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The Map of Hogwarts and Surrounding Areas: journeys around the grounds in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
This section shows the likely routes around the grounds which the characters take in specific scenes, separated up by book.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone The first years cross the lake to the castle Malfoy takes Neville's Remembrall during broom-training Snape goes to meet Quirrel in the woods Detention with Hagrid in the Forbidden Forest
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets The descent of the flying Ford Anglia Harry and Ron follow the spiders into the Forest
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban The Hippogriff paddock To the Shrieking Shack, via Hogsmeade To the Shrieking Shack, doubled in time
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Hagrid, Maxime and Harry visit the Dragons The Trio visit Sirius in his cave The Second Task Barty Snr is found in the woods The Third Task
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Hagrid takes his students to see the Thestrals Snape's worst memory Hagrid takes Harry and Hermione to visit Grawp The gang find Thestrals to ride to the Ministry
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry and Tonks walk from the station to Hogwarts Katie Bell touches the cursed necklace Dumbledore and Harry fly from Hogsmeade to the Astronomy Tower Snape and the Death Eaters flee the castle
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Hagrid and Grawp cross the Forest Harry goes to Voldemort in the Forest
The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way towards the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Harry shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, [PS ch. #06; p. 83]
Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark either side of them that Harry thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice. 'Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec,' Hagrid called over his shoulder, 'jus' round this bend here.' [PS ch. #06; p. 83]
The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers. 'No more'n four to a boat!' Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. [PS ch. #06; p. 83]
And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood. 'Heads down!' yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy which hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbour, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles. [PS ch. #06; p. 83/84]
Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle. They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door. [PS ch. #06; p. 84]
When the students first arrive at the station they disembark onto the platform (0) and then the first years go along to the end of the platform and onto a path down a sleep slope thickly covered with pine trees (1). Meanwhile, behind them, the engine and tender (if any) of the Hogwarts Express detach from the carriages and chuff their way around the loop of track until they can back up and attach to the other end of the string of carriages.
Near the bottom of the slope the new students round a bend (2) and are now facing the castle. They go down to a small beach (3) where they embark on a fleet of little boats and are carried across the lake to a tunnel under the castle (4). They disembark at an underground harbour and climb up inside the castle mound, emerging into an area of enclosed ground near the broomshed (5), where they are in the shadow of the castle's westernmost walls. They go through a gate out onto the lawn in front of the castle and up to the front steps (6).
For reasons explained below, we know that the broomshed is in such an area of enclosed ground, but close to a passage leading out onto the front lawn. That the exit from the harbour passage is near the broomshed is implied by the statement that the exit is in the castle's shadow. It's possible that a shadow cast by the moon is implied, in which case the exit could be anywhere - but if the shadow is being cast by the setting sun, or by the castle's own lights, the exit cannot be on open ground in front of the front face of the castle, which faces the sunset pretty directly at that time of year, and whose windows must cast light, not shadow onto the front lawn.
It may be just about possible for the exit to be on the front lawn, and in shadow, if it is tucked right into the corner between the west wing and the front of the castle (7), especially if it fits into some sort of recess. How probable this is depends on whether there is any access from the underground harbour into the castle's subterranean workings, which we don't know. It would certainly make sense for there to be, for example, a passage from the kitchens to the harbour, so that supplies could be dropped off at the station, ported down the path and then ferried across the lake and straight up to a storage pantry. An internal connection to the harbour would also mean that in the event of a seige the castle's defenders could still get water from the lake. If there is not any connection from the harbour into the interior of the castle, you have to wonder what design purpose is served by having the harbour be under the castle in the first place, forcing disembarking passengers and goods to ascend a long stair in the dark, instead of having an outdoor landing-stage at the south side of the castle where the beech tree is.
Hogwarts was presumably once a working castle, a building built to defend its inhabitants, rather than one of the pseudo-castles of the Victorian era, which are just ordinary houses with cod-Gothic turrets stuck on. If there is indeed an internal connection to the harbour, the tunnel in which the harbour sits represents a back way in to the interior of the castle, so you'd expect both ends to be guarded. The top end, therefore, should be in an area enclosed by defensible walls, and you can assume there would be a strong gate to close off the water end, and a look-out to spot anybody trying to get to it across the lake.
If, on the other hand, there is no internal connection to the harbour, then you would want both ends of the tunnel to lie outside the castle walls, so that an enemy couldn't sneak in at the water end and use the tunnel to get inside the castle walls. In that case you would expect the upper exit to be on the front lawn, outside the walls, and in that case in order to be in shadow it must be tucked into the corner between the front face and the west wing (7).
