Learn English with Harry Potter

#1. No Such Thing as Magic


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Published: 28 Sep 2018   [ UPDATED SEP 2026 ]
Level 4 (B1+)   |   Time: 4:24
Accent: British

Improve your English with an ESL listening lesson from Harry Potter.


Directions 이용안내 Direcciones Instruções Інструкції


  1. READ the VOCABULARY + BACKGROUND

    It is important to read the vocabulary and background before you watch the video. This will improve your ability to understand the video. It will also help you understand how the new vocabulary is used naturally.

  2. WATCH the VIDEO

    The first time you watch the video, just try to understand the overall situation.

  3. ANSWER the QUESTIONS

    First, try to answer all the questions from memory. Then rewatch the video and try to answer the questions that you missed.

  4. WATCH and READ the SCRIPT

    Watch the video again while you read the script. Reading and listening at the same time will help you hear each individual word and improve your listening accuracy.

  5. DO the ACTIVITIES

    There are several different activities that focus on listening accuracy, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure.

  1. LEA el VOCABULARIO y ANTECEDENTES.

    Es importante leer el vocabulario y los antecedentes antes de ver el video. Esto mejorará su capacidad para comprender el video. También le ayudará a comprender cómo se usa el nuevo vocabulario de forma natural.

  2. VER el VIDEO

    La primera vez que vea el video, intente comprender la situación general.

  3. RESPONDE a las PREGUNTAS

    Primero intente responder todas las preguntas de memoria. Luego, vuelva a ver el video e intente responder las preguntas que se perdió.

  4. MIRAR Y LEER

    Mire el video nuevamente mientras lee el guión. Leer y escuchar al mismo tiempo lo ayudará a escuchar cada palabra individual y mejorará su precisión auditiva.

  5. HACER LAS ACTIVIDADES

    Hay una serie de actividades diferentes que se centran en la precisión auditiva, la pronunciación, el vocabulario, la gramática y la estructura de las oraciones.

  1. 어휘와 배경 읽기

    비디오를 보기 전에 어휘와 배경을 읽는 것이 중요합니다. 이렇게 하면 비디오를 이해하는 능력이 향상됩니다. 또한 새로운 어휘가 어떻게 자연스럽게 사용되는지 이해하는데 도움이됩니다.

  2. 비디오 보기

    비디오를 처음 볼 때 전체 상황을 이해하려고 노력하세요.

  3. 문제에 답하기

    먼저 모든 질문에 답을 해보세요. 그런 다음 비디오를 다시보고 놓친 질문에 답해보세요.

  4. 비디오 보면서 대본 읽기

    대본을 읽는 동안 비디오를 다시 보세요. 읽기와 듣기를 동시에 하면 각각의 단어를 듣고, 듣기 정확도를 향상시킬 수 있습니다.

  5. 액티비티 하기

    듣기 정확도, 발음, 어휘, 문법 및 문장 구조에 초점을 맞춘 다양한 액티비티가 있습니다.

  1. LER o VOCABULÁRIO + FUNDO

    É importante ler o vocabulário e o histórico antes de assistir ao vídeo. Isso melhorará sua capacidade de entender o vídeo. Também ajudará você a entender como o novo vocabulário é usado naturalmente.

  2. ASSISTA ao VÍDEO

    Na primeira vez que assistir ao vídeo, tente entender a situação geral.

  3. RESPONDA às PERGUNTAS

    Primeiro, tente responder todas as perguntas de memória. Em seguida, assista novamente ao vídeo e tente responder às perguntas que você errou.

  4. ASSISTA e LEIA o SCRIPT

    Assista ao vídeo novamente enquanto lê o roteiro. Ler e ouvir ao mesmo tempo ajudará você a ouvir cada palavra individualmente e a melhorar sua precisão auditiva.

  5. FAÇA as ATIVIDADES

    Existem várias atividades diferentes que se concentram na precisão auditiva, pronúncia, vocabulário, gramática e estrutura da frase.

  1. ПРОЧИТАЙТЕ СЛОВНИК і ОСНОВНУ ІНФОРМАЦІЮ

    Важливо прочитати словник і основну інформацію перед переглядом відео. Це покращить вашу здатність розуміти відео. Це також допоможе вам зрозуміти, як нова лексика використовується природно.

  2. ПЕРЕГЛЯНЬТЕ ВІДЕО

    Коли дивитеся відео вперше, просто намагайтеся зрозуміти загальну ситуацію.

