Still love Harry, but I’m getting a little scared

I’m on book #4, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and I’m not going to lie, I’m getting scared. I mean, you meet Harry in book #1 and it’s all invisibility cloaks and magic wands. Maybe a little tension now and then, but surrounded by a giant chess board and flying keys, it’s really nothing to get too worked up about. Then we move onto a monstrous snake, which is a teeny bit intimidating, then a warewolf and an escaped murderer, but by the end of book #3, you’re still holding it together quite nicely.

And then – BAM! – chapter 1 of book 4 and I’m shaking in my boots. Keep reading andwe’ve got a riot on our hands, Death Eaters, and the Dark Mark is appearing!?? All in the first 150 pages (out of 735)?!? Add to the mix that I’m in the middle of watching Season 2 of Dexter and you’ll understand why I’m dreaming of hiding from murderers in a closet (because Andrew’s suggestion of hiding behind the chair was obviously ridiculous) and waking up at 2am to check to see if anyone is in the living room.

Now I was told that the books get dark, but I’m actually getting nervous. If I’m scared in book 4, what is book 7 going to look like? Will I be reading only at high noon with a baseball bat by my side? Could very well be, if this keeps up…