Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling, 2000 Bloomsbury

     Harry goes to visit Ron at the Burrow in the summer after his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry, Ron, and Hermione travel to the World Quidditch Cup where all hell breaks loose. Death Eaters are more and more brash about their performances and the Dark Mark in the sky throws everything into confusion--Death Eaters attack wizards and witches and are not repelled by the Ministry of Magic.
     Back at school the Ministry has decided to revive the age-old tradition of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. A student from each of the three magical schools in Europe will participate in a three-tiered tournament for the honor of housing the Tri-Wizard Cup. Representatives from Beauxbaton Acadamy and Durmstrang Institute travel to Hogwarts hoping to be chosen.  With such a public distraction the Death Eaters and Voldemort's followers gain traction and progress toward bringing the Dark Lord back.
     Though the competitors must be of age--seventeen--fourteen-year-old Harry's name somehow makes it into the Goblet of Fire and Harry becomes the fourth contestant. Throughout the three challenges Harry is both aided and challenged by the people around him and his competitors. Not only are the adults around him taking sides, but his friendships seem to be cracking under the pressures of a competition Harry never wanted.
     Facing dragons, mer-folk, and a deadly maze all lead up to one of the most difficult experiences of Harry's life. He loses friends, gains enemies, and witnesses the rebirth of the most dangerous and terrifying wizard his world has ever known. Yet he persists and helps to unearth treachery in the most impregnable stronghold in the wizarding world: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
     Public opinion has never seemed to impact Harry's life, but when he transforms into the youngest competitor in the Tri-Wizard Tournament he is no longer just the Boy Who Lived--he becomes the hero and golden boy. Life has progressively gotten darker for Harry and his friends since they met their first year at Hogwarts yet they stick together and rely on each other for their strengths. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a story aimed at a teen audience, but one that has entertained readers of all ages since its publication.