Friday, March 1, 2013

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Readalong post 2


I know I called Hermione out on being not so great when it came to pets but I feel like she's really grown up in this book and showing a lot more insight when it comes to people. Like with Neville and the Moody unforgivable curses class. She noticed his unease while everyone else, understandably, was staring shocked at the display in front of them. Then she brought Harry toast so he wouldn't have to face the masses, and she believed him instantly when he told her he hadn't put his name in the goblet. Sure she doesn't have Ron's baggage to get in the way, but she was so rational and understanding and I have even more respect for her. Team Hermione for always.


 So Harry is supposed to be an amazing Quidditch player, right? But Krum is 3 years older and playing for Bulgaria (which, by the way, is clearly where Durmstrang is right?) and it isn't like you get drafted to play for a country side and are immediately their star seeker. He would have worked his way up to that, probably on a B squad, or at least a training squad for a year (at least) before they trusted a teenager for the world cup. Anyway, what I'm getting at is that even if Harry is a great seeker by Hogwarts standards, he's clearly not by competition standards or England already would have tried to get him so they could groom him to be their star.


This section of the book is very Triwizard Tournament heavy (which I keep writing as Twiwizard for some reason) and I have some questions and problems with this whole thing.

First, it is really stupid to have the headmasters as judges in the competition. I mean, either you add more judges and go by the rule of taking off the highest and lowest score and averaging the rest, or you pick impartial judges who have no reason to vote someone up or down. I don't even care if that's what the tradition is, it's been 1000 years, you're allowed to change some things up.

Second, why do it by age, why not by year level? If you make it seventh years then no one gets left out just because they had the misfortune of being born at the end of the school year, especially when they clearly know the same stuff that the other people in their year know. I guess it could be a 17 = adult in the wizarding world, and therefore no parental allowance required, but considering their kids are constantly under the threat of death at Hogwarts I hardly see parents objecting to it.

Third, why can't they excuse Harry? Is entering your name akin to the unbreakable oath that comes up in book 6? And if he technically can't pull out, why doesn't anyone advise him to just sit on the sideline and do nothing. Surely after a while they'd just disqualify or mark him as 0 points right? And why doesn't he speak up and say "guys, I sorta daydreamed about how awesome this would be, but I've only had 3 years of wizarding education and to be honest I'm not great at it, so do you think you can do something to get me out of this hell hole?"


And finally, what do the other Beauxbaton and Durmstrang students do for the year? Do they all get taught by their headmaster during the day, or do they just get a year off? And is the education system the same over there? Do they all start at 11 and go for 7 years? Or do they start earlier/later or organise their semesters differently? Also, they're kidding themselves if they think there schools are truly hidden. Sure, we could never find them. But Beauxbatons? Come on, you'd have to be an absolute idiot to not guess that they're in France somewhere. So calm down Karkaroff, mentioning mountains is not the end of the world.

Le Notes: 

*I do feel kinda bad for Harry with the entire school turning against him, but at the same time it's probably good not to have everyone instantly worship him like usual.

*The badges are especially mean though.

*Mention of Gregorovitch the wandmaker on p271. JK I love you.

*If Moody had to demonstrate the unforgivable curses did he have to use spiders? I mean jesus dude, bringing spiders into class is terrifying enough.

*Seriously, Rita Skeeter is the WORST. I hate her acid green robes and her stupid face.


*I really enjoy the Fred and George side story. It's a little darker than their usual pranks and jokes routine.

*This is the one time Hagrid's inability to keep a secret was a good thing. Pretty sure Harry would have just collapsed and died if he hadn't had prior warning of the dragons.

*I think this is the first time I realised exactly how big the Forbidden Forest is. They manage to hide 4 cranky dragons in there, no wonder it's forbidden.

*I think it's hilarious that Hermione is so dismissive of Ron and his obsession with Krum, but she was so ridiculous over Lockhart. Girl, take a good hard look in the mirror.

*Bill's pretty good, but Charlie Weasley was always number 1 in my heart. I mean, dragons. Enough said.

*Question about Karkaroff. So he was a deatheater, but he's clearly from overseas. Was there a legion of overseas wizards on Voldey's side and/or was his terror international?

Next week, the Yule Ball!


21 comments:

  1. I'm already so behind in my reading for work that I will probably skip out entirely of GoF, but it makes me sad.

    I just want to say, excellent points re: anything regarding Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, and the TriWizard Tournament. WTF?

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    1. :( Your post (or lack of one) was definitely missed last week, this better be the only book you take off this readalong though!

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  2. Come on K, ALLLLLL the German wizards were on Voldy's side, OBVS!

    Um, so I'm thinking that the reason that they let/make Harry take part is because the book is called 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' and if he was just sitting in the crowd watching, that would be really boring? I mean, you're not WRONG about the fact that they should, like, tell him to NON-participate, but come on! This is Harry Potter!

    Bill>Charlie. I'm sorry, I just prefer ponytails to dragon-wrangling. Although... Think of Charlie's muscles... Hmmm...

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    1. Yeah I mean obvs he had to participate but JK should have at least feigned an actual attempt to get him out. He's just a baby!

      You're WRONG. Outdoor dragon wrangler > ponytail banker ANY DAY.

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  3. >>>Anyway, what I'm getting at is that even if Harry is a great seeker by Hogwarts standards, he's clearly not by competition standards or England already would have tried to get him so they could groom him to be their star.

