Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Chapters Fifteen–Sixteen Summary & Analysis

Chapter Fifteen: Beauxbatons and Durmstrang

Summary

The morning after hearing from Sirius, Harry wakes early and tiptoes to the Owlry, where he sends a letter to Sirius, disclaiming his scar pain and telling him to stay where he is. Days pass with no response, and in defense against the dark arts, Professor Moody places the Imperius Curse on the students in order to teach them to ward it off. The students do strange things under Moody's control, and when it is his turn, Harry feels the loveliest, most unconcerned feeling. He hears Moody order him to jump on the table. Harry prepares to jump, but then considers why he should do what Moody is telling him, and so he crashes into the table while deciding whether to jump or not. Moody is delighted.

Classes get busier. Near the end of October, a poster informs the students that the delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving on October 30 in the evening. A Hufflepuff boy reads the sign and says that he should alert Cedric Diggory. Hermione and Ron argue about whether Cedric is intelligent or not. Hermione believes he is, and Ron accuses Hermione of liking Cedric only because he is handsome. Hermione continues with S.P.E.W., which most people think is a great joke, and Harry receives word from Sirius that he is indeed coming and will stay well hidden.

On the 30th, the Hogwarts students line up to welcome the guests. Beauxbatons arrives in a great flying carriage, and from the carriage emerges the Headmistress, Madame Maxime, an oversized and attractive woman who greets Dumbledore and then leads her underdressed, shivering students into the castle to warm up. Soon from the lake emerges a great ghostly ship, from which the Durmstrang students, led by the shifty, shrewd-looking Karkaroff, file onto dry land. One of these students, Ron gasps in amazement, is the Bulgarian Seeker, Viktor Krum.

Chapter Sixteen: The Goblet of Fire

As the guest schools file into the Great Hall, the Hogwarts girls are in a great fluster to get Viktor Krum's autograph, just as the boys are fighting to have him sit near them. He winds up sitting at the Slytherin table, but throughout dinner Ron considers offering him a space to sleep in his and Harry's room. The Beauxbatons students scowl and complain, even after an eclectic mix of dishes (to accommodate the nationality of each school) appears on the table. Ron becomes fixated on one of the Beauxbatons girls, whom he thinks looks like a Veela. Hermione is annoyed, but Harry is barely paying attention, as he is busy admiring Cho Chang, a pretty Ravenclaw girl. At the head table, Ludo Bagman and Barty Crouch have arrived to help judge.

Dumbledore introduces the Goblet of Fire to the students and explains that those who wish to enter the Tournament should place their name on a slip of paper inside the goblet; he adds that he has drawn an age line around its perimeter, meaning that no one under the age of seventeen can approach. Dinner ends. As Karkaroff is fawning over Krum and leading the Durmstrang students back to their ship, he notices Harry and stares. Moody approaches and angrily tells Karkaroff not to hold up the line.

The next day, Fred and George use a potion to age themselves, but still the Age Line throws them away, causing them to sprout beards. Everybody is curious to see who enters, and who is selected to compete. That afternoon, Harry, Ron, and Hermione slip over to visit Hagrid, and they are shocked to find that he has dressed in a hairy brown suit, slicked back his hair, and put on some sort of awful-smelling cologne. They all discuss the Tournament and the Skrewts, which have grown and begun to kill each other; Hermione fails in her attempt to persuade Hagrid to join S.P.E.W., and as they all begin to move back toward the castle, Hagrid is distracted by Madame Maxime.

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