  3. ВІДПОВІДАЙТЕ НА ЗАПИТАННЯ

    Спочатку спробуйте відповісти на всі запитання з пам'яті. Потім перегляньте відео ще раз і спробуйте відповісти на запитання, які ви пропустили.

  4. ПЕРЕГЛЯНЬТЕ і ПРОЧИТАЙТЕ СЦЕНАРІЙ

    Перегляньте відео ще раз, читаючи сценарій. Читання і слухання одночасно допоможе вам почути кожне окреме слово і покращити точність сприйняття на слух.

  5. ВИКОНАЙТЕ ЗАВДАННЯ

    Існує кілька різних завдань, які зосереджені на точності сприйняття на слух, вимові, лексиці, граматиці та структурі речень.

Vocabulary 어휘 Vocabulário Vocabulario Словник


Check the words you already know. Marca las palabras que ya conoces. Marque as palavras que você já conhece. 이미 아는 단어에 체크하세요. Позначте слова, які ви вже знаєте.

  • ☐ ☐ ☐ Pumpkin exp. - Sweetie, Love, Darling
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ funny business exp. - strange things or problems
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ Burma n. - a country in Asia (Myanmar)
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ Bred in Captivity exp. - born in a zoo (never wild)
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ There's no such thing as ... exp. - ... doesn't exist.
  • ☐ ☐ ☐ swear v. - promise

n. - noun,    v. - verb,    phv. - phrasal verb,    adj. - adjective,    exp. - expression



Background 배경 O fundo Antecedentes Контекст


Harry Potter Vernon Petunia Dudley
Harry Uncle Vernon Aunt Petunia Dudley
  • Harry is an orphan. (His parents are dead.)
  • He lives with his Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia.
  • Dudley is their son.

Questions 문제 Questões Preguntas Запитання


  1. Where does Harry sleep?
    In the kitchen
    Under the stairs
    In his bedroom

  2. Who is celebrating a birthday?
    Harry
    Vernon
    Dudley

  3. What does Aunt Petunia tell Harry to do?
    She tells Harry to bring some coffee.
    She tells Harry to make breakfast.
    She tells Harry to do some magic.
    She tells Harry not to burn anything.
    She tells Harry to move faster.

  4. What does Uncle Vernon tell Harry to do?
    He tells Harry to bring some coffee.
    He tells Harry to make breakfast.
    He tells Harry to do some magic.
    He tells Harry not to burn anything.
    He tells Harry to move faster.

  5. Why is Dudley upset?
    His breakfast was burned.
    Harry got more gifts than he did.
    He received fewer birthday gifts this year than last year.

  6. What does Aunt Petunia say she will do for Dudley to make him feel better?
    She will punish Harry.
    She will take him to the zoo.
    She will buy two more gifts for him.

  7. What punishment does Vernon say he will give to Harry?
    He will make Harry leave the house.
    He will make Harry sleep under the stairs.
    He won't let Harry have any meals for a week.

  8. How many times has Harry talked to a snake before?
    Never
    Once
    Twice

  9. Where did the snake probably grow up?
    In a zoo
    In Burma
    In Hogwarts

  10. Why does Harry feel a connection to the snake?
    They both live in cages.
    They both can do magic.
    They both never knew their parents.

  11. What does Harry say about the glass in the snake cage disappearing?
    He doesn't know how it happend.
    He thinks he did it himself.
    He thinks the snake did it.

  12. What does Vernon say about magic?
    It is powerful.
    It is dangerous.
    It doesn't exist.

Score:



Story Order 이야기 순서 Ordem da história Orden de la historia Порядок подій


Directions: Put the events in the correct order, then press Check.

  1. Petunia wakes Harry up on the morning of Dudley's birthday.
  2. Harry is ordered to cook breakfast without burning it.
  3. Dudley throws a tantrum because he got one fewer present than last year.
  4. Petunia promises to buy Dudley two extra presents on the way to the zoo.
  5. Vernon warns Harry not to cause any problems at the zoo.
  6. Dudley loses interest in the sleeping snake exhibit and wanders off.
  7. Harry starts quietly talking to the snake.
  8. Harry learns that he and the snake have much in common.
  9. Harry magically makes the glass vanish and Dudley falls into the enclosure.
  10. Vernon lectures Harry and demands to know what happened.

