Chapter Eighty - Rita Skeeter Strikes Again
Blaise loved the attention he received after the second task. Of course, he didn't remember anything after Dumbledore placed him and the other hostages under a sleeping enchantment, but that didn't stop him from alluding to various underwater adventures. He had adopted a tactic of giving vague, tantalizing hints whenever someone asked him about his experience under the lake, held captive by scores of spear-wielding merpeople.
When paired with a beguiling smile, such teasing was irresistible to most of the female Slytherins, and Daphne Greengrass was particularly susceptible. She had been rather cool toward Blaise after his behavior during the Yule Ball, but now her interest in him seemed renewed. She seemed to invent reasons to talk to him whenever they passed each other in the hall. Blaise, rather than avoid her notice as he had continued to do with Poliakoff and Kirmani, seemed rather in the mood to entertain. It wasn't unusual for Harry to find the two of them flirting in the common room, though Blaise insisted that they were not "putting labels" on their relationship.
Blaise was not the only one who had experienced an increase in popularity. Harry had gone from being the pariah of Hogwarts to its favorite champion overnight. True, the Hufflepuffs still aggressively favored Cedric to win the tournament, but Harry had secured first place in both challenges with only one more to go. This attracted followers outside of Slytherin House for the first time since Harry's name was pulled from the Goblet of Fire, and Harry often found himself being greeted by students who had never spoken to him in his life.
Hermione was also attracting notice, though in her case it was less welcome. Blaise had started referring to her as "Krum's Precious" - a nickname that both Harry and Hermione found distasteful. But while Hermione was more than capable of snapping back at Blaise, she was less prepared for the hostility she faced from a few of Krum's fans. Harry wished Blaise would stop bringing up the subject. It was bad enough that Viktor insisted on joining their study sessions in the library.
As the season turned from February to March, warmer winds began to blow once more. Harry was looking forward to another Hogsmeade weekend when a letter arrived from his godfather. Sirius congratulated him on another successful task, and casually mentioned that he would be in Hogsmeade again to visit Harry in person.
"Why is he coming here?" Blaise asked when Harry informed him of this change in their weekend plans. "Do you think he's found out something about the tournament?"
"He didn't say," Harry replied, turning over the letter for good measure. The message had been short, and there was no additional information on the letters' reverse side. "Maybe he just wants out of the house for a bit."
"Did he say if Remus was coming?" Millie asked.
Harry shook his head. "He's probably just being cautious. If there is something he wanted to tell me about the tournament, he might not trust it in a letter."
He was excited to see Sirius again, regardless of the purpose behind this visit. He could use some of his godfather's guidance. And not just with the tasks, Harry thought to himself, darting a glance toward the Gryffindor table. Hermione and Neville were sitting with their classmates for breakfast that morning. Krum was with them. Perhaps Sirius could help Harry understand why he couldn't get the thought of the two of them out of his head, or why he suddenly found Krum insupportably ugly.
Further discussion of their Hogsmeade would have to wait. After breakfast, they made their way down to Potions class. Harry checked his steps momentarily when he saw Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle lingering in the hallway. They were having a laugh about something with Pansy Parkinson and her friend, Hertha Runcorn.
Pansy's laughter broke off with a shrill squeal when she saw Harry approaching with Blaise and Millie. He could clearly hear her say, "Oh, look! Here they come!"
The group stared, smirking and chortling as Harry pushed past them into the dungeon.
"What do you suppose that's about?" Harry muttered to his friends once they were clear of Draco's gang.
"Whatever it was," replied Blaise, "You can be sure Draco won't be quiet about it for long. We're sure to hear about it, whether we want to or not."
"Let's just ignore them as long as we can," Millie recommended, "They're clearly looking for attention."
Harry tried to take her advice, but as the Gryffindor students trickled into class, Hermione and Neville appeared. Their approach to Harry's table was heralded by excited giggles on the Slytherin side of the classroom. Harry heard a soft "oooo" from Pansy, followed by Draco's voice as he called out, "Careful she doesn't slip something into your potion, Granger!"
Hermione, startled by this suggestion, turned to Millie with a look of confusion.
