text:
One of the best things about the aftermath of the second task was that everybody was very keen to hear details of what had happened down in the lake, which meant that Ron was getting to share Harry's limelight for once. Harry noticed that Ron's version of events changed subtly with every retelling. At first, he gave what seemed to be the truth; it tallied with Hermione's story, anyway - Dumbledore had put all the hostages into a bewitched sleep in Professor McGonagall's office, first assuring them that they would be quite safe, and would awake when they were back above the water. One week later, however, Ron was telling a thrilling tale of kidnap in which he struggled single-handedly against fifty heavily armed merpeople who had to beat him into submission before tying him up.
"But I had my wand hidden up my sleeve," he assured Padma Patil, who seemed to be a lot keener on Ron now that he was getting so much attention and was making a point of talking to him every time they passed in the corridors. "I could've taken those mer-idiots any time I wanted. "
"What were you going to do, snore at them?" said Hermione waspishly. People had been teasing her so much about being the thing that Viktor Krum would most miss that she was in a rather tetchy mood.
Ron's ears went red, and thereafter, he reverted to the bewitched sleep version of events.
As they entered March the weather became drier, but cruel winds skinned their hands and faces every time they went out onto the grounds. There were delays in the post because the owls kept being blown off course. The brown owl that Harry had sent to Sirius with the dates of the Hogsmeade weekend turned up at breakfast on Friday morning with half its feathers sticking up the wrong way; Harry had no sooner torn off Sirius's reply than it took flight, clearly afraid it was going to be sent outside again.
Sirius's letter was almost as short as the previous one.
"He hasn't come back to Hogsmeade?" said Ron incredulously.
"It looks like it, doesn't it?" said Hermione.
"I can't believe him," said Harry tensely, "if he's caught. . . "
"Made it so far, though, hasn't he?" said Ron. "And it's not like the place is swarming with dementors anymore. "
Harry folded up the letter, thinking. If he was honest with himself, he really wanted to see Sirius again. He therefore approached the final lesson of the afternoon - double Potions - feeling considerably more cheerful than he usually did when descending the steps to the dungeons.
Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were standing in a huddle outside the classroom door with Pansy Parkinson's gang of Slytherin girls. All of them were looking at something Harry couldn't see and sniggering heartily. Pansys pug-like face peered excitedly around Goyle's broad back as Harry, Ron, and Hermione approached.
"There they are, there they are!" she giggled, and the knot of Slytherins broke apart. Harry saw that Pansy had a magazine in her hands - Witch Weekly. The moving picture on the front showed a curly-haired witch who was smiling toothily and pointing at a large sponge cake with her wand.
"You might find something to interest you in there, Granger!" Pansy said loudly, and she threw the magazine at Hermione, who caught it, looking startled. At that moment, the dungeon door opened, and Snape beckoned them all inside.
Miss Granger, a plain but ambitious girl, seems to have a taste for famous wizards that Harry alone cannot satisfy. Since the arrival at Hogwarts of Viktor Krum, Bulgarian Seeker and hero of the last World Quidditch Cup, Miss Granger has been toying with both boys' affections. Krum, who is openly smitten with the devious Miss Granger, has already invited her to visit him in Bulgaria over the summer holidays, and insists that he has "never felt this way about any other girl. "
However, it might not be Miss Granger's doubtful natural charms that have captured these unfortunate boys' interest.
"She's really ugly," says Pansy Parkinson, a pretty and vivacious fourth-year student, "but she'd be well up to making a Love Potion, she's quite brainy. I think that's how she's doing it. "
"I told you!" Ron hissed at Hermione as she stared down at the article. "I told you not to annoy Rita Skeeter! She's made you out to be some sort of- of scarlet woman!"
Hermione stopped looking astonished and snorted with laughter. "Scarlet woman?" she repeated, shaking with suppressed giggles as she looked around at Ron.
"If that's the best Rita can do, she's losing her touch," said Hermione, still giggling, as she threw Witch Weekly onto the empty chair beside her. "What a pile of old rubbish. "
"There's something funny, though," said Hermione ten minutes later, holding her pestle suspended over a bowl of scarab beetles. "How could Rita Skeeter have known. . . ?"
"Don't be stupid," Hermione snapped, starting to pound up her beetles again. "No, it's just. . . how did she know Viktor asked me to visit him over the summer?"
"What?" said Ron, dropping his pestle with a loud clunk.
"He asked me right after he'd pulled me out of the lake. "
Hermione muttered. "After he'd got rid of his shark's head. Madam Pomfrey gave us both blankets and then he sort of pulled me away from the judges so they wouldn't hear, and he said, if I wasn't doing anything over the summer, would I like to -"
"And he did say he'd never felt the same way about anyone else," Hermione went on, going so red now that Harry could almost feel the heat coming from her, "but how could Rita Skeeter have heard him? She wasn't there. . . or was she? Maybe she has got an Invisibility Cloak; maybe she sneaked onto the grounds to watch the second task. . . . "
"Well, I was too busy seeing whether you and Harry were okay to -"
"Fascinating though your social life undoubtedly is. Miss Granger," said an icy voice right behind them, and all three of them jumped, "I must ask you not to discuss it in my class. Ten points from Gryffindor. "
"Ah. . . reading magazines under the table as well?" Snape added, snatching up the copy of Witch Weekly. "A further ten points from Gryffindor. . . oh but of course. . . " Snape's black eyes glittered as they fell on Rita Skeeter's article. "Potter has to keep up with his press cuttings. . . . "
The dungeon rang with the Slytherins' laughter, and an unpleasant smile curled Snape's thin mouth. To Harry's fury, he began to read the article aloud.
"'Harry Potter's Secret Heartache. . . dear, dear. Potter, what's ailing you now? 'A boy like no other, perhaps. . . '"
"'. . . Harry Potter's well-wishers must hope that, next time, he bestows his heart upon a worthier candidate. ' How very touching," sneered Snape, rolling up the magazine to continued gales of laughter from the Slytherins. "Well, I think I had better separate the three of you, so you can keep your minds on your potions rather than on your tangled love lives. Weasley, you stay here. Miss Granger, over there, beside Miss Parkinson. Potter - that table in front of my desk. Move. Now. "
"All this press attention seems to have inflated your already over-large head. Potter," said Snape quietly, once the rest of the class had settled down again.
"You might be laboring under the delusion that the entire wizarding world is impressed with you," Snape went on, so quietly that no one else could hear him (Harry continued to pound his scarab beetles, even though he had already reduced them to a very fine powder), "but I don't care how many times your picture appears in the papers. To me. Potter, you are nothing but a nasty little boy who considers rules to be beneath him. "
"So I give you fair warning, Potter," Snape continued in a sorter and more dangerous voice, "pint-sized celebrity or not - if I catch you breaking into my office one more time -"
"Don't lie to me," Snape hissed, his fathomless black eyes boring into Harry's. "Boomslang skin. Gillyweed. Both come from my private stores, and I know who stole them. "
"You were out of bed on the night my office was broken into!" Snape hissed. "I know it. Potter! Now, Mad-Eye Moody might have joined your fan club, but I will not tolerate your behavior! One more nighttime stroll into my office, Potter, and you will pay!"
"Right," said Harry coolly, turning back to his ginger roots. "I'll bear that in mind if I ever get the urge to go in there. "
"Do you know what this is. Potter?" Snape said, his eyes glittering dangerously again.
"No," said Harry, with complete honesty this time.
"It is Veritaserum - a Truth Potion so powerful that three drops would have you spilling your innermost secrets for this entire class to hear," said Snape viciously. "Now, the use of this potion is controlled by very strict Ministry guidelines. But unless you watch your step, you might just find that my hand slips" - he shook the crystal bottle slightly - "right over your evening pumpkin juice. And then. Potter. . . then we'll find out whether you've been in my office or not. "
Harry said nothing. He turned back to his ginger roots once more, picked up his knife, and started slicing them again. He didn't like the sound of that Truth Potion at all, nor would he put it past Snape to slip him some. He repressed a shudder at the thought of what might come spilling out of his mouth if Snape did it. . . quite apart from landing a whole lot of people in trouble - Hermione and Dobby for a start - there were all the other things he was concealing. . . like the fact that he was in contact with Sirius. . . and - his insides squirmed at the thought - how he felt about Cho. . . . He tipped his ginger roots into the cauldron too, and wondered whether he ought to take a leaf out of Moody's book and start drinking only from a private hip flask.
"Enter," said Snape in his usual voice.
"We need to talk," said Karkaroff abruptly when he had reached Snape. He seemed so determined that nobody should hear what he was saying that he was barely opening his lips; it was as though he were a rather poor ventriloquist. Harry kept his eyes on his ginger roots, listening hard.
