Hogwarts

Fictional school in Harry Potter

Not to be confused with Hogwort.

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Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Model of Hogwarts at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter

Universe| Harry Potter
First appearance| Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997)
In-universe information
Type|

* Secondary school
* Boarding school

Founded| c. 9th/10th century
Location| Scotland
Owner| Ministry of Magic
Motto| Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus[a]

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (/ˈhɒɡwɔːrts/) is a fictional boarding school of magic for young wizards. It is the primary setting for the first six novels in the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, and also serves as a major setting in the Wizarding World media franchise.[2]

In the novels, Hogwarts is described as a coeducational, secondary boarding school that enrolls children from ages eleven to eighteen.[3] According to Rowling, any child in Britain who shows magical ability is invited to attend the school.[4][5] The Wizarding World website states that Hogwarts was founded in the Highlands of Scotland sometime between the 9th and 10th century by Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin.[6][7] Rowling has offered varying accounts of how many students are enrolled at Hogwarts at any given time.[8][9]

In a 1999 interview, Rowling said she envisioned Hogwarts as a place that offers security to the orphaned Harry Potter. She said that she made Hogwarts a boarding school because many important plot events occur at night.[10] Several writers have suggested that Rowling took the name "Hogwarts" from the 1954 book How to Be Topp by Geoffrey Willans. The book describes a fictional play titled "The Hogwarts" and a fictional school headmaster named "Hoggwart".[11][12] Rowling, however, said she may have unknowingly derived the name "Hogwarts" from the name of the hogwort plant.[13][14]

## Castle and grounds

[edit]

Students travel to and from Hogwarts through a steam powered train, known as Hogwarts Express.[15]

Rowling has described Hogwarts as a "huge, rambling, quite scary-looking castle, with a jumble of towers and battlements". She said the castle is supported by magic.[4] The school grounds have sloping lawns, vegetable gardens and greenhouses. There is a pitch for playing the wizard sport Quidditch, and a large wooded area known as the Forbidden Forest. There is also a lake, which is home to merpeople, grindylows and a giant squid. Wizards cannot Apparate (teleport) on Hogwarts grounds, but there are several hidden passages that lead out of the school.[16] In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000), it is explained that Muggles (non-magical people) cannot see Hogwarts because there are numerous enchantments on it.[17]

A version of Hogwarts castle at Universal Islands of Adventure amusement park in Orlando, Florida.

A subterranean area of the castle known as the Chamber of Secrets is introduced in the second novel, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998). In the novel, the young student Ginny Weasley is forced to open the Chamber by the Dark wizard Voldemort. From the Chamber emerges a deadly Basilisk, which attacks students until Harry kills it. A magical room called the Room of Requirement is also located in Hogwarts. It only appears when someone needs it, and contains whatever the person requires. In Order of the Phoenix (2003), Harry holds meetings of his student group Dumbledore's Army in the Room of Requirement. In Half-Blood Prince (2005), Draco Malfoy uses the room to hide and repair a Vanishing Cabinet, which allows him to smuggle Voldemort's Death Eaters into Hogwarts.

## Houses

[edit]

When a first-year student arrives at Hogwarts, the magical Sorting Hat is placed on their head. It examines their mind and assigns them to a House based on their abilities, personality, and preferences. Hogwarts has four Houses, each named after one of the founders of the school. Throughout the school year, the Houses compete for the House Cup, gaining and losing points based on actions such as performance in class and rule violations. The House with the highest end-of-year total wins and has its colours displayed in the Great Hall during the following school year. Each House also has its own Quidditch team that competes for the Quidditch Cup. Each House is under the authority of one of the Hogwarts professors. The four Houses are described below.

* Gryffindor values courage, nerve, and chivalry. Gryffindor's mascot is a lion, and the Head of House is Minerva McGonagall. The Gryffindor dormitories are in a high tower, and students must use a password to gain entry. According to Rowling, Gryffindor corresponds roughly to the element of fire.[18]
* Hufflepuff values hard work, patience, justice, and loyalty. Hufflepuff's mascot is a badger, and the Head of House is Pomona Sprout. Rowling said that Hufflepuff corresponds roughly to the element of earth.[18]
* Ravenclaw values intelligence, learning, wisdom, and wit.[19][20] The house mascot is an eagle in the novels and a raven in the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films. In the novels, the Head of Ravenclaw House is Filius Flitwick. The dormitories are in Ravenclaw Tower, and students must solve a riddle to gain entry. Ravenclaw corresponds roughly to the element of air.[18]
* Slytherin values ambition, cunning, leadership, and resourcefulness. The mascot of Slytherin is a serpent. Severus Snape is the Head of Slytherin House until he becomes headmaster, at which point Horace Slughorn assumes the position. The Slytherin dormitories are accessed by speaking a password in front of a stone wall in the dungeons, which causes a hidden door to open. Slytherin corresponds roughly to the element of water.[18]

Each year, two fifth-year students from each House are selected as prefects. The position grants them certain privileges and the authority to give detentions for infractions. The leaders of the student body, the head girl and head boy, are chosen from among the seventh-year students. Hogwarts students in their third year or higher are allowed to visit the nearby wizarding village of Hogsmeade.

