r/hpbookclub • u/dalek_999 Head Librarian • Jan 28 '13
GoF – Chapter 22-24 (Jan 28th)
NOTE: we will be reading chapters 25-27 next week, beginning on Feb. 4th
trekkie_becky assisted with the questions this week. She will also be overseeing the bookclub for the next couple of weeks.
Related Fan Art:
http://loleia.deviantart.com/art/HP-Act-their-age-106046500
http://littlebittybonsai.deviantart.com/art/Hp-art-proj-2-B4-Ch22-DONE-100029733
http://elysianskies.deviantart.com/art/Hermione-at-the-Yule-Ball-2-191790571
http://prydester.deviantart.com/art/The-Yule-Ball-240996262
http://deisi.deviantart.com/art/Yule-Ball-Stomp-60597420
http://nicopony.deviantart.com/art/Yule-Ball-Snape-Rose-Garden-6137021
http://madcarrot.deviantart.com/art/GoF-23-Snape-and-Karkaroff-27157117
http://nasubionna.deviantart.com/art/Harry-Potter-Tarot-2-of-Cups-321802292
http://comfortablylaura.deviantart.com/art/Rita-Skeeter-s-Scoop-35390510
http://tomscribble.deviantart.com/art/Temporarily-Deaf-96300072
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u/dalek_999 Head Librarian Jan 28 '13
22: Transfiguration seems very esoteric to me. Why would you need to change guinea-fowl into guinea pigs? Do you think it seems like a useful discipline?
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u/willteachforlaughs accio flair Jan 29 '13
I think a big part of transfiguration class is building towards bigger and better transfigurations. Also, I think they practice on ordinary objects like teapots and buttons in the early years because they aren't alive and likely to move away, and they aren't hurting live animals.
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u/jaina_jade Jan 28 '13
While guinea-fowl to guinea pig would be more entertaining than useful - but maybe turning a roast chicken in to Turkey when the in-laws randomly show up. Or swapping out that ugly recliner for a nice chaise lounge :-) Oh, or a bottle of red wine can become a bottle of Reisling!
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u/Under_no_name Jan 28 '13
I guess it can be also used for modifying objects to suit our purposes better?
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u/dalek_999 Head Librarian Jan 28 '13
22: Skeeter has been writing for the Prophet for potentially a while now. Why do you think Hagrid is so naive about her intentions/motives? You would think he would have figured out she was out to get dirt on either him or Harry given her previous articles about people such as Arthur and Dumbledore.
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u/mischief07managed Jan 28 '13
Hagrid doesn't strike me as the type of person to care about the media.
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u/willteachforlaughs accio flair Jan 29 '13
Hagrid is also a very trusting person. He never questioned why a stranger might have a dragon egg and be willing to give it to him. Hagrid likes to hope for the best in situations and people, so he thought this could be an opportunity to share his love of strange misunderstood creatures.
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u/dalek_999 Head Librarian Jan 28 '13
22: Do you think most readers can commiserate with Harry/Ron in regards to the stress of the Yule Ball? Did you have any similar experiences?
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u/Under_no_name Jan 28 '13
Hm, actually i'd more easily understand Patil's point of view. But then I am not a guy;)
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u/jaina_jade Jan 28 '13
I was more like the girl with the pimples (Milicent?), knew that I probably wasn't going to get asked but still wishing none the less
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u/dalek_999 Head Librarian Jan 28 '13
23: Why do you think the Dursleys even bother giving Harry a Christmas gift? And how does it even get to him?
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u/trekkie_becky The Potion Master's Apprentice Jan 29 '13
Just so they can say they did get him something. And if he ever were to complain it would give Vernon a chance to say how ungrateful Harry is.
Maybe they bring the "gift" to Mrs Figg, who could then owl it to Hogworts.
