Day 9, 1,589 pages read

AHHHHHHHHH! My eyes are burning! They are watering so badly that I can barely see to type this, so forgive me if I have more typos than usual. I read close to 300 hundred pages today. I had to force myself to stop after falling asleep twice with the book lying precariously on my chest and waking up from strange dreams that included me being Hermione and telling both Krum and Ron to get off it and going to dance with Harry, who seemed very pleased with the outcome. Anyway, I hope that I have a good rest tonight so that I can finish Goblet of Fire and begin Order of the Phoenix tomorrow. Let me just fangirl for a moment and say that I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL COLIN AND DENNIS ARE IN DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY!

Now that that is over with, on to Ron and Hermione analysis. Where to begin. Ok well first off I guess I should address something that has bothered me for a long while. When I read this book when I was in fifth grade, so I was ten, I knew that Ron was crushing on Hermione, and she was totally sighing about him in her dormitory and scribbling his name and hers all over spare pieces of parchment. I guess it must be a girl thing because when I talked about it with the other girls who had read the book they were all convinced as well, (apart from some nutters who wanted her to be with Harry because they thought Daniel was cute) but talking to the boys, they all thought that Hermione wouldn't end up with either of the two. WHAT?! I don't know what was wrong with you boys back then, maybe it was that you didn't recognize feelings for girls that way yet because you were more concerned with how the hell Ash was going to beat the Kanto League and if there was a new way to scare the pants off that girl you sit next to in class, not knowing that you are acting EXACTLY like Ron and believing that you only like her as a friend, but you totally didn't get it, and it is so painfully obvious!

Here are some key points to prove that Ron is actually feeling different toward Hermione:
(Yes, I am pulling out the bullet points!)

• Josh made this clear in his blog post a few days ago about Ron seeming to look at Hermione in a new light. So basically Ron said, hey you're a girl. Go with one of us! But he was really thinking, hey you're a girl, and you're actually pretty, go with me, not Harry!
• Ok so once they are at the Yule Ball, it is so clear that Ron is pissed that Hermione was not lying about being asked to the ball already, and not only is she going with someone other than him, she is going with the guy he idolizes! Betrayal beyond words for Ron Weasley. Jealousy like he has never felt before in his life all in one glare. "You're fraternizing with the enemy!" Really Ron? That was all you could come up with to hide the fact that you are sore that you don't get to dance and look at Hermione for four hours? Lame.
• After the Yule Ball, Hermione basically tells us what the hell is going on between her and Ron. She, like every other girl who is reading the series, has cottoned on that Ron is jealous of Krum and wanted to take her to the ball. "You know what the solution is then, don't you? Next time there's a ball ask me before someone else does, and not as a last resort!" Then Ron, being a dumb boy, can only gape at her disappearing form like a codfish and then splutter to Harry that she was 'totally missing the point.' Yeah half of the readers know she hit the nail on the head Ron. Nice try.
• A favorite bit of evidence of mine that Ron has now got it bad for Hermione is that, there is a lone figurine arm, that has quidditch robes on it that looks exactly like the ones that belonged to a walking Krum that he had purchased at the Quidditch World Cup lying dismally under Ron's bed. Hmmm. I can only imagine a very red faced Ron snatching the figurine Krum up after the Yule ball and ripping him to bits.
• This is the last bit I read before I had to stop today. Ron has found out from an article that Rita Skeeter wrote on Hermione that Krum has asked her to come visit him over the summer and that he has never felt this way about another girl before. He didn't believe it at first considering it is Rita we are talking about, but as Hermione wondered outwardly how she could've found that out, Ron was forced to believe it as true. His reaction is enough to predict their future wedding. "'....how did she know Victor asked me to visit him over the summer?' Hermione blushed scarlet as she said this and determinedly avoided Ron's eyes."-SEE!-"'What?' said Ron, dropping his pestle with a loud clank. 'He asked me right after he pulled me out of the lake...' ...'And what did you say?' said Ron, who had picked up his pestle and was grinding it on the desk, a good six inches from his bowl, because he was looking at Hermione." Hermione blushes for a bit and talks on. "'And what did you say?' Ron repeated, pounding his pestle down so hard that it dented" -Holy shit!-"the desk." Ok, boy, you have got it bad, and you can't see her blushing? She just tells you that she didn't even answer krum because she was too worried about Harry and YOU! How obvious does a girl have to make it that she likes you?! I know that a famous quiddtich player is showing her a whole bunch of attention, but she basically told you to ask her out next time there was a ball. She doesn't want to tell you about what Krum said because she knew how you would react! She didn't want you to start fighting with her again! Aish Ron. You really have a thick skull.

