As hinted in previous post I picked up Goblet of Fire with a bit of unease. After struggling through the third book, I should have recognized the pattern, but there's always that hope it was just a "glitch" and the next one will suck me back in.
It didn't.
Halfway through, having to go through the subplots about house elves; and if Muddle-born prejudice felt right, Hermione's fight for their rights felt just too forced. Almost ridiculous Quidditch World Cup introduction and slowly opening teenage drama couldn't keep me interested in Rowling's going on a spree with fantasy world building. The Triwizard Tournament premise should have been gripping - three dangerous tasks, students from different schools, genuine stakes. But it was buried under hundreds of pages that felt more like obligation than story.
The Goblet of Fire is where I'm saying goodbye to Harry Potter and wish him well. He's going to be fine (obviously) but I guess I'm never was target audience and I'm happy to leave it like that.