The Hog's Head Inn

• Type: Inn, Pub
• Location: Hogsmeade, Scotland
• Owner/Residents: Aberforth Dumbledore (Barman and Owner)
• Key Features: Discreet atmosphere, shady clientele, a secret passage to Hogwarts Castle

The Hog's Head Inn is a small, grubby pub located on a side street in the village of Hogsmeade. It stands in stark contrast to the more popular and cleaner The Three Broomsticks. The inn is easily identified by its battered wooden sign depicting the severed, bleeding head of a wild boar. The interior consists of a single, small, and very dirty room that carries a persistent, strong smell of goats. The windows are so encrusted with grime that they admit very little light, leaving the space dark and shadowy, lit mainly by candle stumps on rough wooden tables. The floor is described as feeling sticky, as if it has centuries of dirt ingrained into it. The barman and owner, Aberforth Dumbledore, is known to be less discerning about his customers than other proprietors in Hogsmeade, and the inn is consequently a frequent haunt for witches and wizards wishing to remain discreet or anonymous, many of whom keep their faces covered by hoods or veils. Historically, the inn has been a site for clandestine meetings. Long before the events of the series, it was in an upstairs room of the Hog's Head that Albus Dumbledore conducted a job interview with Sybill Trelawney for the post of Divination professor at Hogwarts. During this interview, Professor Trelawney made the famous prophecy concerning Lord Voldemort and the one with the power to vanquish him. The first part of this prophecy was overheard by Severus Snape, who was then ejected from the premises by Aberforth. The inn also reportedly served as the headquarters for the 1612 Goblin Rebellion (Pottermore).

The Hog's Head Inn plays a pivotal, if infrequent, role in the series, serving as a site for crucial secret gatherings. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Hermione Granger chooses the Hog's Head as the venue for the first meeting of students interested in forming a defense group against the Dark Arts, precisely because of its reputation for privacy. It is here that twenty-eight students, including Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione, gather and agree to form the organization that would become known as Dumbledore's Army (DA). They sign their names on a bewitched parchment, which Dolores Umbridge later uses as proof of the illegal organization. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry observes Aberforth Dumbledore meeting with Mundungus Fletcher outside the inn, providing a clue to Aberforth's continued involvement with the Order of the Phoenix. The inn's most significant historical role is also revealed in this book, as Harry Potter learns it was the location where Sybill Trelawney's prophecy was made and partially overheard by Severus Snape. Its most critical function occurs in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. After the Trio Apparates into Hogsmeade and triggers a Caterwauling Charm, Aberforth pulls them into the safety of the inn, hiding them from patrolling Death Eaters. He reveals a secret passage to Hogwarts, concealed behind a portrait of his deceased sister, Ariana Dumbledore. This passage leads directly into the Room of Requirement and is the only unguarded entrance to the castle. The Hog's Head subsequently becomes the primary staging area for reinforcements, including members of the Order of the Phoenix and families of students, to enter Hogwarts and join the Battle of Hogwarts.

• Main Bar Room: The primary public area of the inn, a single, dark, and dirty room containing a bar and several wooden tables.
• Upstairs Rooms: The inn has at least one room for private meetings or lodging upstairs, where Sybill Trelawney's interview took place.
• Secret Passage: A hidden tunnel, accessed through the portrait of Ariana Dumbledore, which connects the inn directly to the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts.

• The name “Hog's Head” is a traditional type of British pub name, lending an authentic feel to the wizarding world's establishments.
• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the inn is depicted very closely to its book description, with a dark, grimy aesthetic. The bloody boar's head sign is also a prominent and memorable prop. (film)
• According to Pottermore, the Hog's Head Inn was the site of the 1612 Goblin Rebellion headquarters, adding to its long and storied history of being a hub for clandestine activities. (Pottermore)