GOF Chapter 31: The Third Task
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deathtocapslockTalking to his friends about what he saw in the Pensieve gives Harry the sensation of being too full of thoughts for the first time in his life. Not that he seems to be doing much thinking, he is merely repeating in soundbites what he saw and heard.
Ron is amazed Albus trusts Severus in light of his DE past. Meanwhile Harry is convinced Ludo wasn't passing information on purpose. Because the people who said he did are Crouch and Rita, whom he dislikes? Because Ludo is Arthur's friend? Anyway, we should totally trust Harry's judgment because the author told him so. Without giving him anything on which to base his judgment.
If Hermione were subjected to prejudice like Maxime is she'd deny her heritage too. Evidence that she normally isn't.
Harry realizes Neville is more of an orphan than he is. No, he didn't tell his friends about Neville's parents. Because Albus told him not to, not because he hardly remembers Neville exists most of the time. Harry's awesome power of love causes him to feel a rush of hatred towards the torturers (and sympathy for the poor, dead, Barty Jr). But not to treat Neville in a more friendly way.
Hermione is sacrificing study time to prepare Harry for the third task. She expects that having Harry cast spells on her and Ron would help them succeed in the DADA exam. Because that's what 'Moody' did for much of the year - cast hexes and curses on the kids. Harry spends most of his time practicing hexes. But not yet on kids he doesn't like, that will only happen in about a year and a half from now. Harry still isn't good with the Shield Charm. Next year he will improve immensely, with no further practice.
Through the window the trio see Vince and Greg watching out while Draco speaks to his hand. Did Draco figure out Rita's secret all by himself? Or did Lucius introduce them to each other after having Rita as an ally since the summer?
Sirius too is sending daily messages. He tells Harry that for his safety he should concentrate on succeeding in the third task, rather than coming up with a way to avoid it. But isn't the card with the paw print a bit risky?
Surprise! There is another story about Harry in the paper. It seems the story was written weeks previously, claiming that Harry's incident in Divination was on 'Monday last'. It is true that Harry collapsed and complained about his scar that day. And he did collapse under the influence of dementors on the train once and in a Quidditch game another time the previous year. Going from there to regular collapsing is just a matter of degree. I wonder if Rita really did get the opinion of a healer. Since Harry's connection with Voldemort is unique I won't be surprised if a healer sincerely suspected Harry's behavior is a symptom of brain damage, or just an act.
Rita quotes Draco with the surprise revelation that Harry is a Parselmouth despite the entire school knowing it for over 2 years. And it is true Harry is the friend of one werewolf and one half-giant. So again, the article isn't exactly untruthful, but everything is exaggerated. Hmm, Harry might resort to Dark Arts to win the Tournament. Well, he is practicing the Reductor Curse. (It's at least the third curse he knows to perform.)
Yes, Rita found the solution! Forbid Harry to participate! That could have delayed Voldemort's return for a while. (So what about that binding contract? Or did she never hear of that bit?)
As the kids wonder how Rita could have known of Harry's collapse (because no one of their classmates would mention it to anyone, right?) Hermione figures it out. And decides to capture Rita and blackmail her, rather than capture and report her. Because blackmail can be used in more than one way and is therefore the morally superior way, no doubt. Of course this makes Hermione a criminal herself on top of being Rita's accomplice in hiding her Animagus identity.
Since the champions are exempt of exams they get to spend the day with family members. Poor Harry has no family though. But two of the Weasleys are here, so he kind of does. (I notice one of the older Weasley brothers was present for each task.) Bringing Bill back from Egypt sets in motion the most normal canon-ship.
Aha! Molly shows signs of disapproval of the Dursleys, for the first time in Harry's presence. Because Arthur reported they didn't want to say good-bye to Harry back in August.
Bill hadn't been to Hogwarts for 5 years. Meaning he left in June 1990, placing his birth in November 1971 (and means that for Charlie to have had the chance to leave school and spend time with dragons in time for Ron to have seen his burns before starting school Charlie must have left school early, either after 5th year or sometime during 6th).
