|
On Thursday night, [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Harry Potter|Harry]] sneaks out of Gryffindor Tower with his Egg and heads for the Prefects Bathroom armed with his [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Magic/Invisibility Cloak|Invisibility Cloak]] and the [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Magic/Marauder's Map|Marauder's Map]] to avoid being [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Philosopher's Stone/Chapter 14|caught again]] by [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Argus Filch|Filch]] for breaking curfew. The bathroom is luxuriously decorated in white marble and contains stacks of fluffy towels and a pool-sized tub with hundreds of jeweled taps that spew many-colored bubbles. On the wall is a painting of a beautiful mermaid. Harry slips into the water and plays with the taps a bit before opening the Egg. It wails horribly. He slams it shut and is startled by [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Moaning Myrtle|Moaning Myrtle]], who suddenly appears, sitting on the tub's edge. She suggests putting the Egg in the water. Once submerged, a faint singing is heard. Dunking his head, Harry hears the Egg singing about something he will sorely miss that will be at the bottom of the lake. He will have only one hour to find it. Harry guesses that there are [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Magic/Merpeople|Merpeople]] in the lake, which Myrtle confirms. She is upset when Harry ponders how he will be able to breathe underwater.
Harry gathers the Egg and his other belongings and, covered by his cloak, heads back to Gryffindor tower. First he checks the Map, confirming no one is in the halls except [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Peeves|Peeves]]. HeSomeone then notices someoneis in [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Severus Snape|Professor Snape]]'s office: [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Bartemius Crouch Sr.|Bartemius Crouch]]. Harry wonders why Mr. Crouch would beis at Hogwarts so late, particularly as he is apparently ill and was unable to attend the Yule Ball. Harry decides to investigate, but concentrating on the map, his foot becomes trapped in the stairs' trick step, causing him to drop the Egg and the Marauder's Map. The open Egg isrolls wailing atdown the footstaircase ofand thestarts staircasewailing, summoning Filch who starts yellingyells at Peeves, assuming the Poltergeist stole a Champion's Egg. Snape arrives and dismisses Filch's accusations about Peeves, and claims someone broke into his office. It musthad haveto beenbe a wizard; Snape seals his dooroffice with a Charm preventingto prevent Peeves from entering. [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Alastor Moody|Professor Moody]] also appears. Heand is concerned that someone was in Snape's office. Moody's magical eye spots Harry under his Cloak, although he offers to go with Snape and investigate. Snape believes it was a student stealing potion ingredients. Moody wonders if Snape could be hiding something else, to which Snape retorts that Moody has already searched his office. Moody says that it is an [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Magic/Auror|Auror]]'s privilege. Although [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Albus Dumbledore|Dumbledore]] may have faith in Snape's loyalty, Moody is not the trusting sort. Moody dismisses Snape, causing Snape to bridle. Spying the Marauder's Map on the floor, Moody asks if Snape or Filch dropped something. Snape immediately recognizes it. Harry, under his Invisibility Cloak, gesticulates madly to let Moody know that it is his. Moody [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Magic/Accio|summons]] the map, and it slips through Snape's fingers over to him. Snape, furious, probes the air looking for Harry hiding under his cloak. Moody says nobody is there, although he thinks it curious how quickly Snape's thoughts turned to Harry. Detecting a threat, Snape departs. Filch, after protesting that the Egg is evidence, reluctantly hands it over to Moody and leaves.
MoodyThe ismap fascinatedfascinates byMoody, thewho map,is seemingly unable to keep either eye off it. He helps Harry from the trap step and asks if the map showed who was in Snape's office. Harry replies it was Mr. Crouch. Moody is amazed, and explains that Crouch is obsessed with catching Dark wizards, far more than Moody himself. Moody asks to borrow the map. Harry, deeply relieved he does not have to explain where he got it (and thereby implicate [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Fred and George Weasley|Fred and George]]), agrees. As he goes into his office, Moody suggests that Harry consider becoming an Auror. When Moody asks if Harry was just taking his Egg for a stroll, Harry says he was working out the clue. Later, Harry thinks he would like to see how badly scarred other Aurors are before choosing that career path.
== Analysis ==
|
