HOM-201 Lessons

Hello once again, and welcome back to History of Magic! Today’s class is quite an interesting one. Yes, I know. I personally think they’re all interesting because of my bias. But I suspect this is a lesson many of you have been looking forward to taking, and will still be very enjoyable to those of you who had no idea it was coming. Why? Because today we’ll be discussing the first official magical school in the United Kingdom: our own Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We will be touching on a brief overview and history of the school, the founders of the school, as well as a tiny bit of the topic on the architecture and layout of the castle.

History of the School

Located in Scotland, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is the most famous magical school in Great Britain. It was first established in the 990s, with there being some discrepancies as to the exact start date and “official” founding. It’s unclear exactly when work on the enormous castle reached a satisfactory point to be considered the school we know presently (especially considering it is still changing even today) and there are some other, minor technical disagreements on exactly what constituted Hogwarts’ first official year versus less formal educational meetings. However, most people agree on a time in the earlier half of the decade, centering around 993. Then (much like now) it was a school that housed both male and female students of any age between 11 and 18, though the year system we know now was not quite as strict. 

Upon its founding, Hogwarts did not have a headmaster, but instead had multiple shareholders and leaders. Four, to be exact. These, you likely know, are the “four founders,” who gave their name to each of the four houses. As with the start date, the first official headmaster is highly contested. In fact, in the opinion of most, the first few people who held this position have been lost to history. An official record only finally begins in 1319 with Ephraim Calder, though there are records of all sorts (second-hand mentions in student correspondence, statues, etc.) that hint at others. However, these contain nothing concrete enough to mention here.

Another interestingly unknown thing about Hogwarts is its location. Obviously we all know roughly where Hogwarts is, and those with a good sense of direction would be able to find it given a broomstick and the Four Point Spell. However, the school and its grounds have been enchanted to be Unplottable, which is quite a feat of magic (for this reason it is not done very often). Essentially, making something Unplottable means that no one of any level of ability or familiarity with Hogwarts will be able to include Hogwarts on a map. Technically, one could make a map of Hogwarts grounds, just so long as other areas were not included, but I digress. The spell even goes so far as to make it difficult or hazy to be able to exactly point to where on the map Hogwarts is supposed to be, despite working or living there for many years. This is similar to Muggle-Repelling Charms, though these also work on witches and wizards like us. In the opinion of many, this is the main reason why Hogwarts has never been exposed to the Muggle world. Though others also point to the fact that a large variety of charms and spells are used to protect the identity of the school, and even protect the school from physical harm. Because of this, Muggles are only able to see a large patch of grassland and ruins instead of the compound which consists of the castle, the Black Lake, Quidditch pitch, and various other parts.

With all these things combined, Hogwarts is one of the safest places in Great Britain, if not the safest. It’s no wonder, then, that our school motto is Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus means “Never Tickle a Sleeping Dragon.” Confused on what that means? Well, think of it this way. You’re safe (enough) if a dragon is asleep, but if you pester it and wake it up? All bets are off! To do so means to invite a fight, most likely. If that still doesn’t clarify for you, I’ll say it more plainly: don’t mess with Hogwarts! While not an inherently dangerous institution, if threatened, Hogwarts will certainly move to defend itself and (as the motto implies) the agitator will regret it.

The Four Founders

As briefly touched on before, at the origin of Hogwarts School there were four founders. You all know their names already, but we will be covering some additional information on their lives and personalities as best as we know from records. Each of these powerful figures brought something different to the table when founding this institution, and, with their skills combined, founded the great institution of Hogwarts today and made the basis for the four houses. 

Godric Gryffindor

Godric Gryffindor was known to be one of the most powerful duellers of his time, and he certainly didn’t avoid a fight. He frequently “went to bat” for those he felt had been wronged in some way or couldn’t stand up for themselves, including Muggles, largely because his own family was non-magical. Indeed, he was quick to challenge people to duels, and wasn’t particularly picky about the weapon: wand, sword, or one hand tied behind his back. 

This quite frequently got him into trouble, though the greatest of these scrapes was the altercation with goblins that many point to as a critical juncture in goblin-human relations. The story goes that the man commissioned a great sword to be fashioned for him by a famous goblin metal-worker. He recognized them as superior to all others, and he paid handsomely for the sword to be designed and forged, only to be snubbed when he came to collect it. The goblin smith parted with it only after being pressed by Gryffindor, despite the fact that the man had already paid in full. It is unclear why this happened -- if the goblin retroactively decided the sword was worth more, if Gryffindor had committed some offense to concern the goblin -- but whatever the case, because of this altercation, Gryffindor had frequent altercations whenever these beings were concerned for the rest of his life. 

However, one person Gryffindor was rarely at odds with was closest friend, Salazar Slytherin. Until the fateful day when their visions on the future of Hogwarts, and their paths, irrevocably diverged, the two were quite close. Again, it is not known exactly what caused the altercation, but it is without a doubt due to their differing beliefs on blood. A Muggle-born himself, Godric Gryffindor had a soft spot for Muggle-born witches and wizards, as he believed that they should also have a chance to receive the same chances in life that he did.

