In Chapter 7, we get settled in at the campsite and enjoy the festivities. Let’s go!

I want to go to the Quidditch World Cup so bad! It sounds like so much fun! More than just a sporting event, this is THE sporting event. It’s a festival-like atmosphere and it just sounds incredible.

So they arrive and are directed to their campsite, managed by a Muggled named Roberts who has to constantly have his memory modified by an Obliviate spell in order to not get too suspicious. It’s all been a bit of a hassle for the people in charge of security, and it’s no surprise as to why.

They trudged up the misty field between long rows of tents. Most looked almost ordinary; their owners had clearly tried to make them as Muggle-like as possible, but had slipped up by adding chimneys, or bellpulls, or weather vanes. However, here and there was a tent so obviously magical that Harry could hardly be surprised that Mr. Roberts was getting suspicious. Halfway up the field stood an extravagant confection of striped silk like a miniature palace, with several live peacocks tethered at the entrance. A little farther on they passed a tent that had three floors and several turrets; and a short way beyond that was a tent that had a front garden attached, complete with birdbath, sundial, and fountain.

I wouldn’t mind going camping if I could stay in tents like these! Speaking of tents, the Weasleys have two tents for their very large group of people, but they are thankfully magical tents, which are about the size of a three bedroom apartment on the inside. It’s also really fun to see different wizards from what we are used to. Like very young children with toy broomsticks. Or wizards from other parts of the world, like Africa or America.

Or Ireland, if you are visiting the tents belonging to Seamus Finnigan’s family. All shamrocks, all the time. They are very proud to support their home team in the World Cup. The Bulgarians are also out in full force with their white, green and red flags and posters of their star player:

“Krum!” said Ron. “Viktor Krum, the Bulgarian Seeker!”

“He looks really grumpy,” said Hermione, looking around at the many Krums blinking and scowling at them.

“‘Really grumpy‘?” Ron raised his eyes to the heavens. “Who cares what he looks like? He’s unbelievable. He’s really young too. Only just eighteen or something. He’s a genius, you wait until tonight, you’ll see.”

Ron might be a little bit of a Viktor Krum fanboy. Just a tad.

They run into a bunch of other friends from school: Oliver Wood, Ernie Macmillan, and Cho Chang. They also run into an older wizard who doesn’t understand what’s wrong with his incognito Muggle attire – he’s wearing a lady’s nightgown. Once they get back to their campsite, they get to see several members of the Ministry, all who stop to say hello to Mr. Weasley.

Including Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games, and one of the people supposedly helping to run the World Cup. He used to play professional Quidditch and is walking around in his bright yellow and black stripped Quidditch robes, which is gaining a lot of attention. He also seems very interested in gambling on the outcome of the match, which Mr. Weasley reluctantly does, but the twins are all in. All their pocket money bet on that Ireland will win, but Krum will get the Snitch.

Barty Crouch, Percy’s boss at the Ministry and Head of the International Magical Cooperation office, also shows up. He would easily pass as the most boring of Muggles in his perfect suit and tie and shined shoes. Ludo hints that they have something else big coming up that they are planning, something taking place at Hogwarts, but of course, they won’t give it away just yet.

Souvenir vendors appear all over the place, selling all kinds of things for Ireland and Bulgaria. As the sky darkens, a path lights up, leading the way to the field. It’s on!

See you next time for Chapter 8!

 

In Chapter 6, it’s off to the Quidditch World Cup! Let’s go!

One thing that I am really enjoying is the fact that these first chapters in Goblet of Fire are short! Not much really happens in this chapter – basically, the main “action” is that everyone wakes up and then takes a walk to a hill where their transportation to the Quidditch World Cup pitch awaits. That’s it, really. But still, there’s a lot of interesting information in this chapter that I really enjoy reading, things that make this world even richer and more detailed.

Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys all have to wake up early in order to get to their destination – except for Bill, Charlie and Percy, who are able to Apparate. I can’t remember if we had learned about Apparition before, but it is the ability to basically teleport yourself from one place to another through magic. You have to take a test once you’re of age – Percy just took his and passed. Sort of like taking a test for your drivers license for us Muggles, I’m guessing, only a much more convenient method of travel. It’s not without its dangers though. If you aren’t careful, you can get Splinched.

“They left half of themselves behind,” said Mr. Weasley, now spooning large amounts of treacle onto his porridge. “So, of course, they were stuck. Couldn’t move either way. Had to wait for the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad to sort them out. Meant a fair old bit of paperwork, I can tell you, what with the Muggles who spotted the body parts they’d left behind . . .”

This sounds almost comical, but we learn later in Deathly Hallows that it’s actually quite dangerous and painful. Plus, it would be extremely disturbing to see only part of someone disappear and have random body parts left. I’m way to squeamish for that!

Fred and George also get in trouble, again. They attempted to smuggle some of their creations to the World Cup, but it’s really hard to sneak something past Mrs. Weasley. She confiscates the sweets and throws them away, which of course, Fred and George are not happy about. They spent six months making these! Mrs. Weasley is furious that they wasted their time on this instead of studying for their O.W.L. exams.

Everyone heads out to Stoatshead Hill, the location of the closest Portkey. A Portkey is an object that can be used basically the same way as Apparating, except that it is an item. It is scheduled for a particular time and will transport whoever happens to be touching it. Mr. Weasley goes into detail about how hard the Quidditch World Cup has been to organize, mostly to keep Muggles from finding out about it. Wizards and witches from all over the world are coming, after all. They can’t clog up Muggle transportation or risk Muggles asking questions. There are Portkeys scattered across Britain, each set to go off on a certain schedule. Theirs is an old boot.

At the Portkey, we meet Amos Diggory, the father of Cedric Diggory, the Captain of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. Cedric is a nice guy (even if Fred and George haven’t forgiven him for beating Gryffindor that one year) but his dad is a bit . . . pompous. Or at least extremely proud of his son. He’s excited to meet the famous Harry Potter, but is even more excited to crow about how HIS son beat Harry.

“Harry fell off his broom, Dad,” he (Cedric) muttered. “I told you . . . it was an accident . . .”

“Yes, but youdidn’t fall off, did you?” roared Amos genially, slapping his son on the back. “Always modest, our Ced, always the gentleman . . . but the best man won, I’m sure Harry’d say the same, wouldn’t you, eh? One falls off his broom, one stays on, you don’t need to be a genius to tell which one’s the better flier!”

Amos Diggory, please shut up before I smack you.

They all gather around the Portkey, as they are the only ones there traveling that way (there are two other wizarding families in the area, but the Fawcetts didn’t get tickets, and the Lovegoods are already there). Traveling by Portkey sounds uncomfortable, feeling as though a hook is pulling through your bellybutton and then slamming you onto the ground. But they made it! On to the festivities!

See you next time for Chapter 7!