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Diagon Alley

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Diagon Alley
Location information
Location

London, England

Behind the scenes
First appearance

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Latest appearance

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

"Harry wished he had eight more eyes.... There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments Harry had never seen before, windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills, and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon...."
—Description to Harry Potter's first visit in Diagon Alley[src]

Diagon Alley is a wizarding street and shopping area located in London, England behind a pub called the Leaky Cauldron. Inside the alley is an assortment of restaurants, shops, and other sights. All items on the Hogwarts Supply list can be bought at Diagon Alley.

Contents

[edit] History

"Engorgio!"

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[edit] Early History

[edit] Creation

It is a popular historical theory that the oldest building in Diagon Alley is Gringotts Bank and that the other shops grew up around it. [1] However, there is a possibility that Ollivander's Wand Shop is the oldest building, records dating back to the late fourth century B.C.

[edit] Recent History

[edit] Return of the Dark Lord

"The colourful, glittering window displays.... were lost to view, hidden behind the large Ministry of Magic posters that had been pasted over them. Most of these sombre purple posters carried blown-up versions of.... security advice...., but others 'bore 'moving black-and-white photographs of Death Eaters known to be on the loose.... A few windows were boarded up, including those of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. On the other hand, a number of shabby-looking stalls had sprung up along the street...."
—Description[src]

In 1996, the return of Voldemort greatly affected the appearance of Diagon Alley. Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour and Ollivander's Wand Shop were closed following the Death Eater attack, in which the two shopkeepers were murdered and kidnapped, respectively.

The few shoppers in Diagon Alley were anxious and hurried at that time, staying together in groups and "moving intently about their business."

In comparison, the storefront of Fred and George Weasley's joke shop, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, "hit the eye like a firework display." The windows were full of colourful assortments of goods that "revolved, popped, flashed, bounced, and shrieked." Passersby seem to be stunned and transfixed by this.


Many shops were boarded down and nearly destroyed. Though Ollivander's Wand Shop was probably the oldest shop there, it was the first to be boarded up, seeing as Voldemort kidnapped him for over a year.

[edit] Location

Diagon Alley is accessible from Muggle London through the Leaky Cauldron, which is on Charing Cross Road. The Muggles who pass by the inn seem to be "quite unconscious" of its existence.[2]

[edit] Access

"Welcome, Harry, to Diagon Alley."
—Rubeus Hagrid to Harry Potter during Harry's first visit to Diagon Alley.[src]

Diagon Alley can be accessed by tapping the correct brick in the wall behind the Leaky Cauldron (three up, two across), to reveal the archway into the alley.[2] It can also be accessed by Floo powder[3] and Apparition. There may be other entrances as well.

Diagon Alley connects to a second, less reputable shopping district, Knockturn Alley.

[edit] Community

A drawing of Diagon Alley

Inside the Alley is an assortment of restaurants, shops, and other sights; some even have tables out front with coloured umbrellas.[4] Particularly during the days or weeks before school starts at Hogwarts, the location is packed with witches and wizards, though shops are open year-round as witches and wizards travel to the location for various goods. While the shops include many school-supply locations, there are also many locations important to the wizarding world, such as Gringotts Wizarding Bank and Ollivander's Wand Shop, and is also the location of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, established by Fred and George Weasley shortly after leaving Hogwarts[5].

Death Eaters maniacally attack shops and kidnapping people along Diagon Alley in 1996.

[edit] Important Locations

[edit] Etymology

Harry's first time to use the Floo Network to go to Diagon Alley in 1992.

The words "Diagon" and "Alley" when pronounced together, produce the word "diagonally" which is most probably the origin of the name "Diagon Alley".When Harry mispronounced the name into diagonally, he landed in a fireplace in nearby alley, Knockturn Alley.

[edit] Behind the scenes

  • In the United States, there is a remake of Diagon Alley in Santa Monica, California called Whimsic Alley (which is a play on the word "whimsically"). There are shops that mimic the real Diagon Alley and one can actually purchase things there.
  • In 2010, Universal Studios, FL is re-creating Diagon Alley in their Harry Potter theme park.
  • In the film version of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Hagrid taps a series of bricks to enter Diagon Alley instead of one brick (three up two across).
  • The 2-disc DVD edition of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets includes an interactive tour of Diagon Alley, including non-interactive interior views of several shops, and an interactive exploration of Flourish and Blotts.

[edit] Appearances

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ↑ Third W.O.M.B.A.T. at J.K. Rowling's Official Site.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
  3. ↑ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
  4. ↑ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
  5. ↑ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
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