I'm too tired to quote anything, but I found it funny when Harry calls Rita a cow and Dumbledore pretends to go deaf so that he didn't hear it. Pretty funny, and also when Ron is saying to Hermione that Rita has made her out to be some sort of scarlet woman! Good stuff.

There's something that I've been really thinking about, that is making me wish that I was at the pensieve chapter, but I am not, so I'll have to keep quiet about that for now, but I am about to go into a deep character analysis on someone who I was always curious about before. You're in store for a very good blog tomorrow. I've left off where Barty Crouch was acting like a madman to Harry and stunned Krum, and Harry has been taken back to the Gryffindor common room by Hagrid. Almost done with four!!!!!

Day 8, 1,297 pages read

Phew. I should be fine now. I read my required 272 pages today. It wasn't as hard as I though it would be though. I had a good time reading it too. I remember absolutely loving four when I was younger because of the tournament, and the relationship building between Ron and Hermione. The Quidditch World Cup is one of my favorite scenes in the entire series.

Four is really starting the dark scenes in the series and foreshadowing all of the hardship that is coming for the trio. I actually felt a pang in my chest when Amos mentions Cedric being able to tell his grandchildren that he beat the famous Harry Potter in quidditch, but we all know that that won't ever happen for Ced, the poor guy. At least he wasn't stuck with that awful Cho Chang. Poor excuse for an Asian if you ask me, and I know plenty of wonderful, charming Asians.... It is revealed later by Jo in some article or interview that Cho marries a muggle. I could only let out a victorious laugh as I read that, punching my fist in the air.

 All right, so one thing that absolutely makes me laugh uncontrollably, is the effect Veela have on the men in the books. All of them start acting foolish and saying ludicrous things to impress them. Ron actually says to one that he invented a broomstick that can fly to Jupiter. I guess Malfoy has a way to get to Pigfarts! On a more serious note, Arthur says something that really speaks volumes. During the Quidditch World Cup final, the Veela become angry at the way the game is turning out that they turn into bird like women that throw fireballs. Mr. Weasley says smartly, "And that boys, is why you should never go on looks alone." This is nice to hear, but more disappointing when Bill ends up with Fleur, who is part Veela. I don't see any redeeming quality in Fleur that makes her more than a pretty face, other than she loves the pieces out of Bill. I guess any guy would go weak at the knees for a beautiful girl that loves them so much they don't care if they face was brutally attacked by a werewolf and has ugly scars to prove it. It just disappoints me that Jo would make any Weasley, other than Percy, so shallow.

I love that Colin Creevey has a bigger role in this book, and we are introduced to his younger brother Dennis, who I believe is equally as brilliant as Colin. This cute, funny, tiny kid fell into the lake as the first years traveled over the lake. He was so excited that he didn't even realize he was shivering from the cold of being thoroughly soaked through. This is excitement only increases as he informs his brother that he was pushed back into the boat by something in the water, and Colin tells him that it was probably the giant squid! The two of them are just so amiable that I smile whenever she writes about them. Later on when the students from the other schools arrive Dennis says something so hilarious that I just have to share it with you.
"Something large, much larger than a broomstick- or, indeed, a hundred broomsticks- was hurtling across the deep blue sky towards the castle, growing larger all the time.
'It's a dragon!' shrieked one of the first years, losing her head completely.
'Don't be stupid....It's a flying house!" said Dennis Creevey."

