Grim Defeat

Chapter 9 of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Grim Defeat

Synopsis

Following Sirius Black's break-in, 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, the 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, even though this topic is scheduled for later in the term. He assigns a homework essay on recognition and means of defeating Werewolves.

The Quidditch match is played in a fierce storm, and Harry is unable to see. During a time-out, Hermione charms Harry's glasses to repel water. Harry is now able to play properly, but 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, plummeting to the ground.

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 has demanded a rematch, though Wood admitted Gryffindor had been beaten, and that Cedric's request had been denied. Harry is depressed over his first Quidditch match loss. Madam Pomfrey ousts everyone except Ron and Hermione, who say it was Professor Dumbledore who stopped Harry's fall and has banished the Dementors. Unfortunately, Harry's Nimbus 2000 was blown into the Whomping Willow and destroyed.

Analysis

Although Snape clearly despises Lupin, just why 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 seem pointed at Lupin, though 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.

The Hufflepuff Quidditch win over Gryffindor is significant in the school's history, as they have traditionally always been the weakest team. Hufflepuff House rarely attains much glory in anything, and many probably consider it 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, though it almost seems that the Sorting Hat may have placed him in the wrong House. 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. It is likely Cedric's characteristics, highlighted here by his team's win over Gryffindor and Cedric's evident belief that his victory was undeserved, will reoccur; the author always is efficient in how she utilizes her characters, and we can already surmise that any character given this much definition will likely play a more significant role later in the series.

Questions

Review

1. What happens when Harry is approached by a Dementor during the Quidditch match?
2. Other than the Dementors, what unusual thing does Harry see during the game?

Further Study

1. What does Snape mean when he says he expressed concerns over an appointment Dumbledore made? What is Dumbledore's response?
2. 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?
3. Why would the Dementors continually single out and approach Harry in such a menacing manner?

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, or forgiven. Snape, however, has either fully accepted the Ministry story about Black, or is using it to suit his own ends, and will express the belief that Lupin, who was fast friends with Black, 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 never publicly entertain doubts regarding either man's loyalty.

Snape has known that Lupin is a Werewolf since their school days together at Hogwarts. As students, Pettigrew and Black tricked Snape into going to the tunnel leading to the Shrieking Shack, where Lupin was confined during his transformations. If not for James Potter's intervention, Snape would likely have been killed. While Snape probably agreed to conceal Lupin's condition when Lupin was hired, his Werewolf lecture while substituting for Lupin's class is an attempt to circumvent that restriction. Snape hopes a student will recognize those characteristics in Lupin and reveal them to classmates, and they, in turn, would tell their parents, who likely would pressure Dumbledore to dismiss Lupin. At the end of this book, something similar will happen; Snape will accidentally reveal Lupin's nature to Slytherin house, and as a result Lupin will leave the school. For now, Lupin is lucky that only Hermione discovers that he is a Werewolf, a fact she keeps concealed, and only reveals to Harry and Ron when Pettigrew is unmasked in the Shrieking Shack scene later in the book.

The large black dog that Harry sees is Sirius Black in his Animagus form, coming to watch his godson playing Quidditch, though Harry fears it is a Grim. During the game, Harry is nearly injured when the Dementors appear on the pitch. Juxtaposing the dog with Harry's nearly falling to his death will reinforce Harry's mistaken belief that he is seeing a Grim, rather than a canine. Harry continues to fret about this until he sees the dog with Crookshanks. Once he has proof that this is a physical rather than spectral, his fear passes. Black later apologizes for having frightened Harry.

One unaddressed fact is that Lupin knows that Black is an unregistered Animagus. Lupin may have guessed that Black is evading the Dementors in his dog form. It is never explained why Lupin fails to mention this rather important possibility to Dumbledore, particularly after Black gained entrance into the castle; he may be harboring some lingering doubts as to Black's actual guilt, preventing him from revealing this. It is easier to guess why Snape, if he knew, might avoid informing Dumbledore. Snape, we see in this chapter, retains a powerful grudge against Lupin for events dating back to their school days together, and in a later chapter has convinced himself that Lupin is somehow helping Sirius enter the castle. Knowing that Black can transform into a dog and evade the guards would weaken this theory substantially, indicating that Snape has either forgotten it or, more probably, never knew. Given his later disbelief as to Scabbers' true identity, however, Snape seems simply unaware that Black is an Animagus. Also, in the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, it is revealed that Snape has always been loyal to Dumbledore and dedicated to protecting Harry, further evidence that he knew nothing about Black's Animagus ability. It would also seem likely that immediately after Black's escape and knowing his supposed intent to kill Harry, that Snape, if he knew, would have mentioned Black's ability to Dumbledore and/or the Ministry, particularly during discussions regarding Harry's protection at Hogwarts from Black. Considering that an Animagus must be registered with the Ministry of Magic or face serious legal consequences, this is a fact that Black, Peter Pettigrew, and also James Potter would have kept strictly secret about themselves. Lupin could also fear facing severe legal reprisals for having concealed knowledge about Black's ability.