Hello lovely witches and wizards and welcome to a sign up for a new readathon that I discovered this week! I was scrolling twitter, as you do, when I discovered this Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire themed readathon and couldn’t resist taking part. It has a really unique formula, and is a really good focus for reading the books that I need to read and review this month.
OK, so what is it all about? How is it going to work? What lovely human came up with this great idea? Let’s answer some questions folks. This amazing creation is the brain child of Jessica (or Chapter Charmer fame – you can find her here on Twitter and her blog). It’s a readathon designed around the tasks and schools that came together to create The Triwizard Tournament. The opening ceremony took place on Halloween, where participants could watch the fourth film and await news on the first task and the readathon rules. It’s clever and clearly has had a lot of thought and effort poured into it and I am super excited to take part. The Triwizardathon has it’s own twitter here, and you can find the master post to view challenges and sign up here.
First things first, each person is ‘competing’ for one of the three magical schools that entered the Triwizard tournament: Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, and Hogwarts. This is decided by your month of birth, which means there should theoretically be an even(ish) split between schools and removes the need to select a school to compete for. Your school dictates which dragon (prompt) you are challenged with defeating in the first task and then four spells (prompts) that you can choose to defeat the dragon with. From there, you submit scores and based on what you read and what path you take dictates the second and third tasks and prompts. I love the idea (which is explained much more clearly and succinctly on her blog post linked above) and can’t wait to get started.
Which house are you competing for? Well it is worked out quite simply:
Beauxbatons: January – April
Durmstrang: May – August
Hogwarts: September – December
This makes me a Hogwarts student and competitor and honestly I am kinda pleased with this because I am Hogwarts and Gryffindor pride through and through. It leaves me with a less than desirable first task dragon in some ways but it fits with a reading challenge and blog tour date I have, so I am going to make it work. If you’re in Hogwarts too, comment down below or follow my Triwardathon thread! As I go through the readathon I will delete and amend the books I think I’ll read and tasks I hope to take part in with the ones I actually complete.
First Task – The Dragon (Mon 11th Nov – Sun 17th Nov)
Each school will battle a certain dragon. Beauxbatons will defeat the Hungarian Horntail, Durmstrang will defeat the Swedish Short-Snout, and Hogwarts will defeat the Common Welsh Green. The method of defeat is dictated by which spell each student picks, completing one or more for extra skill points:
Common Welsh Green: It is thought a Welsh Green may have started the Great Fire of London, read a historical book.
Book Chosen: Wakenhyrst by Michelle Paver
*****
Conjunctivitis Curse: Temporarily blind your dragon by reading a book with eyes on the cover.
Book Chosen: The Discovered Sanctuary by David E. Dresner
Bewitched Sleep: Send your dragon to sleep by reading a whole book in bed.
Book Chosen: The Blighted Fortress by David E. Dresner
Speed: Race past your dragon to retrieve the egg by reading a graphic novel.
Book Chosen: Loki #1 by Daniel Kibblesmith
Distraction: Distract your dragon by transfiguring a rock into an animal, read a book with an animal on the cover.
Book Chosen: The Pale One by Bartholemew Bennett
Second Task – The Lake (Mon 25th Nov – Sun 1st Nov)
By submitting your results from the first task, you’re given a person to retrieve from the bottom of the lake. Rescue your own loved one, pick the method, then rescue the others too! Pick one method from the options below to help rescue your loved one.
Significant Other: Read a book with a romance
Book Chosen: American Royals by Katharine McGee
Sibling: Read a book about siblings
Book Chosen: The Love Solution by Ashley Croft
Friend: Read a book about friendship
Book Chosen: Paper Girls Vol 3 by Brian K. Vaughn, Cliff Chiang, Matt Wilson
*****
Gillyweed: Gillyweed will allow you to breathe and move underwater, read a book with water on the cover
Book Chosen: Now You See Her by Heidi Perks
Bubble-Head Charm: This charm gives you a continuous supply of oxygen, read a book set in space where this charm could also be useful
Book Chosen: Chew Vol. 9: Chicken Tenders by John Layman and Rob Guillory
Transfiguration: Partially transfigure yourself into a sea creature by reading a book about a sea creature
Book Chosen: Monstrous Heart by Claire McKenna
Third Task – The Maze (Mon 9th Dec – Sun 15th Dec)
Complete at least one challenge or obstacle to get to the portkey, or as many challenges and obstacles as you can as you progress through the maze for extra points.
Blast-Ended Skrewt: This is a hybrid creature, read a book outside your comfort zone
Book Chosen: Code Name Butterfly by Ahlam Bsharat
Boggart: Read a book that contains something you fear
Book Chosen:
Acromantula: You may need help to defeat this creature, read a book recommended by a friend
Book Chosen: Pumpkin Heads by Rainbow Rowell
Sphinx: Solve its riddle by reading a book about or with a puzzle
Book Chosen: The King’s Prerogative by Iain Colvin
Golden Mist: The mist turns everything upside down, read a book with something upside down on the cover
Book Chosen: The Red Book by Davide Cortellucci
*****
You made it through the maze, but can you take the cup? Make sure it’s not a Portkey and read a book that involves travel of any kind for your final challenge to take the cup and complete the Triwizard Tournament!
Book Chosen: The Christmasaurus and the Winter Witch by Tom Fletcher
Yule Ball
At the end of the readathon, on 22nd Dec between 7:00pm and 9:30pm GMT, there is going to be a ‘Yule Ball’ twitter chat, read, and have an online get together to celebrate the end of a wonderful readathon. The points tally for each school will also be announced, so don’t miss it!
I am not ashamed to admit that this post took a lot longer to write than I planned, but I had tried to plan out all three tasks at once and that was no small feat your guys. I know things will probably move and shake before we get to the later tasks, but I am pretty happy with this list so far. It’s a thoroughly thought through, easy to follow, and as low or high key readathon as you want or need to it be at any stage or task and I love that.
Are you taking part? What are you reading? What house are you competing for?
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