Groundskeeper's Hut

• Type: Residence
• Location: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry grounds, Scotland
• Owner/Residents: Rubeus Hagrid
• Key Features: A small wooden cabin with a single room, located at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

The Groundskeeper's Hut is a small wooden cabin that serves as the home for the Hogwarts groundskeeper, most notably Rubeus Hagrid. It is situated on the school grounds at the very edge of the Forbidden Forest. The exterior often features a crossbow and a pair of galoshes by the front door. Adjacent to the hut is a small garden and a pumpkin patch, where Hagrid cultivates enormous pumpkins, some of which are used for the Hallowe'en feast. The interior of the hut consists of a single, large room that is both rustic and cluttered. Hams and pheasants are often seen hanging from the ceiling. A large, open fireplace, where Hagrid frequently boils a copper kettle for tea, dominates one wall. The furniture is oversized to accommodate Hagrid's large frame, including a massive wooden table with chairs and a bed covered with a patchwork quilt. Throughout their time at Hogwarts, the hut served as a crucial sanctuary and second home for Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. They were frequent visitors, often discussing important matters with Hagrid over tea and his notoriously hard rock cakes.

The hut is the setting for numerous significant events in the series:

• Philosopher's Stone: The trio's friendship with Hagrid is solidified here. They learn key details about the Philosopher's Stone's protection and witness Hagrid illegally hatch a Norwegian Ridgeback egg, naming the dragon Norbert.
• Chamber of Secrets: Following Hagrid's advice to “follow the spiders,” Harry and Ron depart from the hut into the Forbidden Forest, which leads them to Aragog. The hut is also where Cornelius Fudge and Lucius Malfoy arrive to arrest Hagrid and take him to Azkaban.
• Prisoner of Azkaban: The hut is central to the plot involving Buckbeak the Hippogriff, serving as the headquarters for his defense. Later, it is the site of Buckbeak's apparent execution, a key event that Harry and Hermione witness and later alter using the Time-Turner.
• Goblet of Fire: After Rita Skeeter publicly reveals his half-giant heritage, Hagrid secludes himself in the hut until he is coaxed out by Albus Dumbledore and the trio.
• Order of the Phoenix: Hagrid recounts his dangerous mission to the giants to the trio inside his hut. It later becomes the scene of a violent confrontation when Dolores Umbridge and several Aurors ambush Hagrid in an attempt to sack him, resulting in Professor McGonagall's severe injury.
• Half-Blood Prince: The funeral for Aragog is held in the pumpkin patch next to the hut. This event allows Harry to procure a critical memory about Horcruxes from Professor Slughorn, whom he finds in the hut mourning with Hagrid. During the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, the hut is set on fire by the Death Eater Thorfinn Rowle, but the blaze is extinguished by Hagrid and Harry.

• Main Living Space: The single room of the hut functions as an all-in-one living area, kitchen, and bedroom. It contains the fireplace, the large wooden table where Hagrid hosts his guests, and various pieces of oversized furniture.
• Garden and Pumpkin Patch: An outdoor area next to the hut where Hagrid practices his gardening skills. This patch is where Buckbeak was tethered during his time at Hogwarts and where his apparent execution took place.

• In the film adaptations, the location and design of the hut change. In the first two films, it is situated on relatively flat ground not far from the castle. From Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban onward, the hut is relocated to a much more dramatic setting at the bottom of a steep, grassy hill, making it appear more isolated. (film)
• The film version of the hut is also more stylized than the simple cabin described in the book, featuring multiple crooked, steeply-pitched roofs and a more weathered, fantastical appearance. (film)
• In the Hogwarts Legacy video game, which is set in the 1890s, a similar groundskeeper's hut can be found in the same location, implying it has been the traditional home for groundskeepers for a long time. (video game)