text:
Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Order of the Phoenix/Chapter 24

Synopsis
Kreacher reappears from the attic; it seems he was in Mrs. Black's old room. Harry is wary; Kreacher seems happier and Harry has caught him avidly staring at him a few times. Sirius, meanwhile, grows depressed as everyone's stay at Grimmauld Place nears its end.

Professor Snape arrives to announce that Dumbledore wants Harry to study Occlumency, the art of closing one's mind to another's intrusion. Harry agrees, but then discovers that Snape is to be teaching him. A verbal battle between Snape and Sirius erupts, escalating to the point of wands drawn and Harry in between trying to prevent a duel. Fortunately, Mr. Weasley, the entire Weasley family, and Hermione enter. Mr. Weasley is fully recovered and has been discharged from St. Mungo's. Snape leaves, saying he expects Harry in his office at 6 o'clock Monday evening. Harry discusses the Occlumency lessons with Ron and Hermione. Hermione says it will stop the nightmares, though Ron says he would prefer the nightmares.

Lupin and Tonks arrive the next day to escort them back to Hogwarts. Before Harry leaves, Sirius gives him a package, saying Harry can contact him with it. Harry privately resolves never to use it, not wanting to risk exposing Sirius. Lupin summons the Knight Bus, and they are greeted by Stan Shunpike. Arriving at Hogwarts, Lupin and Tonks leave separately.

Harry's first day back is unpleasant, partly because he dreads his evening Occlumency lesson with Snape and partly because Dumbledore's Army members keep asking him when the next meeting is. When Cho Chang mentions that the next Hogsmeade weekend is February 14th, he is initially mystified, then suddenly understands and invites her to go to Hogsmeade with him on Valentine's Day weekend. Cho, delighted, accepts.

Still distrusting Snape, Harry begins his first Occlumency lesson. Snape tells Harry that Voldemort is skilled in Legilimency, the ability to read others' thoughts and memories. Occlumency will help Harry block his mind. Snape removes some of his own memories and deposits them into Dumbledore's Pensieve. Harry must try and prevent Snape from penetrating his mind, but Harry's first attempts fail miserably. However, Harry recognizes the hallway he has dreamt about so frequently: it is inside the Ministry of Magic leading to the Department of Mysteries. He and Mr. Weasley raced down it last summer to his hearing, and it is the same hallway where Mr. Weasley was attacked. Snape dismisses him, telling him to come back Wednesday. As Harry leaves, he sees Snape reinserting memories from the Pensieve into his head.

Harry discusses this latest revelation with Ron and Hermione in the library. They conclude that the weapon Voldemort seeks must be hidden in the Department of Mysteries. They retreat to the common room, expecting it to be quieter, but Fred and George are demonstrating the latest Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes product, Headless Hats, that make the wearer's head invisible. Harry gives up and heads to bed. Inside the dormitory, Harry is felled by intense pain and hears wild, almost insane laughter. As he returns to awareness, his scar is burning. Harry tells Ron he saw Voldemort's thoughts again, but this time he did not feel Voldemort's anger—the Dark Lord is ecstatic. Harry questions if Occlumency is weakening his defences rather than strengthening them, and wonders what made Voldemort so happy.

Analysis
The rift between Sirius and Snape can never be mended; their mutual hatred is too deeply embedded, though they realize they must try to put aside their personal feelings for the Order's sake. Unfortunately, this ongoing feud, combined with the animosity and distrust Harry already has for Snape, will likely make Harry's Occlumency lessons even more unpleasant. Harry's confusion about why he must study this subject only makes it more difficult. He is further frustrated that it is Snape, rather than Dumbledore, who is teaching him. Although Harry's progress is slow, mostly due to his resistance to having to study something he does not fully understand, the lessons are, probably accidentally, resulting in Harry seeing clearer images. Harry recognizes the hallway as the one leading to the Department of Mysteries within the Ministry of Magic, leading him to conclude that that is where the weapon Voldemort is seeking is hidden.

Harry's budding relationship with Cho Chang is also progressing slowly. Her needing to drop such a strong hint about Valentine's Day shows Harry has little idea regarding how romance actually works, though he is more clueless than thoughtless. He, unlike Ron, learns quickly.

Kreacher's behavior, meanwhile, is highly suspicious. His devotion to the Black family is nearly fanatical, as is his hatred for Sirius, as well as Harry and anyone he considers a "blood traitor." He has been carefully observing Harry for a reason, though just why is unknown, but it is likely significant. Though as he is magically bound to serve only Sirius and to protect his secrets, Kreacher may be searching for some loophole through which he can convey information about Harry to Voldemort.

Snape removing his memories just before his lesson with Harry is interesting. He obviously fears that Harry might glimpse something should Harry successfully penetrate his thoughts. Which memories he is hiding is unknown; they could be something incriminating or merely personal. Harry, we note in passing, identifies the Pensieve as being Dumbledore's, but we have only Harry's identification to work with; Snape may have a Pensieve of his own.

Review

 * 1) What is Occlumency? What is Legilimency?
 * 2) Why does Snape order Harry to say that their sessions are for "remedial" Potions?
 * 3) Why do Snape and Sirius nearly curse one another? What stops them?
 * 4) Why doesn't Harry want to use Sirius' gift? Is he right, or being overly cautious?

Further Study

 * 1) Why would Dumbledore want Harry to study Occlumency? Why doesn't Dumbledore instruct him rather than Snape?
 * 2) Why does Snape remove his memories and place them in the Pensieve just before Harry's lesson? What memories might they be?
 * 3) Why might Voldemort be feeling ecstatic?
 * 4) What might suddenly be making Kreacher happy, and why is he watching Harry so closely?

Greater Picture
As previously mentioned, Kreacher had, in fact, manipulated Sirius' earlier order to "Get OUT!" as being given permission to leave the house, and he then visited Narcissa Malfoy, who was the only available member of the Black family that he still respected. It is quite likely that Kreacher's joy is due to Narcissa, or Lucius, promising that with Kreacher's assistance they would eliminate the "blood traitors and mudbloods" now occupying his mistress' house. How this would be done is uncertain, as the most recent attempt to retrieve the Prophecy failed — that attempt's result being Bode's spell-induced inability to speak. While the next attempt will depend on information Kreacher gives to Narcissa, it will not be formulated until after Rookwood, having escaped Azkaban, explains to Voldemort why the first plan failed. Rookwood has already escaped from prison, but there will be some delay while he, presumably, learns of the current plan and builds up his courage to approach Voldemort with bad news. We will see later that people bringing Voldemort bad news often do not survive the experience.

While it is unfortunate that Harry must spend even more time with Snape, one of his greatest enemies, in order to take Occlumency lessons, it does make sense. Occlumency allows one to close off one's mind to external penetration. Because Voldemort is skilled in the art of Legilimency, the art of reading people's thoughts and feelings, he is also very good at telling if someone is lying or not. However, readers may want to pay careful attention to Snape's phrasing, as he says "The Dark Lord almost always knows when someone is lying to him." We will find out in a later book that this phrasing comes from Snape's personal experience. Voldemort's ability at legilimency apparently extends also to feeling out Harry's thoughts at times when he may be vulnerable, such as when he is asleep or nearly so. It makes sense that Snape would be the one to teach this skill of closing his mind to Harry, considering that in a later book we find out that Snape is an extremely skilled Occlumens, playing the double agent for Dumbledore quite successfully. Evidence later in the story suggests that Snape may be second only to Dumbledore in Occlumency skill.

Elsewhere in this book, we have commented on Dumbledore's remaining aloof from Harry. At this point, Dumbledore is certain that there is some mental connection between Harry and Voldemort, and is concerned that Voldemort may be planning to use that as a weapon, either against Harry or against himself. Dumbledore is also aware of Harry's magical strength, and likely believes that if he teaches Harry Occlumency, Harry may gain access to Dumbledore's thoughts at some time during the proceedings. In fact, we will see that Harry does, at one point, gain access to Snape's memories. Knowing of the connection between Harry and Voldemort, and believing that Harry may be able to read his own thoughts, Dumbledore wisely chooses not to instruct Harry himself. In one of his few mistakes, Dumbledore believes that Snape can set aside his feud with James Potter in order to teach Harry. We believe that Snape tried but was unable to completely dismiss his biases, and as a result his teaching was largely ineffective. The episode does give us some information about Harry's pre-Hogwarts life, and affords us a glimpse of Snape's home life as well.

Much later in the book, when Snape is called away from an Occlumency lesson, Harry's curiosity compels him to peer at Snape's memories stored in the Pensieve. They reveal an event that completely changes Harry's perception regarding his father. James and Sirius were not merely wild, as mentioned earlier in this book, but, surprisingly, were rather nasty bullies.

The feud between Sirius and Snape started when they were students at Hogwarts; Sirius, James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, and Remus Lupin were in Gryffindor House then, and Snape was in Slytherin. Sirius, largely influenced by James, had been more than a bit of a bully, picking on Snape in particular, and Snape has clearly never forgiven him. Sirius' imprisonment must have been very sweet for Snape, and Dumbledore's accepting his innocence after his escape must have been galling, particularly after Snape's chances of receiving an Order of Merlin slipped away with Sirius' escape from Hogwarts in an earlier book.

Twice in this book, Harry will need to speak with Sirius, breaking into Professor Umbridge's office to do so. Later he learns that Sirius' Christmas gift is a magic mirror that can reach Sirius at any time. This mirror would have been extremely useful, but Harry believed that his using it would risk Sirius being captured, and so deliberately forgets it. One may ask why, in this case, the mirror is introduced to the story at all? It turns out that a fairly substantial plot point in the final book will hinge upon this mirror. This small detail indicates the planning and interconnectedness that characterizes this author's work in this series.

