Finally! My favorite book! Loved this one. I pretty much salivated when I saw how humongous it was. More pages = more minutes I can fully immerse myself in my Hogwarts fantasy world.
I loved Goblet because it was so intense. Start to finish intense. I loved the Quidditch World Cup. I loved the Triwizard Tournament. I loved all the new characters and the relationships developing between everyone. And that twist? Whoa what a twist. Blew my freaking mind. Somehow even more than Sirius being the good guy in book three. Fantastic.
My idea for our Book Four meeting? QUIDDITCH. For realsies. It’s gonna be awesome. I’m still trying to figure out a Saturday where it could work – my sister is graduating and her team may be hosting the regional D2 softball tournament at Dixie which obviously I’ll bend over backwards to attend. I’ll put some potential days up on the Facebook page for voting. In the meantime watch this youtube clip of how they play in The Internship (highly recommended) and start practicing!
Without further ado, your discussion questions! (Printable version here)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
What are the three tasks supposed to show in the characters of the Champions?
Are Hermione’s efforts to liberate house elves misguided if their natures prevent their being “free”? Are there any parallels to this in real life?
Romance plays a bigger role in this book than ever before. How do different friendships and crushes develop the storyline?
The Unforgivable Curses deprive people of basic human rights, which make them so unforgivable. We will see more of them in the future. How are these curses used? Proven? Punished?
A major theme of GoF is that people are not who they seem – Skeeter, Moody, Crouch, Bagman, Krum, Fleur, Mermaids, and AS ALWAYS Snape. Which of these metamorphoses is your favorite surprise?
Mad Eye Moody/Barty Crouch. You grow to love and trust him so much, then feel so betrayed and violated. Still, the advice and protection he gave Harry was pivotal. He was doing as Moody would have done (in everything except sacrificing him to Voldemort, obvs). Did your trust in the fake Moody translate to the real Moody in later books? Can Harry still trust in the things fake Moody taught him?
People and press were shocked to find J.K. Rowling killed off a “good” character (3 actually) in this book, even though many characters have faced near-death experiences. She later proves that she isn’t afraid to kill off major characters. Why do you think she kills people in so-called “childrens’” literature? What purpose does Cedric’s death serve?
I find the way Voldemort treats his followers (Death Eaters) very interesting. What does it say about him and his goals?
Priori Incantatem connects the wands of Harry & Voldemort, allowing past victims to return to speak with Harry briefly. How is this crucial to the story? How will this affect future books?
Do you find any meaning or symbolism in Voldemort’s return?