Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Goblet of Fire/Chapter 14
From Wikibooks, the open-content textbooks collection
Chapter 14 of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: The Unforgivable Curses
Contents |
[edit] Synopsis
Professor Snape, as usual, is in a bad mood, and the confrontation with Professor Moody must have been galling. Additionally, it is common belief that Snape wanted the Defence Against The Dark Arts position. Snape also seems to fear Moody and, as he cannot act against him, retaliates against students. On Thursday, the students eagerly queue outside Professor Moody's classroom early, except for Hermione, who arrives from the library just in time. Moody tells the class that Professor Lupin told him they have tackled a variety of Dark creatures, but they are deficient in handling curses. He says Ministry guidelines state they should only be taught counter-curses, and not be shown the actual curses until sixth year. But Professor Dumbledore feels that even fourth years need a better understanding of what they may be up against. Professor Moody asks the class if they can identify the three Unforgivable curses, according to the Ministry. Ron says his father has mentioned the Imperius curse. Moody casts it on a spider, forcing it to dance. Moody says the curse makes it difficult to tell who is truly Dark and who is being controlled by magic.
Moody asks for another curse; Neville shakily mentions the Cruciatus curse. Moody enlarges another spider and casts Crucio on it. Even though it is only a spider, it is obviously in extreme pain. Neville becomes distressed while watching this. Relenting, Moody reduces the spider and lets it go. Moody asks for the third illegal curse; Hermione mentions the Killing Curse. Moody fetches another spider and curses it; in a jet of green light, it simply dies. Moody says only one person is known to have survived that particular curse: Harry Potter. This curse is a small revelation to Harry, as he has memories of the green light and the rushing noise it makes.
As they leave the classroom, Hermione notices Neville is extremely shaken. Professor Moody approaches and takes Neville aside. He also asks if Harry is all right, and says that Harry has to know (the implication being that he should know about the curse that killed his parents). Moody then takes Neville to his office for a cup of tea, while Hermione and Ron wonder what that is about. When they return to the Common room after dinner, Neville is reading a book Professor Moody gave him titled, Magical Mediterranean Water-Plants and Their Properties, and says that Moody was told by Professor Sprout that he is adept at Herbology.
Harry and Ron start their Divination homework, but as usual, it is too confusing, and they revert to inventing their own predictions. Harry notices Fred and George working on a parchment and sees George scratch out a line and say, "No, that sounds like we're accusing him. Got to be careful." But Harry's homework is more important, so he returns to his fabrication. As they finish, Hermione returns from the library with the beginnings of an organization she calls S.P.E.W.: the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare. She lays out how the society will work. She coerces Harry and Ron into being officers, but is interrupted by Hedwig appearing at the window with a message from Sirius Black. Sirius writes that Harry's painful scar, coupled with other things he has heard, concerns him, and he is returning to England. Harry frets, convinced he has summoned Sirius into danger. If Sirius is captured, Harry could never forgive himself. A peeved Harry shoos away the hungry Hedwig, who angrily flies off to the Owlery to find something to eat.
[edit] Analysis
The plot advances in various ways. First, Professor Moody further demonstrates his idiosyncratic teaching style and a willingness to flout Ministry regulations, as well as an awareness and sensitivity towards students. His decision to teach the three "Unforgivable Curses" has a particularly profound effect on two students: Harry and Neville. Realizing that the Cruciatus Curse demonstration has visibly upset Neville, Moody takes him aside after class and calms him down. Moody also checks on Harry, whose parents he knows were killed with the Avada Kedavra curse that nearly took Harry's life and left him with his scar, although Harry is less shaken than Neville. Readers will note that Moody describes the Avada Kedavra curse as killing its victim without leaving any mark. However, Harry's scar was caused by the deadly curse. This is most likely the after effect of his mother's protective charm when the curse rebounded off Harry's forehead and back to Voldemort, killing him.
Also, Neville, who is rarely, if ever, singled out for being good at anything, is extremely flattered and grateful when Moody gives him the Herbology book after being told by Professor Sprout that Neville has an aptitude for this subject. Harry thinks that Moody's gesture is similar to what Professor Lupin would have done.
Hermione championing rights for House-elves (that they actually do not want) formally begins in this chapter. Although S.P.E.W. becomes a smaller subplot in later books, Hermione continues to believe, quite correctly, that House-elves are a slave caste and should be freed.
Snape's behavior here is revealing. Rather than the disdain and disrespect he usually heaps on whoever is the current Defensive Arts teacher, a position Snape has long coveted but is repeatedly denied, he appears to show cautious fear and maintains a respectful distance from the crusty, former Auror. Moody's earlier sarcastic remark regarding Snape being an "old friend" hints at an unresolved history between them, most likely relating to Snape's Death Eater past. Typically, Snape vents his frustration on his students.