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[cut] Malfoy had leapt on to his broomstick and taken off. He hadn't been lying, he could fly well – hovering level with the topmost branches of an oak [PS ch. #09; p. 110]
When the students go to their first broom-riding lesson, they leave by the front entrance of the castle (0) and come down the steps onto the carriage track. They soon leave the track and go onto the grass. They are heading away from the Forbidden Forest from the outset, so they go around the lake side of the Quidditch Pitch - we can assume this because if they went around the Forest side of the pitch and then turned left, heading away from the Forest only at that point, they would almost certainly stay on the carriage track until they had passed the pitch, whereas it seems fairly clear from the description that their journey is dominated by walking on grass. At the same time we know they veer away from the lake, rather than walking along the edge of it, because the edge of the lake must be fairly level (there's no mention of the banks being much higher at one end than the other) and we know that as they walk across the grass they are trending downslope.
They reach an area of lawn a long way from the Forest (1) where they begin broom-training. Strictly speaking "the opposite side of the grounds to the Forbidden Forest" would be round the far side of the lake. However, JKR's own map shows the boundary-wall running right up to the ends of the lake, making the far side of the lake do duty as one of the bounds of Hogwarts. This cannot actually be correct because we know that Harry and Hermione are able to stroll right round the lake without any suggestion that they have to leave the grounds to do so, but in order not to deviate from JK's map any further than I have to I have drawn the boundary as running close to that side of the lake. Therefore, the flying-practice area has to be alongside the end of the lake, rather than round the far side of it.
Following Neville's fall from his broom and his being taken off to the hospital wing to get his broken arm fixed, Draco seizes Neville's Remembrall and takes it to a nearby oak tree (2) where he and Harry tussle for possession of it.
Harry jumped back on his Nimbus Two Thousand and took off. Gliding silently over the castle he saw Snape enter the Forest at a run. He followed. [PS ch. #13; p. 165]
The trees were so thick he couldn't see where Snape had gone. He flew in circles, lower and lower, brushing the top branches of trees until he heard voices. He glided towards them and landed noiselessly in a towering beech tree. He climbed carefully along one of the branches, holding tight to his broomstick, trying to see through the leaves. [PS ch. #13; p. 165]
When Harry sees Snape leave the castle and then go to the Forest to meet Quirrell, Harry is initially standing by the broomshed and he can see Snape come down the front steps, so we know that the broomshed commands a view of the front steps of the castle. Yet, when Harry follows Snape by broom he has to fly up over part of the castle - which wouldn't be the case if the broomshed was simply in front of the castle, in between it and the Forest. Nor would it work if the broomshed were somewhere down near the Quidditch pitch, because again Harry would have to make a wide detour in order to fly over the castle en route from the Quidditch pitch to the Forest.
I surmise therefore that the broomshed is in an area enclosed by the castle walls, so that Harry has to fly up over them to get clear, but there is a passage/gate through those walls through which Harry can see the entrance. He could have chosen to exit through this passage, but simply going straight up and then crossing the wall from above was simpler and quicker. A wall with a window in it is also possible, but that would probably mean that the area was fully enclosed and that brooms had to be carried there through the inside of the building, which is unlikely.
Snape (white dots) comes down the front steps (0) and crosses the lawn to the nearest edge of the Forbidden Forest (1). He does not enter by the usual path (2) which is some distance to his left, but there may well be a less official path to where he is going, or at least it's a route he knows very well, because he enters the Forest at a run. At what is probably a fairly short distance into the woods, he comes to a clearing (3) where he meets Quirrel.
Meanwhile Harry (gold dots) starts from the broomshed (4) and then flies up over the castle wall and takes a fairly direct route towards the same area of forest, then circles (5) (6) (7) until he hears voices.
