The Dream
chapter twenty-nine of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
The trio runs into Fred and George blackmailing someone, and then despite trying to get news from Moody, still can’t figure out what happened to Crouch. They help Harry prepare for the Third Task, though, and then he falls asleep in Divination, dreams of Voldemort, wakes up screaming – and heads straight to Dumbledore.
“Well, help him practice for this one, and I’ll be very surprised if he doesn’t win,” said Moody. “In the meantime… constant vigilance, Potter. Constant vigilance.”
(by LMRourke)
“Can’t we kidnap Mrs. Norris?” Ron suggested on Monday lunchtime as he lay flat on his back in the middle of their Charms classroom, having just been Stunned and reawoken by Harry for the fifth time in a row.
(by gerre)
“I like the look of this one,” she said., “this Impediment Curse. Should slow down anything that’s trying to attack you, Harry. We’ll start with that one.”
(by Becky Roberts)
“My Lord!” gasped the man on the floor. “My Lord, I am… I am so pleased… and so sorry….”
(by lberghol)
The screaming filled Harry’s ears as the scar on his forehead seared with pain; he was yelling too…. Voldemort would hear him, would know he was there….
(by Becky Roberts)
Ron was kneeling next to him, looking terrified. “You all right?” he said.
“Of course he isn’t!” said Professor Trelawney, looking thoroughly excited.
“See you later,” Harry muttered to Ron, and he picked up his bag and headed for the trapdoor, ignoring Professor Trelawney, who was wearing an expression of great frustration, as though she had just been denied a real treat.
(by Heather Campbell)
about the chapter
Something You May Not Have Noticed
Eagle owls can’t be very common; after all, the Malfoys’ eagle owl stands out pretty obviously when it brings Malfoy packages from home. So it’s interesting that Harry’s dream (vision?) starts out with an eagle owl bringing news to Voldemort. It certainly wouldn’t be unexpected for the Malfoys to be sending a message to Voldemort (or loaning him their owl, for that matter), but there is also one other time that Harry has seen an eagle owl – and it was flying around Hogwarts just a few weeks ago, before Barty Crouch showed up. Whether this was the Malfoys’ owl or not doesn’t really matter so much as the coincidence of noticing an eagle owl around Voldemort, and another one around Hogwarts. Maybe Harry should have watched a little closer to see where that eagle owl at Hogwarts went.
Life at Hogwarts
Professor Trelawney is a funny sort of self-contradiction, in that she puts on a great show of being all-knowing, yet her awareness of the real world is so much less than that of other professors. Other than Binns (who certainly lacks this awareness too, in a different way), it’s hard to imagine any of Harry’s other teachers reacting to an exploding pain in Harry’s scar with anything other than heightened concern and a quick trip to Dumbledore. Binns likely wouldn’t have noticed, or if he did, would have excused Harry to the hospital wing. But Trelawney? She gets excited. Although come to think of it, I wonder how Snape would have reacted if that had happened to Harry in Potions?
Something to Remember
One thing that’s a little strange – Mad-Eye Moody tells Harry that because the third task is “right up [Harry's] street,” he’ll “be very surprised if he doesn’t win.” Really? Against three students who each have double the magical experience he does? Maybe Moody’s just being nice, or maybe because of all of Harry’s experience in action he genuinely believes this, but it still seems like a funny thing to say.
Re: Something to Remember
It does seem a bit odd, but it’s also a good bolster of confidence, which is usually the biggest help during tests (whether written or practical).
I love Makani’s representation of the Trelawney scene. :D
Natalia said this on September 15, 2009 at 11:18 am
I really have no idea how you manage to spot things like the type of owl seen where and when.
I love the picture of Trelawney too, she’s such a freak that woman.
Eliza said this on September 16, 2009 at 3:50 am
I ditto what Eliza said about the owl.
Becky Roberts picture is very powerful.
