A Harry Potter Reread: The Goblet of Fire Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen: The Hungarian Horntail

In chapter nineteen of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Harry finds out that the crazy grown wizards expect children to fight a dragon unprepared for their entertainment, a rogue CHARLIE WEASLEY appears, and Hagrid’s romancing Madame Maxime by helping her cheat.

(Please be advised that this is a reread and I will be discussing book and movie spoilers.)

Harry’s having some severe stress issues (I do declare, how shocking!) and now he’s getting bullied EVEN WORSE because Rita Skeeter published a hatchet job of an article, basically writing fanfiction out of Harry’s “errrs” and writing that he has a girlfriend and cries at night over his dead parents and my god Rita, are you trying to get the boy wedgied to death?! He’s fourteen! You can’t print that sort of lie about a fourteen year old at a boarding school, woman! She does fulfill Colin Creevey’s dream of being referred to in print as “(Harry Potter’s) close friend” so she did at least she did one teenager a solid, I suppose.

The inevitable happens and everyone is like “lol let’s taunt Harry Potter about his dead parents” because let’s be real, being a teenager is the fucking worst and this would totally happen. Harry takes his rage out accidentally on Cho, who is not trying to taunt him and is instead trying to return a quill he dropped and wish him good luck and I know I’ve said this before, but I’m a person that’s full of unpopular opinions, and I’m just going to vomit them out. I think Cho gets a raw deal. She clearly at least considers Harry a friend here, she might already have a crush, and her entire 5th book arc, while annoying, is completely understandable to me. But that’s another rant for another day!

via GIPHY

Hermione’s being taunted because Rita dared call her pretty, and look Pansy Parkinson, shut your pug face about Hermione right now!

Speaking of people annoying Hermione, Viktor Krum is skulking about the library reading books, minding his own business, maybe stalking Hermione, and annoying the absolute snot out of her because of his groupies giggling and disrupting her study. I’ve always wondered here if Hermione is fighting a little crush on Krum of her own. She’s a touch “the lady doth protest too much Kat in 10 Things I Hate About You” about how he’s not even cute and how she wishes he would go away,

 

but as this is Hermione, I also equally buy that she’s just super pissed that people are disrupting her studying. Let me know what you think!

Harry gets pained by Hermione’s talk of “Wonky-Faints” since he can’t even laugh about it with anyone, and Hermione is the best friend ever, part one million, when she willingly goes to Hogsmeade with Harry under the cloak. The kindness of this moment cannot be understated. As a teenager  going out in a social setting where everyone’s hanging out in groups, ostensibly alone is very nice of Hermione, and it does bother her

“People keep looking at me now,” said Hermione grumpily as they came out of Honeydukes Sweetshop later, eating larger creampfilled chocolates. “They think I’m talking to myself.”

“I look like such an idiot, sitting here on my own,” she muttered. “Lucky I brought something to do.”

-JK Rowling,Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

but she does it anyway. Harry, dammit, buy that girl a really nice present!

Harry spots that Cho isn’t wearing one of the shitty “Potter stinks” badges because Cho is not the worst, dangit, and then Moody and Hagrid sidle over to help Harry cheat. There’s no other way to get around it, I love Hagrid, I don’t even think he’s wrong, but that’s what is happening here. It does make me wonder if the real Moody would’ve helped Harry in the same scenario like Crouch II: The Crouchening does.

So Harry sneaks out to meet Hagrid and he walks by the Creevey brothers who are attempting to turn those awful badges into “Support Harry Potter” badges and let’s pour one out for the Creeveys, who are maybe kind of creepy stalkers but are definitely loyal fanfriends to Harry no matter how much he runs and hides from them.

via GIPHY

Hagrid sneaks Harry and Madame Maxime to see the dragons and–hang on, I’ve got confirmed reports! It’s a–yes, there he is! It’s CHARLIE FUCKING WEASLEY!

via GIPHY

Take a good look y’all, this is almost the last of him till book 7 and you won’t even see him in the movies, no worries! Movie!Charlie is basically a poltergeist.

Let’s pause in my Charlie squeeing and, as reluctant as I am, talk about Hagrid’s blatant cheating here. I have very little problem with him helping Harry, who’s 14, at a disadvantage, and could genuinely die by dragon otherwise. But why does he invite Madame Maxime?! Is he trying to make the cheating fair, like Harry does later on? Is he so naive he thinks she won’t tell Fleur? Or is Hagrid just blinded by luuuurve?

Harry bumps into Karkaroff on his flight inside, realizes everyone will know about the dragons except Cedric, and gets to talk to SIRIUS. While the inferior Movie!Sirius shows up to basically do this:

A Godfatherly Visit

[Sirius has written back to say that he’ll meet Harry in the Gryffindor common room in the middle of the night. Rather than wondering how the hell an escaped convict on the run is going to accomplish this, Harry sits around waiting for him.]

HARRY: My godfather’s the only father figure I have left. I know he’ll make me feel better.

[Sirius pops up in the fireplace full of—literally—fire and brimstone:]

SIRIUS: I have no idea how you’re going to live through this, Harry. Hogwarts isn’t safe anymore! Death Eaters are inside the walls RIGHT NOW! Clearly your name could have only gotten into that goblet through UTTER SKULLDUGGERY. People DIE in these tournaments, Harry. They die A LOT.
HARRY: Remind me again why I’m so sad when you bite it?

–Cleolinda Movies in 15 Minutes

Book!Sirius is thoughtful, helpful, and basically guesses most of the plot of FakeBarty McEvil and I must say, I really admire JKR for her ability to have Lucifer Barty Jr. and Sirius basically spell out the evil plot to us and yet still completely surprise us with the reveal later on what’s been going on. It’s impressive. It’s also a good look on how Book!Sirius is infinitely superior to Movie!Sirius. This scene alone shows us his patience, empathy, bravery (in sneaking into a wizard house knowing everyone’s after him) and his intelligence in guessing a lot of the plot with scant clues. But of course, my warm fuzzies can’t last long, because Ron accidentally interrupts the exact moment Sirius is about to tell him how to defeat the dragon and Harry and Ron have a very sad fight where it’s clear Ron has regrets, Harry’s really hurt, and they both act out. The little detail of Ron having too short (maroon, goddamit Molly!) pajamas has always stuck with me. It’s such a brilliant little touch that shows you Ron’s poverty, his reasons for potentially being jealous of Harry, who is famous and rich, without saying a word.

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Does Hermione have a crush on Krum already this chapter?

Would real Mad-Eye have helped Harry with this task?

What are your thoughts on Hagrid’s help for Harry? Madame Maxime?

How do you feel about the Ron/Harry fight at the end of the chapter?

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