The Woods

• Type: Temporary Magical Campsite
• Location: Near Ottery St Catchpole, Devon, England
• Owner/Residents: Mr. Roberts (Muggle owner); temporarily occupied by thousands of witches and wizards attending the 1994 Quidditch World Cup.
• Key Features: Protected by Muggle-Repelling Charms, site of a large-scale magical encampment, temporarily connected to the international Portkey network.

“The Woods” refers to the forested area and adjacent moorland that served as the location for the campsite of the 422nd Quidditch World Cup in August 1994. The land itself was owned by a local Muggle, Mr. Roberts, who, along with his family, was subjected to numerous Memory Charms by Ministry of Magic officials to prevent him from comprehending the magical events taking place on his property. The Ministry of Magic, under the organization of the Department of Magical Games and Sports and the Department of International Magical Cooperation, transformed the area into a sprawling campsite. Hundreds of tents were erected, creating a temporary village for the wizarding community. While many tents appeared ordinary from the outside to avoid suspicion, a significant number were magically enlarged on the inside, containing multiple rooms and luxurious furnishings. The atmosphere was one of celebration and international camaraderie, filled with wizards and witches from around the world, vendors selling merchandise, and children flying on toy broomsticks.

This location is featured prominently at the beginning of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and the Weasley family travel here via Portkey to watch the Quidditch World Cup final between Ireland and Bulgaria. The campsite serves as the setting for their reunion with other characters, such as Cedric Diggory, and their first encounters with important figures like Ludo Bagman and Barty Crouch Sr.. The woods' most crucial role occurs after the match. A riot breaks out as a group of cloaked and hooded Death Eaters marches through the campsite, terrorizing attendees, setting fire to tents, and torturing the Muggle Roberts family. Amid the chaos, Harry Potter is separated from the others and witnesses the casting of the Dark Mark into the sky from a dark clearing. This was the first public appearance of Lord Voldemort's symbol in thirteen years, causing widespread fear and marking a significant escalation of dark activities. In the aftermath, Ministry of Magic officials, including Barty Crouch Sr., discover the house-elf Winky unconscious in the clearing where the Dark Mark was cast, holding Harry's missing wand. Though innocent, she is summarily dismissed from service, an event that profoundly influences Hermione Granger's commitment to house-elf rights. It is later revealed that the true culprit was Barty Crouch Jr., who had stolen Harry's wand and cast the Morsmordre spell while hidden under an Invisibility Cloak.

• The Campsite: The primary area on the moor adjacent to the woods where hundreds of tents were pitched. It served as the living quarters and social hub for the event's attendees.
• The Lantern-Lit Path: A path illuminated by lanterns that wound its way through the woods, connecting the campsite to the entrance of the massive Quidditch World Cup Stadium.
• The Clearing: A specific, dark clearing within the woods where Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger hid during the Death Eater attack. It is the precise location from which Barty Crouch Jr. conjured the Dark Mark.

In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the attack on the campsite is a visually intense and chaotic sequence. The masked Death Eaters are shown marching in formation, and the destruction of the camp by fire is extensive. The film makes the torture of the Muggle family more explicit, showing them being levitated and tormented above the tents, which is only described after the fact in the novel (film).