"I'll talk to you after my lesson, Karkaroff," Snape muttered, but Karkaroff interrupted him.
"I want to talk now, while you can't slip off, Severus. You've been avoiding me. "
"After the lesson," Snape snapped.
"What's so urgent?" he heard Snape hiss at Karkaroff.
"This," said Karkaroff, and Harry, peering around the edge of his cauldron, saw Karkaroff pull up the left-hand sleeve of his robe and show Snape something on his inner forearm.
"Well?" said Karkaroff, still making every effort not to move his lips. "Do you see? It's never been this clear, never since -"
"Put it away!" snarled Snape, his black eyes sweeping the classroom.
"But you must have noticed -" Karkaroff began in an agitated voice.
"We can talk later, Karkaroff!" spat Snape. "Potter! What are you doing?"
"Clearing up my armadillo bile, Professor," said Harry innocently, straightening up and showing Snape the sodden rag he was holding.
Harry had never been in this direction before. The winding lane was leading them out into the wild countryside around Hogsmeade. The cottages were fewer here, and their gardens larger; they were walking toward the foot of the mountain in whose shadow Hogsmeade lay. Then they turned a corner and saw a stile at the end of the lane. Waiting for them, its front paws on the topmost bar, was a very large, shaggy black dog, which was carrying some newspapers in its mouth and looking very familiar. . . .
"Hello, Sirius," said Harry when they had reached him.
"Chicken!" he said hoarsely after removing the old Daily Prophets from his mouth and throwing them down onto the cave floor.
"Thanks," said Sirius, opening it, grabbing a drumstick, sitting down on the cave floor, and tearing off a large chunk with his teeth. "I've been living off rats mostly. Can't steal too much food from Hogsmeade; I'd draw attention to myself. "
"What're you doing here, Sirius?" he said.
"Fulfilling my duty as godfather," said Sirius, gnawing on the chicken bone in a very doglike way. "Don't worry about it, I'm pretending to be a lovable stray. "
He was still grinning, but seeing the anxiety in Harry's face, said more seriously, "I want to be on the spot. Your last letter. . . well, let's just say things are getting fishier. I've been stealing the paper every time someone throws one out, and by the looks of things, I'm not the only one who's getting worried. "
"What if they catch you? What if you're seen?"
"You three and Dumbledore are the only ones around here who know I'm an Animagus," said Sirius, shrugging, and continuing to devour the chicken leg.
Harry scanned the story about Crouch. Phrases jumped out at him: hasn't been seen in public since November. . . house appears deserted. . . St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries decline comment. . . Ministry refuses to confirm rumors of critical illness. . . .
"They're making it sound like he's dying," said Harry slowly. "But he can't be that ill if he managed to get up here. . . . "
"My brothers Crouch's personal assistant," Ron informed Sirius. "He says Crouch is suffering from overwork. "
"Mind you, he did look ill, last time I saw him up close," said Harry slowly, still reading the story. "The night my name came out of the goblet. . . . "
"Getting his comeuppance for sacking Winky, isn't he?" said Hermione, an edge to her voice. She was stroking Buckbeak, who was crunching up Sirius's chicken bones. "I bet he wishes he hadn't done it now - bet he feels the difference now she's not there to look after him. "
"Hermione's obsessed with house-elfs," Ron muttered to Sirius, casting Hermione a dark look. Sirius, however, looked interested.
"Yeah, at the Quidditch World Cup," said Harry, and he launched into the story of the Dark Mark's appearance, and Winky being found with Harry's wand clutched in her hand, and Mr. Crouch's fury. When Harry had finished, Sirius was on his feet again and had started pacing up and down the cave.
"Let me get this straight," he said after a while, brandishing a fresh chicken leg. "You first saw the elfin the Top Box. She was saving Crouch a seat, right?"
"Right," said Harry, Ron, and Hermione together.
"But Crouch didn't turn up for the match?"
"No," said Harry. "I think he said he'd been too busy. "
Sirius paced all around the cave in silence. Then he said, "Harry, did you check your pockets for your wand after you'd left the Top Box?"
"Erm. . . " Harry thought hard. "No," he said finally. "I didn't need to use it before we got in the forest. And then I put my hand in my pocket, and all that was in there were my Omnioculars. " He stared at Sirius. "Are you saying whoever conjured the Mark stole my wand in the Top Box?"
"Winky didn't steal that wand!" Hermione insisted.
"The elf wasn't the only one in that box," said Sirius, his brow furrowed as he continued to pace. "Who else was sitting behind you?"
"Loads of people," said Harry. "Some Bulgarian ministers. . . Cornelius Fudge. . . the Malfoys. . . "
"The Malfoys!" said Ron suddenly, so loudly that his voice echoed all around the cave, and Buckbeak tossed his head nervously. "I bet it was Lucius Malfoy!"
"Yes, there was, there was Ludo Bagman," Hermione reminded him.
"I don't know anything about Bagman except that he used to be Beater for the Wimbourne Wasps," said Sirius, still pacing. "What's he like?"
"He's okay," said Harry. "He keeps offering to help me with the Triwizard Tournament. "
"Does he, now?" said Sirius, frowning more deeply. "I wonder why he'd do that?"
"Says he's taken a liking to me," said Harry.
"Hmm," said Sirius, looking thoughtful.
"We saw him in the forest just before the Dark Mark appeared," Hermione told Sirius. "Remember?" she said to Harry and Ron.
"Yeah, but he didn't stay in the forest, did he?" said Ron. "The moment we told him about the riot, he went off to the campsite. "
"How d'you know?" Hermione shot back. "How d'you know where he Disapparated to?"
"Come off it," said Ron incredulously. "Are you saying you reckon Ludo Bagman conjured the Dark Mark?"
"It's more likely he did it than Winky," said Hermione stubbornly.
"Told you," said Ron, looking meaningfully at Sirius, "told you she's obsessed with house -"
"When the Dark Mark had been conjured, and the elf had been discovered holding Harry's wand, what did Crouch do?"
"Went to look in the bushes," said Harry, "but there wasn't anyone else there. "
"Of course," Sirius muttered, pacing up and down, "of course, he'd want to pin it on anyone but his own elf. . . and then he sacked her?"
"Yes," said Hermione in a heated voice, "he sacked her, just because she hadn't stayed in her tent and let herself get trampled -"
"Hermione, will you give it a rest with the elf!" said Ron.
Sirius shook his head and said, "She's got the measure of Crouch better than you have, Ron. If you want to know what a mans like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals. "
"All these absences of Barty Crouch's. . . he goes to the trouble of making sure his house-elf saves him a seat at the Quidditch World Cup, but doesn't bother to turn up and watch. He works very hard to reinstate the Triwizard Tournament, and then stops coming to that too. . . . It's not like Crouch. If he's ever taken a day off work because of illness before this, I'll eat Buckbeak. "
"D'you know Crouch, then?" said Harry.
"Oh I know Crouch all right," he said quietly. "He was the one who gave the order for me to be sent to Azkaban - without a trial. "
"No, I'm not," said Sirius, taking another great bite of chicken. "Crouch used to be Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, didn't you know?"
"He was tipped for the next Minister of Magic," said Sirius. "He's a great wizard, Barty Crouch, powerfully magical - and power-hungry. Oh never a Voldemort supporter," he said, reading the look on Harry's face. "No, Barty Crouch was always very outspoken against the Dark Side. But then a lot of people who were against the Dark Side. . . well, you wouldn't understand. . . you're too young. . . . "
"That's what my dad said at the World Cup," said Ron, with a trace of irritation in his voice. "Try us, why don't you?"
"All right, I'll try you. . . . " He walked once up the cave, back again, and then said, "Imagine that Voldemort's powerful now. You don't know who his supporters are, you don't know who's working for him and who isn't; you know he can control people so that they do terrible things without being able to stop themselves. You're scared for yourself, and your family, and your friends. Every week, news comes of more deaths, more disappearances, more torturing. . . the Ministry of Magic's in disarray, they don't know what to do, they're trying to keep everything hidden from the Muggles, but meanwhile, Muggles are dying too. Terror everywhere. . . panic. . . confusion. . . that's how it used to be.
"Well, times like that bring out the best in some people and the worst in others. Crouch's principles might've been good in the beginning - I wouldn't know. He rose quickly through the Ministry, and he started ordering very harsh measures against Voldemort's supporters. The Aurors were given new powers - powers to kill rather than capture, for instance. And I wasn't the only one who was handed straight to the dementors without trial. Crouch fought violence with violence, and authorized the use of the Unforgivable Curses against suspects. I would say he became as ruthless and cruel as many on the Dark Side. He had his supporters, mind you - plenty of people thought he was going about things the right way, and there were a lot of witches and wizards clamoring for him to take over as Minister of Magic. When Voldemort disappeared, it looked like only a matter of time until Crouch got the top job. But then something rather unfortunate happened. . . . " Sirius smiled grimly. "Crouch's own son was caught with a group of Death Eaters who'd managed to talk their way out of Azkaban. Apparently they were trying to find Voldemort and return him to power. "
