Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Chapter 8 Summary.
The Quidditch World Cup
Chapter 8 of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, titled “The Quidditch World Cup” deals with the much-awaited Quidditch World Cup Final; Ireland vs Bulgaria.
To the Stadium
Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys make their way to the stadium. It is gigantic and looks like it would fit more than ten cathedrals within it comfortably. As Harry ogles it in amazement, Arthur explains that it can seat a hundred thousand wizards.
The group crosses the entrance, and the Ministry witch checks their tickets. They are entitled to prime seats, and she instructs them to go straight upstairs, as high as they can go.
The seats are located in a small box at the highest point in the stadium. Harry is astonished to see the sheer number of wizards, easily a hundred thousand, who have come to watch the match. On either side of the stadium stand three goalposts. Directly in front of Harry is a huge billboard with advertisements.
Harry looks around the box and finds a small creature resembling Dobby. It isn’t Dobby, but a house-elf named Winky. She recognizes Harry and says she knows Dobby.
Winky the House Elf
Winky announces that setting Dobby free was not the best idea, since he now expects payment for work. This is an unrealistic expectation for a house elf, and she seems horrified even considering the idea.
She proudly announces how she does not like heights, but is still doing what she is told; saving a seat for her master at the top of the stadium.
Harry turns to his friends. Ron calls her weird and starts testing out his Omniculars. The box fills up over the next half an hour, and both Arthur and Percy greet the incoming wizards.
Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic also arrives in the box. He greets Harry like an old friend and introduces him to the Bulgarian Minister. This earns Harry a jealous glare from Percy. Fudge admits that the Bulgarian Minister does not understand English, and it is very difficult to talk to him without Barty Crouch, their translator.
Malfoys, Veela, and Leprechauns
Lucius Malfoy enters the box, along with his son Draco and his wife Narcissa. He greets fudge, and makes a snarky remark about Arthur to his face. He also itches to insult Hermione but does not dare to make a comment in front of the Minister. Nodding sneeringly, he walks Draco and Narcissa to their seats.
After everyone has settled down, Ludo Bagman barges inside the box. Using the Sonorus charm, he welcomes everyone to the match. The charm makes his voice boom through the stadium and his announcement is met with a huge applause.
Ludo welcomes the mascots of the Bulgarian team; the Veela. They were the most beautiful women that Harry had ever seen, with moon-bright skin and golden hair.
The Veela start their dance, and Harry seems to fall into a trance. He cannot take his eyes away from them and gets a very strong urge to do something impressive, like jump from the box into the stadium. Harry is not alone in this; Ron looks like he is about to dive from a springboard.
The Veela stop soon, and everyone comes back to their senses. Next up are the Irish Mascots, the Leprechauns. A shamrock consisting of hundreds of tiny bearded men soars over the stadium, showering it with gold coins. Ron gifts Harry a fistful of it and calls it even for the Omniculars.
Ireland vs Bulgaria
Following the impressive mascot show, Bagman introduces the Bulgarian and Irish teams. In a few moments, the Quaffle, Bludgers, and the Snitch are released, and the match begins.
It is Quidditch like Harry has never seen before. The players pass the Quaffle to each other at blinding speeds, and had it not been for the Omniculars, Harry would have missed a majority of the game.
Ireland scores thrice before Bulgaria gets their first goal in. Out of nowhere, Krum and Lynch, the seekers, speed toward the ground. It seems like they are about to crash, but Krum pulls out of the dive at the last second. Lynch hits the ground with a dull thud, and medics rush to check on him as a timeout is called. Krum had fooled him with a feint.
Lynch recovers quickly and gets back into action. Fifteen minutes of action pass, and Ireland pulls ahead by another ten goals. Soon, a confrontation between the Beaters and the referee follows, and Ireland is awarded two penalties.
Meanwhile, the Mascots keep insulting each other. The Leprechauns come together to form a hand and make an obscene hand gesture at the Veela. In response, the Veela run across the field and throw handfuls of fire at the Leprechauns. A fight breaks out, and Ministry wizards rush to separate them.
The match continues despite this commotion. The Irish Beater directs a Bludger at Krum and breaks his nose. The referee, being distracted, could not blow his whistle for a timeout. Nobody blamed him; one of the Veela had set his broom on fire.
Victory for Ireland
The crowd starts to boo when suddenly Lynch dives. He speeds towards the Snitch, and Krum tails him despite his broken nose. They hurl towards the ground, and Lynch crashes for the second time as Krum catches the Snitch. The match is over, and Ireland has won.
The result of the match comes as a surprise to everyone, including Bagman. Mediwizards surround Krum and tend to his broken nose.
The Bulgarian Minister reacts to this by saying his boys played well. The fact that he can speak English enrages Fudge, who has been miming things all day. The Bulgarian Minister acknowledges that it was indeed very funny.
Two wizards carry a large golden trophy into the box and hand it to Fudge. The Bulgarian team files within the box, and shake hands with both Fudge and their own Minister. The Irish team is called next, and the crowd thunders with applause as Troy and Quigley lift the cup.
The chapter ends as Ludo Bagman uses the Quietus charm to return his voice to normal. Fred and George rush to him with their hands outstretched They have won their bet against Bagman, and want to cash out.
