Those eyes || Harry J. Potter

The third task || XXXII

Chapter thirty-two
"The third task"
XXXII

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"Dumbledore reckons You-Know-Who's getting stronger again as well?" Ron whispered.

Everything Harry had seen in the Pensieve, nearly everything Dumbledore had told and shown him afterward, he had now shared with Ron, Ara, and Hermione — and, of course, with Sirius, to whom Harry had sent an owl the moment he had left Dumbledore's office.

Harry, Ron, Ara, and Hermione sat up late in the common room once again that night.

Ron stared into the common room fire.

"And he trusts Snape?" Ron said. "He really trusts Snape, even though he knows he was a Death Eater?"

"Yes," said Harry.

Ara was staring at the ceiling. Her father was a death eater. How had she not realized it earlier? She'd seen the mark on his arm when she was younger, but she thought nothing of it.

Hermione had not spoken for ten minutes. She was sitting with her forehead in her hands, staring at her knees. Harry thought she too looked as though she could have done with a Pensieve.

"Rita Skeeter," she muttered finally.

"How can you be worrying about her now?" said Ron, in utter disbelief.

"I'm not worrying about her," Hermione said to her knees. "I'm just thinking . . . remember what she said to me in the Three Broomsticks? 'I know things about Ludo Bagman that would make your hair curl.' This is what she meant, isn't it? She reported his trial, she knew he'd passed information to the Death Eaters. And Winky too, remember . . . 'Ludo Bagman's a bad wizard.' Mr. Crouch would have been furious he got off, he would have talked about it at home."

"Yeah, but Bagman didn't pass information on purpose, did he?" Hermione shrugged.

"And Fudge reckons Madame Maxime attacked Crouch?" Ron said, turning back to Harry.

"Yeah," said Harry, "but he's only saying that because Crouch disappeared near the Beauxbatons carriage."

"We never thought of her, did we?" said Ron slowly. "Mind you, she's definitely got giant blood, and she doesn't want to admit it —"

"Of course she doesn't," said Ara sharply, looking up. "Look what happened to Hagrid when Rita found out about his mother. Look at Fudge, jumping to conclusions about her, just because she's part giant. Who needs that sort of prejudice? I'd probably say I had big bones if I knew that's what I'd get for telling the truth."

Hermione looked at her watch. "We haven't done any practic- ing!" she said, looking shocked. "We were going to do the Impediment Curse! We'll have to really get down to it tomorrow! Come on, Harry, you need to get some sleep."

But Harry didn't go to sleep. He only pretended that he did, then sat by Ara on the common room couch when Ron and Hermione went to their dorms.

"Ara, I know we've practiced it multiple times, but can you help me go over stunning once more? I want to make sure I have it down." Harry crossed his legs, looking down at Ara, who had just looked up at Harry. Her eyes were even more beautiful in the firelight.

"Only a few times." Said Ara. "I don't feel like having bruises all over."

The two took all the pillows from the couches, laying them on the ground, then Ara braced herself.

"Ready?"
"Mhm," Ara squeaked.

"Petrificus Totalus," Harry waved his wand, and Ara landed on the pillows, making a loud thud. "Enervate!"