I think #1's best method is to have said critter alter events to annoy Tom to wits end. For instance in book 1 have harry get a cut getting that flying
key and then bleed a few drops on that chess piece he is riding. Later have the chess piece randomly run into the room, through the flame wall and paste the
left overs of the defense teacher... a drop of stone juice adding some random bonus to the already overcharged critter... which can be used to start a series
random minor power ups... ones that get the critter psuedo noticed... but also totally screw up IDing the thing. Once they get the map she is likely to show
up near them... maybe not at first, but after a few power ups. Even if the first power up is an increased feed efficiency that means Harry gets a sudden
increase of power... which is less of a drain and not a real power boost.
I'd suggest having Luna start following Luna around and her getting into conversations with the critter... Harry can here both sides just fine and is stuck
in the random position of being in regular 3 way conversations where he must both cover up the existence of one of the participants and make it look like he
and Luna are talking to each other... which while Harry is a bit of a wreck... Luna thinks its a game and keeps throwing him curve balls and the third
participant is joining her. She is lonely and her friend Ginny keeps wandering off at odd times.
Come the end of the Triwizard cup and in the graveyard... things go weird on Voldie... First Cedric actually dodges the green death but it hit a angel statue
behind him and that falls on him... well squished is dead so close enough. Things go more of less as cannon... except the statue managed to catch itself
enough so it only clubbed him a bit on the way down... a cutting curse nicked Harry... So they get as far the 'Flesh of a servant, willing given'... go
to drop Baby Voldie thing in and he is joined by 'the head of a servant inexplicablely and accidently given... by a stone angel with a sword' Cedric
gets to see the ensuing mess via a concussion... all he could make out was angels (the first one and then the one that holds Harry for Voldie) fighting Death
Eaters and some hideous thing coming out of a giant cauldron and Harry fighting it.... While the effects of the head itself may be minor.... the potion based
shampoo and conditioner and hair goo and what not, possibly potion based make up and the enchanted head gear so as your sig says... the resurrection is
Nevilled. Big badda BOOM!!! Kettle shrapnel bad.
Besides Cedric being alive and rambling about being saved by angels and the graveyard containing a few dead Death Eaters (and or pieces of them) and some
rather confusing broken statues and the remains of the screwed up ritual... instead going after muggles to start.... they go after statues... anything with a
humanoid form and anything resembling a weapon. Harry only tells them some random confusing thing about an attempt at resurrecting The Dark Lord and chaos. A
cult of idiots isn't going to get the same this news... kill it with fire!!! reaction from Fudge.
Basically, small changes and random misinterpretation of events cause things to going into Wackyland.
key and then bleed a few drops on that chess piece he is riding. Later have the chess piece randomly run into the room, through the flame wall and paste the
left overs of the defense teacher... a drop of stone juice adding some random bonus to the already overcharged critter... which can be used to start a series
random minor power ups... ones that get the critter psuedo noticed... but also totally screw up IDing the thing. Once they get the map she is likely to show
up near them... maybe not at first, but after a few power ups. Even if the first power up is an increased feed efficiency that means Harry gets a sudden
increase of power... which is less of a drain and not a real power boost.
I'd suggest having Luna start following Luna around and her getting into conversations with the critter... Harry can here both sides just fine and is stuck
in the random position of being in regular 3 way conversations where he must both cover up the existence of one of the participants and make it look like he
and Luna are talking to each other... which while Harry is a bit of a wreck... Luna thinks its a game and keeps throwing him curve balls and the third
participant is joining her. She is lonely and her friend Ginny keeps wandering off at odd times.
Come the end of the Triwizard cup and in the graveyard... things go weird on Voldie... First Cedric actually dodges the green death but it hit a angel statue
behind him and that falls on him... well squished is dead so close enough. Things go more of less as cannon... except the statue managed to catch itself
enough so it only clubbed him a bit on the way down... a cutting curse nicked Harry... So they get as far the 'Flesh of a servant, willing given'... go
to drop Baby Voldie thing in and he is joined by 'the head of a servant inexplicablely and accidently given... by a stone angel with a sword' Cedric
gets to see the ensuing mess via a concussion... all he could make out was angels (the first one and then the one that holds Harry for Voldie) fighting Death
Eaters and some hideous thing coming out of a giant cauldron and Harry fighting it.... While the effects of the head itself may be minor.... the potion based
shampoo and conditioner and hair goo and what not, possibly potion based make up and the enchanted head gear so as your sig says... the resurrection is
Nevilled. Big badda BOOM!!! Kettle shrapnel bad.
Besides Cedric being alive and rambling about being saved by angels and the graveyard containing a few dead Death Eaters (and or pieces of them) and some
rather confusing broken statues and the remains of the screwed up ritual... instead going after muggles to start.... they go after statues... anything with a
humanoid form and anything resembling a weapon. Harry only tells them some random confusing thing about an attempt at resurrecting The Dark Lord and chaos. A
cult of idiots isn't going to get the same this news... kill it with fire!!! reaction from Fudge.
Basically, small changes and random misinterpretation of events cause things to going into Wackyland.