Chapters 1-10, Before Hogwarts

The book begins with talking about the Riddle house and how its inhabitants were found dead. Many years later, when the house is abandoned, and when Frank the caretaker wakes up and sees lights flickering in the house, he decides to investigate. He hears two men talking, one called Wormtail, about plans for murder. However, Frank is discovered and is forced to enter the room, when one of the men kills him with magic. Just after, Harry Potter, the main character of the story, wakes up, with his scar hurting, which strangely starts happening a lot throughout the book…. he realizes that it had only been a dream, but a very vivid one that has somehow resulted in pain. For the rest of the second chapter, he worries about the dream and sends letters to his friends and his godfather.

In the third chapter, Harry joins the Dursleys, his aunt, uncle, and cousin, at breakfast and receives a letter from the Weasleys, the family of his best friend Ron. They invited him to come with him to the Quidditch World Cup. Harry eventually convinces Mr. Dursley to let him go, and the dream and the event of his scar hurting in the previous chapters is quickly forgotten as Harry thinks about the fun times he is about to have. In chapter 4, the Weasleys arrive at the Dursleys’ house and take Harry with them, although it is complicated quite a bit when Dudley, Harry’s cousin, eats one of Fred and George’s candies, which makes his tongue stretch extremely far. Harry narrowly escapes the infuriated Dursleys.

In Chapter 5, Harry arrives at the Weasley’s house through Flu-Powder, a magical way of transportation. He is informed all about the Weasleys’ summer, and talks about the Quidditch World Cup that he will go to soon. Throughout Chapter 6, Harry and the Weasleys embark on their journey to the campsite they would stay at during the cup. They met Amos Diggory and his son while there and talked to each other. They then take the portkey (yet another way of magical traveling) to their campsite.

Harry and the Weasleys arrive at their campsite, meeting several people that they know and setting up their tent. Readers learn about Victor Krum, one of the most famous Quidditch players. They also meet cheerful Ludo Bagman, one of the wizards organizing the tournament, and Mr. Crouch, a strict ministry worker who is great in contrast to Mr. Bagman. In Chapter 8, they make their way to the stadium, where they meet an elf called Winky who is supposedly saving a seat for Mr. Crouch, although strangely he never does turn up for the game. Everyone then watches the tournament with great interest.

At night, Harry wakes up at the campsite to find a riot going on and has to escape with the Weasleys into the forest. However, Harry, Hermione, and Ron get separated from the rest and find themselves all alone. Then someone nearby casts a spell into the sky– the Dark Mark, the symbol that represented Voldemort. Harry and his friends are accused of casting it at first, but then Winky the house-elf is found at the scene of the crime with a wand. Everyone then goes back to the campsite and goes back to sleep. In Chapter 10, they return to Weasleys' house and stay there for the rest of the summer, preparing for following the school year at Hogwarts.