Chapter 23 The Yule Ball, A whole lotta givin' goin' on |
 Apr 11 2009, 03:22 PM
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Shopping for a New Firebolt  Posts: 829 Joined: 11:35am May 15, 2008 Location: At the Yule Ball   |
Chapter 23 The Yule Ball A whole lotta givin' goin' on  image from the WB movie With so many people staying at Hogwarts for the Christmas holiday, there's plenty of giving going on: ~ The twins give everyone a fear of hidden Canary Creams. ~ The house-elves give everyone rich, warming meals. ~ Madame Pomfrey gives Hermione a new smile. ~ Sirius gives Harry congratulations and a warning. At last, Christmas arrives, and: ~ Dobby gives Harry a hand-made present on Christmas morning. ~ Harry gives Dobby a pair of Vernon's old socks (and Dobby loves them!). ~ The Dursleys give Harry a single tissue. ~ Viktor Krum gives everyone a shock by going to the Yule Ball with Hermione. ~ Percy gives Harry the news of his recent promotion at the Ministry and Mr. Crouch's troubles. ~ Dumbledore gives his table at the feast a story about a room full of chamber pots. ~ Fleur gives the Hogwarts Christmas decorations "two thumbs down". ~ Ron gives Hermione an argument about fraternizing with the enemy. ~ Parvati and Padma give the rest of their dances to boys from Beauxbatons. ~ Ludo Bagman gives the twins the brush-off. ~ Karkaroff gives Snape information about something getting clearer. ~ ~ Hagrid gives Madame Maxime a story about his parents. ~ Madame Maxime gives Hagrid the cold shoulder. ~ Cedric gives Harry a clue about the golden egg. and finally, ~ Hermione gives Ron a dating tip for the future. Here are some questions about the beginning of the chapter to start our conversation. After overhearing Fleur complain about the food at Hogwarts, Hermione makes a snappish remark about her, and Ron responds by asking Hermione who she's going to the ball with. The boys notice Hermione's new smile, and Ron gets mad at Pigwidgeon for making noise and being cute in front of third-year girls. What's going on here? Why does Dobby think two identical socks is "a mistake at the shop?" Were you surprised to find out that Hermione was Viktor's date for the ball? It seems like Ginny is the only other person who knew about Viktor. Why do you think Hermione kept that to herself? Would you do the same? Ron walked past Hermione without looking at her. Why do you think he did so? Did he know it was Hermione with Viktor when he went into the Great Hall with Padma? Why was Padma looking sulky next to Ron as they watched the champions and their dates enter? Questions added Tuesday, April 14: Did you believe Percy's explanation for Mr. Crouch's absence? Karkaroff feels that it is his responsibility to keep the secrets of Durmstrang to himself, and he is proud to know those secrets. In response, Dumbledore says that he doesn't assume to know all of Hogwarts' secrets. Do you believe him? Why is Fleur so dismissive of Hogwarts? Do you think she's a snob? Were you surprised that she stood by Bill after he was attacked by Fenrir Greyback in Half-Blood Prince? Did that seem consistent with her behavior here? What do you think of how Harry and Ron treated Parvati and Padma at the ball? Should Ron have gone alone? Would he have been as angry with Hermione if she had gone with someone other than Viktor? Did Ron go too far here?  What was special about the sweater that Mrs. Weasley knit for Harry this year? (10 points) ravenclanna answered correctly, the sweater had a dragon on it. 10 points to  ! Questions added Thursday, April 16, to cover the rest of the chapter. As always, feel free to add your own thoughts, reactions, and questions! What did you think Snape and Karkaroff were talking about? What did you think Karkaroff was so afraid of? Hagrid seems to think that Madame Maxime will be as open with him as he is to her about being a half-giant. Why would he think this? What was your reaction to the news that giants have a bad reputation in the wizarding world? Did it change your feelings about Hagrid at all? Why didn't Cedric just come out and tell Harry how to hear what the egg had to say? Do you think his indirect hint was proper payback for Harry telling him that the first task was to get past a dragon? I love him to pieces, but seriously, can Ron be any more thickheaded? What did you think of all the emotional, romance-related elements of this chapter? Did it add to your enjoyment of the story, or could you have done without it? This post has been edited by FwooperCharm: Apr 16 2009, 06:31 AM -------------------- ~"Each interpretation of an event, setting or character is unique to each of those who read it because they clothe the author's description with the memory of their own experiences. "~ Jasper Fforde
 Thanks to fw00per (no relation) for the sig! |
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Apr 12 2009, 10:23 AM
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Disgruntled House-Elf at The Leaky Cauldron Posts: 423 Joined: 2:00pm April 8, 2007 Location: disapparating to london to go to hogwarts, because it really does exist!! |
Were you surprised to find out that Hermione was Viktor's date for the ball? It seems like Ginny is the only other person who knew about Viktor. Why do you think Hermione kept that to herself? Would you do the same?
