Rarely Hogwarts School of Witchcraft And Wizardry

> The finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world.
>
> Rubeus Hagrid's praising of Hogwarts, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry**, often shortened to **Hogwarts**, was a ***Scottish*** wizarding school located in the ***Scottish Highlands***. It accepted any magical student residing in the islands of ***Great Britain*** and ***Ireland*** at the age of eleven years old at the start of the incoming term for enrolment. It was a state-owned school, funded by the ***Ministry of Magic***.Template:Real Magical EducationalThe precise location of the school could never be uncovered because it was rendered ***Unplottable***. To ***Muggles***, the school appeared to be an old, abandoned castle. Similarly, most wizarding schools' locations were protected in order to prevent their ways of teaching being revealed, as well as protect the students and schools themselves from any harm.

Established around the ***10th century***, Hogwarts was considered to be one of the finest ***magical*** institutions in the wizarding world, though other notable schools included ***Beauxbatons Academy of Magic*** in ***France***, the ***Durmstrang Institute*** implied to be in northern Europe, and ***Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry*** in the ***United States***.

British and Irish children with magical abilities were enrolled at birth by the ***Quill of Acceptance*** and ***Book of Admittance***, and acceptance was confirmed by ***owl post*** at age eleven. However, if the child in question was a ***Muggle-born*** or a ***half-blood*** like Harry Potter with no knowledge of the wizarding world, a ***special messenger*** from the school visited the child and his or her family in order to inform them of their magical heritage and the existence of the wizarding world. It was possible for students to **transfer** to the school as well.

The school's motto was *Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus (Draco Dormiens Nvnqvam Titillandvs)*, which, translated from Latin, means "Never tickle a sleeping ***dragon***".

## Description

 File:Hogwarts.jpg
Hogwarts School, located somewhere in the ***Highlands*** of Scotland, consisted of the large Hogwarts Castle and extensive school grounds surrounding it, which included sloping lawns, flowerbeds, vegetable patches, as well as a loch (called the ***Black Lake***), a large dense forest (called the ***Forbidden Forest***), several ***greenhouses*** and other outbuildings, and a full-size ***Quidditch Pitch***. One of the castle's towers held an ***owlery***, which housed all the ***owls*** owned by the school and by students.

 File:OfficialHogwartsMap.jpg
The castle was set upon huge rocks above the Black Lake. Its three highest towers were the ***Astronomy***, ***Ravenclaw***, and Gryffindor Towers. The castle's 142 staircases were known to change position. The castle was known for its many updates and changes in layout throughout the years. It should be noted that some rooms in the school tended to "move around", as did the steps on the ***Grand Staircase***. Albus Dumbledore once noted that even he did not know all of Hogwarts' secrets. The castle had been around for centuries, and consequently had a long history of ancient magic.

The school had numerous ancient ***charms and spells*** on and around it to safeguard it from danger. In addition to the fact that there were ***enchantments*** that prevented people from ***entering by stealth***, it was also impossible for a ***Muggle*** to ***see it***, as the school was bewitched so that when they looked at it, all they saw were some old ruins and several warnings of danger. Witches and wizards could not ***Apparate*** or ***Disapparate*** in Hogwarts grounds, except for when the Headmaster lifted the enchantment, whether only in certain areas or for the entire campus, so as to make the school less vulnerable when it served the headmaster to allow Apparition. Electricity and electronic devices were not found at Hogwarts. Due to the high levels of magic, Muggle substitutes for magic, such as computers, radar and electricity, "went haywire" around Hogwarts. ***Radios***, however, were an exception as they were not powered by electricity, but by magic.

## History

### Early history

> We'll teach just those whose ancestry's purest.
>
> Professor Slytherin's opinion on the running of Hogwarts, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

 File:Hogwarts founders PM.jpg
Hogwarts was ***founded*** around 990 A.D. by four of the greatest wizards and witches of the age: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. They each represented an aspect of personality that they wanted to bring out in new students. They also placed certain ***protective enchantments*** in place to ensure the well-being of their students, for which reason the castle and grounds had both always been protected with ***Anti-Apparition Charms***. Around the same time, the four founders employed the school's first ***Caretaker***, ***Hankerton Humble***, who would often clash with ***Peeves***, the resident ***Poltergeist***, which he would have in common with every successive caretaker after him in the history of Hogwarts.

Although the four founders cooperated well for a time, however, shortly after founding the school, Slytherin had a falling out with the other founders about ***blood purity***, and wanted to admit only ***pure-blood*** students. He felt pure-blooded students deserved to learn ***magic***, and those of other ancestry such as ***Muggle-borns*** and ***half-bloods***, were unworthy. The other three founders all disagreed, especially Gryffindor. Slytherin left the school, but not before secretly building the Chamber of Secrets. He foretold that only his own heir would be able to open it once they arrived at the school, and the heir would unleash a murderous basilisk living inside to purge the school of all ***Muggle-born*** students. Despite the fact that the ***founders of Hogwarts*** were effectively in charge of the school during their time, none of them held the title of headmaster or headmistress of the school, as that was only used sometime after Slytherin's departure, and held by ***another wizard***, who was the first person to be entrusted the stewardship of Hogwarts Castle and the surrounding grounds after the three remaining founders passed away.

