[HPforGrownups] Chapter Discussion: Goblet of Fire Ch. 8: The Quidditch World Cup

[dorothy dankanyin]

No: HPFGUIDX 191789


From: "jeanine" <jeanine.banthorpe at btinternet.com>; <>>
Sent: Tuesday, February 07, 2012 8:15 PM

> Questions:
>
> 1. Why would Ron say 'So that's a house-elf? Weird things, aren't they?' 
> Would
> he not have come across one before now? And if not, as a member of an old
> wizarding family he would know all about them and their belief in their
> subservience to wizards.

Dorothy:  I don't think there'd be an occasion where Ron would ever meet a 
house-elf.  Even if he was in the home of someone who had one, they tend to 
be invisible servants.  And, certainly the Weasleys wouldn't have one, both 
because they're weren't wealthy (and one would need to take of another 
being), and because I don't think they were the types to even think about a 
servant.

> 2. What do you think was/were the purpose/s of this chapter? So much of it 
> is
> merely an account of a sports fixture. Was there anything in this chapter 
> that
> you thought would be important later on?

Dorothy:  I found the chapter very interesting, both because I learned a bit 
about world class quiddich, and because we found out about several 
characters that would later on come to be important to the story, Victor 
Krum, Barty Crouch, Winky the house-elf, etc.


> 3. Why did Mr Weasley instruct Harry and Ron to put their fingers in their 
> ears
> to resist the lure of the veelas when the text suggests that it was their
> dancing that enthralls the watching males? No mention was made of their 
> singing
> or of their making music.

Dorothy:  At the time I read this I never even gave it a thought.  It 
probably should have been for them to close their eyes.  :)

> 4. Do you think Severus would be sensitive to the veelas' charms? Would 
> Dumbledore?

Dorothy:  Severus-no, but Dumbledore-possibly