Emma Watson Empire

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

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First Published: July, 2000
Text Completed: 2000.
Published By: Bloomsbury Press in the U.K., Scholastic, Arthur A. Levine books, USA; Raincoast Books, Canada illustrations by Mary GrandPré (US version)
Pages: 734
Chapters: 37
DADA Teacher: Professor Moody
Former Titles by JK: Harry Potter and the Doomspell Tournament, Harry Potter and the Triwizard Tournament
Dedication:
To Peter Rowling
In memory of Mr. Ridley
And to Susan Sladden
Who helped Harry
Out of his cupboard

See each chapter perfect shortened here.
Covers from all over the world
Chapters’ pictures
Autographed Books

It’s the pivotal fourth novel in the seven-part tale of Harry Potter’s training as a wizard and his coming of age. Harry wants to get away from the pernicious Dursleys and go to the International Quidditch Cup with Hermione, Ron, and the Weasleys. He wants to dream about Cho Chang, his crush (and maybe do more than dream). He wants to find out about the mysterious event that’s supposed to take place at Hogwarts this year, an event involving two other rival schools of magic, and a competition that hasn’t happened for a hundred years. He wants to be a normal, fourteen-year-old wizard. Unfortunately for Harry Potter, he’s not normal — even by wizarding standards.
And in his case, different can be deadly.

Notes

• This is the fourth book of the series
• Rowling says she is particularly proud of the ending of this book
• At 732 pages, this is one of the longer young adult books ever, but it holds the reader’s interest extremely well
• Several errors in the book were “corrected” in later printings, which caused quite a stir in fan circles
• This book marks a clear turning point in the series, with Voldemort’s return and Dumbledore parting ways with Fudge.
• Mr. Ridley is Ronald Ridley, a family friend, after whom Ron Weasley is named

• Q: You mentioned something in a recent interview about a flaw in Book 4…
A: Did I? Oh yes. . .I repaired it! This is why Book 4 nearly caused me a nervous breakdown – because for the first time ever I lost my careful plot – which I’ve had since 1994, I think. I really should have gone through it with a fine toothcomb before I started writing and I didn’t. I had a false sense of security because all my other plans had held up so well. So I sailed straight into the writing of Four, having just finished Azkaban. I had written what I thought at the time was half the book – it turns out now to have been about a third of the book – and I realised there was this big hole in the middle of the plot and I had to go back and unpick and redo. That’s part of the reason it’s longer than I thought it was going to be.
• Q: Can you say what the flaw was, or would that spoil things ?
A: No, because that would ruin it.


Quote by JKR
The worst ever [rewriting] was thirteen different versions of one chapter (chapter nine in Goblet of Fire). I hated that chapter so much; at one point, I thought of missing it out altogether and just putting in a page saying ‘Chapter Nine was too difficult’ and going straight to Chapter Ten.

• Q: Now, Book Four. Very scary ending. How difficult was it to write that?
A: The first time ever, I cried while writing. I actually cried twice during the ending of Book Four. It’s a powerful ending, but there’s a reason why – something VERY important happens. I have said all along that if you’re writing about evil you should have enough respect for children to show them what it means. Not to dress up a pantomine villain and say, isn’t it frightening?, when it isn’t. It’s the ending I planned and I was very happy when I re-read it.
Note:According to an interview, she cried when she wrote the passage where Dumbledore exhorts the students to remember Cedric Diggory when they’re faced with the choice between what is right and what is easy.
• Q: And how vital is Book Four in the 7 book series for Harry?
A: Crucial. Book Four’s a very very VERY important book. Something very important happens in Book Four. But also, it’s literally a central book. It’s almost the heart of the series, and it’s pivotal. It’s very difficult to talk about all seven books. I can’t wait until the day when someone’s read all seven and I can talk completely freely about them, but it’s a very important book.
I changed my mind twice on what [the title] was. The working title had got out — “Harry Potter and the Doomspell Tournament.” Then I changed “Doomspell” to “Triwizard Tournament.” Then I was teetering between “Goblet of Fire” and “Triwizard Tournament.” In the end, I preferred “Goblet of Fire” because it’s got that kind of “cup of destiny” feel about it, which is the theme of the book.