### Middle history

According to the eventual Gryffindor House ghost, ***Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington***, because Hogwarts Castle was always intended as a safe place, the school had historically shouldered the responsibility of protecting "dangerous things" from falling into the wrong hands, and carrying the burden of the job remarkably well despite the fact that subsequent heads of the school and members of the faculty came to recognise how it compromised the security of the castle. Indeed: Albus Dumbledore would reiterate this truth to Harry Potter years later during their ***private lessons*** into the history of Lord Voldemort, when the then headmaster described Hogwarts Castle as "a stronghold of ancient magic", and explained that his refusal to employ him as a teacher stemmed in part from the suspicion that the Dark wizard would unravel more of its mysteries and take advantage of untapped stores of magic within the school for his own, nefarious purposes.

At some point ***13th century***, following the invention of ***Floo Powder*** by ***Ignatia Wildsmith*** and the subsequent development of the ***Floo Network***, a long line of ***Heads of the school*** refused to permit the school's fireplaces to be accessible this way, for fear of the castle's security could be breached.

 File:B2C9M2 Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom.png
During the ***1700s***, there was a proposal to install an elaborate ***plumbing*** system in the castle. This threatened the secrecy of the Chamber of Secrets, forcing ***Corvinus Gaunt***, a Slytherin student, descendant of Salazar Slytherin and ***Parselmouth***, to protect the entrance to the Chamber by having it concealed behind plumbing fixtures and sinks in ***second floor girls' bathroom***, so only future heirs of Slytherin would know how to open the Chamber.

#### 1930s

Even during the global wizarding war, Hogwarts was kept open and live, running, and allowing students to attend.

#### 1942–1943 school year

> Of course, it was fifty years ago, so it was before his time, but he knows all about it, and he says that it was all kept quiet and it'll look suspicious if I know too much about it. But I know one thing — last time the Chamber of Secrets was opened, a Mudblood died. So I bet it's a matter of time before one of them's killed this time.... I hope it's Granger
>
> Draco Malfoy discussing the first opening of the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

The existence of the school was threatened twice when the Chamber of Secrets was opened. The first time it was opened was in 1942, when Tom Riddle, the Heir of Slytherin and the man who would become Lord Voldemort, opened the Chamber in his fifth year.

 File:COS carrying Myrtle's body away.jpg
When a girl named Myrtle Warren was killed, the ***Ministry of Magic*** threatened to close the school. As Riddle spent his time away from Hogwarts in a ***Muggle*** ***orphanage***, he did not want the school closed. His request to remain in school over the holidays was denied due to the situation he created. Upset with himself, he framed Rubeus Hagrid, and although Albus Dumbledore still suspected Riddle, Hagrid was ***expelled***, and Riddle got off without punishment. However, in 1992, the Chamber was reopened, and it was discovered that Hagrid was innocent and Riddle was guilty.

#### 1970s

Throughout the entirety of the First Wizarding War, which lasted for eleven long years and caused much distress among the students, Hogwarts Castle was perhaps the only safe haven in wizarding Britain, due to the presence of Albus Dumbledore. Dumbledore had risen to the post of ***Headmaster***, and was the only one whom Voldemort was ever afraid of.

 File:Mauraders.jpg
During that time, Severus Snape, ***Remus Lupin***, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, as well as Lily Potter and James Potter attended Hogwarts and four of them were part of the infamous Marauders, who often bullied Snape frequently, until they graduated in 1978.

#### 1980s

On Hallowe'en of the 1981–***1982*** school year, news would have reached the school of the fall of Lord Voldemort and his failed attempt at murdering the infant Harry Potter, after which students and staff alike would have celebrated the fall of the ***Dark Lord***.

#### 1991–1992 school year

Template:Dialogue a-b-c

 File:Harry Potter being sorted PSF.jpg
On ***1 September*** 1991, Harry Potter began his career as a student at Hogwarts. Already famous for being believed to be responsible for vanquishing Lord Voldemort at the age of one, he soon began, with the help of his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, to unravel the secret of the Philosopher's Stone being kept at the school. Harry discovered that the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor, Quirinus Quirrell, was a host body for the barely-alive Voldemort, who wanted to use the Stone to restore himself back to his former glory and gain everlasting life.

 File:B1C17M1 Quirrell and Harry by the Mirror of Erised.png
Harry, Ron, and Hermione suffered a series of difficult challenges down in the Underground Chambers, in an attempt to stop the Philosopher's Stone being stolen by Severus Snape. The three believed Snape was trying to steal the stone, when in reality, Quirrell was. Harry discovered Quirrell in the chambers and was able to defeat him, thwarting Voldemort in his attempt to get the Stone and restoring his body. Harry managed this after realising that Quirrell's skin burned whenever he made contact with Harry. Dumbledore stated that Lily's self sacrifice left a mark of love in Harry and that Quirrell was so full of hatred, greed, and ambition that he could not bear to touch a person marked by something so good.

#### 1992–1993 school year

> THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.
>
> A message from the Heir of Slytherin, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

 File:Writing on wall.png
In 1992, the Chamber of Secrets was re-opened by Ron's younger sister Ginny, under the influence of a diary written by Tom Riddle. The diary allowed Riddle's memory to possess Ginny and act through her to open the Chamber for a second time. She left threatening messages on the school walls twice, which were known as the Writing on the Wall. Several students were ***Petrified*** due to meeting the Serpent of Slytherin's gaze indirectly. ***Quidditch*** matches were largely cancelled. Towards the end of the school year, the situation at the school was so severe that it was possible for the school to be shut down completely.

Desiring to see Lord Voldemort return to power, Lucius Malfoy had slipped the diary into her bundle of school books, taking advantage of her ignorance that it was a Horcrux. His ulterior motive was to ruin the reputations of several great wizards, including Dumbledore and the Weasley children's father Arthur Weasley, the latter of whom played a big role in the enactment of the ***Muggle Protection Act***. However, Harry discovered the truth and destroyed the diary and the Basilisk, thus bringing an end to these ***dark*** plots.

