London

"*They passed book shops and music stores, hamburger bars and cinemas, but nowhere that looked as if it could sell you a magic wand.*"
—Harry's first time in London, on his way to Diagon Alley with Rubeus Hagrid[src]
**London** is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. Located in southeastern England, London is the centre of British commerce and government for both Muggles and wizards and witches.

## History

### "The Spectral Thief of Old London Town"

In the early 17th century, wizard thief Eldon Elsrickle returned to London after having fled to Africa for a time to evade imprisonment. In Africa, he learnt about the Unlocking Charm (which was, at the time, an unheard of spell in the western world) from an ancient African sorcerer.

Elsrickle terrorised London with his new spell, burgling Muggle and wizarding homes alike. It was only when fellow Londoner Blagdon Blay invented the Anti-Alohomora Charm (in response to having his house broken-into nineteen times in the course of two weeks) that Londoners found safety again, and a frustrated Elsrickle stopped.

### The Great Fire of London

The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the City of London, beginning on Sunday, 2 September, 1666. The Muggles say the Great Fire of London started in a bakery on Pudding Lane, but there is debate among the wizarding community whether it began in the bakery or in the basement of the house next door, where legend has it a young Welsh Green was being kept.

### 19th century

In the late 19th century, the conditions on the relatively impoverished neighbourhoods of London worsened: robbery, violence, prostitution, social disturbance and alcohol dependency were commonplace.

In 1926, The New York Ghost reported that European Aurors were searching for Gellert Grindelwald all across Europe, including London.

As a climate of crime and fear flourished in the 1880s, Sir Herbert Varney, a vampire, started to prey on London women. He was eventually hunted down and killed by a specially-assigned task-force from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Around the same time, a Boggart, popularly known as the Bludgeoning Boggart of Old London Town, prowled the back streets of London and, feeding on people's fears, took on the form of a "murderous thug", before having been reduced to a hamster with one simple incantation — these two seem to account for the "serial killer" that Muggles dubbed "Jack the Ripper".

### Caractacus Phelps's prank

On 1 April, 1979, Caractacus Phelps exploded no less than eight-hundred Stink Pellets, by dropping them en-masse from the roof of the *Daily Prophet* building in Diagon Alley. The resultant gas cloud caused untold discomfort throughout London, and approximately five-hundred cases of Stinkitus were reported. The Muggle authorities explained the stinking cloud away as an unpleasant emission from a nearby factory.

### Second Wizarding War

London felt the effects of the Second Wizarding War severely. Many buildings and homes were destroyed or ransacked, and many people were attacked within the City during Lord Voldemort's rise of power: Emmeline Vance was found dead near 10 Downing Street, Diagon Alley was attacked, leading to Garrick Ollivander's kidnapping and Florean Fortescue's murder.

## Important locations

### Governmental locations

London is an important city because it is where the Government of the whole United Kingdom is located. Some of its governmental locations include:

* 10 Downing Street (the official residence and office of the Muggle Prime Minister of the United Kingdom)
* British Ministry of Magic Headquarters (main offices of the Ministry of Magic)
* Buckingham Palace
* Sofie's office building (a Muggle politician's offices, overlooking the Thames)

### Commercial locations

London is a centre of commerce for both the Muggle and the Wizarding community. Some of its commercial sites include:

* Luchino Caffe
* A hamburger restaurant at Paddington Station
* Chester Stevens Estate Agents (a Muggle property management establishment)
* Diagon Alley (a wizarding commercial street, including many shops)
* Gladrags Wizardwear (a wizarding clothing shop)
* John Kent Fruiterers (a Muggle greengrocer's)
* Knockturn Alley (a wizarding commercial street, including many shops dedicated to the Dark Arts)
* Pudding Lane's Bakery (formerly)
* Screed & Sons
* The Leaky Cauldron (a "portal between the two worlds", this inn was used to gain entrance to Diagon Alley)
* Third Hand Book Emporium (a large bookshop)

### Institutions

London is the location of many important institutions, including:

* The main offices of Gringotts Bank (the wizards' bank; located at Diagon Alley)

* St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries (a wizarding hospital, concealed on a unused department shop)
* 12 Grimmauld Place (first used as the main residence of the House of Black; it was once used as headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix)
* Museum of Quidditch (a museum concerning the History of Quidditch)
* Society for the Tolerance of Vampires Head Office (a candlelit office where STV matters are dealt with)
* Wool's Orphanage (formerly)
* Euro-Glyph School of Extraordinary Languages had a branch here

### Other locations

* King's Cross Station (a Muggle train station, where Platform 9 ¾ is hidden)
* Paddington Station (a Muggle train station)
* Surbiton Station (a Muggle train station)
* London Underground
* Millennium Bridge (a pedestrian bridge over the Thames; destroyed in 1996)
* Library