Dueling Club/Sirius's Appeal/Plotlines I'd like to see/Tournament

[chiizu_cheese at yahoo.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 25409

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Mindy, a.k.a. CLH" <mindyatime at j...> 
wrote:
> I really don't get the entire premise of the dueling club chapter. 
Why
> was the entire dueling club necessary? The students are much too 
young to
> know proper spells and defense spells. Lockhart doesn't begin to 
know
> what he's doing; does he just want to show off?
> 
> Here's another question that has been puzzling me: How come so many 
of
> you listies are sooo ga-ga over Sirius? While I like his character, 
he
> comes across to me as a whispy, filthy, grimy, emaciated skeleton. 
He
> doesnt have any outer appeal; why are so many of you 'crazy' about 
him?
> 
> Here is a plotline I'd like to see: I'd like to see JKR come up 
with MORE
> ingenious magical devices, concepts, animals, or people. I am truly
> curious what else she can come up with. HOWEVER, WHY ON EARTH DOES 
IT
> HAVE TO TAKE TWO FULL YEARS TO WRITE THE NEXT BOOK???? I don't get 
it. If
> she locks herself into her room for a month and subsists on take-
out, and
> doesn't look at her daughter, she can finish this book by October. 
Why
> two years???? and with my rotten luck, I will probably be unable to 
get
> my shaking hands on a copy until the second printing, which may 
possibly
> be July 2003.... Oy vey!
> 
> Did any of you ever wonder what went through the minds of all of the
> spectators of the Tournament while the cemetery drama was taking 
place?
> What a pity there was never a chapter describing the mayhem that 
may have
> gone on as Fleur and Krum were taken out and Cedric & Harry were 
not to
> be found, and neither was the Cup. Was the maze then flooded with
> Ministry & School officials, searching for Harry? What was Barty Jr.
> doing all that time -- biting his nails in anxiety, or shouting to 
the
> crows to calm down and all was fine? Additionally, were the 
spectators
> able to see the goings-on within the maze, or were they just sitting
> outside for half an hour or so patiently, singing school anthems and
> studying for exams? Must've been kinda boring not to be able to 
enjoy the
> ultimate, final task of the tournament. Or perhaps the entire drama
> would've been replayed later, as if on video, were the entire 
fiasco not
> to take place.
> My actual favorite part of the 3rd task is when Harry steps through 
the
> mist and finds himself upside down, afraid he'll land in space if he
> moves. Wow, these ingenious ideas!!!
> 
> I am awfully sorry for posting so much in a 24-hour span, but I 
have not
> read nor written in over a week, and I have so much to comment on,
> therefore necessitating this need to write so much. I have eight 
digests
> left to go, and I hope I won't come up with too many more 
observations!
> It's time to take a break -- I am sitting here for 2 1/2 hours and I
> haven't even eaten breakfast. See ya later.
> 
> MINDY
> 
I think that a chapter about what happened while Harry was gone would 
be totally unnecessary. I think JKR is trying to keep the book in the 
2nd-person perspective. The only time she has wondered from that 
perspective is in Harry's dreams.