Friday morning, Cedric was awake and feeling well enough to go to class. This attack had been severe in terms of pain, but had passed more quickly than some recently. He wasn't sure whether he preferred the pain, or being laid up for two or three days.

In any case, he didn't have an early class on Fridays, so he decided to wait in bed until the rest of the Sett emptied for breakfast, then get up and get ready.

But the Sett wasn't emptying. Instead, people zipped up and down the tunnels -- the hallways -- long after they should have disappeared to eat. Confused, he rose and headed out, still in pyjamas, to see what was up. "Hi, Ced!" and "Good morning, Cedric!" greeted him, and they all seemed rather unduly cheerful -- which worried him. He didn't immediately spot his denmates, who'd risen early.

In the common room, he found a completely unexpected sight: Ed, Peter, Scott, Susan Bones and Justin Finch-Fletchley in animated conversation with not only Professor Sprout but also Amelia Bones of the Ministry. Hearing him enter, they turned as one, waved or nodded and then turned back to whatever they were discussing. Sprout appeared troubled, but Madam Bones only thoughtful. He hobbled over in time to catch, "You're quite certain this is the course of action the House wishes to take?" from Sprout.

"What action?" he interrupted, frowning.

Madam Bones turned to him. "The no confidence vote?" At his dropped jaw, she glanced back to Ed, frowning. "Cedric wasn't consulted? Then you do not, in fact, have a unanimous vote."

"Cedric was sort of out of it," Scott replied smoothly. "We took the vote -- it was unanimous for all badgers in attendance.

"House rules require a unanimous vote of all badgers in order to speak with Unanimous Voice -- "

"All badgers conscious and able to attend," Scott corrected with a charming smile that kept his words from being completely impertinent.

"What did you do?" Cedric demanded -- looking at Peter, who was most likely to give him a straight answer, or could be bullied into it.

But it was Susan who answered. "Ed called an Extraordinary Assembly and moved that the house use Unanimous Voice in order to issue a vote of no confidence against Umbridge."

"No confidence is a parliamentary action that essentially asks for a minister's resignation -- " Justin began but Cedric shook his head irritably.

"I know what it is. But why wasn't I told about this?"

"You were out of it, mate," Scott repeated cheerfully.

"I'm sure I wasn't out of it while you were researching the idea!"

Scott grinned widely, Ed blushed and Peter stared at his feet. "It's not about you," Peter said.

"Oh, yes it is. You knew I'd tell you not to pull anything like this! It's madness! The Ministry isn't going to listen -- "

"Actually," Madam Bones interrupted smoothly, "they have to. It's the unique privilege of our house. Each house was granted one special privilege or responsibility by their Founders. Salazar Slytherin created the castle's hidden tunnels and only the Head of Slytherin knows all of them. Rowena Ravenclaw was granted the right to acquire any book for the library, no matter how dangerous, as long as its access was controlled, so that no knowledge would be lost. Godric Gryffindor was charged with the school's protection, and the fact it's now Unplottable owes largely to the work of Gryffindor graduates. But Helga Hufflepuff was granted Unanimous Voice. When Hufflepuff speaks as one, their demands can't be dismissed."

Cedric continued to glare. He'd heard of Unanimous Voice only in passing but had never paid it much attention. "You're doing this because of what Umbridge did to me," he accused.

"That's what I said," Professor Sprout remarked, her face still clouded. "They insist otherwise."

Ed shrugged one shoulder artlessly. "Sorry, mate -- it's not. Well, it started there, but just as tosh one night. Me and Scott were sitting here whinging, and Justin overheard -- made some remark about wishing the school could vote no confidence on Umbridge, make her resign, and it sort of snowballed." He eyed Cedric. "So yeah -- not about you except indirectly. What she did to you was just the last straw. Woke us all up, I suppose you could say. But in the end, it's about stopping Umbridge because we're the only house who can."

Cedric was both mollified and a bit embarrassed. "I didn't mean to sound self-centered -- "

"S'all right," Ed replied and Susan just squeezed Cedric's upper arm above the grip of his crutch.

"Now that I'm awake though," Cedric said, "I do still have the right to cast a vote, don't I?"

"Not only do you have the right, but you must," Madam Bones told him. "I can't present the House's demands without a completely unanimous vote."

And Cedric felt . . . trapped. His vote could hardly be anonymous but he hadn't been party to the discussion. He didn't know how much his denmates had twisted arms. Then again -- and his current quandary aside -- an anonymous house vote meant that if a student didn't want to be herded, he or she wouldn't be. Despite the penchant for sticking together, one characteristic his house shared with Ravenclaw was a certain objectivity. Ravenclaw prized independence and intellectual honesty; Hufflepuff prized fairness. Even if some of the house had personal motivations, they weren't all likely to pass a motion based on revenge. He wasn't the least convinced that his denmates didn't have vengeance in mind, but Umbridge did need to be stopped. Was Ed right that they were the only house able to do it?

"Voting no confidence means we want her resignation, correct?" he asked.

"That's what it boils down to," Justin said. "It really means we're saying we have no confidence in her ability to lead the school, but in Parliament, when the responsible house -- the House of Commons usually -- votes no confidence, it results in a Prime Minister's resignation and a general election, like with Callaghan in the late '70s, or back before World War II, with MacDonald. So yeah, we're essentially saying we want her to resign."

