The Complete Idiot's Guide to the World of Harry Potter Read online

  Cauldrons are also used in each Olympic Games; the Olympic torch, which is often carried throughout the country in the weeks or months before the games begin, lights the Olympic Cauldron and, thus, marks the beginning of the games.

  The cauldron shop on Diagon Alley remains nameless in the novels, but Warner Brothers found it necessary to name this shop in the DVD tour given in the Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets movie. In that tour, it is called Pottager’s Cauldron Shop. A pottager is a small garden, arranged in a grid pattern, that incorporates flowers, herbs, and vegetables, all items that would be used in stews and soups made in cauldrons.

  Apothecary

  Like apothecaries in Muggle history, this store is the equivalent of a modern pharmacy. Today, pharmacies sell “potions” that have already been brewed, but apothecaries of the past sold the ingredients only; it was up to the purchasers to brew the medicines themselves. (This is kind of like buying the ingredients for dinner at the grocery store, versus getting take-out that’s already made for you.) The wizard Apothecary sells herbs, roots, and powders (see Chapter 10 for more on uses of specific herbs), as well as other wizard tools of the trade, like the feathers, eyes, horns, claws, livers, spleens, and dung of various animals.

  Although this store is called only “the Apothecary” throughout the Harry Potter novels, in The Sorcerer’s Stone movie, it is referred to as Slug & Jiggers Apothecary. A slug is both a unit of mass (equal to 32.2 pounds) and another name for a shot (as in, “a slug of whiskey”), while a jigger is both a unit of volume (equal to 1.5 fluid ounces) and a quantity of alcohol (as in, “a jigger of whiskey”). Such precise measures fit perfectly with the apothecary business.

  Eeylops Owl Emporium

  Because owls are both pets and an important communication link in the wizarding world, nearly every wizard household has an owl. And with that many owls in that many wizarding homes, owl-specific stores are bound to pop up. Eeylops Owl Emporium sells all sorts of owls (tawny, screech, barn, brown, and snowy), as well as owl treats and nuts.

  Eeylops is a tougher word to translate than one might imagine. However, ops is the Greek word for “eye” (think Cyclops, which is ops combined with the Greek kyklos, meaning “circle or wheel”). So, in this case, eeyl likely means big, wide, or night, relating to the qualities of owls. I say “likely” because modern Greek does not show such a word. Ancient Greek, however, included the word ey, which meant “well,” and that translation (well-eyed) makes sense: owls have particularly good vision; in fact, being called “owl-eyed” refers to one’s exceptional eyesight.

  Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlor

  One of the favorite hangouts of wizard kids, this ice cream shop used to serve ice cream of all varieties and flavors to wizards sitting at small tables placed on the sidewalk. As Chapter 4 points out, food is one of the few areas of crossover between Muggles and wizards—with the exception of some candies and other magical treats, food choices among the two groups are surprisingly similar, and ice cream is no exception.

  The parlor owner’s first name, Florean, is reminiscent of fluorine, the chemical element commonly called fluoride that’s added to water to counteract the effects of sugary ice cream and keep teeth from decaying. With no dentists in the wizarding world, perhaps Mr. Florean Fortescue’s ice cream contains a product that’s similar to cavity-fighting fluorine. Fortescue is a common last name in both the wizard and Muggle worlds. A Mr. Fortescue was a headmaster at Hogwarts, and Sir John Fortescue wrote the history of the British Army; Father Adrian Fortescue was a notable writer, and Fortescue Arms is a bed & breakfast in South Devon.

  Mr. Fortescue, the parlor owner, was, by the look of things, “dragged off” in Harry’s sixth year. The general assumption is that he was, in some way, connected with the Dark Arts, and was kidnapped or killed (but check out Chapter 16 for the final word). This doesn’t mean he was a Dark Wizard, but that he had some connection, and that connection went south. Think of Dark Wizards like the Mob; you cross them, and they’ll break your thumbs, capice?

  Flourish and Blotts

  Flourish and Blotts, the wizard bookstore, is aptly named: a “flourish” is writing in an ornamental style, while a “blot” is a spot or stain from spilled ink.

