First, some HP news.

• Quidditch is becoming a growing sport on US college campuses. “Running around on brooms does appeal to a surprising number of college students.”
• The printer for book 7 has been tentatively identified. Is there any other time when a printing company would actually say, “We have no comment on any title that we may or may not be printing”? (Or that the identity of the printer for a particular book would warrant a news story?) The security measures, including searching lunch bags, are interesting although hardly foolproof (per below). Also notable is that the public library in the small Indiana town is not planning any special events for the book 7 release “because some people have complained about the magic and wizardry contained in Rowling’s series.” Such reports always make me wonder what other books are singled out for their fantasy setting.
• Scattered reports have already come out of premature shipments from unnamed online vendors, leading of course to opportunistic postings on eBay. The mania surrounding the secrecy of book 7’s plot has parallels in the lead-up to various grand reveals by Apple under Steve Jobs - any leaks threaten to undermine the oomph of a “One More Thing” keynote moment (e.g. Time Canada publishing online a day early, ATI issuing an ill-timed press release). One distinction is the comparative lack of concern by publishers in the face of such leaks, as contrasted with hyperbolic protestations by other media groups like the RIAA and MPAA - “None of the leaks are going to hurt sales of Potter.” A safe assumption. Meanwhile, J.K. Rowling exhorts all to keep the silence intact until books are scheduled to ship, promising that “in a very short time you will know EVERYTHING!”
• Finally, the question has already been posed, “what’s next for Potter fans?” Like the lull after a final movie in a trilogy, the faithful face a harsh period of withdrawal. More to the point, with no more Potter books, will fans stay readers? “If only the boy wizard’s last trick were to turn them all into habitual and lifelong readers of literature – an endangered species in America.” The publishers have certainly tried to anoit the “next Harry Potter” moniker on a number of series - Eragon, Septimus Heap, Artemis Fowl, Lemony Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events - although none of them could really be called a true replacement. But then, we have never really had the “next Tolkien” and seem to have managed alright.

On with book 4. Goblet of Fire starts not at the familiar 4 Privet Drive (shock!), but with a sort of prologue establishing the state of Voldemort’s restoration. Then when we join Harry we find him relatively content, even happy, during his stay with the Dursleys as compared to the abject misery endured in all previous three books. This is our first clue that a significant change in structure is underway. That is something of an understatement, really, as the entire series has been radically altered with book 4, transforming from an episodic ‘new boy at boarding school’ boilerplate to a serious multi-stage epic conflict unfolding across the remainder of the books. Goblet of Fire is not the fourth book so much as it is the first installment of a tetralogy which meditates on the rise to power of a malevolent force and the desperate struggle of a few to oppose it (cf. Star Wars, Lord of the Rings). The three preceding volumes act then as a sort of introduction to the characters, setting, and themes in a more lightweight fashion than we shall encounter hereafter, much like The Hobbit or the first volume of Dune.

This shift is reflected first in the reversal of Harry’s predicament, where instead of starting in despair and ending in hopeful optimism as in each of the past three years, Harry begins hopeful and ends quite the opposite. Second, Goblet of Fire shows a huge jump in girth (GoF is over 2/3rds longer than PoA), complexity, and maturity in theme, all of which carry through from here forward. Third, major plot points that have been critical in the past, within the “the continuing adventures of a cheeky boy and his friends at school” trope familiar in other young adult fiction, have been either demoted in severity or excised altogether. The prospect of exams, the thrill of Quidditch, even the ongoing struggle to master varying subjects all become background or secondary to more dominant themes. For example, Harry’s performance in Potions class has more to do with his antagonistic relationship with Professor Snape than any worry over future O.W.L.s, and the rare appearance of a Charms class usually presages a need for a new spell like Summoning to serve in the Triwizard Tournament. All of this together progressively de-emphasizes Hogwarts as an end in itself, or the anxieties of school as paramount (even Hermione’s manic studiousness, such as her pique at missing exams in year 2, seems to have peaked with her over-exertion using the Time-Turner in year 3). This is no longer a story about a boy who learns he gets to go to a school for wizards, but about a boy wizard confronting a growing menace who happens to go to school. This progression, incidentally, mirrors the development of another boy-with-glasses who discovers he’s a powerful magician, who has an owl familiar, and who must prepare for the prospect of a climactic battle with the forces of darkness - namely Neil Gaiman’s Tim Hunter after he leaves the White School (at age 17, no less). Although comparisons have been made between the series, both authors insist it is just a case of parallel evolution, like when we suddenly get two movies (Armageddon/Deep Impact) or TV series (30 Rock/Studio 60) about the exact same thing at once.

