pauraque_bk | GoF 18

silentauror with information I'd forgotten about magical contracts, and

sistermagpie on infantilization of evil characters, which is an absolutely wonderful bit of analysis that you all should read.

Maybe I can jam through a couple more of these before the Witching Hour people come back. We've got to entertain ourselves somehow.

GoF 18: The Weighing of the Wands

'Well, of course, I knew you hadn't entered yourself,' [Hermione] said, when he'd finished telling her about the scene in the chamber off the Hall. 'The look on your face when Dumbledore read out your name![...]' (254)

In this book Hermione is presented as very empathetic -- she can easily read Harry's emotions, whereas Ron can't see the same thing. At other times, these roles are reversed, with Hermione seeming to represent the intellect, and Ron the emotions.

'Oh, Harry, isn't it obvious?' Hermione said despairingly. '[Ron's] jealous!' (254)

She also reads Ron's feelings where Harry can't.

'Write to Sirius. You've got to tell him what's happened. He asked you to keep him posted on everything that's going on at Hogwarts ... it's almost like he expected something like this to happen. I brought some parchment and a quill out with me--' (255)

I don't know why Hermione's so interested in bringing Sirius into it. What makes her think he can help? Maybe he seems a more likely candidate to the kids at this point than he does to a reader who knows how he's going to behave in OotP. I also don't think there's anything to the idea that Sirius somehow knew something would happen to Harry. When don't things happen to Harry?

He had an urge to say something [to Sirius] about the large weight of anxiety that seemed to have settled inside his chest since last night, but he couldn't think how to ranslate this into words[...] (256)

Ouch. It's not surprising that Harry has difficulty articulating his feelings, since he wasn't raised in an environment where feelings were something to be discussed.

'You believe I didn't do it, then?' said Harry, concealing with difficulty the rush of gratitude he felt at Hagrid's words.

''Course I do,' Hagrid grunted. 'Yeh say it wasn' you, an' I believe yeh -- an' Dumbledore believes yer, an' all.' (258)

Hagrid's reasoning for believing Harry is different from Hermione's -- he relies on Dumbledore's opinion, as usual. (He continually defends Snape for the same reason.)

sistermagpie and

black_dog, you were talking about how people who depend on authority figures are usually evil in the HP books; how do you think Hagrid fits into this?

The next few days were some of Harry's worst at Hogwarts. [...] He thought he could have coped with the rest of the school's behaviour if he could just have had Ron back as a friend[...] (259)

GoF really drives home how much Harry cares about Ron, here and in the second task. Ron was Harry's first friend -- and his only friend for much of his first year.

Then there was the fact that Cedric looked the part of a champion so much more than he did. Exceptionally handsome, with his straight nose, dark hair and grey eyes, it was hard to say who was receiving more admiration these days, Cedric or Viktor Krum. (260)

Hardly surprising in the Potterverse for a character's outward appearance to match their inner truth, is it?

And again, Cedric is so dreeeeeamy. And he has gray eyes -- just like handsome Sirius. :D

Support CEDRIC DIGGORY--
the REAL Hogwarts Champion!

'Like them, Potter?' said Malfoy loudly, as Harry approached. 'And this isn't all they do -- look!'

He pressed his badge into his chest, and the message upon it vanished, to be replaced with another one, which glowed green:

POTTER STINKS (261)

The book isn't clear on whose idea the badges were, but Draco is passing them out and bragging about them, so I'll assume it was him. Another instance of Draco finding creative ways of mocking people (like the song in OotP). Draco might be a nicer person if he lived in a culture that placed more value on creative endeavors, since that's clearly what he's interested in.

'Want one, Granger?' said Malfoy, holding out a badge to Hermione. 'I've got loads. But don't touch my hand, now. I've just washed it, you see, don't want a Mudblood sliming it up.' (262)

Yow! Hermione wasn't saying anything; I think it's obvious that he offers her a badge as a dig at her SPEW recruitment attempts (which he can't have failed to notice) and then caps it off with a seriously nasty remark. Dreadful.