"Fudge is going to see this as an attack on him."

Justin nodded. "He probably will -- and he should. It's his party, so to speak, that she's part of. We're not targeting him, though, just her."

"It takes a bit more to get rid of a Minister," Madam Bones put in. "But yes, this action will rebound on Fudge; his control of the Ministry has grown increasingly tenuous of late, and an event of this magnitude could call his own position into question. Cedric is quite correct to caution that he'll see it as an attack on his administration and thus may, in turn, propose a motion of confidence in Umbridge that, if passed, will automatically replace yours."

The rest of them exchanged glances. "So it all might not even count?" Ed asked. "Just mean nothing?"

Scott's eyes had narrowed. "You just said that Fudge has to listen to Unanimous Voice."

"He has to listen, yes, but your Unanimous Voice simply proclaims no confidence. I want you to be aware that such a vote may not, in itself, be enough to force her to resign, not if Fudge can pass a counter-motion of confidence."

They all -- even Justin -- looked gobsmacked, and Cedric was at once unsurprised but annoyed too. "What would you suggest?" Susan asked before the boys went spare.

"That you prepare an alternative, in case her resignation isn't an option. This statement" -- she held up a parchment she'd been holding -- "gives a number of points where you think Umbridge has either gone too far, or has failed to fulfill her duty to oversee your education adequately. Your complaint about her refusal to allow practical spellwork in Defense Against the Dark Arts is a good one, as is your objection to her Inquisitorial Squad as it oversteps the bounds of student authority. So be ready to compromise. Fudge is very likely to propose a motion of confidence in Umbridge for the remainder of this school year -- he could argue it's too late to replace her. So prepare to negotiate for what they're willing to give you; that's the reality of politics. You almost never get everything you want, so you decide in advance what you can and can't do without."

Cedric was nodding, and slowly, reluctantly, the others joined in. "All right, fair enough," Ed said as Professor Sprout asked, "Amelia, what'll happen to the House as a result of this? I don't trust Umbridge not to take it out on them later if she stays here."

Madam Bones shrugged. "I'm sure she will in subtle ways, but she can't attack them directly for it, and may not consider it worth her while this late in the year to do much beyond the petty. To be frank, I doubt she'll be back next year whatever happens, and we're close enough to the end of the school year that she may decide it's best just to ride out her stint here as quietly as possible. Even if she isn't forced to resign, a vote of no confidence is extremely bad press and Fudge will encourage her to keep her nose down. As for you, Pomona, you can't be a part of this action. That's why I'm here. In fact, it's probably best if you go back to your office and stay out of the Great Hall entirely. The house head has to remain neutral."

Professor Sprout huffed, then peered into the faces of the rest of them. "You're all quite certain you want to do this?"

"Yes, professor," Ed replied.

"Very well. I won't argue with the will of the House." And she turned to go, but not without throwing a glance or two over her shoulder.

Her reply made Cedric decide his own vote. It was the will of the House; he couldn't vote against it. "Madam Bones, if the House has already voted unanimously in favor of this, I won't dissent. But" -- he looked at his friends -- "I want it recorded that I didn't call this motion and wasn't even aware it was being done. I don't want people to think this comes from sour grapes on my part."

She nodded. "So noted." Turning to Ed, she said, "Summon the House. It's time to speak."

Although Hermione said nothing to anybody besides Harry and Ron about what she'd witnessed the night before, Hufflepuff's complete absence from breakfast the next morning was a significant clue that something was afoot.

At the head table, Umbridge frowned a great deal and called up members of her Inquisitorial Squad, who then disappeared from the Great Hall only to return five or ten minutes later, wearing baffled expressions. Not only was everyone from Hufflepuff absent from breakfast, but it seemed none of them had been seen since daybreak. "Dug in like badgers," Lee Jordan said, eying the empty table against the wall behind Gryffindor. "They won't come out till they're good and ready."

All Hogwarts could do was wait and see, so students lingered in the Great Hall long after they'd finished eating. Hermione wondered if their first period would be delayed as well. None of the teachers seemed to know any more than Umbridge, and Sprout -- the one who might have had an answer -- was equally absent.

In the last few minutes before first bell, the storm broke. The hall doors opened and Hufflepuff filed in, making two columns behind a figure in black robes wearing what appeared to be an archaic, Romanesque theater mask. She (Hermione knew it must be Madam Bones) carried a tall wooden staff with a carved badger atop, and she led them forward, seventh years immediately behind, then in year order down to the youngest. Professor Sprout wasn't present at all, and Cedric, Hermione noted, didn't march right up front but somewhere in the middle of the seventh years. Today, he'd cast himself as just another Hufflepuff, although he could never really go unnoticed. His height, his beauty and now, his handicap would always mark him. Aside from the thump-drag of his step, the house moved in silence, looking neither to the right nor left. It was . . . eerie, and not at all the image of Hufflepuff that Hogwarts had come to know and expect.

There was much murmuring, and at the head table, Umbridge surged to her feet, face red. "What is the meaning of this?" she demanded, high voice almost breaking from obvious anxiety. "Where have these students been all morning? It's almost time for class!"

