Chapter Discussion: Goblet of Fire Ch. 4: Back to the Burrow

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 191436


> QUESTIONS
> 
> 1. The Dursleys are horrified by the Weasleys' unorthodox arrival via the Floo network. Shouldn't they be relieved that the neighbors won't notice any wizards in robes arriving or leaving?

Pippin:
We know that it's easier for Arthur to clean up the mess he made of the Dursley's living room  than put together a Muggle outfit that wouldn't raise an eyebrow on Privet Drive. But the Dursleys don't know that.

> 
> 2. Arthur admits that Muggle fireplaces should not "strictly speaking" be connected to the Floo network, but that a friend fixed it for him. What does this tell us about Arthur? Do you think his disregard for the rules is justified in this instance?
> 
Pippin:
It tells us that Arthur's willingness to bend the rules for purposes he considers harmless (such as enchanting a car so it will fly) is not confined to his private life. Obviously it wasn't as harmless as he thought, so he was misguided. 

> 3. Harry claims not to care when the Dursleys fail to bid him goodbye. Do you believe this? Do you think Arthur believes him?

Pippin:
I don't think Harry cares -- he wasn't expecting the Dursleys to say good-bye to him. I think he said 'bye to them partly out of habit and partly to mark the fact that he was leaving. It's a bit of  cheek , since they'd have kept him from going if they could have. Arthur doesn't get that, and thinks Harry's politeness should have been returned. 

> 
> 4. This chapter showcases JKR's sense of comedic timing and knack for slapstick, with Dudley choking, Petunia getting hysterical, Vernon using the china figurines for target practice, and Arthur attempting to provide reassurance -- with an outstretched wand. How does this compare to other comedic scenes in the series?
> 
Pippin:
I don't think I ever laughed harder at anything in the books -- or felt more ashamed of myself for laughing later on. 


> 5. Dudley appears to be in danger of suffocation from the ton-tongue toffee. How do you feel about this -- does Dudley engage your sympathies? Why or why not? Was it fair for Fred to use sweets to bait a starving boy who's terrified of wizards?

Pippin:
Dudley has my sympathy now. As long as we could see him only as a bullying git, he didn't symbolize a real person. He was a symbol of  a way that real people shouldn't act. But as later books depict him with more depth and sympathy, and shift some of the responsibility for his behavior to his parents, my attitude towards him changed. 

There are plenty of things Fred and George could have done to amuse Harry without hexing a Muggle boy who hadn't ever done anything to them -- so no, I don't think it was fair. 

> 
> 6. What do you think happened after Harry left?

Pippin:
I suppose Mr. Weasley managed to sort it out, as he said he would.  Eventually Vernon would run out of things to throw at him. I don't think Vernon has quite the nerve to rush someone with a wand in his hand. 

> 
> 7. Any other questions?
>
Dorothy:
This question doesn't have grounding in the chapter, but I have often wondered
about Vernon and how he works Wizards into his mental schema. Petunia knows,
and I think she accepts that there is a magical world in her heart, even though
she pretends to brush it aside.

She must have told Vernon about Lily. Vernon seems to want to beat the magic
out of Harry, or pretend it doesn't exist, yet he knows that Harry is different
and Vernon seems to be afraid of Wizards and everything they represent.

He wants to ignore magic, but it is all around him when Harry is home. How does
Vernon make sense of magic and work it into his mental schema?

Pippin:
I think Vernon's default opinion is that magic is all tricks and lies. Therefore if it seems to have worked, it's only that the wizards have succeeded in  their trickery. He's a bit like Fudge denying that Voldemort has returned. There's no room in his mental schema for something which not only defies common sense, but  threatens what he considers to be his rightful place in the world. 

Of course Vernon is occasionally forced to accommodate other views, but since he's not an accommodating person, he doesn't stay accommodated for long. It's like trying to convince a two year old that it's bedtime. Just because you finally got her down yesterday doesn't mean you aren't going to have to fight the whole battle all over again tonight. 

IMO, from  Vernon's point of view wizards convinced Lily that she was one of them, and then they killed her for it. He's not going to let that nonsense infect his Diddycums. 

Thanks to Elfundeb and Dorothy for the questions. 

Pippin