I thought hermionie had a date like she said and that ron would be wrong, and i wasn't surprised that it was krum- he was kinda shy and hanging aroung her and stuff- so he wouldn'tve spread it around before the ball, so no one would have known. I think hermionie is and has always been somewhat sensitive for people to accept her- she's an outsider kinda but still has some friends and is afraid of what people will think of her in this situation. she is above caring about what people think in most (more important academic) circumstances, but she's rather new to this and will care how people judge her, so she doesn't tell people. Why does Dobby think two identical socks is "a mistake at the shop?" perhaps he expects each sock to be individual and unique like he is- he treasures all of his clothes- stuff that he's never been allowed to have because of discriminatory rules to enslave him, and he expects them to be unique and special and worthy of the respect and yearning that he gave them- so when they're boring, he thinks its a mistake because clothes are supposed to be special and worth wanting- only the free better people deserve them, after all. -------------------- Thanks to ravenclaw1028 for the awesome avatar!
"just one more, master harry, for luck?" "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" "yeah, but then all you end up with are a bunch of toothless blind people." |
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Apr 12 2009, 07:42 PM
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Cauldron Bottom Measurer Posts: 110 Joined: 9:34am July 22, 2007 |
Were you surprised to find out that Hermione was Viktor's date for the ball? It seems like Ginny is the only other person who knew about Viktor. Why do you think Hermione kept that to herself? Would you do the same?
I was surprised Viktor was her date. I never expected bookworm Hermione to have such a cool date as the world's best seeker as well as one of the champions and I was happy for her. I think she kept it to herself because she may have been a little nervous and didn't want to listen to all the gossip. I also think Viktor may have been a second or even third choice after Ron and Harry didn't ask her and she was probably feeling a little disappointed. I know I would want to share this with a close girlfriend and not two boys who treat me as one of the guys. Is anyone else annoyed with the amount of procrastinating Harry is doing? This chapter starts out with him putting off his studies once again and continuing to ignore the egg problem. It seems to me like he isn't taking the tasks seriously because he is upset that someone put his name in the goblet. At this point I was wishing Sirius or Dumbledore would notice and talk to him. |
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 Apr 12 2009, 08:27 PM
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Eeylops Owl Cage Cleaner Posts: 242 Joined: 10:59pm February 4, 2009 Location: Pushing at Platform 9 3/4, trying to get them to let me in |
QUOTE(FwooperCharm @ Apr 11 2009, 03:22 PM)  Why does Dobby think two identical socks is "a mistake at the shop?" Perhaps because when Harry gave Dobby his black sock in CoS, Harry only gave Dobby one which made him think that you mix-and-match socks like you do with other articles of clothing. 
This post has been edited by ahorsegirl220: Apr 12 2009, 08:49 PM |
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Apr 13 2009, 10:17 AM
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Transfiguration Today's Star Reporter  Posts: 2,011 Joined: 3:59pm May 15, 2008 Location: Sunny Phoenix, Arizona("It's a Dry Heat!")  |
Hi, I'm Fricka, flitting in from The Wandmaker's Attic for a bit of cross-pollination.
