GF12: The Triwizard Tournament – Harry Potter Lexicon

"It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."
-- Albus Dumbledore

The students arrive at Hogwarts in a gale and are soaked by Peeves‘ water balloons. The First Years are sorted, Hermione discovers that there are house elves at Hogwarts, and Moody is the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Dumbledore announces the Triwizard Tournament, and Fred and George decide to enter despite being underage.

Interesting facts and notes

"I shall call the headmaster!" shouted Professor McGonagall. "I'm warning you, Peeves—"
Peeves stuck out his tongue ... and zoomed off up the marble staircase, cackling insanely.

It seems the poltergeist fears no one, not even Dumbledore. (Or does he?)

by an unlucky combination of circumstances, Harry hadn't been present at [the Sorting] since his own.

Readers will recall Harry's recovery from the Dementor on the train last year and his and Ron's adventure in the Ford Anglia the year before that.

Harry glanced up at the ceiling too. It was enchanted to look like the sky outside, and he had never seen it look this stormy. Black and purple clouds were swirling across it, and as another thunderclap sounded outside, a fork of lightning flashed across it.

So much for being able to get one's mind off of the bad weather.

"I do hope this year's batch of Gryffindors are up to scratch," said Nearly Headless Nick. "We don't want to break our winning streak do we?"

As the narrator observes, Gryffindor has so far won the House Cup every year since Harry's start at Hogwarts.

"[Peeves] wanted to attend the feast...We held a ghost's council--the Fat Friar was all for giving him a chance--but most wisely, in my opinion, the Bloody Baron put his foot down." The Baron was the only one who could really control Peeves.

This brings up some interesting questions. Was this ghost's council gathered just for this one topic, or do they meet on a regular basis? What other sorts of issues do they discuss and how often? Has the Baron always been the one to reign in the poltergeist? How did this relationship of theirs begin?

"The full list [of objects forbidden inside the castle] compromises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe..."

That's quite a list!

"we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century."

The main highlight of the chapter is Dumbledore's revelation of this event, the Triwizard Tournament.

"We're seventeen in April, why can't we have a shot?"

In fact, the Weasley twins' birthday is the first of April - April Fools' Day (JKR).

"I definitely haven't [learned enough to compete]," came Neville's gloomy voice behind Fred and George. "I expect my gran'd want me to try, though. She's always going on about how I should be upholding the family honor."

It seems Harry's not the only one having expectations put on him from a young age.

Exceptional character moments

Dennis Creevey, who fell into the Hogwarts lake and gave his older brother a double thumbs-up, "looking positively delighted about it." Then, upon learning that it was the Giant Squid who pulled him out, looking "as though nobody in their wildest dreams could hope for more [to happen to them]."

Hermione Granger's short-lived hunger strike, in protest of the fact that Hogwarts has house-elves on staff in a traditional manner.

Fred and George's plotting to fool the age restriction...and, should they succeed, inviting Ron to enter too.

Memorable lines

"It's got to be a pretty boring life, isn't it, being a hat?" said Ron. "I suppose it spends all year making up the next [Sorting song]."

"People have died!" said Hermione in a worried voice.
"Yeah," said Fred airily, "but that was years ago, wasn't it? Anyway, where's the fun without a bit of risk?"