GOF Chapter 16: The Goblet of Fire
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deathtocapslockRon is such a fan of Viktor's he never realized Viktor was still a student. (Maybe Viktor is spreading his studies over a longer schedule to allow for more time for practices and games?) After all these years I realized his surname is taken from a historical figure . Viktor has fans among girls and boys alike. Except for Hermione, she is above all this.
Ron is willing to offer Viktor his bed. Ron/Viktor OTP!
The Durmstrang students are impressed with the charmed ceiling and the gold dinner-ware. Well, later we will find fires are used there only for magical purposes, so I imagine Durmstrang avoids anything that serves only for decoration or comfort.
Beauxbatons students show respect for their headmistress. Hogwarts students behave like boors. What else is new?
Hermione is so inviting to outsiders: "No one's making you stay!" But the supposedly close-minded Slytherins are among those who are friendly to the guests. (Ron reads friendliness as sucking up, as if he wouldn't do the same if only given an opportunity.)
Ron doesn't know foreign foods with funny names and won't trust them enough to even try. Hermione is more worldly because her parents took her to France the summer between 2nd and 3rd year. The trip from which she sent Harry a very excited letter. Well, in 3 years her parents will be going on a very different trip. Without her.
The deep bloodred robes of the Durmstrang students make the Great Hall seem crowded? I guess evil people have more presence?
Ron is struck by Fleur's Veela-charms. Harry doesn't even notice them. He does notice Cho, a bit. "They make them okay at Hogwarts," - does Harry have some insider's information about Cho having been conceived while her parents were at school?
Oooh! Bagman and Crouch are here! The red herrings and plot devices are gathering!
Ron is failing to seduce Fleur with unfamiliar (to him) desserts.
Crouch looks strange in robes? The Muggle outfit suited him better? Is this a hint that he isn't being completely himself?
Filch has to carry the casket containing the Goblet of Fire over. Dumbles can't just summon it magically.
The tasks will challenge magical prowess, daring, powers of deduction and ability to cope with danger. But Hogwarts' champion will be from the House that doesn't specialize in any one of them, because collaborative effort in preparation for the tasks does more than make up for an unbalanced skill set. Go Hufflepuffs!
Nobody under 17 will be able to cross the line, but if Filius follows the same schedule each year then by now even a first year can levitate a note with his name across it. (And of course, anyone can just ask an older person to just enter one's name.) But regardless, Albus' message here is that once a wizard is 17, s/he can freely make the choice to risk death for the chance of winning glory and a thousand Galleons (or walk to supposedly certain death in order to weaken an enemy).
Being selected by a flaming goblet constitutes a binding magical contract. The other form of magical contract involving fire that we know is the Unbreakable Vow. Does a champion die if s/he breaks the contract? But what are the terms? Clearly attempting a task and failing is OK. How much of an attempt there has to be for a champion to be safe?
Harry is more concerned that Dumbles might be angry with him for entering while underage than that the tasks may actually endanger him. Twinkly's indoctrination plan is working.
Igor is favoring Viktor over Poliakoff in public. Hogwarts headmaster would never do anything like that, would he?
Oh! Igor is giving Harry the evil eye! (BTW that girl Poliakoff is nudging to point out Harry's scar - she must have been a Durmstrang student, right? So in canon the Durmstrang delegation is co-ed too.) Igor isn't happy to meet 'Moody' - the real one was the Auror that arrested him. (And Barty certainly isn't happy with a DE who not only made a deal to get out of prison but handed in a fellow DE in his place.) This is an example of what I like about GOF - there are so many red herrings, all introduced in the first third of the book, with different plausible motives.
Well, we see the age line in action with the twins. Why didn't they think to levitate their notes? (Maybe they did, later, if they found a moment when the coast was clear. But they were outclassed by Cedric in any case.) Ms Fawcett is in Ravenclaw and underage. The Fawcetts are another family that lives near the Burrow but avoids the Weasleys.
The Triwizard Tournament is supposed to be a way to promote international cooperation but for the time being it is yet another thing to exacerbate House rivalry at Hogwarts as Gryffindors resent the idea that Hogwarts might be represented by someone from a different House.
What happens to the ones who aren't chosen? Well, they did stay all year. Did they join the Hogwarts NEWT students in their classes as exchange students? Or did they receive tutoring from their school-heads all year? At least they all know passable English, so both options are possible. If the case were that a Hogwarts delegation was visiting any of the other schools they wouldn't have been able to participate in that school's academic program, they'd have been stuck with Albus as their only teacher.
