WEDNESDAY: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry joins the Weasleys for the Quidditch World Cup which ends in disaster - Death Eaters and Voldemort's Dark Mark in the sky. And that is only the beginning of the dark matters happening in Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts. The school is hosting a wizard tournament and Harry mysteriously becomes a competitor, even though he is too young and didn't even enter. This is the sort of competition that tests wizards to the limits and Harry is a lot younger and less experienced than the other competitors. The question becomes less about whether Harry will win and more if he will even survive.

This book has grown on me over time. There is a lot of tension at the beginning between Ron and Harry because Ron thinks Harry got himself in the competition without telling Ron. This book really explores Ron's growing frustration with being the one with hand-me-downs, overshadowed by his older brothers...and famous best friend. Since Ron is my favorite, I find it stressful that the boys are on the outs. Ron is also fighting with Hermoine (which isn't unusual). Ron isn't at his best in this volume! The final scenes of the book are both disturbing and enlightening, making the long read all worthwhile.