"Crouch's son was caught?" gasped Hermione.
"Yep," said Sirius, throwing his chicken bone to Buckbeak, flinging himself back down on the ground beside the loaf of bread, and tearing it in half. "Nasty little shock for old Barty, I'd I magine. Should have spent a bit more time at home with his family, shouldn't he? Ought to have left the office early once in a while. . . gotten to know his own son. "
"Was his son a Death Eater?" said Harry.
"No idea," said Sirius, still stuffing down bread. "I was in Azkaban myself when he was brought in. This is mostly stuff I've found out since I got out. The boy was definitely caught in the company of people I'd bet my life were Death Eaters - but he might have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, just like the house-elf. "
"Did Crouch try and get his son off?" Hermione whispered.
"Crouch let his son off? I thought you had the measure of him, Hermione! Anything that threatened to tarnish his reputation had to go; he had dedicated his whole life to becoming Minister of Magic. You saw him dismiss a devoted house-elf because she associated him with the Dark Mark again - doesn't that tell you what he's like? Crouch's fatherly affection stretched just far enough to give his son a trial, and by all accounts, it wasn't much more than an excuse for Crouch to show how much he hated the boy. . . then he sent him straight to Azkaban. "
"He gave his own son to the dementors?" asked Harry quietly.
"That's right," said Sirius, and he didn't look remotely amused now. "I saw the dementors bringing him in, watched them through the bars in my cell door. He can't have been more than nineteen. They took him into a cell near mine. He was screaming for his mother by nightfall. He went quiet after a few days, though. . . they all went quiet in the end. . . except when they shrieked in their sleep. . . . "
"So he's still in Azkaban?" Harry said.
"No," said Sirius dully. "No, he's not in there anymore. He died about a year after they brought him in. "
"He wasn't the only one," said Sirius bitterly. "Most go mad in there, and plenty stop eating in the end. They lose the will to live. You could always tell when a death was coming, because the dementors could sense it, they got excited. That boy looked pretty sickly when he arrived. Crouch being an important Ministry member, he and his wife were allowed a deathbed visit. That was the last time I saw Barty Crouch, half carrying his wife past my cell. She died herself, apparently, shortly afterward. Grief. Wasted away just like the boy. Crouch never came for his son's body. The dementors buried him outside the fortress; I watched them do it. "
"So old Crouch lost it all, just when he thought he had it made," he continued, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "One moment, a hero, poised to become Minister of Magic. . . next, his son dead, his wife dead, the family name dishonored, and, so I've heard since I escaped, a big drop in popularity. Once the boy had died, people started feeling a bit more sympathetic toward the son and started asking how a nice young lad from a good family had gone so badly astray. The conclusion was that his father never cared much for him. So Cornelius Fudge got the top job, and Crouch was shunted sideways into the Department of International Magical Cooperation. "
"Moody says Crouch is obsessed with catching Dark wizards," Harry told Sirius.
"Yeah, I've heard it's become a bit of a mania with him," said Sirius, nodding. "If you ask me, he still thinks he can bring back the old popularity by catching one more Death Eater. "
"And he sneaked up here to search Snape's office!" said Ron triumphantly, looking at Hermione.
"Yes, and that doesn't make sense at all," said Sirius.
"Yeah, it does!" said Ron excitedly, but Sirius shook his head.
"Listen, if Crouch wants to investigate Snape, why hasn't he been coming to judge the tournament? It would be an ideal excuse to make regular visits to Hogwarts and keep an eye on him. "
"So you think Snape could be up to something, then?" asked Harry, but Hermione broke in.
"Look, I don't care what you say, Dumbledore trusts Snape -"
"Oh give it a rest, Hermione," said Ron impatiently. "I know Dumbledores brilliant and everything, but that doesn't mean a really clever Dark wizard couldn't fool him -"
"Why did Snape save Harry's life in the first year, then? Why didn't he just let him die?"
"I dunno - maybe he thought Dumbledore would kick him out-"
"What d'you think, Sirius?" Harry said loudly, and Ron and Hermione stopped bickering to listen.
"I think they've both got a point," said Sirius, looking thoughtfully at Ron and Hermione. "Ever since I found out Snape was teaching here, I've wondered why Dumbledore hired him. Snape's always been fascinated by the Dark Arts, he was famous for it at school. Slimy, oily, greasy-haired kid, he was," Sirius added, and Harry and Ron grinned at each other. "Snape knew more curses when he arrived at school than half the kids in seventh year, and he was part of a gang of Slytherins who nearly all turned out to be Death Eaters. "
"Rosier and Wilkes - they were both killed by Aurors the year before Voldemort fell. The Lestranges - they're a married couple - they're in Azkaban. Avery - from what I've heard he wormed his way out of trouble by saying he'd been acting under the Imperius Curse - he's still at large. But as far as I know, Snape was never even accused of being a Death Eater - not that that means much. Plenty of them were never caught. And Snape's certainly clever and cunning enough to keep himself out of trouble. "
"Snape knows Karkaroff pretty well, but he wants to keep that quiet," said Ron.
"Yeah, you should've seen Snape's face when Karkaroff turned up in Potions yesterday!" said Harry quickly. "Karkaroff wanted to talk to Snape, he says Snape's been avoiding him. Karkaroff looked really worried. He showed Snape something on his arm, but I couldn't see what it was. "
He showed Snape something on his arm?" said Sirius, looking frankly bewildered. He ran his fingers distractedly through his filthy hair, then shrugged again. "Well, I've no idea what that's about. . . but if Karkaroff's genuinely worried, and he's going to Snape for answers. . . "
"There's still the fact that Dumbledore trusts Snape, and I know Dumbledore trusts where a lot of other people wouldn't, but I just can't see him letting Snape teach at Hogwarts if he'd ever worked for Voldemort. "
"Why are Moody and Crouch so keen to get into Snape's office then?" said Ron stubbornly.
"Well," said Sirius slowly, "I wouldn't put it past Mad-Eye to have searched every single teacher's office when he got to Hogwarts. He takes his Defense Against the Dark Arts seriously, Moody. I'm not sure he trusts anyone at all, and after the things he's seen, it's not surprising. I'll say this for Moody, though, he never killed if he could help it. Always brought people in alive where possible. He was tough, but he never descended to the level of the Death Eaters. Crouch, though. . . he's a different matter. . . is he really ill? If he is, why did he make the effort to drag himself up to Snape's office? And if he's not. . . what's he up to? What was he doing at the World Cup that was so important he didn't turn up in the Top Box? What's he been doing while he should have been judging the tournament?"
"You say your brother's Crouch's personal assistant? Any chance you could ask him if he's seen Crouch lately?"
"I can try," said Ron doubtfully. "Better not make it sound like I reckon Crouch is up to anything dodgy, though. Percy loves Crouch. "
"And you might try and find out whether they've got any leads on Bertha Jorkins while you're at it," said Sirius, gesturing to the second copy of the Daily Prophet.
"Bagman told me they hadn't," said Harry.
"Yes, he's quoted in the article in there," said Sirius, nodding at the paper. "Blustering on about how bad Bertha's memory is. Well, maybe she's changed since I knew her, but the Bertha I knew wasn't forgetful at all - quite the reverse. She was a bit dim, but she had an excellent memory for gossip. It used to get her into a lot of trouble; she never knew when to keep her mouth shut. I can see her being a bit of a liability at the Ministry of Magic. . . maybe that's why Bagman didn't bother to look for her for so long. . . . "
"It's half past three," said Hermione.
"You'd better get back to school," Sirius said, getting to his feet. "Now listen. . . " He looked particularly hard at Harry. "I don't want you lot sneaking out of school to see me, all right? Just send notes to me here. I still want to hear about anything odd. But you're not to go leaving Hogwarts without permission; it would be an ideal opportunity for someone to attack you. "
"No one's tried to attack me so far, except a dragon and a couple of grindylows," Harry said, but Sirius scowled at him.
"I don't care. . . I'll breathe freely again when this tournament's over, and that's not until June. And don't forget, if you're talking about me among yourselves, call me Snuffles, okay?"
He handed Harry the empty napkin and flask and went to pat Buckbeak good-bye. "I'll walk to the edge of the village with you," said Sirius, "see if I can scrounge another paper. "
"Wonder if Percy knows all that stuff about Crouch?" Ron said as they walked up the drive to the castle. "But maybe he doesn't care. . . It'd probably just make him admire Crouch even more. Yeah, Percy loves rules. He'd just say Crouch was refusing to break them for his own son. "
"Percy would never throw any of his family to the dementors," said Hermione severely.
"I don't know," said Ron. "If he thought we were standing in the way of his career. . . Percy's really ambitious, you know. . . . "
"Poor old Snuffles," said Ron, breathing deeply. "He must really like you. Harry. . . . Imagine having to live off rats. "

