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Diagon Alley

Revision as of 04:01, 10 December 2010 by Lunal (talk | contribs)
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Tapping just the right brick in the wall behind the Leaky Cauldron in London("Three up...two accross...") will reveal an archway which is a portal into Diagon Alley, a long cobbled street where is to be found a strange & exciting assortmrnt of shops & resturants. It is unquestionably the hub of commerce in the British wizarding world, with virtually every wizarding business being stationed there. Consequently the room for space here is steep, & rent costs "loads of Galleons".

History

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 'Engorgio!'

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Creation

It is a popular historical theory that the oldest building in Diagon Alley is Gringotts Wizarding 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.

Harry Potter's 1991 visit

Harry Potter's first visit to Diagon Alley with Rubeus Hagrid marked his re-introduction to the Wizarding world. Hagrid helped Harry shop for his school supplies, and purchased Harry's eleventh birthday present, the snowy owl Hedwig, from Eeylops Owl Emporium. Harry also purchased his wand from Ollivanders Wand Shop, and presumably, the other members of Harry's year, including Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, did the same.

Return of the Dark Lord

Death Eaters at Diagon Alley HBP

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

"The colourful, glittering window displays of spellbooks, potion ingredients, and cauldrons were lost to view, hidden behind the large Ministry of Magic posters that had been pasted over them. Most of these somber purple posters carried blown-up versions of the security advice on the Ministry pamphlets that had been sent out over the summer, 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 affected the appearance of Diagon Alley dramatically. Wizards and witches no longer felt safe wandering out in public. The once-crowded streets stood virtually empty, the few shoppers staying together in groups; "Wanted" posters with the faces of Death Eaters plastered the fronts of once-bright shops and street stalls popped up, hawking "protective" amulets and charms.

Ollivander's Wand Shop and Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour were closed following the Death Eater attack, in which Mr. Ollivander was kidnapped and Florean Fortescue, was kidnapped and later murdered. Several other shops, like Scribbulus Writing Instruments, appeared to have been boarded up as well.

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." Passers-by seemed to be stunned and transfixed by this.

Location

Diagon Alley is accessible from Muggle London through the Leaky Cauldron, which is on Charing Cross Road, set between a bookshop and a record store. The Muggles who pass by the inn seem to be "quite unconscious" of its existence. Knockturn Alley, a dark artefacts area, is an offshoot of Diagon Alley.[2]

Access

Diagonally

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

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

The entrance is behind the The Leaky Cauldron in a small, walled courtyard with a trash can. Diagon Alley can be accessed by tapping the correct brick in the wall behind the Leaky Cauldron (from the trash can, three up and two across). The wall goes in a small hole first but forms a large archway.[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.

Community

Diagon Alley

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. Diagon Alley is also the location of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, established by Fred and George Weasley shortly after leaving Hogwarts[5].

Important locations

Exterior of Weasleys Wizards Wheezes shop

Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, a shop in Diagon Alley

Etymology

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 due to inhaling a mouthful of ash, he landed in a fireplace in nearby Knockturn Alley.

Behind the scenes

Lego Ally

The Lego version

  • 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.[6]
  • 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.
  • As depicted in the films, Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley are strictly pedestrian precincts, as the streets are too narrow to accommodate either vehicular or carriage traffic. Presumably magical means are exercised for stocking the stores, eliminating the need for standard transportation corridors.
  • There is a Lego version which has a release date of 1 January, 2011. It has three main buildings. It includes mini-figures which have appeared in several of the Harry Potter films.

Appearances

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
  6. ↑ www.whimsicalley.com
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