Score:



Vocabulary Review 어휘 검토 Revisão de vocabulário Vocabulario revisión Огляд лексики


Directions: What expressions from the video have the same meaning as the highlighted expressions in the sentences below?

Instrucciones: ¿Qué expresiones del video tienen el mismo significado que las expresiones destacadas en las oraciones siguientes?

Instruções: Quais expressões do vídeo têm o mesmo significado que as expressões destacadas nas frases abaixo?

지시 사항: 아래 문장에서 강조된 표현과 같은 의미를 가진 표현을 영상에서 찾아보세요.

Інструкції: Які вирази з відео мають те саме значення, що й виділені вирази в реченнях нижче?


  1. I'm warning you now, boy. Any [ strange trouble ], any at all, and you won't have any meals for a week.

    [ funny business ]



  2. Sign: [ Born in a zoo ]

    [ Bred in Captivity ]



  3. I [ promise ] I don't know! One minute the glass was there and then it was gone! It was like magic!

    [ swear ]



  4. [ Magic doesn't exist ]!

    [ There's no such thing as magic ]



Grammar 문법 Gramática Gramática Граматика (imperatives)


Directions: Choose the word or expression that best completes the sentence.

Instrucciones: Elija la palabra o expresión que mejor complete la oración.

Instruções:: Escolha a palavra ou expressão que melhor completa a oração.

지시 사항 : 문장을 가장 잘 완성하는 단어나 표현을 선택하십시오.

Інструкції: Виберіть слово або вираз, який найкраще завершує речення.

  • Up. Now!
  • , cousin! We're going to the zoo!
  • Oh, here he comes, the birthday boy!
  • Happy birthday, son.
  • Why don't the breakfast, and try not to burn anything.
  • Yes, Aunt Petunia.
  • I want everything to be perfect for my Dudley's special day.
  • my coffee, boy!
  • Yes, Uncle Vernon.

  • I'm warning you now, boy. Any funny business, any at all, and any meals for a week.
  • it move.
  • He's asleep!

  • Can you hear me? It's just I've never talked to a snake before. Do you...I mean...do you talk to people often? from Burma, aren't you? Was it nice there? Do your family?
  • Bred in Captivity
  • I see. That's me as well. I never knew my parents, either.
  • Mummy, dad, here! what this snake is doing!!

  • My darling boy! How did in there?!
  • How did in there? Dursley, oh, Dursley!

Score:



Grammar 문법 Gramática Gramática Граматика (embedded questions)


Directions: Choose the word or expression that best completes the sentence.

Instrucciones: Elija la palabra o expresión que mejor complete la oración.

Instruções:: Escolha a palavra ou expressão que melhor completa a oração.

지시 사항 : 문장을 가장 잘 완성하는 단어나 표현을 선택하십시오.

Інструкції: Виберіть слово або вираз, який найкраще завершує речення.

  • Why just cook the breakfast, and try not to burn anything.
  • Yes, Aunt Petunia.
  • How many ?
  • Thirty-six. Counted 'em myself.
  • Thirty-six?! But last year last year I got thirty-seven!!
  • Yes, well, some of them are quite a bit bigger than last year!
  • I don't care how big !
  • Oh, now, now, now. This is what going to do. When we go out, we're going to buy you two new presents! How's that, Pumpkin?

  • Sorry about him. He doesn't understand what , lying there day after day, watching people press their ugly faces in on you.
  • hear me? It's just I've never talked to a snake before. to people often? from Burma, aren't you? there? your family?
  • Mummy, dad, come here! You won't believe what doing!

  • My darling boy! How in there?!
  • How in there? Dursley, oh, Dursley!
  • What ?
  • I swear ! One minute the glass was there and then it was gone! It was like magic!
  • There's no such thing as magic!

Score:



Sentence Building 문장 만들기 Construção de sentença Construcción de oraciones Побудова речень


Directions: Write sentences about the video clip using the words given. You can change the word form or add words, but you cannot change the word order.
Use a present time frame (tense).
( ) = optional   [ ] = necessary

Instrucciones: Escriba oraciones sobre el videoclip usando las palabras dadas. Puede cambiar la forma de la palabra o agregar palabras, pero no puede cambiar el orden de las palabras. Usa el tiempo presente.
( ) = opcional   [ ] = necesario

Instruções: Escreva frases sobre o videoclipe usando as palavras dadas. Você pode alterar a forma da palavra ou adicionar palavras, mas não pode alterar a ordem das palavras. Use o tempo presente.
( ) = opcional   [ ] = necessário