Finally, Sirius, concerned about Harry's safety, is returning to England with Buckbeak, although Harry rightly fears he may have endangered Sirius by writing to him about his dreams and his scar hurting. And though Sirius' concern and devotion for his godson is commendable and shows how much he loves Harry, his decision seems rather reckless; just how Sirius can help Harry while he remains a hunted fugitive is uncertain. This all causes Harry even more stress and turmoil and could even put him at risk.
[edit] Questions
[edit] Review
- Why were Unforgivable Curses made illegal?
- Why was Neville so affected by Moody demonstrating the Cruciatus curse? Does Moody know the reason? If so, how would he know?
- Why is the Avada Kedavra curse of such interest to Harry?
- Why is Harry upset that Sirius is returning to England?
[edit] Further Study
- Why does Moody demonstrate the Unforgivable Curses to the class, despite Ministry policy against teaching them?
- Why would the Ministry want to prevent students from learning the Unforgivable Curses?
- Why was Harry less affected by Moody's in-class demonstration than Neville?
- How does Snape treat Moody differently than other former Defensive Arts teachers? Why?
- Who might the Twins be writing to and why would they be contacting this person?
- Why does George tell Fred they have to be "careful"?
- Why would Moody give Neville a Herbology book about water plants?
[edit] Greater Picture
Harry and the other students are, at this point, unaware that Neville Longbottom's parents, Frank and Alice, are permanently committed to St. Mungo's Hospital. When we and Harry learn this later, it is also revealed that Moody was present at the Death Eaters' trial, and thus knows that they tortured the Longbottoms into insanity using the Cruciatus curse. This sheds some light on these occurrences, as it is meant to; we suddenly understand why Neville became so upset while watching the curse demonstration and why Moody apparently took such pains to comfort him. In the final chapter, however, it is revealed that Alastor Moody is actually Barty Crouch, Jr. in disguise. He is one of four Death Eaters sentenced to Azkaban for torturing the Longbottoms to insanity using the Cruciatus Curse. It is particularly interesting that Crouch (as Moody) can show such compassion to one whose parents he drove insane, although that is keeping in character with what the real Moody probably would have done under the same circumstances. And while Crouch giving Neville the Herbology book seems like yet another magnanimous gesture to help boost Neville's low self-esteem, it is actually because the book contains information that Crouch wants passed on to Harry that can help him win the Tournament, thus leading Harry into Voldemort's trap. Crouch may well have been banking on the Cruciatus demonstration to badly upset the sensitive Neville, solely to give Crouch an opportunity to present Neville with the book without his motives appearing suspicious. This extreme deviousness illustrates, upon reflection, something unsavory about Crouch's character in particular, and perhaps Death Eaters in general. Also, Barty's comment that Snape and Karkaroff are "old acquaintances," may not only be truthful, implying that he knew them as fellow Death Eaters, but it also demonstrates a rather perverse sense of humor. Considering that Snape and Karkaroff betrayed Voldemort, Barty's sarcastic comment could have the same double-entendre implication as what the real Alastor Moody would mean had he said it.
It will turn out that the Twins are writing to Ludo Bagman. This is part of a subplot that will run the entire duration of the year, as Ludo refuses to pay off his gambling debt to them. Ludo is clearly more afraid of his other debtors, who are Goblins, and who can seriously injure him if they are not paid; when Ludo's debts finally go completely sour at the end of the book, he will go into hiding, leaving the Twins and the Goblins unpaid.
In her attempts to free the House-elves, Hermione fails to consider that freedom comes with a price and must be carefully orchestrated if elves are to survive and thrive without discrimination or retribution within the wizarding world. Simply turning loose what most wizards consider an inferior race (even more so than other non-human magical folk) would create great hardship, just as it will for Winky, who has few, if any, prospects as a free elf. It would take a huge effort to realign both the general wizarding population's attitude and the House-elves' thinking to accept House-elves as equal and free agents. It would be advisable for Hermione to study how emancipated slaves fared following the American Civil War in the mid-1860s. Although former slaves were now free U.S. citizens, they struggled against severe discrimination, hatred, violence, and poverty while attempting to assimilate themselves into a white, patriarchal-dominated society, all while lacking (and being denied) adequate education, jobs, and other opportunities needed to fend for themselves. As in the Wizard world, more than one race was discriminated against: Irish, Asians, Hispanics, Italians, etc. were routinely denied equal opportunities based solely on their ethnicity. However, much like some non-human magical folk in Wizard society, these particular ethnic groups were never enslaved and they had functioned within their own home countries as free citizens and most had at least some education. Also, immigrants were often able to establish their own small, protective communities while gradually integrating themselves into American culture, whereas freed slaves created a sudden and rather chaotic influx into a new social order in which there was little management or oversight (and extensive corruption) resulting in abuse and exploitation. Over a century later, these struggles are still existent and are likely similar to what House-elves would experience.