Thanks again for installing the links to the previous pages. One little thing though: This one takes me… right back to the top of this page. :-)
Kim said this on September 16, 2009 at 11:48 am
Thanks guys! Kim – what, that wasn’t where you wanted to go? ;) It’s fixed now, thanks for the heads-up.
John Kearns said this on September 16, 2009 at 11:53 am
I don’t think “She” is supposed to be here:
“But Trelawney? She Although come to think of it, I wonder how Snape would have reacted if that had happened to Harry in Potions?”
berlin said this on October 26, 2009 at 6:36 pm
“Not unless he can turn himself into a bat or something.” Hi hi, Snape being compared to a bat keeps coming up, doesn’t it?
Kim said this on October 27, 2009 at 11:52 am
I was going to mention a small mistake, but Berlin, above, already caught it. :) Just want to say that I love your commentary on these, it really gets me thinking about things I’ve never really noticed before- and I’ve read GOF about 8 times!
Erica said this on January 29, 2010 at 11:29 pm
Poor Ron. How many times now has he watched his best friend scream in pain like this and powerless to do anything? Can’t be easy being friends with The Boy Who Lived.
Heather said this on May 1, 2010 at 10:07 am
Great catch about the eagle owl! It occured to me while I was reading this time whether that’s what that owl was doing, but I didn’t notice that that owl and the one that Harry was riding during his dream were both eagle owls.
elizabethauthor said this on October 24, 2010 at 9:09 am
Moody’s comment doesn’t seem so odd when you think about who he really is. “Moody” wants Harry to win, he is relying on it. So, a comment like that does not seem odd when you think about who is really saying it.
Vicky said this on April 25, 2011 at 10:51 am
I don’t think Mad Eye is trying to boost Harry’s confidence. Remember, he’s not Mad Eye. I think he’s more trying to convince himself that Harry can win. Obviously Ron and Hermione have a huge roll when it comes to helping Harry figure his stuff out. His comment may actually be aimed more at those 2 than at Harry. By boosting their confidence about how much good they do Harry, they may actually step up their game, help Harry learn more, and make Barty’s job easier while he tries to get Harry through the maze quickly and efficiently.
Christa said this on April 27, 2011 at 10:38 pm
And when I said roll, I meant role. I knew that looked wrong when I typed it, but it wasn’t until now that I realized it. Sad day.
And I absolutely love the picture by Heather at the end. It’s great.
Christa said this on April 30, 2011 at 12:33 pm
If Harry started screaming out and collapsed holding his head while in the middle of a Potions class, Snape would scold him for disrupting class and seeking attention because just being the Great Harry Potter isn’t enough. So with a few points from Gryffindor, Harry would still deem it a good idea to get his stuff together and leave the middle of class (which would then bring much angrier words from Snape, would cost Gryffindor even more points, and would probably also end with Harry having a detention or two.) Perhaps it’s a good thing he did collapse during Divination.
Nibbles said this on May 10, 2011 at 6:53 pm
I agree completely with what Nibbles said.
And I did notice the eagle owl flying off from Hogwarts earlier, but I did not notice that was the type of owl Harry was riding on in the dream. Good catch!
Casey said this on June 19, 2011 at 8:22 am
Quite honestly, this task *is* right up Harry’s alley. In his first year, he managed to make it past a complex series of challenges designed to confound and stop a fully qualified wizard, after all. Quirrel only managed it because a) he’d helped design it, and 2) he got the other professors to give up their secrets (aside from Dumbledore).
Lesharo said this on June 24, 2011 at 8:20 pm
I always thought “Moody’s” comment that he was confident Harry would win was a subtle hint to the reader that he had been helping him all along (though for the wrong reasons.). Sounds to me like he’s pretty pleased with the way the plan is working.
*spunky* said this on June 26, 2011 at 12:06 pm
George to Ron “Carry on like this and you’ll be made a prefect.”
Jeremy said this on August 15, 2011 at 8:28 am
I think every time Harry notices a bird, it’s worth remembering. Not that I ever figured that out when I was reading the books for the first time . . .
Billie said this on December 11, 2011 at 7:27 pm