It doesn't seem to bother Harry too much, though.

I dare say many teenage boys get something of a trauma about that whole experience. It is indeed quite intimidating somehow, and as Harry rightly notes, girls' tendencies of walking around in gangs really does not help. Interestingly, Fleur does not seem to walk around in gangs or indeed have any female friends. I wonder why...

Speaking of Fleur, the link between her first and last name only just occurred to me (since Delacour didn't strike me as such an unusual name that I really thought about its meaning until now). I guess Rowling really did want her to parade her beauty around, with a name like that. It makes for a good feminist message that way, though, which is rather needed in the sexist Magical Britain. Flower of the court she may be, but she's also a champion and capable of kicking ass. Sort of like la reine Margot that way (yeah, never mind me, I have a soft spot for that woman, largely thanks to the book and movie ).

All the same, though, their insensitivity on the whole thing really is quite extreme. Largely realistic, I dare say, but surely most boys are a *tad* less clueless about it all... I hope. They're also quite mean to Neville, and not even sporting enough to take it in stride when Ginny puts them in their place (first indications of Ginny's strong character/temper? or perhaps not the first, but among the first).

True, that.

I think so. She does start going out with Cedric, though...

It's interesting though, because there suddenly Rowling tells us the Veela inheritance works like a conscious power that she can turn on and off at will, while earlier it just seemed like it was a permanent general effect. Maybe it's a matter of degrees. The Ravenclaw Quidditch captain - don't remember his name in English - during the Yule Ball is rather more tongue-tied than he would be in normal circumstances even with a breathtaking woman, too. Makes one wonder if Fleur's feelings for Bill later on have to do with him being capable of resisting her charms (pun intended) better than average. It cannot really be much fun to reduce all your dates to simpering idiots that way... must get old really fast.

Yeah, definitely. It's also clear that Ginny has become something of a confidante to Hermione here, which is new as far as I'm aware... though on second thought it may have started during the summer holidays when Hermione was staying there. I'd guess this is about the point where Ginny realizes she's better off not focusing on Harry so much and being more open to interest from other boys, for herself but also so that Harry will appreciate her more.

For that matter, Hermione's thing with Krum is pretty much the same strategy, and works like a charm.

It does seem that way. The movies have somewhat ruined this in making Hermione quite cute from the start, but in the books, those feelings make more sense.

I think he really genuinely hasn't appreciated that she's a girl and quite different in how she approaches relationships and matters of the heart - he wouldn't have made the insensitive comments he made if he'd really realized. There's certainly something of possessiveness in it, too, yeah.

Harry's treatment of Parvati is iffy, but doable, what with him being a teenage boy and all. But Ron's behaviour to Padma, that's really going too far. And you have to wonder how it is that Parvati and Padma - "the two cutest girls in our year" according to Dean Thomas - didn't have dates yet and apparently weren't really expecting to get any they were too enthusiastic about, either, judging by Parvati's suggesting her sister would go with Ron. Evidently the other boys are as bad at asking out girls.

And yes, definitely, it's more than simple curiosity.

I always assumed the latter, but those narrowed eyes do make one wonder. Still, ignoring her doesn't make much sense, considering Ron's character and his later reaction.

Good point about his feelings there. It's rather mean how he keeps insisting Krum must have other motives than romantic interest in Hermione, but I guess he is still adjusting to the idea he's missed something for so long that others haven't, and has a hard time facing that.

Yeah, that pretty much seals the deal as far as proving she has feelings for him goes. Which Harry then confirms in a way that makes one wonder if he's been aware of this already...

Heh, yeah.

He seems so possessive about Krum that he wouldn't be happy with him dating any girl. A little creepy.

Yeah, with everything magnified because of the magic and ancestry. Olympe is too, though.

It would be nice, but yes, utterly unrealistic at this point. It's only later that he'll become competent in these things.

Yeah, pretty good reaction.

Indeed. I had forgotten we only find out now that Hagrid's a half-giant, but perhaps that was on purpose so that Olympe's reaction makes a bit more sense as Ron confirms how big a deal it is. A somewhat exaggerated reaction, though... surely she must know, after all. Is it just because Rowling figures French people have tempers like that? Or should we read some deeper feelings behind it - her having feelings for him after all, but being afraid of the scandal and frustrated that she doesn't dare, particularly since he doesn't seem to see the problem? I'm tempted to interpret it that way, considering that they later do seem to have something and she does join him in traveling to the giants.

Hagrid's question suggests that pairings of both kinds are possible... but yes, I really don't want to think about how things would work between a giant man and human woman.

I think it's plenty fair in return for what he got from Harry... particularly with giving him access to the prefects' bathroom. Harry's reaction to this is completely ridiculous. That he resents it, sure, but the paranoia about how perhaps Cedric is just playing him for a fool? That's really getting a bit over the top.

Yeah, and in a not very flattering way... I like him here too, and good point on the mirroring Aunt Marge, I hadn't thought of that.