The first ever World Quidditch Cup that fourteen-year old Harry Potter attends also becomes the venue for the re-appearance of the Death Eaters, loyal followers of Lord Voldemort who raise his Dark Mark in the skies above the arena. Adding to the drama is a surprise revelation at Hogwarts, who will be hosting this year's Triwizard Tournament and welcoming students from two other wizarding schools for this school year. Because fourth-years are magically prohibited from turning in their names for consideration, it comes as a shock to everyone when the Goblet of Fire offers Harry Potter as a qualifying Hogwarts Champion. The school year ends with the Death Eaters returning to resurrect their leader - at any cost. (FP)

This year's Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher: Professor Alaster "Mad Eye" Moody

The Triwizard Tournament: The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest Euorpean schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities - until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued. - exactly as explained by Headmaster Dumbledore to the students after the Sorting and the Feast. (Chapter Twelve, page 187)

Pensieve: I sometimes find, and I am sure you know the feeling, that I simply have too many thoughts and memories crammed into my mind. At these times, I use the Pensieve. One simply siphons the excess thoughts from one's mind, pours them into the basin, and examines them at one's leisure. It becomes easier to spot patterns and links, you understand, when they are in this form. - Professor Dumbledore to Harry in explaining the purpose of a shallow stone basin with odd, unrecognizable carvings around the edge (runes and symbols) with a silvery light coming from the basin's contents found in the professor's office. (Chapter Thirty, page 597)

The Dark Mark: Conjured by the word "MORSMORDRE!", it is a formation of a colossal skull in the sky, comprised of what looks like emerald stars, with a serpent protruding from its mouth like a tongue, blazing in a haze of greenish smoke, etched against the black sky like a new constellation. You-Know-Who and his followers (a.k.a. Death Eaters) sent the Dark Mark into the air whenever they killed. The terror it inspired... Just picture coming home and finding the Dark Mark hovering over your house, and knowing what you're about to find inside... Everyone's worst fear...the very worst. - A brief recounting from Ron's father, George Weasley. (Chapter Nine, pages 128 & 142)

portkey: They're objects that are used to transport wizards from one spot to another at a prearranged time. They can be anything. Unobtrusive things, so Muggles don't go picking them up and playing with them...stuff they'll just think is litter... (Chapter Six, page 70)

Rita Skeeter: A reporter for the Daily Prophet and armed with her Quick-Quotes Quill, her hair was set in elaborate and curiously rigid curls that contrasted oddly with her heavy-jawed face. She wore jeweled spectacles. The thick fingers cluthcing her crocodile-skin handbag ended in two-inch nails, painted crimson. When she smiled, Harry could count three gold teeth. (Chapter Eighteen, pages 303, 304)

Alastor "Mad Eye" Moody: The lightning had thrown the man's face into sharp relief, and it was a face unlike any Harry had ever seen. ... Every inch of skin seemed to be scarred. The mouth lookd like a diagonal gash, and a large chunk of his nose was missing. But it was the man's eyes that made him frightening. One of them was small, dark, and beady. The other was large, round as a coin, and a vivid, electric blue. The blue eye was moving ceaselessly, without blinking, and was rolling up, down, and from side to side, quite independently of the normal eye - and then it rolled right over, pointing into the back of the man's head, so that all they could see was whiteness. Professor Moody is the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. (Chapter Thirteen, pages 184, 185)

Victor Krum, Cedric Diggory & Fleur Delacour: Three of the champions, selected from the European schools Durmstrang, Hogwarts, and Beauxbatons respectively, competing in the Triwizard Tournament at Hogwarts. With Professor Dumbledore as Headmaster of Hogwarts, his counterparts are Professor Karkaroff at Durmstrang and Madame Maxime of Beauxbatons. (Revealed in Chapter Sixteen, pages 269, 270)

After the American (Chris Columbus) and the Mexican (Alfonso Cuaron), a Brit finally joins the all-British cast to lead production on the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Donnie Brasco). Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire arrives in theatres November 18, 2005. (FP)