The interaction with Cho Chang in this chapter shows once more how unprepared Harry is for a romantic entanglement. He is here so wrapped up in his own troubles that he almost fails to note that Cho has something else on her mind. The Hogsmeade visit, as we might expect given this inauspicious beginning, will be a complete failure.

As mentioned above, Rookwood escapes Azkaban at the end of this chapter, as do several other Death Eaters. News of the mass escape will appear in the Daily Prophet the next morning, and Harry and Ron will conclude that this is what has made Voldemort so happy. Bode's death will appear in the paper as well, and while Harry says nothing about it at the time, it is likely that this also will have caused some small rejoicing by Voldemort.

Connections

 * Sirius' gift to Harry will remain, untidily wrapped, in Harry's trunk until the end of the year. Despondent over Sirius' death, Harry will unwrap it to discover that it is one of a pair of magic mirrors that Sirius had intended Harry to use to communicate with him. Annoyed that it won't reach Sirius in the afterlife, Harry throws the mirror back into the trunk, where it shatters. He finds a piece of the mirror while clearing his trunk in the final book. He keeps the shard as a reminder of what he has lost, several times seeing a blue eye, reminiscent of Professor Dumbledore's, looking out through it. It turns out that Dumbledore's brother Aberforth has bought the matched mirror from Mundungus Fletcher, and admits to having used the mirror to watch over Harry. Harry will, at one point, call for help via the mirror, and Aberforth will send Dobby.


text:
Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Goblet of Fire/Chapter 24

Synopsis
Hermione and Ron seem willing to overlook their fight, though Harry notices they act oddly formal with one another.

Hermione is hardly surprised to hear that Hagrid is a half-Giant; he is too large to be human, though Giants typically are twenty feet tall. And there must be decent Giants, just as there are decent Werewolves.

Now that the holidays are over, Harry is worried. February 24th is looming much closer from this side of Christmas, and he still must solve the Egg's riddle. Harry's unfriendly feelings towards Cedric prevent him using the hint Cedric gave him.

Classes resume and no one is looking forward to Care of Magical Creatures and renewed acquaintance with the Skrewts. Arriving at Hagrid's hut, however, they are met by Professor Grubbly-Plank. Ignoring Harry's questions about Hagrid, she leads them to where a Unicorn is tethered. The boys are waved back because unicorns interact better with girls. Malfoy japes that Hagrid is too ashamed to show his face and produces a copy of the Daily Prophet. Rita Skeeter's scurrilous story claims students have been injured in Hagrid's class. Crabbe is quoted as being bitten by a Flobberworm. Worse, the article reveals Hagrid's mixed Giant-human ancestry. Harry is incensed, but Malfoy sneers that parents will be too terrified to have Hagrid teach their children. Harry is so angry he is barely able to concentrate on the class. At the end, Parvati declares it was better than Hagrid's lessons and hopes Professor Grubbly-Plank stays a long time. Harry, Ron, and Hermione go to Hagrid's hut after Divination, but their repeated knocks go unanswered. Hagrid is absent the next week, while Professor Grubbly-Plank continues teaching. Hagrid is not even seen performing his grounds-keeping duties.

Harry intends to go to the next Hogsmeade weekend, much to Hermione's surprise and displeasure; she was expecting him to work on solving the Egg riddle. Harry lies and says he nearly has it figured out. There are still five weeks left, after all. Heading to Hogsmeade, they spot Viktor Krum diving into the lake, apparently unaffected by the cold. Ron says he almost hopes the giant squid will get him.

At the Three Broomsticks, they see Ludo Bagman deep in conversation with Goblins. Bagman notices Harry and charges over for a private word. He and the Goblins want to contact Barty Crouch, but nobody knows where he is. Percy claims he is still sick at home and sending instructions by owl post. If Rita Skeeter uncovers this, she will probably report him as missing, just as she had with Bertha Jorkins. Harry refuses Bagman's offer of help deciphering the Egg, and when Fred and George suddenly appear and offer to buy Bagman a drink, he declines and departs, the Goblins trailing after him. Rita Skeeter enters, telling her photographer that someone (probably Bagman) refused to speak to her. Harry accuses her of intentionally ruining other peoples' lives. She responds the public has the right to know the truth, and asks for Harry's version. As they leave, Hermione tells Skeeter that she is an evil woman. Looking back, Harry sees Skeeter's quill racing across parchment; Ron suspects Hermione may be next in line for Skeeter's axe.

The Trio return to Hagrid's hut, and Hermione pounds on the door. It is Professor Dumbledore who answers and invites them in. According to Dumbledore, many letters have arrived supporting Hagrid, many demanding that he remain at Hogwarts. Hagrid protests that he is half-Giant, but Harry points out his own relationship to the Dursleys, and Dumbledore mentions his brother Aberforth, who was prosecuted for practicing inappropriate charms on a goat. Dumbledore orders Hagrid to return to work on Monday, then leaves. Showing the Trio a picture of his late father, Hagrid says he would be disappointed by his son's behavior. Hagrid asks how Harry is doing with the Egg; Harry again lies that he nearly has it solved. Hagrid tells Harry how proud he is of him, causing Harry to feel ashamed. Harry privately concedes it is time to swallow his pride and use Cedric's hint.

Analysis
That Hagrid immediately went into hiding after Rita Skeeter's article was published shows his rather child-like nature. Rather than confronting an issue and standing up for himself, he instead retreats into seclusion, to the extent that even his friends and supporters are unable to convince him to show himself. Hagrid symbolizes how innocent individuals are easily victimized by powerful entities like the media. Rita Skeeter represents that power and how it is interrelated with the bigotry that permeates the series, and how fear and suspicion can be deliberately manipulated to inflame peoples' hatred, perpetuating racial stereotypes. And while Skeeter's article is bias-driven, it may be less about her personal beliefs than deliberately skewing facts to incite readers' terror about Giants, possibly to sell more newspapers. Despite Hagrid's gentleness and devoted service to Hogwarts, Skeeter falsely casts him as a dangerous and irresponsible individual, though that description seems more applicable to her. Surprisingly, the backlash results in supporters rallying to Hagrid's defence rather than condemning him; many are probably former Hogwarts students who fondly remember Hagrid. And while Skeeter represents many characters' bigoted views and racial oppression, Dumbledore and Hermione become its antithesis, championing equal rights and opportunities for all magical denizens who may be at even greater risk as Voldemort's power continues to rise.

Of the many characters Harry has a close relationship with, it is clearly seen here that Hagrid is among the most important and influential, and whose good opinion Harry cultivates and values. Although Harry never means to disappoint others, his laziness results in him procrastinating and lying to everyone (and probably to himself) about solving the Egg riddle, and he seems impervious to Hermione's criticism. He is, however, completely shamed and humbled by Hagrid's total and unconditional faith in him, a faith Harry has failed to meet. Possibly only Sirius, Lupin, and Dumbledore could have close to the same effect that Hagrid has, though they, knowing Harry's nature, would likely have doubted his claims. Harry guiltily realizes his actions have hardly represented how a Triwizard Champion is expected to behave, letting down those who have supported and believed in him. Harry resolves to work hard on solving the Egg riddle.

Just how much Ron is lacking in emotional sensitivity is shown here as well. Immediately after Dumbledore orders Hagrid back to work, the room is still emotionally wrought, Ron asks if he can have a cake; however, he probably unintentionally helped break the tension somewhat.

February 24th, according to statements in the story, falls on a Tuesday, so the preceding Saturday ought to be the 21st. If Harry still has five weeks to solve the puzzle of the Egg, then the Hogsmeade weekend should be falling on the 17th of January. This suggests that Harry has been back at school for two weeks, with Hogwarts re-opening on the 5th; so Hagrid has been closeted for two weeks when Dumbledore visits him. It is extremely unlikely that a Hogsmeade weekend would be scheduled for the first weekend following the return to school. We note that the days of the week do not line up with the story's supposed years, 1994-5, but as usual we point out that this has no effect on the story.

Review

 * 1) Why has Harry been so reluctant to work on solving the Egg's riddle, even despite Hermione's prodding and Cedric's hint?
 * 2) Why does Harry feel ashamed when he lies to Hagrid about the Egg, but not to others?
 * 3) Why does Harry finally decide to use Cedric's hint?
 * 4) Why has Hagrid gone into hiding? Why does he agree to come back?

Further Study

 * 1) What motivated Rita Skeeter to write such a scathing story?
 * 2) Why does Ron think that Hermione will be Rita Skeeter's next "victim"? What does he mean by this? Is he right?
 * 3) Rita Skeeter's quill seems to be able to write when nobody is speaking, despite it supposedly being a "Quick-Quotes Quill". What is it actually writing? Given its sour green colour and apparently similar taste, so appropriate to the tone of the stories Skeeter turns in, could the stories actually be partly generated by the quill, autonomously?

Greater Picture
Ludo Bagman's conversation with the Goblins in the Three Broomsticks appears to be going badly, and he seems to have lost much of his bounce. Bagman, we will find, is in trouble with the Goblins over his gambling debts, and this is yet another episode where he attempts to settle matters with them. His abrupt retreat indicates he was unsuccessful, although Fred and George's sudden arrival may also have scared him off; he is avoiding the Twins because he also has refused to pay their winnings.

In that encounter, we see another clumsy attempt by Bagman to help Harry with the Tournament. Almost certainly, the Goblins that Bagman was speaking to are the same group with which he is betting on Harry's victory. One might wonder why the Goblins allow him to blatantly talk to Harry, as Bagman has already demonstrated that he is not particularly trustworthy. The Goblins must suspect that Bagman would attempt to influence the tournament's outcome in his own favour, despite his being a judge.

Rita Skeeter's story about Hagrid points up the prejudice and discrimination that the Wizarding world retains towards the other magical races; we will see this brought out again, in the person of Dolores Umbridge, in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Umbridge will exhibit this prejudice to an extreme, displaying an irrational hatred for "half-breeds" like Hagrid and, illogically, the entire Centaur race. Voldemort will use this prejudice to win himself allies among those races that have been subjected to discrimination, notably the few remaining Giants and the Dementors.

