DISCUSSION GUIDE and the Goblet of Fire

DISCUSSION GUIDE

ABOUT THE BOOKS AND THIS GUIDE

J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books are among the most popular and acclaimed of all time. Published in the UK between 1997 and 2007 and beginning with Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the seven books are epic stories of Harry Potter and his friends as they attend School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Crossing genres including fantasy, thriller and mystery, and at turns exhilarating, humorous and sad, the stories explore universal human values, longings and choices. The Harry Potter books are compelling reading for children and adults alike; they have met phenomenal success around the world and have been translated into 77 languages. A whole generation of children grew up awaiting the publication of each book in the series with eager anticipation, and they still remain enormously popular. The Harry Potter books make excellent starting points for discussion. These guides outline a host of ideas for discussions and other activities that can be used in the classroom, in a reading group or at home. They cover some of the main themes of the series, many of which, while set in an imaginary world, deal with universal issues of growing up that are familiar to all children. You will also find references to key moments on .com, where you can discover more about the world of Harry Potter. These guides are aimed at stimulating lively discussion and encouraging close engagement with books and reading. We hope you will use the ideas in this guide as a basis for educational and enjoyable work – and we think your group will be glad you did!

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DISCUSSION GUIDE

INTRODUCTION TO HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE

Harry becomes aware of a wider in this volume, as he attends the World Cup with the Weasleys, and becomes involved in the Triwizard Tournament at Hogwarts, competing against students from other schools. Hermione becomes obsessed with the condition of the house-elves after witnessing the treatment of Winky by Ministry official Crouch, and starts an organisation to help them.

The new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Alastor ‘Mad-Eye’ Moody, teaches his students about Unforgivable Curses, while Harry struggles to master skills for the three tasks that constitute the Triwizard Tournament, a competition he did not enter willingly. At the end of the third task, he is transported by Dark Magic to a graveyard where the Death Eaters have gathered to witness the rejuvenation of . Escaping against all odds, Harry returns to Hogwarts with the body of his fellow competitor, , discovers the true identity of Moody, and delivers the ominous news that Voldemort has regained his power.

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DISCUSSION GUIDE

DISCUSSION POINTS FOR HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE

UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT The previous books have all opened at the Dursleys’ home, but this book starts 1. instead in the Riddle House (Chapter 1). The pain Harry feels in his scar in Chapter 2 is an omen of what is to come. Soon after, the Quidditch World Cup is interrupted by a sinister attack (Chapter 9, ‘The Dark Mark’). Why do you think J.K. Rowling departed from the way she had started the other books? Pottermore Tie-In: Moment 1, Chapter 1. Go to www.pottermore.com

Why can’t younger wizards learn to Apparate and so get from one place to another 2. quickly? Why do they have to use a Portkey? Is there any advantage to using a Portkey? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using Floo powder to get from one place to another? Pottermore Tie-In: Moment 1, Chapter 6. Go to www.pottermore.com

What is the effect on the 3. students and staff when Harry’s name comes out of the Goblet of Fire in Chapter 17, ‘The Four Champions’? For a brief period Harry and Ron fall out over Harry being chosen to compete in the Tournament as Hogwarts

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DISCUSSION GUIDE

DISCUSSION POINTS FOR HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE

Champion. Why is this? Who else is upset by Harry’s selection? Pottermore Tie-In: Moment 1, Chapter 16. Go to www.pottermore.com

Talk about the many ways in which Harry is helped through the tasks of the 4. Triwizard Tournament by adults and fellow pupils alike. How much of his success is down to him, and how much to others? How does Harry repay the support he receives? Why does Harry take time to free others besides Ron during the second task? How does the relationship between Harry and Cedric develop through the three tasks of the Triwizard Tournament? Pottermore Tie-In: Moment 1, Chapter 26. Go to www.pottermore.com

Hagrid’s obvious infatuation with Madame Olympe Maxime provides many 5. amusing moments, including when he dresses in a dreadful hairy suit and tames his hair into bunches to impress her. Hagrid is often a source of humour in the series. What aspects of his character make him a good vehicle for humour? What scenes did you find particularly funny in this book?

How does Barty Crouch Jr, 6. disguised as Mad-Eye Moody, use the Invisibility Cloak and the Marauder’s Map? What clues are there in the story that would lead you to suspect that Mad-Eye

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DISCUSSION GUIDE

DISCUSSION POINTS FOR HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE

Moody was not the person he appeared to be? Why could Dumbledore not detect this deception? Why is Snape convinced that instead of the true culprit, it is the students who are stealing his ingredients for Polyjuice Potion?