## Typical school year

> Now… to our new students, welcome, to our old students, welcome back! Another year full of magical education awaits you…
>
> Start-of-Term Feast speech, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

 File:Express.jpg
Term began on 1 September. Students usually reached Hogwarts via the ***Hogwarts Express***, which left Platform 9¾ of London's ***King's Cross Station*** at 11 a.m. sharp. There seemed to be other ways of entering the school, such as via ***broomsticks*** or ***Floo Powder***, or simply ***Apparating*** to a nearby location such as ***Hogsmeade***. Missing the Hogwarts Express for any reason was a very serious problem, but would not cost the student points as long as they got there before the term had officially started. The Hogwarts Express brought the students to ***Hogsmeade station***. First years traditionally crossed the ***Black Lake*** in boats with the ***gamekeeper***, travelling under an opening in the rocks upon which Hogwarts was built, through a curtain of ivy, and finally into an underground harbour.

Older students travelled on the road in carriages pulled by ***Thestrals*** (invisible to any that hadn't witnessed death) to the castle. The Start-of-Term Feast took place in the ***Great Hall***. This feast included the ***Sorting Ceremony***, followed by a few words from the current ***Headmaster or Headmistress***. The banquet started after this, including large quantities of food and drink. The feast was closed with a few more words from the Headmaster or headmistress, including the usual "start-of-term notices".

 File:GryffindorCommonRoom1 PM.jpg
After dinner, students were led to their house ***common room*** by a ***prefect***. This was a special time for new students to get comfortable with their surroundings, because the next day classes would begin. The class schedules were handed out during breakfast by the Heads of House. After two weeks of classes, the ***Quidditch team*** trials and ***flying lessons*** for the first years usually occured.

***Homework*** was usually assigned to students at the end of classes or at the end of the school term. It was usually completed by students in the ***Study Hall***, ***Study Area***, ***library***, ***Gryffindor Tower reading room*** or another ***common room***. A ***homework planner*** could be used to help students to keep track of all their homework assignments. Some magical planners also told the students to complete the homework when it was opened. If a student failed to complete the homework or was late in handing it in, they could be given a detention as a punishment.

Hogwarts's school year was structured in a similar way to other non-magical schools and colleges in the UK, with a three-term year punctuated by holidays at ***Christmas*** and Easter and bounded by the long summer holiday of nine weeks. Students had the option of staying at Hogwarts for the winter and spring holidays. Those who chose to stay at the castle during the Christmas holidays did not have lessons and attended a feast on Christmas Day. Students also did not have classes the week of Easter, but this was much less enjoyable due to the large amount of work the teachers usually assigned students at this time in preparation for final exams.

 File:Hogsmeade.png
Other than the breaks and weekends, students did not receive holidays. However, students in the third year and above were allowed to ***visit*** ***Hogsmeade***, the local village, occasionally. There were normally four feasts per year: the Start-of-Term Feast at the beginning of the school year, End-of-Term Feast at the end of the school year, and feasts at Hallowe'en and Christmas. Feasts were also called to mark special occasions, such as the beginning of the ***Triwizard Tournament***.

 File:Hallowe'en Feast.jpg
Classes would proceed normally and the next notable event occurred on the evening of 31 October: the ***Hallowe'en feast***. Decorations included giant pumpkins and flocks of hundreds of bats flying across the halls. The served foods included pumpkin treats, tarts, cakes and all sorts of ***magical sweets***. The ***Quidditch*** season started usually with the first Quidditch match in the first weeks of November. In the second week of December, the Deputy Head would take names of those who would stay at Hogwarts over the ***Christmas holidays***. The first term usually ended about a week before Christmas, and most of the students and some of the teachers went home by the school train.

 File:Christmas feast at Hogwarts.jpg
In the ***Triwizard Tournament*** years, the ***Yule Ball*** occurred on the evening of Christmas Day, ending at midnight. On ***25 December***, a ***Christmas feast*** was held in the ***Great Hall***. Shortly after ***6 January*** (Epiphany aka Twelfth Night), the Hogwarts Express returned to Hogsmeade; the second term would begin. The exact dates of the beginning of the Easter holidays varied every year. During these holidays, the students could go home. The final exams were held the first week of June and the results came out on the second week. In the evening before the Hogwarts Express went back to London, the End-of-Term Feast was held. The Hogwarts Express returned to London during the third week of June. Some staff and all of the students left Hogwarts for summer holidays.

## School spirit

> And be warned: thievery is not tolerated at Hogwarts.
>
> Albus Dumbledore explaining the rules of Hogwarts to a young Tom Riddle, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Hogwarts' motto was: "*Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus*", translated as: *Never tickle a sleeping **dragon***. ***Quidditch*** was possibly the most popular sport at the school, with most of the student body turning out to watch each match. Hogwarts also had a ***Frog Choir*** which sang at special occasions.

### Coat of Arms

 File:Hogwartscrest.png
The blazon of the Hogwarts Coat of Arms clockwise from top left: the Gryffindor lion, the Slytherin serpent, the ***Ravenclaw*** eagle, and the ***Hufflepuff*** badger, all circling the letter 'H'. The motto, "draco dormiens nunquam titillandus", carried in an escroll beneath the shield. The way that the house mascots are arranged makes the centre line divide the houses with warm colours and mammalian mascots from the houses with cold colours and saurian mascots.