I know that the Moody we are reading about right now is a mad death eater, but man is he friggin' awesome. That Barty Coruch Jr. doesn't mess around son. He done wizard mafia fucked dat Draco Malfoy up! I would like to say that even though you are a mind addled, torturing delinquent, you boy know how to teach snot heads like Malfoy a lesson. Well played, Crouch, well played.

Speaking of Crouch, I find it hilarious that Barty Crouch Sr. can't remember Percy's last name and calls him Weatherby. Needed to be said.

Onto funny quotes. Here a few that stood out for me:
1. This one is about Percy talking about the state of his in-tray if he was gone from the Ministry for five days, and how he was sent a pile of dragon dung before.
"'That was a sample of fertilizer from Norway!' said Percy, going very red in the face. 'It was nothing personal.'
'It was,' Fred whispered to Harry as they got up from the table. 'We sent it.'"
2. This quote appears when the trio overhear Draco about how he was originally going to attend Durmstrang instead of Hogwarts, but his mother didn't want him to be so far away from home, so he went to Hogwarts instead.
"'Ah, think of the possibilities,' said Ron dreamily. 'It would've been so easy to push Malfoy off of a glacier and make it look like an accident.... Shame his mother likes him....'"

That's all for today. I have left off where Harry's name has just been called out of the Goblet of Fire. There will be a lot of Ron and Hermione relationship analysis tomorrow. <3

Day 8, 1,297 pages read

Phew. I should be fine now. I read my required 272 pages today. It wasn't as hard as I though it would be though. I had a good time reading it too. I remember absolutely loving four when I was younger because of the tournament, and the relationship building between Ron and Hermione. The Quidditch World Cup is one of my favorite scenes in the entire series.

Four is really starting the dark scenes in the series and foreshadowing all of the hardship that is coming for the trio. I actually felt a pang in my chest when Amos mentions Cedric being able to tell his grandchildren that he beat the famous Harry Potter in quidditch, but we all know that that won't ever happen for Ced, the poor guy. At least he wasn't stuck with that awful Cho Chang. Poor excuse for an Asian if you ask me, and I know plenty of wonderful, charming Asians.... It is revealed later by Jo in some article or interview that Cho marries a muggle. I could only let out a victorious laugh as I read that, punching my fist in the air.

 All right, so one thing that absolutely makes me laugh uncontrollably, is the effect Veela have on the men in the books. All of them start acting foolish and saying ludicrous things to impress them. Ron actually says to one that he invented a broomstick that can fly to Jupiter. I guess Malfoy has a way to get to Pigfarts! On a more serious note, Arthur says something that really speaks volumes. During the Quidditch World Cup final, the Veela become angry at the way the game is turning out that they turn into bird like women that throw fireballs. Mr. Weasley says smartly, "And that boys, is why you should never go on looks alone." This is nice to hear, but more disappointing when Bill ends up with Fleur, who is part Veela. I don't see any redeeming quality in Fleur that makes her more than a pretty face, other than she loves the pieces out of Bill. I guess any guy would go weak at the knees for a beautiful girl that loves them so much they don't care if they face was brutally attacked by a werewolf and has ugly scars to prove it. It just disappoints me that Jo would make any Weasley, other than Percy, so shallow.

I love that Colin Creevey has a bigger role in this book, and we are introduced to his younger brother Dennis, who I believe is equally as brilliant as Colin. This cute, funny, tiny kid fell into the lake as the first years traveled over the lake. He was so excited that he didn't even realize he was shivering from the cold of being thoroughly soaked through. This is excitement only increases as he informs his brother that he was pushed back into the boat by something in the water, and Colin tells him that it was probably the giant squid! The two of them are just so amiable that I smile whenever she writes about them. Later on when the students from the other schools arrive Dennis says something so hilarious that I just have to share it with you.
"Something large, much larger than a broomstick- or, indeed, a hundred broomsticks- was hurtling across the deep blue sky towards the castle, growing larger all the time.
'It's a dragon!' shrieked one of the first years, losing her head completely.
'Don't be stupid....It's a flying house!" said Dennis Creevey."

