Chapter 22 - The Unexpected Task

[Sarah Rettger]

No: HPFGUIDX 6495

Chapter 22 opens in Transfiguration, where Harry and
Ron are being chewed out by Professor McGonnagall for
having a sword fight with two of Fred and Georges
fake wands.  Once Professor McGonnagall has the class
attention, she explains that Hogwarts will be hosting
a Yule Ball that Christmas, with all fourth-years and
above invited to attend, although they may invite a
younger date.

Parvati and Lavender react by giggling wildly, and
Harry thinks it is very unfair that Professor
McGonnagall does not object to the disruption they
create.  Professor McGonnagall makes it clear to the
class that although it is a time for everyone to let
their hair down, the standards of behavior to which
Hogwarts students are held will not be relaxed.  She
dismisses the class, but asks Harry to stay.

Professor McGonnagall informs Harry that, according to
custom, he and the other champions will be expected to
lead the ball with their partners.  Harry is aghast at
the idea of having to dance with a partner, and tries
to object.  Professor McGonnagall refuses to listen,
and tells him that hed better come up with a date in
time for the ball.

Why do they have to move in packs? Harry asks Ron as
the two begin their search for dates to the Yule Ball.
 Ron suggests that they just lasso a couple girls. 
Since the two are unwilling to approach groups of
girls, they seem to have no hope of ever finding
dates.

Harry knows that he wants to ask Cho Chang to go to
the ball with him, but cant quite screw up the
courage.  Several girls, however, ask Harry, and he
flatly rejects each of them.  As he endures teasing
from the other Gryffindor boys, he realizes that these
girls never spoke to him before he became the
Triwizard Champion, and would not be inviting him
otherwise.  He wonders if he should be concerned that
his fame will be the only reason Cho will agree to go
with him.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione spend an afternoon visiting
Hagrid in his hut.  They are all glad that despite the
fact that Rita Skeeter recently talked to Hagrid, she
has not produced an article.  Hagrid says that hes
thinking about going to the Yule Ball.

Back in the castle, rumors are flying about the Yule
Ball.  Some students are convinced that Professor
Dumbledore ordered 800 barrels of mulled mead from
Madam Rosmerta, while it is known that the Weird
Sisters will be providing the music for the evening.

As the Christmas holidays are approaching, some
teachers have given up on their classes.  Flitwick,
for example, spends the class complimenting Harry on
his Summoning Charm while the other students play
games.  Professor Binns, on the other hand, continues
to drone on about goblin riots, while Snape promises
his students a test on the last day of the term.

Hermione studies for the Potions test in the common
room, while Ron builds a card castle with an Exploding
Snap deck and Harry reads about the Chudley Cannons. 
Hermione chides them for not studying, and suggests
that Harry should start working on figuring out the
second clue, since he only has two and a half months
left.

Fred and George enter the room, looking to borrow
Pigwidgeon.  They wont tell anyone why theyre
sending a letter, and decide to use a school owl
instead.  Ron asks his brothers if theyve found dates
yet, and both of them admit that they have not.  Fred
decides to quickly rectify the situation by asking
Angelina, who is sitting in another corner of the
room.  She agrees, and Fred and George leave to send
their owl.

Ron points out that he and Harry had better start
working on finding partners for the ball, because they
dont want to be stuck with a pair of trolls.  His
comment infuriates Hermione, who storms out of the
room.

The next day, Ron and Harry make a pact that by the
time they meet back in their common room that night,
they will both have dates.  Harry finally screws up
his courage and asks Cho, who tells him that shes
going with Cedric.  Dejected, he returns to the common
room, where he finds Ron being comforted by Ginny and
looking equally glum.  Ron says that he tried to ask
Fleur, but she looked at him like he was a sea slug.

The two compare notes on what their friends are doing,
and Ron mentions that Neville asked Hermione, who said
she was going with someone else.  He is sure that
Hermione only said that because she didnt want to
hurt Nevilles feelings, and thinks the situation is
extremely funny.  Ginny asks the two repeatedly to
stop laughing, but they dont until Hermione comes in
and Ginny fills her in on their afternoon.

Hermione, Nevilles right  you are a girl says
Ron.  Hermione doesnt think much of his choice of
pick-up lines, and tells him that shes going with
someone else.  Ron refuses to believe her, and the two
argue.  Ron tries to get Ginny to go as Harrys date,
but Ginny admits that she is going with Neville,
because she didnt think shed have a date otherwise.

Parvati and Lavender enter the common room, and Harry
asks Parvati to go with him.  After a cascade of
giggles, she agrees.  He asks Lavender to go with Ron,
but Lavender says she is going with Seamus.  Parvati
offers to ask her twin sister Padma to be Rons date,
and Harry hopes that Padma Patils nose is in the
center of her face.

Discussion Questions

1. I loved this chapter because I thought JKR did an
excellent job of portraying a young adolescents view
of romance and dating.  Harry and Ron seem trapped in
a fear of girls in large groups and the accompanying
giggling.  They also want nothing to do with the
unattractive girls in their class, like Eloise Midgen.
 This seems pretty close to what I remember from when
I was 13 or 14 years old.  Do other list members,
especially any who may be in their early teens, agree
with this?  
2. Why dont parents object to their childrens
staying at school over Christmas?  Christmas has
always seemed to be a very family-oriented holiday,
yet most of the students choose to stay at school in
order to attend the Yule Ball.  Also, what about
students of other faiths?  Do they feel free to
participate in all the Christmas-related activities?
3. How does the Wizarding Wireless Network function? 
I direct this primarily at the scientists on this
list, as my knowledge of electromagnetic radiation is
sketchy.  I would think that it would have to function
on some magical frequency, otherwise the signals could
be overheard by Muggles.
4. Why does Professor Binns never teach about anything
but goblins rebellions?  In every History of Magic
class, he is shown talking about a different
rebellion, and at the end of the year, Ron says that
his HoM exam was easy because he only needed to make
up names for the goblin leaders.  Since this is a
class that Hogwarts students take for all seven years,
I would expect more subject matter to be covered. 
Have there really been no important magical events
other than goblin rebellions in more than 1000 years
of magical history, or is Professor Binns deliberately
leaving out the interesting stuff?



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Don't refuse to go on an occasional wild goose chase.  That's what wild geese are for. -- Anon.

One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries. -- A. A. Milne

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