Fourth year

Warning!

At least some content in this article is derived from information featured in Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery. Spoilers will be present within the article.

Tumblr myf8190Ecq1skz9hco8 250 — The Yule Ball held during Harry Potter's fourth year

A fourth year was a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry who is in their fourth year of magical education. Fourth years are typically 14 to 15 years of age.

The fourth year was almost identical in its structure to the third; students study two or more elective courses in addition to the core classes, and are allowed in Hogsmeade during selected weekends.

During the fourth year

Fourth year students must take Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, History of Magic, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Astronomy and Herbology. They must also take at least two of Divination, Arithmancy, Study of Ancient Runes, Care of Magical Creatures, and Muggle Studies.^[1] Students may choose to drop an elective if it becomes a burden.

Fourth years typically get more work than third years, to prepare for their O.W.L.s.

Classes

A fourth year Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson

Little is known of the curriculum; however, during Harry Potter's time, Charms students learned the charm to summon objects and its counter-charm. In history class, they learned about Giant wars and continued their lessons on goblin rebellions. Herbology students learned how to collect bubotuber pus. In Care of Magical Creatures, Hagrid had managed to create a cross between firecrabs and manticores, which he called Blast-Ended Skrewts, which the class was expected to help raise. Divination students began making dream diaries and studying the planets. In Defence Against the Dark Arts, they learned about the Unforgivable Curses from Professor Moody. The assignments in Transfiguration class involve turning a hedgehog into a pincushion and Switching Spells.^[2]

Required textbooks

Harry's fourth year (1994-1995)

Main articles: 1994-1995 school year and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Triwizard Tournament

The Goblet of Fire

"Eternal glory! That's what awaits the student who wins the Triwizard Tournament, but to do this, that student must survive three tasks. Three extremely dangerous tasks."

— Albus Dumbledore regarding the tournament^[src]

Selection of the Champions — Selecting the champions

With the start of the new school year, Professor Dumbledore announced that a very special event would take place at Hogwarts that year: the Triwizard Tournament. The Tournament called for a single champion from each of the three largest wizarding schools in Europe to compete in a series of trials for the glorious prize of one thousand Galleons. Before long, hosts from the two other schools, the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and the Durmstrang Institute arrived, and it was announced that the three champions would be decided by the Goblet of Fire, an enchanted artefact that chose the most worthy entrants from those students who submitted their names. An age limit on entrants prevented all underage wizards from entering the tournament, excluding Harry, Ron and Hermione from submitting their names.

Choosing the Champions

The champions were announced soon afterward: Cedric Diggory of Hufflepuff was to represent Hogwarts, Fleur Delacour for Beauxbatons, and Viktor Krum, the Seeker for the Bulgarian National Qudditch team, representing Durmstrang. But then a fourth name was thrown from the Goblet of Fire: Harry Potter. Since Harry did not submit his name, nor could he have due to the age restriction, the assembly was dumbfounded, none more so than Harry himself. Although protests issued from the heads of the other schools against two Hogwarts champions, it was decided that the Goblet of Fire had spoken and that changes must be made accordingly. While many thought Harry had somehow gotten around Dumbledore's age restricting barrier, the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, an ex-Auror named Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, suggested that perhaps someone entered Harry's name under a fourth school to ensure he would be included in the competition, hoping he might not survive the perilous tasks that awaited the other champions.

Tensions with Ron

HungarianPottermore — Harry sees the dragons for the first task for the first time

Harry's entry into the competition strained his relationship with Ron, who once again felt left in the shadow of his famous friend. Ron was not alone in shunning Harry; a great many of the students from all three schools assumed he somehow cheated his way into the tournament, making Harry's life miserable. As if that were not enough, Harry developed a hopeless crush on Ravenclaw Seeker Cho Chang.

Though Ron and Harry refused to speak to each other, Ron did pass on a message through Hermione that Hagrid wanted to see him. The Gamekeeper sneaked Harry into a meeting with Madame Olympe Maxime, Beaxbaxtons' Headmistress, through which he revealed that the first task would involve dragons.

The First Task

"The first task is designed to test your daring, so we are not going to be telling you what it is. Courage in the face of the unknown is an important quality in a wizard... very important...."

— Bartemius Crouch Snr describing the first task^[src]

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Harry faces the Hungarian Horntail in the first task of the Triwizard Tournament

Harry, with a little help from Moody and Hermione, managed to survive the dragon task, despite being up against the most violent of the four dragons, the Hungarian Horntail. Harry managed to summon his broom and fly, using flying strategy he had learned as a Quidditch player to lure the dragon off the eggs long enough for him to zoom in and snatch the golden egg, the prize of the task.

