======Tomb of Albus Dumbledore======
=====Location Information=====
  * **Type:** [[Tomb]] / [[Mausoleum]]
  * **Location:** On the grounds of [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]], by the shore of the [[Great Lake]].
  * **Owner/Residents:** The final resting place of [[Albus Dumbledore]].
  * **Key Features:** A white marble tomb; the only grave located on the [[Hogwarts]] grounds.
=====Description and History=====
The tomb of [[Albus Dumbledore]] is a magnificent, solid white marble structure that was magically created to house the body of the late [[Hogwarts]] [[Headmaster]] following his death. It is located on the edge of the [[Great Lake]] on the school grounds.
The tomb was formed during [[Dumbledore]]'s funeral at the end of the 1996-1997 school year. After a eulogy was given, flames erupted around [[Dumbledore]]'s body, which was wrapped in purple velvet spangled with golden stars. When the flames subsided, they revealed the white tomb, which had encased the body. The decision to bury [[Dumbledore]] at [[Hogwarts]] was a unique honour granted by the [[Ministry of Magic]], making him the only [[Headmaster]] to be interred on the school grounds. For a time, it served as a place of mourning and reflection for those who revered him, including [[Harry Potter]] and [[Ginny Weasley]].
In March of 1998, the tomb was desecrated by [[Lord Voldemort]]. Acting on information he had tortured from [[Gellert Grindelwald]], [[Voldemort]] sought the [[Elder Wand]], one of the three [[Deathly Hallows]], believing it had been buried with its most recent master. [[Voldemort]] cast a spell that cracked the tomb open, allowing him to retrieve the powerful [[wand]] from the hands of [[Dumbledore]]'s corpse. The act demonstrated [[Voldemort]]'s profound lack of respect for the dead and his obsession with overcoming death.
The state of the tomb following the [[Battle of Hogwarts]] is not specified in the novels, but it is presumed to have been repaired.
=====Role in the Story=====
The tomb's primary significance is twofold. First, its creation at the end of //Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince// serves as a powerful and solemn symbol of the end of an era at [[Hogwarts]] and in the wizarding world. It represents the loss of the only wizard [[Lord Voldemort]] ever feared and marks a turning point as the [[Second Wizarding War]] escalates.
Second, in //Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows//, the tomb becomes a crucial plot device. It is the final hiding place of the [[Elder Wand]]. [[Harry Potter]]'s vision of [[Voldemort]] breaking into the tomb confirms the Dark Lord's quest for the Hallow and sets up the final confrontation over the wand's true mastery. The desecration of the tomb is a pivotal moment, as it is when [[Voldemort]] physically takes possession of the [[Elder Wand]], believing its power is now his.
=====Known Areas Within=====
The tomb is a single, sealed sarcophagus. Its known contents at the time of [[Dumbledore]]'s burial were:
  * The body of [[Albus Dumbledore]].
  * The [[Elder Wand]], which was buried with him.
=====Behind the Scenes=====
  * [[J.K. Rowling]] clarified in an interview that the white flames at the funeral did not consume [[Dumbledore]]'s body, but rather created the tomb around it (J.K. Rowling interview, 2007).
  * In the film adaptation of //Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince//, the tomb is depicted as a distinct, pointed white structure located on a small island in the [[Great Lake]], separate from the shore. This design is maintained in //Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1//, where the scene of [[Voldemort]] breaking it open is shown. He fires a single, powerful spell that shatters the lid, allowing him to take the [[Elder Wand]] (film).