I mean imo JKR is a bad author for about a dozen reasons but that line in particular is not me of them.
Tbh the entire plot hinging on the idea that it is unthinkable to every single person in the Wizarding world that someone would prank the most famous kid in school by putting his name in the cup without his knowledge is a way worse writing decision. Given that's exactly what happens though Dumbledore acting calmly and implying he knows Harry didn't actually do it is the most reasonable thing to come out of that book.
Yeah JKR is just immensely bad at world building and macro level details - how, in the hundreds or however many years the Triwizard Tournament has been going on, has no one thought to enter someone else's name? Why didn't any of the spells on the cup detect that sort of fraudulent entry, but it could detect magic that physically ages a person? Those kinds of logical holes and inconsistencies are everywhere in her writing. The thing she usually gets right though are the micro details - she's decently good at character building, character interaction, and keeping characters true to their… Well, character, throughout the books.
I mean imo JKR is a bad author for about a dozen reasons but that line in particular is not me of them.
Tbh the entire plot hinging on the idea that it is unthinkable to every single person in the Wizarding world that someone would prank the most famous kid in school by putting his name in the cup without his knowledge is a way worse writing decision. Given that's exactly what happens though Dumbledore acting calmly and implying he knows Harry didn't actually do it is the most reasonable thing to come out of that book.
Yeah JKR is just immensely bad at world building and macro level details - how, in the hundreds or however many years the Triwizard Tournament has been going on, has no one thought to enter someone else's name? Why didn't any of the spells on the cup detect that sort of fraudulent entry, but it could detect magic that physically ages a person? Those kinds of logical holes and inconsistencies are everywhere in her writing. The thing she usually gets right though are the micro details - she's decently good at character building, character interaction, and keeping characters true to their… Well, character, throughout the books.