The Horcrux Hunt

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Chapter 10

RAB. I had to think for a few paragraphs what that was from. My reading has drifted for a while, but I'm back hoping to be diligent for another 26 chapters and end this thing.

So RAB represents the initials of Sirius Black's brother Regulus. He's the one he swapped the horcrux locket with a fake locket. It all made sense as I kept reading. Harry is now on the trail of a horcrux he thought was gone forever. It's still gone, possibly forever, but there is hope.

Kreacher. What a pathetic existence. He's in the house all alone. Of course, no one has been ordering him around, but still. I'm not as empathetic as Hermione, but still.

Kreacher now has the important job of finding Mundungus Fletcher and retrieving the horcrux. Not sure how Harry will destroy it, but there's probably something in one of those ancient books in Hermione's go bag.

The letter. Does it mean anything? Does it hold clue? Does Mundungus have the rest of it? Will we find out what Harry's mum said about Dumbledore?

I don't have a house elf to help me find these answers, so I'll just keep reading. I'd like to say I'll be finished in 26 days. But my track record says it will take longer than that.

But not too much. I promise.

Listening and watching along with Harry

I wrote the other day about the new Harry Potter read-along on WizardingWorld.com. Today I listened and watch along for 28 minutes about The Boy Who Lived, read by Daniel Radcliffe.

Before I did the #HarryPotterAtHome thing as it's being tagged on social media, I looked back at the post I wrote about Chapter 1 of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." I got so caught up in the cat thing, because of my feline phobia, that I missed all sorts of important things in my introduction to Harry Potter. Things that I now realize are important as I have progressed through the opening chapters of "Deathly Hallows."

I started jotting things down as I listened to the perfect British voice of Harry:

• The Dursleys are perfectly cast characters to be Harry's kin. Yes, they are annoying and mean, but as we came to learn book after book they are exactly what Muggle relatives of Harry should be like.
• All of things Uncle Vernon noticed that day fueled his dislike for "that lot" as he often referred to magical folk.
• The owls were flying everywhere. I had forgotten all about that.
• The mention of Godric's Hollow. I had not remembered that name even when it came up in recent chapters I have read. Now, it appears, Harry will be returning to the scene of the crime that made him a hero.
• Completely forgot that McGonagall didn't want Harry left with the Dursleys. Can't say I blame her, but Dumbledore was ever the wise one. He remained safe on ye olde Privet Drive.
• I had no recollection that Hagrid made such an early appearance. And how appropriate it was for that noisy motorbike (borrowed from Sirius, a name we knew nothing about then) to be the vehicle for Harry's arrival at Privet Drive and for his final getaway. How many of you remembered that when you read the "Seven Potters" chapter? It's been 10 years, so I, of course, didn't remember anything about Harry's arrival.
• No wonder Hagrid has been so protective of Harry. Hadn't considered why until just now.
• Finally, this was our introduction to the scar, which didn't seem important at the time.

The Chapter 2 reading is live. "The Vanishing Glass" reading is by Noma Dumezweni. She portrayed Hermione in the original cast of "The Cursed Child" in London and on Broadway.

On the Wizarding World website you can sign up for alerts and such. I figured I would sign up so I will know when a new chapter reading is posted. During the signup process, the Sorting Hat appeared and there were a series of questions designed to put you in a house.

I paused.

Do I really want to do this?

Might as well.

I came out a Hufflepuff.

Nerdiest thing I've ever done.

Photo by Mitchell Luo on Unsplash

Off to war

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Chapter 38

The news, or at least the Daily Prophet's interpretation of such, is out.

Harry and Dumbledore have their good names back and their standings in magical society have been restored. And all are healed or healing from their run-in with the Death Eaters and Lord Voldemort.

And Umbridge is gone. (Can I get an Amen.)

But not all is right with Harry. He continues to mourn Sirius. I don't think this is a loss he will ever fully resolve his guilt over. It will haunt him, but not in the way he was hoping. Sirius will not be a ghost roaming the halls of Grimmauld Place. He is gone.

But just when we're at our lowest, that's when friends pick us up. A book full of angst, hard truths and loss had a happy ending when the Order told the Dursley's to treat Harry well or else. I'm pretty sure Uncle Vernon doesn't want to find out what or else means. But his temper could cost him one day this summer.