One consequence of this expanded palette is the invocation of all of the Seven Sins over the course of the story (whether intended or accidental, as some of these are admittedly a bit of a stretch to categorize).

1. Avarice - We begin with the vice of gambling at the Quidditch World Cup, which continues to haunt Ludo Bagman and consumes the Weasley twins for practically the entire story. (I do find it curious that Fred and George would commit all their savings to such a bizarre wager, i.e. Ireland winning even though Krum gets the Golden Snitch, which violates the basic rules of Quidditch scoring.) Ron is affected not as much by greed per se as fixation on lacking wealth, e.g. “Why is everything I own rubbish?” at both his dreadful dress robes and the impetuous Pigwidgeon, and later at the revelation of the leprechaun gold, the matter-of-fact “I hate being poor.” He also briefly imagines using the niffler for monetary gain, and dreams of the Triwizard winnings (”a thousand Galleons!”), as does Harry for that matter although he later observes that he doesn’t need it when he presents to the twins (an act of Charity, the corresponding Virtue).
2. Envy - Foremost shown through the actions of Ron, who feels again slighted by Harry’s popularity, as Hermione explains. Harry also falls under its baleful influence whenever he confronts Cho together with Cedric, from the Yule Ball onward. The Virtue of Kindness, meanwhile, is embodied in Professor Dumbledore, who stands by Hagrid just as he has for Lupin and others in the past who are deserving of a ’second chance.’
3. Gluttony - Perhaps a thin allusion, but the plight of the house-elves is closely related to love of food throughout the novel. Whenever their treatment at Hogwarts is raised, the standard defense (”they like it”) results in Hermione casting aspersions on their motives, saying that people just don’t want to give up their comforts of guilt-free food and treats. She directly associates eating at the Great Hall with vice, “That’s what made this dinner. Slave labor.” Plus each visit to the kitchen is highlighted with Harry and Ron being plied with sweets, or Fred and George contributing treats to a Gryffindor bacchanalia. Whether this is is the same as overindulging is debateable, of course. The Virtue of Temperance or self-restraint might be seen in Hermione’s reaction to taunting over the Witch Weekly character assassination.
4. Sloth - The most direct example is Harry’s resistance (with Ron’s support) to starting work on the second task, up until literally the last minute. He engages in evasion, lies, and diversion to maintain this avoidance, further driven by envy of Cedric’s relationship with Cho, and it is only Dobby’s intervention (at Moody-2’s arranging) that saves him. By contrast, he endeavors quite zealously to prepare for the third task, earning the Virtue of Diligence.
5. Pride - The second task is also affected by pride, as Moody-2 tells that he did not anticipate that Harry would be ‘too proud’ to ask Neville’s help and thus learn of gillyweed through the book lent to him. Amos Diggory is also boisterously prideful of his son Cedric, from their first meeting at the World Cup portkey to later appearances during the tournament. And Barty Crouch Jr’s pride at being the only ‘faithful’ servant to Voldemort during his absence makes him incautious, failing to note the approach of others through his Foe Glass. The Virtue of Humility is shown at least by Dumbledore, such as his allowance that he might have failed with the Age Line in protecting the Goblet of Fire from underage students, and by Cedric who feels his father overstates his victories against Harry.
6. Lust - Harry’s burgeoning attraction to Cho, the varying pairing in the rosebushes at the Ball (e.g. Fleur and Roger Davies ‘looking quite busy’), Hagrid’s mooning over Madam Maxine, Krum’s pursuit of Hermione (triggering Ron’s envy, natch), even the talk of superficial attraction by Ron as they contemplate finding dates all seem to qualify. As for the Virtue of Chastity, er, perhaps that is an exercise for another reader (Harry’s relationship with Hermione is chaste and Platonic, nevermind the hope of H/H ’shippers, but she does kiss him on the cheek at book’s end).
7. Wrath - Again we have a wealth of alternatives: Voldemort’s rage at Wormtail, indeed at almost all of his followers (e.g. Avery’s Crucio). Barty Crouch when confronted with his own son’s treachery. Snape and Sirius. Harry’s reaction to Hagrid’s outing as a half-giant, and Hermione’s vendetta against Rita Skeeter. Even the befuddlement of Cornelius Fudge at the news of Voldemort’s restoration to power fits the definition of “vehement denial of the truth.” Conversely, Harry accepts Ron’s apology for their estrangement up through the first task, achieving the Virtue of Forgiveness.

