Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Ch 23-27

Harry Potter and the First Time Readers

Chapter 23 - The Yule Ball

• Harry and Ron both whipped around, but Hermione said loudly, waving to somebody over Malfoy’s shoulder, “Hello, Professor Moody!” Malfoy went pale and jumped backwards, looking wildly around for Moody, but he was still up at the staff table finishing his stew. “Twitchy little ferret, aren’t you, Malfoy?” Hermione said scathingly.

Q1 - What do you think of Hermione shrinking her teeth?

• “Dobby knew sir must be a great wizard, for he is Harry Potter’s greatest friend, but Dobby did not know that he was also generous of spirit, as noble, as selfless—”

Q2 - Is Ron these things?

• The left sock was bright red, and he had a pattern of broomsticks upon it; the right sock was green with a pattern of snitches. “They’re…they’re really…well, thanks, Dobby,” said Harry, and he pulled them on, causing Dobby’s eyes to leak with happiness again.
• Krum was accompanied by a pretty girl in blue robes Harry didn’t know…His eyes fell instead on the girl next to Krum. His jaw dropped. It was Hermione.

Q3 - What do you think about Krum and Hermione?!

• “Are we not right to be proud that we alone know our school’s secrets, and right to protect them?” “Oh I would never dream of assuming I know all Howart’s secrets, Igor,” said Dumbledore amicably. “Only this morning, for instance, I took a wrong turn on the way to the bathroom and found myself in a beautifully proportioned room I have never seen before, containing a really rather magnificent collection of chamberpots. When I went back to investigate more closely, I discovered that the room had vanished.

Q4 - How do you like Dumbledore after all this?

• Hermione was now teaching Krum to say her name properly; he kept calling her Hermy-Own. “Her — my — own — knee.”
• "How's it going?" Harry asked Ron, sitting down and opening a bottle of butterbeer. Ron didn't answer. He was glaring at Hermione and Krum, who were dancing nearby. Padma was sitting with her arms and legs crossed, one foot jiggling in time to the music. Every now and then she threw a disgruntled look at Ron, who was completely ignoring her. Parvati sat down on Harry's other side, crossed her arms and legs too, and within minutes was asked to dance by a boy from Beauxbatons.

Q5 - Trelawney’s Prediction!

Q6 - What is Ron so angry about?

• “...Don’t see what there is to fuss about, Igor.” “Severus, you cannot pretend this isn’t happening!” Karkaroff’s voice sounded anxious and hushed, as though keen not to be overheard. “It’s been getting clearer and clearer for months. I am becoming seriously concerned. I can’t deny it.” “Then flee,” said Snape’s voice curtly. “Flee, I will make your excuses. I, however, am remaining at Hogwarts.”

Q7 - What is Karkaroff worried about?

Q8 - What is Snape’s background?

Q9 - Did you think that Hagrid was a half-giant?

Q10 - What is Cedric talking about?

• Ron and Hermione were having a blazing row. Standing ten feet apart, they were bellowing at each other, each scarlet in the face. “Well, if you don’t like it, you now know what the solution is, don’t you?” yelled Hermione; her hair was coming down out of its elegant bun now, and her face was screwed up in anger. “Oh yeah?” Ron yelled back. “What’s that?” “Next time there’s a ball, ask me before someone else does, and not as a last resort!” Ron mouthed soundlessly like a goldfish out of water as Hermione turned on her heel and stormed up the girls staircase to bed.

Chapter 24 - Rita Skeeter’s Scoop

Q1 - Is Harry stupid or smart for not just taking Cedric’s advice?

Q2 - Why do you think Dumbledore secured a job for Hagrid when he was expelled?

Q3 - Why are the Goblins looking for Barty Crouch

Q4 - Where do you think Barty Crouch is?

• “How about giving me an interview about the Hagrid you know, Harry? The man behind the muscles? Your unlikely friendship and the reasons behind it. Would you call him a father substitute?”

Q5 - Is Hagrid the closest thing to a father that Harry has had?

