Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Chapter 23 Summary

The Yule Ball

• Christmas holidays have arrived, and Harry's hanging around relaxing.
• Ron keeps pestering Hermione to find out who she's going to the ball with, but she refuses to confess.
• Pigwidgeon arrives with Sirius's letter.
• Sirius congratulates Harry on getting past the Horntail, but he still warns him to "concentrates on keeping [himself] out of trouble" (23.22).
• Harry keeps putting off working on his clue for the second task – he's enjoying himself too much.
• On Christmas morning, Harry wakes up to find Dobby leaning over him.
• Dobby has brought Harry a Christmas present: a pair of hideous socks he knit himself.
• Harry also gets presents from Hermione, Ron, Sirius, Hagrid, and Mrs. Weasley (and the Dursleys, sort of).
• Hermione heads off to get ready for the ball.
• Ron looks blue, primarily because there "was just no getting around the fact that his robes looked more like a dress than anything else" (23.56).
• Parvati and Padma, on the other hand, look beautiful and excited.
• The four champions assemble:
• Fleur arrives with Roger Davies, the Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain, in tow.
• Viktor is "accompanied by a pretty girl in blue robes Harry didn't know" (23.71).
• Cedric and Cho turn up.
• And then Harry can finally see that the girl Viktor has brought to the ball is… Hermione.
• Hermione looks absolutely stunning, and everyone in the Hall is impressed.
• The four champions dance with their partners.
• Finally, they can sit down and eat at the head table.
• Ludo Bagman is looking excited. But Harry is surprised to find Percy Weasley sitting where Mr. Crouch usually is.
• Mr. Crouch is ill, and Percy is representing him officially. Of course.
• Percy continues to be unbelievably conceited, overbearing, and condescending.
• Viktor chats with Hermione about Durmstrang, which is much smaller than Hogwarts.
• Fleur boasts, "'Zis is nothing" (23.97), and goes on to brag about the beauties of Beauxbatons. We don't doubt her word.
• After dinner, the band the Weird Sisters strike a tune, and Harry and Parvati dance.
• Harry can only take one song before he has to sit down again, though.
• Ron is looking furious: he's "glaring at Hermione and Krum, who were dancing nearby" (23.118).
• Finally, Parvati and Padma get bored and storm off to find new partners.
• Hermione greets Ron and Harry, and Ron suddenly launches into an accusation that Hermione is "fraternizing with the enemy" (23.130).
• He thinks that Viktor is just trying to date Hermione to find out secrets about Harry.
• Hermione looks totally betrayed and angry.
• Percy Weasley sits down next to Harry.
• Percy notices that Fred and George have "accosted" (23.165) Ludo Bagman and gets annoyed.
• Ludo Bagman claims that they were all just having a chat about the twins' practical jokes.
• Ron drags Harry out for a walk; he doesn't want to listen to Percy talk anymore.
• In the garden, they overhear Professors Snape and Karkaroff talking.
• Karkaroff is clearly worried because something has "been getting clearer and clearer for months" (23.177).
• Professor Snape says it doesn't matter; he'll remain here at Hogwarts.
• Snape then spots Ron and Harry and sends them hurrying along.
• Next, they spot Madame Maxine and Hagrid sitting together.
• Hagrid is telling Madame Maxine, "It was my mother [...] She was one o' the las' ones in Britain" (23.192).
• It turns out the Hagrid's father was a wizard, but his mother was a giant.
• He was raised by his father until he died when Hagrid started school.
• After that, Hagrid was more or less on his own (for more on Hagrid's school years, check out Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets).
• Then, Hagrid asks which of Madame Maxine's parents was a giant.
• Madame Maxine refuses to answer: "I 'ave nevair been more insulted in my life! 'Alf-giant? Moi? I 'ave – I 'ave big bones!" (23.203). Whoops. So much for the flirting.
• And Madame Maxine storms away.
• Back at the Hall, Ron explains that giants have a pretty nasty reputation: "no wonder [Hagrid] keeps it quiet" (23.215).
• When the Ball ends at midnight, Harry walks out.
• Cedric Diggory calls Harry over.
• He suggests that Harry think over his clue while sitting with his golden egg in the bathtub. (We normally prefer candles.)
• Harry is confused by this hint, but Cedric insists.
• Cedric even offers to let Harry use the prefects' bathroom, so he'll have some privacy. This Cedric is a stand-up guy.
• Harry goes in to the Gryffindor Common Room to see Ron and Hermione screaming at each other.
• Hermione yells, "Next time there's a ball, ask me before someone else does, and not as a last resort!" (23.240).
• Ron thinks Hermione has "completely missed the point" (23.242).
• Privately, Harry thinks Hermione understands a lot better than Ron does.