Your Guide to Hogwarts

[CaeJae]

Disclaimer: The information provided is brought to you by HP-lexicon.org, and further information can be found there.

Welcome to Your Guide to Hogwarts, a quick reference of the wizarding world's favorite school! This guide will give you a comfortable and general idea of what Hogwarts is like everyday and the different roles that are played without leaving too much gray area to be confused on certain things.

Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus
Never tickle a sleeping dragon
-the school motto

Index

• About the Founders
  
• A Few Facts About Hogwarts
  
• Hogwarts Academics
  
• Life at Hogwarts
  

[CaeJae]

About the Founders

Over a thousand years ago, the four greatest witches and wizards of the age shared a dream, to create a school where young people of the wizarding world could study and be trained in the magical arts they needed to become skilled, fully-trained wizards. These four great wizards each founded one of the Houses of the school that they worked together to form: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They have been referred to as 'The Hogwarts Four.'

For a number of years, this arrangement worked just fine. Each of the founders took a group of students to be in their own house and even though they had differences of opinion about who should be trained, the house system helped them all to work together. However, as the years went by, the differences between Gryffindor and Slytherin became a serious rift. Eventually Slytherin left the school. -direct from the HP-Lexicon.org

Image from the HP-Lexicon.org

Godric Gryffindor

• He had mane-like red hair, green eyes, and a powerful build.
  
• He was born in the West Country village of Godric's Howllowed, named for Godric himself.
  
• He was the most accomplished dueller of his time and an enlightened fighter against Muggle-discriminaion.
  
• The Sorting Hat originally belonged to Gryffindor.

Image from the HP-Lexicon.org

Helga Hufflepuff

• She had gingery red hair, blue eyes, and a plump figure.
  
• According to the Sorting Hat, she came "from valley broad," which is probably Wales.
  
• She was very famous for her dexterity at food-related charms. Many recipes traditionally served at Hogwarts feasts originated with Hufflepuff. Her famous Wizard card states "she brought people from different walks of life together to help build Hogwarts and was loved for her charming ways."
  
• Another accomplishment of Hufflepuff's was her concern for treatment of House-elves in the Wizarding world. She madfe Hogwarts a refuge for them, and as a result they were treaded more kindly there than elsewhere.
  
• A small, magical golden cup with two finely wroght handles, engraved with a badger is an artifact of her's.

Image from the HP-Lexicon.org

Salazar Slytherin

• He looked gaunt with a long grey beard and pale grey eyes.
  
• According to the Sorting Hat, Slytherin came from the fen. In the UK, fens are located in the eastern portion of England, East Anglia and in particular Norfolk, which is North East of London.
  
• He was one of the first recorded parselmouths and an accomplished Legilimens.
  
• A heavy gold locket carrying Salazar Slytherin's mark (an ornate serpentine "S") is a remaining artifact of his.
  
• He believed that only pureblood witches and wizards should be allowed to attend Hogwarts. He got into an argument with Godric Gryffindor about this and eventually left the school. There was a legend that Slytherin built a secret chamber somewhere in Hogwarts that only his true heir would be able to open. This chamber, called the Chamber of Secrets, contained a monster that would finish his 'noble purpose" of killing all the muggleborn students at Hogwarts.

Image from the HP-Lexicon.org

Rowena Ravenclaw

• She was fair and quite attractive, with long dark hair and brown eyes.
  
• According to the Sorting Hat, "Ravenclaw came from the glen," which could probably be somewhere in Scotland, such as Glencoe or Great Glen where Loch Ness is.
  
• She had a daughter named Helena, now known as The Grey Lady, the ghost of Ravenclaw House.
  
• Her Famous Wizard card tells us that "it's thought that she came up with the everchanging floor plan. She's best remembered for her intelligence and creativity."
  
• An artifact of Ravenclaw's was a tiara inscribed "Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure" which would bestow wisdom when worn. Her daughter, Helena, stole it and ran away to Albania and hid it in a tree. Tom Riddle later made it into a Horcrux and hit it in the Room of Requirement. It was destroyed by Fiendfyre.
  