Madam Bones behind her mask didn't immediately speak. Instead, she waited for the house members to peel off to either side of her, forming a line across the front of the Great Hall, facing the high table. When everyone had found a spot -- as silently as they'd entered -- Madam Bones struck her staff on the flagstones four times.

"I stand before you today not as an individual, but to speak for Hufflepuff House," Madam Bones said -- or really intoned. "The House has elected to invoke its ancient right of Unanimous Voice."

A flicker passed over Umbridge's face -- not-quite-surprise, annoyance, and a very real alarm. In the Great Hall behind, chatter broke out: "Unanimous Voice? What's Unanimous Voice?"

"Shhh!" Hermione hissed at those around her even as Madam Bones snapped the staff against the flagstones again like a judge's gavel. "Silence! By Hogwart's Charter of Foundation, Hufflepuff was granted the privilege and honor of being Hogwarts' conscience. When the House passes a motion by a unanimous vote, the school staff, Governors, and Ministry of Magic are bound by law to listen and comply unless compliance would either infringe the rights of other houses or interfere with the educational goals of the school."

By which Hermione supposed Hufflepuff couldn't just randomly elect not to attend classes anymore, or kick out Slytherin on their backsides.

Umbridge's eyes had narrowed. "It seems to me, Madam Bones -- and pardon me for calling you by name, but we all know who you are --" her smile turned positively feral, "but Hufflepuff is severely out of order. Educational Decree Number 24 prohibited any meeting of more than three students, and therefore, any motion passed at such a meeting cannot be valid. I do believe that a house meeting would qualify as more than three students."

She looked so smug, and Hermione had all but forgotten that decree. Madam Bones, however, had not. "The matter of Unanimous Voice is part of the school's original Charter. Educational Decrees are but addenda to that charter, and cannot supersede Charter rights unless the Charter itself were overturned. And that would require rather more legal process than whispering in a few ears at the Ministry, Madam Umbridge." Hermione didn't miss that Madam Bones hadn't granted Umbridge the courtesy title of 'professor,' much less Headmistress. "In short, no decree heretofore passed may supersede the Charter rights of Hufflepuff House, nor outlaw any meeting called in order to exercise those rights. Their motion -- and their vote -- is quite legal."

Lips pursed, Umbridge said, "We'll see about that. I believe Hufflepuff has only 62 house points left? Let's begin by removing all 62 of those poi -- "

Madam Bones struck her staff four times on the flagstones and Umbridge stopped speaking in mid-word, eyes suddenly bugging as she clawed at her throat. "The Charter rights of the four houses are protected by magical contract," Madam Bones warned. "When you cease attempting to punish Hufflepuff for exercising their rights, you'll be able to breathe again."

As if unwilling to concede, Umbridge struggled to speak a moment or two more, then gave up. As soon as she stopped, she was able to gasp for air, and breathed deeply as she glared down from the high table at Madam Bones, who struck her staff again four times. "As the Voice of Hufflepuff, I affirm that the House has moved and voted, by anonymous and unanimous ballot, that they can no longer place confidence in the present Head of Hogwarts. They call for her immediate resignation and replacement."

Four beats of dead silence greeted that, then total uproar. Even Hermione, who'd known it was coming, experienced a little thrill of shock. Nearly everybody else seemed to be talking at once . . . except Hufflepuff. They made a wall of ominous black between the student tables and the head; not a single member of the House had so much as whispered to another since entering the doors. Chief among student exclamations were shouts of, "They can't do that!" or questions, "Can they do that?" Umbridge herself merely looked thunderstruck. She must have expected them to ask for Cedric's reinstatement or similar.

"Silence!" came the amplified voice of Madam Bones and in a moment or three, the hall had settled down once more. Meanwhile, a whey-faced Umbridge plopped into the Head's throne, or perhaps collapsed there would be more honest.

"Students don't have the power to dismiss a Head!" she squealed. "That's an assault on proper discipline! Why, they could just . . . do whatever they wanted with that power!"

"But they don't," Madam Bones said quietly. "And they won't. That's why they were invested with it in the first place. Fairness and honesty are among Hufflepuff's principal attributes. In order to invoke Unanimous Voice, the entire house -- every member -- must affirm the motion. This is not a matter of majority or even two-thirds vote. It's unanimous. It requires that every member of Hufflepuff agree -- all, in this case, seventy-two of them."

Yet Hermione could see how Umbridge glared down at Cedric where he stood between Peter and Ed. "I find that hard to believe. Again Madam Bones, let's not play games. We both know this little stunt is the result of one trouble-making student's dissatisfaction with my recent decisions. Mr. Diggory does not run Hufflepuff, much less this school -- and I don't intend to let him."

"Madam Umbridge, while I overlooked your first violation of procedure, I cannot overlook a second. I am not here in any personal capacity. When you address me, you address not me, but the House. Please speak accordingly. As for the matter of Mr. Diggory, you're quite correct. He does not run Hufflepuff. If his vote did not overturn the House decision, he neither proposed this motion, nor was present at the original meeting, being temporarily incapacitated. An attempt to lay this decision at Mr. Diggory's feet is not only misplaced, but insults the House."

