Pyramids (Egypt)

• Type: Tomb, Historical Site
• Location: Egypt
• Owner/Residents: Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs
• Key Features: Heavily protected by ancient curses designed to deter tomb robbers, both wizard and Muggle.

The pyramids of Egypt are ancient monumental structures, primarily serving as tombs for the Pharaohs of old. Within the Wizarding World, it is known that these tombs were enchanted by ancient Egyptian wizards to protect the treasures buried within. These protective enchantments involve powerful and dangerous curses that remain potent for centuries. According to Ron Weasley, whose older brother Bill Weasley worked in Egypt as a Curse-Breaker for Gringotts Wizarding Bank, these curses are particularly lethal. He noted that many Muggles who had managed to break into the tombs met with horrible ends. He also mentioned, perhaps with some exaggeration, that some tombs contained mutated skeletons of intruders, some of whom had supposedly grown extra heads. Bill's job involved navigating these ancient curses to retrieve treasure for Gringotts.

The Egyptian pyramids are central to the setup of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. In the summer of 1993, the Weasley family won the *Daily Prophet* Grand Prize Galleon Draw, a prize of seven hundred Galleons. They used the money to travel to Egypt to visit Bill Weasley. During their trip, they sent Harry Potter a birthday card and a photograph showing the entire family standing happily in front of a large pyramid. This photograph was also printed in the *Daily Prophet*. The photo played a crucial, albeit indirect, role in the year's events. When Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge gave his copy of the paper to the imprisoned Sirius Black in Azkaban, Sirius recognized Ron Weasley's pet rat, Scabbers, sitting on his shoulder. Knowing Scabbers was in fact the Animagus Peter Pettigrew, who had betrayed the Potter family, Sirius was motivated to escape Azkaban to protect Harry. The setting also served to establish Bill's adventurous profession as a Curse-Breaker and expand the reader's understanding of the global nature of the Wizarding World and its ancient history.

• Tombs: The primary purpose of the pyramids was to serve as elaborate tombs. Ron Weasley described his family's exploration of these tombs, which he found “brilliant.” Inside, they contain passages, chambers, and of course, the burial sites of Pharaohs and their treasures.

• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the moving photograph of the Weasley family in Egypt is shown to Harry at the Leaky Cauldron. (film)
• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, the Gringotts cart ride sequence features a view of what appear to be underground pyramids within the deep vaults of the bank, a visual detail not mentioned in the book. (film)