Chapter 37 Summary

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No: HPFGUIDX 16143

Chapter 37 Summary

The chapter begins with a flash forward. Harry looks back on his 
meeting with Cedric's parents. They do not blame him for Cedric's death 
and refuse to accept any of the Triwizard Gold.

Having distanced us a little, the narration picks up with  Harry's 
return to Gryffindor Tower. On Dumbledore's orders, the other students 
leave Harry alone. Molly has asked if Harry could go straight to the 
Weasley's for the summer, but Dumbledore has refused.

The only person Harry feels able to talk to is Hagrid. The trio visit 
Hagrid together, and discover that he is unworried. Dumbledore will be 
able to take care of everything. "What's comin' will come, an' we'll 
meet it when it does," Hagrid says. He's evasive about his plans for 
the summer, and about his relationship with Madame Maxime. 

At the Leaving Feast, Harry  notes that the real Mad Eye Moody is 
extremely twitchy, that Karkaroff is gone, that Madame Maxime is 
talking to Hagrid. But what fascinates him is Professor Snape, whose 
expression is "difficult to read." Harry wonders again how Dumbledore 
can be so sure of Snape, and whether Snape has, on Dumbledore's orders, 
taken up his role as a spy once more.

Dumbledore gives a speech, announcing that Voldemort has returned and 
is responsible for Cedric's death. Amid the stunned horror that fills 
the black-draped hall , three students don't look shocked at all: 
Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. A "hot sick swoop of anger" hits Harry in the 
stomach and he forces himself to turn away.  Dumbledore asks them all 
to raise their glasses again, this time to Harry. Dumbledore does not 
see that many of the Slytherin students refuse.

As the students say their farewells in front of the castle,  Krum gets 
a final word with Hermione.  Ron finally  asks Krum for his autograph. 

Once on the train, Harry finally opens up. It isn't until after lunch 
that Hermione drops her bombshell: Rita Skeeter is an unregistered 
animagus.  Hermione has trapped her in beetle form and imprisoned her  
in a jar.  Rita has just gone back into Hermione's bag when three 
unwelcome guests invade their compartment: Draco and his stooges. Harry 
orders them to get out. 

Draco's tauntings (or warnings) are broken off by a blast of spells 
from every direction,  as the trio go on the attack, joined by Fred and 
George who zap the Slytherins from behind.

Our Heroes push the unconscious bodies of their foes out into the 
corridor and settle down for some games of exploding Snap. Fred and 
George finally reveal that Ludo Bagman stiffed them out of their life 
savings.

When they arrrive in London,  Harry hangs back for a word with Fred and 
George. He insists that they use his Triwizard winnings for the joke 
shop (and some dress robes for Ron) cautioning them not to let Ron or 
Molly know how they got the money.

And now comes the moment that launched a thousand Ships. Hermione 
kisses Harry on the cheek. A friendly gesture? The surfacing of a 
secret crush?  Harry gets into the Dursley's car resolving to meet the 
future unworried. What will come will come(but not until May 2002 at 
last report.)

QUESTIONS:
Voldemort's return is the scoop of the century. Is Hermione naive to 
think Rita Skeeter will keep her end of the bargain and not publish for 
an entire year? Hermione is now a kidnapper. Isn't that worse than 
anything Rita has done?

Draco and his group don't even have their wands out when they are 
surrounded and attacked. Are we  to approve of Fred and George 
attacking from behind? Was the reaction of Harry and his friends 
justified? Will they be receiving owls from the Improper Use of Magic 
Office? Or will they be fined by the Department of Magical 
Transportation for cursing while on a public conveyance? :)

Emphasis is laid on Dumbledore's fallibility in this chapter. He misses 
the renegade Slytherins because he has "no magical eye", underlining 
his failure to spot the false Moody. Ron speaks "darkly" of 
Dumbledore's unknown reasons for keeping Harry at the Dursleys. Harry 
wonders about Dumbledore's confidence in Snape. Is the stage being set 
for a falling out between Harry and Dumbledore, or between Harry and 
Hagrid, whose confidence in Dumbledore is unwavering?