Dissection: SS/PS Chapter 14 Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback

[Cameraman Jenn]

We start off the chapter with Hermione making study schedules and moaning about the exams being only ten weeks away. Typically Harry and Ron try to ignore this behaviour. They are also being loaded down with work by the teachers and so they hit the library only to run into Hagrid. He's acting very oddly so they check the section he was reading in and find it all about dragons. They discuss this amongst themselves wondering what Hagrid is up to. The reason become quickly clear when they make a visit to Hagrid in his hut and find him tending a dragon egg. They manage to get some interesting information from Hagrid during this visit involving which of the teachers are involved in protecting the Philosopher's Stone. The teacher list includes Professor Sprout, McGonagall, Quirell, Dumbledore, Flitwick and Snape. Harry of course is outraged that Snape would be guarding the stone but Hagrid says that is all the more reason to think that Snape is NOT trying to steal it.

A few days later they get a message that the egg is hatching and while discussing going to Hagrid's house they are overheard by Malfoy but unsure of how much he actually heard. They head to the hut after class and sure enough the egg hatches. Malfoy was spying in the window. They try to convince Hagrid to get rid of Norbert but to no avail. Finally after a few weeks of enduring Malfoy's taunts and helping to take care of the dragon, Hagrid relents and they hatch a plan to get the dragon to Charlie. Ron is bitten and forced to go to the hospital where Malfoy comes in to taunt him and then takes a book that has Charlie's letter outlining the plan for his friends to pick up Norbert. On the night of the pickup, Harry and Hermione are hidden under the invisibility cloak so McGonagall only busts Malfoy and is scolding him about lies while passing Hermione and Harry by in the hallway. With the way clear they are able to pass Norbert to Charlie's friends but foolishly forget the invisibility cloak on the rooftop and are then busted by Filch on the way back to their dorm.

[Menolly]

Nice Jenn, thanks!

[Stubby Boardman]

Hey great dissection!

One would have thought after the whole thing with the Chamber of Secrets, Hagrid would have stopped messing with such creatures. Even if he didn't stop you would think he wouldn't try to raise a dragon on school grounds. As much as I like Hagrid I can only agree with Harry, Hermoine and Ron that Hagrid doesn't always think.

I am still lost as to how they "forgot" the invisibility cloak. It is alte and you should not be out of the dormitory but you leave the owlery and forget to put the cloak on. lol

[Cameraman Jenn]

I too found it a bit convenient that they leave the cloak. I understand why JKR did it, so that they would get the same detention as Malfoy, but it was a bit weak. Would Harry really leave behind one of the few legacies he got from his father, an invaluable invisibility cloak? And how would the supersmart and extra paranoid Hermione let him? No Way. Hard to swallow. Especially on the heels of nearly get busted on the way UP and only being saved by the same invisibility cloak they so easily discard. That's actually one of the weakest moments in the book IMHO. I also want to know how they managed to keep Norbert quiet in the hallway. Wasn't he kicking up a fuss from inside the box when they picked him up?

[Zahir]

Two things/thoughts...

We are talking about children, after all. They're bound to make mistakes.

Second, I'm not at all sure Dumbledore didn't know all that was going on and smoothed circumstances on their behalf.