Soon after, Harry departs for the Quidditch World Cup with Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, the Weasley family and Amos and Cedric Diggory. Following the match, Death Eaters, Lord Voldemort's servants, storm the camp, creating panic and mayhem. The trio flee into the forest where they see the Dark Mark, Lord Voldemort's sign, shot into the night sky. Barty Crouch, the head of the Department Of International Magical Co-operation, arrives and accuses the trio of Ron, Harry and Hermione of conjuring it, but upon investigating, Crouch's house elf, Winky, is found clutching Harry's stolen wand. Crouch is furious and fires Winky.
Triwizard Tournament
Professor Dumbledore announces that the Triwizard Tournament will be held at Hogwarts during the Welcoming Feast. The centuries old inter-school competition was discontinued because it became too dangerous, but has been recently revived. The tournament includes three difficult tasks, one held during each school term.
The Goblet of Fire chooses one student from each competing school. Because the tournament is so dangerous, students must be at least 17 years old to enter. Cedric Diggory is chosen as Hogwarts' champion, Fleur Delacour is selected for Beauxbatons Academy and Durmstrang Institute is represented by Viktor Krum. The Goblet unexpectedly selects a fourth champion «Harry Potter» even though Harry never entered and is underage. This leads to a falling out with Ron, who thinks Harry cheated to enter.
Harry is guided through the tournament by Professor Alastor Moody, the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher and a former Auror. In the first task, the champions must retrieve a golden egg from a dragon. With advice from Hagrid, Moody, and Hermione, Harry uses his broom to fly past the dragon and capture the egg, earning high marks. Seeing how dangerous the task was, Ron realizes Harry would not have cheated, and they reconcile. Meanwhile, Hermione begins S.P.E.W., the Society For the Protection of Elfish Welfare.
The champions are required to attend the Yule Ball, a tradition associated with the Triwizard Tournament. Harry wants to invite Cho Chang, but when he learns she is attending with Cedric Diggory, he agrees to take Parvati Patil, while her twin sister, Padma, goes with Ron. Hermione Granger attends with Viktor Krum ? sparking Ron's jealousy, made worse by Hermione's unexpectedly beautiful appearance at the Ball.
The second task requires retrieving something important to each champion that is hidden in Hogwarts' lake. Harry has delayed in finding a way to stay submerged for an hour. As the event is about to begin, Dobby, the Malfoys' former house-elf, gives Harry gillyweed so he can breathe underwater. Harry rescues Ron, but when the other champions do not appear, he releases the other «prisoners,» losing time and leaving him tied for first place with Cedric.
For the third task, the champions must navigate a large maze filled with dangerous obstacles. Shortly before the event, Harry and Viktor Krum are startled when a dishevelled Mr. Crouch emerges from the forest, mumbling incoherently and demanding to see Dumbledore. Harry runs for help, but when he returns with Dumbledore, they find Krum unconscious and Crouch missing. While waiting in Dumbledore's office, Harry peers inside a pensieve containing the professor's memories. In one, Harry sees a wizarding trial in which Barty Crouch, Jr., a Death Eater, is sentenced to Azkaban by his father, Crouch Sr. Harry also hears testimony that Severus Snape was once a Death Eater.