Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Location	Hogwarts Castle, Highlands of Scotland
Founded	10th century
Inhabitants	Students and staff (September - June) Ghosts House-elves
Employed	Professors Caretaker House-elves
Book information
First appearance	Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Last appearance	Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

"Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus"

— the slogan of the school

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is a wizarding boarding school in the Highlands of Scotland. It accepted students from England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Hogwarts is renowned for being one of the finest magical schools in the world, teaching a range of classes. It was founded by Godric Gryffindor, Salazar Slytherin, Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff.

To attend, the students receive an acceptance letter for their eleventh birthday. They attended for seven years, taking examinations in each class every year. It started in September and ended in June, with Christmas and Easter holidays taking place in December and March or April. Hogwarts Castle is unplottable.

Location and layout

Hogwarts Castle by Jonny Duddle

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is located in Hogwarts Castle on a cliff in the Highlands of Scotland. There is a loch named the Black Lake which leads to an underground harbour. The grounds have sloping lawns, flowerbeds, vegetable patches, greenhouses and turrets and towers. The three highest towers are the Astronomy Tower, Ravenclaw Tower and Gryffindor Tower. There is one full-size Quidditch pitch and an Owlery, and even a very large dense forest called the Forbidden Forest.

The school is Unplottable and has spells and enchantments put on it so it appears to look like old ruins to outsiders. There is a sign that reads "DANGER, DO NOT ENTER, UNSAFE". There is also another enchantment to prevent apparation into and from the school.

Albus Dumbledore observed that the school had lots of hidden secrets that even he never discovered. It has rooms which disappear and reappear in another location and several secret passageways hidden behind walls and statues. There is also one underneath the Whomping Willow near the Forbidden Forest. The home of the Keeper of Keys and Grounds is near the edge of the Forest.

Founding

In the late tenth century, four witches and wizards knew there was a need for a school to teach witches and wizards. Godric Gryffindor, Salazar Slytherin, Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff founded the school. They created four school Houses to teach the kind of witches and wizards they had hoped to inspire and create, attributing certain traits they valued to their House. Gryffindor brought the Sorting Hat to Sort students into Houses when they died. Slytherin built the Chamber of Secrets. Ravenclaw chose the school's location and name, and Hufflepuff brought house-elves to work in the kitchens.

However, Slytherin wanted a school for pure-blood students and didn't want to accept any Muggle-borns. The other founders did not agree and wanted to accept every witch and wizard. Because of that, they argued and Slytherin eventually abandoned the school when he had built the Chamber of Secrets. He hoped that an Heir would one day open it and unleash the Basilisk to purge the school of Muggle-born students. People searched for Chamber but couldn't find it, with its existence turning into a legend.

Letters

Acceptance letter

At the age of eleven, an acceptance letter to Hogwarts is sent to a witch or wizard. If they were brought up in the wizarding world, they are expected to have knowledge of Hogwarts so they are sent their letter by owl. If they are Muggle-born, the school sends a member of staff to tell the child and their family about the wizarding world. The staff of Hogwarts knew if a student didn't open their letter, and kept sending new ones until they finally opened one. They also knew if the child's location changed.

The acceptance letter is in two parts; the first confirming their acceptance and a second one listing everything they had to purchase and bring to their first-year.

Other letters

In the second-year to the seventh and final year, students are sent a letter every summer to tell them what new books and other supplies they had to purchase for that year. In the third year, the letter includes a Hogsmeade permission slip that had to be signed by a guardian.

School life

Schedule

There are three terms. The first is September to December when there is a break for the Christmas holidays. The second term is January to March or April when there is a break for the Easter holidays. The third is April or May until June when the summer holidays begin with the end of the school year.

The new school year starts on 1 September. Students take the Hogwarts Express from King's Cross Station at eleven in the morning and get to Hogsmeade station in the evening. The first year students are taken by the Keeper of Keys and Grounds to the underground cavern. They knock on the entrance doors, where one of the teachers will open it and take them to the Entrance Hall. The students in the second to seventh years take Thestral-driven carriages up to the main entrance and gather in the Great Hall for the Sorting ceremony and the Start-of-Term Feast.

