Diagon Alley is the first real introduction that Harry Potter fans get to the wizarding world, and it's an incredible one. From the moment that Hagrid reveals how to tap a brick to open the wall, fans are transported to a place where everything is magical, where everyone wears robes and uses wands, where Harry learns all about the world that his parents were part of.
And while we love Diagon Alley (and every fan remembers the moment they realized that it was a play on the word 'diagonally'), we've got some questions about how this whole wizarding street works.
How Do Muggle-Born Wizards Find It/Enter It?
Harry finds his way to Diagon Alley with the help of Hagrid, but what about other students who aren't raised in the magical world, the muggle-born kids? Hermione and her parents obviously made it to Diagon Alley, but how? They are clearly missing the wand required to do what Hagrid did with his umbrella-wand, so is there a muggle-entrance? Does someone at the Leaky Cauldron let them in? How does it work for muggle-borns and school supplies?
Is There An Underground Level, Or Is It All Gringotts?
As fans learn thanks to Harry and his friends' adventures in the bowels of Gringotts, there's a lot of space beneath Diagon Alley - enough for there to be a dragon living under there! But is this something that is specific to Gringotts, or maybe does Gringotts take up all the space under the street... or is there a whole other Diagon Alley under the ground? And if the vaults are all (or mostly) underground, especially the richer ones, why aren't thieving witches and wizards tunneling under there to try and break in?
Where Do People Travelling By Floo Powder Come Out?
One of the more memorable moments connected to Diagon Alley was the first time that Harry attempted to travel by Floo Powder, and ended up mumbling and popping out in Knockturn Alley. The rest of the family managed to get to their intended fireplace, of course... but where is it?
They just say 'Diagon Alley', rather than to a specific store - so is there a public fireplace for Floo Powder use, much like the fireplaces at the Ministry? Or do people just pop out at whatever random fireplace the Floo Powder chooses?
How Big Is It?
Like many of the other locations in the Harry Potter series, Diagon Alley seems to grow and shrink based on the story that J K Rowling is telling. At times, it feels like it's only a few stores long, or a small and simple street, but later (and especially as the Weasley twins open their store, and Harry & Co start exploring other areas) it seems to be a huge street, packed with anything that a magical human could want.
Why Aren't There Practical Stores?
It's understandable that Rowling initially wanted her series to appeal to children, who would be interested in the sweetshops and ice cream parlors, and otherwise kept her narrative to the practical stuff (like where Harry got a wand, and robes, and schoolbooks). But seriously, at some point adult fans start to wonder where wizards get their food!! There's no evidence of grocery stores, butchers, etc, and as we know that food can't be magicked out of thin air, they have to be getting it somewhere!!
Is It Residential, Or Just Shopping?
Hogsmeade is described as the 'only' all-wizard settlement in the UK, but what does that mean for Diagon Alley? is this a purely store-based situation, and if so - how does that work if a witch or wizard wants to live above their store? What about long-term residents at the Leaky Cauldron? It doesn't make a lot of sense to have a street that is 100% shopping - and in Muggle London, most areas are a mix of stores, restaurants, offices, residences, etc. Does anyone actually live here?
If There's A Knockturn Alley, Is There A Whole District There?
At first, it seems that Diagon Alley is simply one street of shops, but as the series progresses, it becomes clear that there are more alleyways off this one - at least one, anyway: Knockturn Alley. This is the dark sister of Diagon Alley, where Dark Magic is sold. But if there are two, does this mean that there is a whole shopping district for different magical things? Maybe that's where all the food stores are!
How Did People Retain Their Stores During Voldemort's Reign?
During Voldemort's rise to power, Diagon Alley changed, as many of the storefronts ended up shuttered, and people were either leaving the street or being taken by the Death Eaters and Voldemort's followers. So what happened when Voldemort was defeated? If he gave property to his followers, did they just... give it back? Were they all shipped off to Azkaban and the property reverted to original owners? We're assuming Ollivander got his shop back, but how did that actually happen?
Who Owns The Land?
Again, because Rowling created her world to appeal to children, it's not surprising that she doesn't spend a whole lot of time on the intricacies of land ownership (even in a book aimed at adults, that probably wouldn't be the most fascinating part of it!), but we're left wondering... how does the Diagon Alley land work?
Does someone own Diagon Alley? Are all the storefronts rented, or do witches and wizards own the stores and the land they are on? Even with a cash influx from Harry, how was a massive storefront even available in such prime real estate for the Weasleys?
Why Does The Entrance Need To Be Concealed Behind The Leaky Cauldron?
The Leaky Cauldron is designed as a gateway between the muggle world and the wizarding world, and there is plenty of information in canon about how it works, the history, how the road was built around it, and how magic keeps muggles from noticing it (although way back when, muggles were welcome). However, if the Leaky Cauldron itself is shielded from Muggle eyes, why does there need to be another whole secret gateway out the back of the pub where tapping the right brick will open an arch to the street? Why wouldn't there just be... a back door into the alley? It seems like overkill, and something that would make life near-impossible for the poor muggle-borns trying to get there!