I wonder what history Bill has with Violet (from the portrait). Also, we learn of Hogwarts' proud history of scarring students (very likely while Dumbles was already headmaster). In DH we are told Argus Filch started his career around 1973, several years after Pringle scarred Arthur. Was Pringle never found out or was Dumbly OK with his choice of punishment? Or perhaps Pringle had some kind of hold on the headmaster?
Molly is angry with Amos Diggory for taking seriously Rita's first article about Harry when she was nasty to Hermione based on a different article by Rita. Hey, look! There's a Mrs Diggory too! I wonder if she has a name?
Percy is being investigated because suddenly someone at the Ministry suspects Crouch's written instructions to him were written by someone else. Until Crouch's disappearance a month previously nobody suspected anything despite being aware of Crouch's absence.
Attending the third task is a nice change from cooking. Because with only Arthur and Percy living with her she absolutely has to cook every night. And cooking with magic is so hard. (Also, it's against her work ethic to duplicate meals with magic.)
No, Molly certainly didn't believe what Rita wrote about Hermione. Perish the thought!
It seems Fudge made Olympe cry with accusations about her involvement in Crouch's death.
Harry finds the maze oddly under-populated with monsters. He also has a sensation of being watched. As it will turn out, this is Barty - watching his progress from outside the maze and clearing monsters from his path. Cedric was less fortunate - he just escaped from a skrewt. The first monster Harry encounters is a dementor - no, it's a boggart. So he has a chance to do a Patronus and Riddikulus in succession. We don't know what memories the boggart/dementor brought up, nor do we know what Harry tried to turn it into. The boggart explodes (without turning into anything funny first), but to Harry's chagrin the Patronus fades away too. Harry attempts Reducto against 'odd golden mist' - which turns out to be some kind of disorientation enchantment. Meanwhile Fleur screams, and is probably out of running, though there is no sign for her seeking help either. Despite being in the lead since the scoring of the first task, this is the first time Harry seriously believes he has a chance to win. (See how modest he is?)
I don't understand how using the Four-Point spell is useful to navigating a maze. The correct path in a maze can wind any odd way. And after taking a few turns it would be impossible to predict which way the center of the maze lay unless one had a very good measure of how long one traveled in each orientation.
After much running into dead ends Harry meets the skrewt. Its armor resists Stupefy, but Harry manages to hit the underbelly with Impedimenta. He hears Viktor Cruciating Cedric. He manages to use the Reductor Curse to burn a small hole in the hedge. Now that could have been a winning strategy: a combination of that with the Four-Point spell from near the entrance of the maze, to tunnel through the hedges. Harry reaches Cedric and Viktor, stuns the latter. The boys wonder if Fleur too was taken out by Viktor. Cedric considers leaving Viktor to the skrewts, but still calls for aid for him, thanks to Harry's reasoning. This is the first time Harry sees the Cruciatus performed on a human. Isn't Viktor gallant?
(And if Barty's goal was to take Harry's opponents out of the running, why have Viktor torture Cedric? Why not have him stun Cedric, and then walk into the path of some monster?)
The sphinx's riddle is a bit lame, but it had to be something Harry could solve on his own. He didn't quite figure out the middle part until after the fact.
Harry and Cedric battle the spider together. Notice Harry's use of Expelliarmus to get the spider to drop him, and the combined effect of 2 stunners at once, where one alone doesn't work.
Harry's leg is injured, bleeding freely, to the point it doesn't support him. Cedric could have been first to reach the cup but he won't because of all the help he received from Harry. Just imagine Voldemort's reaction if Cedric were to arrive alone to the graveyard. Barty's plan could have failed the last moment (not that it would have helped Cedric any).
But Harry, being a Gryffindor, can't understand how Cedric is willing to walk away from such an opportunity for glory to himself and his House. So he suggests they take the cup together and make it a glorious moment to Hogwarts. What would Harry have said if it were a champion other than Cedric? How much of Harry's survivor's guilt in OOTP has to do with the fact that had Cedric not listened to him he'd have lived? I'm not sure he ever thinks about it in these terms. So Cedric helps Harry limp towards the cup which takes them ... away.