I know that the Moody we are reading about right now is a mad death eater, but man is he friggin' awesome. That Barty Coruch Jr. doesn't mess around son. He done wizard mafia fucked dat Draco Malfoy up! I would like to say that even though you are a mind addled, torturing delinquent, you boy know how to teach snot heads like Malfoy a lesson. Well played, Crouch, well played.

Speaking of Crouch, I find it hilarious that Barty Crouch Sr. can't remember Percy's last name and calls him Weatherby. Needed to be said.

Onto funny quotes. Here a few that stood out for me:
1. This one is about Percy talking about the state of his in-tray if he was gone from the Ministry for five days, and how he was sent a pile of dragon dung before.
"'That was a sample of fertilizer from Norway!' said Percy, going very red in the face. 'It was nothing personal.'
'It was,' Fred whispered to Harry as they got up from the table. 'We sent it.'"
2. This quote appears when the trio overhear Draco about how he was originally going to attend Durmstrang instead of Hogwarts, but his mother didn't want him to be so far away from home, so he went to Hogwarts instead.
"'Ah, think of the possibilities,' said Ron dreamily. 'It would've been so easy to push Malfoy off of a glacier and make it look like an accident.... Shame his mother likes him....'"

That's all for today. I have left off where Harry's name has just been called out of the Goblet of Fire. There will be a lot of Ron and Hermione relationship analysis tomorrow. <3

Day 6/7, 1,025 pages read

I am falling behind the boys. A lot of girls will be horrified if I don't get a move on, and I will never forgive myself if I fail this challenge. I finished three two days ago and read nothing of four yesterday. I've done the math and now I HAVE to read 272 pages everyday before the premiere. It's gonna be a miracle if I pull this off. I think I'll just have to read a whole bunch of four today, which shouldn't be a problem because four was my all time favorite before I re-read five.

Book 3:

There is so much that I wanted to cover on three, but now I can't remember. I feel like I am back in AP English, and I have to type up an essay on Heart of Darkness, but I haven't really understood what happened. Of course I know what happened in three, but there is going to be a lot of stuff that I miss because I haven't been writing anything down or marking things with post-its. I HAVE NO POST-ITS! It is criminal, yes; therefore, to abide by the law, I shall buy some. I believe the Zach and Josh police will be giving me my first official, 'Your blog was crap! Give us your sword of Gryffindor!' warning, and I am not giving back that beauty that they so kindly gave me almost a year ago.

Ok so covering the book. Overall I was very refreshed while reading three. The ending was different from the first two in the fact that the school doesn't know about the end of the year escapades that Harry, Ron, and Hermione participated in, and it isn't necessarily a win-win for them either. Sirius escapes from the dementor's kiss, but Harry won't be able to live with him.

Something that I really liked was how Hermione got to have a turn to work with Harry at the end. In two, Ron was the one with Harry down in the Chamber since Hermione is petrified, but in three Ron is in no fit state to go with them on the time traveling trip, so it's just Hermione. I was happy to see the difference between Ron and Hermione in the time of need. Ron is braver and less scared than Hermione when it comes to helping Harry, but Hermione has her head kept tight on, instead of the other two who will lose all abandon and probably get themselves killed by being so foolhardy. Zach mentioned Ron's role in the trio and how he finally figured out that Ron is the link between the trio and the wizarding world. This is true, but I also think that Ron is the character that Harry can always fall back on, and when he isn't there in four and seven for Harry, you can see a distinct change in the way Harry acts. It is just Jo showing how important all types of love are, especially that of friendship. Harry and Hermione are friends yes, but it is odd without the link of Ron there to hold them all together. When Hermione is in a fight with Ron in three, Harry feels bad for her, but Ron is there with him, so he gets on fine without her. When Ron is gone it is a completely different situation, and we'll see about that when the time comes in four where Ron gets a good taste of jealousy for Harry's fame.

