Hogwarts

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Hogwarts (霍格沃茨)
Affiliation	British and Irish wizarding community; governed with involvement from the school governors 1 224
Occupation/Role	School of Witchcraft and Wizardry; the principal magical school for eligible young witches and wizards from Britain and Ireland 1 267
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Background / History

Hogwarts was founded around 990 AD by Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. Although Rowena chose the site after dreaming of a warthog leading her to a cliff beside a lake—the future Black Lake—the castle itself had originally been Slytherin’s private property. The founders moved the unused castle from the Slytherin estate rather than construct a new one. 199

The castle stands in the Scottish Highlands. Repelling charms prevent ordinary people from approaching; Muggles who pass nearby see only dilapidated ruins. 1 8

Hogwarts is regarded as the most prestigious of Europe’s three major magical schools. It primarily accepts children from Britain and Ireland, while foreign students generally require British or Irish citizenship obtained through the Ministry of Magic. 1 267

Admissions and Organization

Admission

Children with magical talent are recorded through two ancient admission artifacts kept in a secret Hogwarts tower:

• Quill of Acceptance — an Augurey-feather quill that attempts to record the name of every magically gifted newborn.
• Book of Admittance — a large black-dragonhide book that accepts the name only once the child displays sufficient magical ability. Recorded details include the child’s name, date of birth, and family. 109 117

The Ministry of Magic cannot inspect the Book of Admittance’s birth records without Hogwarts’ authorization. 109

Enrollment and Houses

• Eligible students begin at age eleven. 1
• Students travel on 1 September aboard the Hogwarts Express from Platform 9¾ at King’s Cross Station. 1
• First-years cross the Black Lake by boat before attending the Sorting Ceremony. 1
• The school is divided into four Houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw/Eagle House, and Slytherin. 84 307
• The annual House Cup is awarded through House points and school performance. 52 100

Campus

Great Hall

The Great Hall is a massive rectangular dining hall with long House tables, a magically luminous ceiling resembling an endless star-filled sky, and space for schoolwide ceremonies, debates, feasts, and tournament announcements. 18 207 298

Forbidden Forest

The Forbidden Forest lies on the school grounds and is normally off-limits to students outside supervised activities. Hagrid’s Care of Magical Creatures classes provide the only authorized opportunity for many students to enter it. 146

The forest contains centaurs, Acromantulas, Nundus, Occamies, and other magical creatures. Hermione later coordinates these residents as auxiliary defenders of Hogwarts. 232 237

Room of Requirement

A blank wall on the castle’s eighth floor conceals the Room of Requirement. The room can become a classroom, dueling arena, or other requested space, complete with suitable teaching materials. 82 308

Other Notable Locations

• Black Lake — lies beside the castle and is connected to Hogwarts’ founding-site legend. 1 199
• Headmaster’s Office — contains portraits of former headmasters, which can advise or argue with the sitting headmaster. 75
• Prefects’ Bathroom — shared by up to twenty-four prefects and four Quidditch captains. 30
• Secret passages — at least seven passages lead from the castle to the outside, creating a major vulnerability during emergencies. 232
• Hogwarts kitchens — employ more than one hundred House-elves. 199

Magical Protections

Hogwarts is protected by layered magical defenses.

• Repelling charms conceal the grounds from ordinary people. 8
• A runic Anti-Apparition array beneath the castle restricts Apparition throughout Hogwarts. 243
• The gates can be reinforced with Salvio Hexia and Protego Totalum. 237
• Professor McGonagall can animate the castle’s statues and armor with Piertotum Locomotor to defend the grounds. 237
• During Peter Pettigrew’s escape, Dementors were stationed at the school’s entrances and exits; they also patrolled Hogsmeade. 153

Despite its reputation as “the safest place in Britain’s magical world,” the school’s safety is repeatedly compromised by hidden chambers, Dementors, infiltrators, and large-scale attacks. 110 153 232 237