  Like any good Muggle bookstore, Flourish and Blotts is full of shelves of books stacked nearly to the ceiling and offers periodic book signings by favorite authors. The difference between a Muggle bookstore and Flourish and Blotts is in the books themselves: they may be leather-bound or covered in silk; book sizes range from so tiny you can barely see them to so huge you can barely lift them; the books may be written in strange languages or with runes (see Chapter 13) or may even be blank; the books may bite, snap at, or even fight you; and the titles are all appropriate to the wizarding world alone, with topics ranging from Hogwarts textbooks to books for the wizard general public, including self-help, how-to, autobiographies, histories, and sports books. Compare this to the usual offerings at Muggle bookstores: hardcopy or paperback; all virtually the same size; in the (rather mundane) categories of fiction, children’s, self-help, cooking, travel, business, and so on. If visiting a Muggle bookstore is a delightful experience (as it is to most book lovers), just imagine what walking through such a store must be like!

  Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop

  Until the appearance of Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes (discussed later in this chapter), Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop used to be the only place to buy irreverent, fun, jokey items in Diagon Alley (although Zonko’s Joke Shop in the city of Hogsmeade also sells such items). In spite of recent competition, however, from Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, discussed later in this chapter, Gambol and Japes is still the best place to find Dr. Filibuster’s Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks. What are they? Fireworks, of course, but with a twist. You can start them when wet, and they can’t burn you. What could be better?

  This shop’s name couldn’t be more appropriate: to “gambol” means to frolic, jump about, and skip, while to “jape” means to jest, joke, or play tricks. And that’s exactly what you’ll find at this shop—items that are excellent for joking and playing tricks, as well as items that encourage jumping about and skipping.

  MAGIC TALE

  To take a tour of Diagon Alley, check out the companion DVD to the movie Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Although getting into the video production of the alley takes a bit of (potentially frustrating) work, because you have to click the bricks in the proper order (just remember, "three up … two across”), once inside, you get to virtually visit several shops.

  Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions

  Madam Malkin’s is the place to go for wizard clothing of all sorts. Whether you’re a witch looking for everyday robes or a wizard shopping for dress robes, you’ll find them all here. As Chapter 3 points out, most wizards wear black for every day; Hogwarts uniform robes are also black. But when dressing up (or for the wizard who doesn’t mind spending a little more for everyday wear), robes appear in whatever color you can imagine.

  As at any high-quality clothing store, Malkin’s robes are fitted and altered, as needed, by Madam Malkin herself. The owner’s name is a bit of a mystery, however; “malkin” means “a sloppy, slovenly (and even slutty!) woman.” The proprietor of this clothing store would hardly be described as “slovenly.” Secondary meanings are a mop, a scarecrow, a rabbit, and a cat, none of which makes any more sense than the first meaning. If Madam Malkin were at all unkind or unpleasant, her name could be seen to mean “bad folk,” from the French mal (bad) and the English kin (family; relatives; kinfolk). But aside from being rather nervous, the shopkeeper has displayed only a happy, pleasant demeanor. On the other hand, Malkin is a common surname in England; perhaps that is the only meaning we can glean from the name.

  Twilfitt and Tatting’s is the alternate store to Madam Malkin’s, selling the same sorts of goods, and perhaps even a higher quality of robes and cloaks. It may or may not be located on Dia
gon Alley. “Twill” is a way of weaving cloth; “fit” refers to how clothing drapes on a body; and “tatting” is a fine lace. Thus, Twilfitt and Tatting’s name certainly reflects its contents.

  Like Muggle resale shops and Goodwill or Salvation Army stores, another place to shop for robes and cloaks is in a second-hand shop. Owners of robes resell them as they outgrow them, which makes for great bargains. In Rowling’s novels, shopping at second-hand stores is a matter of deep embarrassment; among American teenagers in the Muggle world, not so much, given the current popularity of Salvation Army and Goodwill Stores as a means of expanding one’s wardrobe.