"What is he talking about?"
Millie shrugged, but at that moment, Daphne approached their table. She darted a sympathetic look at Millie and Hermione before setting a magazine before them as she said, "You'd better read that…"
Daphne retreated to her own table, where she fell to whispering with her own friend, Tracey Davis. Unlike Draco and his cronies, they didn't seem to find anything funny about the situation.
Harry glanced down at the magazine. A witch with an alarmingly bright smile grinned up at him from the front page. It was titled Witch Weekly and promised, among other things, to share a new glamour charm, a recipe for a hair straightening potion, and tips on which pets make the best familiars. Harry was mystified. What could a magazine contain that Daphne found so interesting?
Snape began writing a list of ingredients for the day's potion on the chalkboard. Hermione and Millie took the opportunity to put their heads together and began scanning the pages themselves. Before long, Hermione let out a gasp. Harry, Blaise, and Nevile were as anxious to know what they found as they were to avoid Snape's notice. They couldn't speak to ask what it was the girls had found, but before long, Hermione pushed the magazine toward them with a furious shake of her head. Harry felt an unpleasant twist in his stomach as he read the headline:
Harry Potter's Secret Heartache
After shocking faculty and students alike by taking Edward Willoughby instead of his long-time girlfriend, Millicent Bulstrode, to the Yule Ball, Harry Potter has once again found himself embroiled in another love tangle. But is the Boy Who Lived really the playboy he appears to be? Rita Skeeter, special correspondent, spoke with several sources close to Potter who suggest that Potter may not be a willing participant in his choice of partners.
Miss Bulstrode, a plain and uncouth girl, has a reputation for being particularly gifted at jinxes of all kinds. "We learned about the Unforgivable Curses in Defense Against the Dark Arts this year," says Draco Malfoy, one of Potter's close friends, "Bulstrode seemed to know a lot about them already." While the implication that a student of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry could be subjected to the Imperious Curse is alarming, it would certainly explain how Ms. Bulstrode attracted the admiration of a Triwizard Champion. One could even say that the appointment of dangerous ex-Auror, Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody to the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher could have directly influenced such behavior in his students. Do doubt Albus Dumbledore will want to investigate these claims, but the question remains whether Ms. Bulstrode, from a desire to elevate her family name from the abysmal depths it has fallen, would resort to cursing The Boy Who Lived.
And Harry's troubles do not end here. Hischoice of Willoughby over Bulstrode certainly turned heads, but where does Hermione Granger figure into the plot? Miss Granger, another astonishingly plain but ambitious girl, seems to share Miss Bulstrode's taste for famous wizards. After becoming a part of Potter's entourage, Miss Granger began toying with the affections of none other than Viktor Krum, Bulgarian Seeker and the hero of the last Quidditch World Cup. Krum appears to have fallen for Miss Granger hard and fast, and has even invited her to visit him this summer, stating that he "never felt this way about another girl."
Harry paused at this passage in the article. He felt the sting of the words, and found himself hoping that once more, Skeeter got her facts wrong. Gathering his courage to continue, he read on…
But what could have prompted the notice of not one, but two internationally famous wizards? Pansy Parkinson, a pretty and vivacious girl in Potter's class, describes Miss Granger as "an ugly, insufferable know-it-all." She went on to say, "She's a brainy one, though. She'd be more than capable of making a love potion. And she's always sitting with Harry at our table during mealtimes. It would be easy enough to slip something into his drink." Is it possible that Miss Granger has taken a lesson from Miss Bulstrode, and resorted to magical assistance to attract not one, but two Triwizard Champions? Love Potions are of course banned at Hogwarts, and Dumbledore will no doubt follow-up on these claims while he investigates the misuse of Unforgivable Curses among students and staff. In the meantime, Potter's wellwishers may hope that he will guard his heart in the future.
"I told you!" Blaise said to Millie as soon as he reached the end of the article, "Skeeter wasn't going to forget you so easily!"
"I expected worse," Millie replied, "But why has she dragged Hermione into it?"
