Shell Cottage

"Bill and Fleur's cottage stood alone on a cliff overlooking the sea, its walls embedded with shells and whitewashed... Wherever Harry went inside the tiny cottage or its garden, he could hear the constant ebb and flow of the sea, like the breathing of some great, slumbering creature. He spent much of the next few days making excuses to escape the crowded cottage, craving the cliff-top view of open sky and wide, empty sea, and the feel of cold, salty wind on his face."

- Description of Harry Potter's experience at Shell Cottage Shell Cottage is the home of Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour, after their marriage in the summer of 1997. It is located on the outskirts of Tinworth, Cornwall, near the coast, and is described as a "lonely and beautiful place." It was a safehouse for various members of the Weasley family and other allies of the Order of the Phoenix during the height of the Second Wizarding War. Protected by the Fidelius Charm, its Secret-Keeper is Bill Weasley.

1970s/1980s
The cottage was built sometime in, or prior to, the 1970s or 1980s, and was by that time owned by an aunt of the Weasley children. Molly Weasley and Arthur Weasley used to take their children there during their young years.

1997
Newlyweds Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour moved from Bill's family home of the Burrow to Shell Cottage after their wedding on 1 August, 1997.

Bill's younger brother Ron came to stay at Shell Cottage shortly after deserting Harry Potter and Hermione Granger during their mission to destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes in the autumn of that year. Although he disapproved of his brother's actions, Bill did not give him a hard time about it seeing that he regretted his actions, even deciding not to go to the Burrow for Christmas so as not to expose Ron's actions to the rest of their family. Ron stayed for many weeks, leaving in late December to return to his friends.

1998


Around Easter in 1998, Ron, Harry, and Hermione were captured by Snatchers and brought to Malfoy Manor, Death Eater headquarters. This exposed Ron's cover that he had been ill at home with spattergroit, making it too dangerous for the rest of his family to go to their respective jobs. They used the Fidelius Charm to conceal their locations, and Bill was the Secret-Keeper for Shell Cottage.

Ron, Harry, and Hermione managed to escape from Malfoy Manor with the help of Dobby, who was sent to assist them by Aberforth Dumbledore. Fleur immediately tended to Hermione, who had been tortured into unconsciousness by Bellatrix Lestrange. Dobby also transported fellow prisoners Luna Lovegood, Dean Thomas, Mr. Ollivander, and Griphook to Shell Cottage, but was killed in the rescue.

Harry dug his grave by hand between two bushes at the end of the garden, where they held a small funeral. The inscription on his smooth, white tombstone reads "Here Lies Dobby, a Free Elf."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione stayed in the cottage while planning their break-in of Gringotts Wizarding Bank with the reluctant assistance of Griphook. He made a deal with Harry to help them break into the Lestrange Vault and retrieve one of Voldemort's Horcruxes in exchange for Godric Gryffindor's Sword. Bill also warned Harry that goblins have different concepts of ownership than do witches and wizards, and that it would be dangerous to double-cross them.

Also during their stay at Shell Cottage, Harry and the others were visited by Remus Lupin, who announced that his wife had given birth to a son, Teddy, and made Harry the newborn infant's godfather.

After the War
Following the end of the war on 2 May, 1998, Bill and Fleur Weasley raise their three children — Victoire, Dominique, and Louis Weasley — at Shell Cottage.

Additional information
Hermione Granger mentioned Tinworth when she read a passage from A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot:


 * "Upon the signature of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy in 1689, wizards went into hiding for good. It was natural, perhaps, that they formed their own small communities within a community. Many small villages and hamlets attracted several magical families, who banded together for mutual support and protection. The villages of Tinworth in Cornwall, Upper Flagley in Yorkshire, and Ottery St. Catchpole on the south coast of England were notable homes to knots of Wizarding families who lived alongside tolerant and sometimes Confunded Muggles. Most celebrated of these half-magical dwelling places is, perhaps, Godric's Hollow..."

Behind the scenes

 * In the film adaption of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows it is said that the cottage belonged to ´Bill's aunt, although this is never mentioned in the book.
 * On 22 April, BBC News reported the actual dates of Deathly Hallows filming on the coastline of Wales will take place May 11th through the 15th, 2009 on Freshwater West beach of the Pembrokeshire National Park where the scenes for Shell Cottage are said to be shot.
 * On 24th of April, the T-L-C website released the first photos of Shell Cottage while under construction on the coastline in the Pembrokeshire area of Wales.
 * Photos of the completed Shell Cottage can be seen here and here.
 * Photos of the Day One Filming for the Shell Cottage scenes can be seen here and here.
 * Photos of the Shell Cottage construction from start to finish can be seen here.
 * Read about the beach/location on BBC Wales Nature.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)

Notes and references
Chaumière aux Coquillages Villa Conchiglia