Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Prisoner of Azkaban/Chapter 8
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Chapter 8 of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Flight of the Fat Lady
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[edit] Synopsis
Defence Against the Dark Arts is now the most interesting and popular class. Although Slytherins complain about Professor Lupin's patched robes, everyone else enjoys the lessons and actually finds them practical. Unfortunately, this is their only fun class. Potions is dreadful, particularly since Professor Snape heard about Neville turning the Boggart into a simulacrum of him dressed in an old woman's clothing. Snape now bullies Neville mercilessly in class. Divination is almost as bad, with Professor Trelawney constantly predicting Harry's death and looking at him tearfully. Care of Magical Creatures is also just as bad now that Hagrid has lost confidence and only teaches about Flobberworms.
On a brighter note, Quidditch is starting up, and Oliver Wood has had the team practicing since early October. Wood, now a seventh-year, sees this as his last chance to win the Quidditch cup for Gryffindor. He feels that it should have been theirs for the past two years, but Harry was out of commission at the critical match in his first year, and his second year, the Quidditch Cup had been canceled.
A notice is posted for the first Hogsmeade weekend. Ron suggests that Harry, who lacks his guardian's permission, should ask Professor McGonagall. As they are discussing this, Hermione's cat, Crookshanks, attacks Scabbers, Ron's pet rat. Ron is still upset the next day, and barely speaks to Hermione. Harry asks Professor McGonagall for permission to visit Hogsmeade with the other students, but she refuses to bend the rules that far. Harry must resign himself to staying behind. Percy only makes things worse with his over-pompous attempts to console Harry.
Wandering aimlessly around the castle on Saturday, Harry runs into Professor Lupin. He invites Harry into his office for tea and to see the Grindylow that he has just received for their next class. When Harry asks why he was prevented from facing the Boggart, Lupin explains he was concerned it would turn into Lord Voldemort and terrify the class. Harry, mildly surprised that Lupin uses Voldemort's name, is somewhat mollified by this explanation. He says his first thought was Voldemort, but then realized he was more frightened by Dementors. Lupin is impressed that Harry is more afraid of fear than the actual creature. They are interrupted by Professor Snape who delivers a steaming goblet to Lupin. After Snape leaves, Harry, worried about the possible contents of the goblet, warns Lupin that many believe Snape would do anything to get Lupin's job, but he drinks the potion nevertheless.
Ron and Hermione return with many stories about Hogsmeade. They are also amazed that Lupin would dare to drink anything prepared by Snape. It is time for the Halloween Feast. Lupin attends the festivities, but Harry notices he looks unhappy. He observes Snape watching Lupin rather more intently than usual. Students head back to Gryffindor Tower, but there is a jam at the entrance; the Fat Lady is missing, her portrait slashed. Professor Dumbledore is summoned, and he questions Peeves, who says Sirius Black shredded the painting.
[edit] Analysis
While it is not mentioned in the chapter summary, possible reasons can be seen for Hermione's disdain for Divination. It is mentioned in Chapter 6, Talons and Tea Leaves, that Professor Trelawney used fortune-teller's tricks; one of these was deliberately-vague "prediction" given to Lavender Brown, "That thing you are dreading. It is going to happen on Friday the sixteenth of October." On October 16th, Lavender receives word that her pet bunny, Binky, was killed by a fox. Hermione questions how this actually fits with the prediction by recalling exactly what it said. Was the bunny's death even a surprise or was Lavender expecting it? Did it happen on the 16th, or is it only on the 16th that she had heard about it? Hermione surmises that Lavender has rationalized her experience to match the prediction. Lavender and Parvati Patil, however, now seem to almost worship Professor Trelawney. Throughout the remainder of the book, these two spend much spare time in the Divination classroom.
Also, the battle between Crookshanks and Scabbers escalates, putting more strain on Ron and Hermione's relationship. We also see, although Hermione evidently does not, that Crookshanks is deliberately targeting Scabbers, although it is unknown why. Even though cats attack small animals, Crookshanks has shown no interest in other pets such as Trevor, Neville's toad. Why has he become so fixated only on Scabbers?
