Ch. 18 Summary w/ mini-Ollivander Sketch

[Ebony]

No: HPFGUIDX 5572

Forgive the tardiness of this--chalk it up to beginning-of-the-week 
20 hour days (work/school mania) and the subsequent election 
excitement.

Disclaimer:  This is not the most eloquent summary in the world.

HP AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE--CHAPTER 18 SUMMARY

Harry awakes on the morning after the selection of the Triwizard 
Champions to the awful realization that Ron does not believe that he 
didn't enter the contest illegally.  Hermione does believe Harry had 
nothing to do with his controversial selection for two reasons:  1)  
she has faith in Dumbledore's policing magic and 2) no student could 
have put it in.  She advises him to write to his godfather Sirius 
Black.  She also reveals to Harry that the reason for Ron's defection 
is jealousy.

Other than Hermione, the entire Hogwarts student body believes that 
Harry ignored the tournament rules and entered his name into the 
Goblet of Fire.  While the Gryffindors are pleased to have a champion 
from their House, the Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and Slytherins view 
him as a cheater.  Even faithful Hagrid sighs over the situation, 
saying, "Ah, I don't know, Harry... everythin' seems ter
happen ter you, doesn't it?"

Draco Malfoy and his gang of Slytherins take full advantage of 
Harry's unpopularity.  They fashion pro-Cedric Diggory buttons
that are charmed with anti-Harry rhetoric ("Support Cedric
Diggory, the real Hogwarts Champion/Potter Stinks").  During a pre-
Potions confrontation between Draco, Ron, Harry, and Hermione, Draco 
hits Hermione with a curse that makes her teeth grow rodent fashion.  
When Snape tells her "I see no difference"—she runs off crying,
Ron and Harry earn a detention and lose fifty points for Gryffindor.

Colin Creevey rescues Harry from the Potions class period from hell 
with a summons to a small classroom.  The other Triwizard Tournament 
champions are there with Ludo Bagman, the Magical Sports minister... 
and Rita Skeeter, investigative reporter for the Daily Prophet.  A 
broom closet interview transcripted via a nice-nasty Quick-Quotes 
Quill reveals a witch with a poisonous personality.  Dumbledore gets 
Harry out of his pickle with the press, just in time for the Weighing 
of the Wands.

The Weighing is conducted by Mr. Ollivander of the (--all my SS 
copies are on loan--) wand shop.  A mysterious, wise man, he is the 
wandsmith of Diagon Alley and for all we know, for the majority of 
England's wizarding population.  He uses every conceivable type
of wood for the "case" portions of the magic wands he
creates. 
 
The "core", or inside, consists of a special magic ingredient
such as unicorn hair or dragon heartstring.  Different combinations 
of wooden cases and magical cores, along with the wand's length
and handling, contribute to wand performance levels that are catered 
to the individual witch or wizard.  These are not rated or otherwise 
sized.  

Mr. Ollivander not only makes the wands, he fits each witch or wizard 
with the wand that best suits him or her.  Of course, wizards can use 
the wands of others, and a few can perform wandless magic.  But for 
optimum magical performance, Mr. Ollivander's craft and expertise
are indispensable.

Perhaps this is why he was called in to supervise the Weighing.  He 
tests all four champions' wands, with the following results:

Fleur	        
Rosewood, 9 ½ inches
Core:  veela hair             
wandsmith unknown
WoW result:  "Orchideous!" (burst of flowers)

Cedric        
Ash, 12 ¼ inches
Core:  male unicorn hair        
wandsmith:  Ollivander
WoW result:  stream of silver smoke

Viktor	          
Hornbeam, 10 ¼ inches
Core:  dragon heartstring
wandsmith:  Gregorovitch        
WoW result:  "Avis!" (gun blast, twittering birds)

Harry		
Holly, 11 inches
Core:  phoenix feather
wandsmith: Ollivander
WoW result:  fountain of wine

After the wands are weighed and determined fit for competition, there 
are pictures taken of all the champions by Rita Skeeter, whose 
favoritism of Harry does not go unnoticed.  When he finally gets to 
dinner, Hermione is still getting her teeth fixed and Ron is still at 
outs with him.  But he does have owl post—a reply from Sirius. 

His godfather is justifiably concerned about his selection for the 
Triwizard Tournament because of his age and fame.  He tells Harry to 
be in the Gryffindor common room, near the fireplace, on November 22.

Questions (again, these may not be very coherent)

1) We've danced around this question, but here goes again.  If
Ron is "Harry's best friend" and Hermione is "Harry's
other best friend", why did Ron and Hermione react to Harry's 
selection in such disparate ways?  Justify your response.

2) Draco fans:  Write a mini-fanfic starring Draco and Company that 
is set parallel to the events at the beginning of this chapter.  You 
might want to speculate on the conversation in the Slytherin common 
room the night after the selection of champions, or tell how the 
button idea came into fruition.

3) Hermione fans:  What is Hermione thinking?  From the time of the 
walk by the lake until she is hit by Draco's misdirected curse,
she is one of Harry's lone supporters.  Try a brief diary entry
or two.

4)     Snape fans:   Does Snape, behind the scenes, try to disqualify 
Harry but fails?  Why not give us a sneak peek into the investigation?

5)     Who is the mysterious Mr. Ollivander?  How does one become a 
wandsmith?  How is the wand crafted?   How can Ollivander determine 
the perfect fit?

6) CHALLENGE QUESTION:  Analyze trends on the "Weight Chart"
I've provided.  Notice any similarities/disparities between or 
amongst the four champs?

(Yawn.)

B'deah, b'deah... that's all folks!

--Ebony (who is ready for Bush to win the thing, if only so that 
it'll be over and she can get some sleep)