Chapter 22 - The Unexpected Task

[Scott]

No: HPFGUIDX 6505

> Discussion Questions
> 
> 1. I loved this chapter because I thought JKR did an
> excellent job of portraying a young adolescent's 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? 

Yes, yes, yes! I think that she was great at capture the youthful 
feelings of dating for the first time. I am sixteen  and rather 
different than Harry in that I usually don't have the courage to 
actually ask the girl with whom I want to go.
  
> 2. Why don't parents object to their children's
> 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?

I think we undrestand Harry's reasoning perfectly, but as far as why 
none of the Wesealy kids ever go home for the holidays I don't know. 
Hermione went home in SS/PS didn't she? Maybe it was just that many 
made an exception for the ball in the same way that many more than 
usual left in PoA.

> 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?

Is he deliberately leaving out the interesting stuff?!?! I can't 
believe you bothered to ask this!  I didn't know that a History 
teacher COULD be anything but tedious and excruciatingly dull!!!

Scott

**********************************************************************

"I believe in everything until it's disproved. So I believe in 
fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it's in your 
mind. Who's to say that dreams and nightmares aren't as real as the 
here and now?  Reality leaves a lot to the imagination." - John 
Lennon 

**********************************************************************