Umbridge laughed a little, more as a nervous response than in humor. "I'm not at all certain how I'm expected to reply to these demands, Madam . . . or rather, 'Voice of Hufflepuff.' We have a full school day ahead of us, and exams approaching for some of our students."

"You 'reply' by stepping down immediately from your position," Madam Bones said, "and surrendering authority to the deputy head until this matter is sorted out. In my capacity as Voice, I've already sent a summons to both Minister Fudge and the Head of the Governors, who should be here by noon. In the meantime, classes will continue as normal. This affects you, not the other teachers or students."

Madam Bones didn't even wait to see if Umbridge would comply, just snapped the staff end on the flagstones another four times and thus released, Hufflepuff students scattered, going to their table to grab rolls or anything else they could shove into pockets before shouldering book bags and heading out the doors to class as if nothing untoward had happened. It took the other Houses longer to recover -- and react. "Do you think they can do it?" Ron asked as he and Harry filed out with Hermione. "Make her quit?"

"I don't know," Hermione said, "but I do know Scott and Justin did their homework, and now they have Madam Bones helping them. If anybody in the Ministry knows the law, it's her. Whether or not we actually get rid of Umbridge" -- Hermione glanced back over her shoulder at the high table where Umbridge still sat, Madam Bones-in-mask still facing her -- "her power's taken a serious blow."

"Who'd've ever thought Hufflepuff would be the ones, though," Seamus said from a little behind them. "Hufflepuff!"

Hermione recalled the things she'd learned from Cedric about his house. "They're tougher than you think . . . " she trailed off, then went on after a minute, "When you put them all together -- well, you saw them standing there."

"Yeah," Ron muttered, "that was just dead scary. You'd have to be a nutter to cross 'em." They'd arrived at Professor Binns' classroom, and conversation broke off.

It became apparent over the rest of the morning that Hufflepuff was not prepared to discuss their decision with others, although they insisted Cedric didn't lie behind it. Not only had he not been there, the Extraordinary Assembly had been called on purpose when he'd been unable to attend. Initial reluctance to believe in his innocence had changed by lunch, at least among Gryffindors and Ravenclaws, as well as by Malfoy's opponents in Slytherin. Blaise Zabini was heard to point out that an entire house -- even one like Hufflepuff -- would hardly rush like lemmings into the sea for the sake of a single seventh year.

At lunch, Professor Umbridge wasn't at the high table, nor was Madam Bones anywhere in evidence, and once again, the whole of Hufflepuff House had withdrawn to the cellar where they prepared to respond to the Minister and the Board of Governors. Virtually nothing happened that Friday afternoon as the rest of Hogwarts awaited the outcome of this unexpected clash of titans.

Madam Bones entered the Hufflepuff Common Room where most of the House had gathered, waiting. Many stood up and Cedric spun his chair around. Elevating a piece of parchment, Madam Bones took a spot in front of the fireplace to address the students. "Your counter-offer. As I warned, you didn't get everything you wanted, and it turned out more or less as I anticipated. Minister Fudge is unwilling to remove Professor Umbridge."

This was greeted by moans and hisses and even some swearing. Madam Bones ignored it to continue, "Cornelius made exactly the argument I expected -- it's too late in the year to replace her. Not true, but the Governors weren't inclined to argue with him. That said, your complaints didn't go unheeded. They're willing to dissolve her Inquisitorial Squad and agree it undermines the current student officers. They're also -- interestingly -- willing to repeal Educational Decree Number 26, as it violates teachers' freedom of speech; that's not as useful as getting rid of 24 or 25, but it could have symbolic value. Minister Fudge is not, however, willing to permit spellwork in Defense Against the Dark Arts despite some rather vigorous arguments from some Governors, Rufus Scrimgeour not least. Minister Fudge was more adamant about that than I anticipated, but before I return to the matter, I should present the last part of their counter-offer.

"They're willing to reinstate Mr. Diggory as Head Boy." She held up his badge, which winked in the torchlight. Other students murmured in delight or approval but Cedric just frowned, gut lurching. "They agree that his dismissal was hasty and questionable, and over a matter that has not, as it turns out, proved true. The Governors contacted your father, Cedric, and although the isolation period isn't over, it's been 8 out of 10 days, and your raccoon shows no signs of being rabid. They agree the entire incident appears fishy. So you may have your position back."

"No."

His answer was out almost before he realized he'd spoken, and everyone else in the room gaped at him. "No," he reiterated. "It's a bribe. They still assume this is about me. We can't let them make this about me. I don't want the position back -- not like this."

"But Cedric -- !" and "You should take it, mate!" and "You're the rightful Head Boy!" exploded from other throats, but Madam Bones just gave him a small nod of approval.

"A wise decision," she said, "and not one I could make for you." Although she didn't speak loudly, it settled everyone down. "Mr. Diggory's assessment is correct. It is a bribe, and Fudge's attempt to reduce Hufflepuff's objections to sour grapes regarding Mr. Diggory's dismissal." She looked around at all of them. "So as unjust as it may have been, yes, I think it wise to refuse the offer. You must keep this about the school, and your education."

