Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Chapter 22 Summary.
The Unexpected Task
Chapter 22 of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, titled ‘The Unexpected Task’ deals with the announcement of the Yule Ball, and the subsequent preparations that go into it.
The Yule Ball
In Thursday’s Transfiguration class, Professor McGonagall announces that the Yule Ball is approaching. It is a tradition of the Triwizard Tournament, open only to fourth years and above. It will be at 8 o’clock on Christmas, and dress robes are mandatory. She warns that while it is an opportunity for them to ‘let their hair down’, she will be seriously displeased if any of her students embarrass the school in any way.
The bell rings, and Professor McGonagall calls Harry away for a word. She informs him that it is tradition for the Champions to open the ball. This, of course, means that not only will Harry have to get a partner, but also dance in front of everyone.
The following week, Harry struggles to find a partner. More people than ever have chosen to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas, and all the girls are especially excited about the ball. Harry wants to ask Cho Chang but is nervous since she is very popular, very pretty, and a year older than him.
Ever since he beat the Horntail, the other students haven’t been as bad to him. He wonders if Cedric had a hand in it since Harry helped him with the first task. A few girls ask him out in the next couple of days, but Harry turns them all down.
Excitement Among the Students
Adding on to Harry’s well-being, there has been no recent article in the Prophet mentioning Hagrid yet. During the last Care of Magical Creatures lesson of the term, they get a chance to talk to him. Hagrid explains that all she wanted to do was talk about Harry. She kept trying to get Hagrid to say something bad about him but was not able to.
The conversation then shifts to the ball, and Hagrid acknowledges he will be joining them there. As the end of the term approaches, rumors about the Yule Ball start flying around like crazy.
Hogwarts had booked the Weird Sisters for the event. Harry had no clue who they were, but a lot of the other students were excited to listen to their music.
Some Professors like Flitwick give up trying to teach since everyone has their minds on the Ball. Other teachers like McGonagall and Moody are not so generous, and work them till the end. Snape, too, announces a test on poison antidotes on the last day of the term.
Preparing for the Ball
That night, Ron complains about Snape while building a card castle from his Exploding Snap! pack. Hermione asks him to study instead and tells Harry he should be working on the next task. Harry lazily replies that he has a lot of time. It was true, he had two and a half months for the second task and hence had not bothered to check on the egg since the first task.
Fred and George join the conversation and ask Ron to borrow Pigwidgeon. He asks who they want to send a letter to, but they don’t reveal it. Ron asks Fred who he is taking to the ball, and Fred seizes this opportunity to ask Angelina, who says yes. He then advises Ron and Harry to hurry up and get a date, before all the good girls are gone.
The following Friday, Ron and Harry decide to get a partner before they get back to the common room at night. Harry keeps trying to catch Cho alone but is unsuccessful since she is always surrounded by her friends. This occupies his mind, so when he sits for Snape’s test he forgets the key ingredient for his antidotes and ends up with bottom marks.
After class, Harry gathers courage and makes the move. He approaches Cho and asks for a private word. Once out of earshot of Cho’s giggling classmates, and with much difficulty, Harry pops the big question. Cho apologizes, saying she has already said yes to Cedric.
Dejected, Harry bids her goodbye and heads straight to the common room, skipping dinner. In the common room, he sees Ron sitting ashen-faced in a corner.
Getting Dates
Harry asks what happened, and Ginny explains that Ron just asked Fleur Delacour for the ball while she was talking to Cedric. She didn’t even answer him, and by the second Ron came to his senses, he ran away. Harry consoles him by telling him that she is part Veela. She probably turned on her old charm for Cedric, and Ron got a blast of it. He also says that she is simply wasting her time with Cedric, since he is already going with Cho.
Anxious, Ron says that they are probably the only ones who haven’t managed to get a date, except for Neville, who apparently asked Hermione. Hermione told him that she was already going with someone, and turned him down. He laughs and says that Hermione probably just did not want to go with him and therefore lied, but Ginny does not appreciate the joke.
A second later, Hermione enters the common room. Ginny informs her that both the boys have just been rejected by the girls they asked out and now have nobody to go with. Ron makes a sour face, but then realizes that Hermione is a girl and perhaps she could go with one of them. Hermione icily declines the offer, repeating that she already has someone to go with. Ron does not believe her, which makes her storm off in anger.
Ron asks Ginny who Hermione is going with, but she does not tell him. Giving up, he asks her to at least go with Harry, but she cannot do that either since she is going with Neville. With this, she leaves for dinner.
Right then, Harry notices Parvati and Lavender enter the common room. He realizes that it is time to take drastic action, and goes up to them. He asks Parvati for the dance, and she accepts. Harry asks if Lavender can go with Ron, but she is going with Seamus. In desperation, Harry asks if they know of anyone who could go with Ron.
The chapter ends as Parvati suggests her sister Padma Patil for Ron. Harry has finally managed to get dates for the both of them, and he returns to Ron hoping that Padma is good looking.
