Grawp

Calendar and Dates

The chapter briefly spends some time discussing the weeks following Easter break, with unknown dates.  Then - finally! - a hard fact: we are told that the Quidditch match takes place "on the last weekend in May," or 30 May by the calendar the school year has been following.

Interesting facts and notes

The highpoint of the chapter should have been something we only see the after it is already finished - Gryffindor winning the Quidditch Cup.

Eventually, the area was roped off and Filch, gnashing his teeth furiously, was given the task of punting students across it to their classrooms. Harry was certain that teachers like McGonagall or Flitwick could have removed the swamp in an instant but, just as in the case of Fred and George’s Wildfire Whiz-bangs, they seemed to prefer to watch Umbridge struggle.

The students, Peeves and even the staff continue the campaign of undermining Dolores Umbridge, her Inquisitorial Squad and caretaker Argus Filch. Filch even has to punt (row in a flat-bottomed boat) students across Fred and George's stubbornly still in place portable swamp.

"Hagrid, why are you armed?" said Harry.
"Jus' a precaution," said Hagrid, shrugging his massive shoulders.
"You didn't bring your crossbow the day you showed us the Thestrals," said Hermione timidly.
"Nah, well, we weren' goin' in so far then," said Hagrid.

A reluctant Harry and Hermione are pulled away from the final Quidditch match of the season and are taken by Hagrid deep into the Forbidden Forest.

"A giant! A giant in the Forest! And we're supposed to give him English lessons! Always assuming, of course, we can get past the herd of murderous centaurs on the way in and out!"

Especially after this first rather fraught meeting with Grawp, it is a seemingly impossible task. But, Harry and Hermione have promised Hagrid they will do it (and promised on behalf of Ron as well), since it is likely that Umbridge will succeed in getting him dismissed as a Hogwarts teacher.

"HARRY! HERMIONE!" yelled Ron, waving the silver Quidditch cup in the air and looking quite beside himself. "WE DID IT! WE WON!"
They beamed up at him as he passed. There was a scrum at the door of the castle and Ron’s head got rather badly bumped on the lintel, but nobody seemed to want to put him down. Still singing, the crowd squeezed itself into the Entrance Hall and out of sight.

Harry and Hermione wisely decide to postpone telling Ron about Hagrid and his giant brother - the sixteen foot tall Grawp. After all, Ron deserves at least that evening to celebrate Gryffindor Quidditch team's win.

Exceptional character moments

The teachers siding with Peeves and the students.

Ron being relieved that he can tell his mother that Harry gave the money to Fred and George for their joke shop. It lets him off the hook.

Harry not admitting that he is exhausted from the dreams he is having - dreams he shouldn't be having - and which would be helped by mastering Occlumency.

Hermione asking "....who is he?" about Grawp, at the same time Harry was thinking the question "What is it?".

Memorable lines

A week after Fred and George's departure Harry witnessed Professor McGonagall walking right past Peeves, who was determinedly loosening a crystal chandelier, and could have sworn he heard her tell the poltergeist out of the corner of her mouth, "It unscrews the other way."

"It'll be my fault Fred and George left, you wait," said Ron darkly. "She’ll say I should've stopped them leaving, I should've grabbed the ends of their brooms and hung on or something … yeah, it’ll be all my fault."

"Kind of makes you wish we had Norbert back, doesn't it?" he said, and she gave a very shaky laugh. [Harry to Hermione]

"Calm down!" she said feverishly. "A giant! A giant in the Forest! And we're supposed to give him English lessons! Always assuming, of course, we can get past the herd of murderous centaurs on the way in and out! I – don't – believe – him!"

Words and phrases

• Do a Weasley
• Punting
• Umbridge-itis

Characters Introduced

• Bradley
• Magorian