Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Goblet of Fire/Chapter 4
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Chapter 4 of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Back to The Burrow
Contents |
[edit] Synopsis
Harry finishes packing his belongings by noon the next day and eagerly awaits the Weasleys's arrival. Uncle Vernon is, of course, worried about the neighbors noticing anything strange happening and starts asking how the Weasleys will be dressed—will it be those odd Wizard's robes or "normal" peoples' clothes? Uncle Vernon also wonders by what means they will be traveling there.
The hour comes and passes. The Weasleys finally arrive. They travelled by the Floo Network, which they arranged to be connected to the Dursleys' fireplace. However, their hearth has been blocked up, and Mr. Weasley has to blast his way through. After this rocky start, Mr. Weasley has no luck in engaging the Dursleys in a conversation, while Fred and George fetch Harry's trunk. Harry and the other Weasleys depart for the Burrow, one by one entering the chimney, and using the Floo powder, exclaim, "The Burrow!" Fred, however, drops a bag of toffees. He collects all but one before he, George, and Ron exit. Harry and Mr. Weasley are still there when cousin Dudley finds and eats the toffee. It promptly expands his tongue to a length of several feet. Uncle Vernon starts attacking Mr. Weasley, who he blames for this outrage. Harry exits for the Burrow as Uncle Vernon starts throwing china figurines at Mr. Weasley.
[edit] Analysis
Although the Dursleys meeting with the Weasley clan is humorously depicted, Vernon and Petunia's steadfast refusal to acknowledge Arthur and the others' presence symbolizes the deep division that exists between the Wizarding and Muggle realms; it likely represents how most Muggles would react if they knew such a world existed. Vernon and Petunia are particularly resistant to any interaction with magic, and, fearing and loathing what they are unable to understand, they simply choose to ignore its existence as much as possible. Being forced to raise a young wizard in their home only exacerbates their intolerance to anything or anyone different from themselves, which is why Harry is forbidden to acknowledge his own magical abilities while under their roof. The Twins, employing their usual mischief, only make matters worse, although they are generally unconcerned whether it is Wizard or Muggle who falls prey to their unique pranks. For Harry, any opportunity to escape from this restrictive and unhappy household is a welcome respite, and he is grateful to the Weasleys for arranging his early departure, regardless of how much it angers or offends his aunt and uncle.
This is the second time that Floo powder has been used since Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (where it was introduced). Professor Snape may have used Floo powder or something similar to summon Professor Lupin to his study in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
[edit] Questions
[edit] Review
- Why do the Dursleys refuse to talk with Arthur Weasley, despite his friendly attempts to make conversation?
- Why is Uncle Vernon so concerned about how the Weasleys will be dressed and how they will arrive?
[edit] Further Study
- There is definitely magic happening here—the Floo powder, the wall being blown apart, figurines being destroyed, and Ton-Tongue Toffees, at the very least. The Ministry chastised Harry two years ago because of a simple Hover Charm performed by Dobby the House-elf. Why are there no such missives this time?
[edit] Greater Picture
This is the first time Fred and George Weasley have been seen deliberately tormenting other people; granted, Dudley may have deserved it and the damage inflicted was only temporary. While their pranks will largely remain harmless, there will be occasional episodes of what might well be described as viciousness in this book, and in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, though in every case seemingly directed at a deserving victim.
Eventually, the Twins' magical abilities are such that the joke products they invent will evolve into defensive weapons that are used by the Ministry in the fight against Voldemort and his Death Eaters.
Although Uncle Vernon despises anything different from what he knows or is unable to understand, we have already seen, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, that Aunt Petunia's hatred of the Magical world seems to be rooted in jealousy of her sister Lily, Harry's mother. It is only in the final book in the series that we learn the deepest roots of that jealousy.
We learn, in this chapter, a few more details about the Floo Network. It is in this chapter that we learn that not all fireplaces are automatically on the Network, that there is a department of the Ministry of Magic that is in control of that. In the next book, we will learn that the Ministry has the ability to monitor, as well as control, the use of fireplaces on the Network. This will play a role in the fifth book, as Harry must find an unmonitored fireplace for his communication, and in the seventh, as Harry is unable to leave Privet Drive via the Floo Network because of that monitoring.