So this is the end of the book. The stage is set for a second war against Voldemort's desire to reign over the magical world. I'm confident the good guys will win but not before suffering more casualties. I have a million questions. Who lives and who dies? What is Snape's role? What character(s) will play a bigger role than expected? I just hope it doesn't come down to the fate of the Crumple-Horned Snorkack. That would be disappointing.

It will be a grim undertaking this vanquishing of Voldemort. I am eager to see how it ends. But school is about to start again for me, so the final two books will probably have to wait until summer.

See you then.

Another Harry situation

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Chapter 36

Another action-packed chapter for us to digest and consider the outcomes.

We know Dumbledore can stand toe-to-toe with Voldemort.

We know how utterly scared Voldemort's minions are of him.

We know Harry is this nemesis of Voldemort's that he just can't conquer.

And we know Voldemort is positively angry over what transpired at the Ministry of Magic.

• He didn't get the prophecy.
• He knows the opposition is committed to his demise.
• And he knows his return is no longer a secret.

What's a mean, old, Grinch-of-a-wizard to do?

Retreat, regroup and adjust to the new reality. The full force of the Ministry will be against him. Hopefully his spies will all be rooted out and sent to Azkaban or into hiding.

For the Order, they will mourn Sirius, wonder about the prophecy and also adjust to the new reality. At least Dumbledore, Harry, the Order and the DA will have Hogwarts as a safehouse.

And while Fudge still has the title, it's clear Dumbledore is in charge of the good guys. And Umbridge will get stuck behind a desk somewhere out of the way. It was a pretty good day when you think about it.

More than expected

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Chapter 35

Reporting back as promised.

So Dumbledore reappears and Sirius disappears (Lupin says he's dead) in the span of seven paragraphs? Are you kidding me? I read 805 pages that build to those two big-dealios on the same page?

Good stuff.

If Sirius is truly gone and not protected by some charm or spell, all the Death Eaters have accomplished is to make the Order really angry. It's no-spells-barred time.

So what happens next? The Order can't exactly report this to the Ministry. Fudge, etc., would only charge them with harboring a fugitive and maybe more. And they don't seem ready to believe (or admit) the Death Eaters are active. Time to call in the crime scene unit to the Department of Mysteries and gather forensic evidence. Wait, they probably don't do that there. Guess it will remain a mystery (pun intended).

Backing up, I was surprised to learn that this was all about a prophecy. Didn't see that coming (another pun intended). Of all the names, however, that ran through my head at the end of the previous chapter, Lucius Malfoy was near the top of the list.

And now it's clear why the Order wanted the Occlumency lessons for Harry to continue. He was being played by Voldemort all along. I still say they should have told him why. All are at fault.

To top it off, the prophecy was given and no one heard it as far as we know.

Here's my prophecy: This battle of wands and spells was only a warmup. An all-out war is coming. But you probably know that.

Jarring turn of events

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Chapter 34

I don't know about the rest of you, but flying horses sounds like a fun way to fly. Half airplane, half roller coaster and full-on thrill ride. They should create a ride based on it at one of the Harry Potter theme parks at Universal Studios in Orlando. Half merry-go-round, half roller coaster high above the park and only after dark.

But hunting around in the creepy Department of Mysteries I will leave to our fictional characters. So back to them and the quest to find Sirius.

Oops, no Sirius. What a letdown for Harry and for us. All this excitement of getting away from Umbridge and riding the skies for nothing? Maybe not.

What is this jar that Ron has found with the Harry's name on it and the words Dark Lord? And why a question mark?

And who is this person who has sneaked up behind them and asked for the jar? The person called him Potter, which all of the unfriendly adults and some professors do throughout the books. That's as far as I will guess. It took all my strength not to peek ahead to the next page and see who it was.

But I will now and report back soon.

Busting out

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Chapter 33

Does this mean The Dunderheaded Secretary and High Instigator is out of the story? Has she been carried off to Centaur-land forever? We can only hope. Although, I do enjoy musing about her.

Props to Hermione for leading Umbridge into the forest. My first thought was that she was headed to Grawp. I was kind of half right because his appearance allowed them to break free. Now it's time to fly to the Department of Mysteries and save Sirius.

That is the next question. Can this top-ranking platoon of the DA save Padfoot from Voldemort? I have no idea. I've heard some characters begin to die. Is this the beginning of that? Or does Sirius survive?

