Hogwarts School Song

• Type: School Anthem
• Institution: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
• Creator: Unknown

The official lyrics to the Hogwarts school song are as follows: Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts, Teach us something please, Whether we be old and bald Or young with scabby knees, Our heads could do with filling With some interesting stuff, For now they're bare and full of air, Dead flies and bits of fluff, So teach us things worth knowing, Bring back what we've forgot, Just do your best, we'll do the rest, And learn until our brains all rot. A unique feature of the song is that it has no official melody. When performed, each individual is encouraged to pick their own favorite tune. This results in a tremendous, often chaotic, cacophony as everyone sings the same words to different music and at different speeds.

The Hogwarts School Song was traditionally sung at the end of the start-of-term feast, at least during the early years of Harry Potter's attendance. The performance was initiated by Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, who would flick his wand, causing a long golden ribbon to erupt from it, twist into the words of the song, and float above the house tables for all to see. The custom of choosing one's own tune was enthusiastically embraced by the students. In Harry Potter's first year, the entire school sang it together, with everyone finishing at different times. The last to finish were Fred Weasley and George Weasley, who continued singing to a very slow, solemn funeral march long after everyone else had stopped. Albus Dumbledore conducted their final few lines with his wand and, upon their conclusion, was one of the loudest applauders. Albus Dumbledore himself showed great affection for the tradition, wiping tears from his eyes and declaring, “Ah, music… A magic beyond all we do here!”. However, the other members of staff seemed less enthusiastic, wearing rather fixed smiles during the performance.

The song is only performed once in the entire book series, at the end of the Sorting Ceremony and Welcoming Feast in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Its inclusion serves several narrative purposes:

• It immediately establishes the character of Albus Dumbledore as eccentric, whimsical, and someone who values joy and individuality over rigid formality.
• It sets the tone for Hogwarts as a place that is magical, slightly chaotic, and fundamentally different from the mundane world of the Dursleys.
• The differing reactions of the staff—Dumbledore's joy versus the other teachers' strained patience—provides an early insight into the dynamics of the Hogwarts faculty.

The song is not mentioned as being sung in subsequent years. This absence may reflect the increasingly dark and serious tone of the later books, particularly as threats from Lord Voldemort mounted and the Ministry of Magic began to interfere with the school's administration under figures like Dolores Umbridge, who would not have tolerated such a disorderly tradition.

• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the song is omitted entirely. Albus Dumbledore's eccentric nature is instead conveyed through his unusual feast announcements, including the words, “Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!”. (film)
• A version of the song appears in a deleted scene from the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. In this version, the students and faculty sing it together in a much more orderly and unified fashion, with a specific, shared melody. (film)