Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Half-Blood Prince/Chapter 14
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Chapter 14 of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Felix Felicis
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[edit] Synopsis
On the way to Herbology class next day, and while they are preparing their armour to start harvesting Snargaluff pods, Harry fills Hermione and Ron in on what he has been learning about Tom Riddle. Ron and Hermione are impressed, but Ron wonders why Dumbledore is teaching Harry all this.
Hermione says the 'Slug Club' dinners are actually quite enjoyable, and that Harry should come to the Christmas one. The invitees are allowed to bring a guest. Ron mocks Hermione to invite McLaggen. Hermione hotly replies that she was going to invite Ron, but as he is acting so stupidly, she will not bother. Ron sheepishly says that he would go with her, however it is uncertain whether or not she will relent. Harry worries that if Ron and Hermione ever do become a couple, a break-up could create an unbridgeable gap between them, or that the two would become so close they would shut Harry out.
Harry recruits Dean Thomas to replace Katie Bell for the Quidditch team while she is in St. Mungo's Hospital. This causes some friction with Seamus Finnigan, but Harry knows that Dean outflew Seamus at the initial try-outs. At practice, Dean performs excellently, while Ron, overcome with nerves, plays horribly; at one point he punches Demelza in the mouth.
Heading back to the Gryffindor Common room, Harry and Ron stumble across Ginny and Dean kissing in a corridor; Harry feels jealous while Ron angrily accuses his sister of acting like a tease. Ginny retorts that Ron has as much experience as a twelve-year-old and storms off. Harry and Ron head to the Common room, startling a small girl who drops a jar of frog spawn. As Ron broods dark thoughts, Harry struggles with romantic feelings towards Ginny, although he tries to dismiss it as only friendship. He also fears that if he did start snogging Ginny, it could end his and Ron's friendship.
The next day, still angry, Ron lashes out at everyone, especially Hermione, and cold-shoulders Dean and Ginny. Harry hopes this will end soon, but there is no improvement in Ron's mood over the next several days. Ron continues to play miserably at practice, which only worsens his mood. He nearly resigns, but Harry snaps him out of it. However, he remains dejected before the match against Slytherin. Harry devises a brilliant plan. At breakfast, Harry gives Ron pumpkin juice. Hermione sees the small flask of Felix Felicis and, suspecting Harry spiked the juice, tells Harry off. Ron dismisses Hermione's anger and drinks his pumpkin juice. Apparently, the luck potion works, as Slytherin's best goal scorer, Vaisey, took a Bludger to the head at practice and is unable to play, and Malfoy is off sick as well, although Harry suspects he is planning something. When Ron suspects that Harry did put the Felix potion in his drink, Harry says nothing.
Zacharias Smith is announcing. A Hufflepuff, he seems overly critical of Gryffindor, but eventually is forced to stop criticizing Harry's choice of Ron and Ginny as Ron saves everything Slytherin throws at him, and Ginny makes four of Gryffindor's six goals. Gryffindor plays brilliantly, eventually gaining a 100 point lead. The Slytherin Seeker spots the Snitch, but Harry distracts him and catches it for the win. Ginny "forgets to brake" as she swoops in for the victory celebration and hits the announcer's tower, dumping Zacharias to the ground. In the changing room, Hermione bursts in and lambastes Harry for cheating, but Harry reveals he never used the potion, Ron only believed he did.
At the victory party, which Hermione is initially too upset to attend, Ron is kissing Lavender Brown in plain view. Harry spots Hermione ducking in and out of the Common room and follows her. He finds her in an unlocked classroom with conjured birds flying around her head and tries consoling her. Ron barges in with Lavender, who quickly ducks out. Hermione leaves, sending the conjured canaries to attack Ron.
[edit] Analysis
Although Hermione used magic to help secure Ron a place on the Quidditch team, she has apparently fallen back into her usual "follow the rules" way and rebukes Harry for cheating (or so she thinks) by giving Ron the Good Luck potion to enhance his game skills. Ron played brilliantly because he believed the potion would improve his performance, but Harry never actually gave it to him. When Ron believes in himself, he has the ability to perform well in many things.
While Harry wants his two best friends to be happy, he also has concerns. If Ron and Hermione should become a couple, it could mean he would be left behind or be forced to choose sides if they break up. Harry is beginning to realize just how much he relies on each for their friendship and support, a fact Dumbledore has subtly been impressing upon him for some time. Harry also wrestles with budding romantic feelings for Ginny Weasley, although he brushes this off as "brotherly" concern.
Harry's skill at utilizing people's flaws and habits is improving; he knows Hermione will intervene if there is any unethical behavior, and that Ron's will tends to resist her. This is why, we believe, he allows Hermione to see the phial of Felix Felicis as he passes it over Ron's pumpkin juice; Harry knows that if Hermione assumes Ron's drink was spiked, she will object. It is uncertain whether Harry is counting on that to motivate Ron into drinking it; it is certain that Hermione's protest will lead Ron to believe that he has been given a chance at some liquid luck. This is somewhat similar to how Voldemort manipulates people and their thought patterns to his advantage. Unlike Voldemort, however, Harry's aim is to help his friends rather than for his own selfish ends.
Also, Harry is working on two fronts simultaneously. The first, mentioned above, is to instill confidence in Ron by showing that he is able to perform well (here, keeping goal at Quidditch) when he believes in himself. In this endeavor, Harry will be successful. Harry's other battle is to reconcile Ron and Hermione. This has failed so far, possibly due to Ron's emotional immaturity relative to the other two, leaving Harry again having two good friends who are not on speaking terms.
Readers should note the small girl in the seventh-floor hallway who drops the jar containing frog-spawn.
[edit] Questions
- Why is Ron in such a bad mood?
- Why is Ron able to perform so well in the game?
- Why is Hermione upset with Ron?
- Are Harry's fears about Ron and Hermione being together justified?
[edit] Greater Picture
Although she is passed by almost unnoticed, the small girl in the seventh-floor hallway who drops the jar of frog-spawn will turn out to be important. She is actually either Crabbe or Goyle, disguised with Polyjuice Potion and standing guard outside the Room of Requirement while Malfoy works within on his secret task for Voldemort. Harry will not realize this until he has Dobby and Kreacher tail Malfoy later in the spring.
