======Bath======
=====Location Information=====
  * **Type:** Room / Fixture
  * **Location:** Various, most notably within [[Hogwarts Castle]]
  * **Owner/Residents:** Varies; [[Hogwarts]] [[Prefects]] and [[Quidditch]] captains have exclusive access to a specific, luxurious bath.
  * **Key Features:** Magical water taps, swimming-pool sized tubs, enchanted environments, password protection.
=====Description and History=====
A bath is a room or fixture used for washing, which exists in both the [[Muggle]] and wizarding worlds. While most wizarding homes like [[The Burrow]] and [[Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place]] have functional, ordinary bathrooms, the most notable and opulent bath described in the series is the **[[Prefects' Bathroom]]** at [[Hogwarts]].
Located on the fifth floor of the castle, behind a door with the password of the week (such as "**Pine-fresh**"), the [[Prefects' Bathroom]] is a place of luxury. The room is vast and constructed from gleaming white marble. Its centerpiece is a large, rectangular swimming-pool-sized bathtub sunk into the floor. The tub is filled by a complex array of approximately one hundred golden taps, each with a differently coloured jewel set into its handle. These taps release not only hot and cold water but also a variety of pre-mixed, magically-enhanced bubble baths, such as one that fills the entire tub with thick, purple bubbles.
The room also features a white linen curtain, a chandelier of candles that illuminates the space, a diving board at one end of the tub, and a large painting on the wall depicting a beautiful, sleeping [[mermaid]] on a rock. This mermaid is known to interact with the bath's occupants.
=====Role in the Story=====
The primary role of a bath in the series centers on the [[Prefects' Bathroom]], which is the setting for two pivotal events.
In //[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]//, [[Harry Potter]] uses the bathroom to solve the mystery of the [[Golden Egg]], a clue for the Second Task of the [[Triwizard Tournament]]. Acting on a tip from [[Cedric Diggory]], Harry takes the egg into the bath. With help from [[Moaning Myrtle]], he discovers that he must open the egg underwater to hear the [[Merpeople]]'s song, which reveals the nature of the task. This moment is crucial for Harry's progress in the tournament.
In //[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]//, the [[Prefects' Bathroom]] becomes the site of a violent confrontation. Harry, using his [[Marauder's Map]], follows [[Draco Malfoy]] to the bathroom, where he finds Malfoy crying and confiding his fears in [[Moaning Myrtle]]. When Malfoy spots Harry, they begin a duel. The duel culminates with Harry casting an unknown spell from his copy of `//Advanced Potion-Making//`—**[[Sectumsempra]]**—which inflicts deep, bleeding gashes on Malfoy's chest and face. [[Professor Snape]] arrives just in time to perform a counter-curse and save Malfoy's life, a scene that deepens the animosity between Harry and Snape and highlights the dark turn in Harry and Draco's rivalry.
=====Behind the Scenes=====
  * In the film adaptation of //[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]//, the [[Prefects' Bathroom]] is depicted as a vast, circular chamber with a large, round central pool. The taps are arranged around the pool's edge, and a prominent feature is a large, mystical stained-glass window of a [[mermaid]], which becomes animated when Harry is in the water. (film)
  * The password "**Pine-fresh**" is noted for being a particularly Muggle-like scent, which [[George Weasley]] found amusing.