Rating: 4/5
Harry, Ron and Hermione are back for another year in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, after they had previously defeated the Dark Lord, Voldemort, in their third year. This time, instead of the usual Quidditch matches, the Triwizard Tournament will take place in the grounds. Alas, only the students who are seventeen or over can compete in the great tasks. Two fellow wizard and witch schools, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, arrive at Hogwarts to compete also. They simply have to write their name down on a piece of paper and let the Goblet of Fire, who chooses the champions, suck it up, and then in the following morning, the goblet will tell the school who the champions are of each school. This year, it was Cedric Diggory for Hogwarts, Fleur Delacour for Beauxbatons, and famous Viktor Krum for Durmstrang, and…
Harry Potter himself. Stunned with surprise, Harry got up and followed the three other champions into a nearby chamber. I never put my name in! Harry thought as he trailed after them, and the Age Line around the goblet wouldn’t have let me through, anyway! He was only fourteen that year, and he had to be seventeen to be able to compete. And honestly, he really hadn’t put his name into the goblet! A great lot of commotion arrived as the headmasters and headmistress discuss who did put Harry’s name into the cup, but, as the rule book said, anyone whose name was roared by the goblet had to compete.
There are three tasks in the tournament, and each champion has to work out what they are. The first task is to face dragons alone, and try to find and take the golden egg before you get killed by the fifty-foot dragon. Can Harry win this task? He’s drawing with Diggory, and too soon does the next task arrive: mermaids. People who are important to the champions are taken underwater in the lake and have to be rescued before it’s too late. The mermaids are guarding them, taunting the champions. Ron is taken from Harry and he has to struggle to find him. Fleur Delacour has to get her sister, Krum has to rescue Hermione, and Diggory has to find Cho Chang. Diggory and Krum get up alright, but Delacour hasn’t come down into the lake. Harry brings the little sister and Ron, his own hostage, up to the surface. He’s still drawing. And now, it’s the third, and final, task. It’s the great maze of Hogwarts.
Many creatures were set up in the maze. The Cup was positioned at the end. Diggory and Harry get there both at the same time, but none will take the great trophy from the other. “Hold onto it together and we’ll draw together,” the two boys agreed, and they each took a handle from the cup…
It was a Portkey. They were taken to a land where Diggory is killed by the Dark Lord, Voldemort, himself, and Harry is also nearly taken up the skies. But he hangs on, until he reaches the Portkey again and is taken back to Hogwarts.
But the adventure isn’t over, oh no! Harry still doesn’t know who put his name in the cup – yes, it was Moody. Or was it? Death Eater Barty Crouch Junior escaped from the prisons of Azkaban, and disguised himself as the almighty Mad-Eye Moody, hiding him away and taking hourly doses of Polyjuice Potion. But is it enough? Is he caught?
A great read, very long (617 pages was my edition!), but good all the same. Joanne has a good taste for books and writing, and is brilliant at it. Can’t wait to read the next, even longer, one!