Chapter 8 Summary: The Quidditch World Cup

[mickey-m at email.msn.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 475

--- Hi,
I am new to the group. I've just read all 4 HP books for the second 
time. My husband is astonished cause I'm not a reader. LOL 
First point I want to mention is that I don't think the sneakoscope 
has been of much use for Harry so far. He never made the connection 
of scabbers being Wormtail until he was showen. Therefore he never 
made the connection to his sneakoscope going off. He thought it 
didn't work properly.

I don't think Fudge is really buddy buddy to Malfoy. I think Fudge is 
scared of Malfoy. In the chapter Parting of the Ways, Fudge really 
shows his fear of "He Who Must Not Be Named", in refusal to 
acknowledge that he has actually rose again. I think this will be a 
real problem to Dumbledore in future books. 

Now what role do u think Wormtail will play later? Remember 
Dumbledore told Harry Wormtail owes him his life. It's the Wizard Law 
when one Wizard saves a life of another. Diane :-)





In HPforGrownups at egroups.com, "Jen Piersol" <jenP_97 at y...> wrote:
> At last, we've finally come to the quidditch action (unfortunately, 
> the only quidditch action we're going to see in the whole book, 
which 
> isn't known at this point).  We follow the Weasleys, Hermione, and 
> Harry to the top of the stadium and the best seats in the house - 
the 
> top box.  Here we're introduced to a couple of new characters and 
> spells, beginning with a new house-elf named Winky, who though 
afraid 
> of heights, has been ordered by her master Mr. Crouch to save him a 
> seat.  We also learn from Winky that Dobby, though doing well in
> body, has pretty much lost his mind, for "freedom has gone to 
Dobby's 
> head, sir", and he wants wages, of all things.  Horrors!  Shortly
> afterward, the box begins to fill.  We see Cornelius Fudge again, 
> accompanied by the Bulgarian Minister.  Ludo Bagman is also going 
to 
> be joining the crowd in the top box.  And of course, the Malfoys 
join 
> everyone - including the elusive Mrs. Narcissa Malfoy, who looks as 
> though everything smells nasty to her.  Finally, it's time for the 
> festivities to begin, and Ludo Bagman points his wand to his 
throat, 
> mutters "sonorus", and his voice is magically amplified over the
> crowd to begin the play-by-play.
> 
> First, we have a showing of the team mascots.  The Bulgarians have 
> brought Veela, "women"-like creatures who inspire the desire in the 
> men of the crowd (well, the boys at least) to do death-defying 
feats 
> in order to impress them.  When they've finished, we're left with 
Ron 
> sitting down, tearing his Irish souvenirs (sp?) to bits, his father 
> trying to warn him that he'll want them later.  Next, the Irish 
> mascots come zooming over the stands showering the fans with gold.  
> Leprachauns!  After a nice display, they settle down on the Irish
> side of the stadium, and we're introduced to the team players, 
> including the famous Bulgarian seeker Viktor Krum.
> 
> Over the next few (many?) pages, we're treated to spectacular 
> quidditch moves, special effects from the omnioculars (nose-picking 
> again and again and again, slow-motion gone wrong, etc), and rude 
> gestures from the opposing teams' mascots.  From the beginning, 
> Ireland is clearly the powerhouse (except for perhaps the seeker, 
who 
> is clearly damaged physically, if not also mentally, by the end of
> the game).  Finally, in a desperation move to save some semblance 
of 
> his pride, Krum captures the snitch, even though Bulgaria is down 
by 
> 160 points and it's not going to win them the game - thus securing 
> Fred and George a nice payoff for their risky wager in the last 
> chapter.  Mr. Crouch, it is noticed, has never shown up to take his 
> saved seat.
> 
> The participants are then paraded through the top box (we learn now 
> that the Bulgarian Minister *is* able to speak English after all - 
to 
> the chagrin of Fudge, who's been making an ass of himself all day 
> trying to mime words to him), and when the action is all over, we 
> follow the Weasleys, Hermione and Harry back to their tents, where 
at 
> least one of them will go to sleep with visions of being the next 
> quidditch world cup champion dancing in his head.  End of chapter.
> 
> Now, there are some specific topics I hope we can go over - for 
> example:
> 
> What do you think of Fudge's relationship with the Malfoys?  He's 
> really buddy-buddy with them in this chapter, making sure to 
mention 
> their most recent contribution (to the same hospital where 
Neville's 
> parents reside - though we don't know that until near the end of 
the 
> book).
> 
> Do you think the omnioculars will be useful later on in the series 
as 
> the sneakoscope has?
> 
> For fun: what would *you* do with a pair of omnioculars? :)
> 
> Discuss!