• Hermione went slightly pink, but Dumbledore smiled at her, and continued, “Hermione, Harry, and Ron still seem to want to know you, judging by the way they were attempting to break down the door.” “Of course we still want to know you!” Harry said, staring at Hagrid.
• “My own brother, Aberforth, was prosecuted for practicing inappropriate charms on a goat.”

Q6 - What was Aberforth Dumbledore doing?

Chapter 25 - The Egg and the Eye

Q1 - What is the nicest bathroom you’ve ever been in?

• “What d’you do, sneak up here in the evenings to watch the Prefects take baths?
  “Sometimes,” said Myrtle, rather slyly, “but I’ve never come out to speak to anyone before.”

Q2 - How creepy is Myrtle?

• Peeves was not the only thing that was moving. A single dot was flitting around a room in the bottom left-hand corner — Snape's office. But the dot wasn't labeled "Severus Snape"...it was Bartemius Crouch.

Q3 - What was Barty Crouch doing in Snapes office?

Q4 - Before Moody came into the picture, how did you think Harry would escape this?

• “Reckon they were after potion ingredients, eh?” said Moody, “Not hiding anything else in your office, are you?”

Q5 - Do you think Snape is hiding something in his office?

• Snape suddenly did something very strange. He seized his left forearm convulsively with his right hand, as though something on it had hurt him.

Q6 - What is this description?

• “Oh if there’s one thing I hate,” he muttered, more to himself than Harry, his magical eye was fixed on the bottom left hand corner of the map, “It’s a Death Eater who walked free…”

Q7 - Who is at the bottom left-hand corner of the map?

Q8 - Do you think Moody will catch this person now he has the map?

• Moody winked at him…

Q9 - Was Moody just blinking?

Q10 - Do you think Harry would be a good Auror? Isn’t Moody great for encouraging that in Harry?

Chapter 26 - The Second Task

• Owing to the potential for nasty accidents when objects kept flying across the room. Professor Flitwick had given each student a stack of cushions on which to practice, the theory being that these wouldn't hurt anyone if they went off target. It was a good theory, but it wasn't working very well. Neville's aim was so poor that he kept accidentally sending much heavier things flying across the room - Professor Flitwick, for instance.

Q1 - Is Neville secretively really good at magic?

• “Moody said Dumbledore only lets Snape stay here because he’s giving him a second chance or something…”
• "I just want to know what Snape did with his first chance, if he's on his second one," said Harry grimly.

Q2 - What did Snape do that he needs a second chance?

Q3 - What is Snape’s deal?

Q4 - Grubbly-Plank or Hagrid?

• “I should’ve learned to be an Animagus like Sirius.”

Q5 - What would you be if you could be an animagus?

Q6 - How amazing is Dobby for helping Harry? The unsung hero of this book so far.

Q7 - How is the crowd watching the second task?

• Harry looked around. There was no sign of any of the other champions. What were they playing at? Why didn't they hurry up? He turned back to Hermione, raised the jagged rock, and began to hack at her bindings too.

Q8 - Is Harry an idiot for doing this?

Q9 - Would you rather face a dragon or face an hour in icy water looking for your loved one?

• Dumbledore and Ludo Bagman stood beaming at Harry and Ron from the bank as they swam nearer, but Percy, who looked very white and somehow much younger than usual, came splashing out to meet them…Percy seized Ron and was dragging him back to the bank ("Gerroff, Percy, I'm all right!")

Q10 - Does this change your thoughts on Percy?

Q11 - Hermione is angry that Fleur kissed Ron on the cheek…does Hermione love Ron?

Q12 - Danny, Do you like Fleur more after this chapter?

Chapter 27 - Padfoot Returns

• One of the best things about the aftermath of the second task was that everybody was very keen to hear details of what had happened down in the lake, which meant that Ron was getting to share Harry's limelight for once. Harry noticed that Ron's version of events changed subtly with every retelling. At first, he gave what seemed to be the truth; it tallied with Hermione's story, anyway - Dumbledore had put all the hostages into a bewitched sleep in Professor McGonagall's office, first assuring them that they would be quite safe, and would awake when they were back above the water. One week later, however, Ron was telling a thrilling tale of kidnap in which he struggled single-handedly against fifty heavily armed merpeople who had to beat him into submission before tying him up.

