What does "two large, disheveled shapes" refer to in this context?

Question

> Harry felt as though he had barely lain down to steep in Ron's room when he was being shaken awake by Mrs. Weasley. > > “Time to go, Harry, dear,” she whispered, moving away to wake Ron.> > Harry felt around for his glasses, put them on, and sat up. It was> still dark outside. Ron muttered indistinctly as his mother roused> him. At the foot of Harry's mattress he saw **two large, disheveled> shapes** emerging from tangles of blankets.> > “'S time already?” said Fred groggily.> > They dressed in silence, too sleepy to talk, then, yawning and> stretching, the four of them headed downstairs into the kitchen.I don't know what "**two large, disheveled shapes**" refer to. Are they persons, Fred and Ron maybe? It's really miserable.

Answer 1

Hi there--

I love to help with reading! You might try a tutor someday--it would probably make you feel better, because I think you actually know what you are doing!

At any rate, you are either right, or almost right. I can't tell, without reading more of this book. Were there four people asleep in the room at the start of this part of the story? If YES then I would use the following logic. In this passage, there are 3 people who are sleeping who are named: Harry, Ron and Fred. The forth person (if there was someone else sleeping from the action in the previous part of the reading) is unnamed The "two, large, disheveled shapes" are described as being "At the foot of Harry's mattress". Harry sees these shapes at the foot of HIS bed, as Ron's mom is over at the other bed waking up Ron. Later on in the paragraph it says "then, yawning and stretching, the four of them headed downstairs" (I made the word "four" bold, to bring your attention to it)

So the two shapes have got to be Fred, --who was apparently asleep under the covers the the end of Harry's bed, and someone else (the fourth person) who heads downstairs with them after they all get dressed.

If there were NOT four people who went to sleep in the room, then you have got to be right, and I would use the following logic: 4 people go downstairs--3 were sleeping and the 4th is the Mom. Of the four--the two that were sleeping that Harry could see as he woke up would be Fred and Ron. But I really think the answer is there is another person that you've forgotten about from earlier in the reading/ book.

Good luck--and write me back! I'd love to know the real answer. Who is the forth person--the one that was sleeping under the covers with Fred, at the foot of Harry's bed??

You can send me a message here: https://www.wyzant.com/Tutors/gentle_tutor