### School song

There was an official school song, though it was only sung when the headmaster was in a particularly good mood and deemed it appropriate (which is therefore why it was only known to have been commissioned once from 1991 to ***1998***). It didn't seem to conform to the strict opinions of older headmasters and headmistresses, such as Armando Dippet. As such it may have been an invention of the relaxed Albus Dumbledore, and certainly sounded like it was of his invention. There was no standard rhythm to the song. Everyone could sing it how they like, as such the Weasley twins preferred a slow and deep style. The lyrics are shown below:

*"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."*
## Houses

> We must unite inside her, or we'll crumble from within.
>
> The Sorting Hat, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Hogwarts students were divided into four houses:

## House ghosts

> A ghost, as I trust that you are all aware by now, is the imprint of a departed soul left upon the earth...
>
> Professor Severus Snape, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

 File:Ghosts of Hogwarts.jpg
Hogwarts was the most heavily haunted dwelling place in Britain (and this was against stiff competition, as there were more reported ghost sightings/sensings on these damp islands than anywhere else in the world). The castle was a congenial place for ghosts, because the living inhabitants treated their dead friends with tolerance and even affection, no matter how many times they had heard the same old reminiscences. Each of the four Hogwarts houses had its own ghost.

Slytherin boasted the ***Bloody Baron***, who was covered in silver bloodstains. He was well known for being extremely unsocial and many students, including those of his own House, were known to be slightly afraid of him. While alive, he was a hot-tempered man. The least talkative of the house ghosts was the ***Grey Lady***, who was long-haired and beautiful. She was the daughter of ***Rowena Ravenclaw***, making her the only house ghost who was directly related to one of the four Hogwarts founders.

Hufflepuff house was haunted by the ***Fat Friar***, who was executed because senior churchmen grew suspicious of his ability to cure the pox merely by poking peasants with a stick, and his ill-advised habit of pulling rabbits out of the communion cup. Though a genial character in general, the Fat Friar still resented the fact that he was never made a cardinal. He also frequently suggested that ***Peeves*** be given a second chance, whether or not he deserved it.

 File:Myrtle Warren as human.png
Gryffindor house was home to Nearly Headless Nick, who in life was ***Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington***. Something of a snob, and a less accomplished wizard than he believed, Sir Nicholas lounged around the court of ***Henry VII*** in life, until his foolish attempt to beautify a lady-in-waiting by ***magic*** caused the unfortunate woman to sprout tusks. Sir Nicholas was stripped of his wand and inexpertly executed, leaving his head hanging off by a single flap of skin and sinew. His ghost retained a feeling of inadequacy with regard to truly headless ghosts.

Another notable Hogwarts ghost was Moaning Myrtle, who haunted an unpopular girls' toilet. Myrtle was a student in Ravenclaw house at Hogwarts when she died, and she chose to return to school in perpetuity, with the short-term aim of haunting her arch-rival and bully, ***Olive Hornby***. As the decades rolled by, Myrtle had made a name for herself as the most miserable ghost in school, and was usually found to be lurking inside one of the toilets and filling the tiled space with her moans and howls.

## Administration

The highest position of staff at Hogwarts was the ***Headmaster or Headmistress***. There was also a Deputy Headmaster or Headmistress, who would take over responsibilities of the Headmaster should the circumstances demand it.

### Heads of Hogwarts

Template:Expand

The **Headmaster** or **Headmistress** was appointed by the ***Hogwarts Board of Governors*** to oversee the safety and the day-to-day functioning of the school, and had the power to override any decision made by any other authoritative facilitator at the school.

### Deputy Heads

The **Deputy Headmaster** or **Deputy Headmistress** (depending on gender) assisted the headmaster or headmistress in his or her duties. In the event of a headmaster or headmistress' incapacitation, the deputy also served as temporary head until the Board of Governors could select a new, permanent one.

### Heads of House

**Head of House** was the title held by a Professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry who was responsible for looking after the students in one of the four Houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin. It was possible for a Head of House to serve concurrently as Deputy Head, but not as Headmaster/Headmistress.

### Kitchen staff

A veritable legion of ***house-elves*** were enlisted by Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They worked the kitchens, preparing feasts for the entire school. They also moved trunks and baggage to and from rooms, cleaned dormitories, and presumably other areas of the castle as well.

## Subjects and teachers

Template:Expand

> We teachers are rather good at magic, you know.
>
> Description of Hogwarts' Professors, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

 File:Subjects.JPG
Hogwarts had in its faculty an abundance of wise and talented professors. Each specialised in a specific subject. Other staff positions included that of a school nurse, caretaker, librarian, and Keeper of the Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts. There were a variety of classes taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. These included both the core curriculum and the electives, available from third year forward. Some classes could be dropped in the sixth year.

Numerous lessons were described, instructing the students in various branches of ***magic***. Transfiguration, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Potions, ***Astronomy***, ***History of Magic***, and ***Herbology*** were compulsory subjects for the first five years. At the end of their second year, students were required to add at least two optional subjects to their syllabus for the start of the third year. Five of the choices were ***Arithmancy***, ***Study of Ancient Runes***, ***Divination***, ***Care of Magical Creatures***, and ***Muggle Studies***.

In addition, Horcruxes were a banned subject at Hogwarts, due to their extremely ***dark*** and inhumane nature.

