Mark Reads ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’: Chapter 20

In the twentieth chapter of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry nearly has a nervous breakdown before facing the First Task in the Triwizard Tournament. Rowling manages to have a Quidditch Match despite there not actually being one, and Ron and Harry stop being whiny assholes. FINALLY. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to read Harry Potter.

CHAPTER 20: THE FIRST TASK

If anything, chapter 20 proves that when it comes right down to it, Hermione is the best friend a person can possibly have.

The Ron/Harry feud has been a central part of the midsection of Goblet of Fire, but not enough attention is being paid to the fact that Hermione’s unwavering friendship is the most impressive part of this narrative. And part of me wishes it was acknowledged slightly more by Harry at the end of the chapter, but I’m still only halfway through the book at this point, so it’s possible Harry will give Hermione the credit she’s earned.

After Harry goes down to breakfast and takes Hermione for a walk to explain what happened with Sirius, he heads to the library with her to research whatever “simple” spell will help Harry during that task. Actually, I also want to point out how much I love that the two of them walk around the giant lake on the grounds of Hogwarts to sort out their problems. I’m a big fan of doing the same and I admire Hermione’s willingness to do this.

Ready for some gut-punching, sad, teen angst?

  • Harry barely slept that night. When he awoke on Monday morning, he seriously considered for the first time ever running away from Hogwarts. But as he looked around the Great Hall at breakfast time, and thought about what leaving the castle would mean, he knew he couldn’t do it. It was the only place he had ever been happy…well, he supposed he must have been happy with his parents too, but he couldn’t remember that.

Nice way for Harry to put things in perspective, I think. I’m glad he realizes what he escaped and where he is. It’s also a moment where Harry is much more mature than he has been.

I also found it pretty noble and mature of Harry to warn Cedric about the First Task; he didn’t have to, but it showed he was aware that the situation was already tense and awkward as it was, and he took initiative to at least even the stakes between them. Even beyond that, I think there’s a subtext to Harry’s actions that shows he respects Cedric.

I dig it.

We also get a bit more info on Mad-Eye Moody, who is now my #1 MOST INTRIGUING CHARACTER IN THIS BOOK when Moody overhears Harry giving Cedric advice. He orders Harry into his office, and, once again, it’s one of those moments where Rowling provides the reader with just enough context and detail to help imagine her world:

  • He had visited this office under two of its previous occupants. In Professor Lockhart’s day, the walls had been plastered with beaming, winking pictures of Lockhart himself. When Lupin had lived here, you were more likely to come across a specimen of some fascinating new Dark creature he had procured for them to study in class. Now, however, the office was full of a number of exceptionally odd objects that Harry supposed Moody had used in the days when he had been an Auror.

    On his desk stood what looked like a large, cracked, glass spinning top; Harry recognized it at once as a Sneakoscope, because he owned one himself, though it was much smaller than Moody’s. In the corner on a small table stood an object that looked something like an extra-squiggly, golden television aerial. It was humming slightly. What appeared to be a mirror hung opposite Harry on the wall, but it was not reflecting the room. Shadowy figures were moving around inside it, none of them clearly in focus.

I’m the kind of person who loves all the small details in an imagined universe like this. Do I want to know more? OF COURSE I DO.

Secrecy Sensors, Sneakoscopes, Foe-Glass….oh god WANT WANT WANT WANT.

Moody also provides Harry with a key to success in his First Task. I really enjoyed that he didn’t outright give Harry the answer; he instead asks Harry what he’s good at (Quidditch) and then tells him all he needs is a simple spell “that will enable you to get what you need.

Ding! Light goes off.

I’m going to skip over the part where Hermione (ONCE AGAIN BEING THE BEST FRIEND EVER) helps Harry learn how to cast a Summoning Charm because I don’t need to beat into your skulls the importance of Hermione unyielding love for her friend. In essence, Hermione is the best person ever to have ever done anything and Harry better fucking thank her for all this or I will punch a fictional character in the face.

Knowing that Harry obviously can’t die and that he know has limited control over a Summoning Charm, I was pretty shocked how suspenseful the First Task ended up being. It’s a testament to Rowling’s simple style being so full of substance; she also adds a wonderful layer of character development over the other competitors and Professors.

Seeing McGonagall frightened out of her mind didn’t help.

But it was her description of Cedric, Fleur, and Viktor that really did it for me.

  • Fleur Delcour was sitting in a corner on a low wooden stool. She didn’t look nearly as composed as usual, but rather pale and clammy. Viktor Krum looked even surlier as usual, which Harry supposed was his way of showing nerves. Cedric was pacing up and down. When Harry entered, Cedric gave him a small smile, which Harry returned, feeling the muscles in his face working rather hard, as though they had forgotten to do it.

ANGST.

  • Harry glanced around. Cedric had nodded once, to show that he understood Bagman’s words, and then started pacing around the tent again; he looked slightly green. Fleur Delacour and Krum hadn’t reacted at all. Perhaps they thought they might be sick if they opened their mouths; that was certainly how Harry felt. But they, at least, had volunteered for this….

I don’t think this section would have been as effective if the other contestants were confident and sure. The fact that all four of them are basically seconds away from cardiac arrest adds a palpable sense of dread to the proceedings.

I’m going to skip over the first three contestants. They all win, despite getting injured in the process. (Cedric gets burned in the face DIE EDWARD CULLEN DIE.) Harry’s turn, which comes last OBVIOUSLY, is pretty awesome, because Rowling manages to slip in a “Quidditch” scene in a Quidditch-less book.

Having Harry summon his Firebolt to capture a golden egg is pretty brilliant, I must say.

  • Harry plummeted just as the Horntail opened its mouth, but this time he was less lucky–he missed the flames, but the tail came whipping up to meet him instead, and as he swerved to the left, one of the long spikes grazed his shoulder, ripping his robes–

    He could feel it stinging, he could hear screaming and groans from the crowd, but the cut didn’t seem to be deep…

ouch. OUCH. OUCH. Jesus christ.

So Harry wins and it’s pretty damn awesome because FINALLY SOMETHING IS GOING RIGHT FOR THIS GUY, but shit is about to get even better:

  • But Harry was looking at Ron, who was very white and staring at Harry as though he were a ghost.

    “Harry,” he said, very seriously, “whoever put your name in that goblet–I–I reckon they’re trying to do you in!”

    It was as though the last few weeks had never happened–as though Harry were meeting Ron for the first time, right after he’d been made champion.

About fucking time.

  • Hermione stood nervously between them, looking from one to the other. Ron opened his mouth uncertainly. Harry knew Ron was about to apologize and suddenly he found he didn’t need to hear it.

    “It’s ok,” he said, before Ron could get the words out. “Forget it.”

    “No,” said Ron, “I shouldn’t’ve–“

    “Forget it,” Harry said.

    Ron grinned nervously at him, and Harry grinned back.

    Hermione burst into tears.

    “There’s nothing to cry about!” Harry told her, bewildered.

    “You two are so stupid!” she shouted, stamping her foot on the ground, tears splashing down her front. Then, before either of them could stop her, she had given them both a hug and dashed away, now positively howling.

AMEN, HERMIONE. Oh god, why does Hermione know my soul so deeply.

But it does get one notch better than this. Because at the very end of the chapter, Harry runs into Rita Skeeter:

  • “Congratulations, Harry!” she said, beaming at him. “I wonder if you could give me a quick word? How you felt facing the dragon? How you feel now, about the fairness of scoring?”

    “Yeah, you can have a word,” said Harry savagely. “Good-bye.”

    And he set off back to the castle with Ron.

ohhhhhhhhhh god why do i love this book so much whyyyyyyyyyy