The Forest was black and silent. A little way into it they reached a fork in the earth path and Harry, Hermione, and Hagrid took the left path while Malfoy, Neville and Fang took the right. [PS ch. #15; p. 183]
They walked past a mossy tree-stump. Harry could hear running water; there must be a stream somewhere close by. There were still spots of unicorn blood here and there along the winding path. [PS ch. #15; p. 183]
Hagrid seized Harry and Hermione and hoisted them off the path behind a towering oak. He pulled out an arrow and fitted it into his crossbow, raising it, ready to fire. The three of them listened. Something was slithering over dead leaves nearby: [PS ch. #15; p. 184]
Suddenly, in a clearing ahead, something definitely moved. [cut] And into the clearing came – was it a man, or a horse? [PS ch. #15; p. 184]
They walked on through the dense, dark trees. [PS ch. #15; p. 185]
They had just passed a bend in the path when Hermione grabbed Harry's arm. 'Hagrid! Look! Red sparks, the others are in trouble!' 'You two wait here!' Hagrid shouted. 'Stay on the path, I'll come back for yeh!' They heard him crashing away through the undergrowth and stood looking at each other, very scared, until they couldn't hear anything but the rustling of leaves around them. [PS ch. #15; p. 186]
At last, a great crunching noise announced Hagrid's return. Malfoy, Neville and Fang were with him. [PS ch. #15; p. 186]
'Right, we're changin' groups -- Neville, you stay with me an' Hermione, Harry, you go with Fang an' this idiot. [cut] So Harry set off into the heart of the Forest with Malfoy and Fang. They walked for nearly half an hour, deeper and deeper into the Forest, until the path became almost impossible to follow because the trees were so thick. [cut] Harry could see a clearing ahead, through the tangled branches of an ancient oak. 'Look --' he murmured, holding out his arm to stop Malfoy. Something bright white was gleaming on the ground. They inched closer. It was the unicorn all right, and it was dead. Harry had never seen anything so beautiful and sad. Its long slender legs were stuck out at odd angles where it had fallen and its mane was spread pearly white on the dark leaves. Harry had taken one step towards it when a slithering sound made him freeze where he stood. A bush on the edge of the clearing quivered ... Then, out of the shadows, a hooded figure came crawling across the ground like some stalking beast. [PS ch. #15; p. 186/187]
When he looked up, the figure had gone. A centaur was standing over him, not Ronan or Bane; [cut] 'My name is Firenze,' he added, as he lowered himself on to his front legs so that Harry could clamber on to his back. There was suddenly a sound of more galloping from the other side of the clearing. Ronan and Bane came bursting through the trees, [cut] And Firenze whisked around; with Harry clutching on as best he could, they plunged off into the trees, leaving Ronan and Bane behind them. [cut] Firenze slowed to a walk, warned Harry to keep his head bowed in case of low-hanging branches, [cut] They made their way through the trees in silence for so long that Harry thought Firenze didn't want to talk to him anymore. They were passing through a particularly dense patch of trees, however, when Firenze suddenly stopped. [cut] Hermione was running towards them down the path, Hagrid puffing along behind her. [PS ch. #15; p. 187-189
When Harry and Hermione, Draco and Neville are sent on a nighttime detention with Hagrid in the Forbidden Forest, Filch meets them at the door (0) and walks them across the grounds towards Hagrid's cabin. Hagrid meets them somewhere midway (1) and takes them to the start of the path into the woods (2), where they see unicorn blood. They proceed to a fork in the path (3) at which Hagrid, Harry and Hermione (white dots) bear left and Draco, Neville and the dog Fang (gold dots) go right.
Following the winding path, Harry and co. come first to a mossy stump within earshot of a burbling stream (4). A little way further on they hide behind a towering oak at the side of the path (5) as Voldie slithers past. They come to a clearing (6) where they meet the centaurs Ronan and Bane. Internal evidence suggests that this is the same very small clearing among dense, dark tree-cover where Hagrid later shows them the Thestrals in fifth year.
Beyond the clearing they pass through an area of dense trees and then go round a bend in the path (7). This bend probably turns right so that they are facing towards the right-hand path where Draco, Neville and Fang went, because shortly after rounding the bend (8) Hermione sees sparks from Neville's wand. I have assumed that at this point much of the land between the two paths is fairly open, both because it features heavy undergrowth, which wouldn't grow if the tree cover was very dense, but also because Hermione, who is short and so has a much lower vantage point than Hagrid, is nevertheless able to see Neville's flare.
Hagrid (mint-green dots) now leaves the path, wades through the undergrowth to the point on the right-hand path (9) where Draco and co. are, collects them and returns by the same route to where he had left Harry and Hermione (8), leaving Draco behind. Hagrid, Hermione and Neville now traverse the same route back to where Neville and Draco had previously got to (9) and continue walking along the right-hand path, while Harry, Draco and Fang continue along the left path.
Harry, Draco and Fang then walk for nearly half an hour. In daylight on level ground that would be just over a mile, but in the dark on what we're told is a narrow, difficult path it's probably half that. They then come to a clearing (10) guarded by a tangled oak. In that clearing they see first a dead unicorn, then Quirrelmort, who has presumably been travelling ahead of them, on the path or off it, since he passed them at (5). Draco and Fang bolt back down the path, while Harry stays and meets the centaurs Firenze and Bane. Firenze carries Harry through an area of dense trees and onto the right-hand path (11), close to where Hagrid and Hermione are. Hagrid then presumably leads them back to the exit from the Forest.
Note that we know that the right-hand path must turn right at some point. We can I think assume that the fork in the path at (3) is more Y than T-shaped, because if it was T-shaped the paths would soon emerge from the edge of the Forest, which is heavily curved and scalloped where it meets the castle grounds. So initially both paths head at least roughly towards the deeper Forest, yet the right-hand path must turn off somewhere, because when Harry and Ron follow the spiders they have to leave the path fairly soon in order to head towards the centre of the Forest. At this point, therefore, the path itself no longer points towards the centre. We also know that somewhere along this path there is a clearing where Harry and co. meet up with the Thestrals whom they are going to ride to the Ministry, and this clearing is north of the castle, which again indicates that the path veers to the right.
