Classroom Supplies

Classroom supplies are the various items of equipment, clothing, and texts that students are required to possess for their studies at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A comprehensive list is sent to each student along with their acceptance letter prior to their first year. Students are responsible for procuring these items, typically purchased in Diagon Alley, before the start of the school term. While some items are a one-time purchase, others, such as parchment and ink, must be replenished throughout a student's education.

The list sent to first-year students details the standard equipment needed for their core classes. This list is divided into three main categories: uniforms, course books, and other equipment.

• Uniforms
  • Three sets of plain work robes (black)
  • One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
  • One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
  • One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)
• Course Books
  • A specific list of required Hogwarts Textbooks for the year's subjects is included. All students must have their own copy of each book.
• Other Equipment
  • 1 Wand
  • 1 Cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
  • 1 set of glass or crystal phials
  • 1 Telescope
  • 1 set of brass scales
• Pets (Optional)
  • Students may also bring an owl, a cat, or a toad.

Beyond the initial equipment list, students require a constant stock of general supplies for note-taking, homework, and essays across all subjects. These are used daily and must be repurchased as needed.

• Quills: The standard writing instrument in the wizarding world.
• Ink: Used with quills. It comes in various colours, and enchanted inks, such as colour-changing ink, also exist.
• Parchment: The paper-like material used for all written work at Hogwarts.

As students advance in their education and take on new subjects, additional, specialised equipment is often required.

• Astronomy: Students use a telescope for observing the night sky and consult star charts for their assignments.
• Care of Magical Creatures: The primary required supply is the textbook, which can sometimes be hazardous itself, such as The Monster Book of Monsters, which needed to be stroked before it would open.
• Divination: The Divination classroom in the North Tower is stocked with most necessary equipment, but supplies include teacups and tea leaves for Tasseomancy, crystal balls for clairvoyance, and playing cards for cartomancy.
• Herbology: In addition to the standard dragon-hide gloves, students are supplied with earmuffs in the Hogwarts Greenhouses when working with dangerous plants like the Mandrakes.
• Potions: Students must bring their own cauldron, brass scales, and phials to class. While most standard potions ingredients are available from the classroom storeroom, students may occasionally need to source or purchase their own for specific projects.

The vast majority of school supplies are purchased in Diagon Alley before the start of the school year in September. Key shops for students and their families include:

• Flourish and Blotts: For all required Hogwarts Textbooks.
• Ollivanders: The exclusive provider of wands.
• Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions: The primary shop for student robes and other uniform items.
• Apothecary: Sells potions ingredients as well as basic equipment like phials and scales.
• General Stores: Other shops sell miscellaneous equipment such as cauldrons, telescopes, quills, and parchment.

For students who are unable to afford their supplies, Hogwarts maintains a fund to assist them in purchasing secondhand books and equipment.

• The detailed supply list in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was one of the first major world-building elements that introduced readers to the magical items and unique requirements of the wizarding world.
• In the film adaptations, the shopping scenes in Diagon Alley visually emphasize the wonder and strangeness of these supplies, from self-stirring cauldrons to towering stacks of books at Flourish and Blotts. (film)