Mr & Mrs Weasley: I like Mrs Weasley's reaction. It has me tearing up every time, despite being a cliché -- I suppose that is a testament to how Rowling's characters become real to me.

But I cannot help wondering why Mr Weasley didn't send Bill or Charlie or Percy apparating home to tell her they were all all right. It seems very odd. And I cannot help but think that this is a plot convenience at the cost of Rowling's characters.

Rita Skeeter: the symbol of everything that is wrong with the media. It is quite striking that Rowling's children's books have more insight into media reality than a lot of people on this board (going by some recent discussions on the community messageboard, that den of depravity -- we shouldn't speak of it here).

Harry: well, he finally tells Ron and Hermione about the scar.

Mundungus Fletcher's devious ways are introduced.

And Mad-Eye Moody, of course. Painted as a bit of a nut, but at bottom a good guy. Which is probably why we don't question his (even very weird) actions at Hogwarts: this is not Quirrel part two, this is someone Mr Weasley has vouched for.

Hermione: the house-elves. She is right of course. It is highly suspect how the wizarding world just accepts slave labour without questioning it just a little bit. Of course, the fact that we are in a magical universe means that we cannot know whether the house-elves really would be happier as non-slaves (at a place like Hogwarts) -- they do not think so themselves (which could be just cultural indoctrination), and they are magical creatures (not humans, who we can know more about). Of course, the fact that Dobbey tries to break out of it (to a certain extent) supports her view, but he is as much breaking from abuse as from forced labour.

Moody: I like his dramatic entrance. Also, he looks like a bad guy, which throws us off because good guys who look like bad guys are really good guys, because they are good in defiance of external appearance. Is that perhaps just me?