  Ollivanders

  Ollivanders may be the most intriguing store in Diagon Alley. Makers of fine wands since 382 B.C.E., the small, dusty store has nothing but boxes upon boxes of wands, stacked one on top of the other. Some wands, without a doubt, have been sitting there, gathering dust, for 2,300 years!

  Mr. Ollivander, the proprietor of the store and, we assume, something like the ninety-fifth generation of Ollivander to work there, has an incredible memory for wands. He remembers every wand he ever sold: the wood used; the length; the flexibility of it; and the magical core of it.

  Mr. Ollivander is a tough nut to crack. Is he evil, or is he good? Did he join the Dark Side when Voldemort publicly returned in Harry’s sixth year, or was he kidnapped or otherwise dragged off, causing his store to close? Harry certainly gets a strange vibe from Mr. Ollivander when the man talks about Voldemort. And Harry Potter fans have pointed out that “Ollivander” is an anagram for “an evil lord.” On the other hand, ander is German for “other,” and oliv is German for “olive,” so the man’s name could mean “other olive.” Of course, that wouldn’t make a whole lot of sense. Check out Chapter 16 for the last word on Mr. Ollivander.

  Other Shops

  Two other shops are named in the DVD tour of Diagon Alley (on the companion DVD to The Chamber of Secrets movie) that are not named in the book:• Wiseacres Wizard Supplies: From the vague name, this store could sell nearly anything, but it likely sells the telescopes, globes, and other instruments Harry sees in a shop window his first time in Diagon Alley. A “wiseacre,” which is derived from the word “wise,” refers to a person who claims to be knowledgeable about everything (but isn’t).

  • Scribulous Writing Instruments: This would likely be a shop quite similar to Scrivenshaft’s Quill Shop (see Chapter 8), selling quills, ink, and parchment. “Scribulous” is from the word “scribe,” referring to a clerk or secretary; the word “scribe” derives from the Latin scribo, which means to write or compose. This shop is also called Scribulous Everchanging Inks in The Sorcerer’s Stone movie.

  Knockturn Alley

  Knockturn Alley, likely a play on the word “nocturnal” (dark; nighttime), is a side street off Diagon Alley that sells only objects related to the Dark Arts. The name may also draw on the idea of being knocked around (mistreated) and living a life of hard-knocks (difficulties). The largest store in Knockturn Alley is Borgin and Burkes, named for the two shopkeepers.• Caractacus Burke is reportedly named after Irishman William Burke, a bizarre serial killer who, with help from a partner, murdered dozens of people in Edinburgh in the late 1820s, selling the bodies as fresh cadavers to a local medical school. (Caractacus, too, was a real person, a British hero who tried to fend off Roman invaders; it was also the first name of the character played by Dick Van Dyke in the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang).

  • Mr. Borgin’s etymology is not clear; records show a ship named the Borgin was shipwrecked near Greenland in the mid-1900s, although why that particular ship would have been relevant is not clear.

  Having trouble distinguishing “traditional” wizard supplies from “Dark” wizard products? No one would blame you, as a “unicorn horn” or “beetle eye” could, to the uninitiated, sound like something only bad wizards would use, but they’re both sold at the above-board, not-Dark Apothecary. The distinction seems to be that, in Knockturn Alley, animal products are alive (that is, you’ll find live spiders in Knockturn Alley versus the spleen of a dead animal in Diagon Alley proper). In addition, products that are dead, come from—or, at least, are made to look like they come from—humans, such as human fingernails or a human hand that grabs you and won’t let go. This distinction does make some sense, because, even in the Muggle world, torturing live animals is illegal, and cooking up human livers will get you either thrown in jail or sent to a mental institution, but using the meat from an animal in your stew is perfectly acceptable. It’s a fine line between good and evil, but it’s one that exists in both the Muggle and wizarding worlds.

  A few other items are also sold in these stores:• Masks are all the rage in Knockturn Alley. Similar to the Ku Klux Klan in generations past, Dark Wizards prefer to hide their identities when they set off for a night of evildoing.

  • Instruments of torture also make their appearance in Knockturn Alley stores. And given how many wizards mysteriously disappear by Harry’s sixth year, chances are, those instruments are being put to use in hideous ways.