Considering Draco's comments in the previous chapter that Harry should want revenge against Sirius Black, a correlation can be made as to why authority figures such as Fudge (in Chapter 3) and McGonagall (here) refused Harry permission to visit Hogsmeade, and why Mr. Weasley attempted to get a promise from Harry that he would not set out after Sirius. As yet, however, Harry is unaware what Sirius has done and is unable to make that correlation.
From the discussion with Professor Lupin, we see his concern for Harry's emotional well being and for the entire class. Lupin perhaps is more concerned about the students than any other teacher, with the possible exception of Professor Dumbledore. The Slytherins, meanwhile, are acting as normal, making rude comments about Lupin's patched robes, obviously more impressed by someone's superficial outer appearance than with their inner character and abilities.
At the chapter's end, it is learned that Sirius Black has breached the castle's supposedly impenetrable security as well as bypassing the vicious Dementors. It is now believed that Black may have broken into Hogwarts in the same manner in which he escaped from Azkaban, although just what that is has not been revealed.
[edit] Questions
[edit] Review
- Why does McGonagall refuse to give Harry permission to visit Hogsmeade?
- What is Lupin's explanation to Harry about why he prevented Harry from facing the Boggart? Is he telling the truth?
- Why would Snape give Lupin a potion? Why does Harry warn him against drinking it, and what is Lupin's response?
[edit] Further Study
- Why would Crookshanks only attack Scabbers and not other pets?
- Hogwarts' security is supposed to be impenetrable. How could Sirius Black have bypassed the safeguards?
- The Dementors work for the Ministry of Magic and are stationed at Hogwarts to protect Harry while searching for Sirius Black. Why would Harry fear them more than Voldemort or even Sirius Black? Based on what has been seen, is Harry's fear justified?
[edit] Greater Picture
It is mentioned that Lavender and Parvati spend much of this book with Professor Trelawney. Their near-obsession with Divination extends beyond this one book; they apparently pass their Divination OWL exams, because in their first year of NEWT-level studies, in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, both of them do go off to Divination.
It is uncertain how Sirius had gotten into Hogwarts, though it is clear that he has managed somehow to get onto the castle grounds. We will find out later that there are two secret passages into the school, one that starts at the Shrieking Shack and ends at the Whomping Willow, and one that goes to the interior of the school from the basement of Honeyduke's Sweetshop. It is possible that Sirius either broke into the Shrieking Shack and used the tunnel from there, or else sneaked into the basement of Honeyduke's. It is also possible that he simply walked in. The protective spells around Hogwarts must be specific to people, as owls, for instance, can pass freely in and out of the school grounds. However, we cannot know whether these spells see the transformed Sirius as a person or a dog.
Crookshanks, we will learn later, is definitely aware of the difference; his attacks on Scabbers seem to be almost entirely because of what Scabbers is: an Animagus. Sirius will tell us later that it had taken a long time for him to earn Crookshanks' trust. Crookshanks will make no attempt either on Trevor, as mentioned, or on Pigwidgeon, both of whom are the sorts of creatures that Crookshanks would normally hunt.
It will be some months yet before Harry learns that Sirius is widely believed to have betrayed his parents to Voldemort, and some months after that before he learns the truth of what actually happened. Until he hears the generally-accepted story, he, and we, will be unable to determine why there is such reluctance on the part of authority to allow him to visit Hogsmeade. We do already know that Sirius is apparently trying to murder Harry, though Harry doesn't see this as any more of a threat than what he has already faced three times from Voldemort. With the Dementors prowling Hogsmeade and protecting the school, likely the authority figures would feel Harry was safe from Sirius, but are uncertain whether Harry is in possession of the commonly-believed story about Sirius betraying Harry's parents. Likely they believe that if Harry knew that Sirius had betrayed his parents, Harry would chase after Sirius, thus taking him out of the protection nominally afforded by the Dementors.
It is perhaps significant that the authorities, with the possible exception of Dumbledore, have not thought that if Sirius was able to pass the Dementors once on Azkaban in order to escape, he certainly could do so again in order to reach Harry. Also, with the possible exception of Lupin, nobody has noticed that the Dementors have a strange attraction to Harry and may be more dangerous to him than even Sirius.
