It struck me this time when reading that chapter that when Trelawney makes her guess about Harry being born in the winter, and he says "July, actually", that it's really quite disturbing how Trelawney doesn't have the slightest idea about her prophecy. And hence about the crucial role she has played in Voldemort going after the Potters', and in his downfall. It's a brilliant variation on Cassandra: rather than a Seer knowing her own value but doomed to never be believed by anyone, we have a Seer who is frustrated that she doesn't have the gift, when in fact she does have it but nobody wants to tell her that.

It also sounds like the astrology classes, as useless as they are in predicting the future, might be serious classes in terms of having students practice mathematics and astronomy. Hermione might have had more interest in that part; for Harry and Ron it doesn't seem to make much of a difference.

Rita Skeeter's article: shouldn't she at least try to make sense? She bashes Arthur Weasley for "involving the Ministry" in that incident, but what exactly does she suppose would have happened if the Ministry had pulled its hands off of the matter? Covering up magical accidents involving Muggle witnesses is an important task of the Ministry, surely. It seems a bit odd, that article.

Malfoy: Touchy about his mother, evidently. Very close with her, one might suppose, what with being an only child.

Snape's nasty temper: Might have to do with the ending of book three, too.

Since Camilla dislikes moments from outside Harry's PoV: ending of chapter 14 has another one of those, which probably wasn't entirely needed.

The Imperius-class: only intended to see how Harry would react to it, surely?

Hermione's comments on the Hogwarts history book: she's depicted as exaggerating, but like Percy earlier with the vampire thing, she actually has a point. It *is* a significant oversight, and one that might be explained by a not very pretty way of viewing the house-elves issue.