Hey everyone,
Welcome to another installment of Harry Potter Theory. Today, we’ll be taking a look at
some of the lesser well-known mysteries surrounding the castle and grounds of Hogwarts School.
But what’s truly unique about today’s video is that we’ll be looking at this topic
with visual accompaniment from the much-anticipated Harry Potter game Hogwarts Legacy- which is
now available on Playstation 5, Xbox Series X | S and PC.
So before we get started I want to say a big thank you to Warner Brothers Games for sponsoring
this video and making all of this possible.
Hogwarts Legacy dives in to the wizarding world in a time period that we’ve never
seen before- the 1800s- and it’s through this game that Harry Potter fans will be able
to navigate the wizarding world we love so much through a bit of a different lens. In
Hogwarts Legacy, our character will experience the life of a Hogwarts student first-hand,
living the unwritten and embarking on a dangerous journey to uncover a massive hidden truth
of the 1800s wizarding world.
Developed by Avalanche Software and published by Warner Bros. Games under the Portkey Games
label, Hogwarts Legacy introduces an original story that gives us the freedom to embark
on our own wizarding world adventure- paving our own path and uncovering new territory,
all in the pursuit of uncovering this magical world’s hidden truth.
But until you play the game, this hidden truth is going to remain a mystery- which brings
us back to the topic of today’s video, mysteries- particularly, mysteries pertaining to the
Hogwarts castle.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was founded sometime in the tenth century
by four of the greatest witches and wizards of the time. They were, of course, Godric
Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff and Salazar Slytherin. You’ll no doubt recognize
each of these names as the sources of the great Houses within Hogwarts. However, in
addition to these four, It is also believed that there may have been a fifth wizard involved
in the construction of the castle—the man responsible for the design and building of
the great school—only known as the Architect. In fact, this unnamed “Architect” could
be the reason that there are so many mysteries and secrets abounding throughout the castle…
In terms of its architectural structure, the school is much like any castle. It is said
to have around 24 towers in all, with 12 larger, more prominent ones, and 12 smaller, lesser
known towers. The Astronomy Tower, which was the site of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore’s
death, is the tallest of the towers, whereas the Dark Tower on the seventh floor is among
the most mysterious. The castle is seven stories tall, with approximately 142 staircases within.
According to Dumbledore, “there was neither a living nor dead soul in the world who knew
all the secrets of the castle.” So, with that in mind, let’s get to the mysteries
that we’ll be unveiling today!
The Location Of course, we know that Hogwarts is “somewhere
in Scotland”—but it would appear that no one ever discusses the EXACT location.
The reason for this is that the castle was placed under many spells and enchantments
by the founders in an effort to ward off unfriendly Muggles—which is why someone without magic
only sees ruins and signs deterring them from entering . As you can imagine, the tenth century—when
the castle was founded—was not the best time to be a witch or wizard. This is likely
why the location is unplottable, meaning that it cannot be identified or pinpointed on a
map.
This may also explain why the children are not dropped off directly at the castle, but
rather are shuttled in by the Hogwarts Express to Hogsmeade. It’s also worth noting that
witches and wizards are unable to apparate or disapparate within Hogwarts. In addition
to a layer of protection for the students, could this simply be because no one knows
its exact coordinates?
The castle appears to be alive and sentient This mystery is a bit of a tricky one to explain,
because, of course, there are many enchantments and charms placed upon and within the castle.
These spells in themselves do nothing to prove that Hogwarts castle is actually ALIVE. For
example, the Great Hall showcases a few of these wonderful charms, none of which proves
sentience. The ceiling mirrors the sky above and the tables tend to change their order
and arrangements. There’s also the bit of fun to be had by way of the charm at the entrance
for Hufflepuff’s Common Room. Here, you must tap a specific barrel in a particular
way in order to gain admittance. If you get it wrong, you get soaked in vinegar.
But some of the enchantments seem to be more like active choices made by the castle itself.
The most obvious example would be the staircases and how they move at will—but don’t you
find it odd that they always seem to choose the perfect moment when a student—often
a first year—is climbing them? Could this perhaps be the stairs playing a joke?
There are more secret passages and hidden rooms than we know
It’s fairly safe to say that the secret passages and hidden rooms that we know of
only scratch the surface of what’s concealed within the hallowed halls of Hogwarts.
What we do know is that there are eight secret passages that lead in and out of Hogwarts
that are mentioned throughout the series. Only seven of these were shown on the Mauraders’
Map, including one that had caved in, the one under the Whomping Willow, and the one
under the statue of the Humpbacked Witch. The eighth was later created by Draco Malfoy
through the Room of Requirement. Speaking of, the Room of Requirement can hardly be
classified as a mystery—but have you heard of the hidden room known as the Room of Rewards?
This is yet another secret space at Hogwarts, which apparently records students' accomplishments.
The entrance can be found on the Grand Staircase, behind a portrait of Vindictus Viridian.
There is a Book of Admittance and Quill of Acceptance
Apparently, the only system of admittance Hogwarts has ever used is an ancient magical
book and a quill, known as the Book of Admittance and the Quill of Acceptance. The story goes
that if the Quill has written a child’s name in the Book, they are sent a letter of
acceptance to the school at the age of 11—no questions asked. Every birth of a magical
child or Muggle child who shows magical ability is said to be recorded into the Book by the
Quill.
The Book and Quill are strictly kept within a locked tower of Hogwarts. The Book is bound
by the hide of a black dragon, and evidently no human has laid hands on it since the four
founders of Hogwarts placed it there.
The school motto
As you may recall in some of my previous videos, the motto for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft
and Wizardry is a rather confounding one.
The motto “Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus” is Latin for “never tickle a sleeping dragon”.
Of course, to a Muggle, who is used to school mottos being quite prestigious—and, let’s
admit, a little bit stuffy—this seems a rather odd saying for such a world-renowned
school. However, it does seem ever so fitting that Hogwarts’ motto would be humorous—but
practical.
And, with that, we’ve come to the end of another video!
Thanks again to Warner Brothers Games for sponsoring this video and be sure to check
out Hogwarts Legacy now available on Playstation 5, Xbox Series X | S and PC.
Until next time…
Remember
"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."