Hagrid's attempt at prettying himself up goes terribly, of course. The skrewts have started killing each other, but there are still 20 of them left.
"Never thought I'd live ter see the Triwizard Tournament played again!" Has he ever seen it played before then? Hey, the only time Hogwarts has a dance it is as part of the Triwizard Tournamnet tradition. And Molly says she and Arthur danced to Celestina Warbeck's songs when they were 18. That's it, that's when the previous Tournament was held. Maybe the Lucius-Arthur rivalry is from something related to campaigning for or against the champions in those days.
What was that taloned creature in the stew? A former pet?
Hagrid thinks it isn't natural for an elf to be free, but he doesn't realize how unnatural it is to make a pet of an Acromantula, or a dragon. Should I trust his word on elves?
So Hagrid's self-improvement attempts were all intended for dear Olympe! I wish she didn't fall for it. Whatever does she see in Hagrid besides someone who can care for her horses? So what if they are the same size - their parents were more mismatched than either Hagrid or Olympe would be with anyone, human or giant.
So - the champion selection ceremony: Olympe and Igor are tense, they care who represents their school. Albus' emotion isn't described. I'm guessing he is just enjoying everyone's attention and can't care less who is selected to represent Hogwarts. Bagman is beaming - a competition of any kind is an opportunity for more bets. Crouch is uninterested, almost bored. Because he doesn't care about fun things like games? Or because his Imperius instructions include 'do not interfere in any way in the proceedings' - ie he is being repressed beyond normal?
In a complete surprise move, the goblet selects those visiting students who were brought to our attention the most visibly during the last chapter and a half.
The applause for Cedric lasts longer than for Viktor, but it seems only the Hufflepuffs were applauding Cedric, whereas Viktor received applause from all around the Hall.
We don't know if anyone applauded Fleur, but her schoolmates are crying in disappointment. I think the Durmstrang students didn't expect anyone but Viktor to be chosen, but perhaps in Beauxbatons Fleur had even-matched competition.
Well, the goblet has another surprise. It even cuts Albus off, so we don't know what he was going to say about what cheering one's champion on was going to achieve.
Albus pauses for a while before reading the name on the parchment. This really came as a surprise to him - we see him scrambling mentally. Also, note he did not read the name of the school Harry would be 'representing'. Everyone (except Albus and the perpetrator) will assume Harry entered as a potential Hogwarts champion, but as we will learn later, Barty entered him under the name of some other school.
Ron is willing to offer Viktor his bed. Ron/Viktor OTP!
The Durmstrang students are impressed with the charmed ceiling and the gold dinner-ware. Well, later we will find fires are used there only for magical purposes, so I imagine Durmstrang avoids anything that serves only for decoration or comfort.
Beauxbatons students show respect for their headmistress. Hogwarts students behave like boors. What else is new?
Hermione is so inviting to outsiders: "No one's making you stay!" But the supposedly close-minded Slytherins are among those who are friendly to the guests. (Ron reads friendliness as sucking up, as if he wouldn't do the same if only given an opportunity.)
Ron doesn't know foreign foods with funny names and won't trust them enough to even try. Hermione is more worldly because her parents took her to France the summer between 2nd and 3rd year. The trip from which she sent Harry a very excited letter. Well, in 3 years her parents will be going on a very different trip. Without her.
The deep bloodred robes of the Durmstrang students make the Great Hall seem crowded? I guess evil people have more presence?
Ron is struck by Fleur's Veela-charms. Harry doesn't even notice them. He does notice Cho, a bit. "They make them okay at Hogwarts," - does Harry have some insider's information about Cho having been conceived while her parents were at school?
Oooh! Bagman and Crouch are here! The red herrings and plot devices are gathering!
Ron is failing to seduce Fleur with unfamiliar (to him) desserts.
Crouch looks strange in robes? The Muggle outfit suited him better? Is this a hint that he isn't being completely himself?
Filch has to carry the casket containing the Goblet of Fire over. Dumbles can't just summon it magically.
The tasks will challenge magical prowess, daring, powers of deduction and ability to cope with danger. But Hogwarts' champion will be from the House that doesn't specialize in any one of them, because collaborative effort in preparation for the tasks does more than make up for an unbalanced skill set. Go Hufflepuffs!
Nobody under 17 will be able to cross the line, but if Filius follows the same schedule each year then by now even a first year can levitate a note with his name across it. (And of course, anyone can just ask an older person to just enter one's name.) But regardless, Albus' message here is that once a wizard is 17, s/he can freely make the choice to risk death for the chance of winning glory and a thousand Galleons (or walk to supposedly certain death in order to weaken an enemy).
