Leaky Cauldron

The Leaky Cauldron was a popular wizarding pub and inn located in London. It was the entrance to Diagon Alley and, indirectly, Knockturn Alley. The rear of the pub opened up onto a chilly courtyard that contains the entrance to both alley ways.
The pub was built by Daisy Dodderidge, the first landlady, in the early 150s "to serve as a gateway between the non-wizarding world and Diagon Alley." It had a bar, several private parlour rooms, and a large dining room.
To Muggles, the pub appears to be a broken-down old shop front on Charing Cross Road. This, however, was not the case prior to the imposition of the Statute of Secrecy and, prior to this, Muggle visitors were neither turned away nor made to feel unwelcome.
== History ==
=== Early history (1500s–1692) ===
: "Some people argue that the oldest pub in London is the White Hart on Drury Lane; others that it is the Angel on Bermondsey Wall, or the Lamb and Flag on Rose Street. All of these people are Muggles, and all of them are wrong. The oldest pub in London, as any wizard will tell you, is the Leaky Cauldron on Charing Cross Road."
: — The pub is the oldest in London
The Leaky Cauldron was built in the 1500s by Daisy Dodderidge. The pub was there long before Charing Cross Road was even planned. Its true address is number one Diagon Alley, and it is believed to have been built along with the rest of the wizarding street. Created some two centuries before the wizarding world community made the joint decision to go into hiding, the Leaky Cauldron used to be visible to Muggle eyes.
While the pub was, from the first, a place for witches and wizards to congregate — whether Londoners or out-of-towners up for the day to shop for the latest magical ingredients or devicesn— Muggles were not turned away or made to feel unwelcome, even though some of the conversations, not to mention pets, caused many an unwary Muggle to leave without finishing his or her mead.
With the imposition of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy in 169, Minister Ulick Gamp permitted the pub to continue its existence as a safe haven and refuge for members of the magical community. Though insistent on numerous concealment spells and good behaviour from all who used the pub, Gamp was sympathetic to the need of wizards to let off steam during this difficult time, and further agreed to give the landlord permission to let people into Diagon Alley from his backyard, because the shops behind the Leaky Cauldron were now also in need of protection. Out of gratitude, the landlord created a new brand of beer, Gamp's Old Gregarious, which tasted so disgusting that even with a one-hundred-Galleon incentive, nobody could finish a pint.
In 1887, the pub was faced with the possibility of being demolished when the Muggles set in motion the construction of Charing Cross Road. The Minister at that time, Faris Spavin, had become certain that this was the end of the pub, and given a melancholy, seven-hour speech in the Wizengamot about why the establishment could not be saved, only to receive a note from his secretary the moment he sat down, informing him that the magical community had rallied and, through the mass use of Memory Charms, had altered the entire route of the new road to accommodate the Leaky Cauldron, leaving the architects confused as to why there was a blank space on the design, and why said space did not appear to the naked eye.
=== Recent history (1900–2014) ===
: "This is it — the Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place."
: — Rubeus Hagrid introducing the Leaky Cauldron[src]
The Leaky Cauldron had changed little over the years; it was small, dingy and welcoming, with a few bedrooms above the public bar for travellers who live a long way from London. It was the ideal spot to catch up with wizarding gossip if one happened to live a long way from the nearest magical neighbour.
In the summer of 1899, Albus Dumbledore and Elphias Doge stayed at the Leaky Cauldron, in preparation to depart for Greece, when Albus received word of his mother's death.
During the 1990–1991 school year, Zenith Xeep held a Meet-and-Greet for her beauty-and-lifestyle business, Xeep, at the Leaky Cauldron, and promoted her hair care potion, Xeep's Luscious Locks Solution. Rita Skeeter, Bilton Bilmes, Jacob's sibling and Garrick Ollivander attended. Around the same time, a wizard went to the Leaky Cauldron to chat with Tom when the wizard saw the Muggle Artefact Smuggler.
Later during that school year, Jacob and their sibling had an awkward dinner in the Leaky Cauldron with their long lost father Peregrine.
In 1991, Harry Potter and Rubeus Hagrid passed through the pub on their way to Diagon Alley. Tom, the innkeeper, greeted Hagrid there like an old friend. This made it seem that Hagrid was something of a regular. Some other witches and wizards who were there at the time were Doris Crockford, Dedalus Diggle, and Quirinus Quirrell and they took a great interest in Harry, queuing to shake his hand.
In 1992, Harry Potter and the Weasley family travelled to Diagon Alley by Floo Powder. Harry mispronounced "Diagonally", and therefore travelled to Knockturn Alley instead. After doing their shopping, Harry and the Weasleys departed through the Leaky Cauldron's fireplace to the Burrow.