Education

Curriculum

Hogwarts offers seven compulsory subjects and five electives. Ordinary Wizarding Levels are administered by the Ministry of Magic’s Wizarding Examinations Authority, though examinations are held at Hogwarts for enrolled students. Exceptionally capable students may take OWLs early. 146

Known subjects include:

• Astronomy
• Care of Magical Creatures
• Charms
• Defense Against the Dark Arts
• Herbology
• History of Magic
• Muggle Studies
• Potions
• Study of Ancient Runes
• Transfiguration 108 145 146

Defense Against the Dark Arts

The Defense Against the Dark Arts position was cursed by Voldemort after Dumbledore rejected his application to teach at Hogwarts; no professor can retain the post for more than a year. 105

When the post becomes vacant, Hogwarts temporarily adopts a peer-teaching system in which students teach the year below them, while older examination classes are handled by Professor Snape. 100

Harry Potter’s teaching emphasizes practical combat, beginning with offensive and defensive fundamentals such as the Waddiwasi Spell and Shield Charm. 102 118

Muggle Studies

Muggle Studies is taught by Professor Charity Burbage, who promotes equality between wizards and Muggles. Harry challenges the course’s outdated assumptions about the non-magical world and demonstrates that battery-powered electrical devices can function within Hogwarts despite magical electromagnetic interference. 145 218

Burbage later proposes teaching the subject as “ordinary social studies,” with Harry assisting her. 284

History of Magic

History of Magic, written by Bathilda Bagshot, is the textbook used from first through seventh year. 142

The school becomes the center of a public challenge to accepted wizarding history when Will Henry exposes Sir Cadogan as Don Quixote and disputes the claim that Merlin attended Hogwarts or studied under Salazar Slytherin. 207 208

Harry and Will advocate revising magical history through verifiable Muggle historical sources. By a later point, The New History of Magic is being proofread for use as a replacement text. 209 386

Relationships

• The Four Founders — Hogwarts was created by Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin around 990 AD. 199
• Albus Dumbledore — Headmaster who oversees admissions, staffing, security measures, and major institutional decisions. 12 100 153
• Minerva McGonagall — senior professor who commands Hogwarts’ emergency defenses during the Inferi invasion. 232 237
• Harry Potter — student, assistant instructor, temporary Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and a central defender of the school. 100 139 238
• Hermione Granger — student and wartime organizer who mobilizes the Forbidden Forest’s magical creatures to defend Hogwarts. 232 237
• Rowena Ravenclaw’s spirit — founder spirit awakened within Eagle House; she criticizes Hogwarts’ decline and offers guidance to students. 189 190

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Hogwarts sends acceptance letters to Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, drawing both into the magical world despite Harry’s initial attempt to keep Hermione away from the school. 12
• Harry begins his first year, arrives by Hogwarts Express, crosses the Black Lake, and is sorted into Gryffindor. 1
• The school’s plumbing is renovated after the Chamber of Secrets crisis, with the haunted girls’ bathroom redecorated and its conspicuous faucets cemented into the wall. 4
• Harry becomes a temporary first-year Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher after a vacancy in the cursed position. 100 102
• Hagrid begins teaching Care of Magical Creatures in the Forbidden Forest, with Harry serving as his assistant instructor and protector. 146 147
• Hogwarts hosts the public debate in which Will Henry exposes Sir Cadogan and challenges false Merlin legends, opening a broader fight over magical historical education. 207 209
• The school hosts the revived Triwizard Tournament, welcoming delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. 265 295 296
• Hogwarts is locked down amid warnings of an Inferi attack. Hermione organizes students, staff, villagers, and forest creatures for its defense. 232
• Inferi and dark creatures assault the castle. McGonagall animates the school’s statues and armor, while students and magical creatures defend the grounds. 237
• Harry returns during the battle with Norberta and a massive eagle Patronus, destroys the remaining Inferi, and is hailed by students as the “Hogwarts God of War.” 238