Cedric seemed confused when Curt brought up Draco's request, "A formal meeting? Whatever for?"

"It seems urgent." Curt said, "Not life-or-death, due-by-the-end-of-the-day."

Cedric smiled, "If it was that awful, he'd have got the teachers to deal with it. This is a large responsibility, but I'll make sure the right people know."

Harry let out a sigh of relief as Cedric headed towards the prefects. When Cedric returned, he said simply, "After dinner, tomorrow. In the Common Room. You'll enter with Malfoy, as you will stand as his friend."

"What does that mean?" Harry asked, trying not to sound upset, so much as interested.

"Why, you are his friend, right?" Cedric said with a genuine smile that said the question wasn't real. "House Hufflepuff speaks to its friends. To its enemies, we present only teeth and claws."

"It's a good thing we don't have many enemies, then!" Harry said, and smiled up at Cedric, who ruffled his hair.

"Enter, all that have business with House Hufflepuff." Cedric's voice boomed out. Harry was faintly surprised at Cedric being allowed to preside over the meeting.*

"My friend has business before our House," Harry said firmly.

"A friend to one of our house is a friend to us all." Cedric's voice grinned, "Welcome him, who has sense enough to befriend our House."

Harry was nervous, as Draco Malfoy entered, closign the door behind him. Draco Malfoy wasn't, at all - or at least, he wasn't showing it.

"I come seeking redress." Draco Malfoy said, crisp and to the point, "I trust my friends in House Hufflepuff will provide correction to their housemates."

"What sort..." Cedric started, then paused, having to look through a sheaf of paper to find the proper formality. No one had been expecting Draco Malfoy to say that, it was plain. One of the older Hufflepuffs started to whisper in Cedric's ear, and he eventually flipped to the right portion.

"You may present your evidence to our House. We hold in high esteem the value of fairness, higher even than loyalty. You may rest assured that your cause will not sit unchampioned, if you are in the right." Cedric's voice sounded hard - Slytherins' had a smooth way of wielding formality, their influence swirling around whomever listened. Cedric sat like a judge, wielding power, instead.

"I pray that House Hufflepuff will accept my evidence, despite the poor quality of medium." And then, Draco Malfoy produced An Omnicular?!

It was about the last thing Harry (or Curt for that matter) had expected.

Nonetheless, it was a video recording.

The Eldest Prefects looked at it first, starting to whisper between themselves, as they passed it to the next younger prefects. After the fifth year prefects had seen it, they proffered it with stormy faces to some of the 7th years.

Harry could feel his stomach in knot, and he didn't even know what was on it. As it pertained to someone in the house - Harry's quick eyes darted around the room... fixating slowly on a group of second years. Sure, others looked nervous, but those? They looked like they were trying not to look guilty - or self-righteous.

Harry felt that knot in his stomach unclench, turning instead to acidic bile.

By the time Harry got the omnicular, he didn't want to look. Still, even sweet Hannah Abbot had looked, so Harry swallowed, and put his face up to it.

[a/n: How am I doing so far? Leave a review?]

*This is not speaker of the house. This is the role the American vice president has in the US senate. Minor, but important.