Q1 - They make something called a wit-sharpening potion, would you take this all the time, and would it be healthy to take a potion daily?

Q2 - How does Rita Skeeter keep finding this stuff out? Does she have an invisibility cloak?

• “I don't care how many times your picture appears in the papers. To me. Potter, you are nothing but a nasty little boy who considers rules to be beneath him."

Q3 - What is Snape’s issue?

• "It is Veritaserum - a Truth Potion so powerful that three drops would have you spilling your innermost secrets for this entire class to hear," said Snape viciously. "Now, the use of this potion is controlled by very strict Ministry guidelines. But unless you watch your step, you might just find that my hand slips" - he shook the crystal bottle slightly - "right over your evening pumpkin juice. And then. Potter...then we'll find out whether you've been in my office or not."

Q4 - What do you think of Veritaserum?

• "What's so urgent?" he heard Snape hiss at Karkaroff. "This," said Karkaroff, and Harry, peering around the edge of his cauldron, saw Karkaroff pull up the left-hand sleeve of his robe and show Snape something on his inner forearm. "Well?" said Karkaroff, still making every effort not to move his lips. "Do you see? It's never been this clear, never since -" "Put it away!" snarled Snape, his black eyes sweeping the classroom.

Q5 - What is happening here?

• "Thanks," said Sirius, opening it, grabbing a drumstick, sitting down on the cave floor, and tearing off a large chunk with his teeth. "I've been living off rats mostly. Can't steal too much food from Hogsmeade; I'd draw attention to myself."

Q6 - Do you think Sirius is trying to eat Peter Pettigrew?

Q7 - What is the deal with Crouch?

• Sirius shook his head and said, "She's got the measure of Crouch better than you have, Ron. If you want to know what a mans like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals."

Q8 - What do you think of everything Sirius is saying about Crouch?

• "Well, times like that bring out the best in some people and the worst in others. Crouch's principles might've been good in the beginning - I wouldn't know. He rose quickly through the Ministry, and he started ordering very harsh measures against Voldemort's supporters. The Aurors were given new powers - powers to kill rather than capture, for instance. And I wasn't the only one who was handed straight to the dementors without trial. Crouch fought violence with violence, and authorized the use of the Unforgivable Curses against suspects. I would say he became as ruthless and cruel as many on the Dark Side. He had his supporters, mind you - plenty of people thought he was going about things the right way, and there were a lot of witches and wizards clamoring for him to take over as Minister of Magic. When Voldemort disappeared, it looked like only a matter of time until Crouch got the top job. But then something rather unfortunate happened...." Sirius smiled grimly. "Crouch's own son was caught with a group of Death Eaters who'd managed to talk their way out of Azkaban. Apparently they were trying to find Voldemort and return him to power."

Q9 - What do you think about Barty Crouch’s son dying?

• He wasn't the only one," said Sirius bitterly. "Most go mad in there, and plenty stop eating in the end. They lose the will to live. You could always tell when a death was coming, because the dementors could sense it, they got excited. That boy looked pretty sickly when he arrived. Crouch being an important Ministry member, he and his wife were allowed a deathbed visit. That was the last time I saw Barty Crouch, half carrying his wife past my cell. She died herself, apparently, shortly afterward. Grief. Wasted away just like the boy. Crouch never came for his son's body. The dementors buried him outside the fortress; I watched them do it."
• "Rosier and Wilkes - they were both killed by Aurors the year before Voldemort fell. The Lestranges - they're a married couple - they're in Azkaban. Avery - from what I've heard he wormed his way out of trouble by saying he'd been acting under the Imperius Curse - he's still at large. But as far as I know, Snape was never even accused of being a Death Eater - not that that means much. Plenty of them were never caught. And Snape's certainly clever and cunning enough to keep himself out of trouble."

Q10 - What are your thoughts about everything Sirius mentioned?