======Houses of Parliament======
=====Location Information=====
  * **Type:** [[Muggle]] Government Building
  * **Location:** [[Westminster]], [[London]], [[England]]
  * **Owner/Residents:** The [[Muggle]] Government of the [[United Kingdom]]
  * **Key Features:** The seat of [[Muggle]] Parliament, a prominent landmark in [[London]] situated in close proximity to the hidden [[Ministry of Magic]].
=====Description and History=====
The Houses of Parliament, also known as the Palace of Westminster, is the central building of the [[Muggle]] government in the [[United Kingdom]]. It is an iconic landmark in central [[London]], located on the bank of the River Thames.
In the wizarding world, its significance lies in its close proximity to the [[Ministry of Magic]], which is located deep underground beneath the area of [[Whitehall]]. This geographical closeness symbolizes the parallel, yet separate, governance of the [[Muggle]] and wizarding communities in [[Britain]]. The visitor's entrance to the [[Ministry of Magic]] during the 1990s, a disused red telephone box, was located on a nearby street, placing wizards conducting [[Ministry]] business very near the heart of [[Muggle]] political power.
=====Role in the Story=====
The Houses of Parliament is the setting for a notable incident that highlighted the escalating chaos at the beginning of the [[Second Wizarding War]]. In the summer of 1996, [[Herbert Chorley]], a Junior Minister in the [[Muggle]] government, was placed under a poorly performed [[Imperius Curse]] by [[Lord Voldemort]]'s followers. As a result of this curse, Chorley behaved erratically, culminating in an event where he "made a fool of himself by imitating a duck in the middle of the Houses of Parliament."
This bizarre public display was one of several magical calamities that the [[Muggle]] [[Prime Minister]] had to contend with. The Minister for Magic, [[Cornelius Fudge]], later explained the magical nature of the incident to the [[Prime Minister]], revealing it as part of the [[Death Eaters]]' campaign to create disruption and terror in the [[Muggle]] world. [[Herbert Chorley]] was subsequently sent to [[St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries]] for treatment.
=====Known Areas Within=====
The novels do not describe any specific rooms or chambers within the Houses of Parliament. The incident involving [[Herbert Chorley]] is only said to have taken place in "the middle of the Houses of Parliament."
=====Behind the Scenes=====
  * J.K. Rowling's choice to place the [[Ministry of Magic]] beneath the real-world heart of the British government in [[Whitehall]] establishes a direct, if secret, link between the two seats of power.
  * In the film adaptation of *[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]*, the Houses of Parliament and the surrounding area are shown when [[Harry Potter]] and [[Arthur Weasley]] travel to the [[Ministry of Magic]] for Harry's hearing, visually emphasizing the proximity of the two governments (film).
  * The building is also briefly visible in an establishing shot of [[London]] in the film adaptation of *[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (film)|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1]]* after [[Harry Potter]], [[Ron Weasley]], and [[Hermione Granger]] escape the attack at the [[Burrow]] (film).