I know a lot of people that stopped reading Harry Potter on that fourth book, because of how dark it was. Cedric Diggory's death in particular caused a few of my friends to give up.

I, too, am a Hufflepuff. I was also a little disappointed at first, although I think, in hindsight, it's not because I don't like Hufflepuff as a house so much as because it's made out to be boring in the books. The characters from Hufflepuff are generally side-characters, and Harry never visited their dorms or learned much about Helga Hufflepuff. Until you get the secret info on Pottermore, it's ... kind of bland.

I have one of those soft toys you can put in the microwave to turn into a heat pad - it is a badger and is named Cedric, after Harry Potter.