Godric's Hollow - Hogwarts' Cave

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 130596

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Geoff Bannister"
<gbannister10 at a...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <bboyminn at y...> wrote:

> 
> 
> > bboyminn:
>  
> > Of course, the first years always cross the lake, and we know that
> > Hogwarts is on a high cliff overlooking the lake. So, the cave is 
> > in the cliff face at lake level below the castlel.
> > 
> 
> <quote snipped>
  

> > 
> > One of those things that make you go ... hummmmmm?
> >
> > bboyminn


> Geoff:
> It is, however, described as a /tunnel/ and not a cave. And the fact 
> that they have to keep their heads down and the opening is hidden by 
> an ivy curtain suggests a smallish entry. 
> 
> Interesting thought just crossed my mind as to whether there is a 
> subterranean link to the Chamber of Secrets at this level - though I 
> presume it would be closed off in some way to stop Bertie the 
> Basilisk ambling off for a trip round the lake and a cup of tea with 
> the giant squid.


bboyminn:

Well, I'm going to cheat a bit here; I'm going to agree and disagree,
and propose a compromise.

Technically, at least by some definition, is man-made, while a cave is
natural. However, in general common speech, to some extent, those term
can be interchanged. In fact, my dictionary makes no distinction
regarding a tunnel being man-made. None the less, they typically are.

Let's look at the quote again-

"...the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a
wide opening in the cliff face. "

"They were carried along a dark tunnel,..."

'A wide opening in the cliff face' and 'a dark tunnel'; I'm reading a
bit into this but my visual image is a large opening and a smaller
tunnel. That tells me that the 'large opening' is a natural, but
somewhat shallow cave that has been undercut into the cliff face, and
the 'dark tunnel' is a wizard-made extension that extends under the
castle. In the 'harbor' area, there is a stairs that takes you up to
the castle; again implying that that end of the 'tunnel' has been
wizard-made. 

As far as ducking to get in, that may have simply been because of the
overhanging vines. You duck because you don't want to get hit in the
face by a curtain of vines. So, that may not reflect the true size of
the entrance. Quoting again "...a curtain of ivy that HID a wide
opening...".

So, a blend of natural and wizard-made.

Side Note:

In that scene, when the students come up out of the tunnel, despite
reading it many times, I have never been able to figure out where the
stairs comes out. Does it literally come out inside the castle? 

I know the first time I read it, my mental image was of the students
arriving at the top of an outside/outdoors stairway, and then walking
into the castle. Later books, didn't give me that impression, but
neither was it clear where in the castle the harbor-stairs are found.
Just curious how other people envisioned this.

Steve/bboyminn