Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

"*The finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world.*"
—Rubeus Hagrid praising Hogwarts.

**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry** is a British wizarding boarding school teaching the magical  arts, located in Scotland inside Hogwarts Castle. The castle is in the mountains near a loch. The precise location of the school can never be uncovered because it has been rendered Unplottable. Also, to Muggles the school looks like a old abandoned castle. Similarly, most wizarding schools locations are protected in order to prevent their ways of teaching being revealed, as well as protect the students and schools themselves from any harm. The school's motto is *Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus*, which translated from Latin means "Never tickle a sleeping dragon".

## Location

Hogwarts School is located in Hogwarts Castle, a large castle somewhere in Scotland. The castle has extensive grounds with sloping lawns, flowerbeds and vegetable patches, 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. There is also an owlery, which houses all the owls owned by the school and those owned by students. The three highest towers are the Astronomy Tower, the Ravenclaw Tower, and the Gryffindor Tower. There are 142 staircases, which are known to move, in the massive castle, which is set upon huge rocks above a magnificent lake. The castle is known for its many updates and changes in layout throughout the years, such as regenerating itself after the Battle of Hogwarts. It should be noted that some rooms in the school tend to "move around," and so do the steps on the grand staircase. Albus Dumbledore once stated that he did not know all of Hogwarts' secrets, as the castle has a long history and has witnessed centuries of ancient magic.

## History

### Early history

Hogwarts was founded around 990 A.D. by two wizards and two witches: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. However, shortly after founding the school, Slytherin had a falling out with the other founders about blood purity. Slytherin wanted to admit only pure-blood students, but the other three founders disagreed. Slytherin left the school, but not before secretly building the Chamber of Secrets. When his own true heir, theHeir of Slytherin, (the heir of Slytherin is Tom Riddle/Voldemort) returned to the school, he or she would be able to open the Chamber and unleash a murderous basilisk to purge the school of all Muggle-born students.

### Middle history

About three hundred years after the school was founded, the Triwizard Tournament began between the three most prestigious magical schools in Europe: Hogwarts, The Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. This tournament was considered the best way for wizards and witches of different nationalities to meet and socialise. The tournament continued for six centuries, until the death toll became too high, and the tournament was discontinued.

Recent history

1942-1943 school year

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 Marvolo Riddle, the Heir of Slytherin and the man who would become Lord Voldemort, opened the Chamber in his fifth year. 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 (and having his request to remain in school over the holidays denied due to the situation he created), so he framed Rubeus Hagrid and dodged his crimes for decades. However, in 1992 the Chamber was reopened and the truth came out that Rubeus Hagrid was innocent and Riddle was guilty.

1991-1992 school year

In 1991,Harry Potter started at Hogwarts. Already being famous for being the boy who vanquished Lord Voldemort at the age of one, he soon began to unravel the secret of the Philosopher's Stone being kept at the school. Harry discovered that the Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts, Quirinus Quirrell, was a host body for the barely alive Lord Voldemort, who wanted the Stone to restore him to his body and grant him everlasting life. 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, who they believed was trying to steal it, when in reality it was Quirrell. Harry discovered Quirrell in the chambers, whom he was able to defeat and so thwart Voldemort from getting the Stone and returning to life.

1992-1993 school year

In 1992, the Chamber of Secrets was re-opened by [Weasley], under the influence of a diary written by Riddle. The diary allowed Riddle's memory to possess Ginny, allowing him to act through her to open the Chamber a second time. [Malfoy], through the desire to further the power of the Dark Lord, had slipped the diary into her bundle of schoolbooks, without knowing it was a Horcrux. His ulterior motive was to ruin the reputations of several great wizards, including Albus Dumbledore, the latter of whom was highly influential concerning the [Protection Act]. However, Harry Potter discovered the truth and destroyed the diary and the basilisk, thus bringing an end to these dark plots.

1993 - 1994 school year

In 1993 Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban. Black had been in Azkaban for thirteen years, convicted of murdering twelve Muggles and Peter Pettigrewwith a single curse. He was also convicted for turning James and Lily Potter in to Voldemort. It became apparent that Black was after Harry because he believed that killing Harry would bring Voldemort back to power. Black broke into the school twice, one time almost ripping the Fat Lady to shreds, and another time getting close to Ron Weasley's "rat," Scabbers. Harry, Ron, and Hermione met Black in The Shrieking Shack along with Remus Lupin, who had been a friend of Black during the time he attended Hogwarts as a student. Black revealed the truth to them. He was innocent, and it was Peter Pettigrew who had done the things Black had been convicted of. To blame Black he had chopped off one of his fingers as proof, turned into an Animagus, which in his case was a rat (Scabbers), and scurried off. Black had come back to kill Pettigrew, and now that Lupin had heard his story he believed him and was going to help. However, Pettigrew escaped and returned to Voldemort to help bring him back to power. Harry and Hermione helped Black escape on Buckbeak the Hippogriff while Ron was in the hospital wing, and saved both Black's and Buckbeak's lives.

