Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Chapters 3-4
Mark True statements with a “T” and False statements with an “F.”
1. _____ Dudley Dursley’s school asked his parents to put him on a diet over summer vacation because “the school outfitters didn’t stock knickerbockers big enough for him anymore.” Grapefruit quarters for breakfast! Yummy.
2. _____ Mrs. Weasley sent a letter to the Dursley using Errol, the Weasley family owl, asking if Harry could join them at the Quidditch World Cup.
3. _____ Mr. Dursley is delighted to let Harry go because it means Harry will be out of their house two weeks earlier than normal. He tells Harry to be sure to tell his godfather where he’ll be so Sirius’ big birds don’t bring mail to Privet Drive.
4. _____ Ron wrote a letter to Harry – delivered by “Pig” – explaining when they were coming to get him, about Percy’s new job, and to say Hermione would be arriving at the Burrow, too.
5. _____ Mr. and Mrs. Dursley are very concerned that the Weasleys will arrive properly dressed, in a nice car, and on time. Dudley is frightened that he may once again have “a curly pig’s tail poking out of the seat of his trousers.”
6. _____ The Weasleys arrive by Floo Powder, which creates a scene due to the Dursley chimney being plugged with an “electric fire” device in the fireplace. Mr. Weasley blasts their way in and Fred, Ron, Ginny, and Mr. Weasley appear.
7. _____ Uncle Vernon thinks Mr. Weasley is mad because the wizard describes his plug and battery collections; Mr. Weasley thinks Dudley is not quite right in the head because of the boy’s butt-covering peculiar behavior.
8. _____ Fred and George get Harry’s trunk but spill it in the Dursley’s living room and all of Harry’s cakes and sweets pour out. When they leave Dudley eats whatever he can find that they missed in the clean-up.
9. _____ Mr. Weasley gives the Dursleys a lesson in good behavior when Harry is about to depart. He embarrasses Uncle Vernon into a resentful, “Good-bye, then.”
10. _____ Dudley’s tongue becomes a “foot-long, purple, slimy thing.” Aunt Petunia tugs on it to rip it out then dives on Dudley to protect him from Mr. Weasley who tries to reverse the Engorgement Charm. Uncle Vernon throws china figures at Mr. Weasley and Harry.
Discussion Point: How does the Weasley’s treatment of the Muggles differ from how the Dursley’s feel about witches and wizards? Who are the good guys here, if anyone? And you thoughts post Deathly Hallows?
1.T 2.F 3.T/F 4.T 5.T
6.F 7.T 8.F 9.T 10.T
#3 is T/F because Uncle Vernon is concerned about Sirius — but not his birds.
“Discussion Point: How does the Weasley’s treatment of the Muggles differ from how the Dursley’s feel about witches and wizards? Who are the good guys here, if anyone? And you thoughts post Deathly Hallows?”
Well, it is well-known that Mr. Weasley finds Muggles “fascinating,” and to the Dursleys wizards are “anti-fascinating.” No real good or bad guys here, just a major comedy of errors, though the purposeful dropping of the jinxed sweet for Dudley was certainly out of line for Fred and George to do (though not unexpected and perfectly in character). Though I do believe the twins when they said they didn’t do it because Dudley was a Muggle, but because Dudley was a bully. (I imagine they wouldn’t mind slipping the same treat to Draco, for example.)
I did like that, in “Deathly Hallows,” Dudley and Petunia seemed to not have a terrible antipathy toward Harry as a wizard anymore. Petunia did know quite a lot about the wizarding world with Lily for a sister, after all, and had even wanted to be part of it. While I can never imagine that Dudley and Petunia would ever spend the holidays with Harry, I can imagine cordial relations between them, cards during the holidays, an occasional letter to announce a wedding/birth, etc. (I think JKR might have mentioned that Harry has a “Christmas-card-sending-sort-of-relationship” with Dudley.)
I have a difficult time imagining Petunia and Dudley doing more than standing pinched faced and open-mouthed, respectively, in Harry’s presence post LV.
If anything, Petunia would probably become more obstinent/jealous towards the wizarding world as news of Harry’s struggles and subsequent victory would be carried back to her. Her jealousy of Lily and fear of magical reprisals permeate her personality.
Cordial relations from afar, yes…you may be right about that…but from Harry’s side of the fence, not Dudley’s. Dudley won’t be able to be his own man until his parents are dead. Any face-to-face time between the two cousins before Vernon and Petunia’s demise would be 1) in secret, 2) out of pity on Harry’s part and 3) to spite his parents on Dudley’s part, I think.
Dudley may some day be the recipient of Harry’s influence, but without knowledge of it. When Harry talks of all being well at DH end, I do believe this includes every aspect of his muggle-related world, too. The Dursley’s are not in the picture.