Several important things should be noted: one, Bartemius Crouch, who was too ill to attend the Yule Ball and sent [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Percy Weasley|Percy Weasley]] in his place, is apparently well enough to travel to Hogwarts and root through Snape's office. Another is the Egg and its song; solving the Egg's riddle only leads to yet another problem for Harry—how to breathe underwater for one hour. The Tournament is now only a few weeks away, and Harry's procrastination in solving the riddle has wasted much valuable time; he will need help and have to work especially hard if he is to solve this next crucial step in time.
Additionally, there is Professor Moody's odd behavior when he spots the Marauder's Map. He is intensely interested in it, staring fixedly at the parchment when he realizes what it is, and then borrowing it from Harry. Just as [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Remus Lupin|ProcessorProfessor Lupin]] had in [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Prisoner of Azkaban/Chapter 14|''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'']], Moody's timely intervention here prevents Snape from punishing Harry. Here Moody shows his unconventional personality, and, as he has previously demonstrated, he is far less concerned about rule breaking than either Filch or Snape. This trait has helped make him a popular teacher, although his actions here may have as much to do with his ongoing enmity with Snape as it does with protecting Harry. Also like Lupin, Moody prevented Snape from confiscating the Marauder's Map, scooping it from his grasp with the Summoning spell. Some readers may wonder why Harry did not do the same; he had his wand, attempting to blank the map with it when Filch appeared. It seems likely that Harry, with the Egg screaming and Filch rapidly approaching, may simply have panicked. One can imagine the words "Why didn't I remember that?" flashing across Harry's mind when Moody used the Summoning charm. This particular charm had proved especially difficult for Harry to learn, however, and he may still be having some trouble casting it, particularly under duress. Harry's gratitude to Moody is such that he readily agrees to loan him the map, although Harry is probably wondering just why and how Moody intends to use it.
