Summary
In the Wizarding World ofHarry Potter, the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was founded centuries ago by four wizards: Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, Salazar Slytherin, and Godric Gryffindor. The castle is unfathomably enormous, with countless corridors and secret passageways in which any given student who attends the school for all seven years will most likely not explore even close to the entire premises.
Throughout out the stories ofHarry Potterand withinHogwarts Legacy, viewers, readers, and players are able to get a glimpse into the many secrets Hogwarts holds. One place in particular that is often visited in both the movies and the game is the restricted section of the library.
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Although it’s not necessarily difficult to gain access to the restricted section, it is a place that has many secrets, both within the reading material and through secret passageways. Information found within the restricted section often plays a crucial role in the stories that are told from Hogwarts.
What is the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts Library?
The library is found on the first floor of the castle, and the restricted section inside there, simply closed off by a rope. Teachers usually have full access to the restricted section, but students are not allowed to peruse about the roped off shelves. The only way a student can gain access to the section is by getting written permission from a teacher, and even then, the librarian will grab the book they are checking out for them.
The restricted section is visible from the library itself, resulting in many students' fascination and curiosity of what the school’s administration is keeping away from their knowledge. Many of the books are hundreds of years old, including some that, by the time Harry was in school,had been removed from the shelvesand kept in a more discrete location. Aside from books, however, there are also entrances to secret rooms that are only accessible through the restricted section.
What Is Contained in the Library’s Restricted Section?
This may come as a shock, but the majority of what’s found within the library’s restricted section is: books. These books, though, are not some typical textbooks for potions or herbology class. The books found in this section often deal with forbidden teachings, such as the Dark Arts.
A notable collection of books that once were found in the restricted section werethe books about Horcruxes. A Horcrux is an object that a wizard can use to place a piece of their soul into in an attempt to achieve a sort of immortality. The Horcrux books taught readers how to cast this dangerous spell, but they were removed at some point by Albus Dumbledore after he suspected one of his students to use the books for his own evil intentions. The student’s name was Tom Riddle, aka Lord Voldemort.
In addition to these books, there are other books that teach spells or hold information that could be considered unnatural or dangerous. For example, inHarry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry gets permission from Professor McGonagall to enter the restricted section and search for methods in which he could breathe underwater in order to pass one of thetrials of the Triwizard Tournament.
Besides the many books, there are also entrances to hidden corridors within Hogwarts. Both the entrances to the Vault of Fear and the Map Chamber (fromHogwarts Legacy) are found within the restricted section. Essentially, the restricted section holds information, abilities, and locations in which can be very dangerous for students to explore, although the teachers proved to not always be entirely trustworthy with what they learn inside the restricted section of the library.
Are There Other Restricted Areas of Hogwarts?
One area in Hogwarts that’s restricted in a way is house dormitories. Obviously, if a student belongs to Ravenclaw, they can go about the Ravenclaw dorms and corridors. But students outside a certain house are not allowed access to other house floors. Maybe that’s why many friends made at Hogwarts are within each students' own house.
Another section that is forbidden for student entry, and can be found on the third floor, is one that is guarded by a three-headed dog named Fluffy. Until the end of the first film/book, Fluffy was protecting the trapdoor that led to thesecret location of the Philosopher’s Stone. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were smart enough to figure out how to sedate the giant beast by playing music. But they forgot to add more than one song to the playlist and were almost devoured by Fluffy.
The Chamber of Secrets is also off limits. The entrance can be found within one of the bathrooms, which then takes whoever is brave enough to explore it down below the lake on Hogwarts' grounds. In the sequelHarry Potterfilm/book, Harry enters the chamber and is faced off against Slytherin’s giant basilisk, whom he slays with the Sword of Gryffindor.
Just outside Hogwarts lies yet another restricted area: the Forbidden Forest. Inside the dark and mysterious woods are mythical creatures and dark deeds conducted by evil witches and wizards. It was thehiding ground for Voldemortwhen he was coming back to life by drinking unicorn blood. It’s also home to Aragog, the giant acromantula that was reluctantly exiled by Hagrid after being framed by a young Tom Riddle. Aragog is dangerous to everyone but Hagrid, so its wisest to stay clear of his webbed lair.