Cedric breathed out. It hurt to give up the Head Boyship for a second time, but he knew it was the right thing to do. "So does this give us room to ask for something else?"

Her lips curled up. "It may indeed. I had to know how you'd respond to their offer before I returned to Minister Fudge's refusal to allow spellwork in Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"You think he might change his mind?" Ed asked.

"Not willingly, but that doesn't mean he can't be backed into doing so." Madam Bones removed her monocle, folding it and putting it in a pocket of her robes. "Most adults in the Wizarding World -- and everybody in the Ministry -- have suffered through OWLs and NEWTs. We all remember the difficulty of practical exams. Umbridge's insistence that one can learn the theory, then perform adequately at an exam without practice is complete rubbish -- and most people would recognize as much. But most people don't know that's what she's told her students. It's all been passed over in the press. I didn't know it myself until I spoke with Susan over the Christmas holidays. I've since spoken to several other parents and relatives and none of them are happy either, but also aren't sure what to do about it.

"Hufflepuff has the chance to make Madam Umbridge's claims public. If you do, you'll find you have a wide base of popular support -- and not just among parents. It wasn't only Minister Fudge and the Governors who arrived at noon today. Reporters from The Daily Prophet and WWN are here, as well as from Transfiguration Today and Witch Weekly -- and I suspect others have smelled blood in the water by now and arrived, too. Fudge refused them admittance to the castle grounds, unsurprisingly -- but they're gathered just beyond the gate. Might I suggest Hufflepuff send representatives to talk to them? It's in Minister Fudge's best interest to conclude this matter quickly and quietly. But it's not in yours. It's Friday; you have the weekend. Use it."

"So what do we tell Fudge and the Governors?" Scott asked. "Aren't they waiting?"

"For now, I suggest you let them wait a bit. Prepare a statement that explains Unanimous Voice and include your original objections. Also include Fudge's counterproposal but make it clear that Hufflepuff does not intend to accept Mr. Diggory's reinstatement, as it won't solve the problem of Umbridge's unsuitability as a teacher and Head. Stick to your guns about your need for pragmatic application in order to pass your exams. Take that statement to the press outside the gates as I return to Fudge and the Governors with word that Hufflepuff Houses needs time to consider and will return a formal reply tomorrow. By morning, The Prophet and WWN will have the whole story front and center, and perhaps others will as well. Publicity will give you a better negotiating position."

"Fudge has used the press as a weapon all year," Justin said quietly. "You're suggesting we use it against him now?"

Madam Bones nodded.

"Then we'd better get cracking," Ed said. "If we can get something written quickly, it might make The Evening Prophet. Scott, have you still got a copy of our original statement?" Scott dug in his robes and pulled out a roll, waving it. "You want to write this then?" Ed asked.

"No, Cedric should," Scott replied without hesitation, which got nods and murmurs of assent.

"I can't do this!" Cedric said, surprised. "I'm the one person who shouldn't do this!"

"You shouldn't be the one to talk to the press," Susan corrected. "That doesn't mean you shouldn't be the one to write the statement. You're the cleverest person in our House, Ced."

"You write it," Ernie agreed, "and we'll vote on it."

Cedric looked around him. Heads were nodding.

"How fast can you do it, mate?" Ed asked.

Frowning, Cedric ran a hand into his hair. "Er, give me an hour? Maybe a bit more?" He looked at Madam Bones. "How long should this be?"

"Not very. What you prepare shouldn't be more than seven to eight inches on parchment -- and that may be rather long. Be succinct. Did anybody act as Recorder for the original meeting?"

"I did," Peter replied.

"Give your minutes to Mr. Diggory then."

"Are we done?" one of the third years ventured to ask. "Can we go to lunch now?"

"I think it's best if we stay in here," Ed replied, glancing around. "We'll send the prefects to the kitchens to ask the house-elves to give us food. I don't want anybody else out of the cellar till we're ready to speak again."

And so the house settled down once more to wait while Ernie and Hannah along with Desdemona Reilly and Benjamin Cadwallader trooped to the kitchens next door, and Cedric retired to his room, followed by Peter, as well as Justin and Scott as the original architects of the plot. Ten minutes later, however, Cedric found himself silently wishing for Hermione's cool head and verbal talents. Justin buried himself in confusing legal terminology, Peter waffled, and Scott went right for the throat with little finesse. Nonetheless, and after a contentious hour, they had a statement cobbled together that Cedric didn't think sounded too ridiculous. They brought it out for Madam Bones to hear and gathered together in a corner of the common room along with Ed and Susan while Cedric read it.

"On the evening of the 2nd of May, Hufflepuff House convened an Extraordinary Assembly in order to put forward a motion of no confidence in the leadership of Dolores Umbridge, High Inquisitor and Headmistress of Hogwarts, appointed by Minister Cornelius Fudge. This motion of no confidence was adopted unanimously by all 72 members of the House, giving it the authority of Unanimous Voice. Hogwarts' Charter of Foundation grants a special legislative force to any declarations made by the House when Unanimous Voice is invoked. Employed only in extraordinary circumstances, Unanimous Voice has been used but 49 times in Hogwarts entire history. Its last use was in 1854, when the Headmaster of Hogwarts wanted to expel any Muggle-born student who elected to join the army in order to fight the Crimean War -- "

"Mr. Diggory," Madam Bones interrupted gently, "while I appreciate your desire to explain exactly what Unanimous Voice is, I don't think a history lesson is necessary at the moment."