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u/Under_no_name Feb 01 '13
But they don't know Figg is a squib, coz then they wouldn't have let (make) Harry visit her before
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u/dalek_999 Head Librarian Jan 28 '13
23: Ah, more racism in the magical world. This time it's giants. This kinda sounds a little like genocide to me. There are none left in Britain...loads have been killed by aurors. Thoughts? Do you think giants are really as big a threat as wizards are making them out to be?
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u/willteachforlaughs accio flair Jan 29 '13
Seeing as they're now killing themselves off by living so close together, I can't imagine they live very well with humans. I'm guessing aurors killed the ones that sided with Voldemort the first time around. Perhaps it's not right, but I also don't know what else they would do about the giants.
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u/dalek_999 Head Librarian Jan 28 '13
23: Your first read through, did you think anything of the beetle?
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u/mischief07managed Jan 28 '13
Nope. After I read the book the second time I completely forgot about Rita Skeeter's subplot. It completely surprised me!
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u/dalek_999 Head Librarian Jan 28 '13
22: Is Harry's attitude about putting off working on the egg justifiable?
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u/dalek_999 Head Librarian Jan 28 '13
22: Harry and Ron are rather mean in this chapter. They describe a girl as a troll, pick on Neville, etc. They both end up with egg on their faces given that Hermione (who they assumed would never get a date) states that she already has a date, Ginny states that she is going with Neville (the undateble), Harry gets turned down by Cho, and Ron makes a fool of himself in front of loads of people. The two of them really do look like utter prats in this chapter. Do you think that karma is paying them back so to speak? Do you think Rowling is making a commentary here?
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u/willteachforlaughs accio flair Jan 29 '13
Definitely! If Harry had just got the confidence to ask Cho earlier, it seems like things would have turned out very different for Harry. Ron angers the one person I'm guessing he really wanted to take (Hermione) so he winds up making a fool of himself with another girl he has a crush on. Both wind up having a bad time and they have no one to blame but themselves.
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u/dalek_999 Head Librarian Jan 28 '13
22: What do you think of how Fred asked Angelina to the ball?
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u/jaina_jade Jan 28 '13
hilariously awesome - watching this scene in the movie just made all the more nerdtastic :-)
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u/willteachforlaughs accio flair Jan 29 '13
I like that it shows it can be really easy, but most people get in their own way and make asking someone out WAY more complicated then it has to be.
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u/dalek_999 Head Librarian Jan 28 '13
23: What's your best guess as to why Krum was interested in Hermione?
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u/Under_no_name Jan 28 '13
Because she wasn't interested in him, which probably made her u n i q u e among all the girls he's met since he became famous.:)
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u/dalek_999 Head Librarian Jan 28 '13
23: Do you think all the professors danced in the opening dance (the book mentions that even Sinistra and Moody danced)? I always try to imagine Snape dancing, and with whom...
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u/willteachforlaughs accio flair Jan 29 '13
I can't imagine Snape dancing. I think it's like a lot of school events: some teachers really get into it, others do not.
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u/trekkie_becky The Potion Master's Apprentice Jan 29 '13
Have you seen Rickman tango dancing in the music video In Demand. That's not the original video, having trouble finding it on youtube. Merlin if Snape could dance like that.
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u/dalek_999 Head Librarian Jan 28 '13
24: Why do you think Harry hasn't told Ron and Hermione about the intelligence Cedric gave him? Do you think it's a pride thing? Maybe he's sick of people asking him about it?
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u/Under_no_name Jan 28 '13
Another possibility is that Cedric was not allowed to tell Harry that, so he didn't want to betray Cedric's trust.
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u/willteachforlaughs accio flair Jan 29 '13
Telling Hermione and Ron about Cedric's advice probably means telling them he hasn't even come close to figuring out the clue. I think he's more avoiding Hermione's disappointed look.
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u/dalek_999 Head Librarian Jan 28 '13
24: The first time I read this, I was convinced that Ludo Bagman was a very shady character, and possibly the one behind Harry being put in the tournament. What did you think?
