as Cedric Diggory walked past； surrounded by a large group of simpering girls； all of whom looked at Harry as though he were a particularly large Blast…Ended Skrewt。 〃Still…never mind； eh？ Double Potions to look forward to this afternoon。。。〃
Double Potions was always a horrible experience； but these days it was nothing short of torture。 Being shut in a dungeon for an hour and a half with Snape and the Slytherins； all of whom seemed determined to punish Harry as much as possible for daring to bee school champion； was about the most unpleasant thing Harry could imagine。 He had already struggled through one Friday's worth； with Hermione sitting next to him intoning 〃ignore them； ignore them； ignore them〃 under her breath； and he couldn't see why today should be any better。
When he and Hermione arrived at Snape's dungeon after lunch； they found the Slytherins waiting outside； each and every one of them wearing a large badge on the front of his or her robes。 For one wild moment Harry thought they were S。 P。 E。 W。 badges…then he saw that they all bore the same message； in luminous red letters that burnt brightly in the dimly lit underground passage：
SUPPORT CEDRIC DIGGORY…
THE REAL HOGWARTS CHAMPION！
〃Like them； Potter？〃 said Malfoy loudly as Harry approached。 〃And this isn't all they do…look！〃
He pressed his badge into his chest； and the message upon it vanished； to be replaced by another one； which glowed green：
POTTER STINKS！
The Slytherins howled with laughter。 Each of them pressed their badges