The school watches first-year students get sorted into one of the four Houses, before eating their dinner and heading to bed. The first-year students are led to their House common room by Prefects and find their trunks in their rooms. Unless it is the weekend, classes begin the next day when class schedules are handed out to each student.

Starting in the second week of the school year, Quidditch try-outs open for the House teams and Flying class for the first-year students take place. Starting in October, third year students and above get given a day (on a weekend) to walk to the nearby village of Hogsmeade. The school has a Hallowe'en Feast every 31 October. The end of the first term was in December, when the students have the choice of spending Christmas at home or at school. If they want to stay at Hogwarts, they have to give their name to the Head of House. To leave, they have to sign up separately. There is a feast on the day for those who stay.

In April, there is a break for Easter. Like at Christmas, the students get to decide if they would like to stay at Hogwarts or spend it at home. At the start of June, students take examinations for every subject. First to fourth-years have a basic end-of-year examination. Fifth-years have the very important O.W.Ls, and seventh years have N.E.W.Ts. When school year ends, they have the End-of-Year Feast. seventh year students have a second, special feast for their final evening at Hogwarts. The summer holidays then start.

Student life

The school had a number of rules. They could earn and lose House points and the House with the highest total of points by the End-of-Term Feast was awarded the House Cup.

Students did not have permission to use their wands in the corridors. The Forbidden Forest is out-of-bounds. The Head of Hogwarts could also forbid students entering other locations, which once included the third-floor corridor] for reasons that weren't given to the students.

The school has a number of extra-curricular clubs. Inter-House Quidditch Cup is very popular and games take place throughout the school year. The Head of Houses chooses the Quidditch Captain for their House team and the Captain chooses players during Quidditch try-outs which take place in the second week of September. Toward the end of the school year, the team with the highest points are awarded the Quidditch Cup.

In the fifth-year, the four Head of Houses choose two students each to be Prefects. They are informed with a letter sent in the summer. In the seventh year, two students from each House are selected to be Head Boy and Girl. Prefects and Head Boys/Girls could give and take House points. Any special achievements, including the Special Award for Services to the School are given when needed.

Homework is given through the school year. It could also be given for the holidays. They are often informed on how many rolls of parchment their homework had to be. School uniform included black robes, a black, plain pointed hat for day wear, a pair of protective gloves and a winter cloak.

Employed and inhabitants

The Head appoints the Deputy Head and the staff. There is a school board to appoint the Head. Four professors are the Head of Houses. The Deputy Head carries out admin work and sends signed school letters, including acceptance letters. The Hogwarts kitchens is run by House-elves. There is a Matron in the Hospital Wing who employs nurses. The Keeper of Keys and Grounds tends to school grounds, and there is a Caretaker.

There are at least twenty ghosts at Hogwarts who join the students around the school everyday. These include the four House ghosts, a trickster poltergeist and a teacher, Professor Binns. Wizarding portraits are placed around the school which interact with students and staff. Every Head of Hogwarts has a painting put in the Head of Hogwarts' office when they die.

Subjects

In the first-year, every student has to study seven subjects. In their third year, they get to add at least two new elective subjects out of five options to their studies. They continue to take these subjects until the start of their sixth-year, when they get to drop classes of their choice. Grading in the first four years is usually a percentage or a pass and fail.

In the fifth-year, they take very important examinations called the Ordinary Wizarding Level. Before taking the examinations, students get career advice from their Head of House, who give advice on what grades will be needed to get a job in that career. Grades achieved in the O.W.L.s will determine if they can continue to study the subject at N.E.W.T. level. Starting in the sixth year, students select up to seven subjects to continue at N.E.W.T level. In the seventh year, they take N.E.W.T. examinations which further determine what kind of success they will have at finding a job in a chosen career.

