Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Number four in the phenomenal Harry Potter series, The Goblet of Fire is the book where, in length, the books ceased to be mere children’s tales. Both the first and second book were just over two hundred pages each, no mean feat for the adult reader. Number three was over three hundred pages long, bringing more details, more layers, and more volume to the series. And now, book four, is over six hundred pages long! Attempting to get through that much as a child is a thought too frightening to comprehend, but for an adult… piece of cake. I finished number four in a record of a week… That just demonstrates the awesome power that these books have: the power to keep you so totally rapped that you can get through a chapter in fifteen minutes.

Harry’s lead up to his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is looking much more positive and exciting than that of the previous year. For one thing, his best friend Ron and his family have invited Harry to go with them to the Quidditch World Cup. But, amidst the friends and magic, the excitement and thrill of being away from the Dursleys at the World Cup is short-lived when the Dark Mark, the mark of the Dark wizard Lord Voldemort, is fired into the sky, sparking fear, and panic. Once at Hogwarts, Harry finds himself the victim of a terrible string of sinister happenings and immanent danger. Could these strange events have something to do with Lord Voldemort?

 I think, out of all the books in the series, Goblet of Fire would have to be my favourite. It’s just perfect! It’s filled with action, adventure, danger, romance, tantrums, tensions, drama, comedy, memorable characters, and intriguing creatures.
Whilst reading this book, I felt that a bit of the action and adventure that was evident in the first two books had worked its way back into the writing. In Goblet of Fire, Harry is presented with a challenge and he, Ron, and Hermione put their heads together to work out how best to overcome it and solve the mystery that surrounds it.
Then, to play against all the action and adventure, there is a darker and more sinister and cryptic side to the story, particularly surrounding the characters of Harry and Voldemort. It’s in book four where we learn all about the ins and outs of Harry’s famous escape, and we are presented with cryptic details that will play very important roles in events that are yet to happen. Rowling got it in one with this book, it’s both factual and keeps the story moving forward, but it also provides the readers with that sense of adventure that sparked their enthusiasm for the series in the first place.
Filled with action, drama, romance, comedy, adventure, memorable characters, disguises, intriguing creatures, and even a death of an admired character, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a fantastic book and, without a doubt, my personal favourite in the whole series.