How It All Goes Down
The Hungarian Horntail
- For the two weeks before November 22nd, Harry has nothing to look forward to except his chat with Sirius.
- Things have gotten even worse since Rita Skeeter's article appeared in the Daily Prophet.
- The whole thing is basically just a puff piece about Harry. The other champions barely get a mention, and Cedric doesn't even appear at all.
- But Rita has filled in tons of sappy stuff Harry never even said.
- Rita Skeeter also invents a rumor that Harry has "at last found love at Hogwarts" (19.5) with none other than Hermione.
- Harry gets so touchy that he actually snaps at his real crush, Cho Chang, when she's just trying to be nice.
- So Harry feels like an idiot on top of everything else.
- Hermione keeps trying to convince Harry to make the first move in patching things up with Ron, but Harry absolutely won't.
- Harry notices that Viktor Krum is hanging out at the library a lot – "looking for things to help him through the first task?" (19.25).
- The Saturday before the first task, the fourth-years get to go to the local wizarding village of Hogsmeade for a little outing.
- Harry will only go if he can wear his Invisibility Cloak.
- He's lucky he made that choice – when he and Hermione get to the village, they find none other than Rita Skeeter wandering around.
- Hermione and Invisible Harry settle down in a booth at the Three Broomsticks pub.
- Hermione's still working on her S.P.E.W. materials.
- Hagrid enters the Three Broomsticks with Mad-Eye Moody.
- Moody greets Harry quietly. His magic eye can see right through Harry's Invisibility Cloak.
- Hagrid tells Harry to come down to his cabin at midnight. He has something to show Harry. (Midnight? This ought to be fishy.)
- Harry slips out of the castle later that night to go down to Hagrid's cabin.
- Invisible Harry follows Hagrid out to some unknown destination. (Fishier.)
- On the way, Hagrid meets Madame Maxine. Hagrid walks Madame Maxine and Invisible Harry to the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
- There, Harry sees four "fully grown, enormous, vicious-looking dragons [...] rearing on their hind legs [... and] roaring and snorting" (19.95).
- One of the dragon keepers is Charlie Weasley.
- Charlie comments that Mrs. Weasley has read the Daily Prophet article: "He still cries about his parents! Oh bless him, I never knew!" (19.118).
- Having seen all he can stomach for now,
- Harry leaves the dragon enclosure.
- He bumps into Professor Karkaroff, who's snooping around.
- Harry hurries back to the Gryffindor Common Room so he can meet Sirius.
- Harry explains everything to Sirius, even about the dragons and how frightened Harry is.
- Sirius looks grim; he thinks Bertha Jorkins's disappearance is significant.
- He also says Professor Karkaroff used to be a Death Eater.
- Sirius agrees, "the tournament would be a very good way to attack [Harry] and make it look like an accident" (19.156).
- But someone is coming, and Sirius has to leave suddenly.
- It's Ron who has interrupted their conversation.
- Harry is furious: "Just thought you'd come nosing around, did you?" (19.169).
- Harry storms out.