The Harry Potter Compendium
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London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. Located in southeastern England, London is the centre of British commerce and government for both Muggles and wizards and witches.

History[]

"The Spectral Thief of Old London Town"[]

File:Eldon Elsrickle.png

Eldon Elsrickle, the "Spectral Thief of Old London Town".

In the early 17th century, wizard thief Eldon Elsrickle returned to London after having fled to Africa for a time to evade imprisonment. In Africa, he learnt about the Unlocking Charm (which was, at the time, an unheard of spell in the western world) from an ancient African sorcerer.[1]

Elsrickle terrorised London with his new spell, burgling Muggle and wizarding homes alike. It was only when fellow Londoner Blagdon Blay invented the Anti-Alohomora Charm (in response to having his house broken-into nineteen times in the course of two weeks) that Londoners found safety again, and a frustrated Elsrickle stopped.[1]

The Great Fire of London[]

The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the City of London, beginning on Sunday, 2 September, 1666. The Muggles say the Great Fire of London started in a bakery on Pudding Lane, but there is debate among the wizarding community whether it began in the bakery or in the basement of the house next door, where legend has it a young Welsh Green was being kept. [2]

19th century[]

File:SirHerbertVarney.png

Sir Herbert Varney.

In the late 19th century, the conditions on the relatively impoverished neighbourhoods of London worsened: robbery, violence, prostitution, social disturbance and alcohol dependency were commonplace.[3]

As a climate of crime and fear flourished in the 1880s, Sir Herbert Varney, a vampire, started to prey on London women. He was eventually hunted down and killed by a specially-assigned task-force from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.[4] Around the same time, a Boggart, popularly known as the Bludgeoning Boggart of Old London Town, prowled the back streets of London and, feeding on people's fears, took on the form of a "murderous thug", before having been reduced to a hamster with one simple incantation[5] — these two seem to account for the "serial killer" that Muggles dubbed "Jack the Ripper".

Caractacus Phelps's prank[]

On 1 April, 1979, Caractacus Phelps exploded no less than eight-hundred Stink Pellets, by dropping them en-masse from the roof of the Daily Prophet building in Diagon Alley. The resultant gas cloud caused untold discomfort throughout London, and approximately five-hundred cases of Stinkitus were reported. The Muggle authorities explained the stinking cloud away as an unpleasant emission from a nearby factory.[6]

File:Dark Mark Over London.JPG

The Dark Mark towering over London, shortly after the destruction of the Millennium Bridge.

Second Wizarding War[]

London felt the effects of the Second Wizarding War severely. Many buildings and homes were destroyed or ransacked, and many people were attacked within the City during Lord Voldemort's rise of power: a crowded Millennium Bridge was brought down by a group of Death Eaters,[7] Emmeline Vance was found dead near 10 Downing Street,[8] Diagon Alley was attacked, leading to Garrick Ollivander's kidnapping and Florean Fortescue's murder.[8]

Important locations[]

Governmental locations[]

File:Ministry Visitors Entrance.JPG

The visitors' entrance to the Headquarters of the Ministry of Magic on a London street.

London is an important city because it is where the Government of the whole United Kingdom is located. Some of its governmental locations include:

Commercial locations[]

London is a centre of commerce for both the Muggle and the Wizarding community. Some of its commercial sites include:

  • Luchino Caffe
  • A hamburger restaurant at Paddington Station [10]
    File:Diagonalley.jpg

    Diagon Alley.

  • Chester Stevens Estate Agents [11] (a Muggle property management establishment)
  • Diagon Alley [10] (a wizarding commercial street, including many shops)
  • Gladrags Wizardwear (a wizarding clothing shop)
  • John Kent Fruiterers [12] (a Muggle greengrocer's)
  • Knockturn Alley [13] (a wizarding commercial street, including many shops dedicated to the Dark Arts)
  • Pudding Lane's Bakery [2] (formerly)
  • The Leaky Cauldron [10] (a "portal between the two worlds", this inn was used to gain entrance to Diagon Alley)
  • Third Hand Book Emporium [11] (a large bookshop)

Institutions[]

London is the location of many important institutions, including:

File:Gringotts bank.jpg

Gringotts Wizarding Bank's main offices.

Other locations[]

Behind the scenes[]

Appearances[]

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The Harry Potter Compendium has 25 images related to London.

External Links[]

London on Wikipedia

Notes and references[]

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