When Cedric stepped into the room where he and Harry studied in the library, Cedric paused for a moment, looking at Harry. The fourth year sat hunched over his book, reading intently. One of his legs was folded under him on the chair, and he was leaning forward on his elbows - Cedric recognized the posture to mean that Harry was enjoying whatever it was he was studying - Defense Against the Dark Arts, probably.
"Hey, Harry?" Cedric called as he stepped further into the room.
Harry looked up from his reading, his green eyes shining brilliantly as he treated Cedric with a beautiful, welcoming smile.
"Promise me that you'll never go anywhere alone with Professor Moody," Cedric demanded.
Harry's smiled faded and he blinked at Cedric in confusion. "What? Why?"
"I don't like him," Cedric responded.
Brow furrowing, Harry asked, "Is this something like that Liza Enstrong girl or whoever?"
"Enstrung," Cedric idly corrected. "And no. You remember what we talked about during our last trip to Hogsmeade? When I told you that dark and evil are two different things?"
"Yeah," Harry replied, trying to recall the conversation. "You said that Snape and Zabini come from dark families, but... they aren't evil?"
"Mad Eye Moody is the evil kind of person," Cedric declared.
Harry sputtered, "He - what? Why would you think that?"
Cedric shrugged. "I've always known - I mean, it's something that I can just tell about people. Like with Snape and Zabini - It's how I know that Lucius Malfoy should be in Azkaban, but Draco's not really a bad person. I knew Pansy Parkinson was evil the second I set eyes on her, and sure enough Snape called for her expulsion last year after she was caught tormenting several first years-"
"I hadn't heard-"
"It was an inner-house issue," Cedric said with a shake of his head. "Her parents called in a ton of favors with the Board of Governors and Snape has her on probation for the rest of her time at Hogwarts - And it's not important. Harry, I don't want you to ever be alone with Professor Moody. Tell your friends - if he keeps you after class, they should stick around and wait for you. If he finds some reason to pull you aside or send your friends away, make sure they know to go get another professor. Just don't... Don't let him get you alone."
"Cedric, where is this coming from? If you knew he was... evil, or whatever, from the beginning of the year, why are you only telling me this now?"
"Because he hadn't done anything outright suspicious until now. He just gave me a hint about the egg," Cedric replied.
"And that's bad because...?"
"Because he's shady as hell. First he starts following you around the castle-"
"He hasn't-"
"He was following you that day before the First Task, Harry, the day he took you aside and gave you an idea of how to combat the dragon. He had no business being in the Charms corridor that day. And then he hands you the information you need to complete the task without any provocation? I mean, why would he do that? How did he even know what the first task would be, when Hagrid was the only professor in the entire school who knew about it? And I've been watching him, Harry. That magical eye of his is on you half of the time when we're in the Great Hall for meals. It swivels around so much that it's hard to notice, but he's watching you."
"But he gave you the hint this time-"
"I think it's pretty obvious to everyone that we're dating. Seriously dating. Not as some sort of ploy to get along in the Tournament, but together. Of course he knows that I would pass on the hint to you. But like I said, he is a bad person. Why is he so focused on you? Why does he want for you to do well in the Tournament?"
