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. ======St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries====== =====Location Information===== * **Type:** [[Hospital]] * **Location:** [[London]], [[England]] * **Owner/Residents:** Founded by [[Mungo Bonham]]; operated by a board of governors and staffed by [[Healer]]s. * **Key Features:** Disguised [[Muggle]]-repelling entrance, specialised wards for magical ailments, emblem of a crossed [[wand]] and bone. =====Description and History===== St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries is the primary, and likely only, wizarding [[hospital]] in [[Great Britain]]. It was founded in the 1600s by the famous [[Healer]], [[Mungo Bonham]]. The hospital's purpose is to treat the wide and unusual range of ailments and injuries that can afflict [[witches]] and [[wizards]], from [[spell]] damage to [[magical creature]] bites. The entrance to St Mungo's is concealed from [[Muggle]]s within a dilapidated-looking former department store in [[London]] called //Purge and Dowse Ltd.// The shop front features dusty mannequins and a sign proclaiming it is "Closed for Refurbishment." To enter, a [[witch]] or [[wizard]] must speak to the ugliest of the mannequins in the window, stating their purpose. They are then able to walk directly through the display glass, which ripples like water, into the hospital's [[reception]] area. The interior of the reception is typically chaotic and crowded, filled with patients suffering from bizarre magical conditions. It is staffed by a Welcome [[Witch]] who directs visitors and patients to the appropriate wards. The overall atmosphere is a strange combination of a traditional hospital and the magical world's inherent pandemonium. The staff, known as [[Healer]]s, wear lime-green [[robes]]. =====Role in the Story===== St Mungo's is a key location in //[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]//. * [[Arthur Weasley]] is brought to the hospital after being viciously attacked by [[Nagini]] while guarding the [[Department of Mysteries]]. [[Harry Potter]] witnesses the attack through his mental link with [[Lord Voldemort]]. The [[Weasley family]], along with [[Harry Potter]] and [[Hermione Granger]], visit him on [[Christmas]] Day. * During their visit, Harry, [[Ron Weasley]], and Hermione inadvertently discover that their former [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] teacher, [[Gilderoy Lockhart]], is a long-term patient, still suffering from amnesia caused by a backfired [[Memory Charm]]. * Most significantly, they encounter [[Neville Longbottom]] visiting his parents, [[Frank Longbottom]] and [[Alice Longbottom]]. They are revealed to be permanent residents of the [[Janus Thickey Ward]], having been tortured into insanity by [[Death Eaters]] [[Bellatrix Lestrange]], [[Rodolphus Lestrange]], [[Rabastan Lestrange]], and [[Barty Crouch Jr.]]. This encounter provides Harry with a deeper understanding of Neville's character and tragic past. * Later in the book, [[Minerva McGonagall]] is admitted to St Mungo's after being hit with four simultaneous [[Stunning Spell]]s while defending [[Rubeus Hagrid]] from [[Dolores Umbridge]] and her cronies. In //[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]//, [[Katie Bell]] is treated at St Mungo's for several months after she is cursed by a bewitched [[opal necklace]] intended for [[Albus Dumbledore]]. =====Known Areas Within===== St Mungo's is organised by floor, with each level dedicated to a specific category of magical malady. * **Ground Floor - [[Artefact Accidents]]**: This ward handles injuries from backfiring wands, cauldron explosions, broom crashes, and other object-related incidents. * **First Floor - [[Creature-Induced Injuries]]**: This floor treats bites, stings, burns, and embedded spines from various [[magical creature]]s. The //'Dangerous' Dai Llewellyn Ward for Serious Bites//, where [[Arthur Weasley]] was treated, is located here. * **Second Floor - [[Magical Bugs]]**: This ward deals with contagious illnesses such as [[Dragon Pox]], Scrofugulus, and Vanishing Sickness. * **Third Floor - [[Potion]] and [[Plant Poisoning]]**: This floor handles rashes, regurgitation, and uncontrollable giggling caused by incorrect [[potion]]s or contact with dangerous [[magical plants]]. * **Fourth Floor - [[Spell Damage]]**: This ward is for patients suffering from unliftable jinxes, hexes, curses, and incorrectly applied [[charms]]. The //[[Janus Thickey Ward]] for permanent spell damage// is located here, housing patients like [[Gilderoy Lockhart]] and the [[Longbottoms]]. * **Fifth Floor - [[Visitors' Tearoom]] and [[Hospital Shop]]**: A place for visitors to rest and purchase gifts or refreshments. =====Behind the Scenes===== * The hospital's founder, St. Mungo, is also the name of the patron saint of Glasgow, Scotland. The historical St. Mungo was said to have performed four religious miracles, making the name fitting for the founder of a magical healing institution. (J.K. Rowling interview) * The emblem of St Mungo's is a [[wand]] crossed with a bone. (Pottermore) * In the film adaptation of //Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix//, the hospital's interior is depicted with a more orderly, yet still magical, design. The [[Janus Thickey Ward]] is shown as a circular room with large windows, where the scene with the [[Longbottoms]] takes place. (film)
