More bad press

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Chapter 23

It's probably good for Harry that Sirius is staying in touch. Not sure what he's going to need him for, but I can only assume he will need his assistance one day.

OK, some observations on the ball.

• Hey, I got a prediction right. Hermione shows up on Krum's arm. I surmise from the descriptions that Hermione was the belle of the ball or close to it.
• Harry and Ron turned out to be nothing close to dream dates. They raised ignoring to a new level.
• Balls are always a good place for eavesdropping. What were Snape and Karkaroff talking about? I won't venture a guess here.
• Rita Skeeter, or one of her informants, must have been hiding in the bushes when Hagrid gave away his giant secret.
• Cedric seems like a good bloke after giving Harry a hint about the egg.
• Hermione had a lovely time at the ball, but in the end she sounds as if she would have rather gone with someone else. I can't imagine why.
  

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Chapter 24

I tried to get Rita Skeeter fired, but she is obviously selling papers. Her hearsay piece on Hagrid has made everyone on Harry's side of things at Hogwarts realize that Rita can be trusted to twist the facts - or simply make them up.

I would have liked to be at The Three Broomsticks when Harry and Hermione told her off. I might have had a few things to say myself.

I do wonder what Bagman is up to, if anything. He's acting strangely, but maybe he's just strange. Maybe it's Crouch we need to keep a Mad-Eye on.

As for Hagrid, I should have known Dumbledore, great man that Dumbledore, could be found at Hagrid's house telling him the truth. I can't imagine Hagrid going against Dumbledore and not showing up for class on Monday.

And Harry's chosen to take Cedric's advice. Everyone can always do for a little pride shelving.

Shall we dance?

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Chapter 21

Are the house-elves of Hogwarts any relation to the Keebler elves? Can they bake cookies?

Sorry, before we get to the question of whether elves should have free-agent status, I suppose we should address the screaming or howling egg. I have no clue. All it made me think of was a howler. That's all I've got.

So Dobby is getting paid. It doesn't appear that the other elves have ostracized him for it. I wouldn't be surprised if after a while of seeing Dobby with freedom that the others won't start to ask for money.

Apparently, Dobby might be one to provide intelligence on enemy movements. It's not surprising that he called the Malfoys bad dark wizards. But what about Winky's slip about Bagman being a bad wizard? Might be that Crouch just doesn't like him, or it might mean something dark. The light of truth will shine eventually.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Chapter 22

The Yule Ball. Now this is starting to sound like my high school days.

The pressure to have a date. Friends telling you who to ask. Getting up the nerve. Being turned down. Acting like you don't want to go, but all the time really wanting to go.

Amid all this figuring out who is asking whom to the ball, Hermione raises a good point once or twice. Harry does need to start working on what the egg is revealing about the next task. He shouldn't put all of his eggs in the basket of figuring it out at the last minute.

In the end, everyone finds a date for the ball. Not everyone gets their first choice, but at least no one will go alone.

And that includes Hermione. She won't divulge her date because why? Probably because it's someone they would either make fun of or be jealous of.

Viktor Krum, perhaps.

I'll sleep outside

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Chapter 7

The poor Muggle running the campground must have thought there was a Woodstock reunion going on. It will be for his own good that his memories will be obliviated.

So these are tents on the outside and whatever you can imagine or afford on the inside. These magical people are so clever. However, I won't be staying with the Weasleys. The smell of cats would put me out under the stars. It's not just the smell, but the accompanying itchy eyes, sneezing and labored breathing that for me accompany the presence - present or past - of cats. Somebody pass the Benadryl.

The joy Percy's siblings must have felt when Crouch called their self-important brother Weatherby must have made the trip worth it already. That's a story that will be retold more often than whatever happens the next at Quidditch final.

The magical folk don't live like the Muggles in many ways, but it becomes more and more obvious that it is a competitive world. We've seen it with Snape, the Malfoys, Voldemort and now in the conversation between Bagman and Crouch. Arthur Weasley is one of the few to be content to do his job and not make a big deal about it. A bagful of galleons doesn't buy happiness, and Arthur has that figured out.

Again I say, let the games begin.