lowercased:
one of the best things about the aftermath of the second task was that everybody was very keen to hear details of what had happened down in the lake, which meant that ron was getting to share harry's limelight for once. harry noticed that ron's version of events changed subtly with every retelling. at first, he gave what seemed to be the truth; it tallied with hermione's story, anyway - dumbledore had put all the hostages into a bewitched sleep in professor mcgonagall's office, first assuring them that they would be quite safe, and would awake when they were back above the water. one week later, however, ron was telling a thrilling tale of kidnap in which he struggled single-handedly against fifty heavily armed merpeople who had to beat him into submission before tying him up.
"but i had my wand hidden up my sleeve," he assured padma patil, who seemed to be a lot keener on ron now that he was getting so much attention and was making a point of talking to him every time they passed in the corridors. "i could've taken those mer-idiots any time i wanted. "
"what were you going to do, snore at them?" said hermione waspishly. people had been teasing her so much about being the thing that viktor krum would most miss that she was in a rather tetchy mood.
ron's ears went red, and thereafter, he reverted to the bewitched sleep version of events.
as they entered march the weather became drier, but cruel winds skinned their hands and faces every time they went out onto the grounds. there were delays in the post because the owls kept being blown off course. the brown owl that harry had sent to sirius with the dates of the hogsmeade weekend turned up at breakfast on friday morning with half its feathers sticking up the wrong way; harry had no sooner torn off sirius's reply than it took flight, clearly afraid it was going to be sent outside again.
sirius's letter was almost as short as the previous one.
"he hasn't come back to hogsmeade?" said ron incredulously.
"it looks like it, doesn't it?" said hermione.
"i can't believe him," said harry tensely, "if he's caught. . . "
"made it so far, though, hasn't he?" said ron. "and it's not like the place is swarming with dementors anymore. "
harry folded up the letter, thinking. if he was honest with himself, he really wanted to see sirius again. he therefore approached the final lesson of the afternoon - double potions - feeling considerably more cheerful than he usually did when descending the steps to the dungeons.
malfoy, crabbe, and goyle were standing in a huddle outside the classroom door with pansy parkinson's gang of slytherin girls. all of them were looking at something harry couldn't see and sniggering heartily. pansys pug-like face peered excitedly around goyle's broad back as harry, ron, and hermione approached.
"there they are, there they are!" she giggled, and the knot of slytherins broke apart. harry saw that pansy had a magazine in her hands - witch weekly. the moving picture on the front showed a curly-haired witch who was smiling toothily and pointing at a large sponge cake with her wand.
"you might find something to interest you in there, granger!" pansy said loudly, and she threw the magazine at hermione, who caught it, looking startled. at that moment, the dungeon door opened, and snape beckoned them all inside.
miss granger, a plain but ambitious girl, seems to have a taste for famous wizards that harry alone cannot satisfy. since the arrival at hogwarts of viktor krum, bulgarian seeker and hero of the last world quidditch cup, miss granger has been toying with both boys' affections. krum, who is openly smitten with the devious miss granger, has already invited her to visit him in bulgaria over the summer holidays, and insists that he has "never felt this way about any other girl. "
however, it might not be miss granger's doubtful natural charms that have captured these unfortunate boys' interest.
"she's really ugly," says pansy parkinson, a pretty and vivacious fourth-year student, "but she'd be well up to making a love potion, she's quite brainy. i think that's how she's doing it. "
"i told you!" ron hissed at hermione as she stared down at the article. "i told you not to annoy rita skeeter! she's made you out to be some sort of- of scarlet woman!"
hermione stopped looking astonished and snorted with laughter. "scarlet woman?" she repeated, shaking with suppressed giggles as she looked around at ron.
"if that's the best rita can do, she's losing her touch," said hermione, still giggling, as she threw witch weekly onto the empty chair beside her. "what a pile of old rubbish. "
"there's something funny, though," said hermione ten minutes later, holding her pestle suspended over a bowl of scarab beetles. "how could rita skeeter have known. . . ?"
"don't be stupid," hermione snapped, starting to pound up her beetles again. "no, it's just. . . how did she know viktor asked me to visit him over the summer?"
"what?" said ron, dropping his pestle with a loud clunk.
"he asked me right after he'd pulled me out of the lake. "
hermione muttered. "after he'd got rid of his shark's head. madam pomfrey gave us both blankets and then he sort of pulled me away from the judges so they wouldn't hear, and he said, if i wasn't doing anything over the summer, would i like to -"
"and he did say he'd never felt the same way about anyone else," hermione went on, going so red now that harry could almost feel the heat coming from her, "but how could rita skeeter have heard him? she wasn't there. . . or was she? maybe she has got an invisibility cloak; maybe she sneaked onto the grounds to watch the second task. . . . "
"well, i was too busy seeing whether you and harry were okay to -"
"fascinating though your social life undoubtedly is. miss granger," said an icy voice right behind them, and all three of them jumped, "i must ask you not to discuss it in my class. ten points from gryffindor. "
"ah. . . reading magazines under the table as well?" snape added, snatching up the copy of witch weekly. "a further ten points from gryffindor. . . oh but of course. . . " snape's black eyes glittered as they fell on rita skeeter's article. "potter has to keep up with his press cuttings. . . . "
the dungeon rang with the slytherins' laughter, and an unpleasant smile curled snape's thin mouth. to harry's fury, he began to read the article aloud.
"'harry potter's secret heartache. . . dear, dear. potter, what's ailing you now? 'a boy like no other, perhaps. . . '"
"'. . . harry potter's well-wishers must hope that, next time, he bestows his heart upon a worthier candidate. ' how very touching," sneered snape, rolling up the magazine to continued gales of laughter from the slytherins. "well, i think i had better separate the three of you, so you can keep your minds on your potions rather than on your tangled love lives. weasley, you stay here. miss granger, over there, beside miss parkinson. potter - that table in front of my desk. move. now. "
"all this press attention seems to have inflated your already over-large head. potter," said snape quietly, once the rest of the class had settled down again.
"you might be laboring under the delusion that the entire wizarding world is impressed with you," snape went on, so quietly that no one else could hear him (harry continued to pound his scarab beetles, even though he had already reduced them to a very fine powder), "but i don't care how many times your picture appears in the papers. to me. potter, you are nothing but a nasty little boy who considers rules to be beneath him. "
"so i give you fair warning, potter," snape continued in a sorter and more dangerous voice, "pint-sized celebrity or not - if i catch you breaking into my office one more time -"
"don't lie to me," snape hissed, his fathomless black eyes boring into harry's. "boomslang skin. gillyweed. both come from my private stores, and i know who stole them. "
"you were out of bed on the night my office was broken into!" snape hissed. "i know it. potter! now, mad-eye moody might have joined your fan club, but i will not tolerate your behavior! one more nighttime stroll into my office, potter, and you will pay!"
"right," said harry coolly, turning back to his ginger roots. "i'll bear that in mind if i ever get the urge to go in there. "
"do you know what this is. potter?" snape said, his eyes glittering dangerously again.
"no," said harry, with complete honesty this time.
"it is veritaserum - a truth potion so powerful that three drops would have you spilling your innermost secrets for this entire class to hear," said snape viciously. "now, the use of this potion is controlled by very strict ministry guidelines. but unless you watch your step, you might just find that my hand slips" - he shook the crystal bottle slightly - "right over your evening pumpkin juice. and then. potter. . . then we'll find out whether you've been in my office or not. "
harry said nothing. he turned back to his ginger roots once more, picked up his knife, and started slicing them again. he didn't like the sound of that truth potion at all, nor would he put it past snape to slip him some. he repressed a shudder at the thought of what might come spilling out of his mouth if snape did it. . . quite apart from landing a whole lot of people in trouble - hermione and dobby for a start - there were all the other things he was concealing. . . like the fact that he was in contact with sirius. . . and - his insides squirmed at the thought - how he felt about cho. . . . he tipped his ginger roots into the cauldron too, and wondered whether he ought to take a leaf out of moody's book and start drinking only from a private hip flask.
"enter," said snape in his usual voice.
"we need to talk," said karkaroff abruptly when he had reached snape. he seemed so determined that nobody should hear what he was saying that he was barely opening his lips; it was as though he were a rather poor ventriloquist. harry kept his eyes on his ginger roots, listening hard.
"i'll talk to you after my lesson, karkaroff," snape muttered, but karkaroff interrupted him.
"i want to talk now, while you can't slip off, severus. you've been avoiding me. "
"after the lesson," snape snapped.
"what's so urgent?" he heard snape hiss at karkaroff.
"this," said karkaroff, and harry, peering around the edge of his cauldron, saw karkaroff pull up the left-hand sleeve of his robe and show snape something on his inner forearm.
"well?" said karkaroff, still making every effort not to move his lips. "do you see? it's never been this clear, never since -"
"put it away!" snarled snape, his black eyes sweeping the classroom.
"but you must have noticed -" karkaroff began in an agitated voice.
"we can talk later, karkaroff!" spat snape. "potter! what are you doing?"
"clearing up my armadillo bile, professor," said harry innocently, straightening up and showing snape the sodden rag he was holding.
harry had never been in this direction before. the winding lane was leading them out into the wild countryside around hogsmeade. the cottages were fewer here, and their gardens larger; they were walking toward the foot of the mountain in whose shadow hogsmeade lay. then they turned a corner and saw a stile at the end of the lane. waiting for them, its front paws on the topmost bar, was a very large, shaggy black dog, which was carrying some newspapers in its mouth and looking very familiar. . . .
"hello, sirius," said harry when they had reached him.
"chicken!" he said hoarsely after removing the old daily prophets from his mouth and throwing them down onto the cave floor.
"thanks," said sirius, opening it, grabbing a drumstick, sitting down on the cave floor, and tearing off a large chunk with his teeth. "i've been living off rats mostly. can't steal too much food from hogsmeade; i'd draw attention to myself. "
"what're you doing here, sirius?" he said.
"fulfilling my duty as godfather," said sirius, gnawing on the chicken bone in a very doglike way. "don't worry about it, i'm pretending to be a lovable stray. "
he was still grinning, but seeing the anxiety in harry's face, said more seriously, "i want to be on the spot. your last letter. . . well, let's just say things are getting fishier. i've been stealing the paper every time someone throws one out, and by the looks of things, i'm not the only one who's getting worried. "
"what if they catch you? what if you're seen?"
"you three and dumbledore are the only ones around here who know i'm an animagus," said sirius, shrugging, and continuing to devour the chicken leg.
harry scanned the story about crouch. phrases jumped out at him: hasn't been seen in public since november. . . house appears deserted. . . st. mungo's hospital for magical maladies and injuries decline comment. . . ministry refuses to confirm rumors of critical illness. . . .
"they're making it sound like he's dying," said harry slowly. "but he can't be that ill if he managed to get up here. . . . "
"my brothers crouch's personal assistant," ron informed sirius. "he says crouch is suffering from overwork. "
"mind you, he did look ill, last time i saw him up close," said harry slowly, still reading the story. "the night my name came out of the goblet. . . . "
"getting his comeuppance for sacking winky, isn't he?" said hermione, an edge to her voice. she was stroking buckbeak, who was crunching up sirius's chicken bones. "i bet he wishes he hadn't done it now - bet he feels the difference now she's not there to look after him. "
"hermione's obsessed with house-elfs," ron muttered to sirius, casting hermione a dark look. sirius, however, looked interested.
"yeah, at the quidditch world cup," said harry, and he launched into the story of the dark mark's appearance, and winky being found with harry's wand clutched in her hand, and mr. crouch's fury. when harry had finished, sirius was on his feet again and had started pacing up and down the cave.
"let me get this straight," he said after a while, brandishing a fresh chicken leg. "you first saw the elfin the top box. she was saving crouch a seat, right?"
"right," said harry, ron, and hermione together.
"but crouch didn't turn up for the match?"
"no," said harry. "i think he said he'd been too busy. "
sirius paced all around the cave in silence. then he said, "harry, did you check your pockets for your wand after you'd left the top box?"
"erm. . . " harry thought hard. "no," he said finally. "i didn't need to use it before we got in the forest. and then i put my hand in my pocket, and all that was in there were my omnioculars. " he stared at sirius. "are you saying whoever conjured the mark stole my wand in the top box?"
"winky didn't steal that wand!" hermione insisted.
"the elf wasn't the only one in that box," said sirius, his brow furrowed as he continued to pace. "who else was sitting behind you?"
"loads of people," said harry. "some bulgarian ministers. . . cornelius fudge. . . the malfoys. . . "
