Training Grounds

• Type: Outdoor Training Area
• Location: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Scotland
• Owner/Residents: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
• Key Features: Smooth, sloping lawns; overlooked by Hogwarts Castle windows; adjacent to the Forbidden Forest and the Great Lake.

The Training Grounds is the name given to the specific area of the Hogwarts grounds used for first-year Flying lessons. This area consists of a wide, smooth lawn that slopes gently down from the castle towards the Forbidden Forest. It is directly overlooked by numerous castle windows, which is how Professor McGonagall was able to witness Harry Potter's natural flying talent from her office. While the term “Training Grounds” specifically refers to the location for broomstick practice, it is part of the larger, expansive grounds of Hogwarts. These grounds encompass all the land surrounding the castle, including the lawns, gardens, the Quidditch Pitch, Hagrid's Hut, the Whomping Willow, and the path to Hogsmeade. The grounds serve as a general-purpose area for student recreation, outdoor lessons such as Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures, and major school events.

The Training Grounds are the setting for one of the most pivotal early moments in Harry Potter's Hogwarts career.

• First Flying Lesson: In their first year, Harry and his fellow Gryffindors shared their initial Flying lesson with the Slytherins on the Training Grounds, under the instruction of Madam Hooch. During this lesson, Neville Longbottom lost control of his broomstick, ascended rapidly, and fell, breaking his wrist. After Madam Hooch escorted Neville to the Hospital Wing, Draco Malfoy stole Neville's Remembrall and took to the air, intending to hide it. In a moment of righteous anger, Harry mounted his own broom for the first time and, with an astonishing display of natural skill, performed a fifty-foot dive to catch the Remembrall. This act was witnessed by Professor McGonagall, who, instead of punishing Harry, immediately recruited him to be the new Seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team, making him the youngest House player in a century.

The larger grounds, of which the Training Grounds are a part, were the location for numerous other key events:

• Harry Potter and Ron Weasley crash-landed the flying Ford Anglia near the Whomping Willow at the start of their second year.
• In their sixth year, students practiced Apparition on the grounds under the supervision of Wilkie Twycross.
• The funeral for Albus Dumbledore was held on the lawns near the Great Lake.
• During the Battle of Hogwarts, the grounds became a major battlefield, with fighting between the castle's defenders and Voldemort's army of Death Eaters, giants, and Acromantulas.

The Training Grounds are part of the larger Hogwarts grounds, which also include several other key locations:

• Hagrid's Hut
• The Forbidden Forest
• The Whomping Willow
• The Quidditch Pitch
• The Great Lake
• The Greenhouses
• The Entrance Gates to Hogsmeade

• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the scenes for the first flying lesson were filmed in the Outer Bailey of Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, England (film).
• The layout of the Hogwarts grounds changes considerably throughout the film series, with the location of key features like Hagrid's Hut and the Whomping Willow shifting relative to the castle (film).
• In many Harry Potter video games, the Training Grounds and the wider Hogwarts grounds are rendered as large, explorable areas where players can complete tasks and find collectibles (video game).