It is suggested that Skeeter's story is slanted towards the sensational in order to sell more papers. This will be reiterated in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. In this chapter, Skeeter says that the public deserves to know the truth; in the next book, when Hermione throws that back at her, Skeeter will call her a "silly girl" and tell her that newspapers want stories that will sell more newspapers. Skeeter is clearly very good at writing these kinds of stories, though we have to wonder how much of it is her, and how much springs from the magic on her quill.

Readers have probably noticed that many characters are first introduced by name before they actually appear in the story. Here, Dumbledore mentions his somewhat wayward brother, Aberforth, who will play a significant role in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. We note that the more mature reader will likely jump to a conclusion on hearing what Aberforth was accused of. This conclusion will never be refuted. This thinly veiled innuendo, and other similar events, is part of what makes the series satisfying for all ages; adult readers will see things in it that children won't, and will be entertained by revelations that younger readers simply won't get.

Malfoy's pre-Rita-Skeeter idea that Hagrid had "swallowed a bottle of Skele-Gro when he was young," thus explaining his size, may be a nod by the author to a person from literature of similar size and character, Asterix's friend Obelix, who reportedly consumed a large amount of magic potion as an infant.

Connections

 * In this chapter we first hear of Aberforth Dumbledore. Mention of his having performed "inappropriate charms on a goat" turns out to be a very broad hint: one of the characteristics of the Hog's Head Inn, when we first visit, is "a strong odour of goat", which astute readers will correctly interpret as a clue that the bartender is, in fact, Aberforth. Aberforth will play a significant role in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, where we will also discover that his Patronus is a goat.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


text:
Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Order of the Phoenix/Chapter 25

Synopsis
Voldemort's joy is explained the next morning when the Daily Prophet reports a mass breakout from Azkaban Prison. Ten Death Eaters, including Antonin Dolohov, Augustus Rookwood, and Bellatrix Lestrange have escaped. Hermione suspects that the Dementors defected to Voldemort's side and abetted the escapees. The Prophet, echoing Ministry rhetoric, suggests the Death Eaters have regrouped around Sirius Black. The Prophet also reports that a Ministry employee named Bode died while in St. Mungo's Hospital, apparently strangled by a dangerous potted plant. Ron remembers seeing Bode in the same ward as Lockhart and wonders how someone could mistakenly send a Devil's Snare plant. Hermione suspects he was murdered. Harry remembers meeting Bode at the Ministry just before his hearing. Ron says he worked in the Department of Mysteries. Looking at the front page again, Hermione says something cryptic about sending a letter, and dashes off.

As Harry and Ron head to class, they run into Hagrid, who sheepishly admits that he is on probation. Harry wonders just how much more bad news he can stand.

School gossip now centers around the Azkaban breakout. Many Wizarding families are nearly as fearful of Death Eaters as they are of Voldemort. Susan Bones, who has lost an uncle, an aunt, and several cousins to Death Eaters, receives nearly as much attention as Harry. She wonders aloud to Harry how he stands it. Meanwhile, Professor Umbridge posts a new Decree banning all Hogwarts teachers from having anything but class-related conversations with students. While teachers are unable to discuss the breakout with students, they are obviously talking about it among themselves, and where Umbridge is unable to hear.

Umbridge continues evaluating Professor Trelawney and Hagrid, leading students to speculate that she intends to sack them. Hagrid forbids Harry, Ron, and Hermione from visiting him after dark, fearing it will get them and him into trouble. With Umbridge taking away everything Harry cares about at Hogwarts, only Dumbledore's Army is left. Harry redoubles his teaching efforts, and is mildly surprised that the group has been spurred on by the breakout. Even Zacharias Smith is working harder. Most affected, though, is Neville. Rather than becoming fearful, the news that his parents' torturers have escaped compels him to work even harder; only Hermione masters the Shield Charm faster.

Unfortunately, Harry's Occlumency lessons are not proceeding nearly as well. He is still unable to block Snape's probes. His scar is prickling almost continually, and he has small flashes of Voldemort's emotions. He dates this increased sensitivity to when Snape's lessons started, leaving Ron wondering if Snape is making it easier for Voldemort by deliberately hindering Harry. Hermione reminds him that Dumbledore trusts Snape, and if Dumbledore is untrustworthy, who can they trust?

Valentine's Day weekend arrives. Hermione receives an owl message, then tells Harry to meet her at the Three Broomsticks at noon, and rushes off. In Hogsmeade, Cho suggests that she and Harry go to Madam Puddifoot's Tearoom. The tearoom is filled with snogging couples, embarrassing Harry. He mentions he has to meet Hermione at the Three Broomsticks, but Cho, misunderstanding, departs in tears, despite Harry's humorous attempts to explain the situation.

Harry arrives early at the Three Broomsticks and finds Hagrid sitting at the bar, looking battered, bruised, and unusually morose. Brushing off inquiries about his injuries, he leaves after making some general comments about families. Hermione is sitting with Luna Lovegood and Rita Skeeter, the disreputable tabloid journalist who wrote sensationalistic and false articles about Harry and other students during the Triwizard Tournament. Hermione wants Rita to write an honest interview about Harry, not a slanted one that makes him appear mad. Luna's father will publish the interview in his paper, The Quibbler.

Analysis
Harry continues to be baffled about girls and is taken aback when Cho Chang becomes upset and insulted over his plans to meet Hermione while on a date with her. His attempt to humorously explain that Hermione is only a platonic friend, and that Rita Skeeter's articles about their "romance" (in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) were false, backfires and only makes matters worse. Harry, inexperienced in romance and female psychology, is simply unequipped to handle Cho's fragile emotional state, and her lingering grief over Cedric's recent death further strains their budding romance.

Umbridge's decree banning teachers and students from conversing with one another except on academic matters is a desperate (and ridiculous) act showing how quickly she is losing her authority and credibility with staff and students, not that she had much to begin with. The more she attempts to exert her power on the school, the more everyone becomes united against her, effectively diminishing her power.

Neville Longbottom, meanwhile, has finally broken free from the fog that has clouded his mind since early childhood. Under Harry's influence and Neville's determination to avenge his parents, his magical power, which many thought he lacked, is quickly emerging, although he still struggles to control it.

Rita Skeeter, who has fallen on hard times, has little choice but to comply with Hermione's demands that she write a truthful story about Harry and Voldemort. Readers will recall in the previous book that Hermione discovered that Rita was an unregistered Animagus. Her beetle form allowed her to eavesdrop on unsuspecting subjects. Any Animagi who fail to register with the Ministry of Magic are committing a serious crime. Hermione controls Rita by threatening to expose her; that is how she prevented Rita from writing further damaging stories about Harry. Hermione's actions may seem out-of-character here, but she never hesitates to break rules or use somewhat unethical means if it serves an altruistic purpose, in this case, providing the public with the truth and rehabilitating Harry's reputation.

The Daily Prophet has published the Ministry story about the Death Eaters escaping from Azkaban, but have been unable to provide a plausible explanation as to why the Dementors failed to prevent this break-out. It is likely this large and unfilled hole in the Ministry's story is what inspired Hermione to contact Rita. And though Hermione detests Rita and her methods, she realizes Rita is a capable journalist, and, needing a professionally written story, uses her.

Readers should not be surprised at Hermione's guess that the Dementors have defected to Voldemort. At the end of the previous year, in Harry's hearing, Voldemort had said that getting the Dementors and Giants as allies was part of his plan. Dumbledore had also said as much shortly afterwards, when speaking to Fudge.

We note that most events in this chapter occur on Saturday, February 14th. Evidence elsewhere in the series puts this in the year 1996. In actual fact, February 14, 1996, was a Wednesday. We present this fact as a reminder that the story is largely not connected to any particular calendar, and does not suffer thereby. The plot of the story at this point made it useful to have Valentine's Day occur on a Hogsmeade weekend, so the calendar was bent to fit. Critical readers should consider, based on events in this and later chapters, how this selection of dates improves the story.

Review

 * 1) Why does Hermione blackmail Rita Skeeter? What does Hermione threaten to do if Rita fails to comply?
 * 2) Why does Cho become upset with Harry on their date in Hogsmeade? Is she overreacting or did Harry behave inappropriately?
 * 3) Why might Umbridge be focusing so much attention on Hagrid and Trelawney during her teacher evaluations?
 * 4) How is it believed the Death Eaters escaped from Azkaban?

Further Study

 * 1) Why is this chapter titled "The Beetle at Bay"?
 * 2) Could Hagrid have avoided being placed on probation by following Hermione's advice? Explain why or why not.
 * 3) What might have caused Neville Longbottom's inability to use magic properly? How has Harry's teaching changed him?
 * 4) Why is Umbridge attempting to restrict discussions between teachers and students? What effect is this Decree actually going to have?
 * 5) Why would Animagi be required to be registered with the Ministry of Magic? What happens if they don't?
 * 6) Why have there been so few Animagi?

Greater Picture
We will find out in a later chapter that someone, we believe Lucius Malfoy, had placed Bode under the Imperius curse, forcing him to try and retrieve the Prophecy for Voldemort. The end result was Bode's insanity, and it would have become necessary to eliminate Bode if it appeared he was regaining his speech, as he would probably have answered honestly when interrogated about why he had done it. When we saw Bode at St. Mungo's, his healer had been optimistic that he was making progress and would soon be able to speak again. While we never know if Bode's death was murder, given the healer's optimism it seems extremely likely.

