The Triwizard Maze

• Type: Magical construct, Tournament venue
• Location: Quidditch pitch, Hogwarts Grounds, Scotland
• Owner/Residents: Hosted by Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry; a temporary structure with no permanent residents.
• Key Features: Twenty-foot-high enchanted hedges, shifting paths, magical obstacles, and an absence of discernible landmarks or celestial guides.

The Triwizard Maze was the setting for the Third and final Task of the 1994-1995 Triwizard Tournament. Grown over several months on the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch, the maze was constructed from towering, solid hedges that created a complex and disorienting network of paths. The interior was dark, even during the day, and imbued with enchantments that caused a palpable sense of being watched and could subtly alter the layout, confusing a competitor's sense of direction. The maze was designed to test the champions' courage, perseverance, and magical ability under immense pressure. It was patrolled from the perimeter by event staff, including Barty Crouch Jr. disguised as Alastor Moody, who used his position to subtly manipulate events inside. Champions were instructed to fire red sparks from their wands if they encountered trouble and wished to be rescued.

The maze served as the climax of the Triwizard Tournament on 24 June 1995. The four champions entered in an order determined by their accumulated points: Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory entered first, followed by Viktor Krum and then Fleur Delacour. The ultimate goal was to be the first to reach the Triwizard Cup placed at the center of the maze. The maze contained a variety of dangerous magical obstacles and creatures placed to challenge the champions:

• Harry Potter was confronted by a Blast-Ended Skrewt, which he repelled but did not defeat.
• He later encountered a Boggart that took the form of a Dementor, which he dispatched with the Patronus Charm.
• Harry also navigated a patch of golden mist that inverted his vision, which he cleared using the spell Finite Incantatem.
• He successfully solved a riddle posed by a Sphinx to proceed along the correct path.
• Near the center, both Harry and Cedric were attacked by a giant Acromantula, which they defeated by working together.

During the task, Fleur Delacour was attacked and forced to retire from the competition. Viktor Krum, acting under the Imperius Curse cast by Barty Crouch Jr., attacked Cedric Diggory. Harry arrived and stunned Krum, saving Cedric. The maze's primary function in the narrative was to deliver Harry Potter to Lord Voldemort. After overcoming the final obstacle, Harry and Cedric reached the Triwizard Cup at the same moment. Displaying remarkable sportsmanship, they agreed to take the cup together. However, Barty Crouch Jr. had secretly turned the Cup into a Portkey. Upon touching it, both champions were transported to the Little Hangleton graveyard, which led directly to Cedric's murder by Peter Pettigrew and the return of Lord Voldemort.

While the maze did not have formally named sections, it contained several distinct areas defined by the challenges within them:

• The Entrance: The starting point on the edge of the Quidditch pitch where the champions began the task.
• The Sphinx's Clearing: An open area where a Sphinx sat guarding the final, direct path to the center.
• The Center: The heart of the maze where the Triwizard Cup was placed on a plinth, serving as the goal of the task and the hidden Portkey.

In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the maze is depicted very differently. The book's specific magical creatures and obstacles (the Blast-Ended Skrewt, Boggart, and Sphinx) are absent. Instead, the maze itself is portrayed as a sentient, malevolent entity with enchanted hedges that actively move to trap, disorient, and attack the champions. The ground could also open up to swallow competitors. (film)