Hogwarts' Cave

John Kearns johnk at gwu.edu
Mon Jun 13 13:33:40 UTC 2005


No: HPFGUIDX 130604

> bboyminn:
> 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.
> 
I always read this scene as if the cave/tunnel were entirely wizard-
made, like the castle was built out over a part of the lake.  And I 
certainly always read it as though the stairs lead directly into 
Hogwarts, though I was probably influenced by the movie (which I saw 
before I ever picked up the book).  And this doesn't make a lot of 
sense with the maps we've seen or with the idea that Harry and 
Hermione can walk around the lake several times (if my image was 
correct, they'd also have to walk around the castle).

Now that I look at the passage again, it describes how the 
students "walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the 
huge, oak front door."  Sure sounds to me like they've gone outside, 
and are now going to enter the castle through the main entrance.  
Depending on how many steps they walked, the cave might even be some 
distance from the school.

I wish the cave was referenced at some other point in the books, to 
give it some context.  Perhaps it was hidden purposefully.

John








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