She was smiling but the others tittered and Ed shoved at him good naturedly. "Bloody swot."

"I told him he didn't need it," Scott said as Cedric -- face flaming -- drew his wand over the lines on the parchment, erasing them, then cleared his throat.

"All right, um, yeah, picking up from '. . . when Unanimous Voice has been invoked.' Since her arrival at Hogwarts at the beginning of this school year, Professor Umbridge has instituted a succession of changes that Hufflepuff House believes violates student rights, compromises traditional student offices, and fails in the education of Hogwarts students, leaving them inadequately prepared for their Public Exams.

"Among her more serious offenses is the creation of an 'Inquisitorial Squad' made up of students she handpicked whose authority supersedes all other offices and includes the ability to take house points from other students -- something no student office has ever allowed, even that of Head Boy and Girl. Furthermore, all members of this Inquisitorial Squad were drawn from only one house, Slytherin. The dubiousness of allowing students to remove points was immediately apparent as within less than a week, the points of all three other Houses had been reduced to -- "

"Mr. Diggory," Madam Bones interrupted again. Her grin was a bit more obvious this time. "You're soapboxing."

"But it's true!" Scott protested before Cedric could.

"No doubt. It's also the kind of thing you save for illustration of the problem when asked about it. It doesn't need to be in your original statement. Leave it at the members of the squad being from one house, Slytherin. That's all you need to say. Slytherin's reputation for self-protection and self-advocacy is well known."

Sighing, Cedric erased the last sentence and continued, "Perhaps most disturbing of all has been her approach to teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts, the position for which she was originally appointed. Or rather, her failure to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. From her selection of a textbook published 21 years ago and never revised, to her insistence that students can perform spells without any practice as long as they learn the theory, Hogwarts students now find themselves unprepared for their Public Exams, as well as for the rising danger beyond --"

"Delete that last," Madam Bones interrupted for a third time. "You absolutely do not want to turn this into a political tangle with Fudge about the threat of He Who Must Not Be Named." She held up a hand before any of them could protest. "No, stick to the exams -- something that is not a current political hot topic. Remember, Minister Fudge will be looking for any point on which to accuse you of ulterior motives."

So Cedric removed the end of the line, and went on, "Madam Umbridge has not allowed students to draw a wand in class all year, and lessons have consisted of silent reading with no practical application, nor even classroom discussion of the theory. Furthermore, in recent months, her duties as Ministry-appointed High Inquisitor 'observing' other teachers have led her to cancel class after class. First and second years have not had a class in Defense Against the Dark Arts since late February, and third years have not had one since the end of March. Classes for fourth years and up have been intermittent. Students might learn more from independent reading than from professor Umbridge. Unfortunately, access to library books about Defense Against the Dark Arts has been restricted ever since Professor Umbridge took over as Headmistress, and fifth and seventh year students who attempted to study for Public Exams over Easter Holidays were not permitted access to the very texts they would need in order to prepare for those exams. With only four weeks until tests, anxiety among fifth and seventh years is understandably high.

"For these reasons and more, Hufflepuff House voted no confidence, and asked for Professor Umbridge's resignation. Their request was refused by Minister Fudge and the Governors, who submitted a counterproposal. If the Minister and Governors did agree to abolish the Inquisitorial Squad, they did not address the more deeply troubling problem of inadequate education. Instead they offered to reinstate Cedric Diggory as Head Boy after he was removed from office due to accusations that have since proven to be false."

It felt quite strange, Cedric thought, not only to write about himself in the third person, but to read it aloud to others. Yet no one giggled or interrupted.

"But reappointing Mr. Diggory as Head Boy will not prepare students any better for their Public Exams in Defense Against the Dark Arts, and so we refuse the offer. Who occupies the position of Head Boy is not the source of concern."

"Excellent and succinct," Madam Bones interrupted softly, watching him through half-hooded eyes. "You want to point out the absurdity of the counterproposal without dwelling on it."

Cedric nodded. "Hufflepuff House continues to insist that spellwork be permitted in Defense Against the Dark Arts, and time given to practice spells before students are expected to perform them on exam day. The House also demands that Professor Umbridge actually hold the classes she was hired to teach, instead of canceling them in favor of looking over the shoulders of other teachers with more classroom experience than she has."

Finished, he lowered the parchment, and Madam Bones nodded to him. "That last bit was a little pointed, but dry enough that I think you can get away with it, and I suspect the whole of it is closer to ten inches than eight, much less seven." Cedric blushed because that was true. It was, in fact, eleven inches, and he wrote small. Brevity had never been his strong suit. "But you four did a good job of keeping the focus on her failure as a teacher, which is the most damning part of your indictment. It also undercuts one of Fudge's key arguments for appointing Umbridge as High Inquisitor in the first place -- to remove incompetent teachers at Hogwarts. What you've just shown is that she's more incompetent than anybody she's here to remove, which calls into question the entire appointment. Of course Fudge's real reason for sending her stems from his own paranoia, but he hasn't lost his head so much as to not see that admitting it would amount to career suicide. So you've pinned him between a rock and a hard place."