I do suggest getting out of the forest and staying out. The Centaurs (I'm even afraid to call them half-breeds) would not be happy to see them.

So from here, it's save Sirius, reassemble the Order and, I suppose, find a way to convince the Ministry that Voldemort is alive. I'm guessing at some point that will happen and all magical people not aligned with Voldemort will live in fear again.

Enjoy the flight.

Sirius Dreams

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Chapter 31

One of my daughters peeked over my shoulder yesterday to see me reading the chapter titled O.W.L.s. "Hmmm ... O.W.L.s," she said and spelled it. I was reading it as a word like you would an acronym such as NATO or Taser.

So which is it? Do you spell it when you say it or do you say it as the word it spells? A deep question, I know, but I suppose I will have to wait till I can watch the movie to know for sure. Hopefully that will be in about a week.

On to more pressing questions:

• How long before Ron quits retelling his Quidditch heroics?
• How long before Grawp is discovered?
• How did everyone do on their O.W.L.s?
• Will the High Instigator get in trouble for her midnight vigilantism that chased off Hagrid and felled McGonagall?
• Where and when will Hagrid reappear?

The biggest question, of course, is what did Harry really see in his dream after he fell asleep during his final exam?

We know that Voldemort is inflicting the unforgiveable Crucio! curse on Sirius. Nasty old V wants Sirius to give him something. Not sure what it is or if I should know. But it must be crucial. I do think Harry finally saw more because he wasn't trying to fall asleep and his guard was down.

The other question is will Harry tell anyone what he saw? Maybe because Sirius was in trouble he will tell him. But you never can tell with this bunch what they will share and what they will keep to themselves. They live by a code of need-to-know and afraid-to-tell.

Whatever happens, I'm sure such a public display by Harry will produce more questions than you can shake a wand at.

In the words of George ...

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Chapter 29

If I had the displeasure of introducing Dolores Umbridge to a crowd, it might go something like this:

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Dolores Umbridge, the most hated headmistress in the history of Hogwarts.

Or, Dolores Umbridge, the wicked witch of the Ministry of the Magic.

But I think I would most like to introduce her in the words of George Weasley: Dolores Umbridge, the old bat.

Yes, that would give me pleasure.

As readers we, of course, side with Harry and all his friends. And we root against their opposition. And Dolores is definitely the opposition. I hope Harry gets to be an auror, especially after her display in the career counseling session. Talk about your micro-managers. Oh, and good for McGonagall standing up to the boss.

Harry's talk with Sirius and Lupin should calm him down about his dad. Their insistence on resuming his Occlumency lessons was revealing. Everyone believes this is serious business, but they won't tell Harry exactly why. Tell the boy already. Don't you know by now that this approach doesn't work with Harry. He will just go off in another direction if he doesn't understand why.

And then there's Snape. He needs to grow up and forget the past. Move on. Let it go. And just take one for the Order.

Head games

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Chapter 24

My first question about this chapter titled "Occlumency" was how to pronounce it. Thanks to the knowledgeable Potter Heads I live with, I think I have it down now.

I understand that growing up with the Dursleys and being orphaned so young makes Harry less than trusting of adults. He has formed the DA with fellow students, and the only adults he seems to trust his life with are the Weasleys (Mrs. Weasley is a maternal figure) and Sirius (an obvious father figure). He wants to trust Dumbledore with his life, but the old wizard keeps Harry in the dark a little too much for Harry's liking.

It's time for Harry to get over this hate for Snape at least a little bit. Dumbledore evidently trusts Snape, so Harry ought to think about that. Would Dumbledore let Snape get inside Harry's mind if he didn't trust the greasy-haired one? This could be a slippery (or greasy) slope of trusting Snape too much, but my bet is that Snape has reformed his evil ways.

I don't know how this story ends, but I can't help but postulate that Snape will be a key figure in the outcome.

Anyway, it was unexpected to learn that Harry was getting inside Voldemort's mind, not the other way around. There is no explanation as to how this happened, but it must have something to do with the graveyard incident.

And what lies behind the door to the Department of Mysteries? Hope I find out before the next book.

More questions with no answers

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Chapter 22

Fans of the Weasley family, this must have been a difficult chapter for you to not peek ahead. I was expecting this to start being the point where the author started killing off characters. Alas, Arthur was saved.

