Cue No. 8

We have reached the cue that shares the title of the film. As Dumbledore begins to tell the students about the event taking place at Hogwarts this year, the violins tremolo in a high register, waiting to react harmonically to his announcement. The first full statement of the Triwizard Cup theme plays in the woodwinds. The very end of the theme is interrupted in the bassline by Moody’s entrance to the Great Hall. Descending chords represent the mystery surrounding both this event and Mad-Eye’s tardiness. A thunderstorm erupts in the great hall ceiling as Moody enters the room. The music picks up with swirling strings and percussive effects. The woodwinds react to the brass as they pass material back and forth until Moody raises his wand and calms the magical weather problem in the room.

After things calm down, the mysterious Plotting theme plays over the reveal of Mad-Eye Moody’s name as Dean asks “who?” As the camera switches to the perspective of Moody’s magical eye, it zooms in on Harry, accompanied by an unsure Hedwig’s theme in the bassoon. This theme helps attach Harry to all of the mysterious new people and plot points set up in the movie so far. The triplet motif from the Chamber 2 theme plays but modulates down before finishing a complete statement, suggesting that the plot is beginning to thicken but not even the audience knows how yet.

As Crouch Sr. speaks of the age restrictions on entering the Triwizard Tournament, the Wizard Games motif plays, but turns sour due to the students’ reaction to the news. Once the great hall calms down again, Dumbledore reveals the Goblet of Fire to a variation of Hedwig’s theme. The strings underneath move around as they usually do, this time in different directions. A change in orchestration accompanies the goblet igniting as flutes dance in thirds choreographing the flames.

We get a Plotting motif on another ominous shot of Moody, then a variation of the Triwizard theme as the shot of Dumbledore moves up to the flames. Hedwig’s theme plays once more over the shot of Hogwarts from outside, then the Death Eater theme interrupts as, already, evil plotting has begun within the tournament. Igor Karkaroff is careful to make sure nobody sees what plans he has with the Goblet of Fire.