Onto the development of Ron and Hermione. Those two with their fighting. It's funny how they don't know what their feelings mean yet.

On to FOUR!!!!!!!

Day 5, 860 pages read

Gah! I only read 100 pages today. I am getting super behind. I am going to have to do a big haul tomorrow, and really knuckle down so I can keep up and achieve my goal.

A few things I noticed while reading PoA was how there are more details about the wizarding world in this novel. We obviously saw the owls delivering mail, quidditch, and floo powder in the last two books, but the world Harry belongs to is becoming more real as each book is written, and it is really becoming apparent in this one, and that may be why I love this one more than the first two. Jo introduces us to Hogsmeade, which gives us another look at the wizarding world and its culture. I just love the Honeydukes Sweet shop scene. Jo paints the picture so well, and I am always in awe of all of the sweets she created for the books!

One scene that I always loved, and still do, when I was a kid, was the boggart scene. It always made me wonder what my biggest fear was. Thinking back, I do believe that my biggest fear was Samara from theat awful movie The Ring, but what I would do to make her comical was have her trip and fall as she came out of the tv. Now that I am older I am scared of more real things, I believe that a boggart would turn into the dead body of my father. That's somewhat similar to Molly Weasley later on in the series, but I am not sure how to make that comical. Possibly have him jump up and start pretending to play the guitar and sing in his long lost voice that left him after he starting smoking years ago.

Harry just found out that Sirius is his godfather, and that is where I have left off for the night. Hopefully I can have a longer update tomorrow. I am a bit disappointed with myself, but you should blame it all on Carola, who allowed me to watch K-Pop music videos all day. Those darn Koreans always screwing with my priorities....

Day 3/4, 760 pages read

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Sorry that there wasn't an update yesterday. I was off at Cedar Point with the boys Josh and Zach, and boy did we have a blast. I want to thank them on here for a very wonderful day yesterday. You both put up with my motion sickness so well, and gave me a nice long break from rollercoasters after lunch. Even though I was sick for the half of the day, I'm glad that I made you both laugh, and as you have told me you will have lasting memories of that day, some which include, "WHY DID I DO THIS!!!!!!" on the millenium force. You two are the very best, even when Josh is laughing at me on the rides instead of asking me if I'm alright the way Zach was. <3

That being said, we move on wards!

It is clear to me as I am reading Prisoner of Azkaban that it was once my favorite Harry Potter novel. My binding is so worn that I can lay the book down on a table and it will stay open on the page I am reading without me having to hold it. Obviously it is this way for good reason; Prisoner of Azkaban has never failed to make me laugh out loud every ten pages. Most of it consistent banter between hilarious characters that introduced in the book like Stan Shunpike, the Knight Bus conductor, Sir Cadogan, the painting of a short and stout knight that is loud and bold, and Professor Trelawny, who is by far the most absurd character Jo has ever written for the series.

I remember anxiously waiting for the movie of PoA to come out because I wanted to see Marge blow up like a balloon. I hate that woman so much, I laugh derisively at her as she boobs off into the night sky, her shrieks growing fainter and fainter. As I am re-reading this one, I noticed something that I overlooked the many times I have read this book. First bear this in mind before continuing on, Aunt Marge is absolutely not a kind and considerate woman. She is her brother Vernon but in a woman's body, therefore, she is just as unpleasant as he is. Knowing this I looked at Harry through her eyes for a moment in the book a found a startling discovery as to why she may hate him so much. Marge has no idea that Harry is a wizard, the only things that she knows about Harry are the things that she hears from her brother and sister-in-law, and of course they never have a good thing to say about him. Marge was told that Harry got dumped on her brother's doorstep because her sister-in-law's irresponsible sister and her husband got into a car crash. She was made to believe by her brother and Petunia that Harry's parents were most likely alcoholics and that is how they got into the car crash in the first place. The Dursleys never confirm Marge's guesses about Harry's parents lives, but they never discount them either. This just gives Marge more of a reason to hate Harry besides her already being an unpleasant character in the first place.