Not sure what to make of Harry seeing what Voldemort's snake sees and the feeling he had toward Dumbledore just before the portkey sent him to see Sirius. I suspect Dumbledore knows or at least strongly suspects, but he's not telling. He's very much into the protocol of need to know.

We're left to think that maybe Voldemort has a way of possessing Harry, according to Moody. I suppose it could something like that, but not exactly. This is one of those chapters that makes you ask questions, makes you want to go right to the next page and keep reading as if  the answer will be there. But I'm sure it's not. It's just another clue, to lead you to another clue, etc.


But I will ask this question. Why would Voldemort want Harry to see this if it meant Arthur would be saved from death? That doesn't fit.

And the key to solving mysteries is figuring out what doesn't fit and why.

Getting a little fired up

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Chapter 17

Umbridge up to no good
She's a sneaky one that Dolores
How to make her stop

Has Dumbledore been locked in the dungeon? Where is he? A vanishing spell gone awry?

His students need him. Dolores is more than a spy for Fudge - she is staging a coup.

When she dissolved all extra-curriculars, I actually felt a twinge of anger. My emotional detachment to the story might be weakening. Make out of that statement whatever you want.

I think the Gryffs will get their Quidditch team back, but she wants them to sweat. She wants to show them who is in charge. As the High Instigator, she is off to a good start at stirring the cauldron.

Now the end of the chapter where she shows up in the Floo Network (aren't you impressed that I remember what it's called), was surprising. Is she reading the mail and maiming owls? Did she buy extendable ears from Fred and George? However she knew to find Sirius there proves she is quite dangerous to the cause.

QUIET PLEASE ... DON'T WANT TO WAKE THE PAINTINGS

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Chapter 4

I suppose Harry has cause for being angry. He has proven he can take care of himself. A bit of explanation about how the summer would go, etc., would have been in order from Dumbledore. Alas, it didn't happen that way and Harry got to speak in ALL CAPS. (By the way, when you get an email or text in ALL CAPS does it feel like the sender is shouting at you?)

So Harry's ANGRY and the Order of the Phoenix is meeting in this rather odd safe house that apparently hasn't been used since the last time Voldemort was on the loose. Funny how others still shudder at the mention of that name.

Percy's allegiance to all things Ministry isn't surprising. He goes where the prestige is and where his ambition will pay off. If the Order of the Phoenix ever gets to work above ground, his tune will change.

Now that Harry is reunited with Sirius, will his tune change as well? OR WILL HE STAY ANGRY AT DUMBLEDORE?

Sorry for the long break since my last post, BUT I'M TRYING.

Dumbledore rises; Fudge melts away

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Chapter 36

A lot to talk about in this chapter (I'll get to Fudge in due time).

Harry has to tell his tale again, but this time with no details left out because Dumbledore wants to hear it all. And he wants Sirius to hear it too. Dumbledore clearly isn't happy about Voldemort overcoming the barrier of being able to touch Harry. He doesn't elaborate on what it might ultimately mean, but it seems clear that this is a problem.

I was pleased to see that my guess about an ingredient in the wands had something to do with the standoff between Harry and Voldemort. I thought it was interesting that he heard a phoenix during the battle, and now we know why. Why did Harry's seem to be the stronger one?

Enter Fudge. With a Dementor. He's so sure he has all the answers. Strange that someone who has been doting on Harry now refuses to believe Harry's story of the rise of V? Not really. Fudge reveals his political hand when Harry begins to mention Death Eaters and Fudge talks of how they were cleared and that they have made donations to worthy causes. Fudge doesn't want to admit he was wrong, that his work to rebuild the magic world is threatened.

Dumbledore has an entire plan worked out for dealing with the Dementors and the Giants, but Fudge calls it madness because he doesn't want his approval ratings to drop. Then Dumbledore hits Fudge with his pride and the pure-blood argument. This is too much for Fudge. The dark mark on Snape's arm has no influence.

Dumbledore does what he must: part ways with the Fudge-led ministry. As soon as Fudge leaves, Dumbledore begins to take action. And Harry gets a well-deserved rest.

So where is V and what is he planning?

He's gaining strength ...