As Second Years, you will have already gone through your very own sorting ceremony, but you may not have known that the Sorting Hat once belonged to Godric Gryffindor. While the founders were alive, they were able to sort the students of Hogwarts into different houses, but they got worried about what to do when they passed on. Relying on all four of them becoming ghosts was an unlikely option. Thus, Godric removed his hat and all four witches and wizards enchanted the hat together to give it the “brains” to sort even when they were no longer available.

Like the other founders, Gyrffindor selected those who were like him to fill out his house. Those that were just, fair, brave, and fearless. It was known that many times, he stood up for his friends, including Salazar Slytherin, when others slandered or spoke false accusations against them, sometimes with drastic consequences that perhaps had not originally been considered.

Salazar Slytherin

Salazar Slytherin achieved a great many things: discovering new fields of magic, expanding upon pre-existing ones, and in general was very skilled. He too was a fair dueler, a Parselmouth, and an adept Legilimens. Unfortunately, however, the thing that most people know him for are his views on blood purity and magic. However, as with most things, the truth is quite a bit less black and white. 

To contextualize, there are a few stories (though the degree of accuracy, particularly in the details, is uncertain) about Salazar Slytherin that may paint a better picture. As we have just stated, Slytherin could talk to snakes. It is believed that, like most cases of Parselmouths, this was an in-born talent, like being a metamorphmagus. It was due to his ability that he was almost killed as a child. Slytherin was not an exceptionally large man, as we know from statues and images of him, and the same was undoubtedly true as a child. From quite a young age, he relied on magic to do many things he would not be able to do otherwise. One day, Salazar witnesses an altercation between a handful of older boys and a girl his age. The girl, a Muggle, was understandably overwhelmed and, in desperation, the wandless child called on the only allies he had access to: serpents. A nearby snake nesting in the fens answered the call, and while the attackers ran off, the girl was terrified. She ran home and told her parents about what Salazar had done, and the boys corroborated her story, attesting that Salazar had set the snake on them, ultimately, causing Salazaz to be brutally beaten by a number of non-magical townsfolk. Salazar’s parents were able to save him, but it seems from this point on his distrust of Muggles was cemented.

He did not approve when the other three founders brought students from non-magical families, likely because he knew firsthand how wrong things could go. His fear of admitting Muggle-born students was born out of a desire to protect the rest of the students in the school, as he believed it opened them up to betrayal, whether accidental or purposeful. While his concerns may have had some base, this was the beginning of an argument that would eventually split the founders, particularly his close friend, Godric Gryffindor. The two disagreed on much, but something in their past had cemented a strong friendship to which Slytherin always remained loyal, despite his conflicting views and better judgement. 

It is unknown exactly what happened to cause the final split, but stories around the situation (essentially myths, though they may well have truth to them), say that there was a great duel between Salazar and Gryffindor. Who exactly started the duel changes based on who is telling the story (and for what purpose), but the trust between the four founders was irrevocably split that day, and the friendship between the two men was shattered to pieces. Following this explosive falling out (or some say preceding it), Slytherin made arrangements to both ensure that his legacy would live on at Hogwarts, as well as protect it from Muggle-borns when he no longer could. We know now, thanks to its unearthing in the last century, that these plans included the creation of a secret chamber within Hogwarts which housed a basilisk and a few other surprises.

With all of the drama aside, however. Slytherin students have always attended Hogwarts, and round out the population of students with valuable traits like ambition, determination, cunning, skill, and a desire to push boundaries (sometimes at the expense of bending or breaking rules). Interestingly enough, there have been numerous Slytherins from Muggle-born families, so it seems the Sorting Hat did not inherit Slytherin’s same concern. 

Helga Hufflepuff

Helga Hufflepuff came from a large, but simple family in Wales where she lived with her parents and siblings (as well as her numerous cousins). The oldest of eleven children (many of whom were adopted), she was able to see from a young age how loving and full a family could be when filled with all different sorts of people. Some of her siblings were non-magical, others were not, and some of them were not from Wales, or even originally from Great Britain. As the oldest, she had a large role in the childcare and seeing to the well-being of her siblings. She would clothe them, feed them, and delight them with dazzling spells accompanied by stories or songs. While it was likely a large burden for a young woman to shoulder, she appeared to be very happy with her lot, and would organize her siblings to make a difficult task pass more pleasantly with teamwork and some elbow grease.

Upon coming into contact with the other four founders, Hufflepuff was immediately interested in the idea of gathering many magical students of different backgrounds and bringing them together to learn magic. She was often known to go out into the countryside and participate in recruiting or scouting, particularly when reluctant Muggle parents were involved. Hufflepuff was irresistibly charming and her motherly nature was enough to put even the most concerned guardian at ease. She was also known for her wide-variety of food-related charms, many of which were completely her own invention and are still used to create Hogwarts’ feasts. 