"the malfoys!" said ron suddenly, so loudly that his voice echoed all around the cave, and buckbeak tossed his head nervously. "i bet it was lucius malfoy!"
"yes, there was, there was ludo bagman," hermione reminded him.
"i don't know anything about bagman except that he used to be beater for the wimbourne wasps," said sirius, still pacing. "what's he like?"
"he's okay," said harry. "he keeps offering to help me with the triwizard tournament. "
"does he, now?" said sirius, frowning more deeply. "i wonder why he'd do that?"
"says he's taken a liking to me," said harry.
"hmm," said sirius, looking thoughtful.
"we saw him in the forest just before the dark mark appeared," hermione told sirius. "remember?" she said to harry and ron.
"yeah, but he didn't stay in the forest, did he?" said ron. "the moment we told him about the riot, he went off to the campsite. "
"how d'you know?" hermione shot back. "how d'you know where he disapparated to?"
"come off it," said ron incredulously. "are you saying you reckon ludo bagman conjured the dark mark?"
"it's more likely he did it than winky," said hermione stubbornly.
"told you," said ron, looking meaningfully at sirius, "told you she's obsessed with house -"
"when the dark mark had been conjured, and the elf had been discovered holding harry's wand, what did crouch do?"
"went to look in the bushes," said harry, "but there wasn't anyone else there. "
"of course," sirius muttered, pacing up and down, "of course, he'd want to pin it on anyone but his own elf. . . and then he sacked her?"
"yes," said hermione in a heated voice, "he sacked her, just because she hadn't stayed in her tent and let herself get trampled -"
"hermione, will you give it a rest with the elf!" said ron.
sirius shook his head and said, "she's got the measure of crouch better than you have, ron. if you want to know what a mans like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals. "
"all these absences of barty crouch's. . . he goes to the trouble of making sure his house-elf saves him a seat at the quidditch world cup, but doesn't bother to turn up and watch. he works very hard to reinstate the triwizard tournament, and then stops coming to that too. . . . it's not like crouch. if he's ever taken a day off work because of illness before this, i'll eat buckbeak. "
"d'you know crouch, then?" said harry.
"oh i know crouch all right," he said quietly. "he was the one who gave the order for me to be sent to azkaban - without a trial. "
"no, i'm not," said sirius, taking another great bite of chicken. "crouch used to be head of the department of magical law enforcement, didn't you know?"
"he was tipped for the next minister of magic," said sirius. "he's a great wizard, barty crouch, powerfully magical - and power-hungry. oh never a voldemort supporter," he said, reading the look on harry's face. "no, barty crouch was always very outspoken against the dark side. but then a lot of people who were against the dark side. . . well, you wouldn't understand. . . you're too young. . . . "
"that's what my dad said at the world cup," said ron, with a trace of irritation in his voice. "try us, why don't you?"
"all right, i'll try you. . . . " he walked once up the cave, back again, and then said, "imagine that voldemort's powerful now. you don't know who his supporters are, you don't know who's working for him and who isn't; you know he can control people so that they do terrible things without being able to stop themselves. you're scared for yourself, and your family, and your friends. every week, news comes of more deaths, more disappearances, more torturing. . . the ministry of magic's in disarray, they don't know what to do, they're trying to keep everything hidden from the muggles, but meanwhile, muggles are dying too. terror everywhere. . . panic. . . confusion. . . that's how it used to be.
"well, times like that bring out the best in some people and the worst in others. crouch's principles might've been good in the beginning - i wouldn't know. he rose quickly through the ministry, and he started ordering very harsh measures against voldemort's supporters. the aurors were given new powers - powers to kill rather than capture, for instance. and i wasn't the only one who was handed straight to the dementors without trial. crouch fought violence with violence, and authorized the use of the unforgivable curses against suspects. i would say he became as ruthless and cruel as many on the dark side. he had his supporters, mind you - plenty of people thought he was going about things the right way, and there were a lot of witches and wizards clamoring for him to take over as minister of magic. when voldemort disappeared, it looked like only a matter of time until crouch got the top job. but then something rather unfortunate happened. . . . " sirius smiled grimly. "crouch's own son was caught with a group of death eaters who'd managed to talk their way out of azkaban. apparently they were trying to find voldemort and return him to power. "
"crouch's son was caught?" gasped hermione.
"yep," said sirius, throwing his chicken bone to buckbeak, flinging himself back down on the ground beside the loaf of bread, and tearing it in half. "nasty little shock for old barty, i'd i magine. should have spent a bit more time at home with his family, shouldn't he? ought to have left the office early once in a while. . . gotten to know his own son. "
"was his son a death eater?" said harry.
"no idea," said sirius, still stuffing down bread. "i was in azkaban myself when he was brought in. this is mostly stuff i've found out since i got out. the boy was definitely caught in the company of people i'd bet my life were death eaters - but he might have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, just like the house-elf. "
"did crouch try and get his son off?" hermione whispered.
"crouch let his son off? i thought you had the measure of him, hermione! anything that threatened to tarnish his reputation had to go; he had dedicated his whole life to becoming minister of magic. you saw him dismiss a devoted house-elf because she associated him with the dark mark again - doesn't that tell you what he's like? crouch's fatherly affection stretched just far enough to give his son a trial, and by all accounts, it wasn't much more than an excuse for crouch to show how much he hated the boy. . . then he sent him straight to azkaban. "
"he gave his own son to the dementors?" asked harry quietly.
"that's right," said sirius, and he didn't look remotely amused now. "i saw the dementors bringing him in, watched them through the bars in my cell door. he can't have been more than nineteen. they took him into a cell near mine. he was screaming for his mother by nightfall. he went quiet after a few days, though. . . they all went quiet in the end. . . except when they shrieked in their sleep. . . . "
"so he's still in azkaban?" harry said.
"no," said sirius dully. "no, he's not in there anymore. he died about a year after they brought him in. "
"he wasn't the only one," said sirius bitterly. "most go mad in there, and plenty stop eating in the end. they lose the will to live. you could always tell when a death was coming, because the dementors could sense it, they got excited. that boy looked pretty sickly when he arrived. crouch being an important ministry member, he and his wife were allowed a deathbed visit. that was the last time i saw barty crouch, half carrying his wife past my cell. she died herself, apparently, shortly afterward. grief. wasted away just like the boy. crouch never came for his son's body. the dementors buried him outside the fortress; i watched them do it. "
"so old crouch lost it all, just when he thought he had it made," he continued, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "one moment, a hero, poised to become minister of magic. . . next, his son dead, his wife dead, the family name dishonored, and, so i've heard since i escaped, a big drop in popularity. once the boy had died, people started feeling a bit more sympathetic toward the son and started asking how a nice young lad from a good family had gone so badly astray. the conclusion was that his father never cared much for him. so cornelius fudge got the top job, and crouch was shunted sideways into the department of international magical cooperation. "
"moody says crouch is obsessed with catching dark wizards," harry told sirius.
"yeah, i've heard it's become a bit of a mania with him," said sirius, nodding. "if you ask me, he still thinks he can bring back the old popularity by catching one more death eater. "
"and he sneaked up here to search snape's office!" said ron triumphantly, looking at hermione.
"yes, and that doesn't make sense at all," said sirius.
"yeah, it does!" said ron excitedly, but sirius shook his head.
"listen, if crouch wants to investigate snape, why hasn't he been coming to judge the tournament? it would be an ideal excuse to make regular visits to hogwarts and keep an eye on him. "
"so you think snape could be up to something, then?" asked harry, but hermione broke in.
"look, i don't care what you say, dumbledore trusts snape -"
"oh give it a rest, hermione," said ron impatiently. "i know dumbledores brilliant and everything, but that doesn't mean a really clever dark wizard couldn't fool him -"
"why did snape save harry's life in the first year, then? why didn't he just let him die?"
"i dunno - maybe he thought dumbledore would kick him out-"
"what d'you think, sirius?" harry said loudly, and ron and hermione stopped bickering to listen.
"i think they've both got a point," said sirius, looking thoughtfully at ron and hermione. "ever since i found out snape was teaching here, i've wondered why dumbledore hired him. snape's always been fascinated by the dark arts, he was famous for it at school. slimy, oily, greasy-haired kid, he was," sirius added, and harry and ron grinned at each other. "snape knew more curses when he arrived at school than half the kids in seventh year, and he was part of a gang of slytherins who nearly all turned out to be death eaters. "
"rosier and wilkes - they were both killed by aurors the year before voldemort fell. the lestranges - they're a married couple - they're in azkaban. avery - from what i've heard he wormed his way out of trouble by saying he'd been acting under the imperius curse - he's still at large. but as far as i know, snape was never even accused of being a death eater - not that that means much. plenty of them were never caught. and snape's certainly clever and cunning enough to keep himself out of trouble. "
"snape knows karkaroff pretty well, but he wants to keep that quiet," said ron.
"yeah, you should've seen snape's face when karkaroff turned up in potions yesterday!" said harry quickly. "karkaroff wanted to talk to snape, he says snape's been avoiding him. karkaroff looked really worried. he showed snape something on his arm, but i couldn't see what it was. "
he showed snape something on his arm?" said sirius, looking frankly bewildered. he ran his fingers distractedly through his filthy hair, then shrugged again. "well, i've no idea what that's about. . . but if karkaroff's genuinely worried, and he's going to snape for answers. . . "
"there's still the fact that dumbledore trusts snape, and i know dumbledore trusts where a lot of other people wouldn't, but i just can't see him letting snape teach at hogwarts if he'd ever worked for voldemort. "
"why are moody and crouch so keen to get into snape's office then?" said ron stubbornly.
"well," said sirius slowly, "i wouldn't put it past mad-eye to have searched every single teacher's office when he got to hogwarts. he takes his defense against the dark arts seriously, moody. i'm not sure he trusts anyone at all, and after the things he's seen, it's not surprising. i'll say this for moody, though, he never killed if he could help it. always brought people in alive where possible. he was tough, but he never descended to the level of the death eaters. crouch, though. . . he's a different matter. . . is he really ill? if he is, why did he make the effort to drag himself up to snape's office? and if he's not. . . what's he up to? what was he doing at the world cup that was so important he didn't turn up in the top box? what's he been doing while he should have been judging the tournament?"
"you say your brother's crouch's personal assistant? any chance you could ask him if he's seen crouch lately?"
"i can try," said ron doubtfully. "better not make it sound like i reckon crouch is up to anything dodgy, though. percy loves crouch. "
"and you might try and find out whether they've got any leads on bertha jorkins while you're at it," said sirius, gesturing to the second copy of the daily prophet.
"bagman told me they hadn't," said harry.
"yes, he's quoted in the article in there," said sirius, nodding at the paper. "blustering on about how bad bertha's memory is. well, maybe she's changed since i knew her, but the bertha i knew wasn't forgetful at all - quite the reverse. she was a bit dim, but she had an excellent memory for gossip. it used to get her into a lot of trouble; she never knew when to keep her mouth shut. i can see her being a bit of a liability at the ministry of magic. . . maybe that's why bagman didn't bother to look for her for so long. . . . "
"it's half past three," said hermione.
"you'd better get back to school," sirius said, getting to his feet. "now listen. . . " he looked particularly hard at harry. "i don't want you lot sneaking out of school to see me, all right? just send notes to me here. i still want to hear about anything odd. but you're not to go leaving hogwarts without permission; it would be an ideal opportunity for someone to attack you. "
"no one's tried to attack me so far, except a dragon and a couple of grindylows," harry said, but sirius scowled at him.
"i don't care. . . i'll breathe freely again when this tournament's over, and that's not until june. and don't forget, if you're talking about me among yourselves, call me snuffles, okay?"
he handed harry the empty napkin and flask and went to pat buckbeak good-bye. "i'll walk to the edge of the village with you," said sirius, "see if i can scrounge another paper. "
"wonder if percy knows all that stuff about crouch?" ron said as they walked up the drive to the castle. "but maybe he doesn't care. . . it'd probably just make him admire crouch even more. yeah, percy loves rules. he'd just say crouch was refusing to break them for his own son. "
"percy would never throw any of his family to the dementors," said hermione severely.
"i don't know," said ron. "if he thought we were standing in the way of his career. . . percy's really ambitious, you know. . . . "
"poor old snuffles," said ron, breathing deeply. "he must really like you. harry. . . . imagine having to live off rats. "