## In film

[edit]

Hogwarts is featured in the Harry Potter film adaptations. England's Alnwick Castle was used for many scenes depicting exterior parts of the school. Shots of the entire school were created by adding a digital spire to images of Durham Cathedral, which also served as a set for the interior of Hogwarts. A detailed scale model of Hogwarts was also used during production of the films.[21]

## Cultural impact

[edit]

In 2008, the Independent Schools Network Rankings website featured Hogwarts on a list of the best schools in Scotland. Frank Tiarks, the managing director of the website, said Hogwarts was included on the list for fun. Rowling's fictional school was ranked as the 36th-best school, surpassing Edinburgh's Loretto School.[22]

## See also

[edit]

* Characters in Harry Potter
* Fictional universe of Harry Potter
* Places in Harry Potter
* Warner Bros. Studio Tour London: The Making of Harry Potter

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ The motto translates from Latin as "Never Tickle a Sleeping Dragon"[1]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Haas, Heather A. (15 April 2011). "The Wisdom of Wizards-and Muggles and Squibs: Proverb Use in the World of Harry Potter". The Journal of American Folklore. 124 (492): 29–54\. doi:10.5406/jamerfolk.124.492.0029. ISSN 0021-8715. JSTOR 10.5406/jamerfolk.124.492.0029.
2. ^ Steve Wohlberg (April 2005). Hour of the Witch: Harry Potter, Wicca Witchcraft, and the Bible. Destiny Image Publishers. pp. 31–. ISBN 978-0-7684-2279-5. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
3. ^ Riphouse, Acascias (2004). The Harry Potter Companion. United States of America: Virtualbookworm Publishing. p. 100\. ISBN 1-58939-582-4.
4. ^ a b Rowling, J. K. (3 February 2000). "Transcript of J. K. Rowling's live interview on Scholastic.com". Scholastic. Archived from the original on 13 April 2001.
5. ^ Rowling, J. K. "F.A.Q. – About the Books". J. K. Rowling Official Site. Archived from the original on 28 August 2011. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
6. ^ "The origins of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry". Wizarding World. 10 December 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
7. ^ Rowling, J. K. (2000). "An interview with J. K. Rowling" (Interview). Interviewed by Lindsey Fraser. London: Mammoth. pp. 20–21\. ISBN 9780749743949. OCLC 59569316.
8. ^ "Transcript of J.K. Rowling's live interview on Scholastic.com". Scholastic. 16 October 2000. Archived from the original on 1 May 2001.
9. ^ "The Leaky Cauldron and MuggleNet interview Joanne Kathleen Rowling: Part Two". MuggleNet. 16 July 2005. Archived from the original on 24 July 2005. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
10. ^ Carey, Joanna (16 February 1999). "Who hasn't met Harry?". The Guardian.
11. ^ Jones, Thomas (17 February 2000). "swete lavender". London Review of Books. Vol. 22, no. 4\. ISSN 0260-9592. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
12. ^ Robins, Jane (22 September 2000). "Potter's magic school first appeared in 1950's classic". Independent. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
13. ^ Abel, Katy. "Harry Potter Author Works Her Magic". Family Education. Archived from the original on 10 May 2006.
14. ^ Lambertsen, Carrie (12 February 2023). "Hogwarts Legacy: How Did Hogwarts Get Its Name". ScreenRant. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
15. ^ Rowling, J. K. (10 August 2015). "The Hogwarts Express". Wizarding World. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
16. ^ Rowling, J. K. (2000). "The Madness of Mr. Crouch". Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Bloomsbury. ISBN 074754624X.
17. ^ Rowling, J. K. (2000). "Aboard the Hogwart's Express". Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Bloomsbury. ISBN 074754624X.
18. ^ a b c d Rowling, J.K. (10 August 2015). "Colours". Wizarding World. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
19. ^ Rowling, J. K. (2003). Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Bloomsbury. ISBN 0747551006.
20. ^ Rowling, J. K. (2007). Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Bloomsbury. ISBN 1551929767.
21. ^ "Hogwarts Castle Model". Warner Bros. Studio Tour London: The Making of Harry Potter. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
22. ^ "Harry Potter's school outranks Loretto". The Scotsman. 31 March 2008. Retrieved 20 August 2024.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Boyle, F. (2004). A Muggle's Guide to the Wizarding World: Exploring the Harry Potter universe. ECW Press. pp. 192–195\. ISBN 978-1-55022-655-3. Retrieved 18 June 2016. (subscription required)
* Fowler, C. (2014). The Ravenclaw Chronicles: Reflections from Edinboro. Cambridge Scholars Publisher. pp. 74–77\. ISBN 978-1-4438-6598-2. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
* "Harry Potter West Coast Railway". Jacobite Steam Train. Archived from the original on 13 August 2008. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
* Highfield, R. (2003). The Science of Harry Potter: How Magic Really Works. Penguin. ISBN 978-0-14-200355-8. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
* Inggs, Judith (May 2003). "From Harry to Garri: Strategies for the Transfer of Culture and Ideology in Russian Translations of Two English Fantasy Stories". Meta: Translators' Journal. 48 (1–2 Traduction pour les enfants / Translation for children): 285–297\. doi:10.7202/006975ar. S2CID 145173155.
* Leroy, Kath (20 August 2020). "Harry Potter: What Is 'Hogwarts' In French? (& 9 Other Translations For The School)". ScreenRant. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
* Neal, C.W. (2002). The Gospel According to Harry Potter: Spirituality in the stories of the world's most famous seeker. Gospel According to Series. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 978-0-664-22601-5. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
* Spencer, R.A. (2015). Harry Potter and the Classical World: Greek and Roman allusions in J.K. Rowling's modern epic. McFarland. ISBN 978-1-4766-2141-8. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
* Stouffer, Tere (2007). The Complete Idiot's Guide to the World of Harry Potter. Penguin. ISBN 9781440636615.

