Ruminations on Goblet of Fire

Hello again! Time for another Remembrall Readathon post! If you want to catch up on the others, you can click here. In short, it’s a reread of the Harry Potter books, and it’s time to talk Goblet of Fire.

I had a hard time coming up with a topic that I really wanted to write about for this book. There is so much, after all, to talk about in Goblet of Fire, but nothing moved the blog spirit in me. So instead, I’ll be doing some general thoughts. Jackson Bird, who does the YouTube videos for the Harry Potter Alliance, has a section for each Remembrall Readathon video called “The Room of Ruminations,” in which he lists rapid-fire random thoughts he had while reading, so that’s what I’m going to do! These are actually all Tweets from my reread, some of which I will expand upon. Here are my Goblet of Fire ruminations!

• The first chapter of Goblet of Fire is my favorite first chapter of the series. It’s just so good! It’s one of the few that isn’t written through Harry’s perspective, and the effect is so powerful. You know what’s probably going on, but you see it through the eyes of someone who doesn’t, Frank Bryce, and you just know he’s a gonner. Then at the end, a boy named Harry wakes up miles away with his scar tingling. Chills. Every time.
• Voldemort’s puns in this book regarding Wormtail’s hand are so cruel. “Give their right hands”, eh? Ouch, Voldy.

• Ron gets a new pet, since his old one is kinda busy serving the Dark Lord at the moment. Pigwidgeon is adorable and Hedwig is not amused. These owls. Too funny.
• Then we get back to Hogwarts, and Collin Creevey’s little brother, Dennis Creevey, who is just as crazy, is now a first year. He falls out of his boat on his way over, and the giant squid lifts him back in, and he’s super sopping wet and so pleased about it. Harry is obviously annoyed, but you know if I were accepted to Hogwarts, I’d be geeking out at everything just like the Creeveys, bless them.
• Harry gets mysteriously chosen for a life-threatening tournament, and the adults freak the fuck out (except Dumbledore, who remains calm the entire time). But I want to know what would have happened if they just didn’t let Harry compete? Seriously. Would he have spontaneously combusted?
• Also, after all they’ve been through, Ron didn’t believe Harry didn’t put his name in? Stranger things have happened, Ron.
• Some more thoughts: Favorite HP character cut from the movies: the giant squid.
• The image of kids walking Blast-Ended Skrewts on leashes is endlessly amusing.
• And some quotes: Of all the despicable things Snape says to people, “I see no difference” towards Hermione has to be one of the worst. (This was after Hermione bursts out in boils after being hit by a jinx). Seriously, how could you say that to a teenage girl??
• Speaking of puberty, the unexpected task of finding dates to the dance is one of my favorite parts of this entire book for all its awkward glory. Wonderful moments include: “Wangoballwime?”
• This shocker: That moment we all realized we were saying Hermione’s name wrong.
• And this: “I have gone temporarily deaf and haven’t any idea what you said, Harry.” Dumbledore is the best.
• Molly Weasley comes to support Harry in the third task as his parent (AWWW!) and we learn a little bit about Hogwarts of the past, including the name of the gamekeeper before Hagrid: Ogg. The name everyone misses while playing Harry Potter Sporkle.
• Then we meet Voldy again, who’s still cracking cruel puns. Really, Voldemort? Another hand pun while he’s standing right there? You are bad.

• And we end with an inspirational quote from Dumbledore: “Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.”
• Cue the return of the dark times…

Stay tuned for more in about a week when I talk about why Order of the Phoenix is my fave.

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