Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Goblet of Fire/Chapter 21
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Chapter 21 of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: The House-Elf Liberation Front
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[edit] Synopsis
Harry, Ron, and Hermione head to the Owlery to send Sirius a letter reporting Harry's progress in the Tournament. On the way, Harry tells Ron what Sirius told him. Ron, like Hermione, is surprised that Karkaroff was a Death Eater. They adjourn to the victory party in the Gryffindor Common room. Harry, prompted by the other Gryffindors, unlatches the Golden Egg. The inside is hollow, but it emits a loud screeching noise, which frightens Neville: he thinks someone is being tortured. Hermione asks Fred if the party food came from the kitchens. He says it did, imitating a House-elf to demonstrate how easy it was to get it. Hermione asks for directions to the kitchen. Fred tells her, and George asks if she is going to lead a House-elves rebellion. Hermione refrains from answering.
The weather is turning cold and miserable. The Beauxbatons horses are getting their preferred drink, single-malt whisky, but the fumes surrounding Hagrid's hut and the Care of Magical Creatures classes is making the class light-headed. They need their wits about them while tending to the Skrewts. Arriving at Hagrid's hut one day, the students find that Hagrid has prepared nesting boxes for the ten remaining to see if they want to hibernate. They do not, preferring to destroy the boxes and rampage around Hagrid's pumpkin patch. As the Trio and Hagrid round up the last one, the remainder of the class having retreated into Hagrid's hut in fear, Rita Skeeter appears and evinces great interest in the Skrewts; she arranges for an interview with Hagrid later in the week.
Harry and Ron, now reconciled, quietly chortle their way through double Divination, annoying Professor Trelawney. Searching for Hermione later, they check the library, finding Krum. They are just about to enter the Common room when Hermione comes running up, talking about a great discovery she has made. She drags Harry and Ron to a ground-floor corridor; Ron asks if this is spew business, but Hermione says no, and it is not "spew" anyway. Ron sarcastically asks if it is called the House Elf Liberation Front now? Hermione says it has nothing to do with that, and drags them into the kitchen where Harry is greeted by Dobby. Dobby says that Dumbledore has hired him and Winky to work in the Hogwarts household staff. Dobby has only been there a week. It is hard for a House-elf to get paid work, and since he and Winky decided to look together, they thought Hogwarts was likely the only place that would hire them both. Winky feels disgraced, however, and all the other House-elves in the kitchen have distanced themselves from Dobby: House-elves feel it is demeaning to accept payment.
In this conversation, Winky, who is crying, says she believes her master, Mr. Crouch, is a good wizard, but she does not understand how he is getting along without her. She also says Ludo Bagman is a bad wizard, but she will not divulge why, saying she always keeps her masters' secrets, despite Dobby reminding her that he is no longer her master.
Hermione is pleased that Dobby is there. She thinks that if the other Elves see how happy a free Elf is, they may eventually adopt the idea. Harry thinks Winky might prove to be a counter-example, but Hermione says, uncertainly, that she will cheer up as she adapts.
[edit] Analysis
Harry's victory in the first task has helped to lighten his mood considerably, despite the ongoing fears he suffers over his safety and Sirius' freedom. He thoroughly enjoys himself at the Gryffindor celebration, momentarily forgetting his worries while being swept up in his classmates' jubilation. But it is his and Ron's reconciliation that is most meaningful to him. Without Ron's friendship and support, facing the ongoing adversity and uncertainty in his life was nearly unbearable. Unfortunately, it took Harry nearly being killed in the first task for Ron to realize that Harry never cheated or lied, prompting Ron to reconcile with him. This may be a small turning point in Ron's maturation, being able to admit he was wrong and accepting that his abilities and strengths, if he strives to recognize and develop them, will always be different from Harry's.
Neville's terrified reaction to the screeching Egg (believing someone is being tortured) is similar to how he behaved when Professor Moody demonstrated the Cruciatus curse in class; readers learned it is an illegal torturing method. There may may be a connection between these two incidents.