### Extra-curricular subjects

* ***Art***
* ***Ghoul Studies***
* ***Magical Theory***
* ***Muggle Art***
* ***Muggle Music***
* ***Music***
* ***Xylomancy***

## Extra-curricular activity

* ***Astronomy Club***
* ***Charms Club***
* ***Duelling Club***
* ***Frog Choir***
	+ Conductor: ***Filius Flitwick***
* ***Hogwarts Ancient Runes Club***
* ***Hogwarts Gobstone Club***
* ***Magical Creatures (club)***
* ***Potions Club***
* ***Rat Race Club***
* ***Slugs and Bugs Club***
* ***Slug Club***
* ***Wizard Card Collectors' Club***
* ***Dragon Club***
* ***Sphinx Club***
* ***Hippogriff Club***

## Counselling

> Well, Potter, this meeting is to talk over any career ideas you might have, and to help you decide which subjects you should continue into the sixth and seventh years. Have you had any thoughts about what you would like to do after you leave Hogwarts?
>
> Harry's appointment with McGonagall, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Hogwarts students received career advice from their Heads of House in their O.W.L. year, some weeks prior to the examinations, to help establish what subjects the students needed to concentrate on to achieve the required ***O.W.L.*** and ***N.E.W.T.*** scores for their chosen occupations.

In ***fifth year***, the students would get career advice, which would help students choose their N.E.W.T. subjects. ***Bill Weasley*** told his younger brother Ron about it. Before their examination (during the Easter break) the students would receive a batch of leaflets, advertising different jobs available to Hogwarts students and the N.E.W.T.s required for them. Examples were: ***Healing***, ***Muggle*** relations, ***Wizard banking***, Training ***Security trolls***, and working at the ***Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes***.

During the first week of summer term, the students discussed their future careers with the Head of Houses during a careers appointment. Harry Potter discussed his wish to become an ***Auror*** with McGonagall, who described it as a difficult career path to take. The requirements were high: five N.E.W.T.s. and passing of character and aptitude tests. ***Auror training*** then took another three years of study.

Percy Weasley was still reading about his future career possibilities after his careers advice. In Diagon Alley, he read about the later careers of Hogwarts ***prefects***, just before he started his ***sixth year***.

Harry first thought of his career after Hogwarts when he discussed it with ***Bartemius Crouch Junior*** (disguised as ***Alastor Moody***) in his ***fourth year***. Crouch suggested that he (and Hermione Granger) would be suitable to become Aurors.

Oddly enough, the students of Hogwarts did *not* appear to receive similar counselling at the end of their second year, when they chose the elective subjects that could determine their future careers.

## Grading system

Template:Dialogue a-b
Grading on routine homework seemed to be along the same lines as that for ***Muggle*** students. Hogwarts students also had more difficult exams as they progressed higher in the system. ***O.W.L.s*** (Ordinary Wizarding Levels) were a set of standardised tests for ***fifth year*** students, which determined what courses a student could continue to study in their final years at Hogwarts. They were the wizarding equivalent of Muggle O-levels.

***N.E.W.T.s*** (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests) were optional levels of education for exceptional students, much like A-levels for Muggle students. To progress to N.E.W.T.-level, students had to receive certain high marks on O.W.L. exams, otherwise the student would not be able to cope with the increasingly difficult subject matter. N.E.W.T. tests occurred at the end of the ***seventh year*** and could not be retaken.

**Ordinary Wizarding Level Grading System:**

* ***O** -* **Outstanding** *(Pass, always continue to N.E.W.T.)*
* ***E** - **Exceeds Expectations** (Pass, usually continues to N.E.W.T.)*
* ***A** - **Acceptable** (Pass, rarely continues to N.E.W.T)*
* ***P** - **Poor** (Fail, may repeat subject)*
* ***D** - **Dreadful** (Fail, may not receive O.W.L. credit)*
* ***T** - **Troll** (Fail, with distinction. More than one T may mean refusal into other N.E.W.T.s)*

This grading system was also used on ***W.O.M.B.A.T.s*** (optional tests taken outside Hogwarts), and was most likely used on ***N.E.W.T.s*** also, making this the universal exam grading system in wizarding Britain.

## Examinations

### End of year exams

> To their great surprise, both he and Ron passed with good marks; Hermione, of course, had the best grades of the first years. Even Neville scraped through, his good Herbology grade making up for his abysmal Potions one.
>
> Harry Potter regarding final exam results, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

All students at Hogwarts were required to complete a set of examinations to get into the next year of schooling. There was one exam for each subject. In fifth year, instead of end of the year exams, students sat their O.W.L.s (Ordinary Wizarding Levels); the score they achieved on these was what allowed them to progress to N.E.W.T.-level. In order to progress to N.E.W.T., a student had to score either an 'Outstanding' or an 'Exceeds Expectations' on their O.W.L.

#### 1992 first year exams

The ***Charms*** exam consisted of attributing animation to an otherwise inanimate object. In 1992, the students had to make a pineapple dance across ***Filius Flitwick***'s desk.

The ***Transfiguration*** exam consisted of transfiguring a being into an object. In 1992, the students had to turn a mouse into a snuff box. Extra points were given for how pretty the ***snuffbox*** was, while points were taken off if it still had whiskers.

The ***Potions*** exam consisted of brewing a ***potion*** from memory. In 1992, and in keeping with Severus Snape's unpleasant sense of humour, the students had to produce a ***Forgetfulness Potion***.

In the 1992 ***History of Magic*** exam, the test lasted for one hour and the students were required to answer questions about the invention of the ***Self-Stirring Cauldron*** by ***Gaspard Shingleton***.

#### 1993 second year exams

These exams were not set in place due to Dumbledore's decision to cancel them due to the events in the Chamber of Secrets that year.

### Ordinary Wizarding Level

An Ordinary Wizarding Level (often abbreviated O.W.L.) was a subject-specific test taken during Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry students' fifth year. These exams were administrated by the ***Wizarding Examinations Authority***. The score made by a student on a particular O.W.L. determined whether or not he or she would be allowed to continue taking that subject in subsequent school years, and whether they might be successful in obtaining a particular job.

