Timing of Crouch's escape (was Eagle owls)

[Cindy C.]

No: HPFGUIDX 30568

Amy wrote:

<snip chronology that once again proves Amy's rather impressive 
L.O.O.N. credentials> 

I'm not following you guys.  Why are we sure that the eagle owl is 
arriving with a message instead of being sent to deliver a message?  
The text is:

"An eagle owl flew through the coil of smoke rising from Hagrid's 
chimney; it soared toward the castle, around the Owlery, and out of 
sight."

Yes, the owl could have gone into the Owlery or castle after it flew 
out of sight.  But if it were delivering a message to someone in the 
castle, wouldn't it deliver the message right away and go straight 
into the castle without the detour around the Owlery?  If it were 
going to rest in the Owlery first and then deliver the message in the 
morning, why doesn't it go straight into the Owlery?

If the owl is in fact being sent from the grounds to deliver a 
message, who sent it and what's the message?  Hard to say.  The 
events right before the appearance of the eagle owl are (working 
backward):

Conversation with Dobby and Winky in the kitchens
Visit with Sirius in the cave
Karkaroff showing Snape his Dark Mark in Potions class
Harry's performance in the Second Task

Is Karkaroff sending an owl to someone about the appearance of the 
dark mark on his arm?  Doesn't seem likely.  Is Moody sending an owl 
to Voldemort informing him that Harry survivied the Second Task?  
That makes some sense, although I am unsure how many days pass 
between the completion of the Second Task and the eagle owl's 
appearance.  Can we find a way to implicate Bagman?  <vbg>

Cindy (expecting to be shot down by something really obvious that she 
missed)