Some more discoveries:

• We learn in due course that Voldemort’s followers are called “Death Eaters,” although no explanation is forthcoming as to why they chose (or were given) this appellation. It does resonate at the surface of danger (ooh, Death, eaters of!) but also reminds us of the overarching obsession of Voldemort at overcoming mortal death - to ‘eat’ death would be to overcome it, in a sense. Whether it has a more literal, sinister sense - such as the suggestion of cannibalism implied by the name - is also unmentioned. The spell to conjure the Dark Mark, Morsmorde, is also essentially a compound of terms for ‘death’ and ‘eat’ - Mors from the Latin, Morde from French for ‘bite’ - just as Voldemort contains a Scandinavian form of ‘death.’

• We also get a more extensive perspective on the wizard variants of a tabloid press and muckraking in the person of Rita Skeeter and her mixture of purple prose and yellow journalism. Her focus on fame (Harry eclipses all of the other Triwizard champions in her first article) and scandal (Hagrid’s parentage, Hermione as ’scarlet woman’) echo our own media’s fixation on celebrity and drama over hard news. What I did find surprising is that her hatchet job on Hagrid is quite frankly well-researched to the point of uncovering Hagrid’s giantess mother’s name (Fridwulfa) and the origin of the Blast-Ended Skrewts (a cross of manticore and fire-crab).
• As another parallel to our world, the treatment of athlete criminality is equally lax as shown by Ludo Bagman’s acquittal for conspiring with Dark Wizards or, as he puts it, “being a bit of an idiot.” His affable charm and performance for the Wimbourne Wasps and English World Cup make him effectively beyond prosecution, and all charges are dropped simply out of deference for his Quidditch prowess.

I have been wondering about the continuing significance of Halloween thus far in the series. We began book 1 on that day, recounting the events of Godric’s Hollow and the “boy who lived.” Ten years later, Quirrell releases a troll in Hogwarts, fatefully ensuring that Hermione becomes friends with Harry and Ron. The next year, we learn that Halloween is also Nearly Headless Nick’s Deathday - his 500th in fact, dating back to the time of Columbus in 1492. That same day the Chamber of Secrets is opened (again). In year 3, Sirius enters Gryffindor Tower in search of Peter Pettigrew. Now in year 4, on All Hallow’s Eve the Triwizard champions are selected by the Goblet of Fire. Despite all of these coincidences, both the Halloween feast and its significance do not seem to continue in coming years - but then a war (first cold, then open) will have broken out. Yet we now know a Deathly Hallows lies awaiting us in year 7, bearing some critical importance, and it makes me wonder if all of these prior Hallow’eens foreshadow another momentous occasion at the end of October.

I also realized that while re-reading Goblet of Fire, it was diverting to play the Sixth Sense spotting game with Moody-2’s behavior. He continually acts on Harry’s behalf, which is consistent with his overall mission for Voldemort. He is elated to find the Marauder’s Map, as it gives him the edge in arranging events and re-capturing and then executing his father (and also prevents Harry from using it to unveil his subterfuge). But his averse reactions to Draco, Karkaroff, Snape - are these meant to convince others that he is the ‘real’ Moody, or are they really Barty Jr’s own feelings? After all, in his moustache-twirling monologue to Harry, he expresses deep disdain for the disloyal Death Eaters who escaped or avoided imprisonment at Azkaban and had not remained devoted to the Dark Lord’s service. Snape is implicated as one of those missing from the circle at the graveyard, as is Karkaroff who also openly testified against his compatriots. Draco may have earned his disfavor due to Lucius remaining free and pretending to have been under the influence of the Imperius Curse, although it also goes a long way to secure Harry’s trust by turning him into the incredible bouncing ferret.

