Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the fourth installment in J.K. Rowling's series, marking a significant transition as Harry Potter enters his fourth year at Hogwarts and the overarching story takes a darker, more mature turn. The Triwizard Tournament Hogwarts hosts the Triwizard Tournament, a legendary competition between three wizarding schools: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons Academy, and Durmstrang Institute. Although candidates must be at least 17 years old, the Goblet of Fire—the magical judge—mysteriously selects 14-year-old Harry as a fourth champion alongside Cedric Diggory (Hogwarts), Fleur Delacour (Beauxbatons), and Viktor Krum (Durmstrang). The Three Tasks Harry is forced to compete in three dangerous challenges: The First Task: Retrieving a golden egg from a nesting dragon. Harry uses his broomstick and superior flying skills to outmaneuver a Hungarian Horntail. The Second Task: Rescuing a hostage (Ron Weasley) from the Black Lake. Harry uses Gillyweed to breathe underwater and earns high marks for moral fiber after also saving Fleur's sister. The Third Task: Navigating a giant maze filled with magical obstacles to reach the Triwizard Cup. The Return of Voldemort In the final task, Harry and Cedric reach the Cup together and discover it is a Portkey that transports them to a remote graveyard. There, Peter Pettigrew murders Cedric on the orders of a weakened Lord Voldemort. Using Harry's blood in a dark ritual, Voldemort is restored to his full physical form. Harry survives a duel with Voldemort and manages to escape back to Hogwarts with Cedric's body. The Aftermath Upon his return, it is revealed that Professor "Mad-Eye" Moody was actually an impostor—Barty Crouch Jr.—a Death Eater who used Polyjuice Potion to disguise himself and manipulate the tournament to ensure Harry reached Voldemort. While Dumbledore publicly announces Voldemort's return to the school, the Ministry of Magic, led by Cornelius Fudge, refuses to believe the news, setting the stage for future conflict.