Starting in the first-year
Charms
Potions
Defence Against the Dark Arts
Transfiguration
Astronomy
History of Magic
Herbology
Third-year options
Arithmancy
Study of Ancient Runes
Divination
Care of Magical Creatures
Muggle Studies

Subjects were given to a specific year for limited time, including:

• Flying - for first-year students in the first few weeks of school to teach them the basics of flying using a broomstick.
• Apparition - for any sixth year student aged seventeen or eighteen, who have pay to for lessons and achieve their licence to Apparate. It is watched by an Apparition Instructor.

Grading

For the O.W.L.s/N.E.W.T examinations, the school has a special grading system:

• O for Outstanding - an immediate acceptance for studying the subject at N.E.W.T. level.
• E for Exceeds Expectations - usually high enough to continue to N.E.W.T level (depending on the Professor's expectations).
• A for Acceptable - could stop the student continuing the subject at N.E.W.T level.
• P for Poor - a narrow fail, and will be unable to continue studying the subject.
• D for Dreadful - cannot continue the subject.
• T for Troll - a very unfortunate fail, and no acceptance to study the subject at N.E.W.T. level. If the test was taken by a troll, they achieved the grade of O.F.T. (Outstanding for Trolls).

Houses

House	Coat of Arm	Founder	Common room	Ghost	Colours	Traits
Gryffindor		Godric Gryffindor	Gryffindor Tower - on the seventh floor hidden behind a portrait of the Fat Lady, needs a password to enter	Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington (or Nearly Headless Nick)	Scarlet and gold	Courage, bravery, daring, nerve, and chivalry
Hufflepuff		Helga Hufflepuff	Hufflepuff Basement - by the Hogwarts kitchens, students need to tap a fake barrel in the rhythm of "Helga Hufflepuff" to enter (vinegar is thrown on anyone who does the wrong tune)	Fat Friar	Yellow and black	Loyalty, patience, hard work, fair-play, honesty, and tolerance
Ravenclaw		Rowena Ravenclaw	Ravenclaw Tower - in a high tower, the student need to answer a riddle from an eagle door knocker to enter.	Helena Ravenclaw (or the Grey Lady)	Blue and bronze	Intelligence, wit, cleverness, creativity and wisdom
Slytherin		Salazar Slytherin	Slytherin Dungeons - hidden behind a stone wall with a password to enter	Bloody Baron	Green and silver	Ambition, leadership, cunning, determination, and resourcefulness

School song

The school song is sung in whatever tune the singer chooses. Whenever the Head decides to, they call for it be sung. Professor Dumbledore once asked for the school to sing it at the Start-of-Term Feast. He used a wand to create a golden ribbon which flew high above the tables, and changed into lyrics. The lyrics are:

Hogwarts, 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 air,
Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot,
Just do your best, we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot.

Notable events

Opening of the Chamber of Secrets

In 1942 or 43, Tom Riddle found the Chamber of Secrets. He was the Heir of Slytherin and he opened the Chamber in the hope of living up to Slytherin's dream of purging the school of Muggle-borns using a Basilisk. Albus Dumbledore never trusted Tom and knew he was responsible. However the Head of Hogwarts of the time, Armando Dippet liked Tom and would not accept that he was part of it.

In June 1943, Myrtle Warren was killed and the Ministry of Magic wanted to shut the school down. But Hogwarts was Tom's home and he knew he had to close the Chamber of Secrets instead. He framed Rubeus Hagrid and Aragog for opening the Chamber. Hagrid was expelled and Tom received an award for Special Award for Services to the School. Dumbledore was unable to persuade Dippet that Tom was responsible.

In September 1992, the Chamber was opened again by Ginny Weasley who was possessed by Tom Riddle's Diary. By December, four people were Petrified by the Basilisk. In April, another two students ended up Petrified and forced the whole school into lockdown. Students had to be in their House common room by 6pm, and a teacher had to accompany students to every lesson. The school clubs had to be postponed until further notice.

In the evenings, teachers, ghosts and Prefects patrolled corridors in pairs searching for anything unusual. Due to Dumbledore failing to solve the situation, Cornelius Fudge and the Board of Governors intervened. Dumbledore was suspended and Hagrid was sent to Azkaban. Professor McGonagall was temporary Head of Hogwarts. Harry and Ron took Dumbledore and Hagrid's advice and spoke to Aragog. The school was about to be closed down when Ginny was taken into the Chamber of Secrets, but Harry later found it, killed the Basilisk and Hagrid's innocence was accepted.