text: Your job is to live the most epic life possible. Yes, you can die, and no, this is not realistic. Click links to progress this epic choose your own adventure! This game is my first and is honestly horrible. Still, if you have five minutes to waste, go ahead.

lowercased: your job is to live the most epic life possible. yes, you can die, and no, this is not realistic. click links to progress this epic choose your own adventure! this game is my first and is honestly horrible. still, if you have five minutes to waste, go ahead.


text:
Aidells, Chicken & Apple Smoked Chicken Sausage manufactured by Aidells Sausage Company with a suggested serving size of 1 LINK (85 g) has a total of 150 calories. The manufacturer code of Aidells, Chicken & Apple Smoked Chicken Sausage is UPC: 764014107529.
Aidells, Chicken & Apple Smoked Chicken Sausage is a high fat food because 60% of the total calories in this serving come from fat. Consume less than 10 percent of calories per day from saturated fats.
How long would it take to burn off Aidells Sausage Company Aidells, Chicken & Apple Smoked Chicken Sausage with 150 calories?

lowercased:
aidells, chicken & apple smoked chicken sausage manufactured by aidells sausage company with a suggested serving size of 1 link (85 g) has a total of 150 calories. the manufacturer code of aidells, chicken & apple smoked chicken sausage is upc: 764014107529.
aidells, chicken & apple smoked chicken sausage is a high fat food because 60% of the total calories in this serving come from fat. consume less than 10 percent of calories per day from saturated fats.
how long would it take to burn off aidells sausage company aidells, chicken & apple smoked chicken sausage with 150 calories?


text:
Google's SketchUp Pro, a 3D modeling software application, is being offered at no cost to Kansas schools through statewide K-12 licensing grants. SketchUp Pro can be integrated into many subject areas, from mathematics and science, to computer technology and English, to pre-architecture and engineering classes (http://www.sketchup.com/3Dfor/higher-education). It is also widely used with Google Earth to support creative, real-world applications for a tool that is commonly used by professionals.
The number of students/associated grade levels that will be using Google SketchUp Pro.
The courses in which Google SketchUp Pro will be used as an instructional resource.

lowercased:
google's sketchup pro, a 3d modeling software application, is being offered at no cost to kansas schools through statewide k-12 licensing grants. sketchup pro can be integrated into many subject areas, from mathematics and science, to computer technology and english, to pre-architecture and engineering classes (http://www.sketchup.com/3dfor/higher-education). it is also widely used with google earth to support creative, real-world applications for a tool that is commonly used by professionals.
the number of students/associated grade levels that will be using google sketchup pro.
the courses in which google sketchup pro will be used as an instructional resource.


text:
A link to the 2019 COLOSS survey will be available on this website from the end of April. We are very grateful to all those who complete the survey. Please look around our website, now, but return to complete the 2019 COLOSS Survey during May!
The National Apiculture Programme is co-funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the European Union Under the National Apiculture Programme 2016-2019.
The global decline of managed honeybee colonies (Apis mellifera L.) and high winter mortalities are a serious threat ecologically and economically. Winter colony losses in Ireland remain one of the highest in Europe, frequently exceeding 20%, and sometimes greater than 30%. The reasons for these losses are unclear, but factors including operation size, beekeepers’ experience, insufficient control of Varroa, age/quality of queens and forage sources are possible causes. Our project Bees, Beekeeping Research and Colony Health in collaboration with Teagasc Carlow, Maynooth University, National University of Ireland Galway, Limerick Institute of Technology, Federation of Irish Beekeepers’ Associations and Native Irish Honey Bee Society addresses some of these problems for the National Apiculture Programme, 2016-2019.
Assess the effectiveness and practicality of using bacteriological analysis of honey as a means of detecting the prevalence on AFB in honeybee colonies.
The National Apiculture Programme is based at the University of Limerick. The research apiaries are based at Teagasc Oakpark, Carlow.

lowercased:
a link to the 2019 coloss survey will be available on this website from the end of april. we are very grateful to all those who complete the survey. please look around our website, now, but return to complete the 2019 coloss survey during may!
the national apiculture programme is co-funded by the department of agriculture, food and the marine and the european union under the national apiculture programme 2016-2019.
the global decline of managed honeybee colonies (apis mellifera l.) and high winter mortalities are a serious threat ecologically and economically. winter colony losses in ireland remain one of the highest in europe, frequently exceeding 20%, and sometimes greater than 30%. the reasons for these losses are unclear, but factors including operation size, beekeepers’ experience, insufficient control of varroa, age/quality of queens and forage sources are possible causes. our project bees, beekeeping research and colony health in collaboration with teagasc carlow, maynooth university, national university of ireland galway, limerick institute of technology, federation of irish beekeepers’ associations and native irish honey bee society addresses some of these problems for the national apiculture programme, 2016-2019.
assess the effectiveness and practicality of using bacteriological analysis of honey as a means of detecting the prevalence on afb in honeybee colonies.
the national apiculture programme is based at the university of limerick. the research apiaries are based at teagasc oakpark, carlow.


text: This page allow you to download for free the wallpaper named "Coca Cola open pack", to install it on your computer screen, your Mac, your tablet or any other electronic device. Coca Cola open pack is a high definition picture (2560x1600 pixels). This wallpaper has been posted June 29th 2015 and has been downloaded 21327 times.

lowercased: this page allow you to download for free the wallpaper named "coca cola open pack", to install it on your computer screen, your mac, your tablet or any other electronic device. coca cola open pack is a high definition picture (2560x1600 pixels). this wallpaper has been posted june 29th 2015 and has been downloaded 21327 times.


text: The Windham Planning Board voted 7-0 to approve the site plan for Moeckel Pond access and parking adjacent to the proposed reconstruction of the Marston-Finn Conservation Dam. The picture below is taken from the drawing submitted by Joseph Maynard of Benchmark Engineering with the application. Complete details including a full size drawing are available through the Windham Planning Department.

lowercased: the windham planning board voted 7-0 to approve the site plan for moeckel pond access and parking adjacent to the proposed reconstruction of the marston-finn conservation dam. the picture below is taken from the drawing submitted by joseph maynard of benchmark engineering with the application. complete details including a full size drawing are available through the windham planning department.


text:
I love this recipe and it works every time! After trying a few others from the internet I finally found one that is near fool-proof. Choux pastry is finicky, the smallest details can affect the shape and how it rises. Check out this recipe from the Tummy Train here!
Feel free to double this recipe if you want two trays but for me, it made around 16 decent size choux shells.
1) Sift the flour, sugar and salt into a bowl. Preheat your oven to 400F.
2) Heat your butter and water until it boils. Add the flour mixture.
3) Stir in your pan until the mix comes together into a homogenous mixture.
4) Transfer into a bowl and press the dough against the sides of the bowl to release the steam. Let sit for 5 minutes.
5) Grate some lemon zest into your dough to help make it taste less eggy. With an electric mixer, slowly add the beaten eggs gradually. Stir at medium-high speed until the dough because smooth and glue-like. Take a bit with your spatula and if the dough drops from your spatula, it’s ready.
6) Put your choux paste into a piping bag.
7) Pipe little domes onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Dip your finger in water to smooth the peaks over.
*optional*If you are adding your craquelin cookie tops, you can cut circles and put them on at this point, here’s a recipe I have used from I am a Food Blog’s site.
8) Bake for 15 minutes at 400F.
9) Without opening the oven, reduce the heat to 350F and bake for another 35 minutes.
10) Poke a small vent into the side of the puffs and continue drying in the oven door ajar for another five minutes with the heat off.
11) Cool on a drying rack.
12) Drill holes into the bottom of your choux shells and fill with pastry cream, see my recipe for that here.
13) Dust with powdered sugar or dip in caramel or chocolate.
Next Gluten-Free Orange and Almond Cake with Peaches and Pistachios!

lowercased:
i love this recipe and it works every time! after trying a few others from the internet i finally found one that is near fool-proof. choux pastry is finicky, the smallest details can affect the shape and how it rises. check out this recipe from the tummy train here!
feel free to double this recipe if you want two trays but for me, it made around 16 decent size choux shells.
1) sift the flour, sugar and salt into a bowl. preheat your oven to 400f.
2) heat your butter and water until it boils. add the flour mixture.
3) stir in your pan until the mix comes together into a homogenous mixture.
4) transfer into a bowl and press the dough against the sides of the bowl to release the steam. let sit for 5 minutes.
5) grate some lemon zest into your dough to help make it taste less eggy. with an electric mixer, slowly add the beaten eggs gradually. stir at medium-high speed until the dough because smooth and glue-like. take a bit with your spatula and if the dough drops from your spatula, it’s ready.
6) put your choux paste into a piping bag.
7) pipe little domes onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. dip your finger in water to smooth the peaks over.
*optional*if you are adding your craquelin cookie tops, you can cut circles and put them on at this point, here’s a recipe i have used from i am a food blog’s site.
8) bake for 15 minutes at 400f.
9) without opening the oven, reduce the heat to 350f and bake for another 35 minutes.
10) poke a small vent into the side of the puffs and continue drying in the oven door ajar for another five minutes with the heat off.
11) cool on a drying rack.
12) drill holes into the bottom of your choux shells and fill with pastry cream, see my recipe for that here.
13) dust with powdered sugar or dip in caramel or chocolate.
next gluten-free orange and almond cake with peaches and pistachios!