지시 : 주어진 단어를 사용하여 비디오 클립에 대한 문장을 씁니다. 어형을 변경하거나 단어를 추가할 수 있지만 어순은 변경할 수 없습니다. 현재 시제를 사용합니다.
( ) = 선택 사항   [ ] = 필수 사항

Інструкції: Напишіть речення про відеокліп, використовуючи подані слова. Ви можете змінювати форму слова або додавати слова, але не можете змінювати порядок слів.
Використовуйте теперішній час.
( ) = необов'язково   [ ] = обов'язково



Sentence 1

Petunia / wake / Harry / up / and / order / him / cook / breakfast / with / burn / it

Petunia wakes Harry up and orders him to cook breakfast without burning it.



Sentence 2

Vernon / then / tell / Harry / hurry / up / and / bring / coffee

Vernon then tells Harry to hurry up and bring his coffee.



Sentence 3

Dudley / count / present / and / realize / he / get / one / few / gift / than / last / year

Dudley counts his presents and realizes (that) he got one fewer gift than last year.



Sentence 4

Petunia / promise / buy / him / two / more / gift

Petunia promises to buy him two more gifts.



Sentence 5

before / they / leave / for / zoo / Vernon / warn / Harry / not / cause / any / trouble

Before they leave for the zoo, Vernon warns Harry not to cause any trouble.



Sentence 6

at / zoo / Dudley / lose / interest / in / sleep / snake / and / wander / off

At the zoo, Dudley loses interest in a sleeping snake and wanders off.



Sentence 7

Harry / then / quiet / talk / snake / and / learn / it / never / know / parent / either

Harry then quietly talks to the snake and learns (that) it never knew its parents either.



Sentence 8

Dudley / notice / something / strange / about / snake / and / rush / over

Dudley notices something strange about the snake and rushes over.



Sentence 9

sudden / glass / disappear / and / Dudley / fall / in

Suddenly, the glass disappears, and Dudley falls in.



Sentence 10

Vernon / accuse / Harry / and / demand / know / what / happen

Vernon accuses Harry and demands to know what happened.



Sentence 11

Harry / swear / he / not / know

Harry swears (that) he doesn't know.




Directions: Play the audio clip and try to repeat what you hear. Click "Show" to see the text.

Instrucciones: Reproduce el clip de audio e intenta repetir lo que escuchas. Haga clic en "Show" para ver el texto.

Instruções: Reproduza o clipe de áudio e tente repetir o que você ouve. Clique em "Show" para ver o texto.

지시 사항 : 오디오 클립을 재생하고 들리는 내용을 반복해 보십시오. 텍스트를 보려면 "Show" 를 클릭하십시오.

Інструкції: Увімкніть аудіокліп і спробуйте повторити те, що чуєте. Натисніть "Show", щоб побачити текст.


Clip 1
0:00 / 0:00

Wake up, cousin! We're going to the zoo!



Clip 2
0:00 / 0:00

Why don't you just cook the breakfast, and try not to burn anything.



Clip 3
0:00 / 0:00

Hurry up! Bring my coffee, boy!



Clip 4
0:00 / 0:00

This is what we're going to do, is that when we go out we're going to buy you two new presents!



Clip 5
0:00 / 0:00

I'm warning you now, boy. Any funny business, any at all, and you won't have any meals for a week.



Clip 6
0:00 / 0:00

He doesn't understand what it's like, lying there day after day, watching people press their ugly faces in on you.



Clip 7
0:00 / 0:00

Do you talk to people often?



Clip 8
0:00 / 0:00

You're from Burma, aren't you?



Clip 9
0:00 / 0:00

That's me as well. I never knew my parents, either.



Clip 10
0:00 / 0:00

Mummy, dad, come here! You won't believe what this snake is doing!!



Clip 11
0:00 / 0:00

I swear I don't know!



Clip 12
0:00 / 0:00

One minute the glass was there, and then it was gone! It was like magic!



Clip 13
0:00 / 0:00

There's no such thing as magic!



Compare the Book 책을 비교하다 Compare o livro Comparar el libro Порівняйте з книгою


The text below is adapted from the original novel.

  1. Which parts of the video are the same as the novel?
  2. Which parts of the video are different from the novel?
  3. Which parts of the novel are not in the video?

