Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Major Events/Second Task
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| Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter - Major Event | |
| Triwizard Tournament - The Second Task | |
|---|---|
| Location | Hogwarts, the lake |
| Time Period | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, 24 February |
| Important Characters | Harry, Cedric Diggory, Viktor Krum, Fleur Delacour, Ron, Hermione, Cho Chang, Gabrielle Delacour |
Contents |
[edit] Overview
The Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament is to rescue something dear or important to the Champion which is being held by Merpeople deep in Hogwarts' lake.
[edit] Event Details
The golden egg, which the Champions had each retrieved from the dragons in the First Task, held a clue for the next one, although it contained nothing physical within; instead, when opened, it emitted a screeching, unintelligible sound that was actually a song sung by Merpeople. The champion had to decipher the song's meaning, then find a way to complete the task described in it.
The correct way to decipher the egg is to open and listen to it underwater; the merpeople have high, thin, and screechy voices, making the egg's song incomprehensible when listend to in air. Submerging the egg deepens the sound to where it can be understood. Harry had tried all sorts of things to understand this clue, including, in a fit of pique, throwing it across the room; it was only the hint that he received from Cedric, who told him to take a bath, that allowed him to discover the secret.
According to the song in the Egg, Harry would have only one hour to rescue something dear to him that would be held deep beneath the lake at Hogwarts by the merpeople. Harry, Hermione, and Ron spent pretty much all of their spare time, from the time Harry deciphered the egg, until the night before the Task, in the library looking for ways Harry could breathe underwater for an hour. When Hermione and Ron are called away, Harry continues his search, eventually falling asleep in the library. He is awakened by Dobby, with only ten minutes to go before the Task. Dobby has overheard some teachers talking about the Task, and has brought Harry some Gillyweed, that will allow him to breathe underwater. Harry hopes that Dobby is correct, and runs off down to the lake shore. There, he is somewhat startled to find that Percy is once again filling in for Mr. Crouch.
It turned out that the "something dear to him" for each of the champions was another person. This was why Hermione and Ron had left Harry alone in the library; Professor McGonagall had brought them to her office so that they could be placed in an enchanted sleep and handed over to the Merpeople.
- People Rescued by the Champions
- Gabrielle Delacour for Fleur Delacour (used Bubble-Head Charm)
- Cho Chang for Cedric Diggory (also used Bubble-Head Charm)
- Ron Weasley for Harry Potter (used gillyweed, which transformed him by developing gills, and flippers in his feet and hands)
- Hermione Granger for Viktor Krum (used incomplete form of Transfiguration)
Fleur Delacour failed to finish the second task because she was attacked by the grindylows. Because Delacour failed to finish, she never retrieved her younger sister, Gabrielle. Harry, who reached the hostages first, possibly due to some assistance from Moaning Myrtle, was afraid that the song was literal truth, and that the hostages would not be returned if they were not rescued within the allotted hour. He attempted to save all of the hostages, and was prevented from doing so by the Merpeople. Cedric, and then Krum, arrive and retrieve their hostages, but when Fleur failed to show, Harry threatened the Merpeople with his wand, and retrieved Gabrielle in addition to Ron. Harry's choosing to try and save the other hostages earned him extra points from the judges for "moral fiber."
Final scores, out of 50, for this Task were assigned as follows:
- Fleur Delacour - 25 points
- Cedric Diggory - 47 points (he had started this Task with 38 points, ending it tied with Harry for first, with 85)
- Harry Potter - 45 points (he had started with 40 points, ending tied with Diggory for first with 85 points)
- Viktor Krum - 40 points (he had started with 40 points, ending in second place with 80)
[edit] Notable Consequences
The Champion with the highest standing after the second task, is allowed to enter the Third Task maze first. Harry and Cedric, having the highest standings, enter the maze together before the other Champions.
Harry's decent showing and ethical behaviour in this Challenge lead the other Champions to believe that Harry is, in fact, a worthy contender. It is certainly true that he has held on to the tie for first place, which no other Champion has managed.
Fleur kissing Harry and Ron somewhat re-inforces Ron's infatuation, and upsets Hermione. It is possible that this contributes to Krum's belief that Harry and Hermione are a couple; it is entirely possible that he believes it is Fleur kissing Harry that Hermione is scowling at, rather than her kissing Ron.
The fact that Hermione is the hostage that Krum is to rescue does rather point up that Krum has romantic intentions towards Hermione, and not just friendship. We can also see, by her reaction after the Challenge, that she does not share those feelings.
We see again how Harry's friendships act to save him from the situations he gets himself into. In the next book, he will protest that every time he has gotten into a sticky situation, it is only by means of help from his friends that he has been able to survive. This is true in this Task as well, where it is only the last-minute effort by Dobby that gives Harry any chance at this Task at all.
[edit] Analysis
While each task is designed to measure a champion's physical capabilities, it is also meant to test their magical ingenuity, problem-solving skills, and strategic abilities. Harry actually did little to prepare for the second challenge, eventually relying on others for help, although most likely so did the other champions. With some assistance from Professor Moody, Harry was resourceful in retrieving the dragon's egg in the first task, but he made few attempts to decipher its hidden meaning; a necessity for completing the second challege. Cedric Diggory finally provides Harry a hint to solve it, only to learn there is yet another step he must overcome. He again procrastinates to find a solution, and it is only because Dobby helps him minutes before the event begins that he is able to compete.
[edit] Questions
- Viktor's and Cedric's hostages are their respective love interests; Harry's is Ron; Fleur's is her younger sister. What does this tell us about the Champions?
