The Dream (GF)
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The Dream is the twenty-ninth chapter of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Contents |
Owlery
It is daybreak. The Trio woke up very early to send Sirius a note at the Owlery. Hermione sums up the previous night's events (GF28): either Barty Crouch, Sr. attacked Viktor Krum, or someone attacked both of them when Krum wasn't looking.
Ron thinks that it was Crouch, and that he ran away. Harry guesses otherwise; he remembers how weak the wizard seemed, and doesn't think he would even be able to Apparate with ease ("You can't Disapparate on the Hogwarts grounds, haven't I told you enough times?" asks Hermione - PA9, GF15).
Ron suddenly has an idea: Krum may have attacked Crouch and Stunned himself. Hermione points out that, obviously, Mr. Crouch's disappearance is not accounted for in that theory. She then asks Harry to repeat everything he'd heard.
The boy repeats that Barty wasn't making much sense; he did, however, say that he wanted to warn Dumbledore about something, and mentioned both Bertha Jorkins and his fault. He was clearly on the verge of going completely insane: half the time he seemed to think that his wife and son were still alive.
Nevertheless, one part of the message was relayed in no uncertain terms: Voldemort is getting stronger. Harry laments that Snape held him up; Albus could have arrived in time. Ron quickly suggests that Severus had some hand in what happened, despite the fact that he could not have gotten to the Forbidden Forest as fast as he did unless he were a bat ("Wouldn't put it past him," Ron mutters)
Hermione is of the opinion that they have to find Professor Moody; he may have seen Crouch in the Marauder's Map. The Trio suddenly hear steps coming up to the Owlery, and fall silent. It's Fred and George, discussing the dangers of blackmailing someone. Ron confronts them about it, warning that such a thing could be dangerous.
"You're starting to sound a bit like our dear older brother, you are, Ron. Carry on like this and you'll be made a prefect (OP9)," says George.
The twins send a letter and leave.
Hermione wonders if the twins know anything about Crouch. Harry doubts it, but Ron points out that the twins have been obsessed about making money these days; Fred and George truly meant the idea of opening a joke shop that they mentioned earlier that year to Molly (GF5).
"They wouldn't do anything against the law to get gold," guesses Hermione, looking uncomfortable. "Wouldn't they? I dunno ... they don't exactly mind breaking rules, do they?"'
She is frightened. "Yes, but this is the law. This isn't some silly school rule ... They'll get a lot more than detention for blackmail! Ron ... maybe you'd better tell Percy ..."
Ron dismisses the idea, and the Trio goes to breakfast.
Moody
History of Magic goes by slowly. Harry, having discarded his broken watch (GF26), impatiently glances at Ron's every now and then. All three are very tired—Hermione is not even taking notes. When the bell rings, they hurry to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, where Professor Moody awaits, he too looking exhausted. He invites the students in.
Moody tells them that he took a leaf out of Harry's book (GF20) and Summoned the Marauder's Map from the Hogwarts castle in order to look for Barty Crouch in the Forbidden Forest. Hermione suggests that there are other ways for him to have disappeared other than Apparition.
The teacher muses that Hermione, too, can think about becoming an Auror—"Mind works the right way, Granger."—and she blushes. The children start making theories; was Crouch Imperiused, or perhaps kidnapped? Moody yawns, and says, "Now, Dumbledore's told me you three fancy yourselves as investigators, but there's nothing you can do for Crouch. The Ministry'll be looking for him now, Dumbledore's notified them. Potter, you just keep your mind on the third task."
Harry realises that he hasn't given the maze a single thought since the previous night.
"Should be right up your street, this one. From what Dumbledore's said, you've managed to get through stuff like this plenty of times. Broke your way through a series of obstacles guarding the Philosopher's Stone in your first year, didn't you?"
Ron, anxious to prove that he, too, can think like an Auror, is quick to point out that he helped as well. Moody asks him to help Harry practice for the third task; "In the meantime ... constant vigilance, Potter." He takes another draw from his hip flask, and asks Ron and Hermione to stick close to Harry.
Letter
Sirius replies to their letter that same morning. Hermione, reading the Daily Prophet, points out that Rita Skeeter has not yet heard of Crouch's disappearance.