We note that it will be Rookwood, mentioned in this chapter as having escaped from Azkaban, who will tell Voldemort that attempts based on the Imperius curse, like the one placed on Bode, are doomed to fail. Rookwood, a one-time Ministry employee in the Department of Mysteries, knows the nature of the protective spells placed on the prophecies, and knows that anyone who tries to retrieve a prophecy from the shelves will be jinxed just as Bode was.

Umbridge will find or generate enough "malfeasance" to fire both Trelawney and Hagrid, but in neither case will she achieve quite the result she intended. Trelawney, though fired, will remain resident in Hogwarts at Dumbledore's request, and will be replaced by a teacher competent enough to avoid examination, but personally hateful to Umbridge. Hagrid's firing will require multiple Aurors, injure McGonagall, and badly disrupt the Astronomy O.W.L. exam Harry is taking.

The rift between Harry and Cho in Madam Puddifoot's will be papered over when Harry's interview is published in a few days, but this will be their final date. While both Harry and Cho continue to meet during Dumbledore's Army sessions, there is little mention of any contact outside those meetings. The published interview will also result in Umbridge canceling all further Hogsmeade weekends. Before that ban is rescinded, Harry and Cho will have ended their romance.

Hagrid's musing about "family", and about his and Harry's similarities, is largely triggered by his struggles to civilize his Giant half-brother, Grawp, coupled with awareness that he may shortly be fired and forced to leave Hogwarts. While we haven't yet met him, Grawp came back with Hagrid; it was his struggles to bring Grawp with him that delayed his return for so long. Grawp is also the source of all the various injuries that Hagrid seems to be receiving, and about which he says so little. Hagrid's comments about family are mostly due to his awareness that Grawp is now all the family he has. Hagrid will later secure Harry and Hermione's promise to continue trying to tame Grawp, by "just visitin' now and again", should Hagrid be fired.

Harry's interview will appear in The Quibbler very quickly. As a result, Harry suddenly starts receiving huge amounts of mail, much of which notes the "holes in the official Ministry story". Hermione has not been alone in noticing that pieces of their story failed to add up.

Connections

 * The potted plant which apparently strangled Bode to death was almost certainly given to Bode by persons unknown, and unwittingly left in his care by the healer, while the Trio were watching during their hospital visit. The article will mention that it was a Devil's Snare, which the Trio had encountered, and fought successfully, four years earlier.
 * The defection of the Dementors from Azkaban has been known to be part of Voldemort's plan since the end of the previous year, and Dumbledore had also mentioned it to Fudge. It will be mentioned again next year, when Fudge explains that the unseasonably cold, foggy weather is because the released Dementors are breeding.


text:
Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Goblet of Fire/Chapter 25

Synopsis
On Thursday night, Harry sneaks out of Gryffindor Tower with his Egg and heads for the Prefects' Bathroom, armed with his Invisibility Cloak and the Marauder's Map to avoid being caught again by Filch for breaking curfew. The bathroom is luxuriously decorated in white marble and contains stacks of fluffy towels and a pool-sized tub with hundreds of jeweled taps that spew, among other things, many-colored bubbles. On the wall is a painting of a beautiful mermaid, luckily (thinks Harry) asleep. Harry slips into the water and plays with the taps a bit before opening the Egg. It wails horribly. He slams it shut and is startled by Moaning Myrtle, who suddenly appears, sitting on the tub's edge. She suggests putting the Egg in the water. When the egg is submerged and opened, Harry hears faint singing. Dunking his head, Harry hears the Egg singing about something he will sorely miss that will be at the bottom of the lake. He will have only one hour to find it. Harry guesses, and Myrtle confirms, that there are Merpeople in the lake. She is upset when Harry ponders how he will be able to breathe underwater, saying that nobody remembers that she cannot breathe any more.

Harry gathers the Egg and his other belongings and, covered by his Cloak, prepares to head back to Gryffindor tower. The Map shows no one is in the halls except Peeves. Someone is in Professor Snape's office: Bartemius Crouch. Harry wonders why Mr. Crouch is at Hogwarts so late, particularly as he is apparently ill and was unable to attend the Yule Ball. Harry decides to investigate, but as he is concentrating on the map, his foot becomes trapped in a trick step, causing him to drop the Egg and the Marauder's Map. The Egg rolls down the staircase and starts wailing, summoning Filch who in turn yells at Peeves, assuming the Poltergeist had stolen a Champion's Egg. Snape arrives and dismisses Filch's accusations about Peeves, and claims someone broke into his office. It had to be a wizard; Snape seals his office with a Charm to prevent Peeves from entering. Professor Moody appears and is concerned that someone was in Snape's office. Moody's magical eye spots Harry under his Cloak, but he says nothing and offers to help Snape investigate the break-in. Snape demurs, saying he believes it was a student stealing potion ingredients. Moody wonders if Snape could be hiding something else, to which Snape retorts that Moody has previously searched his office. Moody says that it is an Auror's privilege. Although Dumbledore may have faith in Snape's loyalty, Moody is less trusting. Moody dismisses Snape, causing Snape to bridle. Moody then spots the Marauder's Map on the floor; Snape immediately recognizes it. Harry, under his Invisibility Cloak, gesticulates madly to Moody that it is his, and Moody summons the map from Snape's fingers. Snape, furious, probes the air searching for Harry hiding under his cloak. Moody claims nobody is there, though he thinks it curious how quickly Snape's thoughts turned to Harry. Detecting a threat, Snape departs. Filch, protesting that the Egg is evidence, reluctantly hands it over to Moody and leaves.

The map fascinates Moody, who is seemingly unable to keep either eye off it. He helps Harry from the trap step and asks if the map showed who was in Snape's office. Harry replies it was Mr. Crouch. Moody is amazed, and explains that Crouch is obsessed with catching Dark wizards, far more than Moody himself. Moody asks to borrow the map. Harry, deeply relieved he does not have to explain where he got it (and thereby implicate Fred and George), agrees. As he goes into his office, Moody suggests that Harry consider becoming an Auror. When Moody asks if Harry was just taking his Egg for a stroll, Harry says he was working out the clue. Later, Harry thinks he would like to see how badly scarred other Aurors are before choosing that career path.

Analysis
Several important things should be noted: one, Bartemius Crouch, who was too ill to attend the Yule Ball and sent Percy Weasley in his place, is apparently well enough to travel to Hogwarts and root through Snape's office. Another is the Egg and its song; solving the Egg's riddle only leads to yet another problem for Harry—how to breathe underwater for one hour. The Tournament is now only a few weeks away, and Harry's procrastination in solving the riddle has wasted much valuable time; he will need help and have to work especially hard if he is to solve this next crucial step in time.

Additionally, there is Professor Moody's odd behavior when he spots the Marauder's Map. He is intensely interested in it, staring fixedly at the parchment when he realizes what it is, and then borrowing it from Harry. Is this such advanced magic, then, that Moody, a powerful Auror, is unable to replicate it on his own? Or could there be some other reason for his interest? We note that the author carefully does not have Moody inquire where it came from; Harry's relief at not having to implicate Fred and George, possibly coupled with his gratitude at being rescued from Filch and Snape, seems to mute any concern he, and thus the reader, may have about why Moody is so interested in the map.

It may also be worth noting that, just as Professor Lupin had in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Moody prevents Snape from punishing Harry, with his timely intervention. Here Moody shows his unconventional personality, and, as he has previously demonstrated, that he is far less concerned about rule breaking than either Filch or Snape. This trait has helped make him a popular teacher, though his actions here may have as much to do with his ongoing enmity with Snape as it does with protecting Harry. Also like Lupin, Moody prevented Snape from confiscating the Marauder's Map, scooping it from his grasp with the Summoning spell. Some readers may wonder why Harry failed to do the same; he had his wand, attempting to blank the map with it when Filch appeared. It seems likely that Harry, with the Egg screaming and Filch rapidly approaching, may simply have panicked. One can imagine the words "Why didn't I remember that?" flashing across Harry's mind when Moody cast the Summoning charm. This particular charm had proved especially difficult for Harry to learn, however, and he may still be having some trouble using it, particularly under duress.

Review

 * 1) Why does Moaning Myrtle help Harry with the Egg?
 * 2) Why is Myrtle upset about Harry's next Triwizard task? How will Harry overcome this obstacle?
 * 3) Why did Snape suspect that Harry was involved in the ruckus in the hallway? Even though Harry was there, were Snape's suspicions justified or was it his usual rush to judgment where Harry is concerned?

Further Study

 * 1) Why would Mr. Crouch be in Snape's office so late at night?
 * 2) Why would Moody have previously searched Snape's office?
 * 3) Why does Moody hide Harry's presence from the others in the hall?
 * 4) Why does Moody want to borrow the Marauder's Map? Why does Harry agree to let him use it?
 * 5) Why does Moody suggest that Harry become an Auror? Explain why you agree or disagree. What is Harry's reaction?

Greater Picture
The Marauder's Map's power once again strips away disguises; in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, it correctly spotted Peter Pettigrew when, in his Animagus form, he was disguised as Scabbers. In this case, it showed "Bartemius Crouch" in Snape's office. Of course, it was the false Moody collecting ingredients to brew more Polyjuice Potion. While the Marauder's Map correctly gave his name, it is apparently unable to differentiate between Bartemius Crouch Sr., and Bartemius Crouch Jr., who is using the Polyjuice Potion to impersonate Moody. However, this is a clear indication that Polyjuice potion cannot fool the map, any more than it is deceived by Animagi.

This explains Moody's interest in the map, and why he is so keen to borrow it: apart from it being a useful tool that shows everyone's whereabouts at the school, it can also expose him as an impostor. It was imperative to get the map away from Harry to conceal his true identity. There may have been an even more immediate need for Moody getting the map into his possession: the map was revealing that it was Barty Crouch standing directly opposite Harry rather than the real Mad Eye Moody. Also, it does seem that if Harry were a little more observant, he might have noticed on the map that the real "Mad Eye" Moody never appears to leave the Defensive Arts instructor's living quarters (where he is being imprisoned) or that Barty Crouch is often in places and at times when only Mad Eye Moody should be there. Moody's suggestion that Harry become an Auror may have been intended as flattery to distract Harry's attention away from the map and also deflect questions as to exactly why Moody would want the map. Whether or not Moody's flattery was genuine, Harry is indeed well-suited to becoming an Auror, Defence Against the Dark Arts being his best subject; Barty may realize he needs to be cautious around Harry because of this.