Ron is amazed Albus trusts Severus in light of his DE past. Meanwhile Harry is convinced Ludo wasn't passing information on purpose. Because the people who said he did are Crouch and Rita, whom he dislikes? Because Ludo is Arthur's friend? Anyway, we should totally trust Harry's judgment because the author told him so. Without giving him anything on which to base his judgment.
If Hermione were subjected to prejudice like Maxime is she'd deny her heritage too. Evidence that she normally isn't.
Harry realizes Neville is more of an orphan than he is. No, he didn't tell his friends about Neville's parents. Because Albus told him not to, not because he hardly remembers Neville exists most of the time. Harry's awesome power of love causes him to feel a rush of hatred towards the torturers (and sympathy for the poor, dead, Barty Jr). But not to treat Neville in a more friendly way.
Hermione is sacrificing study time to prepare Harry for the third task. She expects that having Harry cast spells on her and Ron would help them succeed in the DADA exam. Because that's what 'Moody' did for much of the year - cast hexes and curses on the kids. Harry spends most of his time practicing hexes. But not yet on kids he doesn't like, that will only happen in about a year and a half from now. Harry still isn't good with the Shield Charm. Next year he will improve immensely, with no further practice.
Through the window the trio see Vince and Greg watching out while Draco speaks to his hand. Did Draco figure out Rita's secret all by himself? Or did Lucius introduce them to each other after having Rita as an ally since the summer?
Sirius too is sending daily messages. He tells Harry that for his safety he should concentrate on succeeding in the third task, rather than coming up with a way to avoid it. But isn't the card with the paw print a bit risky?
Surprise! There is another story about Harry in the paper. It seems the story was written weeks previously, claiming that Harry's incident in Divination was on 'Monday last'. It is true that Harry collapsed and complained about his scar that day. And he did collapse under the influence of dementors on the train once and in a Quidditch game another time the previous year. Going from there to regular collapsing is just a matter of degree. I wonder if Rita really did get the opinion of a healer. Since Harry's connection with Voldemort is unique I won't be surprised if a healer sincerely suspected Harry's behavior is a symptom of brain damage, or just an act.
Rita quotes Draco with the surprise revelation that Harry is a Parselmouth despite the entire school knowing it for over 2 years. And it is true Harry is the friend of one werewolf and one half-giant. So again, the article isn't exactly untruthful, but everything is exaggerated. Hmm, Harry might resort to Dark Arts to win the Tournament. Well, he is practicing the Reductor Curse. (It's at least the third curse he knows to perform.)
Yes, Rita found the solution! Forbid Harry to participate! That could have delayed Voldemort's return for a while. (So what about that binding contract? Or did she never hear of that bit?)
As the kids wonder how Rita could have known of Harry's collapse (because no one of their classmates would mention it to anyone, right?) Hermione figures it out. And decides to capture Rita and blackmail her, rather than capture and report her. Because blackmail can be used in more than one way and is therefore the morally superior way, no doubt. Of course this makes Hermione a criminal herself on top of being Rita's accomplice in hiding her Animagus identity.
Since the champions are exempt of exams they get to spend the day with family members. Poor Harry has no family though. But two of the Weasleys are here, so he kind of does. (I notice one of the older Weasley brothers was present for each task.) Bringing Bill back from Egypt sets in motion the most normal canon-ship.
Aha! Molly shows signs of disapproval of the Dursleys, for the first time in Harry's presence. Because Arthur reported they didn't want to say good-bye to Harry back in August.
Bill hadn't been to Hogwarts for 5 years. Meaning he left in June 1990, placing his birth in November 1971 (and means that for Charlie to have had the chance to leave school and spend time with dragons in time for Ron to have seen his burns before starting school Charlie must have left school early, either after 5th year or sometime during 6th).
