Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

---

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN 
 
 
Padfoot Returns
One of the best things about the aftermath of the second task was that everybody was very keen 
to hear details of what had happened down in the lake, which meant that Ron was getting to 
share Harry’s limelight for once. Harry noticed that Ron’s version of events changed subtly with 
every retelling. At first, he gave what seemed to be the truth; it tallied with Hermione’s story, 
anyway - Dumbledore had put all the hostages into a bewitched sleep in Professor McGonagall’s 
office, first assuring them that they would be quite safe, and would awake when they were back 
above the water. One week later, however, Ron was telling a thrilling tale of kidnap in which he 
struggled single-handedly against fifty heavily armed merpeople who had to beat him into 
submission before tying him up. 
“But I had my wand hidden up my sleeve,” he assured Padma Patil, who seemed to be a lot 
keener on Ron now that he was getting so much attention and was making a point of talking to 
him every time they passed in the corridors. “I could’ve taken those mer-idiots any time I 
wanted.” 
“What were you going to do, snore at them?” said Hermione waspishly. People had been teasing 
her so much about being the thing that Viktor Krum would most miss that she was in a rather 
tetchy mood. 
Ron’s ears went red, and thereafter, he reverted to the bewitched sleep version of events. 
As they entered March the weather became drier, but cruel winds skinned their hands and faces 
every time they went out onto the grounds. There were delays in the post because the owls kept 
being blown off course. The brown owl that Harry had sent to Sirius with the dates of the 
Hogsmeade weekend turned up at breakfast on Friday morning with half its feathers sticking up 
the wrong way; Harry had no sooner torn off Sirius’s reply than it took flight, clearly afraid it 
was going to be sent outside again. 
Sirius’s letter was almost as short as the previous one. 
Be at stile at end of road out of Hogsmeade (past Dervish and Banges) at two o
’
clock on 
Saturday afternoon. Bring as much food as you can. 
“He hasn’t come back to Hogsmeade?” said Ron incredulously. 
“It looks like it, doesn’t it?” said Hermione. 
“I can’t believe him,” said Harry tensely, “if he’s caught…” 
“Made it so far, though, hasn’t he?” said Ron. “And it’s not like the place is swarming with 
dementors anymore.” 

---

Harry folded up the letter, thinking. If he was honest with himself, he really wanted to see Sirius 
again. He therefore approached the final lesson of the afternoon - double Potions - feeling 
considerably more cheerful than he usually did when descending the steps to the dungeons. 
Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were standing in a huddle outside the classroom door with Pansy 
Parkinson’s gang of Slytherin girls. All of them were looking at something Harry couldn’t see 
and sniggering heartily. Pansys pug-like face peered excitedly around Goyle’s broad back as 
Harry, Ron, and Hermione approached. 
“There they are, there they are!” she giggled, and the knot of Slytherins broke apart. Harry saw 
that Pansy had a magazine in her hands - Witch Weekly. The moving picture on the front showed 
a curly-haired witch who was smiling toothily and pointing at a large sponge cake with her 
wand. 
“You might find something to interest you in there, Granger!” Pansy said loudly, and she threw 
the magazine at Hermione, who caught it, looking startled. At that moment, the dungeon door 
opened, and Snape beckoned them all inside. 
Hermione, Harry, and Ron headed for a table at the back of the dungeon as usual. Once Snape 
had turned his back on them to write up the ingredients of todays potion on the blackboard, 
Hermione hastily rifled through the magazine under the desk. At last, in the center pages, 
Hermione found what they were looking for. 
Harry and Ron leaned in closer. A color photograph of Harry headed a short piece entitled: