Sirius writes back to Harry and congratulates him for a job well done with the first task, but he warns him not to let his guard down. Harry still hasn’t tried to solve the riddle of the egg, but he tells himself that he has plenty of time. On Christmas morning, Dobby visits Harry and gives him special homemade socks. The students dress for the Yule Ball, and Harry is annoyed at seeing Cedric and Cho together. To everyone’s shock, Hermione’s date is Viktor Krum. Harry and Parvati struggle through the opening dance, and Harry “[feels] as though he [is] a show dog [Parvati] [is] putting through its paces” (167). Harry notices that Mr. Crouch is the only Triwizard judge not in attendance, and Percy, who is attending in his place, explains that Mr. Crouch has fallen ill. Ron is furious with Hermione for attending the ball with Krum and “fraternizing with the enemy” (170), which hurts Hermione’s feelings. Professor Moody notices Harry’s homemade socks, and Harry explains that they were a gift from a house-elf friend. Harry and Ron lose interest in their dates and abandon them to walk through the gardens outside. They overhear Snape and Karkaroff talking, and Karkaroff is worried about something that is “becoming clearer and clearer” (172).