They headed down to get dinner. Ron was still complaining about Trelawney. They had just joined the line for dinner when a voice called out to them.

"Your dad's in the paper, Weasley!"

It was Malfoy. He was with Crabbe and Goyle and brandishing a copy of the Daily Prophet.

"Listen to this!" he said loudly, so everyone could hear.

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 Arthur Weasley of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office.

Arthur Weasley's good reputation was brought crashing down when he was involved in a tussle with several Muggle law-keepers ("policemen") 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 an undignified and potentially embarrassing scene.

"And there's a picture, Weasley!" said Malfoy, flipping the paper over and holding it up. "A picture of your parents outside their house - if you can call it a house! Your mother could do with losing a bit of weight, couldn't she?"

"At least Weasley's family aren't Death Eater garbage," someone said. It was Roger Davies, the Ravenclaw quidditch captain. He was accompanied by two boys who Dudley recognized as Randolph Burrow (a Ravenclaw chaser) and a thickset lad called Duncan Inglebee who played beater.

"You're pretty cocky for someone who had their head pushed down the toilet, was in twice last year, Rog?" Duncan said. He spoke in a Glaswegian accent.

"Three times—I got the rat on my own," Roger said maliciously.

"Look, this is between me and …" Malfoy began. He had lost much of his bluster now.

"When the brat of a Death Eater starts running his mouth, it's between all of us," Roger Davies said.

He pushed Malfoy in the chest, knocking him to the ground. The group of onlookers laughed. Draco Malfoy, it seemed, was clearly still not popular.

"Expelliarmus!" Duncane Inglebee shouted. Malfoy's wand went flying out of his hand.

Crabbe and Goyle looked confused, as if waiting for instructions.

"Don't join in, Dud," Hermione urged.

"I'm not going to," Dudley replied indignantly. "Malfoy's not worth it—though, nothing wrong with watching."

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" a voice shouted, as Roger raised his wand. There was a sharp crack, and where Roger had been standing before, there was now a white ferret.

"What …" Dudley began, baffled by what had happened. He then saw Mad-Eye Moody limping down the stairs. His wand was out and pointed at the ferret.

"Are you alright, Malfoy?" Moody asked, offering a hand to Malfoy and pulling him to his feet.

"LEAVE IT!" Moody bellowed at Randolph Burrow, who had just bent down to pick up the ferret.

It seemed that Moody's rolling eye was magical and could see out of the back of his head.

Moody started to limp toward Duncan Inglebee, Randolph Burrow, and the ferret, which gave a terrified squeak and took off, streaking toward the dungeons.

"I don't think so!" roared Moody, pointing his wand at the ferret again - it flew ten feet into the air, fell with a smack to the floor, and then bounced upward once more.

"I don't like people who attack others in groups," growled Moody as the ferret bounced higher and higher, squealing in pain. "Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do..."

The ferret flew through the air, its legs and tail flailing helplessly. "Three-on-one. It's the height of cowardice!"

"Never - do - that - again -" said Moody, speaking each word as the ferret hit the stone floor and bounced upward again.

"Professor Moody!" said a shocked voice.

Professor McGonagall was coming down the marble staircase with her arms full of books.

"Hello, Professor McGonagall," said Moody calmly, bouncing the ferret still higher.

"What - what are you doing?" said Professor McGonagall, her eyes following the bouncing ferret's progress through the air.

"Teaching," said Moody.

"Teach - Moody, is that a student?" shrieked Professor McGonagall, the books spilling out of her arms.

"Yep," said Moody.

"No!" cried Professor McGonagall, running down the stairs and pulling out her wand; a moment later, with a loud snapping noise, Roger Davies had reappeared, lying in a heap on the floor with his black hair now all over his now brilliantly pink face. He got to his feet, wincing.

"Moody, we never use Transfiguration as a punishment!" said Professor McGonagall wealdy. "Surely Professor Dumbledore told you that?"

"He might've mentioned it, yeah," said Moody, scratching his chin unconcernedly, "but I thought a good sharp shock -"

"We give detentions, Moody! Or speak to the offender's Head of House!"

"I'll do that, then," said Moody, staring at Roger Davies with great dislike.

Now, your Head of House'll be Professor Flitwick, will it?"

"Yes," said Roger Davies resentfully.

"A great wizard. He won't be happy with you," growled Moody. "Come on, you..."

And he seized Davies upper arm and marched him off toward the dungeons.

"The rest of you, go and get dinner," McGonagall said.

Dudley and his friends hastened into the Great Hall to obey, talking about what they had just seen Moody do.

Authors Note

I went with Davies getting turned into a ferret for two reasons.

1 - I can't see people letting Malfoy get away with bullying as much now because the whole school hates him

2 - Moody/Crouch Jr is working alongside Lucius Malfoy, so I don't think he'd do anything like that to Draco unless necessary.

Hope you all like the change. The first part of this book, there wasn't much to deviate from-the events are all pretty much set in stone and would happen whether it's Harry or Dudley.

Look for things to get shaken up very soon! I have big plans for the Triwizard Tournament.