The Philosopher's Stone

In the 1991-1992 school year, Dumbledore put the Philosopher's Stone in the underground chambers guarded by Fluffy and other defences. The Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor, Professor Quirrell was possessed by Voldemort and they tried twice to steal it. They nearly succeeded the second time, but Harry Potter intervened and Voldemort abandoned Quirrell to die. The Stone was then destroyed.

Hunt for Black

In the 1993-1994 school year, there were fears that Sirius Black was wanted to try and kill Harry Potter. He had escaped Azkaban and a hunt for him was conducted using Dementors. Professor Dumbledore agreed to let Dementors patrol every entrance to the school, and Harry saw two guarding the front gates to the school. Black was soon sighted not far from the school.

In October, Black snuck into the school in Animagus form and slashed a painting of the Fat Lady when he was trying to get to Peter Pettigrew. The whole school went into lockdown. The students had to sleep in the Great Hall and Dumbledore began a search, but wouldn't let Dementors in the school to help. He knew anyway that Black would have run away hours ago, and he had.

Dementors guarding Hogwarts had soon grown hungry, and later saw a crowd attending a Quidditch game. They were too tempted to feed and headed towards it, where they caused Harry to faint and fall. Dumbledore intervened, helping Harry and using a Patronus Charm to get rid of the Dementors. He was furious they went into the school because they were told to stay at the front door and gates.

In February, Black got into the school again. He found a piece of paper of passwords for Gryffindor Tower and he snuck in to kill Peter, who was Ronald Weasley's pet rat, Scabbers. Ron woke up and screamed when he saw Black holding a knife. Black run away again. The school searched again but he had escaped, and added security was brought in to the school. The new and tighter security included teaching the front doors to know what Black looked like, boarding up every crack and hole and hiring security trolls to guard Gryffindor Tower.

The Triwizard Tournament

The Triwizard Tournament was held between Hogwarts, Beaubaxtons Academy and Durmstrang Institute for centuries but students kept dying and the tournament was cancelled forever. However in 1994, the tournament was held again in the hope new rules and improved security would improve safety.

Voldemort used the tournament to trick Harry and lead him to Little Hangleton graveyard. Barty Crouch Jnr. pretended to be the ex-Auror and the new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor Professor Moody for the whole year. He put Harry's name in the tournament and enchanted the Triwizard Cup into a portkey to take Harry to the graveyard. Cedric Diggory joined Harry in the hope of sharing the winnings with Harry and he was killed by Peter Pettigrew on Voldemort's orders. Harry later escaped.

Battle of Hogwarts

In June 1997, Death Eaters found a way into the Auror-protected school and Albus Dumbledore was killed. Death Eaters took control of the school until 2 May 1998. That day, Harry Potter went to Hogwarts to find the final Horcruxes and Voldemort led the Death Eaters there. The Battle of Hogwarts was fought and the school was very heavily damaged. Harry defeated Voldemort in a duel which took place in the Great Hall. The school later repaired itself and normal school life continued. Students who were then in their final year of education, could attend in the next school year to complete their education.

Trivia

Sketch of Hogwarts School

• At some point before the late twentieth century, Hogwarts used to hang students by their wrists from the ceiling for a few days for any wrongdoings. Filch kept the chains in case they were ever needed again.
• The school has had at least two Boggarts living in it: one in a staff-room wardrobe, and a second in Filch's filing cabinet.
• In the early twentieth century, Hogwarts tried to put on a Christmas pantomime. The show was an adaptation of The Fountain of Fair Fortune. After the Worm exploded and the actors started duelling each other over their love spat, the Great Hall was shrouded in smoke and ash. The Hospital Wing was filled with those needing help, Professor Kettleburn was put on probation and Professor Beery, the director, took months to recover.
  • Professor Kettleburn survived sixty-two probation periods during his career at Hogwarts.
• The history of Hogwarts is explored in the book Hogwarts: A History.