El texto a continuación está adaptado de la novela original.

  1. ¿Qué partes del video son iguales a la novela?
  2. ¿Qué partes del video son diferentes de la novela?
  3. ¿Qué partes de la novela no están en el video?

O texto abaixo é adaptado do romance original.

  1. Quais partes do vídeo são iguais ao romance?
  2. Quais partes do vídeo são diferentes do romance?
  3. Quais partes do romance não estão no vídeo?

아래 글은 원작 소설을 옮긴 것이다.

  1. 영상의 어떤 부분이 소설과 같나요?
  2. 동영상의 어떤 부분이 소설과 다른가요?
  3. 소설의 어떤 부분이 영상에 나오지 않습니까?

Текст нижче адаптований з оригінального роману.

  1. Які частини відео збігаються з романом?
  2. Які частини відео відрізняються від роману?
  3. Яких частин роману немає у відео?

His Aunt Petunia was wide awake and it was her sharp voice which made the first noise of the day. ‘Up! Get up! Now!’

Harry woke up suddenly. His aunt knocked on the door again.

‘Up!’ she shrieked. Harry heard her coming towards the kitchen and then the sound of the frying pan being put on the stove. He closed his eyes and tried to remember the dream he had been having. It had been a good one - with a flying motorcycle. He was sure he’d had the same dream before.

His aunt was outside the door again.

‘Are you up yet?’ she demanded.

‘Almost,’ said Harry.

‘Well, get moving, I want you to tend to the bacon. And don’t you dare let it burn, I want everything to be perfect on Duddy’s birthday.’

Harry groaned.

‘What did you say?’ his aunt snapped.

‘Nothing, nothing …’

Dudley’s birthday - how could he have forgotten? Harry slowly got out of bed and started getting dressed. He had to pull a spider off one of his socks before he put them on. Harry was used to spiders because his little bedroom under the stairs was full of them.

When he was dressed, he went to the kitchen. The table was almost hidden under all Dudley’s birthday gifts. It looked like Dudley had got a new computer, not to mention the second television and the racing bike. Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to Harry, as Dudley was quite fat and hated exercise - unless of course it was punching somebody. Dudley’s favourite punching-bag was Harry, but he couldn’t often catch him. Harry didn’t seem so, but he was very quick.

Perhaps because he lived in dark cupboard, Harry had always been small and skinny for his age. He looked even smaller and skinnier because he only had Dudley’s old clothes to wear, and Dudley was much bigger than Harry. Harry had black hair, a thin face, bright-green eyes, and knobbly knees. He wore round glasses held together with tape because Dudley had punched him on the nose so many times. The only thing Harry liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead which was shaped like a bolt of lightning. He had had it for as long as he could remember. In fact, the first question he could remember asking his aunt was how he had got it.

‘In the car crash when your parents died,’ she had said. ‘And don’t ask any more questions.’

Uncle Vernon came into the kitchen as Harry was turning over the bacon and barked, ‘Comb your hair!’

Harry was frying the eggs by the time Dudley arrived in the kitchen. Dudley looked much like Uncle Vernon. He had a large, pink face, not much neck, small, blue eyes and smooth blond hair on his thick, fat head. Harry thought he looked like a pig in a wig.

As Harry served breakfast, Dudley was counting his presents. His face fell. Thirty-six,’ he said, looking up at his mother and father. ‘There are two less than last year.’

‘Darling, you haven’t counted Auntie Marge’s present. Look! It’s there under this big one.

‘All right, thirty-seven then,’ said Dudley, still getting angry. Harry could feel a Dudley tantrum coming, so he began eating his bacon as fast as possible.

Aunt Petunia obviously sensed danger coming as well, because she quickly added, ‘And we’ll buy you another two presents today. How’s that, pumpkin? Is that all right?’

Dudley sat down and reached for the nearest gift. ‘All right then.’

Uncle Vernon chuckled.

At that moment, the telephone rang. Aunt Petunia answered it while Harry and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap more gifts. He was ripping the wrapping paper from a gold watch when Aunt Petunia came back. She looked both angry and worried.

‘Bad news,’ she said. ‘Mrs. Figg has a broken leg. She can’t watch Harry.’

Dudley’s face filled with horror but Harry had a moment of hope. On Dudley’s birthday every year, his parents would take him and a friend to adventure parks, fast-food restaurants or cinemas. Every year, Harry was left with Mrs. Figg, a strange old woman who lived nearby. Harry hated it there. The whole house smelled like rotten cabbage and Mrs. Figg forced him to look at photographs of cats.