Snape seems unusually aware of where Harry might be, heading directly for him despite the Invisibility Cloak. It is never certain how he decides where Harry might be hiding, but we note the existence of Legilimency, a magical skill described in a later book. Harry has mentioned as early as the first book having the uneasy feeling that Snape was reading his mind. While Snape will say that legilimency is not the same as reading someone's mind, it does seem, from our viewpoint, very similar. It is possible that Snape, believing Harry to be nearby, uses legilimency to see what Harry is seeing and thus determine where he is. If this is the case, it is unknown why Snape backs down and accepts Moody's assertion that there is nobody there. While Snape's using legilimency this way is a possibility, the link is tenuous enough that we do not choose to show it in the connections section.

In a later chapter, Sirius claims Snape was never accused of being a Death Eater; this is actually incorrect, Snape was accused, but Dumbledore vouched for him. It was, we believe, Moody who arrested Snape, and who is probably still suspicious that he is a Death Eater; the false Moody will display this same belief in order to be true to his model, and to avoid making Dumbledore suspicious. Karkaroff is a known Death Eater, Sirius mentioned that just before the First Task. If Snape was or still is a Death Eater, as Ron, Harry, and to a lesser extent Hermione suspect, that would explain why he and Karkaroff were on a first-name basis at the Yule Ball.

Finally, it is unknown whether Barty Crouch, Jr. actually knows if Snape was a Death Eater. It is learned at the end of this book that Snape bears the Dark Mark, which not only brands Death Eaters, but also acts as a summons from the Dark Lord. In the second chapter of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, we learn that Snape not only is a Death Eater, but had become part of Voldemort's inner council; given his knowledge of Voldemort's plans concerning the Potters, as revealed in the final book, it is likely that he had been in Voldemort's inner councils also in his previous rise to power. Considering how young Barty was when he was imprisoned, it is possible that he was never directly connected with Voldemort, but only associated with the Dark Lord's supporters after Voldemort himself was gone. If so, he might have learned that Snape was in Voldemort's inner council from Bellatrix Lestrange or her associates, or possibly, more recently, from the true Alastor Moody. Barty is likely unaware that Dumbledore vouched for Snape's allegiance, but he would immediately see that Dumbledore had complete trust in him despite his Dark history.

Connections

 * Harry sees Bartemius Crouch in Snape's office. Shortly, Snape will almost accuse Harry of having stolen Boomslang skin, Bicorn horn, and Gillyweed from his office. Harry remembers Hermione had stolen Boomslang skin and Bicorn horn earlier. Harry's recollection of Hermione's theft will prevent us from wondering about whether it might have been Bartemius stealing the Boomslang skin, as we have here seen he was in Snape's office. Bartemius' involvement in the affair will be revealed in full later in this book.


text:
Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Order of the Phoenix/Chapter 26

Synopsis
Luna Lovegood does not know when the interview with Harry will be published in The Quibbler. At dinner, Harry tells Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, and Neville about the interview. All agree that Harry acted courageously. As they leave, Ron arrives from Quidditch practice, while Cho Chang walks in with Marietta Edgecombe, ignoring Harry. When Harry tells Hermione that their date went badly. Hermione suggests he approached it wrong. He should have told Cho that he really hated that he had to meet Hermione, and even though he really did not like her, he promised to go see her, ugly as she was. Harry protests that Hermione is not ugly. Harry thinks Hermione should write a book about how to understand girls, to which Ron whole-heartedly agrees.

Ron and Ginny are dejected over how bad Quidditch practice was. Ginny, who is playing Seeker, says Angelina was nearly in tears at the end. The Twins comment later to Harry and Hermione that Ginny is an excellent player. Hermione says she has been breaking into the Weasley broom shed and practicing since she was six-years-old. Fred laments that Quidditch was about the only thing keeping them at school. With the Skiving Snackbox line ready to go, they could open a store any time, and they do not need NEWTs to do that.

The following weekend's Quidditch game against Hufflepuff is awful as well, with only two mitigating factors: first, it is short, and second, by dint of her excellent flying, Ginny grabs the Snitch from under the Hufflepuff Seeker's nose, and Gryffindor loses by only ten points.

That night, Harry has his recurring nightmare of long hallways and closed doors; he is awakened by Ron's loud snoring.

The following Monday at breakfast, Harry is surprised by a flock of owls delivering him mail. The Quibbler article was published over the weekend, and the letters seem evenly split between those who think he is insane, and others believing that his story fills the gaping holes in the Ministry's official version. Professor Umbridge is incensed, and immediately gives Harry detention and penalizes him 50 House points, as well as cancelling further Hogsmeade visits. Very shortly, a new Educational Decree appears: possessing the Quibbler is an expulsion offence. Hermione is happy because it ensures the entire school will read it. And it appears the teachers have read it; Harry seems to be receiving extra favors from them. For Harry, the best result is that Cho seems to have forgiven him. Between classes, she apologises for her own behaviour, says how brave he was to give the interview, and kisses him. Even Seamus has been convinced by the interview, and apologises to Harry outside Transfiguration. Harry also sees Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle discussing something with another Slytherin boy in the library. Hermione says they are unable to contradict Harry's claims that their fathers are Death Eaters because they cannot admit to reading the Quibbler without risking being expelled.

That night, Harry has another disturbing dream in which he is Voldemort discussing Bode's death with Rookwood, one of the escaped Death Eaters. Voldemort is angry because Rookwood, who worked at the Ministry before his arrest, told him that the plan to extract something from the Ministry was doomed to fail. That is why Bode fought Malfoy's Imperius curse so strongly. Dismissing Rookwood, Voldemort asks to see Avery, who helped create the plan. Harry wakes up, screaming. Ron asks if there is another attack, but Harry says only the Death Eater Avery is in trouble. Ron wants him to tell Dumbledore, but Harry refuses, saying Dumbledore would not have had him learn Occlumency if he wanted to hear about these things.

Discussing Harry's dream the next day, Hermione speculates that Bode, under the Imperius curse, was being forced to steal the weapon at the Ministry, and, running afoul of the protective spells around it, went insane and landed in St. Mungo's. The healer there had said that Bode was recovering, so the Death Eaters probably killed him off before he improved enough to recount what happened. Harry recalls that Lucius Malfoy was loitering in the Department of Mysteries the same day as his hearing. Hermione guesses that Lucius used the Imperius curse on Sturgis Podmore, which is why he was trying to get through a security door at the Ministry when he was arrested.

Harry continues his Occlumency lessons, but his hatred for Snape prevents him from clearing his mind. Although he is making little progress, on one occasion, he briefly enters Snape's mind using a Shield Charm. The next attempt, Harry again experiences his corridors dream, but when he reaches the door, it is open for the first time. Snape breaks him from the vision, seeming concerned at what is appearing in Harry's mind.

Their session is interrupted by someone frantically screaming in the entrance hall. It is a hysterical Professor Trelawney, who has just been fired by Umbridge and ordered to leave Hogwarts immediately. Parvati and Lavender are seen lamenting the Divination teacher's sacking, and, despite her mild dislike of her, Professor McGonagall turns up and consoles Trelawney. Dumbledore then intervenes, and although he is unable to reverse Trelawney's dismissal, he tells Umbridge that it is within his power to allow Trelawney to remain in residence at the castle. Dumbledore also tells her that he still has the authority to replace Trelawney with his own appointment, and, to Umbridge's outrage, he introduces the Centaur, Firenze, as the new Divination teacher.

Analysis
Skeeter's article in the Quibbler may have changed many peoples' opinion about Harry and Dumbledore, although others remain unconvinced that Voldemort has returned. Umbridge is not only outraged, but she realizes the story will garner support for Harry while further eroding her power and the Ministry's official stance. Her attempt to ban the story from Hogwarts only ensures that it will be read by even more students, and lends credibility to Harry's claim about Voldemort. Her previous Educational Decree prohibiting faculty and students from engaging in personal conversations, and this one banning simple possession of a magazine, shows her increasing desperation and paranoia, and will only create further solidarity and opposition against her. Dumbledore does little to interfere with Umbridge's antics, perhaps knowing that she is her own worst enemy and will likely self-destruct given enough time. However, he intervenes to prevent Umbridge from ousting Trelawney from the castle, and further infuriates and undermines her authority by appointing the Centaur, Firenze, as Trelawney's replacement. We have already heard her speaking with almost unveiled hatred against "half-breeds" like Hagrid, and it is certain that Dumbledore is aware that Umbridge considers Centaurs to be of the same ilk.

Hermione is correct that Umbridge's banning the Quibbler will absolutely ensure it will be read by the entire school. Human nature is such that any attempt to withhold information by authorities will only increase curiosity about it and the desire to access it. Umbridge's high-handed treatment of the school's occupants, staff and students alike, made her a prime target for rebellion. That said, even without the decree, the article would be read and discussed, as Umbridge's attempts to bluster away the truth have highlighted voids in her stories, which Harry's interview fills.

Meanwhile, Harry continues to struggle with Occlumency, although it may be his resistance to learning it that causes him difficulties. One must also assume that this is partially due to the teacher assigned to him. Snape can seldom resist an opportunity to needle Harry, and if Snape's teaching methods are to be trusted, the process' first step is to clear the mind of all emotion, something that appears to be nearly impossible for Harry in Snape's presence. Not only does Harry fail to understand why he must study Occlumency, he actually prefers knowing what Voldemort is thinking. However, Harry fails to consider that the connection between him and Voldemort could be a dangerous two-way path, something Dumbledore already suspects.

