How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
Hermione was furious with the pair of them; she went from one to the other, trying to force them to talk to each other, but Harry was adamant: he would talk to Ron again only if Ron admitted that Harry hadn't put his name in the Goblet of Fire and apologized for calling him a liar.
"I didn't start this," Harry said stubbornly. "It's his problem."
"You miss him!" Hermione said impatiently. "And I know he misses you –" (19.20-2)
Poor Hermione. Have you ever been caught between two fighting friends like this? Do you think it's possible to maintain equally strong friendships with two people who won't speak to one another? Do you think Harry should be handling his fight with Ron any differently, or is it all on Ron to apologize since he started the whole thing?
Quote #5
Harry thoroughly enjoyed double Divination that afternoon; they were still doing star charts and predictions, but now that he and Ron were friends once more, the whole thing seemed very funny again. Professor Trelawney, who had been so pleased with the pair of them when they had been predicting their own horrific deaths, quickly became irritated as they sniggered through her explanation of the various ways in which Pluto could disrupt everyday life. (21.71)
We love J.K. Rowling's subtle depiction of that sense of relief and extra enjoyment you get when you make up with a friend after fighting badly. Even though the Harry Potter series is (obviously) fantasy, Rowling's delicate observations of the feelings of these characters give the books a realistic edge. We think that the best fantasy combines magical elements with things we can recognize from everyday life. Ron and Harry's rocky friendship is definitely something we can sympathize with, in the middle of all of Harry's strange adventures.
Quote #6
Dumbledore was the one who stuck up for me after Dad went. Got me the gamekeeper job ... trusts people, he does. Gives 'em second chances ... tha's what sets him apar' from other Heads, see. He'll accept anyone at Hogwarts, s'long as they've got the talent. Knows people can turn out okay even their families weren' ... well ... all tha' respectable. But some don' understand that. (24.191)
Thematically, Goblet of Fire is the key book for setting up developments later in the novels. After all, we know that Voldemort's primary weapon is fear. So what is Harry going to use that will be stronger than fear? We can see hints of the answer in this transformation of Hagrid. He goes from weeping in his own cabin, afraid to do his job as instructor for Care of Magical Creatures, to declaring, "Never be ashamed" (24.191). And the reason that he gains that strength is thanks to the supportive trio and Professor Dumbledore, "the one who stuck up for [him] after Dad went." What makes people like Professor Dumbledore (and Harry) powerful is the love they feel and the friendships they are able to build. They don't have to rely on fear to keep others in line. This proves key in the seventh book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.