‘What now?’ said Aunt Petunia, looking angrily at Harry.

‘We might phone Marge,’ Uncle Vernon suggested.

‘Don’t be silly, Vernon. She hates the boy.’

The Dursleys often talked about Harry in this way, like he wasn’t there, or as though he couldn’t understand them.

‘I guess we could take him to the zoo,’ Aunt Petunia suggested.

Dudley started to cry loudly, although he was just pretending. ‘I don’t … want him … t-to come!’ Dudley screamed between pretend sobs. ‘He always sp-sp-spoils everything!’ He gave Harry a nasty grin through the space between his mother’s arms.

At that moment, the doorbell rang. ‘Oh no, they’re here!’ said Aunt Petunia frantically. A moment later, Piers Polkiss, Dudley’s best friend, walked in. Piers was a skinny boy with the face of a rat. He was usually the one who held boy’s arms behind their backs as Dudley punched them. Dudley immediately stopped pretending to cry.

Soon, Harry was on his way to the zoo for the first time in his life. His aunt and uncle had been unable to think of anything to do with him. Still, before they left, Uncle Vernon had talked to Harry very sternly. ‘I’m warning you now, boy - any funny business, anything at all - and you’ll be back in that cupboard until Christmas.’

‘I’m not going to do anything,’ Harry pleaded. But Uncle Vernon didn’t believe him.

The problem was that strange things always happened around Harry and it was useless telling the Dursleys that he didn’t cause.

One time, Aunt Petunia, tired of Harry long messy hair, had taken a pair of scissors and cut his hair as short as she could, leaving only his fringe to hide that horrible his scar. Harry spent a sleepless night imagining school the next morning. He was already laughed at for his broken glasses and baggy clothes. The next morning, however, he had woke up and found his hair exactly as it had been before Aunt Petunia had cut it off. Unable to explain how it had grown back so quickly, he was kept in his cupboard for a week.

But today, nothing was going to be perfect. It was even okay being with Piers and Dudley because he was spending the day somewhere that wasn’t school, his cupboard or Mrs. Figg’s foul-smelling house.

It was a sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded. The Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice-creams at the entrance and then, because the smiling lady in the van had asked Harry what he wanted before they could hurry him away, they bought him a cheap lemon ice lolly. It wasn’t bad either, Harry thought, licking it as they watched a gorilla scratching its head and looking remarkably like Dudley, except that it wasn’t blond.

Harry had the best morning he’d had in a long time. He was careful to walk a little way apart from the Dursleys so that Dudley and Piers, who were starting to get bored with the animals by lunch-time, wouldn’t fall back on their favourite hobby of hitting him. They ate in the zoo restaurant.

After lunch they went to the reptile house. It was cool and dark in here, with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and stone. Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous cobras and thick, man-crushing pythons. Dudley quickly found the largest snake in the place. It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Vernon’s car and crushed it into a dustbin - but at the moment it didn’t look in the mood. In fact, it was fast asleep.

Dudley stood with his nose pressed against the glass, staring at the glistening brown coils.

‘Make it move,’ he whined at his father. Uncle Vernon tapped on the glass, but the snake didn’t budge.

‘Do it again,’ Dudley ordered. Uncle Vernon rapped the glass smartly with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed on.

‘This is boring,’ Dudley moaned. He shuffled away.

Harry moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. He wouldn’t have been surprised if it had died of boredom. It had no company except stupid people banging their fingers on the glass. It was worse than having a cupboard as a bedroom, where the only visitor was Aunt Petunia banging on the door to wake you up. But at least Harry could visit the rest of the house.

Suddenly the snake opened its little eyes. Very slowly, it raised its head and then it winked at Harry.

Harry quickly looked around to see if anyone else saw. They didn’t. He looked back and winked at the snake. It looked at Uncle Vernon and Dudley and then gave Harry a look that clearly said: ‘I get that all the time.’

‘I know, it must be really annoying,’ Harry murmured through the glass although he wasn’t sure if the snake could understand him.

The snake nodded yes.

‘Where do you come from, anyway?’ Harry asked.

The snake pointed at a little sign next to the glass with its tail. “Boa Constrictor, Brazil.”

‘Was it nice there?’

The snake pointed its tail at the sign again. Then Harry saw: This specimen was bred in the zoo.