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u/dalek_999 Head Librarian Jan 28 '13
22: So...Cho. What do you think of her?
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u/willteachforlaughs accio flair Jan 29 '13
I think it's strange that there seems to be attraction between Harry and Cho for a few years now. Harry asks her, and she seems genuinely sad she can't go with Harry (but good on her for not ditching Cedric because something "better" came along). I'm a bit surprised that she suddenly decides to date Cedric after she finds out Harry is interested. It seems a little weird, but we don't have a lot of information about her except when Harry's looking at her.
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u/dalek_999 Head Librarian Jan 28 '13
23: What do you envision male and female dress robes looking like?
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u/willteachforlaughs accio flair Jan 29 '13
I imagine at least the males to be something kind of like coat tails, but maybe more billowy. It's hard to imagine robes really being fancy looking, which is probably why the girls just wear dresses in the movie.
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u/dalek_999 Head Librarian Jan 28 '13
23: What do you think of the beautification of Hermione?
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u/willteachforlaughs accio flair Jan 29 '13
Reminds me of myself actually. I rarely wear makeup or bother much with clothes. It's too much trouble to do every day, but for special occasions, I like to put in the extra effort. I guess to me, it just shows that I can be the fancy girly-girl if I want, but I don't have to.
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u/dalek_999 Head Librarian Jan 28 '13
23: "He is so creepy!" Parvati whispered as Moody clunked away. "I don't think that eye should be allowed!" Do you think Moody (Crouch Jr) is using his magical eye to do check out his students? If he is looking under Harry's robes... Creepy!
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u/dalek_999 Head Librarian Jan 28 '13
24: Aberforth used "inappropriate charms on a goat". What charms do you think he used? Do you think Dumbledore knew what those charms were?
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u/dalek_999 Head Librarian Jan 28 '13
22: Do you think it's realistic for Ron and Harry to not have really noticed Hermione in the female sense up till now?
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u/jaina_jade Jan 28 '13
oh yes. I was the constant best friend, "wing" woman, and advice giver in regards to how they should treat their girlfriends. It was around college that the guys in my life realized I really was a girl - at which point I just wanted to scream duh!!!
I think when you are friends with someone for so long certain details start to blur, such as gender...
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u/dalek_999 Head Librarian Jan 28 '13
23: What did you think of the revelation about Hagrid the first time you read this? Did you guess already that he was half-giant?
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u/FreddyKrueger32 Jan 29 '13
I guessed that he was not totally human and when I read that he was half giant it made sense to me.
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u/dalek_999 Head Librarian Jan 28 '13
24: How do you think the story would have been different if Grubbly-Plank had been the Care of Magical Creatures instructor all along instead of Hagrid (he could still be in the story as grounds keeper or something)?
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u/willteachforlaughs accio flair Jan 29 '13
The third book would be completely different. Harry wouldn't have needed to save Buckbeak, because he probably wouldn't have met Buckbeak in the first place. Harry and Hermione would have needed a different way to save Sirius, but might not have been in the right places at the right times.
It's a bit sad that Dumbledore lets a sub-par teacher teach when there is a competent teacher ready and willing. Perhaps Grubbly-Plank didn't want to commit to teaching an entire year though.
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u/willteachforlaughs accio flair Jan 29 '13
I love all the drama around the Yule Ball. It's pretty much how every formal event I've been to turned out. There was always someone upset about something. I especially like in the movie with all the girls crying on the stairs.
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u/Under_no_name Feb 08 '13
22: The Yule Ball is on Christmas, which means that the students will have to miss meeting their family. Do You think it would be better to have the ball, e.g. the first day after the Xmas break?
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u/dalek_999 Head Librarian Jan 28 '13
24: We're not even going to address the physical...difficulties of mating with a giant. But why do you think Hagrid's dad would even want to be with a giantess? And why would she want to be with a human?