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Excerpts

Books 3 & 4

    Here is a list of over 100 excerpts from books 1-5 that we thought were amusing, helpful, or illustrated an important theme in the books.

Book 1  |  Book 2  |  Book 3  |  Book 4  |  Book 5

Book 3
Percy had what were possibly the least helpful words of comfort.
"They make a fuss about Hogsmeade, but I assure you, Harry, it's not all it's cracked up to be," he said seriously. "All right, the sweetshop's rather good, and Zonko's Joke Shop's frankly dangerous, and yes, the Shrieking Shack alway's worth a visit, but really, Harry, apart from that, you're not missing anything."

"Where is Wood?" said Harry, suddenly realizing he wasn't there. "Still in the showers," said Fred. "We think he's trying to drown himself."

George looked up in time to see Malfoy pretending to faint with terror again. "That little git," he said calmly. "He wasn't so cocky last night when the dementors were down our end of the train. Came running into our compartment, didn't he, Fred?" "Nearly wet himself," said Fred, with a contemptuous glance at Malfoy.

"I'm not blamin' yeh...but I gotta tell yeh, I thought you two'd value yer friend more'n broomsticks or rats. Tha's all."
-Hagrid

If you made a better rat than a human, that's not much to boast about.
-Sirius

-Ah, of course. There is no need to tell me any more Ms. Granger. Which one of you will be dying this year?
-Professor McGonagall

"Well...when we were in our first year, Harry - young, carefree, and innocent - well more innocent then we are now anyway"
-George Weasley

"Mr. Wormtail bids Professor Snape a good day, and advises him to wash his hair, the slime ball,"
-Peter Pettigrew

"Mr. Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that ever became a professor,"
-Sirius Black

"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs," sighed George, patting the heading of the map. "We owe them so much." "Noble men, working tirelessly to help a new generation of lawbreakers." said Fred solemnly.

Mr. Moony presents his compliments to Professor Snape, and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people's business.

You should have died! Die rather than betray your friends, as we would have done for you!
-Sirius

Poor old Snuffles... he must really like you, Harry... imagine having to live off rats.
-Ron

"What was there to be gained by fighting the most evil wizard who has ever existed? Only innocent lives, Peter."
-Sirius Black

"There's enough filth on my robes without you touching them."
-Sirius Black

"Are you insane? Of course I want to leave the Dursleys! Have you got a house? When can I move in?"
-Harry

"Not at all up to your usual standard, Hermione," he said. "Only one out of three, I'm afraid. I have not been helping Sirius get into the castle and I certainly don't want Harry dead...but I won't deny that I am a werewolf."
-Lupin

"He was my mum and dad's best friend. He's a convicted murderer, but he's broken out of wizard prison and he's on the run. He likes to keep in touch with me, though...keep up with news...check if I'm happy..."
-Harry

Book 4
"Don't be prat, Neville, that's illegal," said George. "They wouldn't use the Cruciatus Curse on the champions. I thought it sounded a bit like Percy singing... maybe you've got to attack him while he's in the shower, Harry."

"OH NO YOU DON'T, LADDIE!" Harry spun around. Professor Moody was limping down the marble staircase. His wand was out and it was pointing right at a pure white ferret. "I want to fix that in my memory forever," said Ron, his closed and an uplifted expression on his face. "Draco Malfoy, the amazing bouncing ferret..."

"He sounds exactly like Moody," said Harry quietly, tucking the letter away again inside his robes. "'Constant vigilance!' You'd think I walk around with my eyes shut, banging off the walls...."

"I told you!" Ron hissed at Hermione as she stared down the article. "I told you not to annoy Rita Skeeter! She's made you out to be some sort of-scarlet woman!" Hermione stopped looking atonished and snorted with laughter. "Scarlet woman?" she repeated, shaking with surpressed giggles as she looked around at Ron. "It's what my mum calls them," Ron muttered, his ears going red.

"Wild!" ... I can make that old bloke down there pick his nose again... and again... and again..."
- Ron Weasley

'There you go, Harry! You weren't being thick after all--you were just showing moral fiber!
-Ron

Of course Dumbledore trusts you. He's a trusting man, isn't he? Believes in second chances. But me--I say there are spots that don't come off, Snape. Spots that never come off, know what I mean?
-Moody 

I don't know who Maxime thinks she's kidding. If Hagrid's a half-giant, she definitely is. Big bones...the only thing that's got bigger bones than her is a dinosaur.
-Harry

Twitchy little ferret, aren't you Malfoy?
- Hermoine

Remember Cedric. Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldermort. Remember Cedric Diggory.
-Dumbledore

Well, I can certainly see why we're trying to keep them alive. Who wouldn't want pets that can burn, sting, and suck blood all at once?
-Draco

"You might even have a scar now, if you're lucky...that's what you want, isn't it?"
-Harry to Ron

"Yeah, someone might slip dragon dung in it again, eh, Perce?" said Fred. "That was a sample of fertilizer from Norway!" said Percy, going very red in the face. "It was nothing personal!" "It was," Fred whispered to Harry as they got up from the table. "We sent it."

One of them was a very old wizard who was wearing a long flowery nightgown. The other was clearly a Ministry wizard; he was holding out a pair of pinstriped trousers and almost crying with exasperation. "Just put them on, Archie, there's a good chap. You can't walk around like that, the Muggle at the gate's already getting suspicious--" "I bought this in a Muggle shop," said the old wizard stubbornly. "Muggles wear them." "Muggle women wear them, Archie, not the men, they wear these," said the Ministry wizard, and he brandished the pinstriped trousers. "I'm not putting them on," said old Archie in indignation. "I like a healthy breeze 'round my privates, thanks."