Triwizard Tournament

[lake4fam at earthlink.net]

No: HPFGUIDX 27595

   As I was cleaning an English teacher's classroom tonight, it hit 
me (almost Literally) that the Triwizard Tournament is but one step 
in the Quest Saga.  There is a Vitally Important Thing that Needs to 
be Done (destroy the One Ring, turn Vader back from the Dark Side, 
defeat Voldemort.)  There is a Hero who is not ready to accomplish 
this V.I.T.  However, the V.I.T. that Needs to be Done needs to be 
done a long, long way away from where the Hero is.  So the Hero 
embarks on the Quest and suffers all sorts of trials and temperings 
along the way.  By the time he reaches Orodruin (etc.), the Hero has 
grown in strength, selfconfidence, & abilites, and is ready to 
accomplish his Task.
   Each of the books so far is a stage of the Quest.  The Triwizard 
Tournament teaches Harry (among other things) that while being 
honourable is sometimes a handicap, it is at the same time rewarding. 
Of course, we are watching the growth and maturation of a boy 
becoming a man. There are vast differences between a 14-yr-old and an 
11-yr-old.  These differences are even more pronuonced in Harry, 
because of the difficulty of the challenges he faces.  He has left 
poor Dudders in the dust, because Duddikins has his challenges 
watered down for him and excuses made for his failures.  Harry has 
very little choice in the matter of meeting his challenges - it's 
literally do or die - and he has grown accordingly. 
  In other words, I see the Triwizard Tournament as a tempering 
experience which increases the Hero's (Harry's) readiness to achieve 
the object of the Quest.  As such, whatever other problems that there 
may be with it, it is absolutely necessary to the development of the 
seven volume whole. 
   Putting on my Trelawney hat, I predict that Harry will grow into a 
Hero who will be able to throw the Ring into the Fire himself, and 
not need a gollum to do it for him.

dittany/custodienne,  of Ravenclaw