Continuing notes on the fourth book
Have reached the Pensieve scene in the fourth book.
“Stupid little feathery git!" Ron hissed, hurrying up the stairs and snatching up Pigwidgeon. "You bring letters to the addressee! You don't hang around showing off!"
Pigwidgeon hooted happily, his head protruding over Ron's fist. The third-year girls all looked very shocked.
"Clear off!" Ron snapped at them, waving the fist holding Pigwidgeon, who hooted more happily than ever as he soared through the air.
I think that's one of the funniest parts of the book. The mental image is just perfect...
Also, upon the scene after Harry falls asleep and has visions in Divination, and he goes to Dumbledore's office, but doesn't know the password, so shouts various candies at the gargoyle and kicks it, until finally he says, "Cockroach Cluster!" Well, I got this sudden image of an invasion of Hogwarts by Voldemort and the Death Eaters you see every so often in the darker fics. Dumbledore's taken all the students up into his magically expanded office, and Voldemort's facing the gargoyle, trying various passwords...
It's interesting reading Sirius again - comparing him to how he acts in the fifth book, and fandom's opinion of him now. But the truth is, the person he is in books four and five are completely separate. I don't think there's any hint of fifthbook!Sirius in the fourth book, or vice versa.
Also, have figured out the complicated subplot going on with Voldemort and Womtail's goals in most of the book. Yes. The blunder was Wormtail's first letting Crouch Sr. escape.