Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ======The Great Lake====== =====Location Information===== * **Type:** Natural Body of Water * **Location:** South of [[Hogwarts Castle]], on the grounds of [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]], Scotland, Great Britain * **Owner/Residents:** The [[Giant Squid]], a colony of [[Merpeople]], and various other magical creatures including [[Grindylows]]. * **Key Features:** A large, deep, and dark body of water; home to a variety of magical aquatic life; a traditional part of the first-year students' arrival at [[Hogwarts]]; the site of the Second Task of the 1994 [[Triwizard Tournament]]. =====Description and History===== The [[Great Lake]], often referred to as the Black Lake, is a vast, deep body of water located on the [[Hogwarts Grounds]]. Its surface can vary from being as smooth as black glass to choppy and icy grey, depending on the weather. The [[lake]] is a fundamental part of the [[Hogwarts]] landscape and has been present since the school's founding. The [[lake]] is teeming with magical life. Its most famous inhabitant is a [[Giant Squid]], which is largely placid and has been known to interact harmlessly with students, even saving [[Dennis Creevey]] after he fell from a boat. A reclusive and territorial colony of [[Merpeople]] inhabits a village in its depths, complete with crude stone dwellings and a central statue. These [[Merpeople]] are wary of wizards and witches, possessing a harsh, screeching language when above water but a more comprehensible one beneath the surface. The shallows of the [[lake]] are also infested with aggressive water demons known as [[Grindylows]]. For centuries, the [[Great Lake]] has been the final leg of the journey for new students. First-years traditionally cross the [[lake]] in a fleet of small boats, guided by the [[Groundskeeper]], which provides them with their first breathtaking view of [[Hogwarts Castle]]. During the 1994-1995 school year, the [[lake]] also served as the mooring point for the spectacular, skeletal ship from the [[Durmstrang Institute]]. =====Role in the Story===== The [[Great Lake]] is the setting for several significant events throughout the series. * **First-Year Arrival:** In //Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone//, [[Harry Potter]] and his classmates make the iconic boat journey across the [[Great Lake]], marking their formal arrival at [[Hogwarts]]. * **The Second Task:** The [[lake]]'s most prominent role is in //Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire// as the arena for the Second Task of the [[Triwizard Tournament]]. The champions were required to swim to the bottom of the [[lake]] to rescue a hostage from the [[Merpeople]]'s village within a one-hour time limit. [[Harry Potter]] used [[Gillyweed]] to breathe underwater, [[Cedric Diggory]] used a [[Bubble-Head Charm]], [[Viktor Krum]] employed a partial [[Transfiguration]] into a shark, and [[Fleur Delacour]] was forced to retire after being attacked by [[Grindylows]]. * **Dumbledore's Funeral:** At the end of //Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince//, the funeral service for [[Albus Dumbledore]] is held on the shore of the [[Great Lake]]. In a moving tribute, the [[Merpeople]] colony rose from the depths to pay their respects, demonstrating their high regard for the late [[Headmaster]]. [[Dumbledore's Tomb]], a white marble sarcophagus, was placed by the water's edge. * **The Elder Wand:** Following the [[Battle of Hogwarts]] in //Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows//, [[Harry Potter]] stands on the banks of the [[lake]] with [[Ron Weasley]] and [[Hermione Granger]]. It is here he decides not to keep the [[Elder Wand]] for himself, but to return it to [[Dumbledore's Tomb]]. =====Known Areas Within===== * **The Merpeople Village:** Located deep in the center of the [[Great Lake]], this village consists of crude stone dwellings decorated with carvings of [[Merpeople]] hunting the [[Giant Squid]]. A large, rough-hewn statue of a [[Merperson]] stands in a central square where the [[Triwizard Tournament]] hostages were held. * **The Shoreline:** The banks of the [[Great Lake]] are a common place for students to relax, study, and walk between classes. Following his death, this area became the site of [[Dumbledore's Tomb]]. =====Behind the Scenes===== * In the film adaptations, the [[Great Lake]] is almost exclusively referred to as the "Black Lake." Loch Shiel, Loch Eilt, and Loch Morar in the Scottish Highlands were used as filming locations for the [[lake]] and its surroundings (film). * According to Pottermore, the [[Slytherin]] [[Common Room]] and dormitories are located in dungeons that extend under the [[Great Lake]], and their windows look out into its green, murky depths (Pottermore). * [[J.K. Rowling]] has stated that the [[Giant Squid]] is a real, albeit mysterious, creature with a high degree of intelligence, rather than a magical beast in the formal sense (J.K. Rowling interview).
