Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is an iconic location in the Wizarding World. In the context of Harry Potter though there are clearly some rooms that are of vital importance, both to the narrative of the saga itself and to the everyday lives of the students and professors. These rooms have come to really define the famous castle.
Whether it's a classroom where these young wizards and witches go to work or the common rooms in which they stay, they have hosted countless adventures, some of which have yet to be seen on the page or screen. It's difficult to say how many secrets lurk in the shadows of these mystical locations!
Common Rooms
While there are four different Common Rooms across Hogwarts, each one serves such an important role for its respective house. Not only are they a place for students to live and stay, but they also act as a community space for peers to learn together and make friends.
There have been so many memorable moments across the saga in the Gryffindor Common Room and there's no doubt that each of the other houses has had similar adventures over the years. Ultimately, the Common Rooms help to form the identity of a student as they stay at the school.
The Great Hall
The Great Hall is the space that the whole school can use to come together. It hosts meals, events, and assemblies and was even used for the Yule Ball. It's a great place for students to chill out as well, doubling as a study room or even a relaxed place to grab a snack and receive the mail.
Throughout the year it serves other purposes, including those dreaded exams at the end of term. In regards to Harry's journey, the Battle of Hogwarts largely took place in the Great Hall, which in many ways could be considered to be the heart of the school itself.
Dumbledore's Office
Dumbledore's Office is really the office that other headmasters have held at Hogwarts as well, although there has been a few instances of variation in placement. Regardless, at the time of Dumbledore's reign, it was one of the most important rooms in the school.
This is where vital decisions about the future of Hogwarts are made. It's held meetings with the Minister of Magic himself and is home to all kinds of interesting artifacts. It's also where Dumbledore does most of his thinking and holds some of his dangerous memories.
Defense Against The Dark Arts Classroom
The Defense Against the Dark Arts Room has become a classroom used to signify the change of time. Each year that passes sees a brand new professor take to the room and try to make the subject their own. There have been countless variations of how it's organized.
Above all, though this is a place of learning, where the golden trio picked up some of the tricks they would use to take down Voldemort. Out of all the classes at Hogwarts, this has been the most vital to the narrative and thus the room is definitely featured more than most.
Room Of Requirement
It's fair to say that not much makes sense about the Room of Requirement. It keeps on making a return though as Hogwarts students always seem to be in need of this mystical and mysterious location. It's played host to Dumbledore's Army and hid the Half-Blood Prince's book!
In the context of Hogwarts' history, the Room of Requirement surely sheltered so many students who would have gone on to do great things. As the Wizarding World continues to be adapted to screen, the likes of Newt Scamander are even finding uses for the unending potential of the space.
Potions Dungeon
Much like DATDA, Potions has become another mainstay of the Harry Potter saga in regards to gaining screen and page time. The subject is hugely significant because of both Slughorn and Snape teaching it, but also because of its practical uses as well. A full range of potions has been taught in this room.
The resources available are astounding, with ample stock for all kinds of experiments and enough cauldrons to likely serve the whole school. Harry and friends picked up some really major potions here, with the room's resources even helping them brew their own Polyjuice potion, albeit in the safety of the toilets.
The Kitchens
The Kitchens are home to all of the house-elves that work at Hogwarts. Many of them are happy with their lot in life and actually take great pride in being able to serve the students and professors of the school. Hermione did start a campaign to free them though.
The Kitchens arguably run the whole school. Without the amazing meals that are served magically in the Great Hall, nothing would get done and everything would fall apart. It's unfortunately a location that despite its importance, was never actually seen on screen.
The Library
The Library is the hub of knowledge for staff and students. Here everyone attending Hogwarts can do research for their studies or for their own extracurricular activities. It's a great place to go and revise and get homework completed, or to potentially hide!
It's peaceful and full of so many mysterious texts. There's even the forbidden section which contains all kinds of knowledge that dark wizards would probably wish to get their hands on. There are some classic books in the Library's collection that fans would be so familiar with.
The Chamber Of Secrets
The Chamber of Secrets is of course not a location that gets used every day, but it is one that is vital to Harry's arc. After all, it's a hidden area of the school designed to house the Basilisk. It's also a perfect shrine to Salazar Slytherin for whom the space was created for.
It's unknown if the Chamber was eventually used for any purpose, although it could have been given a makeover so that the space wasn't wasted. It holds so many secrets and there are countless unanswered questions concerning the location, which still remains deep beneath Hogwarts.
The Hospital Wing
If someone is injured or ill where do they go? The Hospital Wing! Although it seems a little outdated in terms of the space itself, Madam Pomfrey and the team are using all of the best and most magical techniques to ensure the inhabitants of Hogwarts get better.
It's a space of healing with plenty of beds for those who need the rest. In Harry's day, plenty of key characters have ended up in the Hospital Wing, either because of the group's deadly adventures or perhaps simply because of an accident in a Quidditch match.