Each exam had a written and practical assessment, so students could demonstrate both their practical and theoretical knowledge. The exams were taken over a two week period.

### Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test

A Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test (often abbreviated N.E.W.T.) was a subject-specific exam that seventh year witches and wizards at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry took to help them pursue certain careers after their graduation. For instance, the ***Ministry of Magic*** only accepted ***Auror*** applicants with at least five N.E.W.T.s with top grades of either 'Outstanding' or 'Exceeds Expectations'.

Not much was known about these exams. Some students did not take these exams at all, as some careers in the Wizarding World did not require N.E.W.T.s.

## Student years

 File:Hogwarts boats 1.jpg
A first year was a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry who was new to Hogwarts and in their first year of magical education. First years were typically eleven to twelve years of age. First years arrived at the castle by crossing the lake with the Keeper of the Keys in ***boats*** separate from the older students. They were not allowed to own a broomstick or be on one unless they were attending ***Flying class***. An exception had been made for Harry because he joined the Gryffindor house team due to his exceptional skills with a broomstick.

First year classes consisted of: ***Potions***, Herbology, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, ***History of Magic***, ***Astronomy***, ***Charms***, and Flying.

 File:Hogwarts carriages.png
A second year was a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry who was in their second year of magical education. Second years were typically twelve to thirteen years of age unless a student had to repeat the second form. The second year was the first year in which students were allowed to go with the rest of the school in the ***school carriages*** pulled by ***Thestrals*** up to the castle.

Second year classes consisted of: ***Potions***, Herbology, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, ***History of Magic***, ***Astronomy***, and ***Charms***. Unlike first years, the second-years' timetable did not include Flying class, although they were allowed to bring their own broomsticks. At the end of the year, second-year students chose two or more classes they wished to study as electives the following year.

Based on students' ***O.W.L.*** scores, and depending on the minimum requirements of the ***professor*** teaching the subject at the time, students were allowed to sit any number of classes as long as they met said requirements. If the student didn't meet those requirements, they could not attend the N.E.W.T.-level classes, having to repeat the O.W.L.-level classes and the ***fifth year*** exams. While students did have the opportunity to choose whether they wished to continue in particular subjects, those who began studying N.E.W.T.-level subjects in their sixth year were expected to carry on with the subject into the seventh year and sit the N.E.W.T. exam in that subject. Sixth year students were initially excited to have more free time, but this extra time was intended to help them study and do homework, as many, if not all, teachers assigned more ***homework*** and gave more difficult lessons in their N.E.W.T.-level classes.

 File:HeadBoyPin.jpg
A seventh year was a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry who was in their seventh and final year of formal magical education. Seventh years were typically seventeen to eighteen years of age, although some may be older if they have had to repeat a year. The seventh year contained the most important exams given at Hogwarts — the ***N.E.W.T.s***.

Students concluded their N.E.W.T.-level studies in the seventh year, at the end of which they sat the N.E.W.T. exam pertaining to each of their subjects. A student in the seventh year would have the same schedule he or she had in the sixth year, and would sit only those classes in which they received ***O.W.L.s*** meeting the minimum requirement of the ***professor*** for that subject. However, not all students would take N.E.W.T.s, as some occupations required only O.W.L.s.

Every year, a male and female seventh year were appointed Head Boy and Head Girl. In most cases, the ***Headmaster*** selected the Head students from the seventh year ***Prefects***. However, students that had never been prefects, for example Harry's father James Potter, could still be selected. The graduation would have the students ride the boats out from the boat dock under Hogwarts onto the black sea and land at Hogsmeade station and ride the Hogwarts Express back to ***Kings Cross***

## Daily routine

The day would begin at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast in the ***Great Hall***. During breakfast, the mail arrived in a flurry of hundreds of owls. A ***bell chime*** signalled the start of the first class at 9 a.m. The bell chimed again in one hour to signal the start of the next class.

There were two class periods before lunch, scheduled according to house, though N.E.W.T. students could have breaks during some of these. After lunch, there was another break and two more classes. If there was a heavy snowstorm in between periods, certain lessons that took place outside (such as ***Care of Magical Creatures***) could be cancelled, since it would be difficult for students to traverse from the castle to the outside.

Dinner was served in the ***Great Hall*** towards the evening, after which the students were expected to be in their house common rooms for studying and socialising.

There were ***Astronomy*** classes at night on Wednesdays every week (usually midnight).

The students had to be in bed or in the common rooms by a certain time, after which was called 'after hours'. The times were different for different years (for example, fifth years were allowed to be in the halls until 9:00 p.m.)

## Recruitment

> ...both Beauxbatons and Durmstrang have a larger studentship than Hogwarts.
>
> Hogwarts' student ratio, Pottermore

### Before school term

 File:HogwartsAcceptanceLetter.png
Each year, the Hogwarts ***Deputy Headmaster*** sent letters to eligible witches and wizards who would be eleven years old at the start of the incoming term. ***These letters*** invited the children to be students at Hogwarts. If for any reason a letter did not reach its intended recipient, ***owls*** would continue delivering letters until the person received one (as was Harry Potter's experience when he turned eleven). The letter contained a list of needed supplies, signed by the ***Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions***, ***Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus***, which included ***uniform clothing***, spell books, and ***cauldrons***. Letters were also sent to existing students to inform them of the new supplies needed. Students usually obtained school supplies at Diagon Alley in London.

