Triwizard Cup

• Type: Trophy, Portkey (illicitly modified)
• Owners: Ministry of Magic, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, Durmstrang Institute
• Maker: Unknown

The Triwizard Cup is the grand prize for the Triwizard Tournament. The novels provide a limited physical description, noting only that it is a “gleaming cup” that shines brightly. It was large enough to be held with two hands and was placed upon a plinth in the centre of the maze during the Third Task of the 1994-1995 tournament.

The primary purpose of the Triwizard Cup is to serve as a trophy for the winner of the Triwizard Tournament, signifying “eternal glory” and entitling the champion to a prize of one thousand Galleons. In the 1994-1995 tournament, the Cup was illicitly transformed into a Portkey by Barty Crouch Jr., who was disguised as Professor Alastor Moody. This was a key part of Lord Voldemort's plan to return to power.

• Portkey Function: The Cup was enchanted to transport the first person who touched it directly to the Little Hangleton graveyard where Voldemort and Peter Pettigrew were waiting.
• Two-Way Transport: Unusually, the Cup functioned as a two-way Portkey. After fulfilling its initial purpose, it could be used again to return the user to its original location at the edge of the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch. This allowed Harry Potter to escape the graveyard and return to the school grounds.

The Triwizard Cup was the traditional prize awarded to the champion of the Triwizard Tournament since its inception centuries ago. The tournament, and by extension the awarding of the Cup, was discontinued for many years due to the high death toll associated with the competition. The tournament was revived in 1994, with the Cup once again serving as the ultimate prize. It was intended to be claimed by the champion who first reached the centre of the hedge maze during the Third Task. However, Barty Crouch Jr. had secretly turned it into a Portkey to deliver Harry Potter to Lord Voldemort. During the final moments of the Third Task, Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory reached the Cup at the same time. In a display of sportsmanship, they agreed to touch it simultaneously and become joint Hogwarts champions. The moment they touched the Cup, its Portkey enchantment activated, transporting them both to the Little Hangleton graveyard. There, Cedric Diggory was murdered by Peter Pettigrew on Voldemort's command. Following his duel with the newly-resurrected Voldemort, Harry used the Cup to transport both himself and Cedric's body back to Hogwarts. The fate of the Cup after this event is not mentioned in the novels, but it was likely retained by the Ministry of Magic as evidence related to Lord Voldemort's return.

In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the Triwizard Cup is the central motivating object, or MacGuffin, that drives the plot forward. It represents glory, achievement, and inter-school pride, acting as the ultimate goal for the four champions. The Cup's significance pivots dramatically at the novel's climax. Its true purpose as a trap is revealed, transforming it from a symbol of victory into an instrument of death and rebirth. The moment it transports Harry and Cedric to the graveyard marks the definitive end of Harry's relative childhood innocence and the official start of the Second Wizarding War. For Harry, the object becomes a source of immense trauma, forever linked to the murder of his friend and the terrifying return of his arch-nemesis.

• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the Triwizard Cup has a much more elaborate and ornate design than is suggested in the book. It is depicted as a tall, elegant silver trophy with dragon motifs, which glows with a brilliant, ethereal blue light (film). This magical glow is a cinematic invention and is not mentioned in the source novel.
• The Cup also appears as a collectible item in the LEGO Harry Potter video games (video game).