BOOK FOUR! Goblet of Fire was the first Harry Potter book I
waited for, having jumped on the bandwagon after book 3 was published. When it
came out, I was assistant stage managing my university’s production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead –
which incidentally is a phenomenal play and a truly brilliantly cast movie that
I used to watch on repeat with my dad and so have Very Positive Associations
with.
Also Gary Oldman was in it, so, topical!
Anyway, I had ONE JOB in the middle of the 3-hour show,
which was to make sure the 30-foot steel doors opened so the king and queen
could sweep majestically downstage and greet our titular heroes, and I can’t tell
you how many times I nearly missed my cue because I was brain-deep in the Tri-Wizard
Tournament.
I got a B in that class.
So you know what’s great about the first ¼ of this book? Pretty
much everything except the ACTUAL Quidditch. JK is fleshing out her world
nicely, and with as subtle a hand as she can when three-story purple tents with
live peacocks are involved.
The gang has settled in to Hogwarts at this point, and Harry
gets to see the sorting – did anyone else feel like Rowling rushed this scene
even though she knew we hadn’t seen one since book 1? – and the hat gets a new
song, which was a charming surprise when I read this the first time and which I
skipped every time after.
OH! And as for last week’s discussion on population, I’ve
decided that each house has not 10 but 30 new students per year, which would
push the student population to somewhere around 800+, which is close enough for
Ministry of Magic work to the JK-quoted 1000. And if there are 30 per year per
class, then for the purposes of Care of Magical Creatures with the Slytherins or
Herbology with Hufflepuffs, maybe they split each class so they can mix up the
houses?
Seriously, I am getting NO sleep until this read-a-long is
over.
Ron makes a classic 13-year-old "Uranus" crack that still makes me giggle, and Hermione discovers a nasty wizard secret in the
form of house elves – we will argue more about this later! (Kreacherrrrr). The
Tri-Wizard takes over Quidditch for the year – even JK must have been bored of
writing about it after the World Cup – and the twins are beginning to come into
their own.
And Harry has a crush on someone who is NOT GINNY because he
is a boy and therefore dumb as a box of hair.
Not that I'm biased.
Kayleigh_M 92p · 648 weeks ago
Each of their shared classes continue to mention Seamus, Neville and Dean, so unless there are 15-20 students that are NEVER mentioned, they can't split the class. I just don't think JK thought much about how many she thought were at the school, and how much were being represented with her writing.
On a less stressful note. Oh Gary Oldman, be still my beating heart.
Tikabelle 87p · 648 weeks ago
Plus, more wizard kids mean more wizards, which the world obviously needs more of. :D
Kayleigh_M 92p · 648 weeks ago
And someone (who?! Name yourself because I've forgotten!) pointed out a few references of small class sizes in the books, i.e. 20 cauldrons laid out by Snape, 20 broomsticks for Slytherin and Gryffindor. Eh, I don't know. This will be my last mention of class sizes, because it makes my brain hurt.
Ellie · 648 weeks ago
Tikabelle 87p · 648 weeks ago
Kerry · 648 weeks ago
jennysbooks 89p · 648 weeks ago
readingrambo 112p · 648 weeks ago
Nice.
Ah yes. I remember being 15 and hating Cho Chang with a white hot passion that threatened to burn up my very being. Or something like that. GINNYYYY! But I was totally more invested in Ron/Hermione at this point, which means that when the Yule Ball happened I was WAY EXCITED.
Laura · 648 weeks ago
What Red Read 121p · 648 weeks ago
Wait, how come there are 30 kids per year? Was it in that sorting song, cos I also skipped that.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who pointed out Ron's Uranus joke.
Tikabelle 87p · 648 weeks ago
I made that number up at some point because I like it. Although I just looked up average secondary school class size in the UK and it's 23.5, so maybe I should revise down a bit. Hmm.
Kayleigh V · 648 weeks ago
I'm liking the "It's 1,000 because it's 1,000 now let's move it along." I am down with that.
I wish Harry would snap to and love Ginny, already. And I wish they'd just tell her about Sirius. Just, basically, more Ginny, is what I'm asking for.
Laura · 648 weeks ago
Also- I am down wit the plight of the House Elves, but they get on my nerves so much that I don't really care? Is that bad..?
Rayna · 648 weeks ago
Also LOOOOOLLLLL at Uranus! Ron is such a tool but sometimes his tool-ery really gets me.
raychraych 52p · 647 weeks ago
Also, I will have to watch that R&GAD.