Rita Skeeter constantly appearing as if from nowhere is highly suspicious, not only considering Hogwarts' tight security during the Tournament, but also because it is impossible to Disapparate in or out of the castle and its grounds. Upon seeing her, Ron wonders how she was able to enter despite being banned from Hogwarts, although readers should consider how several other characters have been able to access or exit secure areas undetected. However, preventing Skeeter from interviewing Hagrid quickly becomes a more pressing concern.
This is the first time Hogwarts' kitchen has been seen; like many places in the castle, it is hidden. Not even Dumbledore knows all Hogwarts' secrets, and it is to the Twins' credit that they uncovered its location. However, visiting the kitchen provides Hermione a reality check when she witnesses first-hand just how truly satisfied House-elves are with their indentured lives, at least those at Hogwarts. They are quite literally "happy slaves" who believe their only purpose in life is to freely serve wizards, and they are resistant to change. The only exceptions are Dobby and Winky, who the other House-elves disdain for being paid workers. While Dobby is proud to be a free agent, Winky is ashamed and despondent that she no longer has a wizard family to call her own; as a result, she has become a sad, pathetic alcoholic, still pining for her former master, Mr. Crouch, who cruelly and unjustly dismissed her. Hermione has seen how freedom created immense hardship for Dobby and Winky, and knows how few opportunities there are available for masterless House-elves. Dobby, by his own report, spent a year-and-a-half seeking work; and while the clever Dobby is resourceful and adaptable, Winky likely would never have sought other employment on her own, and, without Dobby's help, probably would have suffered a miserable demise. Only Dumbledore's kindness has saved them both. Regardless, Hermione remains passionately, though rather naively, committed to liberating House-elves, though she gives little thought to just how they can be integrated into the general wizarding population.
[edit] Questions
[edit] Review
- Why does Hermione want directions to the kitchen?
- Why did Dumbledore hire Dobby and Winky?
- Why do the other House-elves shun Dobby and Winky?
- Why would Rita Skeeter want to interview Hagrid about Skrewts?
- Why does Winky remain so loyal to the Crouch family, despite being wrongly fired by Mr. Crouch?
[edit] Further Study
- Why would Neville think someone is being tortured when he hears the screeching Egg?
- How can an unintelligible screeching sound be a clue? What might it mean?
- Why would the kitchen's location be kept secret? How might the Twins have found it?
- Why might Winky believe that Ludo Bagman is a bad wizard?
[edit] Greater Picture
Given Neville's extreme reaction during Moody's Cruciatus Curse demonstration in Defence Against the Dark Arts class, it is hardly surprising that he believes someone is being tortured when he hears the screeching Egg. In a later chapter, Harry accidentally learns that when Neville was a small child, Death Eaters (including Barty Crouch, Jr.) tortured Neville's parents, Frank and Alice Longbottom, into insanity with the Cruciatus Curse. Their condition is irreversible, and they are permanently committed to St. Mungo's Hospital, where Neville regularly visits them. Neville has never revealed this to anyone, and it is why he lives with his grandmother. Harry will keep Neville's secret to himself, until it is accidentally revealed to Ron, Hermione, and Ginny; this revelation will help create a stronger bond between the two boys.
While Winky's role in the story at this point is somewhat slim, when Barty Crouch Jr. reappears, she will be able to confirm his true identity. Though she does not actually corroborate his story regarding his actions, her presence and her reactions to his account lend truth to his revelations. However, Winky's main purpose here is to highlight Hermione's uphill battle in getting better treatment for House-elves.
Winky's belief that Bagman is a bad wizard will have come from her previous master, Mr. Crouch. Sirius will shortly tell us that Bagman was tried for passing information to Voldemort but was acquitted; Harry, later, will see Bagman's acquittal in Dumbledore's Pensieve. In Dumbledore's memory, Harry will note that Crouch seems disgruntled that Bagman goes unconvicted; he seems to think that Bagman's fame and charisma saves him from Azkaban. Likely he carried that opinion home with him, and Winky adopted it.
Readers may have noticed that Rita Skeeter has somehow reappeared on the school grounds, despite being banned. We will eventually discover that Skeeter is an unregistered Animagus, and likely is entering Hogwarts in her beetle form.