    I see your point BUT I also think that Karkaroff is the kind of person who would be like, "Oh definitely, Bulgarian team, PLEASE come into my school and check out my star player," whereas Dumbledore is the kind of person who would be like, "Nope, sorry, you and your recruiters will have to wait for my students to graduate before you start up on them." Note that Oliver Wood goes pro, yet he also does not get recruited while in school. Also, even if Dumbledore would have let the recruiters in (which I really don't think he would), when would it really have happened? Not in fourth year, because they didn't have Quidditch that year. Not in fifth because that's when everyone thinks Harry is dangerously unstable. Sixth maybe, but I think by then Dumbledore would be even more protective of Harry's time.

    (That was a weirdly lengthy defense of Harry's Quidditch skills. Who knew I cared so much?)

    I can't decide what Moody should have used to demonstrate the curses. If he had used a more lovable insect it would have been pretty upsetting. Like wouldn't you get pretty freaked out if Moody had been torturing ladybugs or something? And he can't really use any vertebrates because that's even upsettinger. I think spiders are about where it needed to be. Maybe roaches?

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    1. I think your points are all correct and likely, but I couldn't help but take the opportunity to tease our teenage hero about his most superior talent!

      Dumbledore definitely wouldn't let recruiters in, and since we only just finished POA, I can't help but think of the recruiters floating in like the dementors and terrorising the game! And you're right, as good as he is, he hasn't really had a chance to prove himself and won't really between now and the end of the book. Do we know what Harry does post-school? I think the wiki mentions him being an auror, but I hope he was a quidditch player for at least a while.

      You're right, ladybugs would have been more upsetting, but spiders....*shudder* Maybe he could have bewitched dolls or something that'd be more abstract than actual living creatures but still get the message across?

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  4. Aww, Yule Ball.

    Also I totally agree with Jenny about Harry and Quidditch. And I missed the Gregorovitch thing!

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    1. I looooove the Yule Ball, awkward teenagers dancing and Hagrid trying to get his groove on? Yes please!

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  5. I have entirely forgotten what Fred and George are up to, so I'm having fun watching them. They're just trying to get money out of Bagman, right? Ah F&G, I love your mischievous faces.

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    1. They are so great, and I love in the final book when they're all business-y and successful. It's like suck it Mrs Weasley (but not really because I love her too) they are just different and free-spirited and have that successful Weasley gene after all.

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  6. Yeah they did not do enough to explain why Harry HAS to compete. I know they said he's entered a contract and blah blah blah, but he totally could have just sat out and been like "whoops, 0 points again? Dang."

    I do wonder why it was necessary for Moody to actually SHOW the unforgivables instead of just telling them this is what they do. I mean, obviously it was more interesting to watch this way but still.

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    1. Or like bewitching stick figures on a blackboard. Surely it'd do the same without being quite so shocking?! And probably less likely to traumatise poor Neville.

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  7. Good point about Harry being outdone. So he IS human! And I have been asking myself all the same things about the tournament, though I can't actually see Harry just sitting it out, that would be far too embarrassing. But to lock in just-barely-adults (and unwitting entrants) so strongly is just crazy. MAGIC IS SCARY. But aw, Hermione was only 12 and the difference between 12 and 14 is huuuge. She's calmed down, that's all.

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    1. Yeah, maybe they should do some sort of try-outs to see if entrants are actually up to the task. Maybe battle a manticore or face a death eater face to face, y'know the norm for Hogwarts but enough to check they're up to the 'real' challenges!

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  8. Maybe Harry couldn't have even sat the tasks out, though? Crouch was really adamant that he HAD TO COMPETE so I don't think sitting on the sidelines would have been allowed.

    And I also love Fred and George's storyline in this book, since it shows how determined they are to make their dream career possible. There are, what, like six different job options in the wizarding world, so it's pretty awesome for them to be so gung-ho about going in a different direction.

    (Now I'm trying to think of the different professions... professor, shopkeeper, healer, Ministry worker, Knight Bus operator, Gringotts employee, Quidditch player... That's all I can get. Huh.)

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    1. I really wish there had been a scene where Harry just went "dragons? F this!" and just sat on the side and stared at the judges for hours, until they give up and he walks back to the common room. It'd never happen, but oh man it'd be *insane*.

      In fairness, there are like 200 jobs in the ministry, but yeah, there isn't a whole lot to pick from. I wonder whether any muggle-born wizards end up working back in the muggle world, if you grew up wanting to be a doctor or a lawyer or whatever, it might be a little underwhelming to see the choices awaiting you in the wizarding world.

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  9. Man, student safety is clearly not that high in the Hogwarts Priorities Manual so the age thing is clearly just a ploy to make it like SHOCKER, HARRY POTTER IS IN IT TO WIN IT.

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    1. If I were a parent, I'd be checking out Durmstrang and Beauxbatons (ok, maybe not Durmstrang) to see if their kids are protected from danger a little better. I.e. where do they send their kids for detention, what are their hiring policies...!

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  10. As the perpetual youngest person in my grade through ALL OF ALL SCHOOLING (late birthday, what?), I agree that it should have been based on year, not age. They still could have excluded HP and he still would be years behind the other contestants after his name is put in the Goblet against his will.

    I wondered that same thing about the other students... they don't seem to go to Hogwarts classes, right? So do they just get homeschooled? Or do nothing? If that's the case for either, why don't the non-competitors just go home for the year and then classmates can come out for each event to cheer on their champion(s) because they only happen every few months anyway?

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    1. Or why not host a task at each of the schools, rather than the entire thing at one school for a full year? Surely they must take lessons right? And I guess since they're in their final years it is possible they study in Hogwarts classes and we just don't hear about it since Harry isn't in those classes.

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  11. OMG I love that Weasley twins GIF.

    I also wonder what the heck the foreign students are doing, since they're spending the whole year at Hogwarts. Where are they taking their classes?

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