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Chapter 28

Now we might be getting somewhere. Mr. Crouch's revelation about Voldemort gaining strength feels like the first big plot advancement in a good while. Of course, Crouch has disappeared, so we can't ask him any more questions. But there are only about another 150 pages, so I will exercise patience.

We also find out that the third task will be a maze. It's an idea that certainly has potential for all kinds of twists and turns to the plot. I have been wondering what the Triwizard Tournament had to do with the central plot of Voldemort vs. Harry, and my crystal ball is showing me that the Dark Lord will make an appearance during the third task. I could be wrong, but I'll bet for sure that Pettigrew will rear his ugly head.

Crouch's mumblings will be news that Sirius will be eager to hear. For his sake, it would be nice if he could clear his name soon and leave the dog days behind.

The crystal ball also shows me that lots more relationship drama is in my reading future. I suppose it will relate somehow, but sometimes I'd rather read about the Dursleys. At least their ridonkulousness is funny.

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.

Staying on task

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Chapter 19

Rita Skeeter, you have brought shame on all journalists. Yes, Harry Potter is the story for sure, but you have fabricated quotes and blown his story out of proportion and context.

You're fired.

But before you go can I have that device that writes down the quotes for you during the interview. It sure would be nice to not have to decipher my scribble or transcribe from my recorder.

Just when Harry sinks about as low as he can by becoming invisible, his circumstances begin to improve. Mad-Eye spots him under the invisibility cloak but doesn't give him away. Harry has definitely made another friend, who it turns out must also be friends with Hagrid.

Then Hagrid tips him off about the dragons, followed by his conversation with Sirius that tips him off about Karkaroff being a former death eater.

The chapter does end with a run-in with Ron. Yes, Ron started this by not believing Harry. But Harry could stand to be a little more mature and not be too proud to take the first step.

Despite his appointment with a dragon looming, things are starting to go Harry's way again.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Chapter 20

After hours of book research, Harry learns a valuable lesson when he gets advice from Mad-Eye on how to think about conquering the dragon. The lesson is always go to somebody first who might know, then do research only if you must. Sometimes research is needed for validation, but always pick someone's brain first when possible.

So after realizing that being on a broom gives him the best chance to beat the dragon, he has a problem. Second lesson learned is ask Hermione. After hours of training on summoning charms, Harry is ready to slay his dragon.

I have to wonder if someone put a spell on the dragon action figures to make Harry draw the most difficult assignment of the Hungarian Horntail. Right now we're supposed to think that Karkaroff is an agent of Voldemort, but it's probably someone else. Karkaroff is just too obvious.

Bravo to Harry for being the fastest to the egg and the most original. He used less magic than the others, therefore he should have gotten the highest score. But Karkaroff did his best imitation of a Soviet judge during the Cold War and gave him only a four. They should throw out the lowest and highest score and average the rest. Harry would probably be in first place if they had done that.

And having incredibly partial judges is ludicrous. Some department of some kind of affairs at the Ministry ought to launch an investigation.

I am glad Harry and Ron are friends again and that Harry took a high road. It's no fun being a dragonslayer if you haven't got friends to share your triumph with.

The plot to eradicate Harry has thickened again. Somebody tell Rita Skeeter to investigate that story.

Wand-ering what's next

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Chapter 17

As I suspected, everyone had two cents to throw into the discussion of whether Harry should be permitted to compete in the Triwizard Tournament.

Ze French tried to appeal to Dumbly-dorr, but he refused to go against ze goblet. Is he just playing by the rules, or does he know something we don't. He's wearing a pretty good poker face if he does know something.

The first task ought to make the champions want to see Pomfrey for a sleeping pill. Knowing that you will have to defeat some unknown danger can't be comforting. Harry does have experience, though. Plus he's not taking this as seriously as the others, so he ought to be more relaxed. His resourcefulness should be a strength.

Of course, the students aren't buying the truth from Harry that he didn't put his name in the goblet. Even his best friend won't believe him.

So how did Harry's name get in there? Was it a joke? Was it to get him killed? Do I smell a rat?

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Chapter 18

Hermione's powers of observation are still intact. She saw the genuine disbelief on Harry's face when his name was called. Ron, however, is slow on the uptake as always. He typically goes for the obvious, which in this case is that Harry somehow must have put his name in the goblet.

It's really quite flattering if you think about it that all the students think Harry is clever enough to get past Dumbledore and put his name in the goblet. If that's true, then Harry has to be the favorite to win the tournament.