"He'll have to back down?" Justin asked.

"I think he will, or he'll face a freight of angry letters and howlers from parents and concerned others. More to the point, he'll have to publicly rebuke her, and that's likely to drive a wedge between the two of them."

"She believes she made him, doesn't she?" Cedric asked, remembering what his mother had told him about Umbridge. "She's his éminence grise."

"That's exactly right. But the nature of politics is that to the one in power, everybody else is expendable if they become a political liability. And Hufflepuff House has just made Umbridge a political liability." She grinned at them. "You've accomplished what perhaps half the Ministry has been trying to do for the past ten years. Well done!"

High Inquisitor Put on Trial!

In a thoroughly unexpected move, Hufflepuff House -- speaking with her historic right of Unanimous Voice -- has issued a vote of no confidence in Dolores Umbridge, former under-secretary to Minister Fudge and current Headmistress and High Inquisitor of Hogwarts ...

It was with immense satisfaction that Hermione read Saturday morning's front-page article in The Daily Prophet. Umbridge herself was absent from breakfast and nobody saw her until noon, when copies of the article had appeared all over the castle, stuck to hallway walls, classroom doors, and wallpapering Umbridge's own office door from top to bottom. Hufflepuff had finally emerged from their self-imposed isolation after sending a morning message to Minister Fudge with alternative demands of their own. Everywhere they went, other students patted their backs and shook their hands. Even first years were treated with unusual respect.

And Lucy Diggory's painting had finally revealed what was hiding in the dead tree bole. Badgers. The bow-tie snake had reached the tree hollow only to be confronted by the growling, hissing combined fury of sable-striped badgers protecting their sett. Allegorical it might be, but nobody missed the point.

The next morning's headline read:

Fudge Claims Confidence in Hogwarts' Head

Despite rising doubt in the Wizarding World about Minister Fudge's appointment of Dolores Umbridge as Headmistress of Hogwarts, the Minister continues to express his confidence in her ability to direct the school, at least until the end of the school year. "Of course, everything will be up for review in June, but Madam Umbridge was always intended as an interim appointment while we cleaned up the problems arising from Dumbledore's Headship."

After recent statements issued by Hufflepuff House, however, it seems as if "problems" would be no less an accurate assessment of Umbridge's Headship ...

"It looks as if The Prophet is no longer Fudge's mouthpiece," Hermione said, passing the paper to Harry.

"Fair-weather friends, I suppose," Harry replied, skimming the article. "What was it Rita Skeeter told you? They want to sell papers?"

"I still can't believe Hufflepuff put Umbridge on notice," Seamus said from across the table as he poured milk on his cornflakes.

Hermione didn't reply, just smiled to herself.

"As long as Hufflepuff puts Slytherin on notice next Saturday," Ron said, "we might still have a chance at the House Cup, if we beat Ravenclaw later."

Looking up over the rim of her juice glass, Hermione resisted rolling her eyes. "At a time like this, you're worrying about Quidditch?"

Ron blinked. "Well, yeah. Of course."

"As I recall," Hermione pointed out, "Hufflepuff defeated Ravenclaw, so if they win next Saturday, I do believe they take the House Cup."

"But that was overturned; officially Ravenclaw beat them. So if they beat Slytherin, who beat us, then we beat Ravenclaw, who beat them, then yeah -- we could still take the Cup."

Hermione breathed out in exasperation. "Boys."

"What about us?" asked a familiar voice behind her.

Hermione tilted her head back to look at him upside down, and Harry turned. "Hullo, Ced. Just the usual. We're talking Quidditch; Hermione's complaining."

Cedric grinned. "She does that a lot, doesn't she?"

Hermione might have retorted, but he was grinning down at her with that completely irresistible smile of his. "I came," he said, "to let you know that Fudge has finally returned a new response, so we're headed back to the Sett."

"Good news or bad?" Harry asked.

"Dunno yet," Cedric replied. "I'll let you know as soon as I know."

By evening, the news had spread: Fudge had backed down, and wands would be out in Defense Against the Dark Arts on Monday. The silver "I"s denoting the Inquisitorial Squad had already disappeared from robes, and if Umbridge attended dinner Sunday evening, her expression was hard and resentful, especially when she turned it on Hufflepuff Table.

Things were quiet all that week. Umbridge appeared to be waiting for the smoke to clear, and now that they had what they wanted, Hufflepuff settled back cautiously as shenanigans among students tapered off. Only Peeves continued unabated with pranks. On Wednesday, Cedric slipped Hermione a note after dinner. It read: Meet me in the Room of Requirement in half an hour. Bring the map and cloak.

She turned to glare at him but he ignored her as he rolled out of the Great Hall in his chair. She couldn't believe he wanted to run risks now.

But she had to admit he'd timed it well. Umbridge was busy that evening, and it was early enough that the sun was still up, the weather fair, and students were scattered all around the castle grounds, both outside and in. If she and Cedric disappeared for an hour, it wasn't likely to be noticed.