It seems odd that when Harry's vision becomes more detailed and focused, Snape prevents Harry from seeing what is inside the now-open door. Snape may know what is in there, but wants to prevent Harry from seeing it. Harry, of course, has no idea, either what is behind the door, or why his dreams are being repeatedly impelled down this particular hallway.

Harry's "dream" on the Monday night is quite plainly something else entirely, like his earlier witnessing of the attack on Mr. Weasley. We now perceive that Podmore's arrest and imprisonment, and Bode's insanity, were side effects of a plan that Voldemort had put into motion to retrieve an item from the Ministry. Voldemort learns here that this plan will be ineffective, and that a new one will have to be devised. Readers may want to see if they can figure out what the new plan will be; there is one, very thin, clue appearing already in this chapter.

Review

 * 1) Whom does Dumbledore hire to replace Trelawney and why? What is Umbridge's reaction?
 * 2) What is Hermione's theory about Bode?
 * 3) What are the after-effects of Skeeter's article in The Quibbler?

Further Study

 * 1) Why might Umbridge want to banish Trelawney from the school in addition to sacking her?
 * 2) Why does Dumbledore insist that Trelawney remain in the castle after Umbridge fires her?
 * 3) Why would Umbridge ban possession of The Quibbler? What prompted this latest Decree?
 * 4) Is banning The Quibbler an effective measure? Why or why not?
 * 5) Why does Snape break off Harry's vision during Occlumency just as he is about to enter the open door? What could be behind it and why wouldn't Snape want Harry to see it?

Greater Picture
Quite possibly, the reason Dumbledore chooses to keep Trelawney at Hogwarts — affirmed somewhat by an exchange between Dumbledore and Harry in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince — is that were Trelawney to fall into Death Eaters' hands, they would attempt to extract the Prophecy revealed towards the end of this book, and thus learn its "missing" second half. Whether or not they succeeded in retrieving the prophecy, Trelawney would be unlikely to survive the attempt. Dumbledore's line in Chapter 20 of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is as follows: "Between ourselves, she has no idea of the danger she would be in outside the castle. She does not know — and I think it would be unwise to enlighten her — that she made the prophecy about you and Voldemort, you see."

It is possible that the interview's overwhelming popularity may be the reason that the Quibbler runs stories about Harry that are counter to the official Ministry line in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Remembering that news about Harry so hugely outsold stories about Crumple-Horned Snorkacks, the editor may have decided that articles about Harry, being equally counter to the Ministry as his more sensational pieces but significantly more popular, would make for a more profitable paper. Rita Skeeter had previously mentioned that all newspapers, including the Prophet, write stories to sell papers. While the Quibbler may have been created as a public service, it is a safe bet that the windfall resulting from the publication of Harry's interview will have given its editor a definite impetus towards printing more stories about him.

Harry's dream here marks Voldemort's changing strategy to retrieve the Prophecy. As noted, Voldemort discovers that his plan cannot succeed and that he must devise a new one. Rookwood revealed that only the people named in a Prophecy are able to remove it from the shelf without being driven mad, as Bode was; as only Harry and Voldemort are named in this prophecy, one of them must physically remove the Prophecy from its shelf. (Though the prophecy was made by Trelawney in Dumbledore's presence, the book remains mute on whether they would be able to touch the prophecy without being driven mad.) Voldemort has become aware of the connection between himself and Harry, and now devises a plan to lure Harry to the Department of Mysteries by means of that connection. He will gradually lead Harry mentally further into the Hall of Prophecy until he is able to show Harry where the Prophecy is stored, and then will fabricate an event to force Harry to that location. It is interesting how quickly this plan is put into play: in the Occlumency lesson of this chapter, we already see that the door has opened, an indication that Voldemort is pulling Harry deeper within his mental picture of the Department.

We note in passing that it has been some time since Rookwood escaped from Azkaban – the breakout was in early January, shortly after Harry's return to school, and this chapter covers the few days after Valentine's Day, February 14th. While some of this time will have been spent in getting back up to speed with Voldemort's plans and society in general, it will have also been necessary for Rookwood to build up his courage. He has bad news for Voldemort, who is known to punish the messenger, sometimes fatally. We see here that Voldemort apparently uses this as something of a premeditated control mechanism; he expressly states that Rookwood has nothing to fear this time. But there is a question that remains unanswered, based on what we learn about how Voldemort runs his organization. In a later book, Snape says that Voldemort deals harshly with those who reveal his plans, even if only to other Death Eaters. How did Rookwood learn of the plan to capture the Prophecy from the Ministry?

We also note that while Harry's romance is presumably progressing, with the reconciliation with Cho in this chapter, there will not be any mention of its progress until the final breakup two chapters (and probably two months) ahead. We surmise that the author's reason for eliding the ongoing romance is that a relationship that is proceeding smoothly makes for boring reading; it is only friction that makes for interest. Having Cho be in a different House also makes it easier for the author to minimize the need to write about it, as does having her be in a different year. As we will see in a later book, a romance within Gryffindor house will be mentioned repeatedly as it will be carried on in the common room, while Harry and Cho must meet outside of class time and away from their respective Houses, and so will be less visible to others in the story. It is, of course, possible, though unlikely, that Harry and Cho don't actually rekindle their romance, but we believe that Cho is still attending sessions of Dumbledore's Army during the upcoming interval. At the very least, there must be occasion for brief, though offstage, snogging sessions after DA meetings. This does bring up one additional question: is part of the motive for betrayal of the DA simple jealousy?

Connections

 * It is noted that the interview with Harry proves very popular with readership of The Quibbler. This likely is the reason that Xeno Lovegood will publish stories about Harry after Voldemort takes power in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.


text:
Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Goblet of Fire/Chapter 26

Synopsis
In Charms class, Harry, Ron, and Hermione are learning Banishing charms, the opposite of Summoning. Fortunately, the class noise and confusion muffles their private conversation. Harry reveals that for the second task, he must find a way to breathe underwater for one hour and recover whatever the Merpeople have taken from him. He also says Mr. Crouch was in Snape's office the previous night. Hermione is curious as to why Mr. Crouch would be there. Harry remembers Moody saying that Professor Dumbledore believes in second chances, and he wonders just what Snape did to warrant one.

As requested, Harry sends an owl letter to Sirius recapping everything that happened. Over the next several weeks, he, Hermione, and Ron scour the library searching for ways to breathe underwater, but to no avail. An owl letter from Sirius that arrives the day before the second task briefly cheers Harry, but it turns out that Sirius only wants to know when the Hogsmeade weekend is. Harry responds, and glumly goes to Care of Magical Creatures class.

Hagrid appears to have given up on the Blast-Ended Skrewts, as only two are left. In an apparent attempt to prove he can teach as well as Professor Grubbly-Plank, he continues the lesson about unicorns, and actually seems to know a great deal about them. Today, he has captured a pair of foals, and Parvati and Lavender are absolutely delighted. Taking Harry aside, Hagrid says he is sure Harry can beat the second challenge. Harry is too nervous to answer.

Later, Harry, Hermione, and Ron race through spell-books looking for ways to breathe underwater. Fred and George appear, telling Ron and Hermione to report to Professor McGonagall. When the library closes, Harry carries as many books as he can back to the Gryffindor common room. After Harry frantically searches all the books without finding anything, Ron and Hermione have still not returned. Putting on his Invisibility Cloak, Harry returns to the library where he finally falls asleep reading spell-books by wand light.

Dobby wakes him mere minutes before the second task. Harry thinks it is too late to compete, but Dobby says Harry must retrieve his "Wheezy". Harry finally understands that "Wheezy" is Ron. Dobby says he knows that Harry did not find the right spell, so he did: Gillyweed. Harry arrives at the lake just in time for the second task. Percy Weasley is upset when Ludo Bagman insists Harry be given a moment to catch his breath. Ludo privately asks Harry if he is okay and has a plan. Replying more confidently than he actually feels, Harry responds that he does.

At the off, Harry chews the Gillyweed. Suddenly, gills sprout on his neck and webs appear between his toes. Unable to breathe, he dives into the water and sets off. Grindylows attack and he jinxes them off. Moaning Myrtle appears and indicates which way Harry should travel. In the deepest part of the lake, Harry finds a sizable, if crude, Mermish village. Tied to a large statue in the "village square" are four figures: Ron, Hermione, Cho Chang, and a young girl who Harry guesses is Fleur's sister.

The Mermish guards do nothing to interfere, but they refuse Harry's attempt to borrow a spear to cut Ron free. Harry finds a sharp stone and uses it to free Ron. Worried that the other Champions have not appeared, he also tries to free Hermione, but is stopped by the Mermish guards. Harry is still arguing with them when Cedric arrives with a large air bubble around his head. He urges Harry to get going, Fleur and Krum are almost there. Cutting Cho free, he heads for the surface with her. Krum appears with his head transformed into a shark's head; he is unable to bite through Hermione's ropes, so Harry hands him his sharp rock, which Krum uses to cut her free. With Hermione, Krum then heads to the surface.

When Fleur does not appear, Harry attempts to free the last hostage but the mermen again stop him. Harry finally threatens them with his wand, and they retreat. Harry frees the girl, and with her and Ron in tow, he nervously heads to the surface, accompanied by the mermen. Harry's watch has stopped, and he worries that they might be pulled back down when the hour is up. As the surface appears, the Gillyweed wears off. Harry barely makes it to the top. Wild, green-haired faces surround him, but they are all smiling. Ron and the girl wake up and are looking around. A great cheer erupts from the stands, and Harry gets Ron to help with the girl. On the shore, Madam Pomfrey is treating Cedric, Cho, Krum, and Hermione. Fleur is restrained by Madame Maxime from throwing herself into the lake to get to her sister. Ludo Bagman and Dumbledore are beaming, and Percy, looking somehow younger, runs into the lake to help Ron.