## External links

[edit]

* Wizarding World: The Official Home of Harry Potter

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hogwarts.

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Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling

* Wizarding World

Books|

| Main novels|

* The Philosopher's Stone
* The Chamber of Secrets
* The Prisoner of Azkaban
* The Goblet of Fire
* The Order of the Phoenix
* The Half-Blood Prince
* The Deathly Hallows

|

Spin-offs|

* Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
* Quidditch Through the Ages
* The Tales of Beedle the Bard

Short stories|

* Prequel
* Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide
* Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics and Pesky Poltergeists
* Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies

Feature films|

| Harry Potter
(cast · music)|

* The Philosopher's Stone
* soundtrack, "Hedwig's Theme"
* The Chamber of Secrets
* soundtrack
* The Prisoner of Azkaban
* soundtrack
* The Goblet of Fire
* soundtrack
* The Order of the Phoenix
* soundtrack
* The Half-Blood Prince
* soundtrack
* The Deathly Hallows – Part 1
* production
* soundtrack
* The Deathly Hallows – Part 2
* production
* soundtrack
* accolades

|

Fantastic Beasts
(cast · characters)|

* Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
* soundtrack
* The Crimes of Grindelwald
* soundtrack
* The Secrets of Dumbledore

Characters|

* Harry Potter
* Ron Weasley
* Hermione Granger
* Lord Voldemort
* Albus Dumbledore
* Severus Snape
* Rubeus Hagrid
* Minerva McGonagall
* Draco Malfoy
* Neville Longbottom
* Fred and George Weasley
* Ginny Weasley
* Sirius Black
* Remus Lupin
* Bellatrix Lestrange
* Dolores Umbridge
* Luna Lovegood
* Blaise Zabini
* List of all characters

| Groups|

* Hogwarts staff
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Fictional universe|

* Magic
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* Diagon Alley
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Other works|

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* The Cursed Child
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* 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts
* Television series

Inspired media|

| Video games|

* Lego Creator: Harry Potter
* The Philosopher's Stone (2001)
* PlayStation
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* Game Boy Advance
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* The Chamber of Secrets
* Creator: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
* Quidditch World Cup
* The Philosopher's Stone (2003)
* The Prisoner of Azkaban
* The Goblet of Fire
* The Order of the Phoenix
* The Half-Blood Prince
* Lego Harry Potter: Years 1–4
* The Deathly Hallows – Part 1
* The Deathly Hallows – Part 2
* Lego Harry Potter: Years 5–7
* Harry Potter for Kinect
* Book of Spells
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* Fantastic Beasts: Cases From the Wizarding World
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* Quidditch Champions

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Attractions|

* The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
* Orlando
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* Dragon Challenge
* Flight of the Hippogriff
* Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
* The Escape from Gringotts
* The Forbidden Journey
* Hogwarts Express
* Movie Magic Experience

Exhibitions|

* The Exhibition
* A History of Magic
* Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter

Other|

* Lego Harry Potter
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Fandom|

* A Celebration of Harry Potter
* Drarry
* Fandom Forward
* The Leaky Cauldron
* Mischief Management
* MuggleNet
* Scorbus
* Wizard rock
* Wolfstar
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| Fan fictions|

* All the Young Dudes
* Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality
* Harry Potter in Calcutta
* Hogwarts School of Prayer and Miracles
* My Immortal

|

Fan films|

* Hermione Granger and the Quarter Life Crisis
* Severus Snape and the Marauders
* Voldemort: Origins of the Heir

Parodies|

| A Very Potter Musical|

* A Very Potter Musical
* album
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* A Very Potter Senior Year

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Other|

* Epic Movie
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* Skulduggery Pleasant: Resurrection
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* Wizard People, Dear Reader
* Treehouse of Horror XII

Related|

* Influences and analogues
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* Harry, A History
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* The Harry Potter Lexicon
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* Pollomuhku ja Posityyhtynen
* Potterless
* Heyday Films

* Category
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Authority control databases

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* FAST

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Other|

* Yale LUX

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