Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire facts for kids
Cover art of the original UK edition
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| Author | J. K. Rowling |
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| Illustrator | Giles Greenfield (first edition) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | Harry Potter |
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Release number
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4th in series |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury (UK) |
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Publication date
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8 July 2000 |
| Pages | 636 (first edition) |
| ISBN | 0-7475-5079-4 |
| Preceded by | Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban |
| Followed by | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix |
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is an exciting fantasy novel by British author J. K. Rowling. It is the fourth book in the popular Harry Potter series. The story follows Harry Potter during his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He finds himself in a mysterious and dangerous competition called the Triwizard Tournament.
The book was released on 8 July 2000, in both the United Kingdom by Bloomsbury and the United States by Scholastic. This was a special event, as it was the first time a Harry Potter book came out in both countries at once! The novel received a Hugo Award in 2001, which is a big honor. Later, the book became a movie, which came out on 18 November 2005. It also inspired a video game by Electronic Arts.
Contents
Discovering Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
The Exciting Story Begins
Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger enjoy the Quidditch World Cup with Ron's family. Suddenly, the event is attacked by mysterious figures. These attackers look like the followers of Voldemort, known as Death Eaters.
Back at Hogwarts, a new teacher arrives. His name is Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, and he teaches Defence Against the Dark Arts. Headmaster Dumbledore announces a special event. Students from other wizarding schools, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, will visit Hogwarts. They are there to compete in the Triwizard Tournament.
A Mysterious Tournament Invitation
A magical item called the Goblet of Fire is placed in the Great Hall. Older students can put their names into it to enter the tournament. Harry is too young to enter and does not put his name in. However, the Goblet mysteriously chooses Harry to compete. He must face three older champions: Cedric Diggory from Hogwarts, Fleur Delacour from Beauxbatons, and Viktor Krum from Durmstrang.
A reporter named Rita Skeeter from the Daily Prophet newspaper interviews Harry. She writes an unfair article about him, making him seem like he just wants attention. Harry talks to his godfather, Sirius Black, using the Floo Network. Sirius warns Harry about Igor Karkaroff, the headmaster of Durmstrang, who used to be a follower of Voldemort. Sirius thinks Harry's entry into the tournament is linked to the World Cup attack.
Facing Dangerous Challenges
Hagrid tells Harry that the first challenge involves a dragon! Professor Moody reminds Harry that he is a great flyer. Harry uses his broomstick to bravely fly past the dragon. He successfully completes this difficult task.
Christmas is coming, and Harry asks Cho Chang to the Yule Ball. But she already has a date with Cedric. Harry and Ron go to the ball with twin sisters Parvati and Padma Patil. Ron feels a bit sad seeing Hermione dancing with Viktor Krum.
The second challenge requires Harry to rescue someone from a lake. A helpful house-elf named Dobby gives Harry Gillyweed. This magical plant lets Harry breathe underwater. He bravely rescues Ron and Fleur's sister, Gabrielle. Harry earns extra points for his courage and is now tied for first place.
The Final Task and a Dark Return
For the third and final challenge, Harry and the other champions enter a giant maze. They must overcome many obstacles to reach the Triwizard Cup. Harry and Cedric Diggory find the Cup at the same time. They decide to grab it together.
Suddenly, they are transported to a graveyard. There, Peter Pettigrew takes Cedric's life and captures Harry. Pettigrew uses Harry's blood in a dark ritual. This ritual brings Voldemort back to a full body. Voldemort and Harry then duel. Their wands connect in a rare magical event. This moment gives Harry a chance to escape. He uses the Cup to return to Hogwarts, bringing Cedric's body with him.
Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape make a shocking discovery. Professor Moody was actually Barty Crouch Jr., a follower of Voldemort, using Polyjuice Potion. Under a truth potion, Crouch Jr. admits everything. He put Harry's name in the Goblet of Fire. He also helped Harry through the challenges. His goal was to make sure Harry reached the graveyard for Voldemort's return.
Crouch Jr. is then taken away by Dementors. These creatures drain happiness and good memories from people. Harry recovers in the hospital wing and tells Cedric's parents what happened. The Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, refuses to believe Harry and Dumbledore. He thinks Rita Skeeter's articles are true and denies Voldemort's return. Fudge offers Harry his tournament winnings. Harry and Dumbledore refuse the money. So, Fudge gives the gold to Fred and George Weasley. This helps them start their dream joke shop. At a memorial service for Cedric, Dumbledore bravely tells all the Hogwarts students that Voldemort has indeed returned.
How the Book Was Created
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the fourth book in the series. The first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, came out on 26 June 1997. The second, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, was released on 2 July 1998. The third, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, followed on 8 July 1999.
This fourth book is much longer than the first three. J. K. Rowling, the author, knew it would be the biggest of the first four. She felt the story needed a lot of space to unfold properly. She wanted to explore more of the magical world. As Harry grew up, his world became bigger, and the book reflected that.
Choosing the Perfect Title
Before its official announcement on 27 June 2000, the book had a working title: "Harry Potter IV". At one point, it was even listed as Harry Potter and the Doomspell Tournament. J. K. Rowling thought a lot about the title. She considered Goblet of Fire and Triwizard Tournament. In the end, she chose Goblet of Fire. She liked how it sounded like a "cup of destiny," which fit the book's main idea.
Characters That Almost Were
J. K. Rowling shared some interesting facts about writing the book. She originally planned a new Weasley family member named Mafalda. Mafalda was meant to be a clever and curious Slytherin student. She would have helped with the Rita Skeeter storyline. However, Rowling realized an eleven-year-old student at school couldn't discover everything needed for the plot. So, Mafalda was removed, and Rita Skeeter became the main reporter. Rowling found this book the most challenging to write because of these character changes.
Important Lessons and Ideas
The Harry Potter books often explore important ideas. In Goblet of Fire, a key theme is about treating others unfairly. This is sometimes called bigotry or intolerance.
Standing Up Against Unfairness
Voldemort and his followers show prejudice against Muggles, who are non-magical people. In the book, Hermione Granger starts a group to help the Hogwarts house-elves. These house-elves work without pay and have done so for a very long time.
J. K. Rowling explained why she included these themes. She believes it's important to show that being different is good. She also wanted to show that even groups facing challenges can sometimes argue among themselves. Rowling felt these were important ideas for young readers to think about.
Bringing the Story to Life
The Movie Magic
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was made into a movie. It was released around the world on 18 November 2005. Mike Newell directed the film, and Steve Kloves wrote the screenplay. The movie earned over $102.7 million during its first weekend. It went on to make $896 million worldwide. The film was also nominated for an Oscar for Best Art Direction.
Adventure in a Video Game
A video game based on the book was also created. It was released just before the movie. Players could enjoy the game on many platforms. These included Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, GameCube, Xbox, Game Boy Advance, and PlayStation Portable. Electronic Arts developed the game.
See also
In Spanish: Harry Potter y el cáliz de fuego para niños