  • Poisons and cursed items (often jewelry of some kind) are sold here, presumably to slip to Muggles or to your sworn wizard enemies.

  Most of the items sold in Knockturn stores appear, according to Ministry law, to be legal to sell but illegal to possess.

  KING’S ENGLISH

  If ever there were an area to earn the term dodgy, Knockturn Alley is it. Dodgy is a favorite word among Brits, and wizards are no exception; Hagrid specifically refers to Knockturn Alley as dodgy. The word means rundown, unreliable, and risky, as in "The walk from the Tube to the hotel was through a dodgy area” or "I should have checked the expiration date on this milk … it’s a bit dodgy.” If you’re hoping to sound especially British, throw "dodgy” into your everyday vocab.

  The Ministry of Magic

  Hidden deep under London, the Ministry of Magic is where wizarding rules are made and punishment is meted out. It is the governing body for all British wizards. Chapter 14 discusses the Ministry in detail, so this section won’t get into those particulars, but just know that it’s located in central London, hidden well underground. The entrance from the Muggle world is in an old-fashioned, bright-red telephone booth, which are classic London landmarks—even with the abundance of cell phones (or mobiles, as the Brits call them), those old-style telephone booths still abound throughout the city.

  St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries

  St. Mungo’s is the place to go if magic has harmed a wizard in any way. Healers attempt to reverse the damage done, although some are more successful in the healing arts than others.

  Rowling’s creative genius is in the details, and her description of St. Mungo’s is no different, specifically in the floor guide of the hospital in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

  TOURIST TIP

  The Church of Saint Mungo in Glasgow, Scotland, was founded in 1850, but it was built on the site of a wooden church St. Mungo built in the early 600s. If you venture to Glasgow, you can visit the church, hear mass, and see a statue of St. Mungo. Even better, without even leaving your home, you can hear podcasts from the church by visiting and clicking on "Podcasts.”

  But where does the name originate? Does “mungo,” in this case, refer to its dictionary definition: scraps left over from making milled wool? Nah. Believe it or not, Rowling did not make up “St. Mungo.” That’s a real person—the patron saint of Glasgow, no less!—but “Mungo” was a nickname that meant “dear one.” (His real name was Kentigern.) Various supernatural events and healing are credited to St. Mungo, most of which show a close connection to animals and the natural world. His selection as the namesake for a hospital is, therefore, quite appropriate!

  Getting In: Purge and Dowse Ltd.

  To get to St. Mungo’s, wizards travel to a department store called Purge and Dowse Ltd. For years, a sign in the store has read, “Closed for Refurbishment,” and one suspects that will always be the case, b
ecause the location is so convenient for wizards. Leaning in close to the glass, wizards simply tell the dummy in the window who they’re planning to visit or what their medical condition is, and they tumble through. Voila! They are in St. Mungo’s. And Muggles don’t even notice the disappearing wizards.

  Purge and Dowse Ltd. couldn’t be more aptly named: to “purge” is to cleanse or get rid of impurities (and this applies to any hospital worth its salt); to “dowse” (an alternate spelling of “douse”) is to immerse in or drench with liquid, as you would do with soapy water on a nasty wound.

  Wizard Healers and Nurses

  Wizard healers wear lime-green robes with an emblem of a crossed wand and bone on their chests. They’re not surgeons (wizards don’t cut on each other), but they are exceptional wizards who have the skills to undo spells, cure illness, and repair the effects of accidents, poisons, and bites. There are, of course, some maladies for which there are no cures (the effects of the Unforgivable Curses, discussed in Chapter 12, and werewolf bites, discussed in Chapter 2, are examples). But wizards distrust Muggle surgery and try to avoid it.

  In the lobby of St. Mungo’s is a portrait of Dilys Derwent, who was both a healer at the hospital and headmistress of Hogwarts. Dilys is a Welsh name, meaning “genuine.” Dilys is also the name of a prestigious award (the Dilys Award) given by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association to the book(s) members most enjoyed selling throughout the year. The award is named for Dilys Winn, who founded the first mystery bookstore.