Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Chapter Fourteen:
The Unforgivable Curses

Synopsis by William Silvester
Notes and links by Michele L. Worley

US hardcover edition: pages 209-227
UK paperback edition: pages 230 - 250
Timeframe: Tuesday 3 September - Thursday 5 September, 1994 [Y14]

In which the fourth-year students learn about the Unforgivable Curses in their first lesson with Moody, Moody takes Neville to his office, Harry and Ron fake their Divination homework, Hermione starts SPEW, and Harry receives a letter from Sirius saying he's returning to Britain.

Interesting facts and notes about the text of this chapter:

Characters introduced in this chapter:

• (not named) a group of chattering Gryffindor first-years

Characters returning in this chapter:

• Bagman, Ludo (unnamed person referred to by the twins)

• Brown, Lavender

• Crookshanks

• Crouch, Bartemius junior (as Moody, Alastor "Mad-Eye")

• Fat Lady, the

• Granger, Hermione

• Hedwig

• Longbottom, Neville

• Patil, Parvati

• Potter, Harry

• Snape, Severus

• Thomas, Dean

• Weasley, Fred

• Weasley, George

• Weasley, Ron

Characters mentioned in this chapter:

• Black, Sirius

• Dumbledore, Albus

• Jordan, Lee

• Lockhart, Gilderoy (as one of three previous D.A.D.A teachers)

• Lupin, Remus J.

• Pettigrew, Peter (as Wormtail)

• Potter, James

• Potter, Lily Evans

• Quirrell, Professor (as one of three previous D.A.D.A teachers)

• Riddle, Tom Marvolo (as Voldemort)

• Sprout, Professor

• Trelawney, Professor

• Weasley, Arthur

Settings and locations introduced or returning in this chapter:

• D.A.D.A classroom

• Gryffindor common room

Settings and locations mentioned in this chapter:

• Burrow, the

• Owlery

• Potions classroom

Exceptional character moments:

• Neville's reaction to seeing the Cruciatus Curse cast.

• The fake Moody, who apparently detests the Imperius Curse so much that he makes a genuine effort to teach his students to resist it.

• The fake Moody comforting Neville after class - and using the opportunity to plant a clue on him for the Second Task, which won't take place for nearly six months.

• Harry and Ron making up their Divination homework.

• Harry's observation that the twins usually like to be the noisy center of attention, and that it's most unusual to see them working silently and out of the limelight.

• Hermione's establishment of S.P.E.W.

Spells:

• Engorgio

• Reducio

• Scouring Charm

• Unforgivable Curses, the

Links and Resources:

• Bestiary

  • boggarts (Dark creatures)

  • dementors

  • grindylows (Dark creatures)

  • hinkypunks (Dark creatures)

  • house-elves

  • kappas (Dark creatures)

  • owls

  • Red Caps (Dark creatures)

  • skrewts

  • werewolves (Dark creatures)

• Divination: astrology

• items and devices

  • books

    • Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection, The

    • Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean

  • Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes

• Ministry rules and regulations

• potions

  • horned toads

• S.P.E.W.

• Triwizard Tournament

Memorable lines:

• "CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"

Strictly British:

• dustbin

• first-year

• register

• wheeze

• wizard

Timelines/Calendar:

The chapter begins the day after the preceding chapter with brief glimpses of Tuesday and Wednesday before settling down to showing us the fake Moody's much-anticipated opening lesson in Defence Against the Dark Arts on Thursday.