BARTY CROUCH JR.

Crouch, the Low-Down Croucher!  Barty Jr., so like other HP characters, fits his name.  Like a tiger crouching behind cover readying for his attack, in GoF he hides his real identity by drinking Polyjuice Potion and transfiguring himself into Mad Eye Moody until the moment he can deliver Harry to Voldemort.  Before his rescue by Voldemort and Wormtail, Barty Jr., under the spell of the Imperious Curse and an invisibility cloak, had also been hidden away and forced to lay low for years by his dad, Barty Crouch Sr.   He loyally bows down to the Dark Lord.  He was given the Dementor's kiss and so now is a soulless shell of a man.

BARTY CROUCH SR.

Crouch the Grouch!  He definitely needs a Cheering Charm done on him.  Like his son, he stoops to desperate measures to hide the dark family secrets and skeletons away from mad eyes (and he’s got a bundle of bones laying about).  Which leads me to ask, does Skelegrow have any long lasting properties once it has finished its initial job of regrowing bones.  Can it keep working when you break or lose bones later? In fact, can Skelegrow re-grow a whole skeleton from one bone? Does the person needing bones have to be alive?  Will Fang dig up a chew bone?  Eeewww.

BERTHA JORKINS

My only question regarding Bertha is WHO did she see kissing Florence behind the greenhouses?  That mystery person was angry enough to hex her for spying on him.  My first thought is that is was Snape... and was it a real kiss?  Maybe he was batty about Florence and gave her a vampire kiss?

All right, I do have another question regarding Bertha.  Who or what is Florence?  I hope we’ll find out in  book 7.

BELLATRIX LESTRANGE

She is truly a strange and tricky beauty... and I use "beauty" with a grain of salt.  Those heavy lids are hiding the evil behind her eyes.  She's not to be trusted in dark alleys or lit corridors.  I’ve been trying to draw a definitive picture in my mind of Bellatrix Lestrange… and after a few short, blank moments a picture did pop into my head… Okay, I know this may be stretching it a bit too much to the farcical but I have likened Bellatrix to Natasha Fatale… Boris Badninov’s partner and femme fatale nemesis of Rocky and Bullwinkle. If you remember her, you will remember that she too had long black hair and heavily lidded eyes.  But all kidding aside, Bellatrix Lestrange’s escape from Azkaban in OotP is actually a frightening event.  She is truly a merciless killer and will seemingly stop at nothing to do her master’s bidding. 

However, I can’t help but to think that Voldemort might not be just slightly annoyed at his most faithful female servant… in addition to all of his surviving Death Eaters.  After all, the whole Department of Mysteries episode was a complete failure for Voldemort and his followers because they failed to get the prophecy, failed to kill Dumbledore, and failed to kill Harry.  And in the latter’s case it’s the fifth time Voldemort has been thwarted by the boy who lived.  I can just imagine the rage he is feeling… I wonder if Harry feels it too? (Apparently not as of HBP because Voldemort uses Occlumency to keep Harry out of his thoughts.)

I’m also curious how Voldemort is treating Bellatrix?  While Lucius is enjoying a respite in Azkaban, has Belatrix been comforting her sister, Narcissa.  That’s debatable, but she has been more than likely staying with her sister. After the botched prophecy incident, when will she and Harry meet face to face again?  She should know by now that Harry Potter is not just a little boy but an immensely powerful wizard not to be teased or laughed at.  And if it isn’t Harry that she should be nervous of then I’ve got my galleons bet on Neville.

BILL WEASLEY

Bill is the eldest son of the Weasley clan and he works for Gringott's Bank.  His mum is always trying to get him to cut his long ponytail but it's a waste of time, I'm sure.  In OotP, Bill is back from treasure hunting in Egypt and has a desk job with the bank.  He's also an active member of the Order. Not least, he's been giving Fleur Delacour lessons in English and perhaps a few non-academic lessons too.  In fact, I hear wedding bells… 

When he attended Hogwarts he was Prefect and Headboy, and he got 12 O.W.L's.  Harry meets Ron's older brothers Bill and Charlie the summer before his 4th year at Hogwarts.  He describes Bill as "cool" and I quite agree. 

Since Bill works for Gringott's he probably knows some of the inside gossip among the goblins.  The Quibbler suggests that Cornelius Fudge is going to take over the wizarding bank and eat goblin pie for dessert.  Gag.  Well, if the shady Minister has galleons shining in his eyes, could Bill find himself standing in the wizards’ unemployment line... or worse... Azkaban?   And is there another goblin rebellion brewing?  Or is there some other ferocious, long fanged nemeses lurking in the shadows? 

(PROFESSOR) BINNS

Speaking of goblin rebellions, Professor Binns, Hogwart's history ghost teacher, may finally have some new lesson material if indeed another uprising is coming... not that his play by play narrative of a new rebellion would be any more hair-raising or exhilarating.  Let's face it, he's just dead boring.  Yet there's got to be a hidden gem of wizdom somewhere in all of Hermione's copious notes that will come in handy in the days to come.

BRODERICK BODE

Things did not bode well for Bode. Broderick Bode was a member of the Order of the Phoenix and worked for the Ministry of Magic.  Lucius Malfoy put the Imperious Curse on him to force Bode to take the prophecy from the Department of Mysteries.  Unfortunately for Bode he couldn’t touch it without bringing upon himself its injurious effects ending him up speechless in St. Mungo’s.  When Harry first visited St. Mungo’s to see Arthur Weasley (OotP) there was also a visitor for Bode – an ancient, wizened wizard with a hearing trumpet.  Was he a relation?  Or was he the bringer of ill Christmas tidings for Bode?  Was he the one who presented Bode with the Hippogriff calendar and deadly Devil’s Snare potted plant?  Well, he wasn’t there by coincidence.  He might have been a mere bystander whom Lucius again inflicted with the Imperious Curse just to make him deliver the plant to bode.  Just when things seemed to be getting better and Broderick might be able to join in the caroling he was killed, strangled by his Devil’s Snare and now they will be singing an ode to poor Bode.

 ***

Bugging Rita Skeeter for hints and news flashes.  Please check back later for more scoops.