A manor in the wizarding world is a large and impressive country house, serving as the primary residence and ancestral seat for a prominent family. These estates are typically centuries old, passed down through generations, and hold significant historical and sentimental value for their owners. Architecturally grand, they are usually situated in remote locations, hidden from Muggle view through a combination of physical isolation and magical concealment. Manors are indicative of a family's high social standing and wealth. They often feature extensive grounds, which may include gardens, forests, and other features like the white peacocks that roam the grounds of Malfoy Manor. The interiors are equally opulent, with numerous rooms, valuable heirlooms, and portraits of ancestors. Many of these families, such as the Malfoys, employ house-elves to maintain the vast properties.
Manors play a crucial role as key settings in the series, particularly during the Second Wizarding War. They are not merely homes but function as centers of power, headquarters, and prisons. Their isolation makes them ideal locations for clandestine activities away from the prying eyes of the Ministry of Magic. The most significant example, Malfoy Manor, was co-opted by Lord Voldemort to serve as the headquarters for his Death Eaters. It was the site of strategic meetings and the imprisonment of several of Harry Potter's allies. The Riddle House, while a Muggle manor, is central to the backstory of Lord Voldemort, being the site of his patricidal crime and his temporary base of operations upon his partial return to power. These locations highlight themes of aristocratic decay, the corruption of power, and the dark history behind some of the wizarding world's most established families.