[HPforGrownups] Chapter Discussion: Goblet of Fire Ch 3: The Invitation

[dorothy dankanyin]

No: HPFGUIDX 191371



> QUESTIONS:
>
> 1. Sugar-free treats seem an odd gift for someone complaining about diet 
> food. What was Hermione thinking?

Dorothy:  I don't think Hermione thought about sugar free treats as diet 
food, just better for teeth than the regular kind.  After all, her parents 
were dentists.  Treats are not usually something someone would eat to the 
exclusion of everything else, so the treats were considered something Harry 
might want.

>
> 2. We learn that it took Errol  five days to recover from delivering the 
> Weasley's care package to Harry. Is it fair for the Weasleys to overwork 
> their owl, even though he's evidently willing?

Dorothy:  I don't know that they even knew Errol would have a hard time 
delivering Harry's care package.  He delivered all their mail regularly, and 
I don't remember him recovering five days, but I may be wrong there.  It 
just never crossed my mind while reading the story (umpteen times).

>
> 3. The Weasleys' attempts to show consideration for the Dursleys backfire, 
> arguably causing more offense than if they hadn't bothered. Are there 
> other instances in canon where naive attempts to show consideration aren't 
> appreciated?

Dorothy:  The Dursleys didn't show consideration for anyone except for those 
they were trying to impress.  Anyone connected with Harry certainly didn't 
qualify.  Magical people were below consideration at all, so every attempt 
at politeness was met with disgruntled or fearful reactions.

>
> 4. Harry doesn't actually want Sirius to come out of hiding. What do you 
> think Harry would have done if Vernon  had called his bluff?

Dorothy:  Although Harry knew Vernon would never have called Harry's bluff 
of telling his godfather.  If the unthinkable happened, then there would 
have been chaos on all sides for sure.

>
> 5. Harry is willing to admit he's troubled about the pain in his scar, but 
> doesn't tell about the dream. Meanwhile the Dursleys are forced to admit 
> Dudley's weight problem, but disregard the school's reports of poor grades 
> and bullying. What do you think of these choices? What do they tell us 
> about the characters?

Dorothy:  It tells us that Harry doesn't want anyone to know his dreams lest 
they think he's either crazy or worse yet, that there's a more serious 
threat to his life than he'd thought before.
  As for the Durselys thoughts on Dudley, the only reason they even admitted 
his weight problem was because they couldn't get uniforms in his size. 
Otherwise, like the bullying and bad grades, it would be thought of as 
people who didn't understand their wonderful son.

>
> 6. Do you think Petunia noticed that Harry wasn't losing any weight? Does 
> she really have no idea that Harry is getting extra food?

Dorothy:  Since Harry has always been thin, and wearing Dudley's hand me 
downs, no would notice even if Harry was losing weight.  They never spent 
any time looking at him other than to complain about his hair and 
expression.

>
> 7. JKR seems unaware that quarters are supposed to be four *equal* parts. 
> Do you think the books would be different if she had more of a head for 
> math?

Dorothy:  I highly doubt JKR didn't know math.  More like the term quarters 
meant four pieces, with Harry's always being the smallest of anything they 
gave him.

Thanks to all of you for these.
>
> Many thanks to Alla and Geoff for their assistance
>
> Pippin