Harry recovered enough from his own shock to hazard a glance at Hermione. She stared blankly at the chalkboard at the front of the class, her eyes not registering the list of ingredients Snape had written down. Keeping her low to avoid the professor's notice, she murmured, "But how did she know…?"
"Know what?" asked Neville, also careful not to raise his voice above a whisper, though the rest of class was now busy with their assignments, and there was enough chatter from neighboring tables to disguise their conversation.
Hermione lowered her face shyly as she replied, "That Krum asked me to visit him this summer. And all that stuff about never meeting a girl like me before…"
It seemed as though Hermione was avoiding Harry's gaze, but that could also be the impression of his imagination. Blaise, on the other hand, was captivated by this piece of gossip, and he eagerly asked Hermione how she had answered Krum's invitation. Harry said nothing, though privately he was beginning to regret ever being nice to Krum.
Before Hermione could muster any response to Blaise's impertinent questions, Snape descended on their table with a sharp reprimand for failing to make any progress on their wit-sharpening potions. Neville, surprised and frightened by his sudden appearance, accidentally let the magazine slip from his hand.
"And reading this trash during class as well," Snape seethed as he slowly bent to retrieve the offending article, "That will be ten points from Gryffindor, Longbottom."
The magazine had been passed between several students prior to making its way to Harry and his friends. Its pages now fell open to Skeeter's article with ease. Unfortunately, it was still open to this very page when Snape picked it up from the floor. Snape's quick eye glanced over the headline and his lip curled into a sneer.
"Ah, I see that Potter has been keeping up with his press coverage."
They had gained the attention of the rest of the class, and Harry noted with embarrassment that Draco and his cronies snickered at this comment from the professor. Harry was faster than Snape, however, and before the Potions Master could take his teasing a step farther, Harry had snatched up his quill and said, "If you want another autograph, I can sign this for you, too."
Harry was rewarded by a few more giggles, this time from his supporters, but Snape didn't find his comment very funny. He banished Harry to an empty desk directly in front of his own. While Harry busied himself with gathering his potions ingredients, Snape also separated Blaise and Millie out of sheer spite. Blaise was sent to work with Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle, while Millie was forced to work at the same table as Pansy Parkinson.
Sitting alone at the desk in the very front of class, Harry unloaded his potion ingredients and began mashing scarab beetles for his potion. Snape finished supervising Blaise and Millie's relocation, frightened Neville a bit for good measure, and was soon sitting at his own desk directly in front of Harry.
It was rare for Snape to remain seated during class. Usually, he was pacing around the cauldrons, observing their progress and giving helpful hints or harsh censure depending on one's house assignment. Today, however, he seemed to want to harass Harry. He began by observing that, "All this press coverage must be going to your head, Potter."
Harry had been expecting more paltry insults, and he didn't say anything to Snape in reply. Snape continued, "I bet you think you're clever, getting Longbottom to ask me for the gillyweed. You can't have thought it of yourself. You aren't smart enough for that. Though I must admit, I was surprised you had the cunning. It is rather like a Slytherin to make up for your own shortcomings by using the strengths of your friends."
Harry had allowed him to say this much without interruption, surprised that Snape was so talkative today. When Snape had finished speaking, he asked with genuine curiosity, "Are you complimenting me?"
"Are you so starved for approval that you hear someone call you stupid and think it's a compliment?"
"You can't fool me," Harry fired back, though he was careful to keep his voice low, "I know you don't hate me as much as you used to."
Rather than deny the claim, a small smile appeared on Snape's thin lips. Harry might have pushed his luck a bit farther, had Karkaroff not entered the classroom. Snape's smile vanished as the class turned to stare at this intrusion. Few but Dumbledore himself would dare to interrupt Snape during a lesson.
Karkaroff, ignoring the furious expression on Snape's face, strode to the front of the room. He hesitated only a moment when he spotted Harry sitting nearby. A grimace overspread his features, and he kept his voice low as he said to Snape, "We need to talk."
"I am in the middle of class, as you can clearly see," Snape hissed through clenched teeth.
"I had no choice," Karkaroff replied, "You have been avoiding me."
