Godric's Hollow Location

[Steve Vander Ark]

No: HPFGUIDX 13942

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., wings909 at a... wrote:
> Does anyone know where the possible location of Godric's Hollow 
is?  I've been going by what little we know from the books, and this 
is just off the top of my head but if Hagrid brought Harry to the 
Dursleys, which we know is in Surrey, and Harry fell asleep flying 
over Bristol, then Godric's Hollow would be where?
> 
> Cheers,
> Paula
> Gryffindor

We don't know at all where Godric's Hollow is, although the fact that 
you mention, that Harry fell asleep over Bristol, has been used 
to "prove" that Godric's Hollow has to be in Wales. That isn't by any 
means proven. In fact, I would argue that it's highly UNlikely that 
Godric's Hollow is in Wales. Here's what we do know:

On the evening of October 31, Voldemort attacked the Potters in 
Godric's Hollow. This was just before midnight. Hagrid arrived 
shortly after the attack and rescued the infant Harry from the ruins 
of the cottage. He also met Sirius Black there and borrowed his 
flying motorcycle. All this happened within a fairly short time of 
midnight, October 31. 

In the next few hours, Hagrid took Harry somewhere. We have no idea 
where he took him and we don't know the speed of a flying motocycle 
so we can't even estimate how FAR he took him. But I think it's 
unlikely that he stayed anywhere near Godric's Hollow, since that was 
1) swarming with Muggles, and 2) the scene of the disappearance of 
Voldemort, which would mean that the Death Eaters were also probably 
all over the place, looking for their master. Hagrid left Harry in 
this place, wherever it is, in the very early morning. Sometime after 
that, but still in the early morning, Hagrid encountered McGonagall. 
Surprisingly, Hagrid told her practically nothing at all about what 
had happened. He didn't tell her that the Potters had been killed, he 
didn't tell her that he had rescued Harry or where he had taken him, 
he basically told her nothing. All he did say was that Dumbledore was 
going to be in some place called Privet Drive at some point that day. 
Hagrid didn't even tell her who lived in Privet Drive or what their 
relationship was to all that was going on. McGonagall goes to Privet 
Drivet at this point as a cat and waits all day on the garden wall.

We don't know where Hagrid went after this. We don't know at what 
point he was given Harry back to carry to Privet Drive. We might 
assume that wherever Harry was, he wasn't with Dumbledore, since 
otherwise Dumbledore wouldn't have needed someone to bring the baby 
to him. However, since Dumbledore obviously apparated into Privet 
Drive, and since it seems unlikely that anyone can carry a baby when 
apparating, and since Hagrid certainly doesn't have a license to 
apparate, Dumbledore might have given Harry to Hagrid for safe 
transport from wherever they were to Privet Drive. 

At any rate, this unidentified place, where Harry spent the day, is 
where Harry and Hagrid were coming from and it is on this trip that 
Harry fell asleep. And since they passed over Bristol on the way from 
there to Surrey, it is logical to assume that Harry spent the day 
somewhere 1) in Wales, and 2) NOT Godric's Hollow. So Godric's Hollow 
is very likely NOT in Wales at all; Wales would be a place that is a 
safe distance AWAY from Godric's Hollow, which would be a dangerous 
place to be on that day, especially for Harry Potter.

That brings us to Privet Drive. It is almost midnight when Dumbledore 
finally appears, and Hagrid arrives soon after. It is 24 hours since 
the attack in Godric's Hollow and Harry and Hagrid have traveled a 
good many kilometers in between.

Steve Vander Ark
The Harry Potter Lexicon
http://www.i2k.com/~svderark/lexicon