Once everyone is ashore, Fleur runs to hug her sister, Gabrielle, saying she was stopped by the Grindylows. Madam Pomfrey wraps Harry tightly in a blanket and administers a pepper-up potion. Hermione compliments Harry on figuring out the task on his own, but seeing that Krum is listening, Harry decides to tell her later that Dobby helped him. Krum, possibly to regain Hermione's attention, points out that she has a water beetle in her hair which Hermione brushes away. Harry is now feeling rather silly and embarrassed. First Ron, and then Hermione pointed out that Dumbledore would never have allowed them to die, so his staying to make sure all the hostages were rescued was pointless.

Fleur approaches Harry, saying that he saved her sister when he did not have to, and kisses him twice on each cheek. Fleur swoops to kiss Ron as well, saying he also helped. Hermione, behind his back, looks furious.

Meanwhile, Dumbledore has been talking with the chieftainess of the mermen, and has conferred with the other judges. Now, Ludo announces the standings. Fleur, although using the Bubble-Head Charm, failed to rescue her hostage and only gets 25 points; Cedric Diggory, also using the Bubble-Head Charm, brought his hostage to the surface one minute outside the allotted hour, getting 47 points; Viktor Krum, using a partial Transfiguration, returned second with his hostage for 40 points. Harry Potter returned last, but according to the Merchieftainess' report, arrived at the hostages first, and was delayed by his determination to free all the hostages, not only his own. Most of the judges feel this shows moral fiber and deserves high marks despite finishing last. Harry is awarded 45 points, tying him for first place overall with Cedric.

The next task is scheduled for the 24th of June; the Champions will be briefed about its nature exactly one month prior. Harry is immensely relieved that the second task is over, and there is nothing to worry about until 24 June. He resolves that next Hogsmeade trip, he will buy Dobby a year's supply of socks.

Analysis
This chapter is particularly revealing regarding Harry's personality, and his performance during the second task reflects how he behaves in most difficult situations. As the first Champion to reach the tethered hostages (with help from Moaning Myrtle), Harry then feels obligated to ensure that the other three "victims" are rescued. Though Harry behaved admirably during the first task by tipping off Cedric about the Dragons, here his reasoning is actually flawed. It never occurs to him that every possible precaution has been implemented to ensure the volunteers' safety. Harry also becomes so carried away that he believes the Merpeople are a threat, when they are merely acting as referees. And rather than heading for the surface with Ron, guaranteeing a win, Harry instead waits for the other Champions to arrive and retrieve their hostages, then insists on "rescuing" Gabrielle when Fleur fails to show. Only later does Harry realize how foolishly he behaved when Ron and Hermione insist they were always safe and that Dumbledore would never jeopardize any student's life. It actually would have been more logical for Harry to search for the missing Fleur, as the Triwizard Champions lack the same protection as the volunteers.

As Harry has been destined since birth as the "Chosen One," his ongoing conflict with Voldemort has skewed his overall thinking somewhat, and, in his mind, the battle has become his burden alone to carry, his mission to accomplish by himself. As a result, Harry feels compelled to rush in and be the hero whenever he feels others are threatened, even those able to fight their own battles; this will probably make him dangerously predictable to his enemies later on. While Harry feels he must face most obstacles alone, he is only able to compete in the Tournament because others such as Hermione, Moody, Dobby, Cedric, and Hagrid have guided him, and we expect will continue to do so. While Harry is gradually learning to rely on others, he is still generally reluctant to accept outside help, especially when it is offered by suspicious characters like Ludo Bagman, who Harry now suspects is using him for some ulterior motive.

Harry's misguided heroism is still rewarded after Dumbledore persuades the judges to assign Harry extra points for "moral fiber." And though Harry foolishly protected the hostages from a nonexistent danger, this act shines an important light on Harry's character, suggesting strongly that under real dangerous circumstances, he would never abandon others in peril, even to save himself.

Harry is also learning that things are sometimes other than what they initially appear to be. The Merpeople are first introduced to readers as beautiful ethereal creatures, as represented by the stylized painting in the Prefects' bathroom and Muggle mythology. As he was with the Veela, Harry is rather shocked to discover that the Merpeople's true appearance is far different. Once again, the author shows that beauty, or the lack of it, rarely accurately reflect any person's inner character, although our initial assumptions about someone or something are often based on superficial physical traits. And echoing Dumbledore's statement to Harry in the second book, while appearance may legitimately represent someone's character to a limited degree, it is mostly one's actions that determine who and what an individual or group truly are. While Merpeople have a rather hideous and scary appearance, they are benign beings loyal to Dumbledore and Hogwarts. Harry, forgetting this was only a competition, gets a little carried away with his "rescue mission" and rushes to judgment when faced with something unknown; he adopts a defensive and threatening posture against the Mermen, based more on appearances than actions, even though the more detached reader can see they are only acting as Tournament officials.

It is interesting to note the selection of hostages, who is seen as the most valuable hostage for each Champion. It is also interesting to note that no champion is at all confused about which hostage he is meant to rescue. Harry in particular could have defended rescuing either Hermione or Cho, the former because she is his friend as Ron is, the latter out of hopes for a "hero's reward". The author may have included Dobby's telling Harry that he had to "save his Wheezy" specifically to reinforce that it was Ron that Harry was to reclaim; otherwise, Harry might have had trouble deciding which of the captives he should concentrate on.

Curiously, Harry seems to pay little attention to Cho Chang immediately after the event. He notices Madame Pomfrey tending to her injuries, but following that, he focuses on Hermione, Ron, and the judges. This may indicate that his infatuation, if that is what it is, with Cho may be waning, or is less than he thought it was.

It is interesting that Hermione is apparently angry when Fleur kisses Ron, even though it is quite innocent and Viktor Krum is also attempting to attract Hermione's attention. Although Harry is in no state to notice Hermione's furious expression when she witnesses this, we are presumably meant to see it, as it hints that Hermione may have serious feelings for Ron.

The Grindylows are seen again, the first time being in Professor Lupin's office in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. At that time, it was noted that the Grindylow's fingers are extraordinarily long and relatively easy to break, but Harry does not use this information when he is attacked.

One must wonder why Fleur is portrayed as having so much trouble getting past the Grindylows. She must be among the best that Beauxbatons has to offer, or Madame Maxime would not have brought her to the Tournament, and yet her magic seems, comparatively, rather weak. We are not presented with any reason for this portrayal.

The "water-beetle" in Hermione's hair should be noted.

Review

 * 1) Why does Harry stay and help the other Champions with the task, allowing them to reach the surface before he does?
 * 2) Was Gabrielle in any danger? What prompted Harry to rescue her?
 * 3) What do Ron and Hermione tell Harry after the second task, and why does that embarrass him?
 * 4) Were the judges justified in awarding Harry extra points for "moral fiber"? Just what did Harry do to earn that?

Further Study

 * 1) The other Champions were prepared for the second task. Why were Harry, Ron, and Hermione unable to find a spell for breathing underwater?
 * 2) Why does Hermione look so furious just after the task? Why did Krum try to distract her?
 * 3) Why might Sirius want to know when the next Hogsmeade weekend is?

Greater Picture
The "water-beetle" is Rita Skeeter, who is an unregistered Animagus. Overhearing the private conversation between Hermione and Viktor, she will use that as the basis of a scurrilous story that appears in Witch Weekly in the next chapter. That story creates a rift between Hermione and Mrs. Weasley that will remain unresolved until near the book's end.

Harry's need to be the "hero" will play a crucial, and ultimately tragic, role in book 5, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Hermione later admonishes Harry for always wanting to rush to the rescue, even when there is no real danger, and cites the underwater "hostages" as an example. Despite her warning, when Harry receives a vision that Voldemort is torturing Sirius, his impulse is to immediately rush to save him without verifying first that it is a genuine vision or considering whether or not his predictable behavior is being manipulated to lure him into a trap.

It remains uncertain why the Trio were unable to find a charm that would allow Harry to remain underwater for an hour, when two of the competitors apparently knew of, and used, the bubble-head charm. We can only speculate that in his frantic rush to find anything that would help Harry, the Trio were scanning, and dismissing, spells and methods based only on their names. The name "Bubble-Head Charm" could, in the heat of the moment, be dismissed as being a prank charm that makes one's head blow up like a bubble, or that makes bubbles come out of one's head.

The groundwork for an alliance between Hogwarts (in the person of Hermione) and Durmstrang (represented by Krum) is seemingly being laid here. By the time this is actually useful, Krum will have graduated – as he did not grow a beard when crossing the Age Line, he must have been at least 17-years-old, making him either a sixth or seventh year student – but he may well have some influence in that part of the world. In fact, while Krum will reappear in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, his contribution will be more personal: the alliance will be with Hermione rather than with Hogwarts, and will simply allow Harry to remember a specific fact that will be useful in his quest.

Connections

 * Grindylows were first seen in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, where Professor Lupin was teaching them to his Defence Against the Dark Arts class. Curiously, Harry does not make use of what Professor Lupin taught him about their weak points.
 * This is the first time we see the Bubble-Head Charm. While the method of casting this spell is never mentioned, it is noted that, after the departure of the Twins in book 5, other students vying for the position of school troublemaker litter the halls with dungbombs. The Bubble-Head Charm is used to lessen the effect of the bombardment on individual students.
 * The hostage that Viktor Krum is to recover is Hermione. Earlier, Hermione was Krum's date at the Yule Ball. Later in this book, Krum will ask Harry if Harry is Hermione's boyfriend. Clearly, Krum is developing a romantic interest in Hermione, an interest that will not be reciprocated, though it will irritate Ron, keep Krum writing to Hermione, and ensure his attendance at Bill and Fleur's wedding. As noted, Krum's attendance at that wedding will provide Harry with a vital piece of information, one much less likely to occur to him if Krum were not physically present.


text:
Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Order of the Phoenix/Chapter 27

Synopsis
Firenze is unable to climb ladders, so the Divination class meets in a ground floor classroom that has been enchanted to appear as the Forbidden Forest in the evening. Firenze greets Harry, saying that it was foretold they would meet again. Firenze explains to the class that he would have preferred to teach in the Forbidden Forest, but he has been banished by his herd for being too sympathetic to humans. Harry notes a hoof-shaped bruise on Firenze's chest, and wonders if it would match Bane's hoof.