• She was said to be the most brilliant witch of her time and died of a broken heart.
  
• She was dear friends with Helga Hufflepuff.

[CaeJae]

A Few Facts About Hogwarts

• Hogwarts is located in Scotland, a northwestern European country that is famous for its locks, its rolling hills, and its rain that makes everything green almost all of the time.
  
• Hogwarts is seven stories tall.
  
• If muggles were to approach the castle, all they would see is a mouldering ruin with a sign warning them to keep out and that its unsafe.
  
• Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago by Godric Gryffindor Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin.
  
  Locations on Hogwarts Grounds
  
  • The Black Lake is located to the south of the castle.
    
  • Hogwarts' front gate faces more or less to the west.
    
  • The Quidditch Pitch and the Forbidden Forest are on opposite sides of the castle from each other, the Pitch to the west.
    
  • The Forbidden Forest is located to the east of Hogwarts Castle.
    
  • The Whomping Willow is shortly southeast of Hogwarts Castle.
    
  • The town of Hogsmeade is to the south of the Lake and across the train tracks.
  
  

[CaeJae]

Hogwarts Academics

Keep these schedules in mind when signing up for classes on the forum.

Schedule of Classes By Year
First Year:

• Astronomy (required 1st-5th year)
  
• Charms (core)
  
• Defense Against the Dark Arts (core)
  
• Herbology (required 1st-5th year)
  
• History of Magic (required 1st-5th year)
  
• Potions (core)
  
• Transfiguration (core)

June: finals (exams)

Second Year
Same classes as first year. During the Easter holidays, students choose two or more additional classes for year 3.

• Astronomy (required 1st-5th year)
  
• Charms (core class)
  
• Defense Against the Dark Arts (core class)
  
• Herbology (required 1st-5th year)
  
• History of Magic (required 1st-5th year)
  
• Potions (core class)
  
• Transfiguration (core class)
  
• Ancient Runes (required 2nd-3rd year)
  
• Arithmancy (required 2nd - 3rd year)
  
• Care of Magical Creatures (required 2nd-3rd year)
  
• Divination (required 2nd-3rd year)
  
• Muggle Studies (required 2nd-3rd year)

June: finals (exams)

Third Year
Same classes as second year, add two new subjects. Students may drop an elective class if they wish, but they are required to continue with the core classes as begun in first year.
June: finals (exams)

Fourth Year
Same classes as third year, begin prepareing for O.W.L.s. Students may drop an elective class if they wish, but they are required to continue with the core classes begun in first year.
June: finals (exams)

Fifth Year
Same classes as fourth year. Students may drop an elective class if they wish, but they are required to continue with the core classes begun in first year.
June: Ordinary Wizarding Levels (O.W.L.s.)

Sixth Year
Students don't know what their classes for sixth year will be until after they recieve the results of their O.W.L.s. Once they have their O.W.L. results, the students know whether they have achieved the required grades to get into the classes they're interested in for sixth year. On the first day of term, each student meets his or her Head of House to determine which classes he or she can take. If the student did not pass an O.W.L, he or she discusses options with the Head of House.

If a student achieved the required O.W.L in a particular subject (which varies from teacher to teacher), he or she may continue in that subject, but is not required to do so. For example, several (well, all as far as we know) of Harry's year opted to drop out of Care of Magical Creatures, much to Hagrids's dismay.
June: finals (exams)

Seventh Year
Students concentrate on taking classes in their chosen fields.
June: Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests (N.E.W.T.s.)

[CaeJae]

Life At Hogwarts

The School Year

• The year begins on September 1st
  
• Hogwarts Express leaves King's Cross Station at 11 a.m., bringing students to Hogsmeade Station where the 2nd through 7th years ride horseless carriages up to the castle and 1st years cross the lake in boats with Hagrid.
  
