Viaduct Courtyard

Viaduct Courtyard
Location information
Location	Ground floor, Hogwarts Castle, Scotland, Great Britain
Affiliation	Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

The Viaduct Courtyard (also known as the Entrance Courtyard) was a quadrangle in Hogwarts Castle located in front of the Viaduct. A popular hang-out spot for students of all Houses, this courtyard was where some students spent their spare time playing Gobstones.

Description

A covered stone cloister with an open colonnade ran around it, and two checkpoint towers flanked its entryway via the Viaduct. There was a stone walkway leading from this courtyard into The Quad, and into the Viaduct Entrance. The courtyard was partially paved, in a cross pattern.

History

1927

Albus walking through the courtyard

In 1927, Albus Dumbledore walked through the courtyard when Newt Scamander and his allies travelled to Hogwarts to meet with him.

1994–1995 school year

A view into the Courtyard from above

Hogwarts students watched from the courtyard the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic carriage and the Durmstrang Institute ship arrived at Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament.

At the end of the tournament students from all three schools socialised in the courtyard before the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang departed.

1995–1996 school year

Dolores Umbridge attempted to sack Sybill Trelawney. Matthew Kettletoft could often be found playing Gobstones in the courtyard.

1997–1998 school year

Onslaught in the courtyard

On 1 September 1997, Hogwarts students marched through this Courtyard under the supervision of Death Eaters Alecto and Amycus Carrow and Headmaster Severus Snape as they were led into the Castle.

During the Battle of Hogwarts, the courtyard was heavily damaged. It was repaired following the battle.

2010–2011 school year

Before the battle against Dementors, professors conjured a huge spherical shield around Hogwarts Castle in the Viaduct Courtyard.

Behind the scenes

• The Viaduct Courtyard is never mentioned in any of the Harry Potter books. It features only in the films and video games.
• This courtyard first appeared in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The Chamber of Reception stood in its place in the previous films and games instead; however, in the games it is a paved entrance that is used when outside.
• In the novels, the Entrance Hall opens to a sloping lawn, and not to a courtyard.
• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and in LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, the cloister walls can be seen. It is unknown whether these cloister walls can be seen in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban or not, as the exterior of Hogwarts Castle can only be seen from far away in these films. But most likely appears in the latter as the castle changed to the better as the films went.
• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, this courtyard was where most students witnessed the departure of Fred and George Weasley and where Dolores Umbridge sacked Sybill Trelawney as Divination Professor of Hogwarts which was witnessed by many students and staff, as opposed to the Entrance Hall as in the novel.
• Throughout the films, the Viaduct Courtyard, after letting go of the Chamber of Reception, grows larger and larger and reached its largest point in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. It was fully enlarged in the last film to be suitable for the Battle of Hogwarts. The enlarging change can be seen in a picture below.

The final duel

• In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, the final duel between Voldemort and Harry takes place in this courtyard.
• In the video game adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the entrance to the Headmaster's office is located here, whereas in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the entrance was located in the Middle Courtyard, as the Viaduct Courtyard had not been built yet. Likewise in the second PC and PS2 video game, it is located on the third floor next to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom.
• This was one of the two courtyards built at Leavesden Studios, the other being the Middle Courtyard. The set used for the Clock Tower Courtyard was renovated into the Viaduct Courtyard after Prisoner of Azkaban.
• The original, smaller version of this courtyard was built at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It is the only Hogwarts courtyard featured in the park.
• The courtyard was considerably damaged in the Battle of Hogwarts. Most of the damage seemed to occur around this area of the castle considering the large amounts of debris it held.
• In the Deathly Hallows films, the Viaduct was moved from connecting the Viaduct Courtyard to the Viaduct Entrance to connecting the Courtyard to some nearby hills, part of the Forbidden Forest.

Appearances

The Viaduct Courtyard in four Harry Potter films

• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film) (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game) (First identified as Viaduct Courtyard)
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
• Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
• Harry Potter: Magic Awakened
• Hogwarts Legacy