! Just give me the password up to -"
"The headmaster is busy. Potter," said Snape, his thin mouth curling into an
unpleasant smile.
"I've got to tell Dumbledore!" Harry yelled.
"Didn't you hear me. Potter?"
Harry could tell Snape was thoroughly enjoying himself, denying Harry the thing
he wanted when he was so panicky.
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"Look," said Harry angrily, "Crouch isn't right - he's - he's out of his mind - he
says he wants to warn -"
The stone wall behind Snape slid open. Dumbledore was standing there, wearing
long green robes and a mildly curious expression. "Is there a problem?" he said,
looking between Harry and Snape.
"Professor!" Harry said, sidestepping Snape before Snape could speak, "Mr.
Crouch is here - he's down in the forest, he wants to speak to you!"
Harry expected Dumbledore to ask questions, but to his relief, Dumbledore did
nothing of the sort.
"Lead the way," he said promptly, and he swept off along the corridor behind
Harry, leaving Snape standing next to the gargoyle and looking twice as ugly.
"What did Mr. Crouch say. Harry?" said Dumbledore as they walked swiftly down
the marble staircase.
"Said he wants to warn you . . . said he's done something terrible ... he mentioned
his son . . . and Bertha Jorkins .. . and - and Voldemort. . . something about
Voldemort getting stronger. ..."
"Indeed," said Dumbledore, and he quickened his pace as they hurried out into the
pitch-darkness.
"He's not acting normally," Harry said, hurrying along beside Dumbledore. "He
doesn't seem to know where he is. He keeps talking like he thinks Percy Weasley's
there, and then he changes, and says he needs to see you. ... I left him with Viktor
Krum."
"You did?" said Dumbledore sharply, and he began to take longer strides still, so
that Harry was running to keep up. "Do you know if anybody else saw Mr.
Crouch?"
"No," said Harry. "Krum and I were talking, Mr. Bagman had just finished telling
us about the third task, we stayed behind, and then we saw Mr. Crouch coming out
of the forest -"
"Where are they?" said Dumbledore as the Beauxbatons carriage emerged from
the darkness.
"Over here," said Harry, moving in front of Dumbledore, leading the way through
the trees. He couldn't hear Crouch's voice anymore, but he knew where he was
going; it hadn't been much past the Beauxbatons carriage . . . somewhere around
here. . . .
"Viktor?" Harry shouted.
No one answered.
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"They were here," Harry said to Dumbledore. "They were definitely somewhere
around here. ..."
"Lumos," Dumbledore said, lighting his wand and holding it up.
Its narrow beam traveled from black trunk to black trunk, illuminating the ground.
And then it fell upon a pair of feet.
Harry and Dumbledore hurried forward. Krum was sprawled on the forest floor.
He seemed to be unconscious. There was no sign at all of Mr. Crouch.
Dumbledore bent over Krum and gently lifted one of his eyelids.
"Stunned," he said softly. His half-moon glasses glittered in the wandlight as he
peered around at the surrounding trees.
"Should I go and get someone?" said Harry. "Madam Pomfrey?"
"No," said Dumbledore swiftly. "Stay here."
He raised his wand into the air and pointed it in the direction of Hagrid's cabin.
Harry saw something silvery dart out of it and streak away through the trees like a
ghostly bird. Then Dumbledore bent over Krum again, pointed his wand at him,
and muttered, "Ennervate."
Krum opened his eyes. He looked dazed. When he saw Dumbledore, he tried to sit
up, but Dumbledore put a hand on his shoulder and made him lie still.
"He attacked me!" Krum muttered, putting a hand up to his head. "The old
madman attacked me! I vos looking around to see vare Potter had gone and he
attacked from behind!"
"Lie still for a moment," Dumbledore said.
The sound of thunderous footfalls reached them, and Hagrid came panting into
sight with Fang at his heels. He was carrying his crossbow.
"Professor Dumbledore!" he said, his eyes widening. "Harry - what the - ?"
"Hagrid, I need you to fetch Professor Karkaroff," said Dumbledore. "His student
has been attacked. When you've done that, kindly alert Professor Moody -"
"No need, Dumbledore," said a wheezy growl. "I'm here."
Moody was limping toward them, leaning on his staff, his wand lit.
"Damn leg," he said furiously. "Would've been here quicker . . . what's happened?
Snape said something about Crouch -"
"Crouch?" said Hagrid blankly.
"Karkaroff, please, Hagrid!" said Dumbledore sharply.
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"Oh yeah . .'. right y'are, Professor. . ." said Hagrid, and he turned and disappeared
into the dark trees, Fang trotting after him.
"I don't know where Barty Crouch is," Dumbledore told Moody, "but it is essential
that we find him."
"I'm onto it," growled Moody, and he pulled out his wand and limped off into the
forest.
Neither Dumbledore nor Harry spoke again until they heard the unmistakable
sounds of Hagrid and Fang returning. Karkaroff was hurrying along behind them.
