why can't Sirius come back as a ghost?

Someone hasn't read that bit at the end of "Order of the Phoenix" where Harry asks Nearly-Headless Nick the exact same question. Although that does beg the question of how the paintings of ex-Heads of Hogwarts can be hanging around.

I'm with McGrath on the Quidditch scoring - the Ireland-Bulgaria match was obviously supposed to show us that it *could* be done, but still not exactly convincing.

I don't think Pullman is particularly good writer myself. Yes, he's better at putting words on a page than Rowling, but the plot of the "His dark materials" series was pretty limp. Plus the truly terrible characterisation (ie. there wasn't any).

Graham.