In 1993, as well as stopping there for drinks, Harry Potter stayed at the inn for a time, having accidentally blown up his Aunt Marge. He also met Cornelius Fudge in a private room for the first time.
While the Leaky Cauldron was a favourite hangout for the magical community, its patronage took a turn for the worse in the summer of 1996, during the beginning of the Second Wizarding War. With Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters moving in the open, many witches and wizards avoided public places as much as possible, including the Leaky Cauldron. When Harry Potter, Rubeus Hagrid, and the Weasley family passed through the Leaky Cauldron that summer on his way to Diagon Alley, they noticed that the bar was empty with the exception of Tom.
On 1 May 1998, at the height of the war, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, with the assistance of Griphook the goblin, staged a break-in of Gringotts Wizarding Bank. While passing through the Leaky Cauldron on the way to the bank, they noted that it was nearly empty. Tom bowed in fear at the sight of Hermione, who was disguised as Bellatrix Lestrange at the time.
At some point after the end of the Second Wizarding War, Tom either retired or passed away. Hannah Abbott then became the new landlady.
== Structure ==
: "For a famous place, it was very dark and shabby. A few old women were sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. One of them was smoking a long pipe. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old barman, who was quite bald and looked like a gummy walnut"
: — The Leaky Cauldron in 1991[src]
:
Located at 1 Diagon Alley, The Leaky Cauldron was nested between a Muggle bookshop and a record store. Inside the pub, it was dark and shabby, with a bar and a number of tables in the shadows of the corners. In stark contrast to the grubby downstairs of the pub, there were some unexpectedly pleasant rooms upstairs where passing wizards and witches could stay for the night. These rooms were reached by way of a handsome wooden staircase, and contained comfortable beds, highly polished oak furniture, a crackling fire which was always burning in the grate to welcome the visitor to their lodgings, and, in Harry's case, a talking mirror.
A cellar was located beneath the ground floor, that held barrels containing the beverage supply for the establishment as well as a chest for holding reserve Floo Powder.
=== Known rooms ===
A Private parlour was located behind the bar at the ground-floor. It had a desk, a window and a little table and two somewhat uncomfortable chairs. In 1993 Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge borrowed the room so he could talk to Harry Potter about his safety and that he didn't have to worry about Sirius Black (who was thought to be a mass-murderer). He also told Harry that two men from the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad were sent out to puncture Marjorie Dursley and modify her memory after Harry lost control in Vernon Dursley's home, and that running away was irresponsible.
Room 10 was a room at the first-floor. In 1993, the day maid was about to clean the room when its owner roared at her and closed the door.
Room 11 was a room at the first-floor which had a bed in the middle, a fireplace, a talking mirror, and a window. In 1993 Harry Potter and his owl Hedwig stayed in the room after Harry ran away from Privet Drive and was picked up by the Knight Bus.
== Menu ==
: "This establishment of Diagon Alley the Leaky Cauldron is noted for its most excellent and delicious luncheon"
: — A sign in the Leaky Cauldron[src]
=== Dishes ===
Dishes served at the Leaky Cauldron included:
Dish 	Price 	Notes
House, House Soup 	5 Sickles 	Part of the Luncheon menu
House Leaky Soup 	4 Sickles 	Part of the Luncheon menu
House Soup Leaky 	3 Sickles 	Part of the Luncheon menu
Leaky House Soup 	3 Sickles 	Part of the Luncheon menu
Leaky, Leaky Soup 	5 Sickles 	Part of the Luncheon menu
Leaky Soup House 	4 Sickles 	Part of the Luncheon menu
Soup House Leaky 	3 Sickles 	Part of the Luncheon menu
Soup Leaky House 	4 Sickles 	Part of the Luncheon menu
Soup Leaky, Leaky 	unknown 	Part of the Luncheon menu
Soup, Soup Soup 	5 Sickles 	Part of the Luncheon menu
Pea soup 	Unknown 	It has been known to eat people, according to Dre Head.
Pickled eel 	1 Galleon 	A jar of pickled eels hit the Leaky Cauldron bartender in the face when a Mountain Troll rampaged through the pub.
Roast hog 	1 Galleon 	The house speciality
Steak and kidney pie	 	The house speciality
Game pie 	2 Galleons	
Raw liver 	 	Ordered by a likely hag.
=== Beverages ===
Beverages served included:
* Butterbeer
* Exploding lemonade
* Tea
* Brandy
* Beer
* Sherry
* Gamp's Old Gregarious
* Berry Ocky Rot
* Gillywater
* Pure Malt Whisky	
* Tongue Tying Lemon Squash
* Fishy Green Ale
* Dragon Scale
* Beetle Berry Whiskey
* Wizard's Brew
* Blishen's Fire Cinnamon Flavoured Whisky
* Swott Malt Whisky
* Mead
* Mulled Mead
Category:Places