Viaduct

The Viaduct was a bridge at Hogwarts Castle. It was constructed of stone, and spanned a large chasm, connecting the grounds with the Viaduct Courtyard. There is a safety balustrade made of stone on each side of the Viaduct walkway to prevent people from falling, as well as iron torches to provide lighting.

1997-1998 school year
During the Battle of Hogwarts, Minerva McGonagall's enchanted suits of armour were stationed on the Viaduct to prevent the Death Eaters to enter the Castle proper. Once the magical protections around Hogwarts were broken, many Death Eaters charged through the Viaduct, as well as the Giants, damaging a great deal of the walkway and destroying much of the balustrade.

Behind the scenes

 * The viaduct is one of the few areas of Hogwarts which has stayed consistently the same throughout the first six film adaptations. However, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, the Viaduct changes places, this time connecting a bigger Viaduct Courtyard to some nearby hills, part of the Forbidden Forest. This likely happened as the development of the Battle of Hogwarts requires a direct connection from the grounds to the main entrance and enough area for many occupants to battle.
 * In the PlayStation One version of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, there is a bridge connecting the main entrance (that resembles the Viaduct Entrance façade) and the Quidditch Training Pitch, that closely resembles the Viaduct.
 * In the video game of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, it is required that you repair the Viaduct in order to get across to do a mission. The debris that you repair is most likely from the Triwizard Tournament events.
 * In the video game adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter chases Draco Malfoy across the Viaduct when he was pursuing him after talking to Katie Bell in the Great Hall.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)
 * The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
 * Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

Notes and references
Viaduc