text:
(March 30, 2019) - The West Haven girls lacrosse team opened the 2019 season with a 17-5 loss against Sacred Heart Academy Saturday afternoon.
West Haven celebrates a goal against Sacred Heart Academy, March 30, 2019. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
The Sharks took control of the game early, holding a 10-2 lead at the half. Gianna Sliby, Celina Condon, Keegan Riccio, Angela Borelli, and Mackenzie Gardner each scored for the Westies.
Nicole Gaston made nine saves in the loss for the Westies.
Taylor Nowak against Sacred Heart Academy, March 30, 2019. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Members of the West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy hockey team proved to do some damage for the Sharks as Mia Celentano scored five times, Jianna Cohrs had a goal and an assist, and Francesca Criscuolo also scored for the Sharks.
(April 1, 2019) - The West Haven girls lacrosse team fell to 0-2 with a 14-5 loss at Jonathan Law Monday afternoon. West Haven struggled to find the back of the net.
Maura Dowd (31) against Jonathan Law, April 1, 2019. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Morrrighan Leavitt led the offense with two goals, Celina Condon had a goal and two assists, and Gianna Sliby and Keegan Riccio each scored once. Angela Borelli also added an assist in the loss.
Katie McNellis and Laura Denigan hurt West Haven as McNellis had five goals and three assists, and Denigan added four goals and three assists.
(April 3, 2019) - The West Haven girls lacrosse team fell to 0-3 on the season with a 20-4 loss against Guilford Wednesday afternoon.
Morrighan Leavitt (17) against Guilford, April 3, 2019. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Keegan Riccio led the Westies with two goals and an assist, Taylor Nowak added a goal and an assist, and Celina Condon scored once.
Catherine Larrow led Guilford with four goals and an assist, while Maddie Epke and Ava Bucci each scored three times.
(April 6, 2019) - The West Haven girls lacrosse team fell to 0-4 with an 18-6 loss against Hamden Saturday evening at Ken Strong Stadium in West Haven.
Hamden took control of the game early with a 13-3 first half lead.
Keegan Bailey, Cassidy O’Connor and Ally Ferraro led Hamden with five goals each.
Keegan Riccio led West Haven with three goals, Angela Borelli scored twice, while Chloe Hummel also scored. Taylor Nowak and Gianna Sliby each had one assist. Nicole Gaston made nine saves for West Haven.
(April 8, 2019) - Sam Lee and Mia Celentano each scored four times as Sacred Heart Academy defeated West Haven 16-4 Monday afternoon in Hamden. With the loss, West Haven fell to 0-5 on the year.
Keegan Riccio led the Westies with three goals, while Taylor Nowak and Chloe Hummel each added assists.
Nicole Gaston made 12 saves in the loss for West Haven.
(April 12, 2019) - The West Haven girls lacrosse team fell to 0-6 with a 10-7 loss against Foran Friday evening at Ken Strong Stadium.
Foran jumped out to a first half lead and never looked back, holding a 7-4 advantage at the break.
West Haven celebrates a goal against Foran, April 12, 2019. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Keegan Riccio led the offense with three goals, while Morrighan Leavitt, Taylor Nowak, Gianna Sliby, and Angela Borelli also scored.
Nicole Gaston made 11 saves for the Westies.
Sam O'Neil led Foran with five goals.
(April 18, 2019) - After an overtime win over Shelton, the West Haven girls lacrosse team was looking to build off the initial victory of the season. Unfortunately for the Westies, that win did no occur.
Scoring six goals in each half, Mercy rolled to a 12-4 victory over West Haven in Middletown Thursday morning.
West Haven trailed 6-2 at the half ad never recovered. Angela Borelli led the way with two goals, while Keegan Riccio and Maura Dowd each scored once.
Cam Antler had four goals to lead Mercy. Bridget Neri, Mia Carbone and Kaylie Zemke each scored twice for the Tigers.
Westie Blue © All rights reserved.

lowercased:
(march 30, 2019) - the west haven girls lacrosse team opened the 2019 season with a 17-5 loss against sacred heart academy saturday afternoon.
west haven celebrates a goal against sacred heart academy, march 30, 2019. photo courtesy of todd dandelske.
the sharks took control of the game early, holding a 10-2 lead at the half. gianna sliby, celina condon, keegan riccio, angela borelli, and mackenzie gardner each scored for the westies.
nicole gaston made nine saves in the loss for the westies.
taylor nowak against sacred heart academy, march 30, 2019. photo courtesy of todd dandelske.
members of the west haven/sacred heart academy hockey team proved to do some damage for the sharks as mia celentano scored five times, jianna cohrs had a goal and an assist, and francesca criscuolo also scored for the sharks.
(april 1, 2019) - the west haven girls lacrosse team fell to 0-2 with a 14-5 loss at jonathan law monday afternoon. west haven struggled to find the back of the net.
maura dowd (31) against jonathan law, april 1, 2019. photo courtesy of todd dandelske.
morrrighan leavitt led the offense with two goals, celina condon had a goal and two assists, and gianna sliby and keegan riccio each scored once. angela borelli also added an assist in the loss.
katie mcnellis and laura denigan hurt west haven as mcnellis had five goals and three assists, and denigan added four goals and three assists.
(april 3, 2019) - the west haven girls lacrosse team fell to 0-3 on the season with a 20-4 loss against guilford wednesday afternoon.
morrighan leavitt (17) against guilford, april 3, 2019. photo courtesy of todd dandelske.
keegan riccio led the westies with two goals and an assist, taylor nowak added a goal and an assist, and celina condon scored once.
catherine larrow led guilford with four goals and an assist, while maddie epke and ava bucci each scored three times.
(april 6, 2019) - the west haven girls lacrosse team fell to 0-4 with an 18-6 loss against hamden saturday evening at ken strong stadium in west haven.
hamden took control of the game early with a 13-3 first half lead.
keegan bailey, cassidy o’connor and ally ferraro led hamden with five goals each.
keegan riccio led west haven with three goals, angela borelli scored twice, while chloe hummel also scored. taylor nowak and gianna sliby each had one assist. nicole gaston made nine saves for west haven.
(april 8, 2019) - sam lee and mia celentano each scored four times as sacred heart academy defeated west haven 16-4 monday afternoon in hamden. with the loss, west haven fell to 0-5 on the year.
keegan riccio led the westies with three goals, while taylor nowak and chloe hummel each added assists.
nicole gaston made 12 saves in the loss for west haven.
(april 12, 2019) - the west haven girls lacrosse team fell to 0-6 with a 10-7 loss against foran friday evening at ken strong stadium.
foran jumped out to a first half lead and never looked back, holding a 7-4 advantage at the break.
west haven celebrates a goal against foran, april 12, 2019. photo courtesy of todd dandelske.
keegan riccio led the offense with three goals, while morrighan leavitt, taylor nowak, gianna sliby, and angela borelli also scored.
nicole gaston made 11 saves for the westies.
sam o'neil led foran with five goals.
(april 18, 2019) - after an overtime win over shelton, the west haven girls lacrosse team was looking to build off the initial victory of the season. unfortunately for the westies, that win did no occur.
scoring six goals in each half, mercy rolled to a 12-4 victory over west haven in middletown thursday morning.
west haven trailed 6-2 at the half ad never recovered. angela borelli led the way with two goals, while keegan riccio and maura dowd each scored once.
cam antler had four goals to lead mercy. bridget neri, mia carbone and kaylie zemke each scored twice for the tigers.
westie blue © all rights reserved.


text:
Skin issues can be embarrassing, they can make the sufferer feel shame, and encourage bullies. That’s why when someone you love is suffering from Eczema, Psoriasis or even from scarring you want to help them. My daughter has mild Eczema and it embarrasses her. She controls it with creams and other products her doctors have prescribed. Living in Northern Michigan she loves walking to work and staying active but the clothes rubbing on her legs makes her Eczema flare up.
Recently, my attention was grabbed by the AllergyStore.Com who has signed an exclusive agreement to market Skinnies™ Seamless Skinwear. I knew right away I wanted my daughter to try a pair. If they worked she would have a new option our quickly approaching Winter.
We received a pair of the Skinnies™ Seamless Skinwear leggings for review. The leggings arrived made of a soft material and I immediately wanted Sarena to try them on. I began explaining first what they were, but I should have just handed them over and then explained the product to her. She, was of course, hesitant but she put them on and instantly in love. Not just with what they would do for her skin but the leggings were comfortable and stylish too.
You see, Skinnies eliminates friction and heat that can result in sweat and skin irritation, giving adults and children unparalleled comfort in movement, while accelerating the healing process. In addition, the removal of seams results in highly-durable garments that can be machine washed and tumble dried. Skinnies also comes in multiple sizes and colors, giving adults and children fashionable clothing options that will also assist in recovering from their specific skin condition.
← My Gift From God Is Perfect!

lowercased:
skin issues can be embarrassing, they can make the sufferer feel shame, and encourage bullies. that’s why when someone you love is suffering from eczema, psoriasis or even from scarring you want to help them. my daughter has mild eczema and it embarrasses her. she controls it with creams and other products her doctors have prescribed. living in northern michigan she loves walking to work and staying active but the clothes rubbing on her legs makes her eczema flare up.
recently, my attention was grabbed by the allergystore.com who has signed an exclusive agreement to market skinnies™ seamless skinwear. i knew right away i wanted my daughter to try a pair. if they worked she would have a new option our quickly approaching winter.
we received a pair of the skinnies™ seamless skinwear leggings for review. the leggings arrived made of a soft material and i immediately wanted sarena to try them on. i began explaining first what they were, but i should have just handed them over and then explained the product to her. she, was of course, hesitant but she put them on and instantly in love. not just with what they would do for her skin but the leggings were comfortable and stylish too.
you see, skinnies eliminates friction and heat that can result in sweat and skin irritation, giving adults and children unparalleled comfort in movement, while accelerating the healing process. in addition, the removal of seams results in highly-durable garments that can be machine washed and tumble dried. skinnies also comes in multiple sizes and colors, giving adults and children fashionable clothing options that will also assist in recovering from their specific skin condition.
← my gift from god is perfect!