Reading this book makes me amazed at how Jo really goes into the little details about the wizarding world. She even makes up their own little phrases to say, that is different from what we have heard in the 'muggle' world. When Harry is on the Knight Bus, Stan and Ern, the bus driver, are talking about the guards of Azkaban and Ern says, "Talk about summat else, Stan, there's a good lad. Them Azkaban guards give me the collywobbles." It's brilliant! Instead of saying that they give him the shivers or the shakes she makes up an entirely different word for it for them.

Another thing that I noticed with the Knight Bus scene is that Jo clearly makes sure to show the reader all of the different classes involved in their society that is very similar to ours. There is Harry, who is upper middle class, has enough money to buy plenty of things, and there is Stan and Ern who talk differently than most of the other characters in the novel. They aren't exactly Hagrid's style, but they are different in which they take short cuts with their words and uses the wrong pronouns. It is most apparent when Fudge comes into the scene and wants a 'private parlor' to talk to Harry so that he won't have to be interrupted by Stan and Ern. It is just another reason why Jo is so brilliant, and I really appreciate the difference in social class and how she writes the characters from each class.

One thing that confused me so much as a kid while reading this book was the scene when Ron takes Scabbers into the pet shop in Diagon Alley. I remember because it catches me off guard every time. Here is the conversation between Ron and the woman who works at the Pet Shop.
"It's my rat," he told the witch. "He's been a bit off-color ever since I brought him back from Egypt."
"Bang him on the counter," said the witch, pulling a pair of heavy black spectacles out of her pocket.
Bang him on the counter?! Every time I read this line, I think, "What? What the heck will banging him on the counter do  for Scabbers? It's gonna hurt that rat even more!" and every time I read on, I think, "Wow, Dawn. It's a British saying." Even though I read on and realize that she means put him on the counter, I wish that Ron would bang him on the counter anyway. The little berk Peter deserves more than a banging.

Onto funny quotes I have read so far. There are literally so many that I love in this book that I had to limit it to five, but a very funny five they are, and they go as follows:
1. This is Fred an George talking to Harry about Percy being annoying ever since he was made Head Boy.
...George heaved a sigh. "We tried to shut him in a pyramid," he told Harry. "But mum spotted us."
2. The mirrors in the rooms at the Leaky Cauldron all talk, and this time the mirror says something absolutely hilarious to Harry after he overhears that Sirius Black wants to kill him.
"I'm not going to be murdered," Harry said out loud.
"That's the spirit, dear," said his mirror sleepily.
3. This quote is another from the twins when they talk about Malfoy being a hypocrite for making fun of Harry for feinting when the dementors came onto the Hogwarts Express.
"That little git," George said calmly. "He wasn't so cocky last night when the dementors were down at our end of the train. Came running into our compartment, didn't he, Fred?"
"Nearly wet himself," said Fred, with a contemptuous glance at Malfoy,
4. This scene is just too much to type all of it out. This is probably my most favorite scene in the whole book, apart from Hermione slapping Malfoy of course, but it is when the trio are trying to find their way to Divination, and they are going to be late, so they get help from Sir Cadogan, the plump knight in a painting on the seventh floor. Just read the whole scene over again. It is the funniest character banter she may have ever written for the HP series.
"Farewell, my comrades-in-arms! If ever you have need of noble heart or steely sinew, call upon Sir Cadogan!"
"Yeah, we'll call you," muttered Ron as the knight disappeared, "if we ever need someone mental."
5. This is one of my favorite McGonagall lines in HP. It is the scene after Trelawny predicts that Harry will die, and McGonagall is trying to convince the class not to hold any merit to what she says, as she predicts the death of a student at the beginning of every year ever since she became employed at Hogwarts.
"You look in excellent health to me, Potter, so you will excuse me if I don't let you off homework for today. I assure you that if you die, you need not hand it in."

