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Really good chapter for the first task. Lots of palpable tension!

It’s very stupid that the Goblet of Fire “constitutes a binding magical contract”. There’s just no reason for that level of legality. But obviously J.K. put it in the book so that Dumbledore and the other headmasters can’t simply say “oh wow that’s weird Harry’s name came out of the Goblet. Oh well, he’s definitely not competing.” These are the moments in the books that I have trouble enjoying.

Got a long flight ahead of me. Just finished The Goblet of Fire chapter. Let’s see where end up by the time I land.

Finally got back to this one. Very, very interesting chapters about the giants in the Old Testament. Goliath is far from the only one. It was a bit hard to follow with all the different names and vocab terms but I decided to read quickly and try to get the overall message and there’s many good takeaways.

A couple really good chapters, especially the Unforgivable Curses. The Dark Arts lesson is, well, Dark, but aside from that J.K. Rowling has some great humor in the chapter. Harry and Ron making up their Divination Homework and Hermione starting S.P.E.W.

Finally at Hogwarts

Pretty good play-by-play writing for the Quidditch World Cup. It’s still a challenge to not picture the movies but it’s getting easier. Helps that I’ve seen Goblet the least of all the films.

At the World Cup.

Wow. Pretty dense writing to start part 3 but I think I followed well enough and the conclusion (up to page 79 at least) is that man’s conquest of nature (an all consuming allegiance to “science” will result in the abolition of Man, which then leads to Man’s impulses being ruled by Nature… Very interesting. Sounds right.

Every few pages, C.S. Lewis gets a bit too technical for my liking—sometimes it feels like reading an equation of words, or a mathematical proof. Still, in between these tough parts are Lewis’s fantastic illustrations and ever prescient societal critique.

The ending of this book is so sick

Some chapters are eye opening and fascinating, others feel insignificant and boring. Not exactly loving this as a book but I see how it could make for a great Bible study.

Lots of Quidditch in this book

Ok hold the phone… Ron and Harry just remarked yet again that Hermione wasn’t in class… but if she’s using the time turner to make it to every class, then Harry and Ron should always see Hermione in their classes. They would never experience the classes she misses because she’d be going back in time to be in those classes.

Snape’s Grudge, great chapter

Fascinating stuff in Part 4, pointing out the passages in the OT that talk about Yahweh as an angel. Heiser points out this doesn’t mean God is an angel but really that the angel is God! Heiser goes on to say that the idea of God being multiple persons is not new to New Testament Jews but was always a part of Jewish theology. Great stuff!