How It All Goes Down
The Madness of Mr. Crouch
- The trio sends a letter to Percy and then they troop down to the kitchen to give Dobby his new socks.
- Harry explains, "You saved my life with that gillyweed, Dobby, you really did" (28.4).
- Hermione asks about Winky.
- Winky isn't in doing so well.
- Winky is miserable that Mr. Crouch isn't coming to the castle to judge the Triwizard Tournament anymore.
- Hermione tries once more to convince Winky that she's better off without Mr. Crouch.
- Hermione's anger gets all the house-elves riled up, and the trio gets booted out the kitchen.
- The next morning, Hermione gets a ton of hate mail from people who have read the Witch Weekly article. They all say things like, "You are a wicked girl. Harry potter deserves better" (28.58).
- One of the envelopes contains undiluted Bubotuber pus, which makes Hermione's hands break out in millions of painful, pus-filled blisters. (Yuck.)
- So Harry and Ron head to Care of Magical Creatures without Hermione.
- They spend the hour with magical creatures called nifflers, which work like metal detectors to find sparkly things. Sounds good to us.
- It's then that Ron discovers that the gold he gave Harry for the Omnioculars at the World Cup must have disappeared after a few hours, because it was leprechaun gold.
- Ron comments miserably: "Must be nice [...] to have so much money you don't notice if a pocketful of Galleons goes missing" (28.95).
- Hermione continues to get nasty letters about "the supposed Harry-Krum-Hermione love triangle" (28.103).
- Hermione vows to find out how Rita Skeeter is getting her information.
- Harry wonders if Rita Skeeter is bugging Hogwarts.
- Hermione points out for the kajillionth time that traditional Muggle technologies don't work at Hogwarts.
- Finally, Ron gets a letter back from Percy about Mr. Crouch.
- Percy tells Ron not to bother him again: "No, I haven't actually seen him, but I think I can be trusted to know my own superior's handwriting" (28.126).
- The third task is approaching.
- Finally, Harry receives notice to go down to the Quidditch pitch at 9:00pm one night.
- Ludo Bagman is there waiting for the four champions.
- He tells them that the next task will be a maze.
- The Triwizard Cup will be waiting in the middle of the maze, and there will be magical obstacles in the way.
- Whoever reaches the cup first wins.
- Harry and Cedric get to go in first because they're in first place, then Viktor, then Fleur.
- Again, it looks like Ludo Bagman is going to try to draw Harry aside.
- But Viktor Krum gets there first.
- He drags Harry off to the edge of the Forbidden Forest to "haff a vord" (28.146) (a.k.a. have a word).
- He wants to ask Harry about Harry's relationship with Hermione.
- Harry promises that he and Hermione are just friends.
- Viktor seems relieved, and compliments Harry on his flying in the first task.
- Just as Viktor and Harry start getting along, Mr. Crouch blunders in.
- He's looking really weird: tired, rumpled, and scratched.
- Mr. Crouch keeps talking as though he's at the Ministry – "and when you've done that, Weatherby, send an owl to Dumbledore" (28.174).
- But every now and again, he'll speak with "terrible effort" (28.184): "Warn ... Dumbledore" (28.194).
- Harry tells Viktor to look after poor Mr. Crouch.
- Harry runs up to the castle to find Professor Dumbledore.
- Harry bumps into Professor Snape instead, who slows Harry down.
- But finally, Professor Dumbledore emerges and Harry explains: "Mr. Crouch is here – he's down in the forest, he wants to speak to you!" (28.224).
- Professor Dumbledore and Harry rush to the Forbidden Forest.
- They find Viktor Krum unconscious on the grass.
- And there's no sign of Mr. Crouch.
- Hagrid appears, and Professor Dumbledore sends him to fetch Professor Karkaroff.
- Professor Karkaroff accuses Professor Dumbledore of "double-dealing and corruption" (28.264).
- After all, Mr. Crouch – a Ministry official and Triwizard judge – just stunned Durmstrang's champion.
- Hagrid demands that Professor Karkaroff apologize. Clearly that's not what happened.
- Professor Dumbledore orders, "Kindly escort Harry back up to the castle, Hagrid" (28.269).
- Hagrid is furious, but he does as asked.