That concludes that blog entry for today. Sorry that I missed yesterday, but I'll have another big one for you tomorrow. :)

Day 2, 650 pages read

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Late last night I finished the second book, and there wasn't much within dialogue for the plot line that I forgot, but there were a lot of funny quotes that I somehow seemed to have forgotten. I remembered the story well with Chamber, and have not many things to point out in this one.

So onto to funny quotes that had me laughing for ages:

Quote number one comes from our berk of a character Malfoy. This has got to be Draco's best quote in my book although it shows that he has no respect even for his closest friends which Jo tells us that this kid is one slimey sleeze ball. Anyway this quote occurs in the Slytherin Common Room after Harry and Ron both take polyjuice potion to look like Crabbe and Goyle. So Harry and Ron are basically interrogating Malfoy, and Malfoy brings up Azkaban. Harry being brought up a muggle has obviously never heard of it, so he says "Azkaban?"

"Azkaban-the wizard prison, Goyle," said Malfoy, looking at him in disbelief. "Honestly, if you were any slower, you'd be going backwards." Enough said. Best Draco quote ever.

Number Two comes from our very own Ronald Weasley when the trio are discussing what T.M. Riddle could have done for the school to receive a special award for services to the school and Ron smartly says, "Could've been anything," said Ron. "Maybe he got thirty O.W.L.S. or saved a teacher from the giant squid. Maybe he murdered Myrtle; that would've done everyone a favor...." I guess Ron would know soon enough how right he was.

Now onto my favorite part. Ron and Hermione analysis. All right, so I have thought long and hard about Ron's actions in Chamber because where there was only small evidence to go on that Hermione cared for Ron in one, there is bundles of things to show that Ron may be feeling something for Hermione. It appears to me that Ron doesn't fancy her yet of course, but there is an odd feeling that Ron is being a bit protective of Hermione. First you see it with Malfoy calling her a mudblood and Ron acting out and trying to curse him for it. There are more small occasions where he gets annoyed at her admiration of Lockhart. I wouldn't go so far as to say that he was jealous at these times, but Ron doesn't like Lockhart and thins he is a good for nothing liar, and he doesn't seem to like the fact that Hermione fancies someone like this and wants to protect her from him. Another moment that truly had me considering his feelings for her was when Malfoy talks about wanting Granger to be the next one attacked and wanting her to be the one killed. Ron clenches his fists and turns red in Crabbe's body making it look odd to Malfoy. Harry, who hears the same thing is angered but stays cool unlike Ron who obviously has a very touchy nerve when it comes to Hermione. Later on when Hermione is attacked, it is Ron who yells out her name instead of Harry. Once again Malfoy repeats that he wished Granger would have been the one who was killed after she was only petrified, only this time Ron didn't glare at him, he tried to attack him screaming that he didn't need a wand, he'd kill him with his bare hands. Luckily Harry held him back and Ron never got his hands on Malfoy. Once the news that the petrified people have been revived is told to the group in McGonagall's office, Ron instantaneously yells out "So Hermione's ok!" All of these moments made me wonder exactly how Ron viewed Hermione at this time in his character development. Harry, who cares for his two best friends deeply, doesn't call out her name when she is in danger or happy to see her, and I'm pretty sure Jo did this on purpose to show that it is in fact Ron who will fall in love with the girl of the trio. From what I can see now is that Ron feels protective over Hermione ever since the troll incident. He felt guilty but never truly admitted that he was wrong for teasing her in their first year, but I'm sure somewhere inside of his good heart, Ron decided that no one would ever tease or hurt her again. It only makes sense for him to see it that way especially since she could've died if he hadn't sent her to the bathroom crying in the first place.

I want to quickly address something that made me nearly sob at midnight this morning. Harry has a quote where he is talking to Dobby after he sets him free that made me set the book done and think what a genius Jo is.

""Harry Potter has set Dobby free!"

"Least I could do," said Harry, grinning. "Just promise never to try and save my life again."

The elf's ugly brown face suddenly split into a wide, toothy smile."

Thank God Dobby never promised him anything that day.

So currently I am on Prisoner of Azkaban which I will be reading all day long, so I'll have an update about today for you late on.