Quidditch and Detention

I got all excited, thinking this is the chapter when we meet Moaning Myrtle, but then I realized there is another 'meh' chapter before then.

Let's just get right down to it, shall we...

Chapter  7 - Mudbloods and Murmurs

It is a few days into the new school year which can mean only one thing: time to start Quidditch practice! Oliver's enthusiasm is really something to marvel at - I can think of very few things I would be willing to wake up at the crack of dawn for.

Little Colin Creevey tags along (why were you awake so early Colin?!) and shows Harry the picture of him and Lockhart. I like the description J.K. Rowling gives of Colin's mannerisms:

...Colin Creevey came dashing down the spiral staircase...Said Colin eagerly...Colin scrambled through the hole after him...trotting alongside him...said Colin breathlessly...tripping down a couple of steps because he was gazing open-mouthed at Harry...

I kind of picture him behaving like an over-excited puppy. I can totally see why Harry would find him annoying, but I just think he's adorable.

Colin Creevey by Feyrah (Source)

So, Corrie already covered most of what happens in this chapter. I'm kind of struggling to find things to pick up on...

Colin excitedly takes pictures of the Gryffindor team's Quidditch practice, which is interrupted by the inevitable arrival of the Slytherins. We are told that the Slytherin team is made up completely of boys, which I find an interesting tidbit of information. We all know, of course, that the Gryffindor team has three girls as their Chasers. Is this another expression of Slytherin's old-fashioned world views, or simply a lack of interest in the sport from the girls in said House?

Is it ever said explicitly at what age students are allowed to start playing Quidditch? Why are first year students not allowed on the team? I always assumed it was because it is such a dangerous game, so only older students could play it. But here we see that Draco Malfoy is on the team and he is only a second year, after all - or is he on the team simply because his father bought them all new brooms? While we have seen an exception made for Harry (which also grates on me), somehow I don't see Dumbledore being so accommodating towards Draco...

I truly admire Hermione sticking up for Ron and the rest of the team. It's a shame how badly it backfires - literally - as Ron tries to hex Draco for calling Hermione a Mudblood, but instead ends up vomiting slugs for the rest of the day. Harry and Hermione take Ron to Hagrid's hut and we find out that Lockhart was the only person willing to take on the role of DADA teacher, on account of the position being supposedly cursed.

I like that it's Ron who explains the meaning of Mudblood. Because of his general lack of magical skill, I think it's to forget that of the three main characters, he is the only who grew up in a wizarding environment and would therefore have access to all sorts of information about wizarding world. It really annoyed me that in the movie adaptation, Hermione knew what the offensive term meant.

We get a subtle reminder of Hagrid's expulsion from school in his third year and a mention of Ginny visiting Hagrid. Then it's back up to the school for lunch and detention. As Ron is sent off to clean trophies with Filch, Harry has the pleasure of serving his detention with Lockhart, helping him answer his fan mail. And seriously, I am amazed McGonagall managed to say that sentence with a straight face.

The chapter comes to a close with Harry hearing a 'voice of breath-taking, ice cold venom.' And so, we have a new mystery to solve - whose voice was it and why could Lockhart not hear it?

Before I sign off, let's take a look at the successful magic scoreboard:

Harry - 0
Hermione - 2
Ron - 0.5 (he managed to execute a hex, just not on the correct target)

Tomorrow it's time to get reacquainted with the ghosts of Hogwarts.

Until next time,

Lucia