Letters to ***Muggle-born*** witches and wizards, such as Hermione and Harry's mother Lily Evans, as well as Tom Marvolo Riddle (Voldemort) and Harry (half-bloods who lived with Muggles and knew nothing of the wizarding world), who may not have been aware of their powers and were unfamiliar with the concealed wizarding world, were delivered in person by a member of Hogwarts staff, who then explained to the parents/guardians about magical society, and reassured them regarding this news. They also assisted the family in regards to buying supplies and gaining access to Diagon Alley.

 File:Hogwarts letters privet drive.jpg
Harry's letter was sent via normal ***owl delivery***, since Professor Dumbledore had presumed that the Dursleys had explained to Harry about Hogwarts and the wizarding world. When no response came from the first, several more letters, each reflecting Harry's new location, were sent. Ultimately, Hagrid was dispatched to hand-deliver Harry's final letter. Once he found Harry, who was with the Dursleys in their vain attempt to keep all wizarding knowledge from Harry, Hagrid explained all about Harry's parents and what had really happened the night they died.

While ***Remus Lupin***'s father was a wizard, Dumbledore personally visited the family to invite the boy to Hogwarts given the fact that Remus had been afflicted by ***lycanthropy***. Remus noted that it was only after Dumbledore became headmaster that he could have been accepted at Hogwarts.

Students were ***allowed to bring*** a ***cat***, an ***owl*** or a ***toad***, but exceptions such as ***rats*** and ***Pygmy Puffs*** were made. Moreover, students did not have to pay tuition fee, because the ***British Ministry of Magic*** covered the cost of all students' magical education.

While most wizards and witches in Great Britain and Ireland were educated in Hogwarts, they were not obligated to attend if they did not wish to, as some parents were noted to have home-educated their children (as ***Lyall Lupin*** originally intended to do for ***his son*** due to his ***condition***) or send them abroad (as Lucius originally intended for his son Draco to ***Durmstrang Institute***). This was temporarily changed in the ***1997–1998 school year***, in which the new Voldemort-installed regime mandated all eligible children to attend in order to weed out Muggle-borns from the school.

### Quidditch

> Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their House teams should contact Madam Hooch.
>
> Albus Dumbledore announcing upcoming Hogwarts ***Quidditch tryouts*** at the 1991 Start-of-Term Feast, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

 File:Quidditchpitch.jpg
Tryouts for House ***Quidditch*** ***teams*** happened at the very beginning of the school year. The Heads of house had a list of applicants, which they would pass on to the team captain, so the captain could schedule tryouts at their leisure. First years were usually prohibited from joining a Quidditch team, because they were usually inexperienced with brooms and were forbidden to own them in the first place.

However, exceptions had been made on both counts. Harry Potter was a noticeable exception, he was allowed to join the team in his first year and was the youngest ***Seeker*** in a century. Teams had different reputations; before Harry joined in 1991, the Gryffindor team was noted by McGonagall to be on a losing streak and that she could not bear any more of Severus Snape's boasting.

The Slytherin team was considered to have no qualms with cheating and unsportsmanlike conduct. It was noted that the Slytherin team recruited players of brute strength, rather then skill.

**Hogwarts Quidditch Teams**
 File:Gryffindor™ Quidditch™ Badge.png   | ***Hufflepuff Quidditch team***
 File:Hufflepuff™ Quidditch™ Badge.png   | ***Ravenclaw Quidditch team***
 File:Ravenclaw™ Quidditch™ Badge.png   | ***Slytherin Quidditch team***
 Known captains of the ***1990s*** | ***Charles Weasley***

## Holidays

Students could go home for certain holidays such as ***Christmas*** and Easter. The students who chose to remain were treated to a feast along with some of the faculty.

 File:Christmas feast.jpg
When ***Christmas holidays*** ended, classes would begin again. In Harry Potter's second year, Gilderoy Lockhart organised a ***Valentine's Day*** celebration which was not continued after he left the school.

The ***Easter holidays*** were not as enjoyable as the Christmas ones, as students were overloaded with homework in preparation for their exams, which were taken at the end of the year. Students were not allowed to use magic over the summer holidays until they turned seventeen; magic was also banned in corridors.

## Uniform

The students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were required to wear a uniform. The uniform consisted of a black robe and a black pointed hat (occasionally), as well as coloured lapels and ties that distinguished different houses, along with the house logo on their chest. Students wore their own socks and shoes. Students had to wear their uniforms during all lessons, and while eating meals or studying in the ***Great Hall***. Students were allowed to wear their own clothes after lessons in their House dormitory and during the holidays.

Most students were seen still wearing their uniforms in their house dormitory, most probably because they would need to change into their pyjamas to sleep before they go to bed, so they may feel that it is troublesome to change into their own clothes, then change again into their pyjamas.

## See also

* Hogwarts Castle
* Hogsmeade
* Hogwarts Houses
* Headmaster
* Headmaster portraits
* Secret passages at Hogwarts
* Discipline at Hogwarts
* Beauxbatons Academy of Magic
* Durmstrang Institute

## Etymology

J. K. Rowling speculated that she might have subconsciously produced the name Hogwarts from the *Hogwort* plant she saw when walking round *Kew Gardens*.

In the film Labyrinth, Sarah, acted by Jennifer Connelly, meets a goblin outside the gates of the Labyrinth who introduces himself as Hoggle. As they depart, she calls him "Hogwart" instead of his proper name, Hoggle. Also in the film Labyrinth, Jareth the Goblin King, acted by David Bowie, often calls his goblins by the wrong names and at one point he incorrectly calls Hoggle "Hogwart." It is, of course, possible that the name may have derived from the word "Warthog", but simply reversed.

