The Burrow
Location Information
- Type: Residence
- Location: Near the wizarding village of Ottery St Catchpole, Devon, England
- Owner/Residents: The Weasley family, primarily Arthur Weasley and Molly Weasley and their children: Bill Weasley, Charlie Weasley, Percy Weasley, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, Ron Weasley, and Ginny Weasley. It also serves as a second home for Harry Potter.
- Key Features: A multi-storied, crooked house held up by magic, a large, gnome-infested garden, and numerous protective enchantments.
Description and History
The Burrow is the ancestral home of the Weasley family. It is a ramshackle and visibly magical dwelling that began as a small stone pigpen. Over the years, as Arthur Weasley and Molly Weasley had more children, they added extra rooms to the structure, resulting in a tall, lopsided tower that appears to be held together purely by magic. It has a red-tiled roof and a crooked, hand-painted sign near the entrance that reads “The Burrow.” The interior of the home is just as jumbled and cluttered as its exterior, yet it is consistently portrayed as a warm, welcoming, and loving environment. The kitchen is small and often crowded, centered around a large scrubbed wooden table that serves as the heart of family life. One of the most notable objects in the house is the unique Weasley Clock in the living room, which does not tell time but instead displays the location or status of each family member (such as “Home,” “School,” “Traveling,” “Lost,” or “Mortal Peril”). The surrounding grounds include a large, overgrown garden that the Weasley children are often tasked with De-gnoming, an orchard used for informal Quidditch practice, a rickety garage, and a shed where Arthur Weasley tinkers with his collection of Muggle artifacts. The house is home not only to the Weasleys but also to a noisy Ghoul in the attic and a flock of chickens. The Burrow is located a few miles outside the village of Ottery St Catchpole, which is also home to other wizarding families like the Fawcetts and the Lovegoods. It is well-hidden from Muggles by a variety of charms.
Role in the Story
The Burrow is one of the most significant locations in the series, second only to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. For Harry Potter, it represents the loving family life and warm home he never had with the Dursleys at Number Four, Privet Drive. It is his first and most powerful experience of a magical home, and he considers it his favourite place in the world outside of Hogwarts. Throughout the series, The Burrow serves as a crucial safe haven and base of operations.
- In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry is rescued from the Dursleys by Ron, Fred, and George Weasley in their father's enchanted Flying Ford Anglia and brought to The Burrow for the first time.
- In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the Weasleys use the Floo Network to retrieve Harry, accidentally destroying the Dursleys' blocked-up fireplace in the process. The family later travels from there to the Quidditch World Cup.
- By Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, The Burrow has become the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix after 12 Grimmauld Place is compromised. The home is protected by numerous powerful enchantments put in place by the Ministry of Magic.
- The wedding of Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour is held in a large marquee on the grounds of The Burrow. The celebration is interrupted by the arrival of Kingsley Shacklebolt's lynx Patronus, which announces that the Ministry of Magic has fallen and that Lord Voldemort has taken over. This event forces Harry, Ron, and Hermione Granger to flee and begin their hunt for the Horcruxes.
Known Areas Within
- Kitchen: The central hub of the household, featuring a large wooden table and a fireplace connected to the Floo Network.
- Living Room: A comfortable but cluttered room containing the famous Weasley Clock and a fireplace.
- Garden and Orchard: A large, wild garden that requires frequent De-gnoming. An adjacent orchard is large enough for the Weasley children to practice Quidditch.
- Arthur Weasley's Shed: A small, locked shed where Arthur keeps his vast collection of Muggle items, such as plugs, batteries, and a disassembled car engine.
- Ron Weasley's Bedroom: Located on the top floor, just below the attic. The room is decorated entirely in the bright orange of the Chudley Cannons Quidditch team.
- Fred and George Weasley's Bedroom: A frequent source of bangs and small explosions, as the twins used it to develop products for Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.
- Ginny Weasley's Bedroom: A neat and tidy room located on the first floor.
- Percy Weasley's Bedroom: Harry stays in this room in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. It is noted for being immaculately clean, a reflection of Percy's fastidious nature.
- The Attic: A small space at the very top of the house inhabited by the family's Ghoul, which occasionally bangs on the pipes when it feels lonely.
Behind the Scenes
- J.K. Rowling has stated that The Burrow is her favourite house in the series and that it represents her ideal of a family home, describing it as “a messy, loving, warm place.” (J.K. Rowling interview)
- In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, The Burrow is attacked and burned down by Death Eaters, including Bellatrix Lestrange and Fenrir Greyback, during the Christmas holidays. This event does not occur in the book; in the novels, The Burrow remains a safe location until the attack on Bill and Fleur's wedding. The house is shown to have been rebuilt in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1. (film)
- The film sets for The Burrow were meticulously designed to reflect the book's description of a home built haphazardly over time, with crooked walls and a jumble of architectural styles, perfectly capturing its magical and chaotic essence. (film)