“So you’ve never been to Brazil?”

As the snake shook its head, a loud shout coming from behind Harry made both of them jump. ‘DUDLEY! MR DURSLEY! LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WON’T BELIEVE WHAT IT’S DOING!’

Dudley walked towards them as fast as he could.

‘Move, you,’ he said, punching Harry in the stomach. Surprised, Harry fell hard onto the floor.

Then suddenly, as Piers and Dudley were leaning right up close to the glass, it disappeared. The great snake was quickly uncoiling itself, and it slithered out on to the floor. People screamed and started running for the exits.

As the snake slid past him, Harry could almost hear a low, hissing voice say, ‘Brazil, here I come … Thankssss, amigo.’

The reptile house attendant was still in shock. ‘The glass?’ he kept saying. ‘Where did the glass go?’

Embarrassed, the zoo director made Aunt Petunia a cup of tea while he apologised again and again. Although the snake had only snapped playfully at their heels as it passed, Piers and Dudley were still scared speechless. By the time they were back in the car, Dudley was explaining how it had almost bitten off his leg. Piers was swore it had tried to squeeze him to death. But the worst thing of all, for Harry at least, was Piers was able to ask, ‘You were talking to it, weren’t you, Harry?’

After Piers was safely out of the house, Uncle Vernon moved his focus to Harry. He was so angry he could barely speak. But at last he managed, ‘Go - cupboard - stay - no meals!’ Then he collapsed into his chair with a large glass of brandy.


[ printable .pdf ]

Discussion 논의 Questões de discussão Discusión Обговорення


  1. Why do you think the Dursleys treat Harry so badly?
  2. In your opinion, which of the three people treats Harry the worst? Use evidence to support your opinion.
  3. How are the lives of Harry and the snake similar?
  4. How do you think Uncle Vernon will punish Harry?
  5. Harry claims he doesn't know what happened to the glass at the snake exhibit. Do you think he's telling the truth? Why or why not?
  6. Dudley is a spoiled child. What does "spoiled" mean? Do you know any "spoiled" children? Describe them.
  7. Harry can talk to snakes. What animal would you like to be able to talk to? What would you talk about?
  8. In the real world, is there such thing as magic? Is magic real?

Script 대본 Roteiro Guion Сценарій


Petunia: Up. Get up. Now!

Dudley: Wake up, cousin! We're going to the zoo!

Petunia: Oh, here he comes, the birthday boy!

Vernon: Happy birthday, son.

Petunia: Why don't you just cook the breakfast, and try not to burn anything.

Harry: Yes, Aunt Petunia.

Petunia: I want everything to be perfect for my Dudley's special day.

Vernon: Hurry up! Bring my coffee, boy!

Harry: Yes, Uncle Vernon.

Petunia: Aren't they wonderful, darling?

Dudley: How many are there?

Vernon: Thirty-six. Counted 'em myself.

Dudley: Thirty-six?! But last year last year I got thirty-seven!!

Vernon: Yes, well, some of them are quite a bit bigger than last year!

Dudley: I don't care how big they are!

Petunia: Oh, now, now, now. This is what we're going to do, is that when we go out we're going to buy you two new presents! How's that, Pumpkin?


Vernon: I'm warning you now, boy. Any funny business, any at all, and you won't have any meals for a week. Get in.


Dudley: Make it move.

Vernon: Move!

Dudley: MOVE!

Harry: He's asleep!

Dudley: He's boring.

Harry: Sorry about him. He doesn't understand what it's like, lying there day after day, watching people press their ugly faces in on you.

Harry: Can you hear me? It's just, I've never talked to a snake before. Do you...I mean...do you talk to people often?

Harry: You're from Burma, aren't you? Was it nice there? Do you miss your family?

Sign: Bred in Captivity

Harry: I see. That's me as well. I never knew my parents, either.

Dudley: Mummy, dad, come here! You won't believe what this snake is doing!!

Snake: Thankssssssss.

Harry: Anytime.

Man: SNAKE!

Dudley: Mum, mummy! Please! Please! Mum, help! Help me!

Petunia: My darling boy! How did you get in there?! How did you get in there? Dursley, oh, Dursley!


Petunia: It's all right. It's all right.

Vernon: What happened?

Harry: I swear I don't know! One minute the glass was there and then it was gone! It was like magic!

Vernon: There's no such thing as magic!

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