Ah, the Pensieve. Apart from being a brilliant means of exposition without conventional flashbacks, just as Riddle’s diary provided in Chamber of Secrets, the pensieve as described is a succinct analogue to this very blog:

“I sometimes feel, and I am sure you know the feeling, that I simply have too many thoughts and memories crammed into my mind…One simply siphons the excess thoughts from one’s mind…and examines them at one’s leisure. It becomes easier to spot patterns and links, you understand, when they are in this form.”

And so I continue to catalogue the random impressions from my reading, using the crucible of posting here to provide a means to establish patterns that I would not have considered had I just been reading the books alone.

Quik Quotes (sorry)

Nearing the end, we have another insight into the ongoing connection between Harry and Voldemort:

“I have a theory, no more than that…It is my belief that your scar hurts both when Lord Voldemort is near you, and when he is feeling a particularly strong surge of hatred.”
“But…why?”
“Because you and he are connected by the curse that failed,” said Dumbledore. “That is no ordinary scar.”

We also explore Voldemort’s mortality and his efforts to combat it, such as reminding the Death Eaters they should have recalled “the steps I took, long ago, to guard myself against mortal death.” Plus later, in recounting his earlier defeat,

“My curse was deflected by the woman’s foolish sacrifice, and it rebounded upon myself…I was ripped from my body, I was less than spirit…What iIwas, even I do not know…I, who have gone further than anybody along the path that leads to immortality. You know my goal - to conquer death. And now, I was tested, and it appeared that one or more of my experiments had worked…for I had not been killed.”

In passing we also learn of Quirrell’s ultimate fate, which had remained untold in the first book - “the servant died when I left his body.”And further, a clue to why Harry has been consistently returned to the torment of life with the Dursleys - “Dumbledore invoked an ancient magic, to ensure the boy’s protection as long as he is in his relations’ care.”

(I still find it jarring when the ghost echoes come out in the incorrect order during the Priori Incantatem, with James preceding Lily, although this has been acknowledged as an error and fixed in later printings.)

Of course, we have that enigmatic line, following Harry’s description of the use of his blood - containing his mother’s protection - in Voldemort’s recovery: “For a fleeting instant, Harry thought he saw a gleam of something like triumph in Dumbledore’s eyes.” We strongly suspect that some of Voldemort was put into Harry; what could it mean that some of Harry has been put into Voldemort?

And then we have the blunt foreshadowing of the book to come: “Dumbledore…was staring hard at Fudge, as though seeing him plainly for the first time.” “You are blinded…by the love of the office you hold, Cornelius! You place too much importance, and you always have done, on the so-called purity of blood!”

Finally, come the end, we find the final chapter named “The Beginning.” Thus with Voldemort’s return, Fudge’s refusal to accept it, Snape’s reinstatement as spy, and Dumbledore’s commands to recruit the ‘old crowd’ and seek out alliances for the war ahead…we begin the ensuing battle for influence in a nigh-certain Great War to come. Harry Potter is no longer out for the Quidditch Cup, Inter-House Championship, even revenge against Draco Malfoy and the Syltherins. He is the pawn in a larger conflict between elemental forces in an increasingly complex wizarding world. And we have two more installments to go before anything can be truly resolved.

Vital Stats
Pages: 734 (Scholastic Hardback)
Chapters: 37
Starts: The Riddle House, Little Hangleton
Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher: Bound in a Trunk/Polyjuice Doppelganger/Dementor’s Kiss
Dumbledore Explains Everything In: Headmaster’s Office
House Cup: Moot out of respect for Cedric Diggory
Exams: Harry is exempt as a Triwizard champion
Ends: Platform 9-3/4

Final Score: Harry - 3, Voldemort - 1