Unsurprisingly, when the Sorting Hat was created and the founders instructed it on the preferred traits for members of their house, Hufflepuff was quite at a loss. She knew the value that all people of different strokes could bring to the table. When pressed, she finally expressed a desire to see her house be filled with the loyal, caring, hard-working sort, but stressed that all would be welcome in Hufflepuff house.

Rowena Ravenclaw

As a child, Rowena was always a lover of knowledge and learning. This allowed her to advance her skills in various realms of magic and brought about her interest in magical architecture. It was a relatively rare topic at that time as resources were scarce, but Rowena was determined to use this ability in one form or another. The opportunity arose when Helga introduced her to Salazar and Godric, and thus the concept of Hogwarts was born. She invested all her time into creating and enchanting Hogwarts and its interior layout and architecture, the magic behind which is still a mystery to modern witches and wizards in the present day.

Now, I must continue with a little-known fact about the Scottish-born founder, Ravenclaw was not actually the name she was born with. Ravenclaw, in fact, was the surname of her husband, Jares. The intelligent and intrepid man, though A few years her senior. The pair met while Rowena was still a young woman (sadly, official record of her maiden name has  been lost to time, though many pure-blood and half-blood families are quick to claim her as part of their lineage) but did not truly get to know each other until the bright witch started meeting with Hufflepuff. The beginning and planning stages of the formation of Hogwarts took many years, and over those years, Rowena’s visit to Wales and other parts of the United Kingdom were frequent. How does Jares factor into all of this, you ask? It just so happened that Jares was Hufflepuff’s cousin. He was persistent in winning her heart, despite her expressed sole interest in, and love for knowledge, rather than relationships. However, after years of continued polite interest that never waned despite her focus on her work, she was won over with not only his perseverance and wit, but the knowledge that Jares would not stand in the way of her professional goals.

Sadly, Ravenclaw shortly became a widow when a misfired spell killed her husband while she was away on Hogwarts business. Thus, she brought her daughter, Helena, with her to live in Hogwarts castle, where all of her time was dedicated to opening and running the school. However, this caused tension between her and her daughter as the latter felt neglected. As a result, Helena later fled the castle with the fabled diadem of wisdom her mother had enchanted. Her child never returned, at least in her physical form (though curious minds may be able to identify her among the ghosts that live at Hogwarts), and Ravenclaw died without ever seeing Helena again 

Despite the Rowena Ravenclaw had formed the Ravenclaw house with knowledge and wisdom above all else, and had a fair bit of trouble establishing relationships with people. Instead, she sought comfort in her collection of books that was later donated to the Hogwarts Library. The amount of books from Rowena make up a substantial part of the Hogwarts Library to this very day. 

Hogwarts Castle

As mentioned just a moment ago, Rowena Ravenclaw was the brains behind the architectural design of the castle, while the other three founders did most of the collaborative spellwork and charms that helped to protect and build the castle itself (such as the Anti-Disapparition Jinx). 

It may interest you to know that Hogwarts did not actually start off as a castle, but instead a mansion that housed a small number of students. However, it was an aim of the founders that one day this school would house so many students that the building would not be able to handle the number. Thus, over time, they charmed the building to grow along with the number of students. Along with clever, multi-purpose, moving staircases, Rowena Ravenclaw designed the castle in a way that the rooms could actually change location. This allowed the school to adapt to never-ending renovations seamlessly, though it also led to a fair amount of confusion as the castle grew. Some believed that Ravenclaw could have fixed this to fit a more ordered and logical pattern, but refrained from doing so as a protective measure. That way, if the castle was ever to be attacked, the professors and the students would be able to understand the movements and features of the building to hide away from their opponent. However, the opponents would be confused, as they would not know what was going on in the building. 

The paintings and pictures were hung up much later, at Salazar Slytherin’s instruction, and they cover almost every inch of the castle walls. While some believe that the moving paintings and photographs acted as a tool for spying on his fellow founders, this was not necessarily the goal. In any case, the portraits have lasted long after the departure and death of Salazar Slytherin and remain here today. 

Lastly, due to the magic that has seeped into every nook and cranny of the castle, it is so saturated with magic that using any form of technology much more complicated than a few pulleys and gears is liable to become accidentally enchanted (which, if you are not aware, bears very unpredictable results ranging from sudden combustion to sentience). Thus, unless necessary, technology is avoided. Of course, as you are here reading this now, some precautions can be taken if technology is unavoidable!

This marks the end of today’s lesson. Quite a lengthy one, is it not? I still hope you enjoyed the lesson as much as I’veenjoyed filling in a new generation of students on the history of our great school. You have a few assignments to complete related to today’s topics. Should you have any questions on them, or regarding today’s lesson, feel free to contact me via owl and remember to study hard! Your finals are coming sooner than you think!

Original lesson written by Professor Autumn Maddox
Image credits here, here, here, and here