

but ending up killing her when she rejected his advances. That young man, who had long been infatuated with Helena, tracked her down to a forest in Albania. On her death bed, she sent a young man to find Helena, so she could see her daughter for one last time. The betrayal embarrassed Rowena, who told no one, including her fellow founders, that the diadem was missing. Envying her mother’s status and power, she betrayed her by stealing the diadem – believing it could make her powerful – and ran away from Hogwarts. Such a witch casts a long shadow, one her daughter Helena found it difficult to escape from. Rowena Ravenclaw was the greatest witch of her time a figure famed for her intelligence and wit – and that was before she wore her enchanted diadem, which was said to enhance the wisdom of the wearer. The story goes that the hidden chamber was kept secret from the other founders, and was sealed until Slytherin’s ‘true heir’ arrived at the school: a student who would be able to unseal the Chamber of Secrets and unleash the Basilisk inside, a huge snake that would purge the school of Muggle-born wizards.


Their argument – possibly, it’s suggested, a duel – resulted in Slytherin leaving the school behind. The other founders disagreed – especially Godric Gryffindor, who was, up until then, Slytherin’s greatest friend. That founder, of course, was Salazar Slytherin, who distrusted Muggle-born wizards, and believed that only ‘ pure-blood’ students should be allowed to attend Hogwarts. Yet that changed once it became clear that certain founders had a very different idea of what they wanted Hogwarts to be. Much like the Marauders, or Harry, Hermione and Ron, the founders of Hogwarts were originally friends. The founders were friends, but fell out over what Hogwarts should be It’s unknown, however, whether this is actually true. It’s a popular wizarding theory that Rowena Ravenclaw came up with the name of Hogwarts after dreaming of a warty hog that led her to a cliff by a lake. Did the founders implement the Anti-Disapparition Jinx? Where did the Room of Requirement come from? Why did they build a school next to a dark and dangerous forest? Indeed, much about the design and construction of Hogwarts remains a mystery. Hogwarts has a long history of ancient magic, and Albus Dumbledore admitted that not even he knew all of its secrets.

For instead of an enormous school, any passing Muggle would only see ruins and signs warning them of danger. Therefore, Hogwarts was built somewhere in the Scottish Highlands, and concealed with numerous charms and spells to make it impossible for Muggles to trespass. The tenth century was a dangerous time for witches and wizards, who were being persecuted by Muggles hostile to magic. Hogwarts castle was built in Scotland, away from Muggle eyes Gryffindor students embodied bravery and chivalry Ravenclaw, intelligence and wit Hufflepuff, loyalty and fair play and Slytherin, the values of being sly and cunning. As The Sorting Hat told us, their reason for doing so was because they had the ‘selfsame yearning, to make the world’s best magic school’, and once they did, each created their own house to represent a personality and skill that they wanted to nurture. Their names were Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff and Salazar Slytherin. Hogwarts was founded by two wizards and two witchesĪt some point in the tenth century, four of the greatest witches and wizards that ever lived founded Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