text:
Long synonymous with volatile climes and the obscenely large shoe collections of its past heads of state, Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, is fast coming into its own as a vastly underrated cultural cosmopolis. Manila’s chaotic city traverses the extremes of a truly modern metropolis, while enjoying the best attributes of the bustling boroughs of Brooklyn, the gleaming shopping of Shanghai and the culinary vitality of a city at the heart of a Southeast Asian archipelago where indigenous, Malay, Chinese, Spanish and American influences collide with a rich history, dynamic present and unpredictable future.
Below, where to stay, play, wine and dine in one of Asia’s most exciting and unexpected destinations to visit in 2016 and beyond.
In the heart of the Bonifacio Global City, a neighbourhood of Manila Metro named for an iconic revolutionary who lead the movement for independence in the Filipino Revolution against Spanish colonial rule, you’ll find the Shangri-La at the Fort. A towering beacon of luxury, the hotel is the pivotal nexus where five-star accommodation meets an unparalleled domestic residence, an all-encompassing leisure centre and world-class cuisine and retail. Situated within easy reach of the international airport, each of the 576 rooms gives way to incredible views of Metro Manila, BGC and the city’s incredible sunsets.
On arrival, you’re quickly exposed to a taste of the eclecticism that makes Manila such a fascinating city: the works of Bataan-born artist Jinggoy Buensuceso are emblematic of a thriving arts scene; higher up, the Kerry Sports centre spans over 8,000 square metres and two floors dedicated to recreation and relaxation; and it’s only once you reach the summit that you’ll come to appreciate the city’s nature as a living, breathing organism. From the Horizon Homes showrooms, it’s possible to trace the (notoriously congested) arteries of the city as far as the eye can see, illuminated as they are by the tens of millions of Manileños that make the city tick day after day.
Having spent a day traversing the city’s labyrinthine streets, you’re assured of a comforting meal and tipple at Raging Bull Chophouse and Bar. Opened this year, Raging Bull Chophouse serves exactly what its name suggests: a smorgasbord of grain and grass-fed dry-aged beef that comes highly-recommended (in addition to an expansive seafood menu) from yours truly. However it’s to the cocktail menu that you’ll want to return. You’d be hard pressed to find a libation more restorative than the Bonifacio Penicillin, which, as its name suggests, marries the region’s history with the medicinal properties of a good, stiff drink: bourbon, calamansi extract (a perennial Filipino citrus; think a hybrid of a mandarin and a cumquat), spiced honey and ginger jam.
Should the prospect of venturing further afoot prove unappetising, you’re able to traverse a world of cuisines at the High Street Café, a cafeteria style eatery where nine ‘theatre kitchens’ offer a selection of pan-Asian cuisines that square off against Mediterranean, rotisserie, seafood, salad bar and dessert options. Variety, after all, is the spice of life. You’d also be hard pressed to pass up the haute Chinese cuisine on offer at Canton Road, where you’re sure to meet your match in their offering of Cantonese and Huaiyang cuisine.
Not immune to the global charms of craft beer culture, Manila has fallen head over heels for microbreweries. It’s not hard to see why when you visit the Filipino-style yakitori restaurant, Tambai, in the Makati district’s culinary epicentre, Poblacion. A thriving cultural hub populated by speakeasies hidden behind unassuming facades, Poblacion has fast developed a reputation as the go-to spot for casual drinking and dining – exemplified most agreeably in the vibe at Tambai (it literally translates to ‘hang out’ in Tagalog, the local dialect). You can’t go wrong with a Joe’s Brew, a local tipple, that pairs perfectly with a Filipino spin on traditional Japanese yakitori.
Manila is home to some of Southeast Asia’s most exciting young and established artists, and it’s in the city’s galleries and museums – think the Metropolitan Museum of Manila and the Cultural Centre of the Philippines – that you’ll find pieces by world-class artists creating work that distils their country’s volatile history into single frame. However, it’s on the streets (and walls) of the city that you’ll get a real indication of the local art scene. Street art is a vibrant and thriving feature of the BGC, with many of the area’s walls and public spaces acting as a canvas for the city’s best and brightest, either in large-scale public sculptures of the kind created by Filipino-American artist, fashion designer and multi-disciplinary creative Dee Jae Pa’este or in the stunning murals preferred by the self-taught Anjo Bolarda.
Once you’ve had your fill of looking at exquisitely painted walls, it’s time to look within them and delve into Manila’s complex history. Venture to Intramuros, an incredible walled city and the oldest district in Manila. A stone citadel traversing 64 hectares, Intramuros traces its origins back to 1571 as the seat of Spanish colonial power within the region. Head there early to beat the crowds (and the temperatures) or, conversely, embrace them wholeheartedly.
At the time that GRAZIA visited the Intramuros, the school day had come to an end and we were surrounded by children – warm, friendly and teaming with energy, not unlike the city that raised them.

lowercased:
long synonymous with volatile climes and the obscenely large shoe collections of its past heads of state, manila, the capital city of the philippines, is fast coming into its own as a vastly underrated cultural cosmopolis. manila’s chaotic city traverses the extremes of a truly modern metropolis, while enjoying the best attributes of the bustling boroughs of brooklyn, the gleaming shopping of shanghai and the culinary vitality of a city at the heart of a southeast asian archipelago where indigenous, malay, chinese, spanish and american influences collide with a rich history, dynamic present and unpredictable future.
below, where to stay, play, wine and dine in one of asia’s most exciting and unexpected destinations to visit in 2016 and beyond.
in the heart of the bonifacio global city, a neighbourhood of manila metro named for an iconic revolutionary who lead the movement for independence in the filipino revolution against spanish colonial rule, you’ll find the shangri-la at the fort. a towering beacon of luxury, the hotel is the pivotal nexus where five-star accommodation meets an unparalleled domestic residence, an all-encompassing leisure centre and world-class cuisine and retail. situated within easy reach of the international airport, each of the 576 rooms gives way to incredible views of metro manila, bgc and the city’s incredible sunsets.
on arrival, you’re quickly exposed to a taste of the eclecticism that makes manila such a fascinating city: the works of bataan-born artist jinggoy buensuceso are emblematic of a thriving arts scene; higher up, the kerry sports centre spans over 8,000 square metres and two floors dedicated to recreation and relaxation; and it’s only once you reach the summit that you’ll come to appreciate the city’s nature as a living, breathing organism. from the horizon homes showrooms, it’s possible to trace the (notoriously congested) arteries of the city as far as the eye can see, illuminated as they are by the tens of millions of manileños that make the city tick day after day.
having spent a day traversing the city’s labyrinthine streets, you’re assured of a comforting meal and tipple at raging bull chophouse and bar. opened this year, raging bull chophouse serves exactly what its name suggests: a smorgasbord of grain and grass-fed dry-aged beef that comes highly-recommended (in addition to an expansive seafood menu) from yours truly. however it’s to the cocktail menu that you’ll want to return. you’d be hard pressed to find a libation more restorative than the bonifacio penicillin, which, as its name suggests, marries the region’s history with the medicinal properties of a good, stiff drink: bourbon, calamansi extract (a perennial filipino citrus; think a hybrid of a mandarin and a cumquat), spiced honey and ginger jam.
should the prospect of venturing further afoot prove unappetising, you’re able to traverse a world of cuisines at the high street café, a cafeteria style eatery where nine ‘theatre kitchens’ offer a selection of pan-asian cuisines that square off against mediterranean, rotisserie, seafood, salad bar and dessert options. variety, after all, is the spice of life. you’d also be hard pressed to pass up the haute chinese cuisine on offer at canton road, where you’re sure to meet your match in their offering of cantonese and huaiyang cuisine.
not immune to the global charms of craft beer culture, manila has fallen head over heels for microbreweries. it’s not hard to see why when you visit the filipino-style yakitori restaurant, tambai, in the makati district’s culinary epicentre, poblacion. a thriving cultural hub populated by speakeasies hidden behind unassuming facades, poblacion has fast developed a reputation as the go-to spot for casual drinking and dining – exemplified most agreeably in the vibe at tambai (it literally translates to ‘hang out’ in tagalog, the local dialect). you can’t go wrong with a joe’s brew, a local tipple, that pairs perfectly with a filipino spin on traditional japanese yakitori.
manila is home to some of southeast asia’s most exciting young and established artists, and it’s in the city’s galleries and museums – think the metropolitan museum of manila and the cultural centre of the philippines – that you’ll find pieces by world-class artists creating work that distils their country’s volatile history into single frame. however, it’s on the streets (and walls) of the city that you’ll get a real indication of the local art scene. street art is a vibrant and thriving feature of the bgc, with many of the area’s walls and public spaces acting as a canvas for the city’s best and brightest, either in large-scale public sculptures of the kind created by filipino-american artist, fashion designer and multi-disciplinary creative dee jae pa’este or in the stunning murals preferred by the self-taught anjo bolarda.
once you’ve had your fill of looking at exquisitely painted walls, it’s time to look within them and delve into manila’s complex history. venture to intramuros, an incredible walled city and the oldest district in manila. a stone citadel traversing 64 hectares, intramuros traces its origins back to 1571 as the seat of spanish colonial power within the region. head there early to beat the crowds (and the temperatures) or, conversely, embrace them wholeheartedly.
at the time that grazia visited the intramuros, the school day had come to an end and we were surrounded by children – warm, friendly and teaming with energy, not unlike the city that raised them.


text:
Now more than ever, kids are in need of healthy skills to manage stress and cope with difficult emotions. Increased school workloads, heightened expectations, even social and political adversity can increase a child’s stress level. Integrating yoga and mindfulness practices into their lives not only helps kids to relax when they feel upset, discouraged, or depressed; but it also helps them to live in a state of higher awareness and put their stresses into perspective. Just like adults, kids who practice yoga are more likely to be focused, less reactive, and live happier, healthier lives.
Flow and Grow Kids Yoga Teacher Training is ideal for educators, clinicians, childcare workers, parents, and anyone who loves working with children and teens. The weekend training teaches participants how to create a dynamic curriculum that stimulates, empowers, calms and strengthens our next generation. Learn child development, classroom management, the impact of praise, and other relevant theories and practices regarding yoga and education. Graduates will leave with the tools to empower children to become strong, mindful, balanced individuals and leaders!
Participants receive a training manual by Lara Hocheiser that is full of invaluable information to further your professional development and to encourage your collaboration with others.

lowercased:
now more than ever, kids are in need of healthy skills to manage stress and cope with difficult emotions. increased school workloads, heightened expectations, even social and political adversity can increase a child’s stress level. integrating yoga and mindfulness practices into their lives not only helps kids to relax when they feel upset, discouraged, or depressed; but it also helps them to live in a state of higher awareness and put their stresses into perspective. just like adults, kids who practice yoga are more likely to be focused, less reactive, and live happier, healthier lives.
flow and grow kids yoga teacher training is ideal for educators, clinicians, childcare workers, parents, and anyone who loves working with children and teens. the weekend training teaches participants how to create a dynamic curriculum that stimulates, empowers, calms and strengthens our next generation. learn child development, classroom management, the impact of praise, and other relevant theories and practices regarding yoga and education. graduates will leave with the tools to empower children to become strong, mindful, balanced individuals and leaders!
participants receive a training manual by lara hocheiser that is full of invaluable information to further your professional development and to encourage your collaboration with others.