Accio, Harry, Accio...

"Harry pulled out his wand and struggled to touch the Marauder's Map, to wipe it blank, but it was too far away to reach."

Did anybody else read this passage from the middle of The Goblet of Fire and think, "Accio, Harry, Accio"?

Harry is on his way back from the Prefects' Bath in the middle of the night. He's solved the egg clue for the second task of the Triwizard Tournament but managed to get himself trapped by the trick step in the hidden stairway, dropping both the Map and the egg in the process.

Even though he's still hidden under his Invisibility Cloak, Harry is in danger of being caught out of bed late at night, with Mr. Filch and Mrs. Norris arriving on the scene. Maybe it's too late for him to summon the egg but the Map... well, he still has time if he keeps his wits about him.

Harry spent much of the first part of the book perfecting the Summoning Charm (Accio) for the purposes of the first task in the Triwizard Tournament. He used it effectively while facing an angry dragon to summon his Firebolt and ace that first task.

So why wouldn't he use it again here? Surely he can't have forgotten it. And I can't believe he is feeling more panicked facing Mr. Filch than he did facing the Hungarian Horntail in the first task.

He had his wand in his hand and time on his side. Is it really believable that Harry would forget the Summoning Charm under such circumstances?

Harry's battle with the dragon is well presented on film

Speaking of The Goblet of Fire, I have to admit, I love the way the filmmakers handled the beginning and ending of Harry's battle with the dragon in the first task of the Tri-Wizard's Cup.

I'm not fond of the over-long middle part, where the dragon chases him all over the rooftops of Hogwarts, but I think the opening scenes (until Harry leaps aboard his Firebolt) and the final bit (where the anxious crowd suddenly cheers as Harry zooms into view over the edge of the stadium) are expertly done.

I thought J.K.'s version of how Harry outsmarted the dragon was a more clever fictional creation (Harry lures her carefully away from the golden egg then, when she's far enough away, speeds past her and grabs the egg), I can understand why the filmmakers decided to revise the scene to make it more visually exciting.

They've created a genuinely heart-stopping battle between boy and dragon, even if they go a little overboard in the middle section. And they manage to capture the anxiety of the crowd really well too.