When she arrived in the Room of Requirement, she found him already waiting in the big bed with the red satin sheets, candles burning. Smiling, he looked up at her as she pulled off the cloak. She tried to glare back but candlelight falling on his hair and bare skin turned him to bronze and stole her breath. She crossed to the bed and he lifted himself on one arm to reach out and unbutton her robes. Undressing quickly, she slid in beside him. "We're going to do it right this time," he whispered to her, pulling her close, bare skin to bare skin.

"Did you remember your spell?" she asked, teasing.

"Yes, I did, Miss Bossy."

They took their time. He kissed her mouth, her brow, her jaw, her throat, her shoulder, her breasts, her belly, her hip, her thighs. His lips were warm, his tongue wet on her hot skin. She stroked every inch of him that she could reach, the pads of her fingers teasing sensitive flesh on his nipples, inside his elbows, and over his scrotum, but avoiding his erection. "Tease," he muttered. She answered by dragging her hair across his chest and belly and groin, then enveloping his cock in her mouth when he wasn't expecting it. He shouted, and she drew back to suckle and lick all around the head while he squirmed, lips drawn back from gritted teeth.

She finally pulled away and he pushed her onto her back, spreading her knees so his fingers could massage her clit in a circular motion while he sucked at her left breast. Then she felt him shift, pushing down one leg so he could climb between. "Help me a little here," he asked, mouth lifting from her. "Need to prop myself up on both arms."

She scooted down a bit and reached for his cock, angling it and taking a deep breath. It hadn't hurt that much last time; she could do this. Guiding him to the right spot, she felt him shove forward enough to get partway inside. It burned and she hissed. "Relax, poppet."

"I'm trying."

He pushed in the rest of the way, collapsing on her and holding very still. She wrapped her legs around his hips and took more deep breaths. After a minute, the burning receded. It still wasn't comfortable, but it wasn't starkly painful, either. "All right, Granger?" he asked after a moment.

"Yeah."

Raising up again, he began to move. It remained uncomfortable but there was something there, some tickle . . . or maybe it was just the emotional impact of feeling him inside her and hearing him pant in pleasure. She stroked his hips and shoulder blades and spine, raising her face a little to kiss him, tongue sliding along tongue. He licked her mouth mindlessly, his focus clearly not on what his upper body was doing. She doubted he'd last long, no matter how slow he was trying to go, and sure enough he was finished in six thrusts, collapsing on her again while she wrapped him up in her arms and legs.

They stayed that way a while until he became too heavy for her to bear, then he rolled sideways, using leverage to take her with him and put her on top, sheets twisted around them. Surprised, she laughed. He was strong. "Your turn," he whispered, right hand sliding over her stomach and into her pubic hair, fingers finding the right spot inside folds while his left drew her down until he could latch onto her breast. It didn't take her long then either, grinding against his hand, and she shrieked when she came.

A bit to her surprise, she felt him maneuver her hips until his cockhead pressed against her entry once more. "Hard again?" she whispered, still panting.

"Watching you does that to me," he whispered back, pulling her to him to suck at her lower lip.

The second time he entered her, it didn't hurt as much. It still didn't feel good, but it didn't hurt. She was relaxed enough to accept him, and he wasn't so excited that he climaxed in less than a minute. It let them find a rhythm, her hands braced on his shoulders, his on her hips. There was definitely something happening inside her now, a teasing friction as he slid in and out, in and out, building up. She could feel her muscles clenching every time his pubic bone hit her just right, and she squeezed her eyes shut, rocking on him. "Faster," he urged, hands sliding from her hips to her breasts, fingers stroking, pulling, and rubbing her nipples as she sped up. It still felt raw, but also good as his fingers tweaked her and his cock stroked a spot inside, driving her higher. Could a person come twice in a row? She'd felt as if she were still on a plateau when they'd started, and now she was rising again.

He came first, shouting, back arching. She wasn't there yet, but felt close, and kept pounding down on him even after he'd softened and slipped out. It took his hand to bring her off a second time, less sharp but more lasting. Then they giggled and snuggled. "Better than the cupboard, Granger?" he asked her.

"Definitely better than the cupboard."

Tucking her head under his chin, he stroked her sweaty back with both hands. "I think we're starting to get the hang of this business. Need more practice, though."

Lifting her head, she considered him with narrowed eyes. "Any excuse, is it?"

"What? You didn't enjoy it?" He was laughing at her. "And here I thought I was improving my performance."

She huffed. "We're not in the circus, Cedric. It's not a show." She settled her head back down against his chest. "But I'm not opposed to a bit more practice. We have to be careful, though."

"Very careful," he agreed.

Notes: On Hogwarts enrollment and House numbers, I tend to lower estimates rather than higher. It seems that only 4-6 students of each gender (give or take) are sorted into a House per year, and while it's possible that we just aren't told about others, I suspect there are only those 4-6. That would mean there are somewhere between 60-80 students per house. This makes comprehensible JKR's explanation that there are no Wizarding colleges (beyond discipline- or trade-specific ones for Aurors, et al.) because there aren't enough Wizards. If Hogwarts really had a couple thousand students, then a 4-year college would be viable, but if Hogwarts is turning out only 8-12 graduates per house, and assuming that not all of those would have an interest in higher education, then a Wizarding College does, indeed, seem less tenable.