Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Re-read Part Two

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Initial thoughts:

Jenny: Who doesn’t feel sorry for Harry at this point? For the first time since he’s arrived at Hogwarts, he feels utterly alone! He doesn’t even have Ron’s support, because Ron is too jealous to admit that he might have been wrong. Add the animosity of the entire school, coupled with badges that say “Potter Stinks!” and you’ve got a very rough couple of weeks for Harry!

Sasha: This book is incredibly detailed. There were times I actually wondered if scenes were TOO detailed. Rowling definitely takes her readers on a journey, and it is one you can savor, but for the first time we encounter so many places, so many events, and each sequence can be lengthy. Previously Harry only ever ventured between Privet Drive, Hogwarts, occasionally The Burrow and King’s Cross. Not so here.

Favorite Part:

Jenny: Has to be, hands down, when Mad-Eye turns Malfoy into a ferret! It’s classic, especially considering all the times Snape has turned a blind eye to Malfoy’s ill-behavior and punished the Gryffindor students instead! Mad-Eye is a teacher I could get behind!

I’d say, a close second though, is how quickly Harry forgives Ron for being such a jerk. It’s obvious how much Ron’s friendship means to him. I mean, come on! Even Hermione gets teary eyed at their reunion!

Sasha: I also find ferret Malfoy to be funny and satisfying. I especially like Minerva’s reaction to the transfiguration. This is one scene that is just as funny in the book as it is in the film.

Best Character in this Section:

Jenny: Don’t read my opinion of the best character in this section if you don’t want any spoilers. Just incase there is the odd person out there who has never read or seen Goblet of Fire, I’m going to reveal part of the ending right here…so, if you don’t want to know, skip on to Sasha’s favorite character!

My favorite character in this section is hard to answer, because I want to say that it’s Mad-Eye Moody. Yes, yes, I know that it isn’t really Mad-Eye, but an imposter, but think about it, the imposter does his very best to act like the real Moody would. It may have just been an act, but this bad guy had to pretend to be a good guy, which included turning Malfoy into a rat, taking Neville’s mind off of his parents after the difficult lesson about the unforgivable curse that destroyed them, and helping Harry. Yes, it’s true that this imposter had an ulterior motive, but part of that motive was to remain undiscovered by any of the Hogwarts staff, and to do so, he had to act true to Moody’s character. And, let’s be honest, Moody is a pretty awesome character.

Sasha: Choosing a best character for this section is difficult. I’m going to have to say Hermione. Her obsession with SPEW is a perfect parallel to my own obsession with endangered species when I was her age. 

Jenny’s Re-Read Notes:

Maybe I didn’t analyze it so much last time, but this time around I feel terrible for Harry! Not only does he believe that someone is trying to kill him (again!), but almost every single student at Hogwarts hates him. I think we’ve all felt abandoned by our friends at some time or another, and it’s not a great experience. At a time when Harry needs support and friendship to take his mind off of the difficult tasks ahead, he has no one to turn to but Hermione! Yeah, Hermione is great and all, but she’s no replacement for Ron. Girls and guys can be great friends, but sometimes you just need a friend who isn’t the opposite sex to understand what you’re going through, and Harry misses that with Ron.

This book is funny, because, while you’re led to believe someone is trying to kill Harry by entering him into the tournament, that really isn’t the main focus of Goblet. As a reader, you get sucked into Harry’s relationships and the tasks ahead of him, and you keep having to be reminded that someone is trying to kill Harry! I imagine that’s why the ending comes as such a shock.

Spells we learned in this book?

Diffindo – Harry uses it to tear a hole in Cedric’s backpack