Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw

Calendar and Dates

The chapter begins just after Hermione and Ron quarrel over Scabbers' supposed death, and ends on the day of the Gryffindor-Ravenclaw match.

Interesting facts and notes

This chapter introduces Cho Chang and begins developing Harry's interest in her.

"Harry, I've just found out who Ravenclaw is playing as Seeker. It's Cho Chang. She's a fourth year, and she's pretty good..."

That is, Cho is a year ahead of Harry and a year behind Cedric Diggory, so she's about halfway between their ages.

"...I really hoped she wouldn't be fit, she's had some problems with injuries..."

Harry has never previously competed against Cho in a match, because the previous year's match against Ravenclaw was cancelled, while he himself was unconscious in the hospital wing for Gryffindor-Ravenclaw the year before that, which was his first year.

Harry took off his black school robes, removed his wand from his pocket, and stuck it inside the T-shirt he was going to wear under his Quidditch robes.

Harry isn't breaking any rules by carrying his wand onto the pitch, even though it is concealed (QA6). The 1538 Quidditch wand use law only bans players from using wands on each other.

Their Seeker, Cho Chang, was the only girl on their team.

From this line, we know that Ravenclaw's Keeper, two Beaters, and three Chasers are wizards rather than witches.

She was shorter than Harry by about a head, and Harry couldn't help noticing, nervous as he was, that she was extremely pretty.

Ironically, although Cho is the first girl to attract Harry's fancy, we will not learn much more about what Cho looks like for nearly a year. In fact, their next conversation - really, their first recorded conversation - will be when Harry asks Cho to the Yule Ball in December (GF22).

"Wood, Davies, shake hands," Madam Hooch said briskly, and Wood shook hands with the Ravenclaw captain.

Davies' given name is Roger (GF23); he will still be at Hogwarts, as captain and Chaser, in Harry's fifth year (OP30). Assuming that Davies did not change positions on his team, that leaves us with five unidentified wizards on the 1993-1994 Ravenclaw Quidditch team: the Keeper, two Chasers, and both Beaters.

Plunging a hand down the neck of his robes, he whipped out his wand and roared, "Expecto patronum!"

Since Harry used his wand only on Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Flint, and since they weren't properly members of the crowd, Harry didn't break any Quidditch rules (QA6). The one time a wand ban for the crowd was tried - at the 1974 Quidditch World Cup - it spectacularly backfired (QWC). 

Something silver white, something enormous, erupted from the end of his wand.

Notice that Harry himself doesn't observe at this point what form his Patronus takes.

Readers of this scene have frequently pointed out that since every member of the crowd saw Harry cast the Patronus Charm, Lupin seems to have made a very poor choice of "something only the real Potter would know" in asking Harry what form his Patronus takes, but see Reader's Guide for OP3 for more on that topic.

"Which person," she said, her voice shaking, "which abysmally foolish person wrote down this week’s passwords and left them lying around?"

It is so easy to give into the temptation to write down your passwords. Poor Neville.

Exceptional character moments

Hermione, who refuses to admit the probability of Crookshanks having eaten Scabbers because there isn't definitive proof.

Ron's grief over Scabbers' supposed "death" and his rage at what he perceives as Hermione's role in the matter - including her apparent indifference to his feelings.

Ginny and the twins' different reactions to Scabbers' "death". Ginny attempts to comfort Ron, while the twins attempt to be bracing by reminding Ron of all the times he complained about Scabbers over the years.

Hooch, who is just as enthusiastic about racing brooms as any of the young Quidditch players in her charge.

Crookshanks' friendship with Padfoot.

Lee Jordan, who can't stop exclaiming over Harry's Firebolt even while commentating for the match.

McGonagall, who would much rather hear about the match than about Harry's Firebolt.

Oliver Wood's displeasure that Cho Chang has made a full recovery from her injuries and will be playing.

Oliver Wood, who for once can find nothing to criticize at practice.

Oliver Wood, yelling at Harry not to be a gentleman but to knock Cho off her broom if he has to.

Harry, who begins developing a crush on Cho Chang from this point on.

Cho Chang's copycat tactics during the match.

Percy's bet with his Ravenclaw girlfriend on the outcome of Gryffindor-Ravenclaw, when he doesn't have the money to pay if he loses.

Malfoy's attempt to play upon Harry's phobia about dementors to sabotage his performance.

Cedric Diggory, who makes a point of congratulating Harry on acquiring such a fine replacement for his Nimbus.

Penelope Clearwater, who takes enough of an interest in a good racing broom to ask to examine the Firebolt closely.

Crabbe, Goyle, and Flint, who assist Malfoy.

Hermione, who without the company of her friends is burying herself in school work and suffering greatly from stress.

Ron, who won't back off on the topic of Scabbers' supposed death until Hermione shows remorse.

Sir Cadogan, who doesn't have sense enough to be suspicious of a grown man - a total stranger, to boot - seeking entry into Gryffindor Tower.

Neville, who confesses at once that he was the person who wrote down the week's passwords and lost them. As Dumbledore would say, there are all kinds of courage; Neville is displaying quite a lot of it in confessing immediately.

Memorable lines

She continued in this vein for some time, until Wood said, "Er - Madam Hooch? Is it OK if Harry has the Firebolt back?"

"HARRY, THIS IS NO TIME TO BE A GENTLEMAN!" Wood roared, as Harry swerved to avoid a collision. "KNOCK HER OFF HER BROOM IF YOU HAVE TO!"

There was no arguing with this, as Ron chose that moment to say loudly, "If Scabbers hadn’t just been eaten, he could have had some of these Fudge Flies, he used to really like them –"

Words and phrases

• Dressing Gown
• Fizz
• Get Out of It
• Good On You
• Nut
• Off Colour
• Pitch
• Ruddy
• snuff it

Characters Introduced

• Cho Chang
• Roger Davies