Chapter 5 is tricky - reading it as a child I remember really liking it and thinking it was very brave of Harry and Ron to fly all the way to Hogwarts, but as an adult I just think it's super reckless and I disapprove of their behaviour.
As Corrie said when she reviewed this chapter a few days ago, this post will be full of criticisms.
Chapter 5 - The Whomping Willow
But let's start on a positive note - Harry is still at the Weasleys' house and having the happiest month of his life. On his last night at the Burrow, Mrs. Weasley makes a sumptuous dinner that includes treacle pudding for dessert. I wasn't sure what kind of dessert this is, so I had a look online and found a recipe on the BBC website.
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| Mmmm....looks yummy |
I like how hectic the journey to King's Cross is - they have to turn back three times to pick up forgotten items, such as Fred's broomstick and Ginny's diary. Wonder if that thing will be relevant in future chapters...
At King's Cross Harry and Ron are stopped from getting onto the platform as the gateway is magically sealed after the rest of the Weasley family manage to get through. Eleven o'clock comes and goes and the boys have missed their train to Hogwarts.
I don't want to repeat everything that Corrie said because my thoughts are very similar to hers - why didn't they just wait for Ron's parents and explain the situation to them? Surely this can't be the first time in the history of the existence of Hogwarts that a student has missed the train, there must be some back up option of getting to the school!
I can sympathize with the boys to some degree - it does happen that in a moment of panic people make irrational decisions. I remember once when I was about 5 years old, I was waiting for my mom in the car while she popped into the grocery store. She was taking a while and I really needed to use the bathroom, so I decided to leave the car and try to look for her, not realizing that the car door locks automatically, leaving me stranded outside in the cold. I don't really remember how I managed to find my mom, but obviously that story had a happy ending.
In any case, Harry and Ron manage to get the car up in the air and make it invisible. They follow the Hogwarts Express due north and fly above the clouds. I make a double-take at Ron's throw-away comment about being worried about aeroplanes. Mr. Weasley doesn't even know the proper terminology for an escalator and none of the Weasleys seem to know how a telephone works, but Ron understands the concept of aeroplanes?
Their flight is pretty uneventful until the car decides enough is enough (or perhaps it runs out of petrol? Does it even run on petrol?), they lose control of the car and crash into a tree. Unluckily for them, the Whomping Willow hits them right back and honestly, at this point, it serves them right. Considering the astounding lack of punishment they get from Dumbledore for this crazy and dangerous scheme, it seems appropriate that at least the tree reprimands them. Of course, I understand that the Willow could have seriously injured them, but still...
Bruised and demoralized because they weren't able to glide smoothly onto the grounds in a car that neither of them was equipped to drive, or fly, in the first place, they trudge up to the school and watch the Sorting ceremony through the window. Fantasizing about the potential fate that may have befallen their least favorite teacher, Professor Snape, it is not long before they are found and escorted to said teacher's office.
I do wonder how Snape knew where they were - did Ron's parents get in touch with Dumbledore about what had happened? Or had it been Hermione who had alerted a member of staff of their absence? Or had Dumbledore simply pieced two and two together upon seeing that day's issue of the Evening Prophet?
However they had found out, Harry and Ron are undoubtedly in a lot of trouble. I mean, Harry was almost expelled from Hogwarts because a house-elf had levitated a cake in his house in front of Muggles. Surely flying an illegally bewitched car across the country and being seen by no less than six Muggles would constitute a breach of the International Statute of Secrecy? I am sure whatever punishment they receive will be fitting of the crime.
Alas, it is not so. While it satisfies me greatly that Harry and Ron are knocked down a peg or two and begin to realize the stupidity of their actions, as well as the potential ramifications to Mr. Weasley, it really annoys me that all they get is a reprimand and a detention each.
I assume Dumbledore, and perhaps also Snape, use Legilimency on the boys to verify their story, but this is blatant favoritism on Dumbledore's part. I side with Snape on this - they broke the law and had it been any other student, I am sure the punishment would have been much more severe. I realize the story would have been cut very short if they had been expelled and so for the sake of the narrative they must remain at Hogwarts, but as with allowing Gryffindor to win the House Cup at the last minute at the end of Philosopher's Stone, this is highly unfair.
What the hell is the point of even having school rules at this point? Also, I would just like to remind everyone that in the previous book, being found out of bed after hours warranted the deduction of 50 points from each student and one detention. Apparently stealing and crashing a flying car is worth just the detention...
And the ending of the chapter just grates on me, because they haven't learned anything from this. Like, nothing. They get what they wanted - the whole of Gryffindor House (apart from Hermione and Percy) welcome them as if they're heroes or something.
Sigh, really not a happy reader at the moment. Let's hope the next chapter leaves me happier.
Until next time,
Lucia
Their flight is pretty uneventful until the car decides enough is enough (or perhaps it runs out of petrol? Does it even run on petrol?), they lose control of the car and crash into a tree. Unluckily for them, the Whomping Willow hits them right back and honestly, at this point, it serves them right. Considering the astounding lack of punishment they get from Dumbledore for this crazy and dangerous scheme, it seems appropriate that at least the tree reprimands them. Of course, I understand that the Willow could have seriously injured them, but still...
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| Harry and Ron get chucked on their bums (Source) |
Bruised and demoralized because they weren't able to glide smoothly onto the grounds in a car that neither of them was equipped to drive, or fly, in the first place, they trudge up to the school and watch the Sorting ceremony through the window. Fantasizing about the potential fate that may have befallen their least favorite teacher, Professor Snape, it is not long before they are found and escorted to said teacher's office.
I do wonder how Snape knew where they were - did Ron's parents get in touch with Dumbledore about what had happened? Or had it been Hermione who had alerted a member of staff of their absence? Or had Dumbledore simply pieced two and two together upon seeing that day's issue of the Evening Prophet?
However they had found out, Harry and Ron are undoubtedly in a lot of trouble. I mean, Harry was almost expelled from Hogwarts because a house-elf had levitated a cake in his house in front of Muggles. Surely flying an illegally bewitched car across the country and being seen by no less than six Muggles would constitute a breach of the International Statute of Secrecy? I am sure whatever punishment they receive will be fitting of the crime.
Alas, it is not so. While it satisfies me greatly that Harry and Ron are knocked down a peg or two and begin to realize the stupidity of their actions, as well as the potential ramifications to Mr. Weasley, it really annoys me that all they get is a reprimand and a detention each.
I assume Dumbledore, and perhaps also Snape, use Legilimency on the boys to verify their story, but this is blatant favoritism on Dumbledore's part. I side with Snape on this - they broke the law and had it been any other student, I am sure the punishment would have been much more severe. I realize the story would have been cut very short if they had been expelled and so for the sake of the narrative they must remain at Hogwarts, but as with allowing Gryffindor to win the House Cup at the last minute at the end of Philosopher's Stone, this is highly unfair.
What the hell is the point of even having school rules at this point? Also, I would just like to remind everyone that in the previous book, being found out of bed after hours warranted the deduction of 50 points from each student and one detention. Apparently stealing and crashing a flying car is worth just the detention...
And the ending of the chapter just grates on me, because they haven't learned anything from this. Like, nothing. They get what they wanted - the whole of Gryffindor House (apart from Hermione and Percy) welcome them as if they're heroes or something.
Sigh, really not a happy reader at the moment. Let's hope the next chapter leaves me happier.
Until next time,
Lucia
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