So Harry and Draco get into it, and Hermione gets hit with the teeth-growing curse. Then:

Snape looked coldly at Hermione, then said, 'I see no difference.' (263)

As several people have already mentioned in earlier discussions, there's just no excuse for this. It's childish and unbecoming any teacher, and Hermione has done nothing at all to incite it.

Man, Hermione really takes a beating in this chapter. It makes her look particularly victimized that her most recent actions have been to support Harry and try to patch things up between him and Ron.

Harry sat there staring at Snape as the lesson began, picturing horrific things happening to him ... if only he knew how to do the Cruciatus curse ... he'd have Snape flat on his back like that spider, jerking and twitching... (264)

Harry has a perfect right to be furious with Snape here, but this is still kind of freaky. It's a rather viscerally sadistic fantasy -- jerking and twitching. Yet, when it comes down to it, Harry can't actually maintain the Cruciatus curse.

This is another point where Snape is compared to a spider, to add to OotP 28 and Spinner's End.

'It's amazing, isn't it, Harry?' said Colin, starting to speak the moment Harry had closed the dungeon door behind him. 'Isn't it, though? You being champion?' (265)

Colin and Dennis are mentioned a lot in this book, though they really have nothing meaningful to do. Practically anytime a random student is needed, or there's a reaction shot of students, one or both of them is mentioned.

It's been pointed out that Colin's interaction with Harry is often reminiscent of Peter's fawning over James in OotP 28, and that this may indicate that Colin will turn against him at some point, but I'm not sure. Whatever JKR is going to do with these two, she's going to have to do it all in one book, so I don't know how elaborate it'll be.

What do you guys think? What are Colin and Dennis for? Why are they mentioned so often in this book?

[Rita:] 'The youngest champion, you know ... to add a bit of colour?'

'Certainly!' cried Bagman. (266)

Ludo seems abnormally enthusiastic about Harry being a champion, here and elsewhere. I can't come up with a reason why this should be.

As

amythis pointed out last chapter, Rita chooses not to play up the international conflict, but is much more interested in Harry.

'Dumbledore!' cried Rita Skeeter, with every appearance of delight [...] 'I hope you saw my piece over the summer about the International Confederation of Wizards' Conference?'

'Enchantingly nasty,' said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. 'I particularly enjoyed your description of me as an obsolete dingbat.'

Rita Skeeter didn't look remotely abashed. 'I was just making the point that some of your ideas are a little old-fashioned, Dumbledore, and that many wizards in the street--' (269)

Most people are cowed by Dumbledore when faced with him, but not Rita. She's not ashamed to be confronted by him, she loves it! I wonder if she sees herself here as something like... oh, Michael Moore, for lack of a better example... poking holes in the dignity of the privileged.

Dumbledore doesn't seem to mind, though. He even gives her the twinkly-eye, which I think he usually reserves for genuine amusement. (Rita/Albus!)

Is Dumbledore really old-fashioned, though? Isn't he supposed to be a progressive, letting in Muggleborns and werewolves and so on?

Rita is dreadful in a way I actually find rather adorable. I'm looking forward to her scenes in the movie.

[Ollivander:] 'It's in fine condition ... you treat it regularly?'

'Polished it last night,' said Cedric, grinning. (271)

*falls about giggling*

Ah, the phallic wand imagery never fails to entertain. I also wouldn't say it's unintentional; JKR passes quickly over Fleur's wand test, then focuses heavily on Cedric and Krum's wands, and Harry's comparative inadequacy. (And then hastily rubbing his wand so that sparks spurt out the end... you get the idea.)

[Ollivander:] 'Rather thicker than one usually sees ... quite rigid ... ten and a quarter inches ...' (271)

*falls down again* Oh Viktor!

And on that very intellectual note...

Previous GoF posts are saved in memories here.

If this were CoS, we'd be home by now.