Shell Cottage

Shell Cottage
Location information
Location	Outskirts of Tinworth, Cornwall, England
Owner(s)	Unidentified Weasley aunt (formerly) Bill Weasley Fleur Delacour
Permanent residents	Unidentified Weasley aunt (formerly) Bill Weasley Fleur Weasley (née Delacour) Victoire Weasley (possibly) Dominique Weasley (possibly) Louis Weasley (possibly)
Affiliation	Weasley family Order of the Phoenix

"Bill and Fleur's cottage stood alone on a cliff overlooking the sea, its walls embedded with shells and whitewashed... Wherever Harry went inside the tiny cottage or its garden, he could hear the constant ebb and flow of the sea, like the breathing of some great, slumbering creature. He spent much of the next few days making excuses to escape the crowded cottage, craving the cliff-top view of open sky and wide, empty sea, and the feel of cold, salty wind on his face."

— Description of Shell Cottage

Shell Cottage was the home of Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour, after their marriage in the summer of 1997. It was located on the outskirts of Tinworth, Cornwall, near the coast. It was described as a "lonely and beautiful place."

Sea Lavender could be found growing around it. It was a safehouse for various members of the Weasley family and other allies of the Order of the Phoenix during the height of the Second Wizarding War. Protected by the Fidelius Charm, its Secret-Keeper was Bill Weasley.

History

1970s/1980s

"It was our aunt's. We used to come here as kids."

— Early history of the cottage

The cottage was built sometime in, or prior to, the 1970s or 1980s, and was by that time owned by an aunt of the Weasley children. Molly and Arthur Weasley used to take their children there during their young years.

Second Wizarding War

Hermione Granger: "But where have you been, then?"

Ron Weasley: "Bill and Fleur’s new place. Shell Cottage. Bill’s always been decent to me. He — he wasn’t impressed when he heard what I’d done, but he didn’t go on about it. He knew I was really sorry. None of the rest of the family know I was there. Bill told Mum he and Fleur weren’t going home for Christmas because they wanted to spend it alone. You know, first holiday after they were married. I don’t think Fleur minded. You know how much she hates Celestina Warbeck."

— Ron regarding his stay at Shell Cottage

Shell Cottage in 1998

Newlyweds Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour moved from Bill's family home of The Burrow to Shell Cottage after their wedding on 1 August 1997.

A newly married Bill and Fleur in the kitchen of Shell Cottage

Bill's younger brother Ron came to stay at Shell Cottage shortly after deserting Harry Potter and Hermione Granger during their mission to destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes in the autumn of that year. Although he disapproved of his brother's actions, Bill did not give him a hard time about it seeing that he regretted his actions, even deciding not to go to The Burrow for Christmas so as not to expose Ron's actions to the rest of their family. Ron stayed for many weeks, leaving in late December to return to his friends.

The trio's refuge

Around Easter in 1998, Ron, Harry, and Hermione were captured by Snatchers and brought to Malfoy Manor, Death Eater headquarters. This exposed Ron's cover that he had been ill at home with spattergroit, making it too dangerous for the rest of his family to go to their respective jobs. They used the Fidelius Charm to conceal their locations, and Bill was the Secret-Keeper for Shell Cottage.

Harry standing in front of Dobby's grave

Ron, Harry, and Hermione managed to escape from Malfoy Manor with the help of Dobby, who was sent to assist them by Aberforth Dumbledore. Fleur immediately tended to Hermione, who had been tortured into unconsciousness by Bellatrix Lestrange. Dobby also transported fellow prisoners Luna Lovegood, Dean Thomas, Mr Ollivander, and Griphook to Shell Cottage, but was killed in the rescue.

Harry dug his grave by hand between two bushes at the end of the garden, where they held a small funeral. The inscription on his smooth, white tombstone reads "Here Lies Dobby, a Free Elf."

Harry, Hermione and Ron talking to Griphook about the Lestrange Vault

Harry, Ron, and Hermione stayed in the cottage while planning their break-in of Gringotts Wizarding Bank with the reluctant assistance of Griphook. He made a deal with Harry to help them break into the Lestrange Vault and retrieve one of Voldemort's Horcruxes in exchange for Godric Gryffindor's Sword. Bill also warned Harry that goblins have different concepts of ownership than do witches and wizards, and that it would be dangerous to double-cross them.

Also during their stay at Shell Cottage, Harry and the others were visited by Remus Lupin, who announced that his wife had given birth to a son, Teddy, and made Harry the newborn infant's godfather.

After the war

Following the end of the war on 2 May, 1998, Bill and Fleur Weasley raised their three children (Victoire, Dominique, and Louis Weasley) at Shell Cottage.

Additional information

Hermione Granger mentioned Tinworth when she read a passage from A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot:

"Upon the signature of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy in 1689, wizards went into hiding for good. It was natural, perhaps, that they formed their own small communities within a community. Many small villages and hamlets attracted several magical families, who banded together for mutual support and protection. The villages of Tinworth in Cornwall, Upper Flagley in Yorkshire, and Ottery St Catchpole on the south coast of England were notable homes to knots of Wizarding families who lived alongside tolerant and sometimes Confunded Muggles. Most celebrated of these half-magical dwelling places is, perhaps, Godric's Hollow..."

Behind the scenes

Concept artwork of the Shell Cottage

• In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, it is said that the cottage belonged to Bill's aunt, although this is never mentioned in the book. Also interesting is that neither Molly Weasley nor Arthur Weasley have any sisters. It is therefore most likely that the cottage previously belonged to either Muriel, Tessie, the wife of one of Arthur Weasley's brothers, the possible wife of the unidentified Weasley children's uncle, or a possible wife of Gideon or Fabian Prewett, Molly's brothers.
• On 22 April, BBC News reported the actual dates of Deathly Hallows filming on the coastline of Wales would be May 11th through the 15th, 2009 on Freshwater West beach of the Pembrokeshire National Park where the scenes for Shell Cottage were said to be shot.
• On 24th of April, the T-L-C website released the first photos of Shell Cottage while under construction on the coastline in the Pembrokeshire area of Wales.
• Photos of the completed Shell Cottage can be seen here.
• Photos of the Day One Filming for the Shell Cottage scenes can be seen here and here.
• Photos of the Shell Cottage construction from start to finish can be seen here.
• Read about the beach/location on BBC Wales Nature.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
• Pottermore
• Harry Potter (website)
• Harry Potter: The Creature Vault (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter: The Wand Collection (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter: Magic Awakened (Mentioned in History of Magic classes)