Now Malfoy as we all know is an idiot who does nothing but play on his social status and elevate himself by putting others down. But I will give him credit for being smart enough to pull the stunt with the badges in front of Snape. Had this happened in front of anybody else, Malfoy would have been the one in detention for inciting the incident.

Maybe Ron and Harry will make up in detention and make a plan.

The wand inspection wasn't too exciting until we learned that Harry's wand shares some common ancestry with Voldemort's wand. The entanglement between these two continues. I'll accept anything that comes along as long as Voldemort never says, "Harry, I am your father."

Not sure what's coming next, but we do have the clandestine meeting between Harry and Sirius to look forward to on 11/22.

Only the Goblet knows

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Chapter 15

Obviously you have to get up earlier in the morning than Harry did to fool Sirius Black. I told Harry not to worry about Sirius. Maybe now he will take my advice.

No surprise that Harry was able to fight and beat the Imperius Curse. If you can beat the Avada Kedavra as a baby, then you ought to be able to beat a lesser curse as a teen. Still, I'm sure Mr. or Mrs. Potter had plenty to do with that. That knowledge, I surmise, has a lot to do with Harry's bravery.

The arrivals of the delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang were predictably elaborate. They do like impressing one another, not that it does any real good.

Madame Maxime summoned images of the Queen of Hearts from the old animated Disney version of "Alice In Wonderland." Not just her size, but also her manner.

And Viktor Krum is in the house. How exciting.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Chapter 16

But not as exciting as the announcement of the champions. As I began this chapter and read about Krum's presence, the great welcoming feast, Fred and George's ill-fated attempt at beating the age requirement and Hagrid's crush, I couldn't help but wonder if Harry would end up in the Triwizard Tournament. I didn't think it would be as the fourth, though.

I suppose we will find out how this happened, because I'm sure Maxime and Karkaroff won't like Hogwarts having two players in the tournament and will demand answers. But the Goblet has spoken, so I'm sure there is no undoing what's been done.

Betting and handicapping isn't my thing, but I would lay heavy odds on Harry winning the tournament. He has the instincts, and he's already encountered more danger than the others combined.

I wonder though ... are dark forces at work here.

Counterpunches and countercurses

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Chapter 13

Back to school and what does the first day of classes hold? Squeezing pus from an ugly plant that people are going to use on their face to fight acne. Sounds like a budding infomercial: "Our pus kills your pus for only $19.95."

Then it's off to Hagrid and Blast-Ended Skrewts. Can't imagine what they are useful for.

So what is Hermione up to with all this inhaling of her meals and running off to the library or somewhere else. More time travel? I doubt it, but it must be something important for someone important. Research perhaps.

Then comes the best part of the first day of school when Mad-Eye turns Malfoy into a ferret and sends him bouncing like Tigger. McGonagall had to be secretly liking what she saw, but she couldn't admit it.

When Fred Weasley says, "Moody. How cool is he?" everyone in Gryffindor was saying ditto to that. And looking forward to their first class with old Mad-Eye, the fastest wand in Hogwarts.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Chapter 14

I don't think the ballots have been handed out yet, but it doesn't take one of Trelawney's crystal balls to know that Mad-Eye is the early favorite for professor of the year at Hogwarts.

He doesn't turn a blind eye to Malfoy's evil ways, he has a magical eye and he just gave the most unforgettable lesson on the unforgivable curses. He is unprecedented. Only question is can he outperform himself the rest of the school year.

I was begging the other day for someone to start playing some defense against Voldemort. Dumbledore must have read this blog and called Mad-Eye. I hope he signs up to be a follower.

It's interesting to find out about Avada Kedavra and that it didn't work on Harry. Mad-Eye says there is no countercurse, but his mother must have used one or done something to counter it when Voldemort tried to kill Harry with it. It had to be some kind of reverse curse that all but killed Voldemort.

I was disappointed to learn that Hermione was only working on her elf-rights project. But maybe some elf along the line will help the cause against Voldemort.

Good to see Sirius' letter arrive. Harry shouldn't worry too much. Sirius has done a pretty good job of taking care of himself. And Harry will probably need his help whenever we get around to whatever the goblet of fire is.

I wonder where old Peter Pettigrew is slumming these days? Perhaps not too far away.