Haha,ahorsegirl1220, that's a good one about why Dobby thinks Harry's made a mistake with the socks! I also agree with what Callasin and Fawkes7 have written about Hermione and why she kept quiet about her date with Krum before the ball took place. One of our posters in the Attic, HarrysHorntail, has also suggested that perhaps Hermione thought that Ron might pester Krum for his autograph if she told him, and she senses that Krum does not like all that spotlight on him, all the time. Ok, now for a look at the following question: Ron walked past Hermione without looking at her. Why do you think he did so? Did he know it was Hermione with Viktor when he went into the Great Hall with Padma? Why was Padma looking sulky next to Ron as they watched the champions and their dates enter? The first time I read this, I thought that Ron honestly had not recognized Hermione. The more I have thought this over, though, I don't think that is the case. Harry had time to recognize Hermione, after all, and Ron isn't that slow in the up-take. I think his ignoring Hermione here is a sign that he is furious with her AND Krum. I think that probably the reason Padma is sulky is that Ron's been staring at Hermione and Krum, and not paying attention to HER, his date. Not very flattering behavior on his part, is it, particularly when she's basically doing him a favor by going with him in the first place? I do feel sorry for Padma here. She must have been excited about getting to go with a date to the Yule Ball, and looking forward to getting to dance. She and Hermione both get the short end of the stick here from Ron, I think. This post has been edited by Fricka: Apr 13 2009, 10:20 AM -------------------- "It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Phoenix avatar courtesy of ofenjen; thanks to atschpe for help |
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Apr 13 2009, 06:00 PM
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Eeylops Owl Cage Cleaner Posts: 227 Joined: 12:04am June 27, 2006 Location: near the Oregon Coast |
Before the ball, everyone is a little bit (maybe a whole lot) edgy. Hermione probably would have wanted to go with Ron to the ball, but he and Harry tarried too long, and I they are all testy. Ron is still embarrassed about having tried to ask Fleur to the ball. Anything Hermione says about Fleur will make him think about that, and he's also upset that Hermione won't tell him with whom she is going to the ball. Both boys take a good look at Hermione and notice that her smile is different. She is looking a lot better, and Ron especially is upset with himself. Ron takes out his frustrations on Pigwidgeon.
I think Hermione kept Krum a secret because she didn't want to be hounded by the other girls (evident by the looks she received at the ball from the "followers" of Krum) and it would not be wise to have Ron angry with her before the ball (not that she expected him to be angry). She wouldn't have had any time to shine if she had been upset. I'm glad she had a good time with Krum despite Ron. I still think Ron was looking for Hermione's bushy hair and completely missed Hermione as he walked into the hall for the dance. I would have been upset by Ron's behavior if I had been Padma. He was totally focused on looking for Hermione and ignored the pretty girl he was with. Percy was certainly in his "important element." I did like his reference to the "Skeeter woman buzzing around." What a clue! Did we all miss it the first time? We also found the first reference to the room of requirement when Dumbledore told about finding a room full of chamberpots when he was looking for a place to relieve himself at five in the morning. We know now that Rita Skeeter was the beetle that Harry watched, trying not to listen to the conversation that Hagrid and Madam Maxime were having on the school grounds. The beetle wasn't enough to distract him from hearing Hagrid's story. |
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Apr 13 2009, 07:03 PM
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Buying a Half-Kneazle Posts: 502 Joined: 7:56pm December 28, 2008 Location: Quidditch Pitch, team practice  |
[b]This chapter is such a great one to read.
After reading the chapter, I foget I'm reading a fantasy book because it feels so weird. I can totally sympathize with Ron and Harry, they were both crushed, which is why Ron probably ignored Hermione, he probably just couldn't bear to believe it. However, I feel so bad for the Patils. Though I feel bad that Harry could not go with Cho, since he asked Parvati then he should have been a better date (same goes with Ron). They still could have fun, but instead they decided to make it a lousy night (except for picking up some important info.) I wonder whether the reason why Jk decided that Lavender would be taken so Ron would have to go with Padma was because she already knew that Ron and Lavender will have their moment.[/b] 
-------------------- "Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry,
but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?" |
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Apr 14 2009, 02:25 AM
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Cauldron Bottom Measurer Posts: 134 Joined: 12:32am February 26, 2009 |
Oh poor Ronald... He has only himself to blame but still...
