Chapter Fifteen: Beauxbatons and Durmstrang

[Scott]

No: HPFGUIDX 3759

Argh! You can't get to the computer for the weekend and then look 
what happens (only 400 messages to catch up on.) Oh Well...As for my 
character analysis goes I'm looking for the text files on the 
computer so that I can do word searches and such, thereby eliminating 
the need for labourious page skimming...can somebody give me a link?  

Now, down to business....

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CHAPTER 15:  Beauxbatons and Durmstrang.

Pages 228-247 (American version)

Harry wakes up and immediately writes to Sirius, having just received 
a letter the previous night saying that he was flying north at once. 
In it, Harry explains to Sirius that he just imagines the whole 
ordeal, saying "I was half asleep when I wrote to you last time."1

That was a lie, Harry, you didn't imagine your scar hurting and you 
know it."  

Hermione admonishes Harry over breakfast, After Harry has sent the 
note via Hedwig. Ron put an end to Hermione's diatribe and for once 
she heeds him.  Then Harry tries hard not to worry, over the next few 
weeks, about the reply he will be getting.

In Defence Against the Dark Arts, however something else occupies 
Harry's mind.  Moody is going to to put them each under the imperious 
curse.  Hermione makes a query into the "legal-ness" of this 
curriculim but is quieted by Moody after an invitation to leave.

The class begins to go through the curse, one by one and each student 
does something extraordinary. Among other things Dean Thomas hops 
around the room singing the National Anthem...(would this be "God 
Save the Queen" or perhaps the wizards have there own nat'l anthem.)

Harry's turn is next and he unlike all of his classmates is able to 
fight it. The first time he only half throws it off, and runs 
headlong into the desk after two little voices in his head have a row.

Moody in response to this says "...Potter, very good indeed!  They'll 
have trouble controlling YOU."  (you being in italics).  Now any 
Ideas as to why he made this comment? Possibly just caught up in 
being Moody? (And also Harry is put through the paces four times, 
before he can throw off the curse...)2

A short discussion of how paranoid Moody is brings us to an example 
of How much more work the kids seem to be getting as fourth years.  
Ex. Hermione is the only one in McGonagall's class that can turn a 
hedgehog into a pincushion (and I MUST question the practicality of 
this.  Why would one want to do this?)


In their other classes Snape is threatening to poison them and Hagrid 
wants them to come and take notes on the Skrewts in the evenings.  
Draco refuses and Hagrid, reminding him of the Ferret incident shuts 
him up.

Back in the Castle the trio discovers a sign that say that the 
students from the other Tri-wizard schools will arrive on October the 
30th at 6 o'clock.  They can only read the sign because Ron is tall 
and can see over the crowd.  (See he is good for something! 
...kidding!)  This makes them ALL excited because they get to miss 
part of potions.

Nota Bene- Also on this page is a passing reference to Cedric, who 
Ron calls an idiot, and who Hermione defends...more on this in my 
character profile.

Over the next week nobody can talk of ANYTHING but the Tri-Wiz 
Tournament and we notice the whole castle is undergoing a good 
cleaning.  Even McGonagall is feeling the pressure to impress.  
"Longbottom, kindly do not reveal that you can't even perform a 
simple Switching Spell in front of anyone from Durmstrang!"

The trio comes down for Breakfast on the 30th to find the Great Hall 
decorated with individual house banners and the Hogwarts seal over 
the staff table. (The pictures of the H. seal have never been used in 
the Amercian books but I think that someone said they were in the 
British- how so?)

Next we hear Gred and Forge whispering about the Bagman stuff, which 
is quite mysterious at the time.  Then Ron gets started on a 
discussion about how the tournament is conducted, and when F. and G. 
are out of facts Hermione fills them in.  It is no suprise that she 
has learned all aboout the Tri-Wiz T. from Hogwarts, A History.3

"Though of course that book's not entirely reliable.  'A REVISED 
History of Hogwarts' would be a more accurate title.  Or 'A Highly 
Biased and SELECTIVE History of Hogwarts, Which Glosses Over the 
Nastier Aspects of the School'."

She is, of course refering to house-elves.  Hermione is so passionate 
about this and Ron et Harry are completly apathetic.  It does mention 
that Neville bought a badge and that a few people were even mildly 
interested in what she was saying.  Fred and George go on to explain 
that the House Elves LIKE their work..."That's because their 
uneducated and brainwashed!"-Hermione.

The arguement is put to an end by the arrival of Owl post and a note 
from Sirius.  It is short and basically tells Harry to keep him 
posted but not to use Hedwig.  All of this is very reassuring to 
Harry.

The instructional day is one of those where nobody is very 
attententive to the lessons as they are all preoccupied w/ excitement.
RING! After the classes let out the trio dons cloaks and line up by 
houses w/ the rest of the school.  

McGon. snaps "Weasely, straighten your hat!" ( I CANNOT picture the 
whole school wearing hats, sorry but I can't....)

After being assembled at the front of the school the students ponder 
how these other schools will arrive.  

Ron:"...Apparate...?"
Hermione:"You can't App. inside the school grounds, how often do I 
have to tell you?"

With a gasp, the crowd watches the delegation from Beauxbatons 
approach.  They are in what is at first mistaken for a flying house, 
(no Toto we aren't in Kansas anymore)  is really a large, errr very 
large carriage.  The carriage is drawn by winged horse that only 
drink single-malt Whiskey. 4 

We meet Madame Maxime here and notice that while she seems to know 
Dumbledore she doesn't trust that Hagrid will be able to take care of 
her horses.  We also notice that the B. school colour seem to be Blue 
and Gold.  (What are Hogwarts?) The robes are blue and they are also 
thinner, Harry notes.

Next Durmstrang appears, quite to everyones suprise from the lake.  A 
whirlpool forms and the ship rises up from it.  Notice that there is 
a certain resemblance between Karkaroff and Dumbledore's 
appearance...hmmm.  All of the D. delegation seem to be built like 
Crabbe and Goyle, Harry observes until he relises they are simply 
wearing cloaks of shaggy matted fur.

Then K. and Viktor come go into the building and to Ron's 
astonisment, Viky is no stranger

Ron: "Harry-its KRUM!"


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QUESTIONS:

1)Why does Harry feel silly for worrying Sirius with the note. How 
does this show his affinity toward his godfather? His Maturity? His 
imaturity?

2)We've already discussed this but why does Moody put Harry under the 
imperious curse and paticurally why does he do it more that once?

3)Did Hermione commit Hogwarts, a History to memory???

4) What do the clothings of the Schools suggest about their locations?

5)Why is Madame Maxime dressed in all black? (Mourning) How did she 
get to be Head Mistress if she is Half Giant?

6)Since Durmstrang used a ship what body of water are they near?

7)What might Hogwarts use if they traveled to another school
 


Ok, so I REALLY killed this chapter,try not to ramble so much next 
time. Errr hullo?  Oh yeah time to wake back up, hope you had a good 
kip.


Scott