Sirius' letter is reproachful: he berates Harry for wandering around at night with Viktor Krum, and says that something dangerous is afoot; the boy could have been killed. "Stay close to Ron and Hermione, do not leave Gryffindor Tower after hours, and arm yourself for the third task. Practice Stunning and Disarming. A few hexes wouldn't go amiss either. There's nothing you can do about Crouch. Keep your head down and look after yourself."
Harry angrily says that, remarkably enough, no one has tried to attack him this year. Hermione points out that someone did put his name into the Goblet of Fire (GF16)—"And they must've done that for a reason, Harry. Snuffles is right. Maybe they've been biding their time. Maybe this is the task they're going to get you (GF32)."
Harry replies that for someone to have kidnapped Crouch, the person would have to have been very close to Harry, close enough to do him harm. He concludes that he probably isn't the target this time, but Hermione disagrees; it would not look that suspicious if Harry dies during a Triwizard task. She orders him to start practicing for the third task.
Research
The next few days are spent on researching different sorts of spells, or sneaking into empty classrooms to practice. Harry takes advantage of Ron's good will to practice the Stunning Spell; after being reawoken for the fifth time, Ron dismally suggests that they kidnap Mrs. Norris instead, or use Dobby.
The next hex on their list is the Impediment Jinx; the bell rings before they can start, and Hermione is off to Arithmancy while Harry and Ron head toward the North Tower for Divination.
Since Sybill Trelawney never puts out her fireplace, the classroom is extremely hot. Harry manages to open his window an inch. The teacher announces that, even though they have finished studying planetary divination, the position of Mars is exceptionally interesting at the moment. She waves her hand, causing the lights to go out, and shows them a miniature model of the solar system.
The dream
Harry's eyelids begin feeling heavy. He dreams that he is riding the back of an eagle owl; they enter a house through a broken window, and fly to a room with boarded up windows. Suddenly, he is no longer on the owl's back, but watching the two dark shapes on the floor: one of them is a snake; the other is a short, balding man with a pointed nose.
The owl rests on an armchair after delivering the letter it carries. A cold, familiar voice comes from the chair, saying that Wormtail is lucky that his blunder has been corrected; the object of that blunder is dead. Peter apologises, but Voldemort ignores him, preferring to announce instead to Nagini that she will not be eating Pettigrew after all. "But never mind, never mind... there is still Harry Potter. ..."
The Dark Lord uses the Cruciatus Curse on Wormtail, who screams. Harry's scar starts burning, which causes him to wake up on the floor of Trelawney's classroom, with his hands over his face. The other students look stunned. Ron, clearly terrified, asks if Harry is all right; Sybill correctly identifies that the boy has had some sort of premonition: he was rolling on the floor, clutching the scar.
He looks at her, and stubbornly insists that he has to go to the hospital wing due to his bad headache. He says goodbye to Ron and leaves.
Entering Dumbledore's office
Harry heads straight to the Headmaster's office, following Sirius' advice (GF14). He stops in front of the gargoyle and realises that he doesn't know the password. He tries several types of sweets: sherbet lemon, Pear Drop, Licorice Wand, Fizzing Whizzbee, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Chocolate Frog, Sugar Quill and, finally, the correct one: Cockroach Cluster.
The gargoyle jumps aside. He climbs the spiral stone staircase, arriving at the polished oak door with a brass knocker. He overhears voices, talking about Crouch.
Cornelius Fudge states that he doesn't see the connection between Bertha Jorkins and Crouch's disappearances. He believes that either Crouch has lost his mind and gone wandering off somewhere, or else ... he vaguely suggests something to do with Madame Maxime. Dumbledore says that she is a very able headmistress, and an excellent dancer. Fudge suggests that Albus is prejudiced in her favour because of Hagrid. "They don't all turn out harmless — if, indeed, you can call Hagrid harmless with that monster fixation he's got —"
Dumbledore calmly states that he suspects Maxime as much as he does Hagrid; he suggests that Cornelius himself may be prejudiced.
Moody asks them to wrap up the discussion; he's seen Harry outside the door, waiting to talk to the Headmaster.
Quotes
- "What're you doing here?" Ron and Fred said at the same time.
- "Sending a letter," said Harry and George in unison.
- "What, at this time?" said Hermione and Fred.
- Fred grinned.
- "Fine - we won't ask you what you're doing, if you don't ask us," he said.
Trivia
- Ron hung out with the twins while he and Harry weren't talking.
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|---|---|---|
| The Madness of Mr. Crouch | The Dream | The Pensieve |
