Triwizard Tournament
Since the 14th century, the Triwizard Tournament was a friendly match between the best wizardry education institutes Drumstrang Institute, Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and wizardry.
Each school would have one champion selected by the Goblet of Fire that would compete in three tasks to win the Triwizard Cup for their school.
The champions would receive the honor of winning the Triwizard Cup but also received a handful of money as a prize. The Triwizard Tournament was discontinued due to the number of deaths during the tournament. However, somehow it restarted in 1994.
Each task of the Triwizard Tournament was different and no one could anticipate what kind of dangerous tasks that each school champion would have to face.
Goblet of Fire
Since the 1400’s the friendly tournament between the champions of the three magic institutes were chosen by the Goblet of Fire. The Goblet of Fire itself didn’t regard age as a limiting factor for choosing a champion.
However, there was an Age Line that was casted personally by Albus Dumbledore to restrict wizards or witches under 17 years old from putting their name into the Goblet of Fire.
The Goblet of Fire was a powerful magic artefact and the decision by the Goblet of Fire was indispensable. The Goblet of Fire would only ignite during the selection process for the Triwizard Tournament and self-extinguish after the champion selection was finished.
Age Line
Albus Dumbledore himself set a charm that set up an Age Line that couldn’t be bypassed by students who were under age seventeen.
George and Fred Weasley, Summers from Hufflepuff House and S. Fawcett from Ravenclaw House all attempted to fool the Age Line but failed and ended up with a beard or caused a malfunction that made them all end up in the hospital wing.
However, the Goblet of Fire spits out a 4th name and designated Harry Potter as the 2nd champion for Hogwarts which especially Igor Kararoff was furious about.
The Goblet of Fire immediately extinguished so despite arguments, the headmasters of school had to proceed the Triwizard Tournament by tradition accepting Harry Potter as the 4th champion.
Professor Alastor Moody suspects that someone who could cast a powerful Confundus Charm that confuses the victim both living or not may have set this up. In the movie, Albus Dumbledore was furious with Harry but in the novel, Albus Dumbledore really calmly confronts this problem.
On both though, Albus Dumbledore himself was confused on how Harry Potter could put his name into the Goblet of Fire or if someone else did.
Yule Ball / Christmas Ball
The Yule Ball was the traditional festival for the Triwizard Tournament. Normally, students of Hogwarts would be shipped back to home for the Christmas holidays.
However, during the Triwizard Tournament, senior students could enjoy the Yule Ball that was on 25th of December, Christmas which also gave the nickname the Christmas Ball. Juniors could also attend if they were invited as a date as well.
Especially the champions of each school must attend the Yule Ball with a date per the tradition. For the 1994 Triwizard Tournament hosted by Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the most famous pop group The Weird Sisters performed at the Yule Ball while the Great Hall was full of amusements as well.
Professor Minerva McGonagall strictly instructed to all students that this traditional ball was important and students shouldn’t shame Hogwarts(she did say Gryffindor House as she instructed the Gryffindor House students) and they had to suit up and attend the Yule Ball seriously.
Romance between Viktor Krum and Hermione Grange
Unlike descriptions of Viktor Krum and his world-wide fame, Viktor Krum was described more as an introverted person and couldn’t manage all the matters with his fame. Unlike all the other girls that tried to receive his attention, Viktor Krum observed Hermione and was impressed with her helping Harry for the tasks of the Triwizard Tournament.
Viktor Krum started lurking around the Hogwarts library where Hermione spent her time studying and researching for Harry Potter. However, the introverted Viktor Krum didn’t actually ask out Hermione Granger for the Yule ball until the last moment.
The headmaster of Durmstrang Institute Igor Kararoff actually disapproved Viktor but couldn’t help it because Hermione was a muggle born and Igor Kararoff used to be a death eater. Viktor Krum would even invite Hermione to Bulgaria which she didn’t actually visit but she has wrote letters to Viktor over the vacations.
Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley’s Romance
Hermione Granger shows a low esteem on her looks while she always assert that looks aren’t important, she did admire Gilderoy Lockhart and did have some interest in Viktor Krum as well. Apparently, throughout the series, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger did show some romance.
For instance, Ron was the first to notice Hermione was unaware of the mountain troll during Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Ron also tried to avenge Malfoy right after Ron hears Malfoy insult her a mudblood during Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
At the end, while Ron and Harry greeted Hermione back from her petrification, Harry hugged Hermione right away but Ron and Hermione were too shy to make a hug.
Despite such signs, Hermione was even more disappointed with Ron because Ron thought Hermione as a last resort rather than the first person to ask out for the Yule Ball.
Ron Weasley naturally had a low esteem on himself as he thought he was too normal while the others including his friends and family were so talented.
Ron became jealous of Hermione as she looked so dazzling at the Yule Ball with her date Viktor Krum. Ron and Hermione had an argument at the Gryffindor Common Room but the fight over the Yule Ball may have been the moment that Hermione and Ron realized that they had interest in each other.
Dates of the characters for the Yule Ball
Harry Potter’s date for the Yule ball was Parvati Patil who was a Gryffindor House student. Parvati Patil’s twin sister Padam Patil was a Ravenclaw House student that attended the Yule Ball with Ron Weasley. Neville Longbottom’s date was Ginny Weasley while Seamus Finnigan went to the Yule Ball with Lavendar Brown from Gryffindor House.
Viktor Krum attended with Hermione Granger while Fleur Delacour’s date was the Ravenclaw Roger Davies who was the captain for the Ravenclaw Quidttich team.
Draco Malfoy’s date was Pansy Parkinson from Slytherin House, while Fred Weasley’s date was Angelina Johnson from the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Cedric Diggory’s date was Harry Potter’s first crush Cho Chang from Ravenclaw House.
The reason Ron was angry with Harry for the Triwizard Tournament
Ron Weasley’s family members had exceptionally great talents. His elder brothers Charlie, Bill and even Percy were all prefects, great performers for the Quidditch team and they even were academically successful.
The twins had an exceptional talent of their own while they were also the core of the Gryffindor Quidditch team.
Ron always had this complex low self esteem that he is too normal. Even his friends Hermione and Harry have proven they were an exceptional witch and wizard.
Ron Weasley was angry as he thought that Harry Potter slipped his name in chase of fame without even letting him know as Harry’s best friend. Ron felt betrayed of Harry and became jealous of him.
Ron secretly assists Harry in the first ask for Charlie’s information of dragons but still wasn’t in the mood to directly tell him. However, after Ron witnesses the champions wrestle the dragons, Ron realizes that Harry would have never just put his name in the Goblet of Fire for such risks and he makes up with Harry.
Why Hufflepuff House was especially mad with Harry Potter
Hufflepuff House was denounced for ‘not being outstanding’ for a long time. However, the students of Hufflepuff House were especially excited that Cedric Diggory was chosen champion for Hogwarts and sought this as an opportunity to honor Hufflepuff House.
However, as Harry was also chosen as a champion, Hufflepuff House students saw this as Harry Potter (and Gryffindor House) trying to snatch the glory from Hufflepuff House.
Thus, the Hufflepuff House students were especially hostile with Harry Potter until everyone witnessed how dangerous the first task of the Triwizard task was.
Potter Stinks
Due to the confusion and rumors of Harry Potter as the champion of Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament, many Slytherin House and Hufflepuff House students wore the Support Cedric Diggory The Real Hogwarts Champion badge that would flash in to Potter Stinks. Cedric Diggory actually scolded his fellow Hufflepuff friends for wearing the Potter Stinks badges.
