Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Philosopher's Stone/Chapter 11
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Chapter 11 of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: Quidditch
Contents |
[edit] Synopsis
Quidditch season starts in November, and Harry is lucky to have Hermione as his friend, because the extra practices are taking away his homework time, and it is only Hermione's help that allows him to get through it all. Also, she has become a bit more relaxed about breaking rules, so when she, Harry, and Ron are out in the courtyard one day, she creates a small wizard fire to keep them warm. Professor Snape, seeing them there, confiscates the book Harry was reading, Quidditch Through the Ages, on a pretext. Harry and Ron notice that he is limping.
That evening, Harry decides to ask Snape to return the book. Hoping to catch him with other teachers so as to defuse his anger, he looks into the staff room. There he finds Snape with a very bad wound on his leg tended by Filch, and talking about something with three heads that apparently injured him. Snape notices Harry and, enraged, orders him out of the staff room. Harry, Ron, and Hermione jointly decide that his injury is likely caused by the three-headed dog in the forbidden third floor corridor.
The following morning is the day of Harry's first Quidditch match, which would be against Slytherin. The match proceeds well, until Harry's broom starts acting strangely. Hermione notices that Professor Snape is staring fixedly at Harry and muttering, and comes to the conclusion that he is jinxing it. To stop this, she runs across the stands, knocking Professor Quirrell over in the process, and sets Snape's robes on fire, thus breaking his concentration. Regaining control of the broom, Harry dives for the pitch, in the process nearly swallowing the Snitch and thus winning the match.
After the match, Harry, Ron, and Hermione are discussing events in Hagrid's hut. Hagrid voices disbelief that Snape could have been jinxing Harry's broom. Harry mentions that Snape had apparently run afoul of the three-headed dog, which Hagrid accidentally identifies as "Fluffy". Hagrid later mentions that whatever he's guarding, "that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicholas Flamel —" thus accidentally providing another clue to the nature of the object being guarded.
[edit] Analysis
Hermione's intelligence and generosity are already proving useful, if only in the small (comparative to what comes later) matter of homework.
It is also quite clear now that someone has malicious intentions against Harry. It certainly seems obvious that it is Snape, from the events in this chapter. We also have seen that Snape seems to have a particular interest in the forbidden Third Floor corridor, the trap door, and perhaps what is underneath it.
[edit] Questions
[edit] Review
[edit] Further Study
- Why would Snape treat his own leg wound, or get assistance from Filch, instead of visiting Madam Pomfrey in the Hospital Wing?
[edit] Greater Picture
There is one timing issue in this chapter, which perhaps adds to the suspicion on Snape (as opposed to Quirrell). As Hermione is rushing along the teacher's row to reach Professor Snape, she knocks Professor Quirrell over; but then "It took perhaps thirty seconds for Snape to realize that he was on fire." Thirty seconds is a long time, when you're trying to counter a jinx or doing something that requires that level of concentration; so for thirty seconds Snape is trying to stop a jinx that is no longer going on, because Quirrell has been knocked over and has had his concentration broken. It is possible that the author meant something closer to five seconds, which would be more reasonable all around.
As can be seen here, if the Trio have a weakness it is a tendency to become stubbornly fixed on a single idea; their determined belief that Snape has malevolent intentions could have had nasty consequences at the Quidditch match had luck not favoured them.
In what has been hailed as one of the better displays of the interconnectedness of the series, the fact that Harry catches the Snitch in his mouth will become a plot point in the seventh book.
