Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - - (Spoiler zone)

[Sheila]

I saw the film on Friday night, and I have to say, this was also my second-favorite of the four (number 1, my most favorite).

I think that what Alex may be missing is that the appeal of Harry Potter is not really in that he is this nascent wunderkind sorceror, but that he is a decent, loyal and quick-thinking young man who is kind and caring to friends and teachers alike.

It's my personal opinion that why the Potter series is so popular is that the three main characters are true to each other, in a way that we all wish we could be and that our friends would be also.

Although I had a similar reaction to GoF that Potter seemed to rely almost completely on ex deus machina interventions to get him out of peril, on reflection, he really only gets out of peril because he is a decent person. His "karma" that he has created by rescuing others and being decent allows him to reap the rewards of those same people helping him in turn.

I think the Harry Potter series is a wonderful series of books that let us imagine we live in a world where good is rewarded, evil is punished and we are ultimately surrounded by family and friends that love us.