Hi everyone. During my trip last year I went to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London: The Making of Harry Potter. And since this is everyone’s favourite book to move adaptation, and to celebrate the Harry Potter Book Night, I thought I would give you a tour of ‘The Making of Harry Potter’ while also bringing some of the books quotes to the behind the scenes of making of the movie.

We took a lot of photos during this tour, so I will these will be divided into a few different posts. And where better to start than the place that every child (and adult) wants to receive an acceptance letter to … Hogwarts!

Hogwarts Castle

“The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black take. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.”

About Hogwarts Castle: Hogwarts Castle is a large, seven-story high building supported by magic, with a hundred and forty two staircases throughout its many towers and turrets and very deep dungeons. The castle was built in the late Early Middle Ages (c. 993) by a wizard architect and the four most celebrated wizards of the age: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin. The Castle houses Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, regarded as the finest wizarding school in the world.

Hogwarts is built in a valley area — surrounding mountains are part of the landscape — with the fairly large Great Lake to the south of the main building. The huge main oak front doors leading into the Entrance Hall face the west, and open up to sloping lawns. The deep Forbidden Forest extends around to the west of the Castle. There are also exterior greenhouses and vegetable patches on the school grounds.

Hogwarts is located in the Scottish Highlands, near the all-wizard village of Hogsmeade and “not far” from Dufftown, in Banffshire, and Achintee, in Lochaber.

It was the setting of the final battle of the Second Wizarding War, the Battle of Hogwarts, which resulted in the deaths of several witches and wizards who fought in defense of the castle.

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The Great Hall

“Harry had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting “

About the Great Hall: The Great Hall in Hogwarts Castle is the main gathering area in theschool located off the Entrance Hall. Students eat their meals, receive daily owl post, and have certain special events here. The Great Hall is a large hall that can easily hold all of the school’s students, staff, and guests. It has tall walls that reach up to the ceiling, which is covered with candles and enchanted to look like the sky above. At the front of the hall, is the staff table, also known as theHigh Table, which is designed to house the entire Hogwarts staff.

 

Headmaster’s Office

“It was a large and beautiful circular room, full of funny little noises. A number of curious silver instruments stood on spindle legged tables, whirring and emitting little puffs of smoke. The walls were covered with portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom were snoozing gently in their frames. There was also an enormous, claw-footed desk, and, sitting on a shelf behind it, a shabby, tattered wizard’s hat - the Sorting Hat.”

About the Headmaster’s Office: The Headmaster’s office is the office in Hogwarts Castle in which the current headmasters or headmistresses of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry work during the school year. It is located in the Headmaster’s Tower, accessed through Gargoyle Corridor. Although this is never mentioned, it is entirely likely that the residence of the headmaster is adjacent to the office. It is reached by means of a circular, moving stone staircase, which in turn is concealed by a gargoyle on the third floor. The gargoyle will step aside in response to a password, though the headmaster is capable of overriding the password if, for any reason, he or she desires that it will not work.

 

Gryffindor Common Room

“Down the spiral staircase, and into the Gryffindor common room. A few embers were still glowing in the fireplace, turning all the armchairs into hunched black shadows.”

 

About the Gryffindor Common Room: Gryffindor Tower, also known as the Gryffindor Common Room[1], serves as the common room for students in Gryffindor House atHogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

 

Hagrid’s Hut

“There was only one room inside. Hams and pheasants were hanging from the ceiling, a copper kettle was boiling on the open fire, and in the corner stood a massive bed with a patchwork quilt over it.”

About Hagrid’s Hut: Hagrid’s Hut served as a home to Rubeus Hagrid (and some of his pets, including Fang) during his years as gatekeeper and teaching at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry[2] It is a small wooden cabin located outside of Hogwarts Castle, on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley were amongst the Hogwarts students who regularly visited Hagrid in his hut.

Gryffindor Boys’ Dormitory

“At the top of a spiral staircase -they were obviously in one of the towers -they found their beds at last: five four-posters hung with deep red, velvet curtains.”

About Gryffindor Boys’ Dormitory: The Gryffindor Boys’ Dormitory is located inside the Gryffindor Tower, and is where the male Gryffindor students go to sleep at night. Every dorm room is equipped with a centrally-located stove, and each student gets their own four poster bed, flanked by a set of windows and space for storing personal belongings. On the window sill, a water jug is placed, in case any of the students should feel the need for a drink in the middle of the night.

 

Portraits

“He was too sleepy even to be surprised that the people in the portraits along the corridors whispered and pointed as they passed.”

About the portaits: Portraits are paintings made of certain individuals, namely witches and warlocks. The subject of a magical portrait is sentient due to enchantmentsplaced on the portrait by the painter. The portrait will be able to use some of the subject’s favourite phrases and imitate their general demeanour based on how the subject appears to the painter; however, they are limited in what they can say or do. A portrait can also move from portrait to portrait, or else visit a portrait of them elsewhere in the world.

 

Educational Decree

“By mid-morning enormous signs had been put up all over the school, not just on house noticeboards, but in the corridors and classrooms too.”

About educational decrees: During the 1995–1996 school year, the Ministry (spearheaded by Dolores Umbridge) created new educational decrees to suppress and outlaw behaviour of which the Ministry did not approve, some of which would outright expel the students found to be in transgression of. In truth, however, is just an excuse to strip Albus Dumbledore of his headship of the school and give it to Umbridge. These new ones were abolished whenAlbus Dumbledore and Harry Potter proved Lord Voldemort’s return.

 

Potions Classroom

“Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle, and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls.”

About the potions classroom: The Potions Classroom is where Potions classes are taught. The classroom used to be squared-sized, very large, with large tables and windows. In the corner resides a stone basin used to wash students’ hands and ladles. From 1992-onwards, the classroom was of an oval shape and relatively smaller, with small work tables. In 1996, the classroom was extended, adding space for more work tables.

 

The Wooden Bridge

About the Wooden Bridge: The Wooden Bridge (also known as the Covered Bridge) was a feature of Hogwarts Castle. The bridge appeared derelict, and was constructed of wood beams which extend to the floor of the ravine it laid across. The roof of the Covered Bridge was sagging and appeared tarred. The bridge blended in with the natural environment surrounding it. The Covered Bridge began at one end of the Clock Tower Courtyard, right at the base of the Clock Tower. At the end of the covered bridge there is a small stone gazebo with benches. Outside of it is theSundial Garden.

Most of the bridge was destroyed during the Battle of Hogwarts by Neville, Seamus and Ginny under the orders of Minerva McGonagall. The bridge was destroyed usingcharges. It is unknown if the bridge was rebuilt or not after the battle concluded.

This bridge, along with the Clock Tower, Clock Tower Courtyard and Sundial Garden, first appears in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

 

All quotes have been taken from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, and ‘about’ information has been sourced from Harry Potter Wiki. Images are owned by myself or my friend who I was travelling with.

I hope you enjoyed my stroll through The Making of Harry Potter!!