I wonder what history Bill has with Violet (from the portrait). Also, we learn of Hogwarts' proud history of scarring students (very likely while Dumbles was already headmaster). In DH we are told Argus Filch started his career around 1973, several years after Pringle scarred Arthur. Was Pringle never found out or was Dumbly OK with his choice of punishment? Or perhaps Pringle had some kind of hold on the headmaster?
Molly is angry with Amos Diggory for taking seriously Rita's first article about Harry when she was nasty to Hermione based on a different article by Rita. Hey, look! There's a Mrs Diggory too! I wonder if she has a name?
Percy is being investigated because suddenly someone at the Ministry suspects Crouch's written instructions to him were written by someone else. Until Crouch's disappearance a month previously nobody suspected anything despite being aware of Crouch's absence.
Attending the third task is a nice change from cooking. Because with only Arthur and Percy living with her she absolutely has to cook every night. And cooking with magic is so hard. (Also, it's against her work ethic to duplicate meals with magic.)
No, Molly certainly didn't believe what Rita wrote about Hermione. Perish the thought!
It seems Fudge made Olympe cry with accusations about her involvement in Crouch's death.
Harry finds the maze oddly under-populated with monsters. He also has a sensation of being watched. As it will turn out, this is Barty - watching his progress from outside the maze and clearing monsters from his path. Cedric was less fortunate - he just escaped from a skrewt. The first monster Harry encounters is a dementor - no, it's a boggart. So he has a chance to do a Patronus and Riddikulus in succession. We don't know what memories the boggart/dementor brought up, nor do we know what Harry tried to turn it into. The boggart explodes (without turning into anything funny first), but to Harry's chagrin the Patronus fades away too. Harry attempts Reducto against 'odd golden mist' - which turns out to be some kind of disorientation enchantment. Meanwhile Fleur screams, and is probably out of running, though there is no sign for her seeking help either. Despite being in the lead since the scoring of the first task, this is the first time Harry seriously believes he has a chance to win. (See how modest he is?)
I don't understand how using the Four-Point spell is useful to navigating a maze. The correct path in a maze can wind any odd way. And after taking a few turns it would be impossible to predict which way the center of the maze lay unless one had a very good measure of how long one traveled in each orientation.
After much running into dead ends Harry meets the skrewt. Its armor resists Stupefy, but Harry manages to hit the underbelly with Impedimenta. He hears Viktor Cruciating Cedric. He manages to use the Reductor Curse to burn a small hole in the hedge. Now that could have been a winning strategy: a combination of that with the Four-Point spell from near the entrance of the maze, to tunnel through the hedges. Harry reaches Cedric and Viktor, stuns the latter. The boys wonder if Fleur too was taken out by Viktor. Cedric considers leaving Viktor to the skrewts, but still calls for aid for him, thanks to Harry's reasoning. This is the first time Harry sees the Cruciatus performed on a human. Isn't Viktor gallant?
(And if Barty's goal was to take Harry's opponents out of the running, why have Viktor torture Cedric? Why not have him stun Cedric, and then walk into the path of some monster?)
The sphinx's riddle is a bit lame, but it had to be something Harry could solve on his own. He didn't quite figure out the middle part until after the fact.
Harry and Cedric battle the spider together. Notice Harry's use of Expelliarmus to get the spider to drop him, and the combined effect of 2 stunners at once, where one alone doesn't work.
Harry's leg is injured, bleeding freely, to the point it doesn't support him. Cedric could have been first to reach the cup but he won't because of all the help he received from Harry. Just imagine Voldemort's reaction if Cedric were to arrive alone to the graveyard. Barty's plan could have failed the last moment (not that it would have helped Cedric any).
But Harry, being a Gryffindor, can't understand how Cedric is willing to walk away from such an opportunity for glory to himself and his House. So he suggests they take the cup together and make it a glorious moment to Hogwarts. What would Harry have said if it were a champion other than Cedric? How much of Harry's survivor's guilt in OOTP has to do with the fact that had Cedric not listened to him he'd have lived? I'm not sure he ever thinks about it in these terms. So Cedric helps Harry limp towards the cup which takes them ... away.
