Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Books/Prisoner of Azkaban/Chapter 9
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Chapter 9 of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Grim Defeat
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[edit] Synopsis
Following Sirius Black's break-in into the castle, Professor Dumbledore orders all students to spend the night in the Great Hall. Prefects stand guard while the teachers search the castle. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are still awake when Professor Dumbledore receives the all clear from Professor Snape. Snape reminds Dumbledore that he had expressed concerns over an appointment Dumbledore made. Dumbledore interrupts, saying he is certain that nobody in the castle would have helped Black.
Sir Cadogan becomes the new Gryffindor guard, the only portrait brave enough to take the job. There is wild speculation throughout the school as to how Black broke in. It becomes apparent that the school knows Black's objective: Harry notices that a teacher is always walking alongside him, and the pompous Percy Weasley trails behind, reinforcing Harry's belief that he is Black's target. Additionally, Professor McGonagall tells him about Black, but is taken aback when he admits he already knows. When McGonagall suggests that Quidditch practice might be an unnecessary risk, Harry protests; it is only a week until the match with Slytherin. Professor McGonagall relents and suggests that Madam Hooch can watch him during practice.
In the final practice session before the Slytherin match, team Captain, Oliver Wood, announces a schedule change: they are playing Hufflepuff rather than Slytherin. This means that their practice to counter Slytherin's moves is wasted. Hufflepuff has a completely different playing style, due in part to their new Captain and Seeker, Cedric Diggory.
Oliver keeps cornering Harry between classes with strategy pointers, making Harry ten minutes late for Defence Against the Dark Arts. Unfortunately, Snape is substituting for an absent Professor Lupin. After doling out House point penalties, Snape lectures about werewolves, although this topic is scheduled for later in the term. He assigns a homework essay on recognizing and means to defeat werewolves.
The Quidditch match is played in a fierce storm, and Harry is unable to see. During a time-out, Hermione spells Harry's glasses to repel water. Harry is now able to play properly, although his lighter body weight causes the wind to push him around more than Cedric. Momentarily distracted by a large black dog, possibly a Grim, in the stands, Harry nearly misses seeing the Snitch that Cedric has already started after. As he chases it, Dementors appear, and hearing screaming inside his head, Harry loses consciousness and falls off his broom.
Harry awakens in the Hospital Wing to find his teammates, still in their muddy uniforms, surrounding his bed. Gryffindor lost, but Harry learns that Diggory had demanded a rematch after what happened, even though Wood admitted Gryffindor had been beaten. Harry is depressed that this is the first Quidditch match he has ever lost. Madam Pomfrey ousts everyone except Ron and Hermione. They say that Professor Dumbledore stopped Harry's fall and has banished the Dementors. Unfortunately, Harry's Nimbus 2000 was blown into the Whomping Willow and destroyed.
[edit] Analysis
Although Snape clearly despises Lupin, why he does is unknown. When he substitutes for Lupin in Defence Against the Dark Arts class, there seems to be a particular reason that he has the class study werewolves before it is scheduled. Snape is also being required by Professor Dumbledore (presumably) to do things he is clearly unhappy about. One, as seen in the previous chapter, is having to prepare a potion for Lupin. Although Harry suspects Snape may have poisoned it in an attempt to get rid of Lupin so he can have his job, Lupin apparently trusts Snape enough to drink it.
After Black breaks into the castle, Snape's comments to Dumbledore about a misguided appointment also seems pointed at Lupin, although his name is never mentioned. Doubtless Snape previously expressed his opinion that Dumbledore erred in appointing Lupin as the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Snape appears to believe that Lupin assisted Black to get into Hogwarts, an implication Dumbledore clearly disputes. It is unclear why Snape believes Lupin is helping Black, but it indicates that Snape may know about some prior connection between the two.
The Dementors entering the castle grounds against strict orders to remain outside is disturbing, even more so when they blatantly approach Harry during the Quidditch match. These strange creatures are unpredictable, and this is the second time they have singled out Harry, who they are supposedly guarding. Their actions are highly suspect. Harry, meanwhile, is at a low point. He has not only lost his first Quidditch match, but also his prized Nimbus 2000. Further complicating matters is his unusually sensitive reaction to the Dementors, and he struggles to understand why he is more affected by them than others, and for the reason he hears someone screaming every time they approach.
That Hufflepuff won the match against Gryffindor is significant. Traditionally, they have always been the weakest team. Hufflepuff House rarely attains much glory in anything and is perhaps considered by many as being the repository for those students who failed to be sorted into the more specialized Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin Houses. There have been notable Hufflepuff students, of course, and Cedric Diggory appears to be one, although it almost seems that the Sorting Hat placed him in the wrong House. This becomes even more evident in the next book. However, Cedric's character also demonstrates fairness, loyalty, and a strong work ethic, which are Hufflepuff traits. Cedric's superb athletic skills and leadership abilities have helped Hufflepuff gain some long-awaited recognition.
[edit] Questions
[edit] Review
- What happens when Harry is approached by a Dementor during the Quidditch match?
- Other than the Dementors, what unusual thing does Harry see during the game?
[edit] Further Study
- What does Snape mean when he says he expressed concerns over an appointment Dumbledore made? What is Dumbledore's response?
- Why would Snape, who is substituting for an absent Lupin, suddenly assign homework on werewolves, a subject that was scheduled to be covered later in the term?
- Why would the Dementors continually single out and approach Harry in such a menacing manner?
[edit] Greater Picture
Snape is, apparently, questioning Dumbledore about Lupin's appointment as the Dark Arts Professor. This ironically mirrors the same suspicions others will express about Snape in the future. Despite the obvious things that Snape does at Dumbledore’s behest, such as making the Wolfsbane Potion for Lupin and giving Harry Occlumency lessons in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Snape’s Death Eater history cannot be easily forgotten. Snape, on the other hand, has either fully accepted the Ministry story about Sirius, or is using it to suit his own ends, and will express the belief that Lupin, who was fast friends with Sirius, the late James Potter, and the supposedly late Peter Pettigrew, is helping his old friend enter the castle undetected. However, Dumbledore trusts both Snape and Lupin and does not publicly entertain doubts regarding either man's loyalty.
Snape, of course, has been aware that Lupin was a werewolf since his own school days. We will find out that, as students, Pettigrew and Sirius had almost managed to get Snape into the Shrieking Shack with the transformed Lupin, something that would have proven fatal to him; he was only saved through James' intervention. While he likely has agreed to not reveal that Lupin is a werewolf, his teaching Harry's class about werewolves is an attempt to get around that restriction. Snape is hoping that someone in the class will recognize were characteristics in Lupin and release that information. Lupin is lucky in that the only person who actually does the assignment is Hermione. While Hermione does, as we will shortly see, recognize that Lupin is a werewolf, she also chooses not to reveal that fact to anyone, not even Harry and Ron.
The large black dog that Harry sees will turn out to be Sirius, coming to watch his godson playing Quidditch. Harry is unaware of this, and fears it is a Grim. Shortly after this, he is nearly injured when the Dementors appear on the pitch. The juxtaposition of the dog and Harry's nearly falling to his death will reinforce Harry's belief that he is seeing a Grim, rather than simply a dog. Harry will continue to fret about this until one night when he sees the dog in company with Crookshanks. Once he has this proof that the dog is physical rather than spectral, his fear of it will pass. Sirius will later be apologetic that he had so scared Harry.
