- "Halfway down the hall was a fountain. A group of golden statues, larger than life-size, stood in the middle of a circular pool. Tallest of them all was a noble-looking wizard with his wand pointing straight up in the air. Grouped around him were a beautiful witch, a centaur, a goblin, and a house-elf. The last three were all looking adoringly up at the witch and wizard. Glittering jets of water were flying from the ends of the two wands, the point of the centaur's arrow, the tip of the goblin's hat, and each of the house-elf's ears..."
- — Description of the fountain[src]
The Fountain of Magical Brethren was a fountain located in the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic that depicted the golden figures of a wizard, witch, centaur, goblin, and a house-elf. Jets of water stream from various points of the statues.
Description
The fountain was located halfway down the hall of the Atrium, on level 8 of the Ministry. The large golden statues are located in the middle of the pool, and the tallest of them all was a wizard with a wand pointing straight into the air. Around this statue were statues of a witch, a centaur, a goblin, and a house-elf. Jets of water came from the ends of the two wands, the centaurs arrow, the tip of the goblin's hat, and each of the house-elf's ears. All proceeds from the fountain were given to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.
Messages of the Fountain
The witch and wizard are the two focal points of the fountain, with the other, "lower" beings looking up in "awe and adoration." This is very unrealistic, as centaurs and goblins consider themselves superior to wizards and witches. House-elves, on the other hand, have no other joy in life other than to be in the service of wizards. The fountain supposedly represented harmony in the wizarding world, although Albus Dumbledore thought otherwise.
History
As Harry Potter entered the Ministry in 1995 to attend his hearing for inadvertently breaching the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery and International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, he saw the fountain and the sign for all the proceedings: he mentally noted that if he was not expelled, he would donate ten galleons.[1] Upon being acquitted, Harry placed not just ten galleons, but the entire contents of his wallet into the fountain in triumph.[2]
During the Battle of the Department of Mysteries in 1996, much of the Atrium was heavily damaged. The floor was gouged and pocketed, the security booth was burned and the fountain largely destroyed. It also participated in the battle when Dumbledore brought the statues to life for various purposes in his duel with Voldemort. The wizard statue (which had previously had its head blown off by Bellatrix Lestrange) acted as a bodyguard for Harry Potter, the witch pinned Bellatrix to the floor to prevent her from intervening on her master's behalf, the centaur (minus one arm) took a Killing Curse meant for Dumbledore, and the goblin and house-elf figures departed to alert Ministry personnel as to the disturbance, as well as being the only ones to survive largely intact. The head of the wizard was turned into a Portkey by Albus Dumbledore, which sent Harry Potter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.[3]
After the fall of the Ministry in 1997, the fountain was temporarily replaced by the Magic is Might monument, a dark statue of a wizard and a witch sitting atop enormous thrones made of Muggles. It is unknown whether it was restored to its original form after the death of Lord Voldemort in 1998, or if it was replaced by a new statue correctly promoting equality amongst magical beings once the Ministry was reformed.
Behind the scenes
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- Unlike the books, in the films the fountain contains the witch, the centaur, the house-elf and the goblin while a gigantic statue of the wizard stands on a pedestal further into the Atrium.
- In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game) it is revealed what was done to this fountain. It was repaired and placed in the depths of the Ministry (among a detention area below the Wizengamot Courtrooms), directly below the larger golden statue of the wizard that remained on its plinth in the Atrium.
Appearances
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (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 Deathly Hallows (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (Wizard only)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game)
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
Notes and references
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 7 (The Ministry of Magic)
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 9 (The Woes of Mrs Weasley)
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 36 (The Only One He Ever Feared)
| The Atrium | ||
|---|---|---|
| Level 8, British Ministry of Magic | ||
 | ||
| Lobby and Reception Area · Fountain of Magical Brethren · Magic is Might statue · Ministry Munchies · Security desk · Lifts · Magical Maintenance Office · Ministry All-Purpose Room · Ministry Office · Office 34B | ||
| Watchwizards | ||
| Eric Munch |