Being selected by a flaming goblet constitutes a binding magical contract. The other form of magical contract involving fire that we know is the Unbreakable Vow. Does a champion die if s/he breaks the contract? But what are the terms? Clearly attempting a task and failing is OK. How much of an attempt there has to be for a champion to be safe?
Harry is more concerned that Dumbles might be angry with him for entering while underage than that the tasks may actually endanger him. Twinkly's indoctrination plan is working.
Igor is favoring Viktor over Poliakoff in public. Hogwarts headmaster would never do anything like that, would he?
Oh! Igor is giving Harry the evil eye! (BTW that girl Poliakoff is nudging to point out Harry's scar - she must have been a Durmstrang student, right? So in canon the Durmstrang delegation is co-ed too.) Igor isn't happy to meet 'Moody' - the real one was the Auror that arrested him. (And Barty certainly isn't happy with a DE who not only made a deal to get out of prison but handed in a fellow DE in his place.) This is an example of what I like about GOF - there are so many red herrings, all introduced in the first third of the book, with different plausible motives.
Well, we see the age line in action with the twins. Why didn't they think to levitate their notes? (Maybe they did, later, if they found a moment when the coast was clear. But they were outclassed by Cedric in any case.) Ms Fawcett is in Ravenclaw and underage. The Fawcetts are another family that lives near the Burrow but avoids the Weasleys.
The Triwizard Tournament is supposed to be a way to promote international cooperation but for the time being it is yet another thing to exacerbate House rivalry at Hogwarts as Gryffindors resent the idea that Hogwarts might be represented by someone from a different House.
What happens to the ones who aren't chosen? Well, they did stay all year. Did they join the Hogwarts NEWT students in their classes as exchange students? Or did they receive tutoring from their school-heads all year? At least they all know passable English, so both options are possible. If the case were that a Hogwarts delegation was visiting any of the other schools they wouldn't have been able to participate in that school's academic program, they'd have been stuck with Albus as their only teacher.
Hagrid's attempt at prettying himself up goes terribly, of course. The skrewts have started killing each other, but there are still 20 of them left.
"Never thought I'd live ter see the Triwizard Tournament played again!" Has he ever seen it played before then? Hey, the only time Hogwarts has a dance it is as part of the Triwizard Tournamnet tradition. And Molly says she and Arthur danced to Celestina Warbeck's songs when they were 18. That's it, that's when the previous Tournament was held. Maybe the Lucius-Arthur rivalry is from something related to campaigning for or against the champions in those days.
What was that taloned creature in the stew? A former pet?
Hagrid thinks it isn't natural for an elf to be free, but he doesn't realize how unnatural it is to make a pet of an Acromantula, or a dragon. Should I trust his word on elves?
So Hagrid's self-improvement attempts were all intended for dear Olympe! I wish she didn't fall for it. Whatever does she see in Hagrid besides someone who can care for her horses? So what if they are the same size - their parents were more mismatched than either Hagrid or Olympe would be with anyone, human or giant.
So - the champion selection ceremony: Olympe and Igor are tense, they care who represents their school. Albus' emotion isn't described. I'm guessing he is just enjoying everyone's attention and can't care less who is selected to represent Hogwarts. Bagman is beaming - a competition of any kind is an opportunity for more bets. Crouch is uninterested, almost bored. Because he doesn't care about fun things like games? Or because his Imperius instructions include 'do not interfere in any way in the proceedings' - ie he is being repressed beyond normal?
In a complete surprise move, the goblet selects those visiting students who were brought to our attention the most visibly during the last chapter and a half.
The applause for Cedric lasts longer than for Viktor, but it seems only the Hufflepuffs were applauding Cedric, whereas Viktor received applause from all around the Hall.
We don't know if anyone applauded Fleur, but her schoolmates are crying in disappointment. I think the Durmstrang students didn't expect anyone but Viktor to be chosen, but perhaps in Beauxbatons Fleur had even-matched competition.
Well, the goblet has another surprise. It even cuts Albus off, so we don't know what he was going to say about what cheering one's champion on was going to achieve.
Albus pauses for a while before reading the name on the parchment. This really came as a surprise to him - we see him scrambling mentally. Also, note he did not read the name of the school Harry would be 'representing'. Everyone (except Albus and the perpetrator) will assume Harry entered as a potential Hogwarts champion, but as we will learn later, Barty entered him under the name of some other school.
no subject
Date: 2011-05-09 05:34 am (UTC)