Firenze says Divination is often inexact, even for Centaurs. They watch the sky for tides or changes so slow and subtle that it may take ten years to determine what they have seen. He dismisses Trelawney's teachings with an abruptness that disturbs Lavender and Parvati. As the class ends, he is unconcerned that none of the students have seen any of the signs that he had told them about.

At the end of class, Firenze takes Harry aside and asks him to tell Hagrid that what Hagrid is doing will not work. Although Harry does not understand, he promises to tell Hagrid. However, with Umbridge now attending all of Hagrid's classes, it is April before Harry can pass on Firenze's message. Hagrid replies that the attempt is working fine, and Firenze does not know what he is talking about.

Harry has begun teaching Dumbledore's Army the Patronus charm, and, overall, the class is doing well. Neville, in particular, has been a revelation to Harry, working hard to master every spell, and improving with each lesson. During the last session before Easter break, Dobby runs in to warn them that Umbridge is on her way. Harry yells for everyone to run. Most escape, but Draco Malfoy catches Harry and turns him over to Umbridge. Harry is forcibly dragged to Dumbledore's office where he finds Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Cornelius Fudge, Percy Weasley, and two Ministry Aurors, including Kingsley Shacklebolt, an Order of the Phoenix member. On Dumbledore's silent instruction, Harry denies knowing why he is there; Umbridge fetches their informant (Cho's friend Marietta). Although Marietta tries to hide her face, giant purple pimples spelling out "SNEAK" can be seen across it, the result of Hermione's jinx to reveal snitches. When Umbridge orders her to tell what she knows, she says nothing, apparently fearing more blisters may break out on her face.

Umbridge accuses Harry of holding an illegal meeting at the Hog's Head in Hogsmeade in October, saying this information came from Willy Widdershins. Professor McGonagall comments that she now understands why Willy was never charged for all those regurgitating toilets. Dumbledore points out that the meeting happened two days before the Decree and therefore was legal. Obviously, meetings since then have been banned, and Dumbledore asks if there is any proof that such meetings had occurred. Harry feels something whoosh past him, and Marietta suddenly has a blank expression and is unable to speak. She silently nods her head in agreement to Dumbledore's assertion that there never was a Defence group. Frustrated, Umbridge produces the "Dumbledore's Army" parchment as proof that the Headmaster was involved. Dumbledore pleasantly admits that he was indeed building a secret wizard army, and says that this was to have been their first meeting. Fudge dispatches Percy to send the meeting notes to the Daily Prophet.

Dumbledore assures Fudge they will be unable to arrest him, and as Fudge orders the Aurors to take Dumbledore into custody, a white light suddenly streaks across the room, knocking out Umbridge, Fudge, Dawlish, and Shacklebolt and leaving the office in shambles. Dumbledore quickly confirms that Marietta, McGonagall, and Harry are all right, and tells McGonagall to thank Shacklebolt for modifying Marietta's memory. He tells Harry that it is important that he continue studying Occlumency with Professor Snape, and taking hold of his Phoenix, Fawkes, disappears in a second flash of flame. Regaining consciousness, the two Aurors and Umbridge run for the Entrance Hall to try and catch Dumbledore.

Analysis
Firenze, it is noted here, has a very different style of teaching Divination than does Professor Trelawney. While Trelawney seems to be trying to teach that the future can be seen to the finest detail, in Firenze's class, there is considerably less certainty. While it is hard to be certain exactly what Trelawney actually believes, one gathers the impression that she is trying to create the impression that the Seer has some special insight into a fixed, immutable future, so what she is teaching is similar in concept to seeing through a fog bank to view a solid rock mountain. Firenze, on the other hand, is more aware of the mutability of the future, and instead seems to teach method, in a way analogous to the idea that beyond the fog there is yet more fog, but that it is possible to determine shapes in the fog and thus infer possible outcomes. We can see quite easily that Firenze's techniques are similar to those of Native shamans and medicine men, while Trelawney's are the techniques of Muggle fortune-tellers. Contrasting them, one can see that Firenze probably believes in what he teaches, but that Trelawney must be aware that she is teaching fakery.

It is noted that this final meeting of Dumbledore's Army is the first one that Seamus Finnigan attends. This actually is more important than it seems; Harry has consistently had trouble pairing students in DA meetings for practice in dueling, and it would be noticeable if the group was suddenly evenly matched. As Marietta is, at this point, off spilling the beans to Umbridge, it is necessary that one new student arrive to prevent Harry from wondering about why they suddenly came out even.

In the previous chapter, we noted some facts about Harry's ongoing romance with Cho. They are in different years, so they cannot meet during class time; and they are in different houses so they won't be in the same common room when doing homework. Although the library is also often used for homework, we suspect Madam Pince would not countenance snogging in the stacks. So the only time that leaves for Harry and Cho to be together is most likely brief sessions before and after meetings of Dumbledore's Army. In the past, Marietta has hung around waiting impatiently for Cho to finish what she was doing, so the two of them could go off together; we can guess that Cho's interest in Harry has driven something of a wedge between Marietta and Cho. Could it be that a part of the reason for Marietta's betrayal of the DA is simple jealousy?

Harry guesses that Marietta's memory has been altered even before Dumbledore says anything. Kingsley's secretly cast memory charm is apparently what Harry feels brushing past him. Additionally, Harry notices the glassy look in Marietta's eyes; he has seen that before, it is the immediate after-effect of a memory charm.

Although Harry believes Dumbledore has nearly abandoned him, Dumbledore shows here how far he will go to protect Harry from Umbridge and the Ministry by taking full responsibility for Dumbledore's Army. He easily overpowers Umbridge and the others and also knocks out Kingsley Shacklebolt, an Order member, to avoid casting suspicion on him. Before disappearing, Dumbledore stresses to Harry how important it is for him to continue studying Occlumency, although Harry is still unable to understand why.

Review

 * 1) Why was Firenze banished from his herd?
 * 2) What does McGonagall mean when she says she understands why Willy Widdershins was never charged?
 * 3) What happened to Marietta Edgecombe's memory in Dumbledore's office? Who was responsible and why?
 * 4) Why does Dumbledore tell Fudge he was responsible for the D.A.? What happens in his office immediately after?

Further Study

 * 1) What could Hagrid be doing that Firenze says is not working? Could this have anything to do with Hagrid's battered appearance? Explain.
 * 2) Why did Marietta Edgecombe betray Dumbledore's Army? Was she truly at fault? Explain.
 * 3) Considering that it is impossible for anyone to Disapparate in or out of Hogwarts, how was Dumbledore able to escape? Why didn't the Ministry anticipate this?
 * 4) What does Dumbledore tell Harry just before his spectacular departure? Why does he feel it is so important?

Greater Picture
We will find out shortly what Hagrid is attempting to do in the Forbidden Forest: he has brought his half-brother Grawp back with him from his encounter with the Giants, and is trying to civilize him. In later books, it will be discovered that this has, in fact, worked to some extent; in this case, Hagrid was right, and through sheer persistence has managed to accomplish something that the Centaurs, with their supposedly superior intelligence, had decided was doomed to failure. It could be suggested that with the eventual success of Hagrid's efforts, the author is showing us the power of persistence. It is certainly true that Hagrid's ongoing efforts demonstrate his views concerning the value of family; Grawp is the only family Hagrid has left.

Harry's teaching the Patronus charm will prove useful in the final book of the series, when Harry must make his way to the Whomping Willow. His way will be blocked by Dementors, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione will be unable to create Patronuses. The Dementors will be repelled by three DA members, Luna, Seamus Finnigan, and Ernie Macmillan.

It is mentioned in this chapter that the parchment containing the list of Dumbledore's Army members was retrieved by Pansy Parkinson. This also is more important a connection than it would initially seem. Draco Malfoy, in the next book, will be given a task by Voldemort, who will tell him how to get into the Room of Requirement, that being a nominally secret place where Draco can carry out his instructions. Voldemort, having discovered only that one particular form of the Room, will believe that the Room is simply a "junk warehouse" and has no other purpose. Harry will find this aspect of the Room himself when he is looking to hide something later in that book. Draco, having been coached by Voldemort, will only find the room's "junk warehouse" state, thus having a limited idea of what it can do. If it had been Draco who went into the Room of Requirement to retrieve the list, he probably would have realized the Room's full function, and been likely to discover it was the revived Dumbledore's Army hiding place in the final book. As he would have only known how to open its junk warehouse state, and as the room will not open for someone who is asking for an aspect other than the one that is already in use (as we find out in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince), Draco, if he had guessed where the new DA was hiding, could not have opened it, and likely would have assumed that it had simply been sealed after the events at the end of the sixth book.

Connections

 * We have seen Firenze before; he saved Harry from Quirrell in the first book. While we don't normally mention characters as connections, Firenze is interesting as, even in that first encounter, he espouses a determination to fight evil, as personified by Voldemort, in the face of disapproval from Bane and others in the Centaur herd. Firenze will also be fighting for Hogwarts against the Death Eaters in the final book. One wonders if Firenze's pro-Human leanings were planned in the first book specifically to provide for a Centaur defender of Hogwarts in the final book.