Harry Potter 04 - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

department’s quite satisfied – the hitch with the Goblet of Fire’ – he glanced at Harry – ‘was a little unfortunate, of course, but it seems to have gone very smoothly since, don’t you think?’
    ‘Oh, yes,’ Bagman said cheerfully, ‘it’s all been enormous fun. How’s old Barty doing? Shame he couldn’t come.’
    ‘Oh, I’m sure Mr Crouch will be up and about in no time,’ said Percy importantly, ‘but in the meantime, I’m more than willing to take up the slack. Of course, it’s not all attending balls –’ he laughed airily – ‘oh, no, I’ve had to deal with all sorts of things that have cropped up in his absence – you heard Ali Bashir was caught smuggling a consignment of flying carpets into the country? And then we’ve been trying to persuade the Transylvanians to sign the International Ban on Duelling, I’ve got a meeting with their Head of Magical Co-operation in the new year –’
    ‘Let’s go for a walk,’ Ron muttered to Harry, ‘get away from Percy …’
    Pretending they wanted more drinks, Harry and Ron left the table, edged around the dance floor and slipped out into the Entrance Hall. The front doors stood open, and the fluttering fairy lights in the rose garden winked and twinkled as they went down the front steps, where they found themselves surrounded by bushes, winding ornamental paths, and large stone statues. Harry could hear splashing water, which sounded like a fountain. Here and there, people were sitting on carved benches. He and Ron set off along one of the winding paths through the rose bushes, but they had gone only a short way when they heard an unpleasantly familiar voice.
    ‘… don’t see what there is to fuss about, Igor.’
    ‘Severus, you cannot pretend this isn’t happening!’ Karkaroff’s voice sounded anxious and hushed, as though keen not to be overheard. ‘It’s been getting clearer and clearer for months, I am becoming seriously concerned, I can’t deny it –’
    ‘Then flee,’ said Snape’s voice curtly. ‘Flee, I will make your excuses. I, however, am remaining at Hogwarts.’
    Snape and Karkaroff came around the corner. Snape had his wand out, and was blasting rose bushes apart, his expression most ill-natured. Squeals issued from many of the bushes, and dark shapes emerged from them.
    ‘Ten points from Hufflepuff, Fawcett!’ Snape snarled, as a girl ran past him. ‘And ten points from Ravenclaw, too, Stebbins!’ as a boy went rushing after her. ‘And what are you two doing?’ he added, catching sight of Harry and Ron on the path ahead. Karkaroff, Harry saw, looked slightly discomposed to see them standing there. His hand went nervously to his goatee, and he began winding it around his finger again.
    ‘We’re walking,’ Ron told Snape shortly. ‘Not against the law, is it?’
    ‘Keep walking, then!’ Snape snarled, and he brushed past them, his long black cloak billowing out behind him. Karkaroff hurried away after Snape. Harry and Ron continued down the path.
    ‘What’s got Karkaroff all worried?’ Ron muttered.
    ‘And since when have he and Snape been on first-name terms?’ said Harry slowly.
    They had reached a large stone reindeer now, over which they could see the sparkling jets of a tall fountain. The shadowy outlines of two enormous people were visible on a stone bench, watching the water in the moonlight. And then Harry heard Hagrid speak.
    ‘Momen’ I saw yeh, I knew,’ he was saying, in an oddly husky voice.
    Harry and Ron froze. This didn’t sound like the sort of scene they ought to walk in on, somehow … Harry looked around, back up the path, and saw Fleur Delacour and Roger Davies standing half-concealed in a rose bush nearby. He tapped Ron on the shoulder and jerked his head towards them, meaning that they could easily sneak off that way without being noticed (Fleur and Davies looked very busy to Harry) but Ron, eyes widening in horror at the sight of Fleur, shook his head vigorously, and pulled Harry deeper into the shadows behind the reindeer.
    ‘What did you know, ’Agrid?’ said Madame Maxime, a distinct purr in her low voice.
    Harry definitely didn’t want to listen to this; he knew Hagrid would hate to be overheard in a situation like this (he certainly would have done) – if it had been possible he would have put his fingers in his ears and hummed loudly, but that wasn’t really an option. Instead he tried to interest himself in a beetle crawling along the stone