Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Goblet of Fire/Chapter 29
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Chapter 29 of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: The Dream
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[edit] Synopsis
Harry, Ron, and Hermione discuss the evening's event far into the night but are unable to determine who Stunned Krum or what happened to Mr. Crouch. They are still trying to figure it out in the morning when they go to the Owlery to send Sirius a message letting him know what is happening. Fred and George suddenly arrive. Thinking they were alone, they had been discussing whether what they are doing looked like blackmail, but upon seeing the Trio, they halt their conversation and parry questions as they send off their letter. After their departure, Ron says they are serious about starting a joke shop, and not just to annoy their mother. They are trying to raise the money, which might cause them to avoid talking to Dumbledore, even if they know something about Mr. Crouch, if it might interfere with their funding.
After History of Magic class, they stop by Professor Moody's classroom, to learn what happened overnight; Moody says that even with Harry's map, he was unable to find Mr. Crouch. Ron thinks he Disapparated, but Hermione reminds him that is impossible on Hogwarts grounds and suggests there are other ways he could have departed the Forest. Moody suggests she consider becoming an Auror; her mind works the right way.
Sirius' letter arrives the next morning. Surprisingly, he lectures Harry over how risky it was to stray out-of-bounds with Viktor Krum and demands he stay put. Harry thinks this is rather rich coming from Sirius, but Hermione says Sirius and Moody are right: someone put Harry's name in the Goblet for a reason, and it is safer to stay inside the school and practice for the Third Task.
For the next few days, Harry is stuck indoors practicing jinxes. Hermione thinks Harry has mastered the Stunning spell, using a somewhat battered Ron as a target, and suggests practicing the Impediment jinx. However, it is time for Divination class. Professor Trelawney lectures about planetary divination. The room is hot and the topic so boring that, lulled by an insect buzzing behind him, Harry falls asleep. He dreams he is flying on an eagle owl that goes into an old house, landing on a large armchair. Harry sees Wormtail writhing in pain on a hearthrug, as well as a large snake. A voice from the armchair says that Wormtail is in luck; his blunder has not ruined everything, the man is dead and that Harry Potter may also soon be dead. The voice then says that Wormtail needs another reminder not to blunder again and curses him again.
Harry wakes up screaming on the classroom floor, his scar burning. Brushing off Professor Trelawney's attempts to have him share his experience so she can interpret it, Harry leaves, ostensibly for the infirmary. Instead, he goes to see Dumbledore. Harry gives the gargoyle guarding Dumbledore's office the password, "sherbet lemon", but it fails to open. Other candy flavours also do not work. When he jokingly tries "cockroach cluster", the gargoyle leaps aside. Outside Dumbledore's office, Harry hears a conversation within. The Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge is attempting to put a positive spin on Bertha Jorkins' disappearance, saying there is no indication that there is foul play and also suggests that Crouch might have just wandered off. When Dumbledore says he would have had to wander rather quickly, Fudge implies that Madame Maxime could be involved with his disappearance, given her ancestry. Moody interrupts to say that Potter is outside, hearing everything.
[edit] Analysis
As in Chapter 1, Harry once again "dreams" about Voldemort, although he is unaware that he may actually be viewing events as they are occurring. His burning scar implies that there could be a telepathic connection between Harry and Voldemort, one that neither apparently is aware exists. It is interesting that in the dream, an eagle owl carries the message to Voldemort. Only twice before have eagle owls been seen; one flew towards the school, looped the Owlery, and flew away while Harry was lying under a tree by the lake. It is also mentioned in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone that Malfoy's eagle owl was always bringing him treats from home. Also, the house in the dream is described as being atop a hill, and the owl flies through a broken window in it. It is unclear if we are meant to draw a connection by these incidents, but the author may be dropping a subtle hint that the Malfoy family is tied to Voldemort, although there is no indication that they know Voldemort's whereabouts. The house could be the old Riddle manor near Little Hangleton, and it may be Voldemort's secret headquarters. Also, Wormtail's "blunder" that results in him being severely punished and the dead man Voldemort mentions are likely related to Mr. Crouch's mysterious disappearance, although just how and why remains unknown.
Despite Mr. Crouch's disappearance and the attack on Krum, Harry is a bit confused and annoyed with Sirius for ordering him to remain inside Hogwarts. Knowing that his godfather can often be daring and reckless himself, Harry feels Sirius is employing an unfair double standard here. But Sirius is being a responsible guardian who is acting in Harry's best interest, and he sternly orders Harry to stay put to prevent him from engaging in any unnecessary risky behavior. Sirius also believes there could be a plot against Harry's life, and knowing his godson as he does, he realizes Harry will likely be unconcerned about his own safety.
It is also a little curious that Harry hears an insect buzzing in the Divination classroom. Being that the room is located atop a tower, there should be fewer insects up there than there are closer to the ground. Granted, on at least one occasion Harry found an insect in the Divination classroom; he was practicing Summoning spells on it. Could there be any particular significance to Harry hearing an insect?
[edit] Questions
[edit] Review
- Is Ron correct that if the Twins knew about Mr. Crouch's disappearance they would say nothing about it to Dumbledore? Why wouldn't they?
- Why is Harry so surprised by what Sirius says in his letter? Given what we know at this point, is Sirius right?
- Even though Moody has a magical eye, how does he know that Harry is listening outside Dumbledore's door?
[edit] Further Study
- Just what might the Twins be doing that could be considered blackmail? Why do they refuse to explain what this is?
- Why would Harry see an eagle owl in his dream?
- How did an insect get so far up in the Tower?
- Where might Mr. Crouch be? Why was Moody unable to find him on Harry's Marauders' Map?
- Just how might Wormtail have blundered so badly that Voldemort punishes him for it? Could it be related to anything happening at Hogwarts? If so, what?
- Why does Fudge continue to claim that nothing bad has happened to Bertha Jorkins? Is he right, and what is he basing his opinion on?
[edit] Greater Picture
The eagle owl is a slight misdirection; at this point, the only Death Eaters who know that Voldemort is still alive are Barty Crouch and Wormtail. This remains true until after Voldemort summons his Death Eaters, about a month from now in our story. In his present state, Voldemort is relatively weak, and he wants to avoid revealing his presence by alerting the Death Eaters.
We will also learn later that Voldemort had been hiding in London, in Bartemius Crouch's house, while Mr. Crouch was under Wormtail's control with the Imperius Curse. Once Crouch escaped, however, that house was no longer safe, because when Crouch was found it would lead his finders back to the Crouch residence. At that point, Voldemort and Wormtail would have had to shift to new quarters, and Riddle Manor was likely the most opportune. With Frank Bryce gone, it is unlikely anyone would dare enter the grounds anyway; and if they did, Wormtail would easily be able to dissuade them.
In some possible foreshadowing, George, as he is sending off his owl, tells Ron that he is starting to sound like their older brother, Percy, and warns him that if he continues, he will be made Prefect. Ron, to his and everyone's great surprise, is made a Gryffindor Prefect in the next book.
The buzzing insect in the Divination classroom is Rita Skeeter in her unregistered Animagus form, spying on Harry. Considering that Harry had previously practiced spells on an insect in the Divination classroom, it is lucky for Skeeter that he did not do so this time, although this could have proved particularly entertaining for the readers.