• The start-of-year feast
  
  • the Sorting
    
  • a few words from Dumbledore
    
  • vast quantities of food and drink
    
  • a few more words from Dumbledore, including the "start-of-term notices"
  
  
• classes begin on September 2nd - schedules handed out at breakfast
  
• Quidditch trials during the second week, also flying lesson for first years
  
• Halloween Feast on the evening of October 31st
  
• first Quidditch match in the beginning of November
  
• second week of December, Head of Houses takes names of those who are staying over the Christmas holidays
  
• end of first term is usually about a week before Christmas and most of the students and some of the teachers go home
  
• December 25: Christmas Feast
  
• shortly after January 1st: Hogwarts Express returns and start of second term
  
• Easter holidays -two-week break, students go home, exact dates vary every year
  
• exams are held the first week of June
  
• results come out the second week of June
  
• Leaving Feast, sometimes called the end-of-term feast, the evening before the Hogwarts Express goes back to London
  
• the Hogwarts Express retuns to London during the third week of June
  
• all staff and students leave Hogwarts during the summer except for Filch

Daily Routines

• The day begins with breakfast in the Great Hall. During breakfast, the morning mail arrives in a flurry of hundreds of owls. A bell signals the start of the first class at 9am.
  
• There are two morning classes with a break between (signalled by a bell), followed by lunch and a break.
  
• After lunch, classes resume at 1pm. It is not clear if there are one ore two classes in the afternoon.
  
• Supper is served in the Great Hall toward evening, after which the students are expected to be in their House common rooms for studying and socializing. Curfew for older students is 9pm.
  
• There is no set bedtime after supper.

[Elliot]

RULES AT HOGWARTS

DRESS CODE

A. STUDENT UNIFORM

• Brown, black, or grey or other DARK colored trousers.
  
• A white or creme colored shirt with a collar.
  
• A House Jumper (sweater) or similar grey jumper.
  
• House Robes and scarf (optional)
  
• Dark colored shoes or trainers/sneakers or dress shoes.

For girls:

• Same as for boys, but in addition they are permitted to wear knee length or longer skirts in the same colors.
  
• Public areas of the castle are defined as anywhere that is not your house common room , dormitory, or while in the infirmary on an extended stay with the nurse. These are the private areas of the castle.
  
• While in the Private Areas of the castle, you are expected to conform to the "casual student standard" dress code.
  
• No heels can be longer than three inches at school. In addition, no shoes may be 'open-toed'.

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B. CASUAL STANDARDS FOR STUDENTS

• Shirts with logos that advertise muggle drugs, alcohol, or have other offensive artwork or slogans on them.
  
• Underwear or undergarments should not be visible at any time. This means no short skirts, see through material, or sagging jeans.
  
• Professors and other adult members of the Hogwarts community can point out and restrict anything else deemed to be disruptive or a safety hazard at any time.
  

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OUT OF BOUNDS

A. FORBIDDEN AREAS

• The Lake
  
• The Forbbiden Forest: Out of bounds due to nameless dangers throughout the forest. The path through the forest is the ONLY safe path through to Hogsmeade and to the Quidditch pitch, and as such, straying off the path could result in various nasty things such as death.
  
• Muggle London: Out of Bounds, no exceptions, no excuses.
  
• Head Master's Office: Unless invited, do not enter. Students and guests are reminded that the enchanted Gargoyles will curse anyone that enters without invitation.
  

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B. CURFEW

[/i] of Hogwarts Castle until ten o'clock. Only prefects and head boys and girls are allowed outside after curfew, no exceptions.
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PETS

1. Students are allowed to bring toads, cats, and owls to school. However, there are some exceptions, limits, and special rules. Below are the specifications for animals allowed at Hogwarts.

• Cats
  
• Toads
  
• Owls, Eagles, Hawks, and Falcons
  
• Rats, mice, gerbils, ferrets, hamsters
  

Pets Not Allowed:

• Reptiles
  
• Canines and Dogs
  
• Bird that are not birds of prey, less they be eaten
  
• Frogs

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