Whether the accusation was true or not, Snape would certainly find no escape this time. Karkaroff hovered behind his desk for the rest of the class period. There could be no more whispered conversation with the Potions Master under his watchful eye. Not that Harry was in the mood to continue their conversation now. Snape's mood had soured worse than usual, and Gryffindor had lost a lot of points for minor mistakes by the end of class.
Harry was keen to hear what Karkaroff needed to say to Snape so badly. As his fellow classmates began shuffling out the door, he deliberately knocked over a few of his potions bottles. He ducked behind his cauldron on the pretext of cleaning up the split ingredients, though he remained crouched there as the final student slipped out the door.
"You are making a fool of yourself," Snape snapped as soon as he thought he was alone with Karkaroff, "What could be so urgent that you interrupted me during class?"
"This," replied Karkaroff with a sharp intake of breath. Snape said nothing, and there was a tense silence in the air. Harry cautiously peered around the edge of his cauldron, curious to see what Karkaroff had shown Snape that could silence him so completely.
Karkaroff had the left sleeve of his robes pulled up to his elbow. He appeared to be showing Snape something on his inner forearm. Snape's back was turned slightly toward Harry, his body blocking his view of Karkaroff. He couldn't see Snape's face, but the expression on the Durmstrang headmaster was dark and foreboding.
"Don't you see?" he continued in an urgent hiss, "It's never been this clear, never so distinct… Not since…"
"Put it away!" Snape snarled before Karkaroff could finish his thought. Harry thought he detected a trace of disgust in his voice.
Karkaroff opened his mouth as if to argue his case further, but he had spotted Harry's face peeking around the edge of the cauldron. Harry tried to duck out of view, but it was too late. Snape, perhaps noticing the direction of Karkaroff's gaze, suddenly called out with a sort of strangled cry, "Potter! What are you doing?"
Harry knew there was no use pretending he hadn't heard his shout. He immediately jumped up from the floor, grabbing his bookbag and the last of his potions bottles as he did so.
"I was just cleaning up," Harry said with as much innocence as he could muster, "Sorry to disturb you…"
Karkaroff had hastily pulled down his sleeve, shooting another dirty look at Harry as he pushed past him and back out into the hall. Harry had no desire to remain alone with Snape when he was in such a foul mood. He quickly followed Karkaroff out the door without another word and retreated to the safety of the common room.
The following day, Harry told Blaise and Millie what he had seen as they made their way to Hogsmeade. He asked what his friends thought Karkaroff might have shown Snape, but they were both at a loss. Blaise suggested that it could be nothing more than a particularly nasty rash. Perhaps he had been asking for Snape for a poultice? Millie rejected this idea at once. If Karkaroff needed medical advice, why not visit Madame Pomfrey?
They could only agree on one thing: Karkaroff's behavior was suspicious. Harry couldn't wait to see Sirius again. He hoped that his godfather would have more insight that could prove useful.
They met Sirius at the Three Broomsticks. Harry noticed immediately that he had gone shopping again. He was dressed in a flashy blood-red coat and had brushed his long, black hair to a beautiful lustre. Many witches had their eyes drawn toward him as he greeted Harry near the door and led both him and his friends to a nearby table. Harry couldn't help but notice that even Madame Rosmerta gave him a wink as he signaled for a round of drinks.
Harry glanced around, expecting to see Remus making his way toward their table or even blending into the furniture, dressed in his usual tweeds. Instead, he was conspicuously absent.
"Where's Remus?" he asked aloud, only to remember that there had been a full moon the night before.
Sirius confirmed his suspicion with a sad smile, "He wanted to come, Harry, but he wasn't feeling up to the trip today."
"Was it right to leave him alone?" Blaise asked, his thoughts clearly on the same subject as Harry, "I mean… Doesn't his kind usually… Won't there be trouble if he transforms again?"
Harry winced slightly at Blaise's lack of tact, but Sirius did not seem to take offense. He smilingly informed Blaise that his mother had volunteered to care for Remus while Sirius was away.
"My mother?" Blaise repeated in astonishment. His surprise silenced him long enough for Sirius to add that he couldn't postpone his visit. He needed to talk to Harry.
