Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Chapter 24 Summary.
Rita Skeeter’s Scoop
Chapter 24 of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, titled ‘Rita Skeeter’s Scoop’ deals with an article by Rita Skeeter and an unpleasant confrontation at the Three Broomsticks.
A New Professor
Everyone wakes up rather late the next day. Ron and Hermione seem to have come to an unspoken agreement to not discuss their argument from last night. Harry tells Hermione about Hagrid being a half-giant, and she is not very surprised.
Now that Christmas is over, students need to shift their attention back to homework again. Harry realizes that the date for the second task is approaching quickly, and he hasn’t made any progress at all. He hasn’t forgotten about Cedric’s hint, but isn’t too keen to take his help. All he can think of when he thinks about Cedric is Cho Chang, which makes him dislike Cedric.
Snow is still thick upon the grounds, and nobody is looking forward to Care of Magical Creatures. However, when the students reach Hagrid’s cabin for his lesson, they find him replaced with an elderly woman with gray hair and a prominent chin.
She introduces herself as Professor Grubby-Plank, and announces that she is a temporary professor for them, since Hagrid is ‘indisposed’. However, even when asked repeatedly she refuses to reveal what is wrong with Hagrid.
She leads the class to a tree on the edge of the forest, where a beautiful Unicorn stands tied. The class observes the beautiful creature, but all Harry and Ron can think about is what happened to Hagrid.
Hagrid’s Secret Revealed
Malfoy overhears their discussion, and smugly assures them that Hagrid is safe, just ashamed. He pulls out a newsprint from his robes and hands it to Harry.
It is an article from Rita Skeeter, and shows Hagrid in an extremely negative light. It announces that the hiring of Hagrid as gamekeeper and later Professor was a grave mistake on Dumbledore’s part. She describes him as a ferocious looking man who uses his position to terrify his students, and has a statement from Draco Malfoy to back up her claim. She also reveals how Hagrid has been breeding his Blast Ended Skrewts, which are a highly dangerous cross between Manticores and Fire-Crabs.
Finally, she talks about his half-human nature. Rita reveals Hagrid’s mother is the giantess Fridwulfa, whose whereabouts are currently unknown. Giants are bloodthirsty and murder-hungry creatures that once joined Voldemort, and Rita thinks Hagrid has inherited such tendencies.
Harry finishes reading the article and argues with Malfoy about his comments. The class ends, and everyone seems to have loved the lesson; even Hermione.
That is, until she reads the article from Rita Skeeter, and her mouth drops open. It is a mystery how she got to know, since she is banned from Hogwarts and was not even present when Hagrid revealed his secret to Madam Maxime.
The trio tries to visit him the following evening, but he doesn’t open the door. In fact, they don’t see him that entire week.
Weekend in Hogsmeade
Halfway through January, a Hogsmeade weekend is announced. Hermione wants Harry to stay and use the quiet common room to get some work done on the next clue, but Harry wants to go.
While leaving for Hogsmeade on Sunday, they pass the Durmstrang ship on the way. They see Krum on the deck, dressed in nothing but his swimming shorts, getting ready to dive into the lake. Hermione shares that Krum isn’t how you would think since he is from Durmstrang, but is actually a person. Ron doesn’t reply. They hadn’t talked about Krum ever since the Yule Ball, but Harry had once found a broken miniature arm under Ron’s bed, which looked like it had once belonged to a figure of the Bulgarian Seeker.
The trio heads over to the Three Broomsticks, and sees Ludo bagman sitting with a bunch of menacing looking goblins. However, the second he spots Harry, he gets up and comes up to him.
Bagman asks Harry for a private word, and takes him aside. He shares how hard it is to communicate with the goblins, and reveals that they are here looking for Barty Crouch. Harry is under the assumption that Barty is at the Ministry of London, but Bagman has no idea where he is.
An Unpleasant Meeting
Barty has stopped coming into work, and has been sending all communications through owl post. He further asks Harry not to mention this to anyone, since Rita Skeeter would probably tie his disappearance to Bertha Jorkins and turn the whole thing into something sinister.
There is no update on Bertha Jorkins as well. She arrived in Albania and met her second cousin, but disappeared on the way to meet her aunt.
Bagman then lowers his tone, and asks if Harry wants any help with the next task. He feels bad that Harry was thrown into the tournament without his consent, and says that he just wants a Hogwarts victory. Harry thanks him but rejects his help, stating he has almost cracked the egg. Bagman looks offended, but before he can say anything, they are joined by the Weasley twins. Fred offers to buy Bagman a drink, but he rejects the offer and rushes to leave.
Harry rejoins Ron and Hermione and tells them about what just happened. Hermione doesn’t condone Bagman’s wish to cheat, since he is a judge. They then discuss the goblins, and wonder what they needed from Crouch.
Just then, Rita Skeeter enters the pub, apparently looking for Ludo Bagman. She invites Harry over to her table, but he angrily denies and asks why she wrote the article about Hagrid. She says that her readers have a right to the truth, which angers Harry further.
Rita asks him to come over and tell her about the Hagrid he knows, but before he can say anything, Hermione gets up. She yells at Rita for trying to ruin people’s lives, but Rita coldly asks her to quiet down. Hermione beckons the others to leave, and rants about Rita on the way.
Consoling Hagrid
Still enraged, she takes the boys straight to Hagrid’s cabin and yells outside his door; telling him how nobody cares if his mother was a giantess. The door finally opens, but Hagrid is not behind it. It is Albus Dumbledore.
Dumbledore invites the trio inside. Hagrid is sitting at his table, his eyes swollen and his face blotchy. Dumbledore conjures some tea and cake for everyone, and asks if Hagrid heard what Hermione was yelling outside his door.
Harry greets Hagrid, and tells him he can’t let someone like Rita affect him like that. Dumbledore agrees, and says he has received a tonne of supportive letters from parents of various students that remember Hagrid from their time.
The headmaster finishes by saying that he refuses Hagrid’s resignation, and that he has no choice but to come back to work from Monday. With this, he gives fang a scratch on his ear and leaves.
As soon as Dumbledore leaves, Hagrid begins to sob. Hermione calms him down, and soon enough he can talk again. He admits his dad would be disappointed in the way he has been acting, and gets up to show them a picture of him. He talks about how he always supported Hagrid, but died when Hagrid was in his second year. Ever since that, Dumbledore took care of him. Hagrid says he will never be ashamed of who he is, like some people that pretend they have ‘big bones’.
Hagrid looks at Harry and says when he first met him, he reminded Hagrid of himself. It would mean a lot to Hagrid if Harry won the tournament, and he asks Harry to do his best. Harry lies that he has made progress with the egg, which makes Hagrid smile.
The chapter ends as the trio walks back to the castle after talking to Hagrid. Harry realizes that it is time to shelf his pride and use Cedric’s hint now.
