Viaduct Courtyard
Location information
Location	Ground floor, Hogwarts Castle, Scotland, Great Britain
Affiliation	Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

[Source]

The Viaduct Courtyard^[1] (also known as the Entrance Courtyard) is a quadrangle in Hogwarts Castle. A covered stone cloister with an open colonnade runs around it, and two checkpoint towers flank its entryway via the Viaduct. There is a stone walkway leading from this courtyard into The Quad, and into the Viaduct Entrance. The courtyard is partially paved, in a cross pattern.^[2]

A popular hang-out spot for students of all Houses, this courtyard is where some students spend their spare time playing Gobstones.^[3]

History

1994–1995 school year

Hogwarts students watch from the courtyard the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic carriage and the Durmstrang Institute ship arrive at Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament.

At the end of the tournament students from all three school socialize in the courtyard before Beauxbatons and Durmstrang depart.

1995-1996 school year

Dolores Umbridge attempts to sack Sybill Trelawney.

1997–1998 school year

On 1 September, 1997, Hogwarts students marched through this Courtyard under the supervision of Death Eaters Alecto and Amycus Carrow and Headmaster Severus Snape as they were led into the Castle.

Lord Voldemort and Harry Potter have the final duel here.

During the Battle of Hogwarts, the courtyard was heavily damaged.

Behind the scenes

• The Viaduct Courtyard is never mentioned in any of the Harry Potter books. It features only in the films and video games.
• This courtyard first appeared in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The Chamber of Reception stood in its place instead. This continued into the first three games, however in the games it is a Paved entrance that is used.

  

• In the novels, the Entrance Hall opens to a sloping lawn, and not to a courtyard.
• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and in LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 the cloister walls can be seen. It is unknown whether these cloister walls can be seen in the film adaption of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and the film adaption of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban or not, as the exterior of Hogwarts Castle can only be seen from far away in these films.
• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, this courtyard was where most students witnessed the departure of Fred and George Weasley and where Dolores Umbridge sacked Sybill Trelawney as Divination Professor of Hogwarts which was witnessed by many students and staff, as opposed to the Entrance Hall as in the novel.
• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows the courtyard was enlarged and revised as to provide a better and larger battlefield for the combatants in the Battle of Hogwarts.
• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows the final duel between Voldemort and Harry takes place in this courtyard.
• In the video game adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the entrance to the Headmaster's office is located here. Whereas, in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the entrance was located in the Middle Courtyard, as the Viaduct Courtyard had not been built yet. Likewise in the second PC and PS2 video game it is located on the Third Floor next to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom.
• This was one of the two courtyards built at Leavesden Studios, the other being the Middle Courtyard. The set used for the Clock Tower Courtyard was renovated into the Viaduct Courtyard after Prisoner of Azkaban.
• The original, smaller version of this courtyard was built at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It is the only Hogwarts courtyard featured in the park.
• The courtyard was considerably damaged in the Battle of Hogwarts. Most of the damage seemed to occour around this area of the castle considering the large amounts of debri it held.
• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, a viaduct was added to the courtyard that connects the courtyard to what seems to be a forest. The viaduct in the previous movies used to connect the courtyard and the Viaduct Entrance

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film) (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 Half-Blood Prince (film)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game) (First identified as Viaduct Courtyard)
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7

Notes and references