"What could be so important that you needed to come all this way?" Harry asked, but Sirius waved away his concern.
"In a minute. First, tell me all about the second task. How did you figure out that clue?"
Harry gave Sirius the rundown, from taking the egg into the bath to the moment he broke the surface of the lake with Gabrielle Delacour in tow. Blaise, for all the posturing he did in front of the other students, had actually not heard the real story before. He was just as entertained by Harry's retelling of it as Sirius himself.
When Harry had reached the part about going back for Fleur's sister, Sirius clapped his hands together with a broad smile.
"That was well done, Harry!" he said. "That's behaving like a gentleman!"
Millie looked as if she disagreed with Sirius's assessment, though she did say it had been a clever way for him to earn more points.
It was only after Harry had finished his story that Sirius began to look thoughtful once more. Harry imagined he was about to reveal the reason behind his visit, but instead, he merely asked if Harry had any help with the second task.
"Just from my friends," Harry said, "Blaise and Millie… Hermione and Neville, too. Neville's the one who actually thought of the gillyweed."
"And you're sure no one else helped? Did anyone offer to assist you in any way?"
Harry wasn't sure what Sirius was driving at, but he admitted a little shyly that Cedric had given him advice on taking the egg into the bath.
"It's only because I told him about the dragons," he added, "Cedric wanted to repay the favor. Is that important?"
"No… Maybe? I'm not sure, yet. It's just that… Remus and I have been thinking. This whole time we believed that whoever put your name in that Goblet had to think you would fail. But what if we were wrong? What if they didn't want to see you hurt or injured, but actually want you to win?"
Harry nearly asked what that would achieve, but then he thought of Ludo Bagman.
"Actually, there is someone who has offered to help me before," he said, "Bagman offered to help me with both tasks. At first I thought it was just because he fancies Mrs. Zabini, but now I think he might've placed a bet on me to win."
Sirius frowned. "There may be something to your theory, Harry. Bagman organized this tournament. He might want to rig the results in his favor. But would he really enter you in the competition just to win a bet? Why not back one of the other competitors instead?"
There was something in his expression that told Harry Sirius had another theory. After waiting for Rosmerta to place a second round of butterbeers on their table, Sirius leaned over the table, lowering his voice as he said, "When you wrote to me, you said Crouch was sneaking around the castle."
"That's right," Harry confirmed, "I saw his name on the Marauder's Map. It looked like he was searching Snape's office."
"And we know the map never lies," Sirius added, "That's what's so strange. All the papers report that Crouch has become a complete recluse. No one has seen him for weeks."
"Do you think Crouch is the one who put my name in the Goblet of fire?" Harry asked.
Sirius thought for a moment, but ultimately he shook his head.
"Crouch played just as much a role in organizing the tournament as Bagman, but he doesn't have anything to gain by adding you to the mix. Crouch never struck me as the gambling type."
Something about Sirius's expression and the confident way he dismissed Crouch as a suspect had Harry itching to ask a question that had been on his mind a long time.
"Do you know Mr. Crouch?" he finally asked, "I mean, from before all of this?"
Know him?" Sirius repeated with a surprised chuckle, "I suppose you could say that. Barty Crouch is the one who sent me to Azkaban… Without a trial."
Blaise and Millie both exclaimed in horror, but Harry wasn't surprised. He had always felt an instinctive dislike of Mr. Crouch, and that dislike now felt justified in the wake of Sirius's information.
"Crouch used to be the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement," Sirius continued, "That was when things were really bad. He was ambitious and power-hungry, but he was never a follower of Voldemort. In fact, he was one of his greatest opposers. But even then, he took things too far…"
Sirius trailed off a moment, lost in old memories. It was Harry who drew him back, gently asking him what he could mean. How could opposing Voldemort ever be a bad thing?
"I don't know if I can explain what it was like back then," Sirius continued, "At the height of Voldemort's power, everything was chaos… People were scared, confused…. Every day there were reports of more deaths or disappearances. It was difficult to know who to trust. People were looking for leaders who would put an end to the killing, the strife… That kind of thing brought out the worst in men like Crouch. Under his command, the Aurors were given unprecedented powers. To kill instead of capture, for instance. He even authorized the use of Unforgivable Curses on suspects...