#### 1994-1995 school yearEdit

*Main article: 1994-1995 school year*
[1]

The Yule Ball

In 1994, the Triwizard Tournament recommenced with more powerful safety measures in place. However, more dark plots were being hatched. Barty Crouch Jr., disguised as Professor Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, managed to enter Harry in the Tournament by putting his name in the Goblet of Fire under the name of a fourth school, which ensured he would be chosen by the Goblet. Harry's involvement in this plan caused him great misery at Hogwarts, as the representatives for Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, as well as many Hogwarts students, believed he was a cheater. It was because of Crouch Jr. and his influence over certain house-elves that Harry ended up at the end of the tournament with Cedric Diggory (who, under Voldemort's order, was killed by Peter Pettigrew) in a graveyard surrounded by Death Eaters. Voldemort was brought back to his physical form using Harry's blood and a dark potion.

Voldemort attempted to torture and humiliate Harry, but Harry escaped and succeeded in alerting all of Voldemort's enemies, Dumbledore in particular, that he had returned. Dumbledore restarted the Order of the Phoenix one hour after he was alerted. However, to the horror of all at Hogwarts, Cedric Diggory was murdered at the hands of Voldemort.

#### 1995-1996 school yearEdit

*Main article: 1995-1996 school year*
[2]

Dolores Umbridge, a major influence on Hogwarts school life during this year

Hogwarts was further threatened when the Ministry of Magic began implementing "Educational Decrees" in 1995, as part of a conspiracy to discredit and ruin Albus Dumbledore. Dolores Umbridge, the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, was the centre of this plan. With these Educational Decrees, she slowly took control of Hogwarts, and eventually replaced Albus Dumbledore as Headmistress. But it was through the cunning of Hermione Granger and the members of Dumbledore's Armythat Umbridge was overthrown. The Ministry had no choice but to accept that Voldemort had returned and Umbridge was removed from Hogwarts.

#### 1996-1997 school yearEdit

*Main article: 1996-1997 school year*
[3]

The Dark Mark above the Astronomy Tower.

Through the 1996-1997 school year, new Minister Rufus Scrimgeour ordered Aurors to guard Hogwarts for protection from Dark forces. In 1997, Hogwarts was attacked by a mob of Death Eaters. Student Draco Malfoy was forced into the service of Lord Voldemort for the fear of his and his family's lives. As a result, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore's safety was compromised, and he was killed by Severus Snape. Following this horrible tragedy, ProfessorMinerva McGonagall was appointed acting Headmistress, although the security of the school hung by a thread. There was no certainty that Hogwarts would remain open. The faculty agreed to follow "established procedures" and let the school governors ultimately decide.

#### 1997-1998 school yearEdit

*Main article: 1997-1998 school year*
[4]

Headmaster Snape

Regardless of the school governors' decision, with the takeover of the Ministry by Voldemort, attendance at Hogwarts was mandatory for all eligible children. New, militaristic requirements were established, such as proof of blood status. This was so Voldemort can keep an eye on the entire wizarding world from a young age, and to weed out muggle-borns, which included eleven-year old children who have no knowledge before the forced invitation, with the possibility of never entering Hogwarts nor returning to their homes ever again.

Muggle Studies, involving mainly of how Muggles are vile things, became a required subject, while Defence Against the Dark Arts had simply become Dark Arts, teaching students illegal curses outright. Severus Snape was appointed Headmaster, andAlecto and Amycus Carrow, teachers of Muggle Studies and Dark Arts, respectively, have also been assigned as Snape's deputies. It was a time of great terror in which no one could be certain who was friend or foe.

#### 1998 and beyondEdit

"*They stood up at once, and together he, Ron, and Hermione left the Great Hall. Great chunks were missing from the marble staircase, part of the balustrade gone, and rubble and bloodstains occurred every few steps as they climbed.*"
—The damage inflicted on the castle from the Battle of Hogwarts.[src]

[5]

Hogwarts during the Battle of Hogwarts.

In May 1998, the Battle of Hogwarts took place. This battle ended with the death of many on both sides. Thanks to Harry Potter, Lord Voldemortwas finally destroyed once and for all, and peace was restored, and Minerva McGonagall returned to her position as Headmistress and Harry was celebrated as a true hero.

Hogwarts sustained extensive damage during the battle. Multiple areas of the main building and adjacent areas were set on fire or blown up, and the Quidditch pitch was largely destroyed by fire.

Based on what is known since the time of the Battle, Hogwarts was repaired and open by 2017; Headmistress McGonagall had retired, the House System remained in place, many descendants of previous students were now coming to Hogwarts as new pupils, and Neville Longbottom became the Professor for Herbology after retiring as an Auror.

## Uniform

The students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry are required to wear a uniform. Students must wear their uniforms during all lessons, and while eating meals or studying in the Great Hall. Students are allowed to wear their own clothes after lessons in their house dormitory and during the holidays. Most students are 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.

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 lining of their house colour: 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.