Embedded with magic and danger, this fantasy thriller is the fourth instalment of the Harry Potter series and begins with Harry dreaming of of Frank Bryce, who is killed after overhearing Lord Voldemort discussing plans with Peter "Wormtail" Pettigrew and Barty Crouch Jr. At the Quidditch World Cup, Death Eaters terrorise the spectators, and Crouch Jr. summons the Dark Mark, otherwise known as the curse "Morsmordre".
Later at Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore introduces ex-Auror Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. He also announces that the school will host the Triwizard Tournament where three magical schools are going to compete against each other in a very deadly competition by facing three dangerous challenges.
The champions are selected by the Goblet of Fire: Cedric Diggory of Hufflepuff is chosen to represent Hogwarts, Viktor Krum will represent Durmstrang Institute, and Fleur Delacour will represent Beauxbatons Academy of Magic. The Goblet unexpectedly chooses a fourth champion: Harry Potter.
Dumbfounded, Dumbledore is unable to pull the underage Harry out of the tournament, as the Ministry official Barty Crouch, Sr. insists that the champions are bound by a contract, and therefore, Harry is invited to compete. This makes Harry's best friend Ron Weasley and other mates of Gryffindor jealous of Harry.
For the tournament's first task, the champions must each retrieve a golden egg guarded by a dragon. Harry, succeeds after he summons his broomstick to retrieve the egg, which contains information about the second challenge.
Shortly after, another event known as the Yule Ball dance takes place, during which Harry's crush Cho Chang attends with Cedric, and Hermione Granger attends with Viktor, which renders Ron jealous. During the second task, the champions are instructed to dive underwater to rescue their mates; Harry comes out last but is placed second behind Cedric due to his 'moral fiber'. Afterwards, Barty Crouch Sr. is found dead by Harry.
In the third and final task, the competitors are placed inside a hedge maze and must reach the Triwizard Cup. Viktor, under the Imperius curse, incapacitates Fleur. After Harry saves Cedric when the maze attacks him, the two claim a draw and grab the cup together, which turns out to be a Portkey and transports the two to a graveyard, where Wormtail and Voldemort are waiting.
Wormtail kills Cedric with the Killing Curse and performs a ritual using a bone of Voldemort's father, Wormtail's flesh and Harry's blood, which rejuvenates Voldemort, who then summons the Death Eaters. Voldemort releases Harry in order to beat him in a duel to prove he is the better wizard.
Harry is unable to defend himself, but tries the Expelliarmus charm at the same moment Voldemort attempts the Killing Curse. Their wands cannot work against each other (as they both contain a feather from the same phoenix, Fawkes), so Voldemort's wand is forced to disgorge the last spells it performed.
This results in shadow impressions of the people he murdered appearing in the graveyard, including Harry's parents and Cedric. This provides an ample distraction to Voldemort and his Death Eaters, allowing Harry to escape with Cedric's body.
Upon his return, Harry tells Dumbledore that Voldemort has returned and is responsible for Cedric's death. Hogwarts grieves for Cedric. Mad-Eye takes a devastated Harry back to his room, locks the door, and admits that it was he who put Harry's name in the Goblet, cursed Viktor and was responsible for all the things gone wrong and tries to attack Harry. Dumbledore, Severus Snape, and Minerva McGonagall break down his door and force him to drink a truth telling potion.
It's also revealed that he is not "Mad-Eye" Moody; the real one is imprisoned in a magical trunk. The false Mad-Eye's Polyjuice Potion wears off and he is revealed as Barty Crouch Jr., working for Voldemort. Crouch Jr. is sent back to Azkaban prison, from which he had escaped. Soon after, Hogwarts, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons gather to bid farewell to Cedric.