"Even then, he had plenty of supporters. They thought he would be the next Minister for Magic. But all that came to an end when his own son was apprehended with a group of Death Eaters."
"His own son!" Millie exclaimed. "No wonder he was so harsh toward Winky!"
Harry understood her meaning. Crouch looked absolutely horrified when his house elf had been caught holding Harry's wand at the World Cup. It certainly hadn't made him look very good at the time. Harry couldn't forgive his treatment of Winky, but he thought he understood his reaction a little better now. It must have brought up bad memories.
"But wait," Blaise interjected, "You said you were never given a trial. What about his son? Could he have been innocent?"
Sirius shrugged, "I was already in Azkaban when they brought him in. He was just a boy from what I could tell, but he was with a group that I'm certain were Death Eaters. Everyone said they had tried to restore Voldemort to power."
"Is he still there?" asked Harry, "Is Crouch's son still in Azkaban?"
Sirius hesitated. Once more, his gaze seemed to drift, as if he were looking at something very far away, when he was merely glancing down at the table.
"No," he said finally, "He died about a year later."
Harry, Blaise, and Millie all exchanged a look. It was hard to know how to feel. On the one hand, Crouch's son may have been a Death Eater. On the other hand, Crouch had essentially sentenced his own son to die. Harry didn't know if it was a fit punishment for his crimes, but when he considered what Sirius said, that he was only a boy at the time…
"After the death of his son… and the passing of his wife soon after, Crouch's popularity plummeted," Sirius said, continuing his story, "Fudge became Minister for Magic instead, and Crouch was demoted to a lesser department. If you ask me, Crouch is still obsessed with catching Dark Wizards. Maybe he thinks it will help his popularity. Restore him to his former glory…"
"Could that be why he was searching Snape's office?" Blaise suggested.
"That can't be right," Harry blurted before giving Sirius time to answer.
His godfather appeared surprised by Harry's quick defense of the Potions Master, and asked, "How can you be so sure?"
Harry, embarrassed to be questioned this way, thought quickly. He didn't want to admit that he knew of Snape's childhood crush and his efforts to protect Harry at school. Instead, he declared, "Dumbledore hired him, didn't he? If Snape was a Death Eater, I don't think Dumbledore would let him work around children."
Sirius looked less convinced, though he nodded his head, "You're right. Of course you're right," he said in a tone that indicated he was convincing himself of the fact, "I trust Dumbledore's judgement. He's the only wizard Voldemort feared, after all. Though I must admit, I've never… Snivellus and I never got along. He's always been attracted to the Dark Arts. He was famous for it at school. And he used to hang around a crowd that turned out to be Death Eaters later on…"
"He was friends with Death Eaters?" Harry asked with interest.
"Well, there were no Death Eaters when we were kids, but there were plenty who shared the same beliefs." Sirius lifted his hand and began ticking off names, "There was Rosier, the Lestranges, Avery… But as far as I know, Snape was never accused of joining the Death Eaters."
"But Karkaroff was," Harry said, remembering the last conversation he'd had with Sirius in this same pub.
"What's that about Karkaroff?"
"He's been trying to talk to Snape alone," Harry said, "Yesterday after class, he wanted to show him something on his arm."
"His arm?" Sirius said, puzzled, before he shook his head again, "I don't know anything about that. Just… I just want you to be careful. Remus and I will be here if you need us for anything."
"You're staying in Hogsmeade?" Harry asked with confusion.
Sirius winked at him, "Family's been invited to attend the third task. We'll be cheering you on."
Harry enjoyed the feeling of warmth that nearly overwhelmed him when he thought of Sirius and Remus as his family. This feeling supported him on the long walk back to Hogwarts, but he couldn't shake an uneasy feeling about Snape. Even Sirius did not think Snape was a Death Eater, but then why would he have spent so much time around them at school? And what did Karkaroff need to show him so badly? Harry tried not to think about it. He had only one task to go, and without knowing how or why he had been entered in the tournament, he was still determined to win.