The 1997-1998 Hogwarts School Year

The 1997-1998 school year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was a period of darkness and oppression, marking the height of Lord Voldemort's power during the Second Wizarding War. With the Ministry of Magic under his control, Hogwarts was transformed from a place of learning into a stronghold for pure-blood ideology, run by Death Eaters and overseen by Severus Snape as Headmaster. The year was characterized by a brutal curriculum, the persecution of students, and a courageous student-led resistance, culminating in the climactic Battle of Hogwarts which ended the war.

Following the fall of the Ministry of Magic in August 1997, Lord Voldemort installed a new administration at Hogwarts to indoctrinate the next generation of witches and wizards.

• Leadership: Severus Snape was appointed Headmaster, a move that shocked the wizarding world but placed him in a critical position to secretly protect students on Albus Dumbledore's orders. He was supported by two Death Eater siblings, Alecto Carrow and Amycus Carrow, who served as his deputies.
• Curriculum Changes: The curriculum was drastically altered to reflect Voldemort's ideology.
  • Dark Arts: Defence Against the Dark Arts was renamed simply “Dark Arts,” and it became a required subject taught by Amycus Carrow. Instead of learning to defend against dark magic, students were taught its principles and forced to practice curses, such as the Cruciatus Curse, on fellow students who were assigned detention.
  • Muggle Studies: This also became a compulsory subject, taught by Alecto Carrow. The course was transformed into pure-blood propaganda, teaching that Muggles were subhuman and deserving of subjugation.
• Student Attendance: Attendance at Hogwarts became mandatory for all pure-blood and half-blood students. However, Muggle-born witches and wizards were barred from attending, declared to have “stolen” their magic, and were actively hunted by the Muggle-Born Registration Commission.

The atmosphere at Hogwarts was one of fear, suspicion, and cruelty. The Carrows were known for their sadistic punishments and unpredictable tempers. In response to this tyranny, a resistance movement formed within the student body.

• Revival of Dumbledore's Army: With Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger absent from school, Dumbledore's Army (D.A.) was secretly revived under the leadership of Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley, and Luna Lovegood.
• Acts of Defiance: The D.A. engaged in various acts of rebellion, such as writing “Dumbledore's Army, still recruiting” on the castle walls and attempting to free fellow students from punishment. Their primary goal was to disrupt the Carrows' regime and offer hope to the oppressed student body.
• The Room of Requirement: As the resistance grew and the Carrows' punishments intensified, the Room of Requirement became the D.A.'s headquarters and a sanctuary for students in hiding. The room provided them with food, hammocks for sleeping, and a connection to the Hog's Head Inn in Hogsmeade, which allowed members to come and go in secret.
• Punishments: The Carrows inflicted severe punishments on defiant students. Neville Longbottom was a frequent target, bearing many cuts and bruises from their cruelty. Michael Corner was tortured for freeing a first-year boy who the Carrows had chained up as punishment.

While Harry Potter was hunting for Horcruxes, several crucial events unfolded at the school.

• Autumn 1997: Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley, and Luna Lovegood attempted to steal the Sword of Godric Gryffindor from the Headmaster's office. They were caught, but Severus Snape gave them a lenient punishment of detention with Rubeus Hagrid in the Forbidden Forest. This was done to keep them safe and to allow Snape to pass the real sword to Harry later.
• Christmas 1997: Luna Lovegood was captured by Death Eaters on the Hogwarts Express during the Christmas holidays to be used as leverage against her father, Xenophilius Lovegood.
• Easter 1998: After Death Eaters targeted his grandmother, Augusta Longbottom, Neville Longbottom went into permanent hiding within the Room of Requirement, becoming the full-time leader of the student sanctuary.
• 2 May 1998: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger returned to Hogwarts via the secret passage from the Hog's Head Inn. Their arrival signaled the start of the Battle of Hogwarts, as Neville summoned the D.A. and members of the Order of the Phoenix to fight against Lord Voldemort and his army.

The school year abruptly ended with the Battle of Hogwarts. The battle resulted in the death of Lord Voldemort and the end of the Second Wizarding War. Hogwarts itself suffered extensive damage, but the forces of good were victorious. The tyrannical regime of Snape and the Carrows was dismantled, and Minerva McGonagall took over as Headmistress. The year stands as the darkest in Hogwarts's history but also as a testament to the bravery and resilience of its students.

• In the film adaptation, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, the oppressive nature of the school year is visually depicted with students marching in formation through the courtyard under Snape's watch. This is a cinematic addition not described in the novel (film).
• A scene where Neville confronts Snape in the Great Hall in front of the entire student body was created for the film to dramatically set the stage for Harry's arrival (film).
• The book reveals the details of the school year primarily through the narration of Neville Longbottom when he reunites with the trio in the Room of Requirement, as well as through the memories of Severus Snape viewed in the Pensieve.