A passage beneath the one-eyed witch statue by the stairs to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, leading to the cellar of Honeydukes. Speaking aloud the word 'Dissendium' to the witch allows access to this passage; the hump on the statue then opens and reveals the hidden passageway. I will be most seriously displeased if a Gryffindor student embarrasses the school in any way." — Minerva McGonagall regarding the high reputation of Gryffindor house [src]

The Forbidden Forest is a large, dark enchanted forest in the boundaries of the school grounds. It is usually referred to simply as "the Forest" and in the film series as the "Dark Forest". It is strictly forbidden to all students, except during Care of Magical Creatures lessons and, on rare occasions, detentions. This is, quite simply, the best house at Hogwarts. It’s where the bravest and boldest end up – for instance: Albus Dumbledore! Yes, Dumbledore himself, the greatest wizard of our time, was a Gryffindor! If that’s not enough for you, I don’t know what is. Among the plant species within the Forest are trees such as beech, oak, pine, sycamore, yew and knotgrass and thorn undergrowth. Though the Forest is vastly dense and wild, there are a few paths and clearings. Hagrid, who frequently travels into the Forest for various reasons, mostly makes these trails. The Forest is also home to an assortment of creatures, many of them dangerous. J. K. Rowling, [2] Evanna Lynch, [3] Tom Felton, [4] Bonnie Wright [5] and Katie Leung [6] were Sorted into Gryffindor. The Sorting Hat claims that blood purity is a factor in selecting Slytherins, although this is not mentioned until the fifth book. There is no reason to believe, however, that Muggle-born students are not sorted there, merely that pure-blooded students are more desirable to that house, as there are several examples of half-bloods in the house– such as Snape and Tom Riddle/Voldemort – and Harry himself was only excluded from the house at his own insistence. In Deathly Hallows, a group of Snatchers claim that "not many Mudbloods" are sorted into Slytherin.

Please select your trunk

JK Rowling is the pen name for Joanne Rowling: she is a British author, screenwriter, producer, and philanthropist. She shot to worldwide fame with her Harry Potter series. The classic book has sold over 500 million copies and won several awards. It’s also the basis for the movie series. Prefect, Keeper on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and Deputy Leader of Dumbledore's Army; did not attend final year. Eventually married Hermione Granger and became a professional Auror from 1998 to 2000, and co-manager of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Sworn Knight of the Round Table in King Arthur's royal court, known for his defeat of the Wyvern of Wye. [22] Now has a portrait on the seventh floor landing of the Divination corridor, which for a while guarded Gryffindor Tower from November 1993 to February 1994. [23] [24] [25] Rowling has suggested that she may have inadvertently taken the name from the hogwort plant ( Croton capitatus), which she had seen at Kew Gardens some time before writing the series, [31] although the names "The Hogwarts" and "Hoggwart" appear in the 1954 Nigel Molesworth book How to Be Topp by Geoffrey Willans. [32] [33] The name "Hogwart" also appears in the 1986 Labyrinth fantasy film. [34] Accessed by entering a trapdoor in the forbidden corridor on the third floor, and protected by a gauntlet of seven magical challenges set up by the teachers.

To graphically convey their values, the sorcerers opted for an old badge. It’s a shield divided into four factions. Here, each segment represents a founder. Also, the logo has beasts, colors, and a motto. For instance, the mascots are a lion, snake, eagle, and badger. Scottish Highlands Postcodes (IV, HS, KA27-28, KW, PA20-49, PA60-78, PH17-26, PH30-n 44, PH49-50, ZE ) 48 Hour Dispatch The entrance to the Chamber is hidden in the second-floor girls' lavatory (haunted by Moaning Myrtle). One of the sink taps has a snake scratched into its side; when a command in Parseltongue is spoken, it opens to reveal the mouth of a dark, slimy chute, wide enough to slide down, that gives onto a stone tunnel. There are many skeletons of small animals littering the floor and even a gigantic skin shed by the Basilisk. The tunnel leads to a solid wall, carved with two entwined serpents with emeralds for eyes. [22] At a command in Parseltongue, the wall opens to expose a long, dim corridor, lined with monumental statues of snakes, including two rows of towering stone pillars with more carved serpents that brace the ceiling. A colossal statue of Salazar Slytherin, looking ancient and monkey-like, is at the centre. The Basilisk rested inside the statue and emerged from its mouth when the Heir of Slytherin, Tom Riddle, summoned it. [23] Neville Longbottom was an exception to this 'rule', as Transfiguration was among his worst subjects ( Herbology was his best).The primary mode of transport to Hogwarts is the Hogwarts Express that students take at the start of each school year. Students board the train from the also fictional and hidden Platform 9 + 3⁄ 4 at King's Cross station in London. The train arrives at Hogsmeade station near Hogwarts, sometime after nightfall.

In the long-distance past, four witches and wizards shared a vision. They dreamt of building the world’s outstanding school of magic. These powerful beings were two witches and wizards. While Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were witches, Slytherin and Gryffindor were wizards. With their magical talents, the Hogwarts School of Witches and Wizardry was born. Hogwarts ... Logically it had to be set in a secluded place, and pretty soon I settled on Scotland in my mind." Fraser, L., An interview with J.K.Rowling, Mammoth, London, 2000. ISBN 0-7497-4394-8. pp 20–21. After graduating from university, Rowling worked for Amnesty International. She worked as a researcher and a bilingual secretary in London. Then, in 1990, the Harry Potter idea came to her. It happened while delayed on a train from Manchester to London.The entrance to the Hufflepuff dormitories and common room entrance is concealed in a pile of large barrels in an alcove in the corridor that holds the kitchen. To enter, one must tap the barrel two from the bottom in the middle of the second row in the rhythm of "Helga Hufflepuff". Unlike any other house, the Hufflepuff common room has a repelling device that douses the illegal entrant in vinegar if the wrong lid is tapped or the rhythm is wrong. [15] The Hufflepuff common room is filled with yellow hangings and fat armchairs and it has little tunnels leading to the dormitories, all of which have perfectly round doors, like barrel tops. [16] Ravenclaw Congratulations! I'm Prefect Percy Weasley, and I'm delighted to welcome you to GRYFFINDOR HOUSE. Our emblem is the lion, the bravest of all creatures; our house colors are scarlet and gold, and our common room lies up in Gryffindor Tower. Crowds of people around 5972 in York, which had worked an enthusiast special from Manchester in June 2014