Harry was told that opening the egg would give him the clue for the next task, but when it opened, only a screeching noise could be heard. With a hint from Cedric Diggory, in return for warning him about the dragons, Harry sneaked into the Prefects' bathroom by giving the password "pine fresh". He took the egg underwater and realised he must save someone he loved from under the Black Lake.

The Second Task

"Well, all our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle. They have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them."

— Ludo Bagman introduces the second task^[src]

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Harry in the Black Lake during the second task

Even with help from Hermione and Ron, who had now forgiven him, Harry struggled to think of a way to breathe underwater for an hour. With a little help from Dobby, Harry discovered gillyweed, and managed to save Ron from under the water. He was, however, slightly side-tracked by making sure all the other captured loved ones were saved, and when Fleur Delacour's sister was not saved, he dragged her to the surface, as well. Although this meant he was over the time limit, his bravery and valour earn him extra points from the judges.

The Pensieve

Later, Harry and the other champions were informed the next task would be in a maze, filled with magical obstacles, and while Viktor Krum and Harry were discussing this, a rather mad looking Barty Crouch Snr emerged from the forest, asking for Dumbledore. Harry went to retrieve Dumbledore, but when he returned, they found Krum had been stunned and Crouch was nowhere to be seen.

Not long later, Harry looked into Dumbledore's pensieve and into his memories, not only discovering that Barty Crouch's son was sent to Azkaban, but that Snape was in fact, a Death Eater at the time of the First War.

The Third Task

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The third and final task, the hedge maze

At the third task, Harry successfully makes it through the maze, aided by Diggory, and they decide to grab the Cup simultaneously. Unknown to them, the Cup was actually a portkey that transported them to an old cemetery, in the village of Little Hangleton. Awaiting them was Peter Pettigrew, who was carrying what appeared to be a deformed infant. This creature ordered Wormtail to kill Diggory, who abolished, leaving Harry in shock and anger. Harry was then stunned and tied to a tombstone.

Rebirth of Lord Voldemort

Main article: Rebirth of Lord Voldemort

"Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son. Flesh of the servant, willingly given, you will revive your master. Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, you will resurrect your foe."

— Peter Pettigrew conducting the ritual to restore Lord Voldemort^[src]

Vldemrt 70 Rbrth — Lord Voldemort's rebirth and return to full power

Here, Harry's blood was taken by Wormtail (aka Peter Pettigrew), who also cut off his own hand and placed both these items into a cauldron, at the creature's command. The creature was revealed to be Lord Voldemort, and the potion made by Wormtail, had brought him back, with the new ability to touch Harry. This proved that the magic of his mother had also been lifted, since now the same blood ran through both their veins. Voldemort revealed that he had a servant at Hogwarts who had ensured that Harry would win the tournament and be brought to the graveyard, so that Wormtail could obtain both Harry's blood and a bone from the grave of Lord Voldemort's father.

Harry's duel with Voldemort

Main article: Duel in Little Hangleton

Priori Incantatem Pottermore — Priori Incantatem taking effect during the duel

After summoning his Death Eaters (including Lucius Malfoy), Voldemort challenged Harry to a duel. However, his wand and Harry's were "brothers". As the wands' streams interlocked, a Priori Incantatem effect occured, causing the spirit echoes of Voldemort's victims, including Harry's parents, to spill out from his wand. The echoes momentarily protected Harry, allowing him to grab the portkey and escape to Hogwarts with Diggory's body.

When he arrived back at the school, many of the students began to cheer, before they saw Cedric's dead body. Harry was then ushered away by Moody, and taken to his office where he sat in shock. As Moody probed Harry for information, he revealed he knew that Harry was taken to the graveyard.

Discovering of Barty Crouch Jr

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Barty Crouch Jr revealed to have been impersonating Moody

When Harry realised that Moody was in fact the servant at Hogwarts, Moody attempted to kill him. Before he had the chance, the teaching staff burst in and slipped Moody veritaserum, where he revealed he was in fact Barty Crouch Jr, who was secretly released by his mother from Azkaban, and had been using the Polyjuice Potion to disguise himself as Alastor Moody all year. Before Crouch could repeat his confession to the authorities, however, Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge, who refused to believe that Voldemort had returned, arrived at Hogwarts, along with a Dementor which sucked out Crouch's soul.

End of the year

Dumbledore quickly reinstated the Order of the Phoenix, and a memorial feast for Cedric was held, where Dumbledore told the school what had happened in the graveyard and the change that this event would surely bring.

Appearances

Notes and references

Hogwarts years
1st · 2nd · 3rd · 4th · 5th · 6th · 7th

[1] Pottermore

[2] Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

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