## Behind the scenes

* The school's full name suggests that there must be a difference between *witchcraft* and *wizardry*, which are otherwise known simply as ***magic***. It can be assumed that witchcraft is magic when performed by females and wizardry by males.
* According to ***Remus Lupin***, attendance at Hogwarts by British students is not mandatory; they may be home schooled by their parents, or sent to another magical school; (this rule was changed during the ***1997–1998 school year***, but was presumably restored after the demise of Voldemort.) It is likely this extended to Lucius Malfoy's also expressed interest in his son attending the ***Durmstrang Institute***.
* There are two Headmasters known to have held the title more than once; they were Minerva McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore.

* J. K. Rowling revealed that Hogwarts is a state school, and the Ministry of Magic shoulders all of the school's financial needs.
* There may be an exchange programme for Hogwarts and ***Ilvermorny***. The Damen Blue Line Subway Station in ***Chicago, Illinois***, is, according to J.K. Rowling, where students make the exchange.
* ***J. K. Rowling*** said she wanted a humorous motto for Hogwarts since so many schools have less pragmatic ones such as "Reach for the stars".
* Subjects in Hogwarts had different names in Rowling's earliest notes: Herbology was called "Herbalism" and Transfiguration was called "Transfiguration/Metamorphosis." Core subjects were also different, with Divination, Alchemy, and a subject called simply "Beasts" all being compulsory from the first year.
* The school song is only sung in the ***first book***, and partially by Hermione and Hagrid in the ***fourth film***. However, the song is sung completely in the deleted scenes as a welcoming to the students of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, which can be credited to one of the many eccentricities of Albus Dumbledore.
* A board game called ***Destination Hogwarts*** is based on the school and castle.
* Dumbledore believes that Hogwarts is the place Tom Riddle felt was his real home. Ironically, this is also how Harry Potter felt about Hogwarts which is why it was stated that Harry's stomach lurched when Dumbledore told him this.
* ***J. K. Rowling*** said in an interview that there are about one thousand students attending Hogwarts at any given time. Assuming that the number of students is divided equally according to House, gender and year, there would be 250 students per House, 125 boys and 125 girls. In a given House and in each year at the school, there would be around 36 students (250 divided by 7 equals 35.7), or 18 boys and 18 girls.
	+ However, the books mention no more than five students of the same gender, House and year. For example, no other Gryffindor boys in Harry's year besides Ron, Neville, ***Seamus*** and ***Dean*** are known. Assuming an equal division, that means there are 10 students per year in one House, 70 per House and 280 in the whole school. The films also show, approximately, this number of students.
	+ Rowling's statement is supported by the fact that, when Harry sees his father doing his O.W.L. (in the ***Pensieve*** in Snape's office), there are over 150 students. Secondly, during a Quidditch match, everybody was supporting Gryffindor except around 200 Slytherins supporting their own. It is also possible that there are more dormitories that don't appear in the books and films. The only ones mentioned in the books are the ones that house the students who are actually in the book, e.g. Harry, Ron, Neville, Hermione.
	+ Another theory is that Harry's year was an unusually small intake, due to the fact that the time at which those students would've been conceived was during the height of the First Wizarding War and many wizarding families may have been reluctant to bring children into the world at such a dangerous time.
* It is rumoured that on the W.O.M.B.A.T. test, Rowena Ravenclaw had a dream that a warty hog was leading her to a lake and that's how Hogwarts got its name.
* J.K. Rowling has said in an interview that Hogwarts is a multi-faith school, and later confirmed that every "religion/belief/non-belief system" is represented at Hogwarts other than Template:Wplink, as she felt this was a "different concept of magic" as compared to that taught at Hogwarts.
* In *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2*, the ***Anti-Disapparition Jinx*** was lifted in 1998 as Draco Malfoy could apparate to ***Blaise Zabini*** and ***Gregory Goyle***. OBS: This is only shown in the films, and the films are known to take liberties with the rules established in the books, often in the interest of dramatic effect or convenience.
* On the subject of house-elves, J. K. Rowling believed Helga Hufflepuff did what was the most moral thing to do at that time.
* The Hogwarts uniform worn in the books consists of a black robe and a black pointed hat. The robes bear no marks to distinguish between the houses. Students wear their own socks and shoes.
* The uniform portrayed in the films consists of a white collared, long sleeved shirt, a tie of their house colours (getting more sophisticated each year), a grey jumper vest, black slacks for males and a black, knee length skirt for females paired with black or grey socks. Both genders wear black comfortable shoes. Each student wears a cloak that bears their house crest on the front, right side and has a lining of their house color: green for Slytherin, red for Gryffindor, blue for Ravenclaw, and yellow for Hufflepuff. During the winter months, a grey jumper replaces the jumper vest for comfort and a scarf bearing their two house colours is worn for warmth. A black pointed hat is provided but is only worn for special occasions such as the opening ceremony, special dinners, house cup ceremony etc.

## External links

* The Harry Potter Lexicon's Hogwarts Atlas featuring numerous images of Hogwarts
* The Marauder's Map from the Warner Bros website
* How Many Students Are There At Hogwarts?, by Steve Vander Ark.
* The Collinsport Ghost Society A Muggle's Look of the School and Ghosts
* Hogwarts Floor Plan, most accurate from the films, by Randwulf

## Appearances

Template:Imagecat

* Template:PS Template:1st
* Template:COS
* *Harry Potter and the Prisoner Of Azkaban* (film)
* *Harry Potter and the Goblet Of Fire* (film)
* *Harry Potter and the Order Of The Phoenix* (film)
* *Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince* (film)
* *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1* Template:Mention
* *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2*

## Notes and references

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