Goblet of Fire is one of the most memorable Harry Potter movies, with many stand-out set-pieces – from the Quidditch World Cup, to the various trials of the Triwizard Tournament, to the tragic finale. And one moment that really remains burned in the brain is the entrance of the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students into Hogwarts’ Great Hall.
It’s easy to see why the students of Hogwarts – and Ron in particular – are set all of a-flutter. Firstly, the Beauxbatons girls, clad in grey-blue silk dresses arrive. They do a kind of shimmying dance that involves sighing while blue butterflies magically appear, which provokes a “bloody hell” from Ron. But he is even more impressed when the young men of Durmstrang arrive, with their batons that shoot sparks, and the famous Quidditch player Viktor Krum is among their number.
The Harry Potter movies recently moved from HBO Max to Peacock in the US, and it looks like a different version of Goblet of Fire may have been uploaded. Because directly following the entrance of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, the Hogwarts students welcome them with the school song.
It appears to be a deleted scene that has been added back in, because Dumbledore magically conjures lyrics which float in mid-air as the students sing; “Hogwart, Hogwarts Hoggy Warty Hogwarts, teach us something please! Whether we be old and bald, or young with scabby knees. Our heads could do with filling with some interesting stuff, for now they’re bare and full of hair, dead flies and bits of fluff!”
Draco (Tom Felton) looks like he’s suffering pain as Crabbe enthusiastically joins in, and both Krum and Madame Maxime look unimpressed. The scene ends with an abrupt edit that certainly suggests it was added back in, and wasn’t part of the movie originally.
The only thing unfortunately missing is that we don’t get to see two of the best Harry Potter characters – Fred and George Weasley – joining in with their own tune, as happens in the book.
If you’re a Potter-head, check out our guide to the best Harry Potter villains.