He was wearing his sleek silver furs, and he looked pale and agitated.
"What is this?" he cried when he saw Krum on the ground and Dumbledore and
Harry beside him. "What's going on?"
"I vos attacked!" said Krum, sitting up now and rubbing his head. "Mr. Crouch or
votever his name -"
"Crouch attacked you? Crouch attacked you? The Triwizard judge?"
"Igor," Dumbledore began, but Karkaroff had drawn himself up, clutching his furs
around him, looking livid.
"Treachery!" he bellowed, pointing at Dumbledore. "It is a plot! You and your
Ministry of Magic have lured me here under false pretenses, Dumbledore! This is
not an equal competition! First you sneak Potter into the tournament, though he is
underage! Now one of your Ministry friends attempts to put my champion out of
action! I smell double-dealing and corruption in this whole affair, and you,
Dumbledore, you, with your talk of closer international
wizarding links, of rebuilding old ties, of forgetting old differences - here's what I
think of you!"
Karkaroff spat onto the ground at Dumbledore's feet. In one swift movement,
Hagrid seized the front of Karkaroff's furs, lifted him into the air, and slammed
him against a nearby tree.
"Apologize!" Hagrid snarled as Karkaroff gasped for breath, Hagrid's massive fist
at his throat, his feet dangling in midair.
"Hagrid, no!" Dumbledore shouted, his eyes flashing.
Hagrid removed the hand pinning Karkaroff to the tree, and Karkaroff slid all the
way down the trunk and slumped in a huddle at its roots; a few twigs and leaves
showered down upon his head.
"Kindly escort Harry back up to the castle, Hagrid," said Dumbledore sharply.
Breathing heavily, Hagrid gave Karkaroff a glowering look.
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"Maybe I'd better stay here. Headmaster. . . ."
"You will take Harry back to school, Hagrid," Dumbledore repeated firmly. "Take
him right up to Gryffindor Tower. And Harry - I want you to stay there. Anything
you might want to do - any owls you might want to send - they can wait until
morning, do you understand me?"
"Er - yes," said Harry, staring at him. How had Dumbledore known that, at that
very moment, he had been thinking about sending Pigwidgeon straight to Sirius, to
tell him what had happened?
"I'll leave Fang with yeh. Headmaster," Hagrid said, staring menacingly at
Karkaroff, who was still sprawled at the foot of the tree, tangled in furs and tree
roots. "Stay, Fang. C'mon, Harry."
They marched in silence past the Beauxbatons carriage and up toward the castle.
"How dare he," Hagrid growled as they strode past the lake. "How dare he accuse
Dumbledore. Like Dumbledore'd do anythin' like that. Like Dumbledore wanted
you in the tournament in the firs' place. Worried! I dunno when I seen Dumbledore
more worried than he's bin lately. An' you!" Hagrid suddenly said angrily to
Harry, who looked up at him, taken aback. "What were yeh doin', wanderin' off
with ruddy Krum? He's from Durmstrang, Harry! Coulda jinxed yeh right there,
couldn he? Hasn' Moody taught yeh nothin'? 'Magine lettin him lure yeh off on yer
own -"
"Krum's all right!" said Harry as they climbed the steps into the entrance hall. "He
wasn't trying to jinx me, he just wanted to talk about Hermione -"
"I'll be havin' a few words with her, an' all," said Hagrid grimly, stomping up the
stairs. "The less you lot 'ave ter do with these foreigners, the happier yeh'll be. Yeh
can trust any of 'em."
"You were getting on all right with Madame Maxime," Harry said, annoyed.
"Don' you talk ter me abou' her!" said Hagrid, and he looked quite frightening for
a moment. "I've got her number now! Tryin' ter get back in me good books, tryin'
ter get me ter tell her what's comin in the third task. Ha! You can' trust any of'em!"
Hagrid was in such a bad mood, Harry was quite glad to say good-bye to him in
front of the Fat Lady. He clambered through the portrait hole into the common
room and hurried straight for the corner where Ron and Hermione were sitting, to
tell them what had happened.
365
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE - THE DREAM
It comes down to this," said Hermione, rubbing her forehead. "Either Mr. Crouch
attacked Viktor, or somebody else attacked both of them when Viktor wasn't
looking."
"It must've been Crouch," said Ron at once. "That's why he was gone when Harry
and Dumbledore got there. He'd done a runner."
"I don't think so," said Harry, shaking his head. "He seemed really weak - I don't
reckon he was up to Disapparating or anything."
"You cant Disapparate on the Hogwarts grounds, haven't I told you enough
times?" said Hermione.
"Okay. . . hows this for a theory," said Ron excitedly. "Krum attacked Crouch -
no, wait for it - and then Stunned himself!"
"And Mr. Crouch evaporated, did he?" said Hermione coldly.
"Oh yeah . . ."
It was daybreak. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had crept out of their dormitories very
early and hurried up to the Owlery together to send a note to Sirius. Now they
were standing loo