Harry has his first experience with Dumbledore’s Pensieve in Chapter 30, a magical 7. device through which he learns many important facts from the past. The first time he unintentionally enters the Pensieve, Dumbledore tells him, ‘Curiosity is not a sin […] But we should exercise caution with our curiosity … yes, indeed …’ (Chapter 30, ‘The Pensieve’, p. 504) What does he mean by this? When does Harry not exercise caution? Pottermore Tie-In: Moment 1, Chapter 30. Go to www.pottermore.com

When Harry faces Voldemort in Chapter 34, ‘Priori Incantatem’, Harry’s will takes 8. over and he refuses to answer the questions Voldemort asks. Harry is determined not to die cringing, but to stand up to Voldemort in the way his father did. What events and experiences have helped Harry develop this courage? Pottermore Tie-In: Moment 1, Chapter 34. Go to www.pottermore.com

What do you believe causes the 9. connection between Harry’s wand and Voldemort’s? How do the shadow figures that emerge from

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DISCUSSION GUIDE

DISCUSSION POINTS FOR HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE

Voldemort’s wand during the connection help Harry escape? Why does Voldemort need Harry’s blood to regain his body? Is Harry learning to become a great wizard or is he just lucky to escape the forces that arise against him? Do you believe that Harry is living out a destiny or acting of his own free will?

Why does Cornelius Fudge refuse to believe that Voldemort has returned? 10. Why does he refuse to believe Harry’s story? The final chapter is entitled ‘The Beginning’. What does that tell you about the events that happened in this volume and the events to come?

IN DEPTH GROWING UP 1. In what ways do we see the main characters starting to grow up in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire? What things are they experiencing that they haven’t in the previous books? What is Harry’s unexpected task in Chapter 22?

SATIRICAL ELEMENTS 2. Much of the humour in the Harry Potter series comes from the juxtaposition of our world and the

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DISCUSSION GUIDE

DISCUSSION POINTS FOR HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE

wizarding world, providing contrasts to the institutions that are familiar to us, such as educational, governmental and medical. What are some of the other comparisons in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire? Compare the Quidditch World Cup and the Triwizard Tournament to sporting events in our world. What are some of the chilling connections between things in our world and the more sinister events in this book?

THE MEDIA 3. What does the journalist Rita Skeeter do to alienate Harry and Hermione? Why is it so important to Hermione to get revenge on Rita? What other characters receive Rita’s attention in this book, and what effect does it have on them? How does Rita Skeeter’s journalism show the power of the press?

S.P.E.W. 4. What is the significance of Hermione’s campaign for the welfare of the house-elves? Why is she adamant about improving their conditions? Why do the house-elves resist her efforts? Discuss what means when he says: ‘If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.’ (Chapter 27, ‘Padfoot Returns’, p. 443)

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DISCUSSION GUIDE

ACTIVITY AND PROJECT IDEAS

DESIGN A COVER OBJECTIVE To design an alternative cover for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

UK CURRICULUM AREAS Art and Design

LEARNING OUTCOMES Practise and improve design and craft skills and think about ways of creatively interpreting books

START POINT Discuss what makes a good book cover and how important the look of the cover is. Ask for examples of covers students like from the group’s wider reading of books. What elements can be included in book covers, for example action scenes, characters, symbolic objects and text. What things make a book cover exciting and attractive?

MAIN ACTIVITY Get your group to brainstorm 1. their ideas for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Ask them to select a scene that conveys the tone of the book as well as the characters or storyline, based solely on reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

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DISCUSSION GUIDE

ACTIVITY AND PROJECT IDEAS

Tell them to think about: • Distinguishing elements that quickly identify the storyline. • What colour do they think it will be? • Which character(s) might be on the cover and what might they be doing? • Will there be any special features? • Think too about fonts and styles for the author’s name and book title.

Encourage them to think beyond covers that already exist and to imagine their own.

Get them to sketch the cover first and then supply ready-cut pieces of card (198mm 2. by 130mm is the standard size of a paperback) so they can create their own cover for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Supply lots of different colour options so they can bring the cover to life.

WRAP-UP Display the covers and talk about how the children enjoyed designing the covers and how satisfied they are with their work. Do the covers look like they intended?

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DISCUSSION GUIDE

ACTIVITY AND PROJECT IDEAS

FOUR MORE ACTIVITIES CHARACTER QUOTES 1. Select ten quotes from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and ask your group to guess which character said which quote. Prepare some hints to help guide the children along if they are struggling to find the right answer.

CREATE A MASK 2. Ask your group to make a colourful mask based on one of the characters from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Discuss how they imagine the character to look, based solely on reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Encourage them to think beyond the obvious characters of Harry, Ron and Hermione and to imagine some of the more minor ones. The villains of the story might make for an especially vivid mask.

CHARACTER CHALLENGE 3. Give children one minute to write down as many different characters as they can remember from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Give a small prize for whoever can produce the most. Collate all of them on a flip chart and see how many different ones the group has named.

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DISCUSSION GUIDE

ACTIVITY AND PROJECT IDEAS

INVENT SOME GAMES 4. The Triwizard Tournament challenges the schools’ champions to defeat dragons, undertake an underwater rescue and find their way out of a giant maze. Have the children imagine that there is a tournament at their school. Can they think of some games/tasks that would be included in their tournament? Give each task a name and devise a competition of six different rounds that would test the four competing young children.

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