Top five places that inspired Harry Potter

Have you read any Harry Potter books? Watch the video to find out about five places that inspired the books!

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Transcript

The first stop on our Harry Potter tour is a little café in the heart of Scotland's capital city, Edinburgh. This is the place where JK Rowling used to come to write the Harry Potter books. And she'd sit in this exact seat. Now people come from around the world to visit it. And if you look out of the window from this spot, there's one pretty big clue about where the idea for her wizarding school came from.

Our second landmark: Edinburgh Castle, the inspiration for Hogwarts. 'Perched atop a high mountain ... its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.' Yep, pretty accurate!

Three. Greyfriars Kirkyard. Yes, a graveyard. The books are packed full of characters with unusual names: Sirius Black, Albus Dumbledore, Narcissa Malfoy. Some of them she got from the names of flowers, stars or Latin, which she studied. Others she got from places like this.

Four. The reptile house at London Zoo. Potter fans will recognise this as the first place where we really get an idea of what Harry can do. 'It was cool and dark in here, with lit windows all along the walls. Harry sat up and gasped; the glass front of the boa constrictor's tank had vanished.'

Five. King's Cross station, London, where our journey comes to an end but where Harry's really begins. Not only does he meet his best friend Ron here, but it's also the spot where he takes the Hogwarts Express for the very first time. 'He opened his eyes. A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, 11 o'clock ... with the words Platform 9¾. He had done it.' I wonder if I can get there too?

© BBC

Discussion

What are your favourite books? Tell us about them!

Average: 3.6 (9 votes)

Submitted by PurpleCrownAmulet on Tue, 04/08/2020 - 18:24

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My favourite books are harry potter books... I read all the books from 1 to 8 and I loved them!! I also read Fantastic Beasts and where to find them, Quidditch throught the ages, and I am registered to Wizarding World.... Yes, I am a bit fanatic.... ; )

Submitted by RunningFootbal… on Mon, 23/03/2020 - 06:42

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I have read 7 out of 8 books of Harry Potter. My favorite book of Harry Potter series is 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of secret'.

Submitted by DoctorEmerald1 on Tue, 22/01/2019 - 16:45

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HI MY FAVOURITE BOOK IS THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SOWYER

Submitted by KingMusicTune on Thu, 19/04/2018 - 17:01

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My favorite books are about cats, future and riddles. I would recommend a book for you - Street Cat names Bob.

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