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]], magically concealed behind the facade of a derelict Muggle department store, Purge and Dowse, Ltd. * **Owner/Residents:** Founded by the famous [[Healer]], [[Mungo Bonham]]. It is staffed by [[Healer]]s and Mediwitches/Mediwizards. Notable long-term patients include [[Gilderoy Lockhart]], [[Frank Longbottom]], and [[Alice Longbottom]]. * **Key Features:** The entrance is a magically enchanted mannequin that visitors must speak to; staff wear distinctive lime-green robes; the hospital's emblem is a crossed [[wand]] and bone. =====Description and History===== St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries is the primary medical facility for the wizarding community in Great Britain. Founded in the 17th century by the celebrated [[Healer]] [[Mungo Bonham]], it treats a wide range of magical ailments, from [[spell]] damage to creature-induced injuries. The hospital is hidden from [[Muggle]] view in [[London]], behind the shabby exterior of a closed-down department store named //Purge and Dowse, Ltd.// To gain entry, a witch or wizard must address a mannequin in the front window, which will then permit them to walk through the glass as if it were water. The reception area is often chaotic and crowded, a stark contrast to the sterile orderliness of [[Muggle]] hospitals. A "Welcome Witch" sits at a large desk to direct patients and visitors. The atmosphere is bustling, with [[Healer]]s in their lime-green robes hurrying to and fro. =====Role in the Story===== St. Mungo's features most prominently in //[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]//. [[Arthur Weasley]] is brought here for emergency treatment after being viciously attacked by [[Voldemort]]'s [[snake]], [[Nagini]]. During their Christmas visit to Mr. Weasley, [[Harry Potter]], [[Ron Weasley]], and [[Ginny Weasley]] encounter several notable individuals. They see their former [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] teacher, [[Gilderoy Lockhart]], who remains a permanent patient suffering from the effects of his own backfired [[Memory Charm]]. Most significantly, they witness [[Neville Longbottom]] visiting his parents, [[Frank Longbottom]] and [[Alice Longbottom]]. Frank and Alice are also permanent residents, having been tortured into insanity with the [[Cruciatus Curse]] by [[Death Eater]]s, including [[Bellatrix Lestrange]]. This encounter provides [[Harry]] with a profound understanding of Neville's tragic past and deepens the reader's insight into the true cost of the [[First Wizarding War]]. Later in the school year, [[Minerva McGonagall]] is admitted to St. Mungo's to recover after being hit with four simultaneous [[Stunning Spell]]s while defending [[Rubeus Hagrid]] from [[Dolores Umbridge]]. 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 organized into several floors, each dedicated to a specific category of magical malady. * **Ground Floor: Artefact Accidents:** This floor handles injuries from backfiring wands, [[cauldron]] explosions, and other accidents involving magical objects. The main reception desk is also located here. * **First Floor: Creature-Induced Injuries:** Treats bites, stings, burns, and other wounds inflicted by magical beasts. The Dai Llewellyn Ward, where [[Arthur Weasley]] recovered, is on this floor. * **Second Floor: Magical Bugs:** This ward is for patients suffering from contagious magical illnesses, such as [[Dragon Pox]] or Vanishing Sickness. * **Third Floor: Potion and Plant Poisoning:** Heals those who have been poisoned by magical plants, fungi, or incorrectly brewed [[potion]]s. * **Fourth Floor: Spell Damage:** This floor treats severe and often permanent injuries caused by jinxes, hexes, and curses. The Janus Thickey Ward for long-term residents is located here, housing patients like the Longbottoms and [[Gilderoy Lockhart]]. * **Fifth Floor: Visitor's Tearoom and Hospital Shop:** A non-medical floor offering refreshments and gifts for visitors and patients. =====Behind the Scenes===== * The name "St. Mungo" is a reference to the patron saint of Glasgow, Scotland, where J.K. Rowling once lived. * The name of the front department store, //Purge and Dowse, Ltd.//, is a pun on medical and healing-related terms. To "purge" is to cleanse or purify, and to "douse" is to apply liquid. "Dowsing" is also a form of divination often associated with finding water, a life-giving element. * According to Pottermore, St. Mungo's was founded between 1500 and 1600. (Pottermore) * In the film adaptation of //Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix//, the hospital's interior is depicted with a similar sense of magical chaos, and the scenes in the Janus Thickey Ward with the Longbottoms are included. (film)