I bet it felt like a bucket of icy water had been tipped over his head when he saw Hermione with Krum. Remember; this is a boy riddled with insecurities and self doubts. Seeing the girl he's just realised is a girl, transformed into the belle of the ball, on the arm of a famous sports hero, his sports hero must have been like a dagger through his heart. His worst fear through the whole series is being left behind because he's not special, talented or loved enough. Krum is everything he will never be. He walked past Hermione because he couldn't bear looking at her. Every time Ron's suffers a blow to his very frail ego he reacts like a first class idiot and the Yule Ball is no exception. We know how deeply hurt he was, because Krum comes back to haunt him even in HBP, causing Ron to lose his head completely and he goes off snogging Lavender Brown. I think this chapter should have cleared up once and for all the romantic intentions of Ron and Hermione, I really am genuinely surprised that it didn't. |
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Apr 14 2009, 06:52 AM
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Shopping for a New Firebolt Posts: 829 Joined: 11:35am May 15, 2008 Location: At the Yule Ball |
Thanks for your insights, everyone! I agree that this is a fun chapter to read. I can't quite decide if Ron recognized Hermione as he walked into the Great Hall with Padma, or if it wasn't until she came in with Krum that he realized who Krum's date was. I can see him trying his best not to stare at her as he walked past, the same way he tried to ignore Fleur, but also being completely oblivious because of how different she looked.
Nope, I still can't decide!  Here are a few more questions to move through the middle of the chapter. There will be one last set of questions on Thursday for the end of the chapter. Feel free to add your own thoughts, reactions, and questions! Did you believe Percy's explanation for Mr. Crouch's absence? Karkaroff feels that it is his responsibility to keep the secrets of Durmstrang to himself, and he is proud to know those secrets. In response, Dumbledore says that he doesn't assume to know all of Hogwarts' secrets. Do you believe him? Why is Fleur so dismissive of Hogwarts? Do you think she's a snob? Were you surprised that she stood by Bill after he was attacked by Fenrir Greyback in Half-Blood Prince? Did that seem consistent with her behavior here? What do you think of how Harry and Ron treated Parvati and Padma at the ball? Should Ron have gone alone? Would he have been as angry with Hermione if she had gone with someone other than Viktor? Did Ron go too far here? What was special about the sweater that Mrs. Weasley knit for Harry this year? (10 points)ravenclanna answered correctly, the sweater had a dragon on it. 10 points to ! This post has been edited by FwooperCharm: Apr 14 2009, 12:32 PM -------------------- ~"Each interpretation of an event, setting or character is unique to each of those who read it because they clothe the author's description with the memory of their own experiences. "~ Jasper Fforde
Thanks to fw00per (no relation) for the sig! |
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Apr 14 2009, 09:09 AM
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Perusing the Magical Menagerie Posts: 92 Joined: 9:32pm February 2, 2009 |
Up to this point, we had no reason to think that there was any other reason why Crouch wasn't there. And he also never seemed like one who liked to party!
But since we're talking about Percy, something in this chapter got me thinking about him. When he's explaining why Crouch is not there, he mentions Winky, except he doesn't call her that, he says her name wrong. This is the first time I noticed this, and I was wondering if maybe he did know Winky's name, but was trying to be like Mr. Crouch, who doesn't seem to remember his name. Maybe he thought he'd look important if he couldn't remember the name of those who are less important than him. But then again, maybe I'm just looking too much into this! I don't think Dumbledore would ever assume he knew all of Hogwart's secrets. For one, he didn't know about the Chamber of Secrets, and I also have this feeling that the castle is always changing. This might not be true, but its just the feeling I get from it, that there are always new secrets being formed in the castle. We also need to remember that the people who usually think they know everything coughLVcough, didn't really end up too well, so DD would never make a mistake like that. I think Fleur grew up. In this book she is a 17 year old who is probably spoiled. She's probably popular at her school and has everything she wants, so its understandable that she would compare everything to what she has, and it would never measure up to it (if that made any sense). But like most 17 year old girls, she grows up, and turns into the woman that married Bill Ron should most definitely have gone alone. But of course he would never have done that. Even tho he already likes Hermione, I don't think he understands that yet. He's probably explaining his jealousy to himself as just trying to protect her since she's his best friend. He would probably have been angry if she had gone with anyone, because no one would have been good enough for her (other than him). And Mrs. Weasley knit a sweater with a dragon on it for Harryravenclanna, you are correct! 10 points to
This post has been edited by FwooperCharm: Apr 14 2009, 12:29 PM |
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